Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Mistaken Words ❯ The End of a Nightmare ( Chapter 12 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Mistaken Words

AN: Alright here's another chapter, Thanks millions to Pious Knight for editing!!

Okay I have a announcement to make ^_^ to all of you who long for Heero Relena cuteness my friend neekabe has taken pity on you, and wrote Mistaken Words: Picture Perfect, it's a story containing snap shots of future scenes, I hope you all enjoy it. here's where you can find it

Location: Fanfiction.net or Blissful Ignorance

Author: neekabe

Title: Mistaken Words: Picture Perfect

She really great a writng angst so I've given her permission to write a few side stories to Mistaken Words. . .I'll be letting all of you know when the next one is coming out.

OH YEAH! quick reminder ^_~ these " ~ ~ " mean either a thought or flashback. . . I think there might have been a little confusion about that at the end of the last chapter.

Disclaimer: don't own

The End of a Nightmare

Wufei sat cloaked within a void of silence, his face set in an iron hard mask, his body rigid where he forced himself to remain seated. No one approached him, all seeing quite clearly that there was a barrier there that was not to be crossed. It had only been six hours ago that they received word that Relena had been found. The news had shocked them all, as much if not more so than her sudden disappearance. No contact had been made with the kidnappers, not a word had been spoken, and as far as the public was concerned, Relena was still comfortable resting on her vacation.

If there had ever been any doubt about Yuy's involvement, there was none now. There was not a soul alive outside the Gundam pilots and Zechs who knew the location of that cottage. They had all thought Heero was not privy to that information, but now it was clear they had made a terrible error in misjudging his abilities. They had all taken the news hard, but none really more so than Duo. To them all it was like November ninth was happening all over again, and Heero had once more betrayed them.

They had done all they could to find her, but two things stood in the way of their full fledged search. One was the public: though the peace had been with them for three years, it had been a joint decision from Zechs, Quatre and Une that none of this leak to the press. And because of that everything had to remain low key, usual sources of information had to be forgone, as they would undoubtedly bring what they heard to light. The other was Yuy himself: he had always been exceptional at covering his tracks, and that talent had only improved over the years that they had been trying to find him. None of his old habits stood, it seemed to Wufei that he had become and entirely different person.

Wufei sighed inaudibly; he felt about fifty years older than he should. It had been difficult and exhausting for all involved to keep up this façade of `everything's just fine' for almost two weeks. Zechs had had it the hardest, the Chinese man was fairly sure, this was his little sister after all, and the thought of her in the hands of Yuy, would have quite quickly given him an ulcer had Noin and Sally not done everything they could to keep him calm. It had been an effort to convince him that he had to stay behind, as King he could not simply go running off without a word to his advisers.

Glancing out the window, Wufei pulled a hand down his face, feeling a slight tremble in the slender digits. The vast darkness of space filled his view, and stars sparkles with their delicate brilliance, adding light were there was no life. They would be reaching the abandoned research satellite soon. It was there that the signal had originated from, but the place had been thoroughly searched more than once, and nothing had been discovered. Even now Wufei knew this had been nothing more than a convenient drop off point. Considering what they had been met with thus far, Wufei had no delusions of finding anything of use on the satellite.

"We're coming up on the satellite now" Duo's voice informed over the communications system. He and Trowa had taken the cockpit the moment they had set foot on the shuttle, and neither had appeared since. A light buzz took the silence from the cabin, and Wufei glanced around matching voice to face.

Une and Sally sat beside each other heads close together as they attempted speculate on the condition they'd find Relena. A topic not lightly taken up, the young doctor had come fully prepared for almost anything, brining along an assistant, who—much to Wufei's dislike—had been fully informed of the situation. It had been thought best that only those who absolutely needed to know be informed of the present crisis. And he supposed that Sally would need an assistant, though why it had to be him, Wufei didn't know.

Luc was a young and competent doctor, who knew how to take orders and could keep his mouth shut when necessary. All of this Wufei approved of, without complaint, but sometimes the tall man rubbed him the wrong way. It was all something he couldn't quite put his finger on, he had spent a good deal of time trying to find what it was, as he had had to deal with Luc a good deal when he had been stuck in the hospital for a few weeks.

~A hollow numbness was the first thing Wufei's clouded mind became aware of, as he floated through the blackness towards the pale light. He couldn't remember how he had come to be within this all too familiar darkness, try as he might to search through his memories and find an answer, his mind just refused to co-operate. The closer he came to that light the more aware Wufei was of his surroundings, and unfortunately himself.

His body screamed at him to move, it felt as though he had been resting in a single position for weeks. Slowly as he left the darkness behind Wufei became aware of his body, laying in a bed covered by a warm blanket, and the burning need to move. With a great deal of thought the Chinese man shifted ever so slightly trying to gain some comfort, what he got was pain. It came at him from seemingly out of nowhere, and a groan escaped his lips unbidden.

"Ah good to see you're finally coming around," a slightly nasal voice spoke to him, and Wufei instantly tensed, berating himself for not noticing the presence first. "It's alright, just relax," the voice soothed as a hand reached out to take Wufei's wrist, the former pilot pulled at the limb without thought old habits still hanging on even after a year of peace.

With a monumental effort Wufei forced his eyes to open seeing the man for the first time. He was a doctor of course, but one the Chinese man had never seen before. His short auburn hair was close cropped to his head, and he kept his face clean shaven. Green eyes stared out of a face the might have been called handsome, they were deep pools which seemed to brim with knowledge, and a certain amount of compassion, yet beneath all that Wufei though he saw a haughty superiority, something the doctor felt the need to prove.

"Who are you. . ?" he asked in a voice that did not at all sound like his own.

"I'm Dr. Luc Carter," the man answered his attention on other matters, he was reading over a clipboard in his hand, and reached out to adjust the IV leading into Wufei's arm. Finally Luc looked at the Chinese man's face, "Can you tell me what happened?" it was asked outwardly gentle, but there was something in the undercurrents that set Wufei's teeth on edge.

Despite his indignation the Chinese man's thoughts did turn to the event that had left him here, but his mind refused to see it in anything more than flashes. He felt the burning sting of the bullets piercing him twice, and the feel of his life's blood slowly draining from his body. Wufei could see his face clearly, cold, indifferent, lifeless. It was the same man he was fought against, and with during the war yet at the same time it was not. That man was dead, and the one who replaced him held no honour, no compassion, and no love for the peace.

Wufei blinked away the sudden flash of memory and looked to the doctor, "No. . ." was all he said.

Luc seemed puzzled by this and carefully reached for a penlight he was carrying in his coat pocket. "That's odd," he commented while leaning over Wufei to brush the light across his eyes, "The initial exam did not turn up any injury to your head."

The former pilot struggled away from Luc's hands, his face shifting to a glare; "My memories are fine."

"Then will you tell me what happened?"

Wufei just stared at the man, taking a moment to glance down at himself seeing the thick bandaging that covered a part of his leg and arm. "I was shot," he told Luc bluntly, "And if you need help to count, it was twice."

The doctor blinked in surprise, a sigh escaping him as he realised what type of person he was going to be dealing with. "Can you tell me who shot you?"

"No."

"I don't understand. . ." all things considered, Luc was a surprisingly patient man.

"And I don't see what difference it makes who shot me," a fire within him was slowly being fanned to life the more he thought of the events that left him here. Tthey offered him a strength and energy he would otherwise be lacking.

Luc appeared incredulous, "You have been shot, and the one who did it must be found and prosecuted." He folded his arms across his chest staring down at his patient with a very serious expression. "We live in a time of peace, no one should be able to get away with this. Are you condoning this man's actions?"

The former pilot pushed himself up suddenly, hardly feeling the burn of his injuries, "Do not misunderstand me, I want to see him caught as much as any."

"Than tell me who he is, the police need to know so they can continue their search."

Wufei laughed roughly, "They already know, and it won't help them any," his onyx eyes scanned the room, "Where are my clothes?"

"She warned me you might try to leave," Luc told him while trying to push him back down, "Just relax, you need to rest."

"I'll rest when I'm dead," Wufei bit out, as he struggle against the other man, disgusted at how much effort this was taking him.

"That won't be too far off if you keep this up," his voice was soundly slightly strained as he quickly glanced back over his shoulder, motioning with his head for someone Wufei couldn't see. "You've lost a lot of blood, and I don't intend to let you leave until you have recovered sufficiently."

A nurse appeared at his side carrying with her a syringe, Wufei redoubled his efforts, but it was too late. He had not the strength to fight them both off, and with almost no effort he felt the needle penetrate his arm, sending its drug coursing through his system. Wufei's vision began to blur almost immediately after that, and the last thing he was aware of was Luc carefully covering him with the blankets.~

Wufei thought it might have been his bedside manner but even that seemed perfectly polite, if not a little condescending. Finally he simply chalked it up to two different personalities, and tried not to think on it any more.

A sharp flashing light caught Wufei's eyes then, as the satellite came into view through the small window, and every muscled tensed. They all wanted desperately to have Relena back and safe, but also they wanted answers. What did they want with her? Being the prominent one for Wufei, and he was sure the others. When they had first discovered her abduction, they had all expected some form of ransom demand or a declaration. Anything than the radio silence they had been met with. Unconsciously he moved to the edge of his seat, waiting for Duo to complete the docking so they could get in there.

***

"Ugh. . ." Derrick groaned as he slowly crawled from the blackness he had been trapped within. It felt like an eternity since he had seen the light, and been fully a part of his body, not just the soul floating separately, detached from the world. It felt to him that his eyes had been weighted with lead, and it was an uphill fight to get them opened. When finally he did manage to part them a crack, all his eyes would recognise was blurs of things strewn about the dimly lit room.

For a moment he struggled to breathe. It felt to him far too much of an effort, all he really wanted to do was fall back into the thick haze and lose himself completely. But something pulled at him nagging at his mind, demanding he open his eyes and get up. He had been given a mission, one that he had failed: he could not protect the princess. She was in their hands—whoever they were—but that would not stop him from trying to rescue her. Derrick knew he would gladly give his life for that young woman, and it was the thought of her which drove him to full consciousness.

With trembling limbs, Anderson forced himself to his hands and knees, leaving his head down as a strong dizziness struck him like a blow to the head. Deep calming breaths finally helped it to pass, and for the first time the agent could take in his surroundings. The first thing his newly awoken eyes sought out was his friend; Thomas slept close by his face pale and drawn, and it was to him that Derrick moved. It seemed to take and eternity to get his legs under him and then moving, at first they did not want to support his weight. When he finally made it to Tom's side, he instantly began checking for strong signs of life.

Everything right now was a mystery to him, what day it was, where they were, how long they had been there, were just a few of the questions he'd have liked to see answered. Satisfied that his friend was okay, Anderson turned his attention back on the room. They had been lain out in a large open room; the walls lined with old computers and other such machinery. A table resting against one wall was displaying a container of water, and he wanted to move towards it, and quench his sudden thirst. But had to stop himself when his eyes caught sight of another sleeping form.

Anderson's breath caught when his eyes landed on Relena's tiny form, and a fiery rage boiled within him. Her beautiful face was deathly pale, and the skin drawn as though she were dehydrated, her hair hung limply about her head and shoulders, lacking its usual lustre. On trembling legs Derrick moved towards her, his raging emotions helping him to burn off the last traces of the drugs in his system. His eyes took in the IV feeding into the princess' arm the otherwise clear liquid had a slight bluish tint to it. It made him wary but he hesitated to remove the IV, Relena obviously needed the fluids, and he was simply not qualified to make this decision.

His fist clenched until the knuckled ached. Heero had done this to her, and if he accomplished nothing in his life Derrick wanted to see him pay for his crimes. With a hand resting on the table that held Relena's unconscious body Anderson searched about the room, careful not to turn his head to quickly for fear of losing grip on his balance. A hollow thud resonated through the structure in which he stood causing him to jump in alarm; it was quickly followed by the ringing of many footsteps. His eyes darted about searching for something that he could use to protect Relena, all the while cursing Yuy out for putting them in this situation.

Across the room Tom groaned slowly shifting where he lay, not much good he'd do in his condition, not that there was much Anderson would be able to do himself, even with his anger raging through him. Every muscle tensed as much as it could as the unknown men approached the door at the other side of the room. "Wha. . ." Tom mumbled trying to push himself up to a sitting positioned, Anderson wanted to warn him, but could not take his attention from the door as it began to slide open. He held his breath waiting to see what hopeless odds they would be up against.

The first to enter the all but silent room, caused Derrick's knees to give way, as relief washed over him "Trowa. . ." he breathed hardly believing what he was seeing.

"I've found them," the tall man called into a com-link eyes taking in the room in one calm sweep coming to rest on Relena. "Are you wounded?" he asked coming closer emerald orbs flickering from one to the other, Anderson shook his head struggling to stand once more.

Voices filled the hall outside, as the others made there way in, leading the way was Wufei face dark with his barely contain feelings. Sally was quick to follow, eyes making a clinical sweep of all who had been in the room before they arrived. Like Wufei she seemed to be keeping a tight rein on her emotions, but she had the advantage, something very important to focus on. With quick strides she was at Relena's side one hand making its way to the princess' neck to check for pulse. A man Derrick was not at all familiar with was right beside her waiting to be able to help.

"Luc, take Derrick and Tom," Sally told the man without removing her eyes from Relena, "Check them out, let me know what you find." The young man seemed to struggle with this for a moment but in the end did push himself away from the table and gently guided Anderson over to where Tom sat with the help of Duo.

His eyes found Lady Une, who was silently standing in the middle of the room arms crossed. His head fell in shame, to be seen in this state, after failing so miserably, as he slowly made his way back to the floor near his partner. "Agent Anderson," she called his name with all the authority she possessed. His head came up to look her in the eyes, which he knew she deserved and waited for that worst. "No one blames you for what happened, you were against odds you couldn't hope to win with," her expression was stern, she would not let them think anything else.

Anderson nodded his appreciation, and would have liked to say something in return had Luc not begun his examination, asking questions that required his thought to answer.

***

Wufei paced nearby where Relena lay, as Sally worked over her, all her attention focused on the smaller woman. He felt utterly helpless; it had been wishful thinking that any of the men who took her might be waiting here for them. That would have at least given him something to occupy his time until Sally was finished her examination and could actually report something. His eyes scanned the room noting everyone's location; Trowa had leaned himself against a wall, and appeared to be patiently waiting for anything that could come his way. Wufei growled softly and moved on, Duo was assisting Luc in his check of the two agents, however his eyes were constantly flickering to Relena, he too was impatiently waiting for news.

Seeing them angered the Chinese man a great deal, not because the had allowed for Relena to end up in this condition, but because it reminded him that he could have gone in their place, had he thought he would have been of more use there. As it was Wufei and the others had been sure that no one knew the location except them. "Stop it, Wufei," Sally's voice chided as she continued her work.

He halted his pacing looking at her in puzzlement, "You're beating yourself up over this, and it won't solve anything." She was right of course; it would do no good to dwell, though saying that, and actually stopping was easier said than done.

"How is she?" Wufei asked softly stepping closer to the backside of the bed.

Sally shook her head, "I'd love to be able to tell you something that you can't see with your own eyes but. . ." she trailed off straightening up, in her hand she held a small computer, with a tiny strip of paper sticking out of the side. "I've run a tox screening, but as you can see the results aren't very helpful."

Wufei took the offered instrument reading the screen, "Cleared?" he asked incredulously, "Then what the hell is that?" onyx eyes swept up to the IV bag and its slightly bluish liquid.

"I don't know," Sally sighed, flipping a braid over her shoulder she twisted about to look at Luc. "Have you finished?" she inquired voice sounding tired and frustrated.

"Yes, they have nothing in their blood except a standard sedative. They're a little dehydrated and appear to have lost some weight, but other than that, they're fine," he informed while walking over. Those who could stand under their own power slowly made their way to the back of the room, taking up various positions that afforded them a good view.

Luc pushed past Wufei to stand were he had been, the Chinese man glared but let it pass. He watched closely as the doctor's hands moved closer to Relena's side, and seemingly without noticed slipped under. Wufei's eyes narrowed, and he wanted to tell the man to back off, but he was a doctor, and was assisting Sally, it was his job to get close. Luc blinked in surprise pulling his hand away from Relena's side, held within his fingers was a small device. "What's this?" he asked staring down at it.

Wufei took the item with all the ease of a pickpocket, flipping it over in his hand, and noticing with satisfaction the look of displeasure that marred Luc's face. "It's a recorder. . ." he brought it a little closer to his face, pressing a small button on its side.

"Good day," a completely computerised voice greeted, Wufei sighed, they had thought of everything. "I'm terribly sorry it had to come to this, but allow me to put your minds at ease. We have done nothing permanent to your princess, only attained a piece of information we could find no other way." Everyone in the room seemed to lean in around Wufei as the voice continued to speak, "The drug that you see in her IV is Adnolprinaminophen, there is only a small dose in there to keep the withdrawal effects from hitting her. We wanted to make sure she was back within your care when this happened."

"The withdrawal should not be severe, and she should make a full recovery within a week to week and a half. I assure you we took the greatest care of her, and would have done anything to avoid this unpleasant out come, had the princess been willing to co-operate." A soft click signalled the end of the recording, and Wufei had to resist the urge to throw the offending object across the room.

"Adnolprinaminophen," Sally spat with disgust, "That was outlawed years ago, what could they possibly be using it for?" She reached for the IV line leading into Relena's wrist and simply removed the plastic tube. "Alright, let's get them back to the shuttle," Wufei was fast to step forward and gently scoop up Relena's tiny form. Again he saw a look of irritation touch Luc's face but the young doctor said nothing, instead he moved to Anderson and Ryan, helping them to their feet.

Wufei held Relena's light form close to him, noting just how light she was, and how cool her skin felt. His anger boiled but he had nowhere that he could release it, at least not yet. He desperately wanted to let off his steam, by fighting one of the other pilots; it was the only thing that ever really worked for any of them. Their skill levels were so close, and their accuracy honed to near perfection, that they could go full out without fear of hurting one another. And if injury did happen, the receiver could deal it back just as well as he could take it.

This method of anger management bothered Sally, she preferred less violent means of relief, but she did not interfere. As things stood Wufei could not recall a time when any of them have had to go to her with an injury that had been brought on by their sparring. A soft noise beside him brought Wufei out of his musings and he saw Trowa fall in beside him, a similar look of need upon his usually masked face.

"It's a wonder he didn't kill her," Trowa commented softly, eyes looking ahead at the others.

The Chinese man blinked at that, looking down at Relena's unconscious face, her skin was pale and drawn, but she still looked beautiful. Wufei had never been able to see any reason for Heero to end her life; it was the biggest mystery in his betrayal. Why go from loving relationship—though hidden as it was—too murderous hate? Wufei sighed, "It makes about as much sense as everything else that happened over these last three years."

Trowa looked at him through the corner of one eye as though he were trying to pierce Wufei's thoughts. The Chinese man ignored the look, knew what exactly it was directed at. He had not spoken to anyone about the incident of two years ago, and he didn't really have an interest in doing it now. For the most part they had allowed him his privacy though Sally had found his silence a little more than infuriating. But now it looked like he was not going to get to keep his silence much longer, though the expression on Trowa's face had not really changed, there was now a determined air about him.

Trying not to think about it, Wufei continued down the corridors back to this shuttle, all the while feeling Trowa's gaze upon him. When the finally reached the docking bay Trowa split away from him, much to Wufei's relief, and he continued on by himself. Up ahead Sally was discussing something heatedly with Luc, but with how quietly they were speaking he couldn't tell what it concerned. But both seemed to be equally angered, so he could only assume it involved Relena's condition.

As he stepped on board the shuttle Sally was waiting for him, "Bring her here," she instructed leading the way to one of the small berths. Though her anger was once more under relative control Wufei could still clearly see it burning in the back of her eyes. Gently he lay her down on the narrow bed, and moved back allowing Sally room to get her as comfortable as possible.

"She'll be alright," it was not really a question, in his mind Wufei refused to believe that she could make anything less than a full recovery.

"In time," the doctor told him with a sigh, "Luc and I were discussing the withdrawal effects of Adnolprinaminiphen. They aren't good. But if they've been weaning her off of it, they shouldn't be too acute."

He nodded, "What are they?"

Sally straightened from fixing a fresh IV to Relena wrist, "It tends to blur the lines of reality a little. This was just one of the reasons it was abandoned, another was how highly addictive it is. Also it tends to react badly with normal over-the-counter drugs. We aren't entirely sure what to expect when she wakes, so we'll be monitoring her very closely over the next few days."

Wufei looked down at her small form for a long time, a part of him not want to leave for fear something might happen to her. Sally seemed to notice and offered him a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, I'll be here the whole time, why don't you get so rest. . .you've been up for a long time."

It had taken them almost twelve hours to make it to the abandoned satellite, and Wufei hadn't slept much the day before, as that was when preparations were being made. During the war he had easily gone longer stretches without sleep, but he knew very well if he remained here, he would only be in the way. With a resigned nod he turned to leave the room, making his slow way to his bunk. He swayed slightly as the shuttle lurched into motioned baring them out of the satellite and back into open space.

His thumb pressed the small keypad, causing the door to slide open before him, instantly he knew he wasn't alone. Looking up onyx eyes landed upon Trowa where he sat on the small bed, obviously waiting for him. "How is she?" he asked, breaking the silence between them.

"As Sally says, she'll recover, but they aren't fully sure what to expect from the drug," he moved over to the bed motioning for Trowa to get up. The clown complied without comment, and Wufei lay himself down, letting his eyes fall closed.

The silence that had fallen between them only lasted a minute, "What did he say to you?"

Wufei knew there was no hope of feigning sleep, and ignoring the question he doubted would get him very far. The others had refrained from asking him questions about the incident shortly after it happened, understanding that he needed time to sort it all out, but as the `needed' time continued to lengthen they began to get impatient. Even now Wufei did not know what to think, when he attempted to look through the memory, his anger blurred any deeper thinking. It frustrated him, and as much as he knew talking might help him to sort it out, Wufei just didn't want to speak.

"It's been two years," Wufei said finally, "Does it really matter now?"

"Now more than ever, yes, I think it does," his friend was quick to respond. He rested against the wall, arms folded easily, but that determined air was still thick about him.

The Chinese man pushed himself in to sitting position, "What happened then won't change what's going on now. I think we'd do better to remain focused on that," he couldn't understand why this simple request was getting him so agitated.

"Why won't you tell us?"

"I. . .don't know. . ." he said pulling a hand over his smooth hair, "I don't see what difference it makes."

"Humour us," Duo said entering the room unannounced, and clearly possessing knowledge of what was going on.

"I thought you were piloting the shuttle."

Duo shrugged, a half smile touching his face, "I'm only really needed for take off and landing. So what's up, what happened that day?" Wufei just stared, cornered by his two trusted friends, "C'mon we can work the anger off when we get back."

Wufei looked at him, nothing in his expression changing, "Then wouldn't it be better to wait until were back?"

"Hell no, the only way I can hope to beat you is to cultivate my anger for a few hours," Duo told him with a cheeky smile. For some reason it bothered Wufei that he could almost be completely flippant about this, though he knew beneath the exterior layer Duo was as hurt as the rest of them if not more so. "So. . ." he bade face as set as Trowa's was.

Sighing Wufei's eyes dropped as his memories flowed back to that day, even two years later He could remember each moment as though it had just happened. . .

Thanks for Reading!

Confrontations:

"None of you knew this," he began slowly not looking at Wufei, "But since the end of the war, I've been the one Relena would turn to, when she needed to talk."

This struck Wufei, "But I thought that--"

"Would have been Heero?" Trowa cut in, eyes finally turning away from the wall to focus on his friend. "There are just some things she couldn't discus with him…I guess she just found me to be a good listener. . ."

"And she's been leaning on you all through these years," Wufei supplied.

"Yeah. . .and I think she's been holding out hope for all of that time. . .I just don't think it ever became reality for her. . ."

The Chinese man closed his eyes, seeing now where his friend was going, "But it will now. . ."

Trowa nodded mutely, his face turning away once more, watching his profile Wufei could see him struggling with something. It was odd to see so many emotions pass across Trowa's usually blank face, but they warred there now. Finally he turned back his emerald eyes like steel daggers, "There may be much that we don't understand, or that doesn't seem to make sense. But he gave us his answers, the only ones that matter. He's against us."

Morganeth Taren'drel