Without You Chapter 3- The Danger, the Promise, and the Angels Mako-chan Fan/Jovian Angel Makochan_fan@hotmail.com Author’s Notes: Sorry to everyone who wants Heero and Mako-chan to be together, but it’s gonna be a Duo/Mako fic. And I’ve also decided to name the gundam. All right, on with the program, er, fic! Two days later... “Hey, Uncle Pete! What’s up? Guess what? We’ve already thought of what the gundam’s name would be!” Triton greeted his uncle cheerfully as they entered the Hacienda de la Bloom. “Really? That’s great! By the way, how’s your sister doing?” Pete asked the young boy worriedly but a little distractedly. “Well, um, she’s okay, I guess. She’s still a little mad at us for not believing what she said about the gundam. I want to believe her, it’s just that it’s too weird. But I know my sister, she won’t make up stupid stuff. But still...” the brunette answered, troubled by his sister’s words. They walked into the hall where Isabella was instructing Lita of playing the piano. When the little redhead saw him, her face lit up, but suddenly darkened a bit. ‘Oh, Lita.’ Pete sighed to himself. The doctor kissed his best friend’s wife on the cheek, then kissed the girl on her forehead. “Hey Lita. How’s the arm?” Pete inquired, concerned about the wound that was still bandaged. “It doesn’t hurt much when I move it,” Lita answered, not looking at his uncle’s face. It hurt her to know that nobody believed what really happened. Silence stuck between the two. Lita just busied herself playing a song on the piano. The two adults and the boy eyed each other. They all mentally sighed. “Pierre’s waiting for you in the study room, Peter. He told me you had something important to share to us,” Isabella informed him. “Oh, yes. Let’s go.” “Children, continue on practicing on your instruments. I’ll be back.” Isabella told her kids. “Yes, mom!” The two answered. Triton picked up his flute and played the tune where he left off. The two adults left the room. In the study room... “Good morning, Pierre.” Pete greeted his best friend as he and Isabella entered the room. “Good morning. So, what’s so important that you ACTUALLY left the base?” Pierre asked teasingly. His ‘brother’ was a hard-worker. He heard from some of the other mechanics working in the secret base that he even missed lunch sometimes, intent on finishing the gundam. “We’ve intercepted information from OZ using the newest space spy satellites launched two weeks ago.” Pete started. “And?” “Your family’s in danger,” the doctor warned silently. The couple remained quiet. He continued. “It turns out that they’ve been eyeing you for a long time. They want your money. All of it. It would help them buy parts to build more mobile suits and more weapons. Also, the money would help them convince powerful people not to go against OZ. That way, all they have to do is attack and conquer. Your money would also be used for payment for the soldiers who will join them.” The room was still quiet. “And on top of that, they know that you’ve been supplying for our projects. I don’t know how, but it seems that they know what you’ve been doing, where you have been going.” Isabella gasped. Pierre looked grim. “So there’s a possibility that they know about the underground base?” Isabella asked. “Yes, there’s a big chance that they do. We’ve already warned everyone underground about it. Told them to be careful whom they trust, careful not to let anyone follow them around. We’re also speeding the process of finishing the projects, knowing that they might attack anytime.” “By the way, have you fixed the Gundam yet?” Pierre questioned him. “No. It’s so frustrating. Nothing’s wrong with the damn thing yet it won’t work!” Pete cursed. He shook his head. “Now, back to the problem with the OZ. We’ve already ordered soldiers to guard you. You won’t even notice these guys, they’re good. But I also advise for you to double, hell, triple your bodyguards around your office building and here at home.” Pete suggested. “Good idea. We’ll also send word about this to our parents. They’re in this just as we are, and they’re easier targets.” Pierre added. “We should also limit our movements. We’ll have to stop visiting the base.” Isabella chimed in. “Yes, good idea.” Pete commented. The air around them seemed to thicken as the silence stretched. “Christ. This is bad.” Pierre whispered, leaning back on his chair as he massaged his temples. “I don’t want the children living in danger.” Isabella sat closer to her husband and wrapped her arms around him. An arm wrapped around her waist. “I know what you mean. But you’re in too deep.” Pete solemnly said as his elbows leaned on his thighs. “Look, it’s going to be okay. We’ve got the military watching our backs plus our own bodyguards surrounding us. We’re not exactly defenseless. With those trusty SSS, we’ll be two steps ahead of them even before danger closes in on us. Lighten up you two.” Isabella assured the two men. Both males looked at the woman with admiration in their eyes. “I swear I should’ve been the one who courted you,” Pete amusedly said as he shook his head. All of them laughed. “Hey, it’s already twelve. How about you eat lunch with us?” Pierre offered. “Sure. I miss Nana’s cooking anyway,” Pete answered. The two men walked to the kitchen while Isabella fetched the kids in the music room. Pete sneaked behind the cook and covered her eyes. “Guess who?” The old woman gasped, dropping the large spoon she was using to mix the stew. She turned around and tugged the hands down. “Peter!” The woman shouted before she hugged him. The man laughed and put his arms around her. “How’s everything Nana? You’re looking younger. You want to go out with me sometime?” Nana took care of Pierre and his older sister from a young boy until he went to college. She treated him like a son, and treated Pete the same, too, when the two boys met. “Oh, you!” The short lady who only reached his lower chest playfully smacked his arm. “Don’t you pull that playboy attitude with me!” Pete laughed at the two. “So how’s the life, Nana? Everything great? The two children aren’t giving you headaches, are they?” “I heard that!” came from behind them. Triton scowled at the two. “We’re not like that, Uncle! We’re good little angels!” Lita replied, offering a smile at the two. “Sure you are, squirt!” “It’s true!” “Okay, let’s eat.” After eating, the two children went to the entertainment room and watched television. Nana took the quiet afternoon as a privilege and got some sleep. Isabella went somewhere in the large hacienda. The two men stood outside the porch, looking at the huge vineyard before them. They were quietly sipping red wine, made from the said vineyard. “Pete?” Pierre said gently. “Hmm?” “Promise me that you’ll take care of the children if anything happens to me,” the father asked of him, distress written on his face. The two men looked at each other. “Promise me that, Pete. Swear that you’ll look out for them, guide them as they grow up.” “Pete, I...” “Promise me.” A few moments passed when neither one said anything. “I promise. I will,” his best friend swore. The two men roughly hugged. “Hey, what’s happening here?” Isabella asked, appearing out of nowhere. “Nothing. Just some guy talk,” Pete said, an arm around his best friend’s shoulder. “Okay then.” Pete looked at his watch. “Hey, have to get going. I need to get back to the base.” The couple walked him back to his car where his driver was waiting for him. The two children came downstairs and saw their uncle leaving. “Hey, you two. So what was it that you wanted to call the gundam?” He asked as he leaned his hands on his thighs so he can look at the children eye to eye. Two emerald pairs locked and looked back at him. “Nyx!” they both cried. ****************************** That night, Isabella and Pierre called Triton to his sister’s room. All of them sat on Lita’s bed. “Your father and I are here to give you something.” Isabella started, looking at her children with wonder. ‘They’re so big now. I didn’t even notice it.’ “What is it? Candy?” Lita inquired, having a sweet tooth. “No, Angelita, it isn’t,” her father replied, rolling his eyes. Their mother took out two necklaces out of her pocket. The two children took each necklace with wonder. Triton held a thin, white gold chain. The pendant was of an angel, its body oddly curved to form half a circle. It was also made of white gold. Lita was handed the same kind of chain. The pendant was the same, but the angel was upside down. “Why is mine upside down?” Lita asked her parents. “Let us put that on you.” Isabella put the necklace on Triton while Lita let her father put it on her. “Watch this,” Pierre told the children. He took the pendants on each hand and put them close to each other. The two pendants, having small magnets in them, connected. The two angels formed a circle, their upraised hands touching each other’s feet. “Cool!” Both kids squealed. The two adults smiled, but their faces darkened. “Always wear this, okay? Don’t ever take it off and don’t lose it,” Isabella told her children. The two kids just nodded. Why would they take off such a cool thing? “And look at the back of the pendants,” their dad suggested. They saw their first and last initials on them: TB for Triton Bloom and LB for Litanya Bloom. The two children smiled. “Okay, time to go to sleep.” The two children slept peacefully, not knowing of the present danger, while the two adults slept worriedly and woke up from disturbing nightmares. END CHAPTER 3 I’m going to speed up the pace a bit. The first two chapters were a little boring. I wouldn’t have included them but they were important. Sorta to establish the story and the character, you know? All right. Peace. Reviews please!