Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Black Queen ❯ Pater et Filia ( Chapter 12 )

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

LSE // 1-6-03
(The Black Queen - Chapter Twelve: Pater et Filia)
rated: PG13 - violence, language, content
shounen-ai/yaoi

Pater et Filia





It hurts. Please, it hurts.

Heero. Heero, no, wait, come back. Don't leave me.

I won't, I promise, just come back to me. I love you, please!

Can't you hear me screaming?

No, wait, you can't! Don't leave me!

Heero, Heero, Heero! No!

Pain, the pain, always the pain.

Please. I don't want to hurt anymore.

Heero! NO!

Swirling slashes of red and black obscure whatever's above me, but
all I know is whomever it is, they're gripping my shoulders hard. I
scream, trying to struggle but finding the grip too strong and the
pain too great. "NO!" I shout.

"Duo!" the person above me shouts frantically, giving a shake. I
scream louder; why won't they let go?

"Get off him! Let go, let go!"

"But he'll hurt himself..."

"Do it!" a gun clicks and the hands release me.

"NO!" I thrash wildly, ignoring the waves of blinding pain it causes,
but nothing is there to push away. I'm free. I collapse against the
floor, eyes wide and unseeing. Nightmare, I tell myself. Just a
nightmare. But why does it hurt so much, and where am I?

"Duo," the voice with the gun says calmly, "it's okay now. You were
dreaming. You're okay now."

Slowly, my battered mind figures out whats going on. There is a click
and a flashlight's beam illuminates everything in a soft glow, enough
so I can see Natasha kneeling at my side and holding a gun towards
Sally, whose backed away from me to almost across the room.

"S'okay," I mutter, "gun down."

She nods and the re-holster the weapon, still warily watching Sally,
who in turn is watching me. I moan, there is so much pain. Natasha
slowly closes her hand over my wrist, gently, taking my pulse. "Calm
down, Duo," she orders. "You have to calm down. Breathe slowly, don't
aggravate the wound further."

I'm comforted by the strict commands. It reminds me slightly of Heero.
I nod weakly and focus on doing as she says, slowing my pulse and
breathing. I lay still as she moves her hand to my forehead, brushing
back the sweat-soaked bangs.

"What time is it?" I whisper hoarsely. This is the first time I can
recall being awake since Wufei left. I don't see him anywhere, but
Sally's still here. The look on her face is one of helplessness. She
wants to help, but Natasha's knelt protectively over me and doesn't
look ready to let Sally approach.

"Twenty-one hundred, roughly."

"When are you calling Heero?"

"Soon, I... What? Duo, how do you know about that?" Natasha says in
obvious surprise, and I realize they don't know I heard that
conversation. You hear a lot when people think you're dead,
apparently.

"Heard you. Should have just asked me. Baka," I try to laugh, but it
just comes out as a sickly cough. If only Heero could be here. I miss
him, even though it hasn't been very long. Time seems to stretch
forever when you're dying. No. I'm not dying!

"You need sleep," Natasha counters, but I can hear a tinge of
acknowledgment in her voice. "The doctor is a friend of yours?"

"When I escaped from the asylum...?"

Natasha nods slightly, "I read the reports."

"Sally fixed me up. Good friend. Trust her?"

"Of course. Sally!" Natasha barks, pointing to the woman, "Forgive my
distrust, but you can see the reason for caution."

"So, you'll let me care for my patient now?" Sally says with a hint
of anger as she snatches her med-kit and comes over.

"Sally," I mutter, giving another laugh/cough thing. Gah, I hate this
feeling of being three inches from Shinigami's embrace. I at least
thought I'd die in the war, in a glorious blaze of sex and power. No,
I get to die from something as stupid as poison. Poison from a bullet
specially prepared by the Good Lady of pacifism and peace herself.
The irony was morbidly delightful. Delightfully morbid.

"Here, something for the pain," Sally says in a soothing whisper.

"No!" I say as forcefully as possible, causing both women to sit back
and stare. "I don't want to sleep again. Let me stay awake." Heero
wanted me to stay awake. "I want to talk to Heero."

"Duo, you need sleep..."

"Please!"

Sally sighs and puts whatever it was she was going to give me away.
Victory for Maxwell. Instead, she merely checks my vitals, blood
pressure, pulse, body temperature and pupil dilation. She doesn't
look happy with what she sees, and that sends tremor of fear through
me. I really don't want to die. Not here. Not now.

"What's the plan?" I mumble, struggling to keep the heavy eyelids
open and my body alert.

Silence greets my question, and I shift my eyes over to glare at
Natasha accusingly, "You don't have a plan?"

"...Of course I do, Duo. I'm going to prove your innocence and see to
it that you can have freedom once more."

"And I plan on seeing you back to good health," Sally offers.

"...I want Heero," I mutter, closing my eyes then and allowing myself
a brief respite from the pain. I can see my future spreading out
before me, a bleak and useless abyss. Sally manages to yank me out
from Shinigami's arms, then what? Natasha manages to prove I didn't
kill the maid and Amy, then what? I still broke plenty of laws in my
escape, plus the original price on my head from my first little
flight for freedom from the asylum. Not to mention the fact I'm a
trained terrorist with a known history of violence.

They'll put me to death and I'll never see Heero again.

"Should we wake him?" Sally whispers, so soft I can't hardly believe
I heard it.

"He wanted to speak with Heero."

"M'not shleeping..." I slurr, forcing my eyes open and watching the
red and black swirls. They're kinda pretty, I suppose.

Natasha gently rests the phone against my face and I hear Heero's
tense breathing on the other end. "Duo?" he asks cautiously, "Duo,
are you there?"

"S'me."

"How are you doing?"

"S'not bad."

"Let Sally give you something for the pain."

"K. Heero."

I can hear the change in Heero's voice as he shifts from anxious
lover to stone-faced pilot. It nearly takes my breath away to hear
stern mission statements being given in that cold monotone. For some
reason, I find it oddly comforting. "Wufei will rendezvous with you
in the morning at a new location and while I lead the police to
believe you've left the area."

"Got'sha."

"Maintain stable physical and mental conditions, soldier," Heero
barks, only a slight tremor in his voice betraying anything other
than command in that oddly comforting monotone.

"Can do."

"Listen carefully. I have reason to believe that Relena had no
knowledge what kind of bullets were being used in her guard's
weapons, or even that they were armed."

"S'ok. Means?"

"That means someone wanted you dead, Duo."

Natasha shifts, only being able to hear my side of the conversation.
I wonder what Heero told her, or what she told him. I realize that
I'm the only one who even really knows who Natasha is, and I don't
even know that much about who she is.

"Are you still listening?"

"M'here."

I hear Heero whisper something to Wufei, who snorts in return. Heero
speaks again, "Relena says that if you can find who really killed
those two that she'll try to make you out to be a hero and arrange
for a full to partial pardon with conditions. It's the best I've been
able to get from her so far."

I don't want to know what Heero's doing to get the Princess of Pink
to agree to something crazy like that. With me out of the way,
there'd be nothing to stop her from going after Heero. That wasn't
very fair of me, I guess. Not her fault she had a crush on Heero.

"S'ok. Love you."

"Duo?"

"Can't. Sorry..." I mumble, the heavy, heavy lids sliding shut as the
slashes of pain increase and I slip into the merciful arms of sleep.
Or death. At this point, I can't really tell.

------------------------------------------------------------ ----------

Natasha's eyes narrowed into the darkness as pupils expanded and,
gradually, shadows took on shape and detail. At her side, she could
hear the soft sounds of the doctor's breathing and the even fainter,
rattling gasps from Duo. "Stay here," she whispered, sliding around
the corner without waiting for a reply.

Her steps lightened, going from ultra-stealth to casual stroll. She
had to blend into the shadows completely, but without suspicion.
There was no reason to believe her anything more than a young woman
eager to get home to her apartment after a long days work. The only
thing disturbing the scenario was the time. She adjusted her walk,
making it more cautious and therefore better suited for the situation.

"So. You came after all."

She stopped walking when the voice drifted out to meet her, drawing
up and facing the shadowed wall. "I said I would."

A snort of disbelief, "And I trust you as far as you could throw me.
Who are your friends over there?"

Natasha glanced over her shoulder, unable to see Sally or Duo, but
knowing they were there. She didn't bother to ask how he knew. "No
one you should be concerned about. Did you bring it?"

"I said I would."

"And I trust you as far as you could throw me," Natasha replied with
a hint of a smile.

The shadow laughed and stepped out into the dim pool of light caused
by the street lamp. "You always were a clever one."

A coy smile was her reply. She felt exposed under the lamp, but there
was no other option. He had to feel as if the situation was his to
dominant. She knew that. He knew that.

"You look different, without the clothes or makeup."

"I didn't think you were into that," she replied, mindful of the
circumstances from which they had met. She detested the painted armor
of the street walker, and the gaudy, sparkly clothes she was forced
to wear for her alias. Head to toe she was swathed in her standard
black, a much better feel than the whore's clothes had ever been.

"Don't tell me you're out of the business now, Natalie."

"Was I ever really in it? Come on, let's get this over with. I've got
places to go and people to see."

He sighed and, with a flick of nimble fingers, offered out the small
data disk. "It'd be a real shame if I never saw you again."

"I'll be around," she said in a noncommittal way, quickly taking the
offered disk after glancing to make sure it was the right one.
"Thanks. You're a real doll, you know that?"

"I'd know it more if you'd come with me..."

She smirked, "You should know better than that, doll." Before he
could protest, she turned and walked away, her entire manner
suggesting certain death awaited if he dared to follow. She held her
breath, waiting for the sounds of his footsteps in the opposite
direction.

"What was that all about?" Sally hissed, shifting impatiently and
causing Duo to stir fitfully in his sleep.

"Just taking care of some business. This way, hurry," she gestured
for Sally to follow as she slipped through the darkness. Already her
mind was making plans for the little disk with its precious
information. She'd need a way to access it, and fast. There was a
good chance the disk was bugged or otherwise had a means of tracking
attached, and she was never one to be fond of risks.

Natasha knew the doctor didn't fully trust her, and didn't blame the
woman. No, she respected her for it. Trust was dangerous and often
fatal if given to the wrong person, and Natasha rarely made that
mistake. She paused before what seemed to be a solid wall, but she
knew better even if there were no outward signs. She knocked softly,
and the doctor looked in surprise as what looked to be a wooden wall
gave a metallic, thunking noise when struck.

A slit opened and a pair of gleaming eyes peered out into the
darkness at them both, taking the sight in before asking, "What?" in
a harsh, dangerous tone.

"Perhaps you should open the door," Natasha said lightly, just to
throw the gate keeper off balance and make him think twice about
exactly who he was dealing with.

"And if I don't?"

"I won't be very pleased."

"And you are you?"

Natasha smiled, "Xine Ohp El Boud."

"...That's not your name, but the right answer anyway," the man
grunted at last, the slit closing and the door opening. He irritably
motioned them in and the door was quickly closed with a loud metallic
ring, several inches of steel locks sliding intricately together.
"Next time, missy, you'll give a password sooner and not bother with
games," the guard growled, grabbing her arm for emphasis.

A cold glare made him remove his hand and take a step back. "I'll
require two rooms, one single and one double."

"This isn't a hotel, girl."

"For me, it is. I'm expecting company in the morning. He will give
the password, and you will let him in. I'll be most displeased if I
find him to delayed due to your stupidity."

"I don't know who you think you are, girl..." the man started to say,
but she smiled in such a way that made him fall silent. Without
giving an explanation or letting him gather back his wits, she turned
and gestured for Sally to follow. She knew where to find her rooms.

It was dangerous, but often the best place to hide was right under
the enemy's nose. Natasha knew that, until they figured out who she
was, they would be too afraid to question her authority. She hated
using borrowed time, but it was all she could do.

"What are you doing?" Sally hissed, casting worried glances at the
low ceiling of the corridor with the reinforced concrete walls.

"Isn't it obvious? This place provides more security than we could
ever hope to get on our own."

"But what is this place?"

Natasha pushed open the door and held it for the doctor, but nearly
let it slam shut when she saw who was standing in the middle of the
otherwise empty room. Sally quickly wormed her way in and warily eyed
the man standing there, then looked to Natasha with something akin to
concern in her voice as she asked, "Hey. You okay?"

She'd been so careful, and to have everything ruined by such a simple
thing! She should have known better than to think he would be
somewhere else. Natasha forced her voice to come out cold and empty,
"What are you doing here?"

"Who is he?" Sally whispered, shifting impatiently.

Natasha answered just so the woman would stop tilting Duo like she
was, but she neglected to whisper like the doctor had. She spoke loud
enough for him to hear, contempt clear in her tone, "Sven Letoivsky."

The man chuckled slightly, as if not bothered by her anger. "What way
is that for you to speak to me, my daughter?"



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


Author 's Notes: Uhm, wow. School's started again. Major suck there,
but surprisingly I ended up in total fluff classes, including
"Acting" which seems to be a barrel of fun. Also taking Latin 3,
hence the chapter title. ^_^() It means 'Father and Daughter.'
Eh-heh... I'm trying here, people, really. Made this chapter nice and
lengthy as an extra apology for the lack of new chapters you had to
endure ^_^
I'm really sorry! ...really! Waahh, please review?!
Chiizu and Storm, I wuv you. Oh, yeah, thanks a billion Ebony!


Feedback/reviews are very much appreciated!
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