Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Helping Hands ❯ Part 16 ( Chapter 16 )

Author's Notes:

 

Yes, it's an actual honest-to-God update. Keeping in mind that I don't write as well for Quatre and Trowa, and it's been a long while since I wrote on this story, hey, at least I'm continuing it, and I never thought I would. You can thank Sir Gawain of Camelot on ff.net for that. I have had a few other reviews that have made me think about it, but his was the one that really made me decide to go ahead and continue the story. So, read on! I hope you enjoy it!

 

Helping Hands part 16

 

Quatre and Trowa both jumped to their feet in reaction to the sudden appearance of the ghost, but neither drew a weapon. Quatre, because he currently didn't have one on him, and Trowa, because he had seen the apparition appear out of thin air. Even if the image before them wasn't a ghost, he was probably a hologram or some other form of illusion that couldn't be harmed. Benjamin simply waited for them to decide on their next move.

 

The two Gundam pilots exchanged glances and then Quatre sat back down on the bed while Trowa moved towards Benjamin, intending to examine him. Benjamin had no objection to this, and stood quietly while Trowa looked for mini-projectors or other devices that could have created the person standing before them. He examined the area all around Benjamin, then the area where Benjamin stood, asking the ghost to move aside with a gesture. Benjamin complied without complaint, waiting patiently for Trowa to finish his investigation.

 

Trowa frowned when he couldn't find anything, and, as a final test, passed a hand through Benjamin's body, proving he wasn't solid. Trowa's frown grew at the frigid cold he felt when he passed his hand through the area where the ghost stood. Shaking his head slightly, Trowa turned to look at Quatre, “I can't find anything. And the air is very cold where he is standing.” Quatre nodded an acknowledgement of Trowa's findings and Trowa walked back across the room to sit back down in his chair, turning the chair so that he could see both of the other occupants of the room while he sat.

 

While Trowa got himself situated, Benjamin and Quatre and been simply staring at one another. They continued to do so after Trowa sat down, until Quatre finally broke the silence. “I thought Katherine was supposed to be the one haunting the house. Heero and Duo didn't say anything about you. And what do you mean you are the source of the guilt, regret, and hatred?”

 

Benjamin sighed, heavily. “What do you know about ghosts? I mean, what have you heard?”

 

Quatre and Trowa looked at each other and Quatre shrugged. “I never believed in ghosts, so I never paid much attention to any stories about them.”

 

Trowa said, “They are supposedly the spirits of people with unfinished business. People who can't let go of something and move on.”

 

Benjamin nodded, looking at Trowa. He appeared to them to be a fairly young man, in his late 30s, dressed in an early 21st century business suit. He had made no threatening moves and, obviously having no physical form, could not really hurt them, so the two pilots relaxed slightly as he thought for a moment, trying to decide what to tell them.

 

“Katherine's death was completely unexpected by her. She doesn't know if it was an accident or if she was deliberately murdered. She is clinging to this world until she finds out the truth of how she died. The emotions surrounding her death, the shock of it, the betrayal she felt at dying, those are what are keeping her here.”

 

Quatre nodded thoughtfully. “I suppose I can understand that. And why are you here?”

 

“Because she is,” was the simple response. One that Quatre had not expected. He stared at Benjamin in shock.

 

“Are you saying that you deliberately chose to haunt this house when you died because you knew that she was here?”

 

Benjamin nodded, and then frowned. “Yes and no. It's not that simple.” He looked at Quatre and their eyes met. “I know your friends told you our history, mine and Katherine's. I know they told you what happened at Katherine's funeral. The rage, the hatred I felt towards her killer, they never left me. Especially after I found out that her spirit was trapped here.”

 

They stared at one another and Quatre did not dare let his empathy touch the being before him. He could see the emotions that Benjamin spoke of reflected in his eyes and they frightened Quatre. He had never seen such intense emotions before, and he suddenly realized that they matched what he had sensed from the house perfectly.

 

“THAT'S ENOUGH!”

 

Quatre and Benjamin both started and turned to look at Trowa in surprise. They had gotten so caught up in their staring contest that they had both forgotten that he was in the room. He was no longer sitting in his chair, and as they reacted to his shout, he moved to place himself between the two of them, glaring at Benjamin.

 

Benjamin, immediately backed away, raising his hands, palms out, in a gesture of peace. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen. It has been a very long time since I have interacted with anyone, much less an empath.”

 

“It's alright,” Quatre said, rising to his feet, and moving to stand beside Trowa. “You didn't actually harm me. It's just that the intensity of your emotions is a little overwhelming, even when I don't touch you with my empathy. Trowa's just being a little overprotective right now.” Trowa refused to relax from his guard position, keeping himself between Quatre and Benjamin.

 

“Benjamin, why have you shown yourself to us? What was the reason for this?” Quatre asked. “Heero and Duo are already searching for the journal to set Katherine free. With those two working on it, surely the two of you would be freed without Trowa and me ever becoming involved.”

 

“I don't know,” Benjamin answered, shaking his head. He dropped his hands to his sides and then ran a hand through his hair, obviously slightly frustrated. “I don't understand it, but something told me it was time. Katherine has Heero and Duo, but I'm stuck with you two.”

 

Quatre frowned at him, not exactly sure how to respond. Trowa didn't hesitate. “Then, go. It is not necessary for you to be `stuck' with us.”

 

Benjamin glared at him and started to speak then stopped. He looked at the way the two of them were standing, Trowa protecting Quatre, and smirked at them. “You know what? I think I will leave. For now. This didn't go at all the way I planned, and for that, I'm sorry. But at least it gave me an idea. And, I think I've got you convinced that the house really is haunted. That's something. See you around.” He faded from view.

 

Quatre and Trowa didn't move for a moment and then Quatre sighed and went and sat back down on Trowa's bed again. “That was certainly an interesting experience. I wonder what he meant about being `stuck' with us? As though he was to be our partner in some endeavor. And he's right, I'm definitely convinced he's a real ghost. I don't like this, Trowa.”

 

Trowa turned to frown at him, and, instead of sitting back down in his chair in front of the desk, he sat down on the bed beside Quatre. Quatre turned to look at him, frowning himself when he realized that Trowa had dismissed Benjamin and was again looking at Quatre with concern.

 

“Trowa, I really wish you would stop mothering me. I'm fine.”

 

Trowa looked back at him and surprised Quatre by again speaking his thoughts aloud. “No, you are not fine. You are tired and weary and need to rest. You are my partner, and when you are like this, it is my job to take care of you.”

 

It was then Trowa's turn to be surprised. Quatre's expression darkened and he abruptly got to his feet. “It's bad enough that you're mothering me constantly, I don't need to be told that the only reason you're doing it is because of the mission. We're not on a mission right now, so stay the hell away from me, Trowa.” He headed for the door.

 

“Quatre, that's not what I…” he was cut off when the door slammed shut. Trowa sighed heavily. He took care of Quatre because he cared about him. Normally, Quatre was aware of that, although he was not aware of just how much Trowa cared for Quatre.

 

Trowa was in love with Quatre, but he did not consider himself worthy of Quatre. So, Trowa would work with him, fight beside him, and help and protect him to the best of his ability. What else was there for someone whose true name was Noname?

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

In the next room, Quatre was calling himself several kinds of idiot. “I know Trowa didn't mean it that way. It just hurt when he said it like that. Like that's all I mean to him. Like that's all I can ever mean to him.”

 

Quatre sighed and threw himself down onto his back on his bed. “I'm such a fool. Heero and Duo are finally together. And I'm happy for them. It just makes me wish that something like that could happen for me and Trowa. I mean, I know Trowa cares about me, but I don't know if he feels like that about me. My own desires make my empathy unreliable when it comes to something like this, and I don't even know what his sexual preferences are. We've never really talked about it, for some reason. You would think sex would come up at some point, considering we're teenagers, but, with the missions, and all…”

 

He sighed and rolled over onto his stomach, quickly falling into an exhausted sleep. Benjamin, who'd been in the room, invisible, watching Quatre, muttered softly to himself, “Okay, that gives me a starting point. Let's see what we can find out.” He walked through the wall, separating Quatre's room from Trowa's.

 

Tbc…

 

And yes, I do actually mean to continue it. I don't know when I'll be able to, since I have a lot going on right now, but I will eventually post another chapter. And hopefully, it won't take me years to do it. Read and Review, please!