See Part One for Disclaimers

Part Ten

***********************
>>dream or flashback<<
***********************


She had to find Heero, and quick.  He should be told.  Sym got lucky on her first try; the boy was in his room along with Quatre and Duo.  All three were extremely happy to see her, only Heero hid it quite well.

"Sym!" Quatre called, rushing towards the dark-headed woman.

"Hello Quatre; I'm glad to see you, too."  She gave the boy her warmest smile.

"Hey there, Sym.  I see you've gotten right back to work."  Duo indicated her Organization uniform.

"Duty calls; we don't get many vacations around here."

I wish they'd quit falling all over her; it's disgusting. Heero thought.  "Is there something wrong?" he asked harshly.  It wasn't that her presence didn't please him, it did, but he hated it when people weren't direct.

Sym was unperturbed by his slight hostility.  "I need to talk to you privately, Heero."

"Is it urgent?"

"It has to do with your mission."

He turned to his two roommates.  "Will you excuse us?"

Duo was a bit annoyed.  "You want  us to leave?"

Colonel Novaya shook her head slightly at Heero's anti-social ways, but she understood that he didn't know any better.  "Let's go to my quarters; we can talk safely there."

Heero nodded.  "Okay."

*      *      *

As the two exited, Quatre fell onto his bed and let out a strangled yell.

"What's wrong with you?" Duo asked, surprised at his friend's sudden mood change.  He's been in a better mood today than I've seen him in a long time.

"I don't think I can stand this much longer.  We're being shut out of everything."  He sat up, blonde hair completely askew.  "Remember when we used to plan things out together?  Heero would get a mission, I'd formulate a battle strategy, Trowa would research the target. . .we all had jobs!  Now all we do is take orders from him."  Quatre fell back over, glaring at the ceiling.

Duo cracked a rakish smile.  Someone's got a crush.  "Sure you're just not jealous that he ran off with Sym?"

The blonde remained horizontal, but turned his head to the side to look at the American.  "Jealous?  Of Heero, that bastard."  Quatre hoped his friend would think he was blushing only from anger.

Duo decided to stay on the subject of Colonel Novaya.  "There's just something about her.  Whenever I'm around her, I feel so calm."

Quatre sat up once again, leaning on the wall behind the bed.  "I know what you mean; I feel the same way.  Now that I think about it, it's kind of weird, isn't it?"

Duo rolled his eyes.  "Jeez, Quatre, she's a very pretty woman.  There's nothing strange about it!"  I didn't know he was  that naive.

"Did you see her with Kharik?  It looks like they're pretty close."  Quatre frowned a bit at that.

"Yeah.  I think it's nice; they look good together."  He turned a grin on the boy.  "What, were you hopin' she'd go for you?  And you, about to be married!"  Doesn't hurt to tease him a little.

Quatre's face fell and he turned on the bed to look at the wall.  "That's not funny.  I would never do anything to hurt Noin; she's still mourning Zech's death. . ."  He couldn't get the rest of the words out without breaking down.

Real smart Maxwell!  Duo's smile faded and he debated on whether or not to go comfort his friend.  He's been so weird about being touched since. . .  "Quatre, I was only teasing you; I'm sorry.  Everything's going to be okay, one day."

The boy's mood changed as suddenly as the wind changed directions.  "Nothing is ever going to be okay again!  Can you possibly even understand that?"  He was hysterical, crying and screaming at the same time.  "I've been broken, destroyed.  Wi. . ."  Quatre couldn't get the name out.  "That man got what he wanted; I'll never be able to escape him.  I might as well still be locked up in his prison!"

The blonde was shaking now, but Duo still didn't attempt to go to his friend.  He just needs to vent for a while, then he'll be fine, or some version of 'fine' anyway.

Through hoarseness, Quatre went on.  "Do you know what it's like to see him everyday of my life?  He's with me; he's a part of me now.  When I close my eyes, he's there.  When I meet people on the street, he's there.  When I look in the goddamned mirror, he's there!  He won't leave me alone; he won't  ever leave me. . ."  He let his voice trail off, sobbing and crying so hard, it hurt his chest.

Duo had to do something.  Just as he had done in the base when he'd rescued the blonde, he moved to stand beside Quatre.  Placing his arms around the shaking body, he hugged the small boy to him.  Quatre tried to jerk away, but the American only held tightly.  "As long as I'm with you, he can't hurt you.  You know that, don't you?  I can keep him away,  we can keep him away."

Quatre calmed a little and let Duo hold him, though he made no move to return the embrace; he just didn't have the strength.

*      *      *

"What?"  Heero hadn't meant to shout, but what she was telling him was completely insane.  "You're mistaken."

"No, I'm not, and I can prove it."  Sym sounded calm, but her mind was racing.

"I doubt it, but go ahead."

*      *      *

As he exited Sym's room, Heero was still in shock.  I don't know what to think.  She's not lying, but it just isn't possible!  But it was and he knew it.  Get a hold of yourself!  There's an action to take and you're going to take it.  He knew it was the only thing he could do under the circumstances, but Heero couldn't make sense out of this.

So many times, my trust has apparently been misplaced.  A flash of the conversation he'd just had with Sym came to his consciousness.  "This has to be some mistake!" he had whispered.  "The mistake has been yours." She'd said sadly.  He had no choice.  Heero made his way to Kharik's quarters, not quite sure why he was walking so slowly.

*      *      *

"Are you sure?" Kharik asked calmly.

"Sym came to me with this information." Heero monotoned; he was having no trouble controlling himself now.

Kharik's face changed completely; Sym's involvement in the whole thing cleared up any doubts he'd been having.  "I see.  Then what do you want to do about it?"

"The only thing we can do."  The coldness in his voice was only betrayed by the sadness in his deep blue eyes.

*      *      *

Trowa returned to the room he shared with Wufei in a slight huff.  Wufei was a little perplexed at his roommate's mood.  "What happened?  You look a little pissed."

The tall pilot only glared at him, throwing his jacket down on a chair and heading into the bathroom.  No matter where I go today, people are asking me questions!  Can't they just leave me alone?  He closed the door behind him, threw a little cold water in his face to calm himself down, and reemerged, feeling a little better.  Why did I let her get to me?  No one can get me that mad, not even Cathrin.

Wufei looked up at him from his bed, giving the boy a very quizzical look.  "I've never seen you that angry.  What did Heero say to you?"

Trowa wanted to go on a rampage, ranting and raving for hours about how much he detested people, especially women, who played games.  That would probably entertain Wufei.  However, he only sat down on the edge of his bed, impassively staring at the Chinese boy.

"Do you know how boring it is, lying in this bed, unable to move?  I can't even meditate properly!  The least you could do is distract me with a little conversation."

Trowa smiled, inwardly, and thought Why not?  I should probably warn him about Sym, anyway.  "There  was no Heero."

"What do you mean?"  Wufei was intrigued.

"She was the one who wanted to talk, not Heero.  She lied to get me to come with her."

"That's not a very clever trick.  I thought she was better than that."

Great, he's a member of her fan club too.  Trowa had noticed the way Duo and Quatre acted around Colonel Novaya.  Ever Heero doesn't seem to mind her too much, which, from him, is a stellar endorsement.  "It worked, though."

"So what did she want?"

"Nothing; just to talk."

"Then what the hell were you so mad about?"

Trowa stood up and walked over to the closet, removing his shoes and placing them inside.  "I don't like people playing games with me.  If she wanted to talk, she should have just asked."

"True, but still, she's just a woman.  You have to make allowances for them."

The tall boy returned to his bed and, drawing back the bedding, lay down.  "Woman or not, I don't trust her any more than I trust Muya."

Wufei snorted.  "That woman is nothing like Colonel Novaya."

"Hn."  Trowa closed his eyes and attempted to go to sleep.

"Good night to you, too."  Wufei chuckled, reaching over to the table beside his bed for the lighting controls.  As he set the room into darkness, Wufei smiled broadly.  The picture of an angry Trowa was sure to amuse him for quite a while.

*      *      *

No sooner had Trowa began to drift off to sleep, a loud knocking at their door awoke him.  What the hell? he thought, glancing to the digital clock high on the wall in front of his bed.  12:43.  I must be tired; I've only been in bed for twenty minutes, and already I'm falling asleep.  He could hear Wufei begin to stir as well.

Trowa swung out of bed, becoming slightly worried as he went to the door.  Something's wrong. . .  He opened it to find Heero, Kharik, and two other Organization soldiers standing in the hall.  "What is it?" he asked, keeping his worry in check.

Kharik and Heero stepped back, allowing the two soldiers access to the doorway.  One of the men spoke up.  "Trowa Barton, you are under arrest."

What?  This is a bad joke, Heero, really.  "I don't understand."

The other man moved forward a bit, though not reaching out for him.  "Please, come quietly."

What do I do?  They're not kidding; I don't have anywhere to run. . .this is a mistake.  What do they think I did?  Instead of asking this aloud, Trowa did what came most naturally to him:  nothing.  The boy stepped into the hall, passively letting the two soldiers lead him along.

Trowa looked over at Heero.  "Why?" he asked.

"You are being held on charges of treason."

"What?!"  It was the first time he had ever raised his voice in anger around Heero.  My god, have they gone insane?  "On what grounds?"  There can't  be any grounds because I'm innocent!

"We have our reasons."

Oh god, it's him.  Heero's the one and he's using me as his scapegoat.  And all this time, I've been suspicious of Duo and Quatre!  He decided to remain silent, quietly plotting his escape and how he would have to take out Heero, all on his own.

Next Part

Email the author!
[email protected]

'Gundam Wing' Fanfic Index

Back to Main Library Index         Back to Main Fanfiction Index

Adventures of Sinbad   ~~~     Andromeda   ~~~     Angel   ~~~     Babylon5   ~~~     BeastMaster: The Series   ~~~     Beauty & the Beast
Buffy the Vampire Slayer   ~~~     Charmed  ~~~     The Crow: Stairway to Heaven   ~~~     Crusade   ~~~     due South   ~~~     Farscape
Gundam Wing   ~~~     Highlander: The Series   ~~~     Miscellaneous Fiction   ~~~     Mortal Kombat   ~~~     Mortal Kombat: Conquest
Poltergeist the Legacy   ~~~     Raven   ~~~     (TSAo) Jules Verne   ~~~     The Sentinel   ~~~     Stargate SG1   ~~~     Star Trek: Voyager

I can't fix it if I don't know it's broken, so if you see anything wrong,  please let me know.  Thank you and enjoy your stay!