Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Song of the Phoenix ❯ You Have My Eternal Silence ( Chapter 1 )

A/N: Just a story that's been bouncing around in my rather empty head. Updates for this (as well as for "Windows To The Soul") will come slower than normal, because I am still working on finishing "When We Were Young," and since I started that first I will finish it first as promised. Well, I hope you enjoy this first bit...and please review! Oh and if you are bored or want some other stories to read...check out my archive =^-^=

This will have adult themes, and if stuff like that offends you, then just remember I warned you. It is very loosely based on the book "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings," so if you've read some of the book you know what I mean. But the mature themes you won't have to worry about for this chapter.

I've never written stories with people who use sign language in them. I did my best and I hope it worked out alright.

Disclaimer: I don't own them...I'm just using them to satisfy my overactive imagination! ^_^

Chapter One:

"You Have My Eternal Silence"

For as long as Anne could remember, the young intern would never speak a word. She chose to use sign language, a method which, thankfully, was becoming more widespread. Anne would occasionally hear the woman hum, or maybe even grunt or murmur an acknowledgement. However, the dark blonde woman had never uttered a word. She had been working as an intern for their police squad about two years. Had she been vocal, they would have gladly hired the young woman as an officer. She was capable and knowledgeable enough for the part, but her handicap stopped her from receiving her license. So she was stuck with filing reports and paperwork, a job that was suited for a person of lesser skill, but nonetheless given to the young woman.

When the woman had come into her office, Anne had been surprised that a girl so young could want to become part of a police squad. She looked barely over eighteen, and at the time Anne wondered if she had made the right decision. The woman's past was clearly hidden, considering the only thing she knew was that she was of half Chinese origin, and that her name was Sally Po.

Funny, though, on her medical report Sally Po was not labeled as a mute.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sally Po cleared her throat, and the young officer looked up at her with a slight frown.

"Something wrong, Sally?" the raven-haired woman asked, but Sally did not chide her for calling her by her first name. They were, after all, best friends.

::I need your report, Lu,:: Sally signed, smiling as a look of recognition lit up the Italian's face.

"Of course! How could I forget?" Lucrezia Noin berated herself, taking a manila envelope and handing it to the dark blonde woman, "Thanks for looking it over for me," she told the intern truthfully, standing up and stretching her long legs.

Sally merely nodded, turning back to the computer that was a permanent fixture on her desk. She typed in a few figures, the curser clicked in acknowledgment. With that done, Sally returned to the tedious work of reviewing the officer's reviews. That had always sounded so funny to Sally. Reviewing people's reviews.

"It doesn't have to be like this," Sally thought to herself. The same thoughts that constantly haunted her waking and sleeping hours, "If only I would just let go of the past and embraced the future, I could be just as good as an officer as Anne, or Noin. But I can't forget the past. My future was taken away from me when I was fourteen and I can't do anything to change that. I am not worthy enough to even try."

Shaking the depressing, if not familiar thoughts from her headed and preceeding to check over the reports, her eyes burning both from the hours of strenuous work and from hot tears that threatened to spill over her cheeks.

The door of Sally's modest office opened once again, this time the officer walking in was a certain Heero Yuy. Sally was never bothered by Heero's company; his silent tendencies and stoic attitude never compelled him to ask more questions then necessary. He never felt the need to pry into the life of Sally Po, and for this Sally was grateful to the young man. Certain things were best left secret, for Sally had no desire to divulge in the humiliation and branding of her past. If mystery was her middle name then Stubborn was undoubtly her first. She refused to bend to people's wills unless she felt compelled to. And that was like the mountain compelling to bend to the wind.

Heero handed her a manila folder similar to the one she had been given previously by Noin. Sally took it with trepidation, knowing this meant at least an extra half an hour of work. With a mumbled "Thanks," Heero Yuy was out of her office, shutting it noiselessly. Everything he did was quite like that. Stealthily and without anyone ever taking notice. Sometimes Sally wished people would not take notice of her.

She tried to blend in, to not be someone to turn people's heads, but it was a trait that she could never acquire. The blonde dressed in loose clothing of neutral colors in an effort to go unnoticed, but the technique never worked. She tried other methods of concealing herself but people still took notice of her too much for her liking.

That wasn't the only reason she wore baggy clothing. She scoffed at the women who flounced around in tight shirts and barely there shorts. Those girls were practically begging any guy to walk up and fuck them. Sally hoped she was never looked at in that perspective. She shuddered, sending a curse to the person who made her this miserable.

Sally never used to be one for hiding. She'd do what she'd please and if that didn't suit you then that was too damn bad. This often was her downfall, considering how strict her father had been with her. Her family had always been so traditionalist. Not as bad as some families, but women in the Po household held little respect.

Sally shook her head. She needn't reminisce about her childhood, or lack thereof. No, she had not been a child since she was fourteen...the day she had ran away from what she had once called home. Ran away from her childhood...the only life she had ever known.

She hadn't spoken of that day since. Literally.

The distinct opening of her office door caused Sally to glance up, annoyance evident on her pretty face. So many interruptions, and not enough time to finish her work, and she didn't exactly feel like pulling a double shift tonight. Sally was surprised, to say the least, that it was the chief of the police squad, Anne, but known to most as Une. Her brown eyes regarded Sally coolly, before offering the Chinese woman a small smile.

"I have an offer you may want to take up on, Miss Po," Une told her, the secretiveness hanging in the air thickly, causing Sally to glance sharply at the older woman with a sudden raptness in attention, which had so briefly before been courteous acknowledgment.

Une seemed to enjoy having the power of knowledge where the other woman was ignorant, but she didn't make her employee wait too long for her information.

"An opening has arrived in the investigations department," the brunette began, her brown eyes boring into Sally's sky blue ones, " and I suggested a certain young intern that might be suited for the job of an investigator..."

Sally's eyes grew wide and she clasped to hands together happily. No more paperwork! If she became an investigator she wouldn't be sent on "fire" missions, like robberies and hostage situations, but she would be the one analyzing the scene, compiling the data, and viewing suspects. Sally's hands flew as she signed Une a hurried "thank you," wanting to jump up and tell Lu right away, but Une's raised hand stopped her.

Sally sighed, knowing what was coming next.

::What's the condition?:: she signed, hoping her annoyance showed on her face. It did, of course, causing her superior to chuckle and place a lock of brown hair behind her ear.

"You are to work with a permanent partner, in case things get out of hand and you need...well..." Une trailed off.

::Speech?:: Sally offered, her look was one of annoyance but there was understanding in her light blue eyes.

Une was grateful for Sally's reasoning. The young woman really did deserve this job, Une decided. She had been working diligently for so long, and she was competent enough to handle the position, it was just that damned health of hers. Une knew she could speak if she wanted to, but for some reason the young blonde chose not to. Une shrugged it off, not like it was any of her business anyway.

Une shook out of her reverie and continued to drill Sally with information.

"We were able to find a partner, equal in your intelligence on the field. He is from a different squad and I don't think you've met him..." Une went to the door, looking down the hall. She made a motion with her hand and Sally watched as a young man of Chinese origin walked in behind Une. He had jet-black hair, which was pulled back in a slick ponytail. His eyes were obsidian, and looked intensely at Sally, as if he knew what she was hiding. Sally took a deep, but shaky breath to try and steady herself. She knew there was no way this young man could no what she had been through...what she had shared with no one.

Une gave Sally what the young woman guessed was a smile, though it seemed rather forced.

"Sally, I'd like you to meet Wufei Chang," Une said, then turned to Wufei, "Wufei, this is Sally Po. She will be your partner starting Monday," Une looked up sharply, as if just considering something, "If that is alright with you, Sally."

It seemed more of a statement then a question, so Sally offered the woman nothing except a small nod. Sally then directed her gaze back to her new partner, now identified as Wufei. He was staring at her desk, which was covered in stacks of papers and manila folders. Unable to keep the slight blush from staining her cheeks, Sally quickly began reorganizing her cluttered desktop.

Une let out an unlady-like snort, her gaze shifting back and forth from Sally to Wufei.

"I can tell you're both going to be a lively bunch," She said sarcastically, but her voice was tainted with amusement. Sally merely looked up, offering her superior a tiny smile while Wufei simply grunted.

Sally shook her head, "And I thought he was supposed to talk when I was unable to," she thought sardonically.

Une cleared her throat with some hints of impatience, and the young Chinese woman redirected her gaze back to the brunette.

"Wufei will have the office across from yours," she said, making a move for the door, "I will get you both familiarized with the program on Monday."

With that, the officer walked out the door, her boots clipping mechanically on the linoleum floor. Wufei offered her a small nod, then turned and went to get a few necessities for his new office, shutting Sally's door behind him.

This left Sally alone with her thoughts. She had finally gotten rid of her ridiculous desk job. She grinned, her blue eyes alight with pure happiness for the first time in a long while. She suddenly remembered she would be working alongside a not-so-talkative Wufei. But Sally didn't let it bother her, after all she didn't mind Heero's company, and wasn't Wufei acting like an exact replica of the officer?

"You shouldn't be angry," her conscious, told her, "After all, you didn't speak <not literally> a word to him either.

A feeling of complete loneliness swept around her, and Sally hugged her arms around her upper torso.

::It was a pleasure meeting you,:: Sally signed to the empty room, but no one could see her, and she would never be heard again. Her blonde head dropped to her chest in silent depression.

Her sadness didn't last long, however, because the happiness of the situation was enough to blot out the depression. She immediately sprang to her door, rushing out of her office and almost bowling over a few officers in her haste to get to Noin's office. Not bothering to knock, she threw the door open and immediately backed up, motioning her apologies.

Noin barely gave Sally acknowledgment, for she was too busy glaring at the person standing on the opposite side of the room, who's expression was devoid of emotion. Sally recognized him as Zechs Merquise, a talented blonde officer who had joined up not too long ago. Noin had told Sally that she had gone to high school with Zechs, but other than that Sally knew little about the man.

Zechs took advantage of the fact that Sally had barged in, and began walking towards the door.

"I see you have company, I'll be going," he said dully, and as he turned to go Sally saw a flash of sorrow in his ice blue eyes, but he made no comment to explain his gloom.

"This isn't finished," Noin called after him, before turning to Sally. What was once anger in her friend's violet eyes was now helpless grief. She leaned against her desk to control her legs from trembling and collapsing underneath her.

Sally felt sheepish for coming to share her happiness with Noin, when her friend was obviously so upset. She wrapped a comforting arm around the Italian, and led her to her chair, allowing her to sit down.

::Want to tell me about it?:: Sally inquired, handing Noin a tissue from a box on her desk.

Noin sniffed, taking the tissue wordlessly. Sally allowed her to whimper for a while. She knew how it felt to feel depressed, so she allowed Noin to vent her feelings.

"Well," Noin began, her voice still slightly wobbly although her tears had long since dried up, "Une noticed how Zechs and I had knew each other in high school."

Sally nodded encouragingly, giving Noin her undivided attention.

"And, so," Noin continued, " She asked if I would allow Zechs to shadow me for awhile, so he could get used to how things are run around here. And, I dunno, Sal, we just started arguing and then he brought up something from school. I don't want to talk about it, though."

Sally nodded her understanding. She knew how it felt to have events from the past be slapped into your face. It was hard. Not to mention soul shattering. Sally grimaced; her soul had been shattered a long time ago.

::I understand, Lu,:: she signed, and then hesitated, before continuing, ::I don't think he meant to hurt you. He looked so regretful as he was leaving, if I hadn't interrupted I'm sure he would have apologized.::

Lucrezia's face instantly brightened somewhat, her dull violet eyes regained some of the spark they had lost.

"Well he's gonna hafta say sorry soon 'cause I sure as hell am not gonna forgive him until he does," Noin said lightly, and Sally smiled.

Lu suddenly appeared thoughtful for a moment, and then turned to Sally with a sheepish smile.

"I forgot to ask, did you need something?" she asked.

Sally suddenly remembered the reason for her quick visit, and allowed a small smile to brighten her normally placid features.

::I got promoted to investigator!:: she signed quickly, and Noin could see the joy the Chinese woman kept concealed.

"That's great, Sal!" she said happily, "when do you start?"

::Monday,:: Sally informed her.

"So you have all weekend to prepare," Noin said with a wink. Sally offered her a grin, and then walked out of her office.

Sally was so happy, that she raced through all of her paperwork and was able to leave work on time. In fact the whole police squad was in good spirits, except perhaps Noin and Zechs. There wasn't a soul on the squad who didn't hold Sally in high regards, and many were happy she had finally gotten what she had worked so hard for.

Now they just had to find a new intern......

A/N: That is all for Chapter One!!! How did ya like so far? I'm enjoying writing this immensely, and I just type a few pages whenever I have some spare time. In case anyone was wondering, this is going to have multiple pairings. I just placed it under Sally and Wufei because that will be the main pairing. **sigh** unfortunately that is one of the least popular non yaoi pairings, so I am not expecting a whole lot of reviews. Please surprise me...review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Luvvies, KaT aka Mistress Shinigami