Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Lean On Me ❯ Some Secrets Are Best Kept Hidden ( Chapter 6 )

Authors Note - Here's the next chapter! Whoo-hoo! Sing and shout for joy… well, I do not own Gundam Wing. I do own Riley, Katana, and Vienna, bur so far no one else.

Disclaimer: sigh you know I don't own it

Chapter Six

A month past, and the World Rebellion Federation grew stronger. They went along with their plans, while Vienna spent the month enjoying herself at the circus with Cathrine and Trowa. A few times she joined in on an act with the two, and they taught her some about throwing knives…

Vienna threw the knife. It shot through the air, and went passed the target. Instead, it planted itself in the far wall, inches from where the ringmaster was walking. He froze, but then looked over at the trio and stared at them. It was obvious he was trying not to laugh and be serious at the same time. Vienna covered her mouth with her hand. "I am so sorry, Ringmaster!" she exclaimed. "I meant to hit the target."

He chuckled. "As always, Vienna, be more careful with your knives. You have a very good teacher, so don't let her go to waste." He smiled at the young girl and walked on. When he walked out of earshot, Vienna started laughing. "That was what? The fourth time I've done that to him?"

An amused twinkle entered Trowa's eyes. "Actually, the sixth time."

Cathrine started laughing as well. She patted Vienna on the shoulder. "You sure do bring some life to the circus, Vienna."

Vienna beamed. "Aw, it's nothing. Man, am I hungry. Can we get some chow?"

Cathrine nodded. "Yeah sure. Let's go."

Vienna walked forward, not looking where she was going, and suddenly tripped over the pouch that held all of Cathrine's knives. She let out a squeal and fell head first onto the grass. She grunted and hoisted herself up on her elbows. Behind her, she heard a snicker from Trowa, and Cathrine laughing mercilessly. "I meant to do that, really."

"Sure, Vienna, whatever you say."

The next morning Vienna dropped into a chair at the small breakfast table in Cathrine's trailer. Across from her sat Trowa and Cathrine to her left. Trowa was reading something and Cathrine was eating her breakfast. Vienna shrugged and poured herself a bowl of cereal. After living with those two for a month, she had learned they were not very talkative at the breakfast table early in the morning.

"Vienna, are you ready to leave for the next colony?" Cathrine asked.

Vienna looked up, continuing to pour her cereal into the bowl. "Um, sure. What colony are we going to?"

"Colony L1. We'll be staying there for another month or so."

Vienna nodded. "Cool. I'll pack my stuff after breakfast."

Trowa looked up from his reading. "Look what I found," he said, putting down his newspaper for the two girls to see. On the front page was a photo of Relena Peacecraft giving a speech. "Look closely behind Relena," Trowa said. Vienna leaned forward over the table, almost upsetting her bowl. She squinted at the photo and saw what Trowa was referring to. In the distant background of the photo, there was a person dressed all in black, watching. Vienna's eyes looked up and saw Trowa watching her. She nodded, as if saying she knew they had to do something soon or things would go too far.

Cathrine noticed the exchange. She frowned. "You two aren't planning to leave me, are you?"

Vienna sat back. "No, Cathy, not yet. We'll wait until we're contacted by the others."

Trowa nodded in agreement. Cathrine sighed. "I knew this would happen sometime soon. I just met you Vienna, and you're like the sister I never met. You're the only one who connects me to my little sister."

Vienna bit her lip. "Yeah, Cathy, but unlike Riley, I don't plan on dying."

Trowa picked up the newspaper again and Cathrine stared into her food. Vienna poured the milk into her cereal, not seeing Trowa watching her again over the newspaper.

He was hoping for something to reveal the secret she held. He knew she was holding back something, but he did not know what.

A knock on the trailer door brought all of them back to the present and Trowa stood to answer the door. The ringmaster stood there, smiling. "Hello, Trowa. Are you all ready to pack up?"

Trowa nodded. "Let us finish our breakfast."

"Will do. Come out when you're finished. We need all the help we can get."

Trowa shut the door.

"Guess we better get packing," Vienna said from the table. Cathrine was already standing and cleaning and putting away the dishes. Vienna washed out her bowl and went to pack. While Cathrine was busy, Trowa followed Vienna to the room she had been staying in. When he knocked, Vienna was bent over the cot, putting clothes into a suitcase.

Expecting Cathrine to be the knocker, Vienna did not look up, but said, "Come on in."

Trowa entered. "Who are you?" he asked, getting quickly to the point.

Vienna jumped and spun around. His stone-face expression told her he meant business. But then again, when doesn't he have a stone-face? Vienna thought to herself. She decided to bluff her way through this one. "What do you mean?"

"Who are you?" he repeated.

"You already know who I am, Trowa. Vienna, the girl that's been staying with you and your sister."

"You have no last name? Just Vienna?"

Vienna faltered. She knew that one was coming. "Uh, no, I have a last name, I just never say it, because there is no need for friends to know it." Vienna, you are getting him more suspicious of you! Drop it before he threatens you and you give it away, she fought with herself. But then Dr. J is dead, and there is no need to hide everything anymore…Oh, what am I kidding. Trowa and Cathrine deserve to know my true identity, let alone know Riley's. Oh, what to do, what to do… She sighed, tormented between the two options. Tell him, not to tell him, tell him, not to tell him…oh crud this is getting nowhere. Trowa was waiting patiently, but she had to choose quickly. What is better? Continue to hide it or give it away. What use is there in hiding it when the one telling Riley and I not to reveal us is dead? So, where is the point in hiding? "Chang," she finally said. Her brown eyes looked into his green ones as the surprise registered on his face.

His eyes narrowed. "And your friend Riley, what of her? Was she hiding something too, or was it just you?"

Vienna felt as if she had betrayed herself. "You asked about me, not Riley. Now if you will excuse me, I have packing to do." She turned her back on him and finished her packing. Trowa soon left her alone to think.

"Heero, I need your help!"

Heero sighed and looked up from his laptop to see Duo walking into the room, carrying two sets of clothing. "What is it, Duo?" he asked.

"I need your opinion on what to wear for tonight," Duo said, holding up the clothing.

"Why would I care what you wear tonight?"

"I'm going out to dinner with Hilde, and I need some help on what to wear."

Heero raised his eyebrows. "Again? You've been going out to dinner with her ever since last month, every Friday."

Duo shrugged. "Yeah, so? There a crime in that?"

Heero shrugged. "No." He went back to his typing.

"So? Will you help me?"

"I don't care Duo. Wear whatever you have on."

"But I've been wearing this all day! And besides, I wore it last time I went to dinner with her."

"Then wear whatever you are holding in your right hand."

"But that has a stain on it."

Heero glared at Duo. "Then why are you considering it? Wear whatever is left, Duo."

"But then the other one I wore on the first dinner."

"Duo! Get out!"

Duo jumped. "Okay, okay, I'm leaving!" He hurried from the room.

Heero shook his head in wonderment. How could that boy be such an airhead?

Just then, the phone rang. Heero stood to answer it. "Hello?"

"Go to the corner of Basil and Maine Street tonight at midnight. It's important," the person on the other line said, getting straight to the point.

Heero frowned, his eyes narrowing. "Who are you?"

"Just do it! One of your friends life depends on it!" The person hung up.

Heero hung up the receiver and stood there, thinking. Who was that? The voice had not sounded familiar at all, and yet something was familiar. Should he go? It would be dangerous but then, danger was nothing to him.

"Duo!"

Duo came scurrying back into the room, his shirt off, just wearing his pants. His braid was half undone, flowing behind him. "What?" he gasped out.

"Tonight, you're with me."

"But my dinner with Hilde!?"

"Is canceled. Re-schedule, cause you will be with me all night for a meeting."

Duo sighed. "Where are we going now?"

"Tonight, we go into the heart of the city. Be prepared. We may need our weapons."

Vienna stacked another box into the truck and wiped the sweat from her brow. She had been working for an hour and a half with no break. She and the other circus performers and workers had been working their butts off since morning. And now, totally tired, she dropped down alongside the truck to the grass. She rested her head back against the tire and closed her eyes. She was just starting to fall asleep when a shadow fell over her. She looked up to see someone standing over her, but who she could not tell. She squinted up at him. "Who are you?" she asked quietly.

The person smiled. "You forgot me already?" the kind voice asked.

Vienna's lips spread into a smile. "Quatre!"

"At your service," he said, helping her up. His platinum blonde hair sparkled gold in the sunlight.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I had nothing better to do, so I figured I may as well join you and Trowa. Is that alright?"

Vienna nodded. "Oh yeah, fine. I think Trowa is in the main tent packing a few last minute things before they take down the tent, if you want to talk to him."

"Thanks." He walked over to the main tent and entered.

Vienna rolled her eyes. "Well, back to work I guess."

"Vienna!"

Vienna turned to the sound of the voice. She saw Cathrine jogging over to her, smiling. "What is it, Cathy?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm having lunch over by the trees and that I packed you a lunch, too. Come on, it's about time you took a break anyway."

"Yeah, sure."

She and Cathrine walked to the trees. Cathrine had already spread out a picnic blanket out and the lunch was set atop it. Vienna sat down across from Cathrine and took a sandwich from the basket. "When do we ship outta here?" Vienna asked, taking a bite.

"Oh, around another two hours or so. The guys are just finishing up, and then we can leave. The stuff will be shipped by carrier shuttle, while we go in a passenger shuttle."

"Aha, I see."

Cathrine fingered her can of soda for a moment. "Vienna, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

Vienna waited. "What is it?"

Cathrine looked up at her. "Why do you seem so distant? I don't know why, but I feel as if you're hiding something from me. Trowa told me you are WuFei's sister, but nothing more. I guess I can see now how much you and WuFei rather resemble each other, but I didn't notice before."

Vienna shrugged. "I'm not really hiding much. Depends on what you want to know."

"Well, I don't know. Trowa has been wondering whom your friend Riley is. The one who died last month? He says neither of you ever said your last name, or mentioned anything of your lives before."

Vienna watched two men pack away the main tent. "Well, no one really ever asked us, and we don't like to talk about our pasts. Mine basically revolves around Dr. J. The only thing I remember before him is a girl who acted like my sister. Actually, she was my sister-in-law. Her name was Meiran."

Cathrine nodded. "Yeah, I remember her from Trowa. He told me about her. She was WuFei's wife, right?"

Vienna nodded. "Yeah. She knew of me, but WuFei never did."

"Hmm… and Riley?"

Vienna shrugged. "I don't even know. She never told me about her past. It's one big black mystery that we'll never know now." Cathrine nodded.

"Well, thanks. I don't mean to sound pushy or anything."

Vienna shook her head. "No problem. You're a close friend, so it doesn't bother me." She bit her lip, wondering if she should tell Cathrine about Riley. It wouldn't hurt. "Cathrine, there's something I want to tell you." She paused a moment, having second thoughts.

Cathrine looked at her expectantly. "Yes?"

Vienna sighed. "Promise you won't tell anyone?"

Cathrine nodded solemnly. "Of course."

"This is going to blow your mind, so be prepared."

Duo finished tying his braid just as Heero entered the room, carrying a pouch full of an array of weapons. It was nine at night and Heero had been busy ever since that phone call he had received. Deep in his own thoughts, he had ignored Duo, only talking when needed, or to boss him around.

"Duo, choose a weapon," Heero said.

Duo wandered over and examined the weapons laid out for him to choose. "I'll take the two pistols I guess." He took the two pistols and spun them around on a finger. "Why so uptight, buddy? It's just a minor meeting."

"Hn." Heero bent over and took two Uzi's and put them into the waistline of his pants.

Duo sighed. "Why do I have to come along? I was looking forward to an enjoyable dinner with Hilde, but no, of course I can't enjoy myself. You have to force me to come along and join you."

Heero ignored him.

"Oh, now you're going to ignore me? How thoughtful of you."

Heero glared at him.

Duo crossed his arms. "What?"

Heero rolled his eyes. "Nothing, Duo."

"Well, while you do your thing, I'm gonna watch some TV." Duo dropped onto the couch and flipped on the TV. He turned the volume up so loud it was blaring from the speakers. Heero came over and grabbed the remote. He turned it down to low and stalked off. Duo snorted and slumped into his seat

The unending blackness outside her shuttle window was like a mist swallowing her up. She was getting helplessly lost, drifting aimlessly through space, the air gone, and she was losing her held-in air quickly. She stared frantically around her, searching for anything that could save her. Anything at all, but nothing was there. She felt herself falling. Suddenly, Dr. J's face appeared before her. He was frowning. "Vienna," he said in a haunting tone. "I told you not to tell. Now things have taken a sharp turn."

"I'm sorry!" she cried out.

He shook his head. "No Vienna, this time you've done it. You should have known what I said was for the best." His face disappeared and instead, Trowa's appeared. His emerald green eyes were full of sadness and pain. The pain she had caused him. His face faded into Riley's face. Her face was lit with a smile.

"Thanks, V," she said, her voice sounding distant. "Now I feel much better about things."

Vienna smiled faintly, but then remembered what Dr. J had said. She looked away, but then glanced back at her friend, but Riley was gone. "Riley, come back!" Vienna shouted. "Riley!"

"Vienna, wake up!"

She felt faint and wanted to sleep some more, but someone wouldn't let her. She awoke with a start, sweat rolling down her face. Her breathing was ragged and her head felt heavy. She sighed and dropped her head back against the seat of the shuttle. Next to her, Trowa was looking at her with worry. She smiled. "I'm okay," she whispered.

He shook his head. "You sure didn't sound like it."

Cathrine, in the seat ahead of them, was turned around and staring at Vienna, totally frightened. "What happened? You kept calling out Riley's name, and before you murmured something, but we couldn't make it out."

Across the aisle, Quatre was watching. "Vienna, are you all right?"

Vienna remembered the dream perfectly, and knew she had called out in reality while she was talking in her dream. "I'm sorry. It was a nightmare. Really, I'm fine though."

Cathrine nodded slowly. "Okay."

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Trowa watching her. Hours before Cathrine had told him about Riley, and he had stayed for only a quick glimpse of shock on his face. He had gone off on his own for the next hour, no one knowing where he had gone. When he had returned, he had stuck to Vienna.

Vienna smiled at them. "Seriously, it was just a nightmare, and I'll be fine in a moment."

Quatre shrugged. "Okay then."

Vienna looked out the window and wished she hadn't. The feelings of the dream swept back to her once she saw the blackness once again. She held in the sigh and instead, wiped the sweat from her face. It would be a long flight.

The night was still, with not one person walking around on the streets. A shadowy figure darted across the street. He walked under the street sign, glancing up at it: Basil Street. The one he needed. Across from him was the sign for Main Street. This was the spot. He settled down in the dark corner, three trashcans stacked in front of him. He looked over the top, looking around. "Where is she?" he grumbled through gritted teeth.

Just then, the person he had been waiting for came running to him. She bent down beside him and got into a crouch. "Have they appeared?" she whispered into the others ear.

"No," he replied. "We're early."

"Good. Wait, here comes someone!"

Walking across the street to the corner of Basil Street was a girl with long black hair hung freely about her face. She was thin, but looked strong.

Hidden, the girl kneeling beside her partner whispered angrily, "My sister, the little wench. How is she still alive? She died in the mobile suit years ago."

The man next to her said, "She's stronger than she appears, obviously. We better watch out for her."

"You have no idea, Dar," the girl shot back. "My sister is very strong. Stronger than I thought possible."

The girl on the street leaned back against a lamppost to wait. She did not have to wait long, for the two shapes of Duo and Heero came running toward her. She smiled. "It's about time," she called to them. "You're late." Heero reached her first. He looked her up and down.

"Who are you?" he asked cautiously.

The girl smiled and stuck her hand out. "I'm Meiran. Meiran Chang."

Duo's jaw dropped. "Did you say Meiran Chang?"

The girl smiled and nodded. "Yes."

"But-but! WuFei's wife name is…I mean was..."

The girl named Meiran laughed. "Yes, I am WuFei's wife, who was supposedly dead. I lived, actually, and have been searching for the five Gundam pilots ever since- you guys. I knew WuFei piloted one, and searched for him."

Heero nodded. "Hm. So what was this about one of our friend's life is in danger?"

Meiran's smile disappeared. "Yes. Her name is Vienna Chang, my sister-in-law. You know her, correct?"

Duo stepped alongside Heero. "Sure we know her! Only, her last name wasn't Chang. We haven't seen her in a month or so, but yeah, we know her."

Heero shook his head. "Duo, Vienna never gave out her last name, or Riley. Vienna's last name could very well be Chang."

Meiran nodded, suddenly very cautious. "Vienna's last name is Chang. She is the sister of WuFei. She was hidden from him though. Only I know of her, thanks to Dr. J. And you mention a girl named Riley? She's Riley Barton, sister of the boy you call Trowa Barton." She narrowed her eyes. Did they know? Dang it, I should have kept my mouth shut!

Duo's jaw dropped. "This is nuts! You mean to tell me that Vienna is WuFei's sister, and now you tell me that Riley is Trowa's sister?"

Drat! "Yes, I said that. It's the truth." There was no way backing out of this now.

"Hm," Heero said. "This clears up a lot of things." He looked into Meiran's eyes. "How is Vienna in danger?"

"The group called the World Rebellion Federation is after them. Vienna and Riley, that is. For what purpose I don't know yet, but I know for certain they want both of them."

Duo shook his head. "Riley is dead. She died last month. Vienna is the only one remaining."

Meiran winced. "This means I must work faster, and that they are not in a good condition, giving us the advantage. You must-"

Suddenly, a bullet shot among the group, hitting the street sign. Meiran jumped back and yelled to Heero and Duo, "Run! They found us out. I'll meet you back at your place!" She took off at a fast pace, Heero and Duo running in the other direction.

10/2/02 - Ack! Looking back on these chapters (I'm editing them, actually), I realize just how terrible my writing was back then. Some things don't even make sense. Ack again! Oh well. Hope everyone continues to read it, nonetheless!