Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Song of the Phoenix ❯ Stronger In Your Presence ( Chapter 10 )

A/N: I started working on this immediately after I finished chapter 9, partially because I felt guilty about waiting so long before, and partially because I left the ending with such a cliffhanger.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters, nor am I making any money off this fic (like it could ever make any…haha).

"Stronger in your Presence"

Sally's body was pressed against the wall, held still there by Lester's body. He was facing her, which meant he had to turn his head in order to keep Wufei in his line of sight. The tickle of a rivulet of blood slid down her throat, and she wondered absently-in her fear-engulfed mind-if he realized just how hard the blade was pressed against her skin. From where she was shoved Sally could see Wufei still in the doorway. He hadn't moved a muscle, and seemed to be silently assessing the situation. His face showed his panic, though. His fear only served to further terrify her.

"I'll kill her!" Lester warned once more, as if either of them had forgotten his earlier threat. Sally faintly realized her breath was coming in short gasps, but her brain barely even registered the fact. Lester seemed to finally realize that he couldn't see both investigators at once. He roughly pulled Sally around in front of him, wrapping his arm with the knife around her neck and using his other arm to pin her arms to her side.

The murderer once again turned to Wufei. "Put your hands in the air, now!" Wufei obeyed, his hands rising to show he had no weapon. The office chair Sally had grabbed earlier rested in between the murderer and his hostage and the doorway.

The blade against her neck began to sting bitterly. Her voice came out choked. "Wufei..."

"Shut-up!" Lester kicked the back of her knees, and her stance on the floor faltered. He used his grip on her to keep her from falling to the floor. He turned once more to her partner. "Walk over to the computer," he commanded. "But try anything funny, and you'll be cleaning her blood off the floor."

Wufei walked over the computer, seeing Lester's profile displayed. So Sally's hunch was correct...and that's why she was going to die. He paused in horror...it was why they would both die...

"Turn it off," the murderer commanded, his shouted instructions blasting Sally's ear. She barely even noticed in her adrenaline-laced haze. Her muscles tightened and loosened involuntarily. She wondered if Lester could feel them constricting.

Shaking his head, trying to remain in control, the Chinese man shut off the computer, once again turning and facing the two opposite him. He noticed that beside the computer he was much closer to Sally and the murderer. There had to be something he could do to gain the upper hand. He suddenly remembered an advantage they had. It would be risky-in case Lester knew-but it was a chance they had to take.

Wufei caught Sally's horrified gaze, trying to make his expression calm and reassuring. He lifted his hands and began to silently sign a plan to his partner, watching silently as she tried to gain her composure...it would be risky, after all. She tried to smile to show her resolve, but the expression came out more as a grimace. Lester was about to issue another command when they struck.

Sally swing her head backwards, connecting with Lester's chin. His head rebounded against the wall, putting stars in his vision. Before he could even think to slit the woman's throat Wufei sprang and attacked, disarming him of the switchblade. Springing free from the murderer's hold, Sally lunged towards the office chair, shoving it into the madman's gut. His eyes popped open in surprise, and he coughed harshly as the wind was knocked out of him. Wufei took this opportunity to kick him in the back of his knees, causing him to collapse on the floor. The Chinese man sat on top of him, bringing his arms around to his back. Sally walked over and handed her partner a pair of handcuffs she had retrieved from a supply room.

"I'll call in for back-up," Sally offered as Wufei handcuffed Lester, who was starting to slowly come out of his daze. His gray eyes flashed angrily; he watched heatedly as the tawny-haired woman picked up the phone and dialed in for back up. He took marginal satisfaction out of watching the woman's hands shake as she pressed the telephone number. He had been so close to killing her...so very close. An animalistic growl escaped his throat, and the woman looked at him in horror once more.

Wufei brought his hand down on Lester's head, knocking him out for the time being. When Sally finished calling she leaned against the desk, her legs giving out.

"You probably shouldn't have done that," she commented, motioning to where Lester lay. Her partner shrugged impassively, standing up and rolling his neck to ease his tense muscles. Sally gazed at him for a moment, before throwing herself into his body in a fierce hug. If he hadn't of come to the station...

"Thank you so much, Wufei," she whispered, relief causing tears to spring to her eyes, though they didn't fall. "If you hadn't of come after me..." His voice stopped her sentence.

"But I did come," he reminded her, "so don't you dare worry about 'what if's', okay?" His awkwardness at having her hugging him hadn't faded, and he patted her head awkwardly. She laughed and pulled away, finally smiling for the first time.

"Of course," was her bright answer. Just then the door opened, and-surprisingly enough-Duo and Heero walked in, the former grinning and waving while the latter had his hand on the handle of his gun. Duo's grin faded to a soft smile and he clamped one hand on each of the investigators' shoulders.

"Great job at finally figuring this case out!" he said. "I knew that if Sally and 'Fei couldn't solve it, no one could!" Wufei shrugged.

"It was mostly dumb luck," Sally admitted. She placed a hand to her throat, feeling the dampness of her blood. "...And I almost got killed in the process." The blood had stained her collar crimson, and now that her adrenaline had left her the stinging in her neck was returning. Duo looked sideways at her, his expression serious.

"But we finally have the man responsible for two deaths. Dumb luck or not, this is definitely an occasion to be thankful for." Heero nodded in agreement from where he knelt by the murderer, and Wufei stood off to the side, watching for Sally's reaction. She remembered something Lin had once told her...

Wufei spoke up, "'Sometimes our greatest accomplishments come unplanned.'" Sally grinned at him, glad he was pleased. But that is not what her brother had always said...Lin would always take her aside, give her a big smile and say:

We cannot choose when we fall in love, or whom it will be with. For the greatest gifts come unexpectedly, but last forever.

Sally took those things to heart and, smiling covertly at her partner, she turned and headed out the door as more officers came in to take over. She knew she would never sleep...not with her memories so close at hand. But tonight she felt safe and happy, for the murderer had been found. Somehow-in some weird way-she had helped right her brother's death by avenging the victims of Lester Johnson. Wufei watched her walk out the door, struck oddly with an image of Meilan. Shrugging it off he followed his partner out the door.

After all that transpired tonight he wasn't going to let her walk home.

"Wait up!" he called, his voice carrying oddly through the night air. He felt more than heard the door close behind him. Sally turned around, smiling lightly, though her eyes looked heavy and fatigued. He wondered if her face mirrored his own. "I brought my car, let me give you a ride." She nodded, not really trusting herself to speak.

The two sat in silence during the ride to Sally's apartment. The woman simply rested her head against the window, enjoying the cool glass on her forehead. The cut on her neck had dried up, and now she had to fight the urge to scratch it, as it was itching profusely. Wufei watched the rode as he drove, shooting occasional glances her way. The once comfortable silence began to unnerve the Chinese woman, and she spoke up to break it with the first thing that came to mind.

"I don't think I'm going to fall asleep tonight." Was her admittance.

Wufei glanced over at her once more, but her eyes still gazed out the window. "So what are you going to do?" he questioned. Sally shrugged, her shoulders rising and falling.

"Probably sit at the table."

"And...?" he prompted.

"Sit."

"Just sit?" he queried again, raising an ebony eyebrow at the woman beside him. She would have nodded if her forehead had not been resting against the window.

"Just sit."

"Oh." At that moment they pulled up to the apartment complex. Sally sat up, unbuckling her seat belt and moving to climb out. She paused for a second, turning and looking at Wufei.

"Would you like to come sit with me?" Her question made him smile slightly.

"All right. I doubt I'll be getting much sleep, anyway," he commented, climbing out of the car. Sally pulled out her key, unlocking the front door. She glanced at him sideways.

"I kinda figured that," she replied.

This fic is beginning to come to a close. A couple more chapters should wrap it up. Next chapter you'll learn just how Lester was able to sneak in and out of Winner Apartments without anyone noticing. You'll also learn some other stuff, undetermined as of now ~_^