Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Mistaken Words ❯ Be Careful What you Wish For ( Chapter 63 )

Mistaken Words

AN: It's been a long time, over a month? This hasn't been a particularly good summer for me, those of you who checked my bio or on BI read the post I left know a little of what happened. I don't like making excuses for letting the story fall to the side for so long, but let's just say writing couldn't be a high priority for me these last few months. That's hopefully changed now, and I'll be able to give you a few double chapters to make up for it. I hope you'll all stick with me despite the delays, I can't think of anything short of my dying that could actually stop me from completing this story.

I'd like to take a moment now and commit my friend neekabe to another side story she's been planning for Mistaken Words. This is a crack fic of wonder! If any of you are Final Fantasy 7 fans then I think you'll like this story….I remember the night the idea came to us. She wanted to write an FF7 fic but couldn't really think of something…and I don't know which of us suggested a cross over….but that's what happened. And in writing this I hope to commit her to finishing it as what I've read so far is just great fun!

A huge thanks to my editors you guys got the chapters to me in no time, Thanks Morgansgirl, Pious Knight, and Featherbird

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, and make no money off this little hobby of mine.

Be Careful what you Wish For

Heero woke early the next morning, pushing himself up into a sitting position almost immediately. He groaned softly, rotating his right shoulder. It had stiffened up again during the night, but still felt a little better than it had the day before. Stepping off his bed, Heero slowly made his way towards the bathroom, grabbing a clean change of clothes as he went. He still felt a sense of relief every time he went to do something that only a few months before he hadn't been able to do on his own. Stepping under the spray of the hot shower, Heero ducked his head under the pounding water, letting it massage the stiff muscles.

Stepping out of the shower a few minutes later Heero quickly dried and began to dress. As his hand reached for the shirt resting on the counter he stopped, eyes looking up to the fogged mirror. His eyes narrowed, he should have just been able to walk away, but his hand moved of its own accord and swiped aside the condensation leaving a streak of partially clear mirror. Heero glared daggers at his reflection turning slowly to eye the brand on his back, his fist clenched tightly. But he swallowed his rage, as painful as that was, and turned away, directing his attention to the cut on his upper left arm still protected beneath a layer of the now hardened band-aid.

He walked from the room carrying his shirt in his hand, and came to an immediate stop when he saw Sally sitting comfortably on the couch. He regarded her silently, “I knocked and when you didn't answer I just let myself in,” she explained.

He glanced at the clock. “Kind of early, don't you think?”

“I told you I'd be coming, and I have to take care of you before my other scheduled patients." She stood up, her eyes studying him critically. Heero stood his ground, eyes watching her intently. He wanted to shrug into his shirt immediately but wasn't about to do that just because Sally was looking at him. “Well, shall we?” she asked, coming to her feet and gesturing for him to come over to her.


Heero slowly pulled his shirt over his head as he walked towards the front of his room where Sally had come to a stop. He saw the scale down on the floor and repressed a sigh, not at all surprised that she had brought it out as promised. Without a word or hesitation Heero stepped on it and waited the few brief seconds for it to read his weight. “Happy now?” he asked, walking over to his bed to take a seat, then reaching across to the table he pulled his laptop towards him and turned it on.

“Not yet,” Sally replied after a moment, looking up from the paper she had been writing on. She leaned against the counter for a second, eyes continuing to study him, “How's your arm?”

“It was just a scratch,” he replied, surprised she'd even still be concerned about it.

“Your other arm,” she pointed towards his right shoulder. “It's stiff; you pulled the muscles.”

Heero would have been impressed by her observant eyes, if it hadn't been for the knowledge that he had told Relena about his arm. He kept his expression blank as he watched Sally, wondering what else Relena might have told her. “It's fine,” he responded finally.

“John told me you spent your time at a dojo.” She didn't sound too pleased about that.

“Word travels fast,” His tone was dry.

“Indeed.” She stepped away from the counter and came to a stop directly in front of him, “Can I take a look at it?”

“No,” he returned bluntly. It wasn't anything to be concerned about, and he was still curious to see how far Sally would allow herself to be pushed by him.

“How'd it happen?” Surprisingly she seemed willing to let it slide, at least for now.

Heero refrained from answering for a moment, not really all that comfortable with how close Sally had placed herself before him, “I nearly killed a man.” He doubted this blunt answer would stop Sally from asking further questions, but it was the simple truth.

“What? How did that happen?”

“Doesn't matter,” he said pointedly. It would take too much time to explain it all, besides which there was a lot he'd prefer to forget.


“I disagree with that,” Sally countered, though she didn't quite seem willing to press for anything at the moment. “Did anything else happen while you were gone?”

It was a broad question, and Heero had no idea what she was searching for. He felt a little more relaxed now than he had before. The fact that Sally hadn't come out demanding about his headaches led him to believe Relena hadn't mention them. He had promised her he'd say something, but he wasn't all that eager to bring it up, knowing Sally at least—perhaps not John—would jump to conclusions and he would be dodging tests for the next few weeks. “Nothing significant, no,” he answered, eyes glancing to his laptop beside him. Sally had come for what she wanted originally, maybe she'd take the hint and leave it at that.

That unfortunately wasn't to be Heero's luck. Sally took hold of his left wrist. His arm flexed but he did not pull back. Instead he looked directly at her, only to see her eyes were focused on her wristwatch and not him. “I thought you looked kind of pale when I saw you on Sunday.”

Now he did pull his arm away. “You were seeing things,” he told her, shifting down the bed to put a little distance between himself and the doctor.

“Oh was I?” She didn't sound the least bit convinced. “Well, how are you feeling right now?”

“Would you even believe me if I said fine?” he asked critically.

Sally crossed her arms over her chest. “Have you ever honestly been, when you say it?” she fired right back.

“I am now.”

“Oh really?” She was doubtful at best, “Your ribs aren't bothering you?”

“There isn't anything you can do about them.” He wasn't going to be taking painkillers for them. It was just a matter of time to wait for the pain to fully leave.

“No headaches?” she asked then, seemingly at random.

~Damn, she did tell them~ Heero thought darkly, but kept his face blank. “No headache,” he confirmed.


Her eyes narrowed a fraction, “You're lying.”

He almost wanted to ask her where the trust had gone, but considering he hadn't told her about the headaches he simply remained silent.

“Relena came in to see me last night,” Sally began, voice calm, expression intense. “She's worried about you, seems you promised her you'd tell me or John about these headaches you've been having.” She stepped in front of him again, “So why haven't you told me?”

Again he remained silent. There wasn't much he could say in his defense. She had given him a chance to tell her, and he had chosen not to take it.

“Nothing to say?” her eyebrows climbed in disbelief.

“You seem to know it all already.” He shook his head.

“Not near enough,” Sally countered, “You've had them since May. Has it been constant?”

Heero knew he could force his way past her if he had really wanted to, but if he did the hounding would only increase. Better to just put this aside now. “More often than not.” It felt like the safest answer to give, though he wasn't entirely sure if he just became so used to them sometimes that he didn't notice them.

“Where is the pain located?” Her arms unfolded and she looked a little more relaxed.

“Behind my right eye,” he replied, not moving a muscle.

“Any light sensitivity, nausea, dizziness?” she asked, stepping over to the counter and started rummaging through one of the drawers.

“Light sensitivity sometimes,” he confirmed, watching her carefully.

She turned back to him holding an ophthalmoscope in her right hand. “How does your eye feel now?” She flashed the focused beam of light across her palm to make sure the instrument worked.

Heero glanced up at the lights on the ceiling, finding he could look at them with less pain than normal. “They're alright.”


“Good.” She reached out to take a hold of his chin, and Heero pulled back on instinct. “Heero, let me take a look at you,” she chided.

“Just warn me next time,” he defended, eyes narrowing a little.

“Sorry,” she pointed back behind her, “I want you to look at the corner of that cupboard,” and then she was leaning in looking into his eye with that bright light. Pulling back she placed the scope aside and placed both hands on his neck. “Let me know if this hurts at all.” She probed at the right side of his neck, but Heero remained silent. “Hmmm,” she mused. taking a step back.

“Satisfied?” he asked dryly.

“No,” she shook her head immediately, “Not in the least.” He pushed past her then, coming to his feet and putting some distance between them. “I want an MRI and a CT scan.”

“Forget it,” he shot back flatly. He wasn't about to let her examine every inch of him just looking for something wrong. He was back on his feet almost one hundred percent, this would pass, he wasn't going to let it drag him down.

“Heero, we have to find out what's causing this, whether you like it or not,” she said firmly.

But Heero immediately shook his head. “No we don't. It's not affecting me. Hell I hardly even notice them.”

“That's no excuse to ignore them!” Sally barked. her voice not sounding nearly as heated as he would have expected.

“I've complied as much as I'm going too.” His tone was final as he sat down on the couch to pull on his shoes. He could feel Sally's eye boring into him but he ignored it.

Sally sighed audibly. “I'm not just going to let this go,” she warned.

Heero looked at her as he got up, but didn't bother replying to that as he walked past. He was done here; he still had more training to do. Sally didn't attempt to step in his way which surprised him a little, but he supposed as much as she had started acting like her old self it must have still been difficult for her.


WMWMWMW


Sally walked out into the hall seconds after Heero had left, in time to see him disappear behind the elevator door. No doubt heading down to one of the training rooms to work out. She was actually feeling pleased with how that encounter had gone. She had been able to comfortably approach Heero, and press him for the information she had wanted. It had still been hard, but she and Heero were both playing by the same rules, cutting each other slack until they really became comfortable with where they had once stood.

She reached into her pocket for her cell phone as she slowly made her way towards the elevator. John had wanted her to call him when she had finished. “Hello?” a strong voice answered seconds later.

“Morning John,” Sally greeted, “He was a little more cooperative than I had been expecting.”

“Good morning.” John sounded pleased, and a little relieved, “What have you learned?”

Sally shook her head smiling to herself, “Nothing really. We can cross a few things off the list I think, but without a CT scan or an MRI, I don't think we'll be able to truly pinpoint this. Unless he starts showing some other symptoms, which considering he's been dealing with this for over half a year isn't very likely.”

“He refused the scans?” Though he didn't sound too surprised.

“I don't think it's just him being difficult for the sake of being difficult,” she explained. She had had more than enough dealings with them to see that. But this honestly felt different to her. “I seriously don't think he wants to know what's causing them.”

“Well that's unacceptable.”

She knew if John had been here right now he would have marched right down to the training room and spoken with Heero. Who knows; perhaps he might even have been able to convince him. He had already proven his persuasive abilities more than once. But Sally had something else in mind. “I don't think we need to panic yet John. Whether he likes it or not he's going to have to agree to the scans sometime.”

John chuckled. “You sound fairly sure of that.”


“I am.” She lowered her voice a little as she entered a few of the more populated hallways. “If he wants to be a part of the mission he's going to have to be cleared to fight by me.” She was a little more relaxed about the idea than she had been when Une had first informed her about it. “That means a physical, and where the pilots are concerned a CT scan and MRI ought to be made mandatory.”

“So you're going to leave it be for now.” He didn't sound one hundred percent pleased.

“You can try talking to him if you want,” Sally offered. “But if that doesn't work either, than it will happen before the mission.”

“That's good to know, at least. Thanks for the call Sally. I'll be in, in a few hours.”

“Alright, he may still be in the training room when you get here.” They said their goodbyes just as Sally walked into her office to begin another day.


WMWMWMW

Heero hauled himself out of the small pool to sit on the edge, his muscles feeling shaky as they always did after a swim. Swimming wasn't something he chose to do with one of the other pilots around. Maybe it was stupid but he didn't want to expose the brand. He didn't want anyone looking at it. Coming to his feet Heero crossed over to the lockers and took a towel off the bench, dropping it over his shoulders.

“Sally told me she thought you'd still be down here when I arrived,” John's voice spoke up from behind him, “I'll admit I had my doubts.”

“She called you.” Heero looked over his left shoulder at the old doctor.

“I asked her to, yes,” John confirmed with a nod.

Heero turned his head away, straightening up and walking a few steps away then seating himself in front of his locker. “And you've come to make your attempt?” he asked in dry tones as he slowly began drying himself with another towel.

“I thought about it,” John replied honestly after a moment of silence.

~Just thought about it?~ that surprised Heero, and he glanced over with a questioning look.


John closed the distance a little, coming to stand where he was visible in Heero's peripheral vision. “I just want you to know I think you're making the wrong choice here,” John began, “in refusing the tests.”

“So noted,” he growled, half way to thinking leaving might be a good idea again.

“Can you at least tell me why you're being so stubborn about this?” the old doctor asked, leaning against the row of lockers. “Doesn't it concern you in the least?”

Heero shook his head, “It's been over half a year,” After so long why should he be worried about it?

“So?” John demanded, “Does that mean it's safe to ignore?”

It was the same thing, over and over again, and he doubted it was going to end. Heero dropped his head down the ache behind his right eye increasing a fraction so it was noticeable again. He just wanted them to back off. Was that really too much to ask?

“What are you afraid of?”

Heero's head shot up at that, his eyes narrowing as he glared directly at John.

“Is that what's going on?” he asked bluntly. “You're afraid to face what this might be?” He sounded so sure that he had hit the nail on the head.

The former pilot clenched his fist. “No.”

“Then what is it?!” The old doctor sounded a little desperate, “Just tell me!” he pleaded.

Heero stood from his seat, reaching into his locker for the shirt he had hung up there. It wasn't true. He wasn't afraid like John said, he just didn't want to deal with them. He wanted his space, to not be treated like he was going to fall apart if someone wasn't watching over his shoulder. He continued to change, trying to focus his thoughts on that and not what John had been implying.

“I'm on your side Heero,” John assured, “We all are.”

“Then just let me be.” He slammed the locker shut.


John came to stand right beside him but still maintained enough distance. “You know I can't do that, for a lot of reasons.” Heero stepped over the bench, not sure where he could go to put an end to this conversation but he didn't want to remain here any longer. “Heero, I just wanted you to know what I thought, but I'm going to respect your decision.”

He halted in his tracks looking back at John `s eyes, sharply studying the old doctor. He found it hard to believe it would all be left just at that.

The old doctor rubbed at his cheek. “Could you just let me know if they become any worse?”

It wasn't a huge request, and he had agreed to other simpler ones before. He nodded his head. It wasn't too much to ask.

WMWMWMW

Heero looked up when a soft knock broke the silence of his room. He had spent a good portion of the day training, and had only stopped when John, accompanied by Trowa, had come down to him. He hadn't really wanted to come back up to his room. There wasn't much for him to do, wasn't really much for him to do anywhere. If he wasn't training he was what? Staring off into space? Not something Heero liked to do. John had sensed this and had offered the former pilot a few alternatives, none of them perfect, but at least he wasn't completely bored.

Relena stepped into the room a few seconds later, her expression an odd mix of concern, disappointment and guilt. It didn't take much for Heero to guess the cause of all of them. She crossed the room leaving the bag she had been carrying on the coffee table as she came to stand in front of the chair he had moved closer to the window. “I brought us some dinner,” she began, though the words sounded a little awkward.

“Relena,” Heero began, not entirely sure what he was going to say to her, after all he had promised but had never actually told anyone. Though in his defense he hadn't exactly been given the chance to say a word. Perhaps that was the source of Relena's guilt. He was saved from having to try and finish his sentence though.

“What's this?” she asked, suddenly lifting the book Heero had been working on when she came in. “The World's Hardest Math Problems,” she read off the title, looking up at him.


“John brought it in earlier,” he explained. The old doctor hadn't really thought Heero would take to it, but it had been better than nothing.

“And you've done this much?” she looked up briefly surprised, her hand still flipping through the pages.

He shrugged. “I was bored.”

“Would you like some dinner?” Relena placed the book aside and stepped back over to the table opening the bag she had brought in with her. She pulled a small case from it first and looked back over her shoulder at him, “I thought maybe we could also watch a movie if you want.”

Heero wished they could just clear the air and remove that subtle awkwardness from between them, but perhaps their silence and just being close to each other would do it for them. He briefly considered the movie, and quickly nodded his head, “What did you have in mind?”

She smiled brightly. “I thought I'd let you decide, just pick a title that sounds interesting.” He looked at her a bit skeptically. “Don't worry, I'll warn you if I know it's something you won't like.” Relena came around the other side of the table and sat herself down right next to him so their legs were touching. She seemed to want that close proximity, and he was more than willing to oblige.

They ate in silence together and Heero thought he felt Relena relax next to him, her body coming to lean against him lightly as she finished off her meal. He watched her through the corner of his eye, noting she was nibbling thoughtfully at her lower lip, as though deep in thought, “What's on your mind?” he asked, breaking the silence and causing her to jump slightly against him.

She pulled back, a little shifting on the couch so she was facing him a little more fully. “Do you want me to massage your neck again?” she asked, finally the expression on her face flashing from guilt to concern to something that almost resembled frustration. They all made perfect sense to Heero, but he was grateful she didn't feel the need to rehash the conversations he had already had twice today. She wanted to help him, and he wasn't against letting her do so.


“Sure,” he responded finally, watching as she smiled and moved to position herself behind him, warm hands lying lightly on his neck. She was no doubt as worried as John and Sally, but at least for now along with the other two she was willing to respect his space. As her fingers began their deep work, Heero couldn't help but let his eyes close as he sank into the motions, slowly the pain melting away again.

Thanks for Reading!

A Final Moment of Peace:

Walking inside the house, Heero could hear faint music and soft voices coming from the main room. Trowa and Wufei strode towards it without hesitation as Heero knocked the last of the snow from his shoes. “You're late,” he heard a familiar voice chide his friends.

“You can blame Heero for that,” Wufei commented as Heero left the door behind and saw Relena standing with the pilots.

She wore a rich blue ball gown trimmed in silver, her hair drawn up simply and held with silvery clips which sparkled with the lights. Her eyes found Heero and the small smile on her face blossomed, lighting up her features. She came over to meet him as Trowa and Wufei disappeared into the main room where Heero could hear Duo's laughter. “You didn't want to go out tonight?” she asked, a joking pout pulling down her lips.

“Never said that.” He gently took hold of her hand and pulled her to him, her head automatically tipping up to receive his kiss.

“I thought it might be nice for you to be able to celebrate the end of the war…even if it's a little late.” She slipped her arms beneath his and hugged him tightly. “So many parties, and this is the only one I've wanted to attend.”

Heero offered her a faint smile as she looked up at him. He knew his friends were waiting inside the main room, though clearly not just waiting, as their voices still floated out. But Heero wasn't particularly in a rush to go in there. He knew that when they did he wouldn't be as comfortable expressing himself to Relena. He just felt so awkward under the watchful eyes of his friends, no matter how discreet they tried to be.

“Did you know Quatre's here?” she asked, him suddenly not releasing her hold of him but stepping back a fraction so she could better see his face.

“Trowa mentioned something about him coming down,” Heero nodded, unconsciously twisting some of her hair between his fingers.

“He'll be staying until early next month. That mean's he'll be able to go to the Warehouse with you,” she kissed him.

Morganeth Taren'drel