Chapter Six:
Relena had been sitting quietly on the fluffy bed for hours. There was
nothing else to
do. She had already examined most of the chambers and had drank some wine
that was
left in the refrigerator. When the door to the chamber opened, she felt her
nerves stand on
end.
General Yuy walked in quickly and avoided eye contact with her as he
rummaged
through the drawers of the dresser, apparently searching for something.
Spying a key-card
on the night-stand near her, Relena quickly swiped it up and walked over to
General Yuy.
She held it out to him and he grabbed swiftly and turned to walk away.
�Wait.� she said, her voice nearly trembling.
General Yuy turned around and looked at her as if she�d just committed a
horrible
sin. �What do you want?� he asked her, as if her question were a huge
burden.
�I want to know what you plan to do with me.�
�…Nothing. My Adopted-Father ordered you for me. I didn�t ask for a
Doll.�
�But you have one and you just plan to let me rot in here?�
�No. I�ll find some use for you when I have time. I�m very busy right
now. If you�ll
excuse me.�
�I don�t excuse you. If I have no purpose here, then I wish to go home.�
General Yuy looked at her and struggled to suppress a laugh. �Go home? A
Doll
wants to go home? Don�t you know?�
�Know what?�
�Dolls can�t go home. Not even if their owner allowed it.�
�And why is that?�
�Because, most Dolls are actually sold to the Doll System by their
parents. Their
parents wouldn�t want them back or they wouldn�t have sold them in the first
place.�
�…no… you�re lying….� she whispered.
�And if their parents didn�t sell them, they Doll System has their
immediate families
killed, to prevent anyone from trying to find the Dolls and causing any
trouble.�
�…killed…. I won�t believe it. You�re telling me that my family
either betrayed me or
were killed?�
�Yes, that�s what I�m telling you.�
Relena collapsed to her knees on the floor and doubled over. A sob
escaped her as
General Yuy looked upon her with a small hint of pity. But before his
emotions could be
seen, he quickly left the room, leaving Relena alone in her despair.
Relena jolted up to her feet and ran for the door. She reached it just as
it closed and
she began banging and screeching. She tried clawing the door with her nails,
throwing
things at it, and even taking a run-and-go and trying to physically knock it
down, and
nothing worked. The door still stood firm. She was panting and crying after
the outburst
and General Yuy watched the whole scene through the one-way glass door.
Relena only
saw a mirror, but Yuy saw Relena.
He reached up a hand and placed his where hers now rested. He then
pulled it away
as she began a new phase of attack on the door. She thrust her head into it
over and over,
screaming like a banshee as she did.
Yuy stepped away, not wanting to watch her suffering rampage any longer,
but he
found he could not completely turn away. His eyes were glued to her, fixed
upon her, and
he couldn�t stop watching as she punished herself.
He couldn�t help but wonder what she hoped to accomplish by doing all
this? Did she
wish to kill herself? Surely she knew that she�d pass out or knock herself
out long before
the blows could kill her. When that happened, Yuy told himself that he�d go
in and strap
her comfortably to the bed, to prevent any further outbreaks like this one.
He�d find a use for her tomorrow. He�d find a purpose for her. Perhaps
if she had a
positive reason for being there, the pain of realizing that she couldn�t
leave may be
lessened. He had to find away to ease her pain, if it was the last thing he
did.
So he watched and waited, hoping for her brain to give out and allow her
to become
unconscious, but he feared it would take much longer than he�d hoped. And
darkness fell,
as the sound of her cries and her head rushing forward to meet the cold,
hard glass echoed
through the halls.
Chapter Seven:
�Are you sure your friend was supposed to be here?� Duo asked, his
patience
growing invisibly thin. He tried not to sound rude. He didn�t know what
connection Hyde
had with the Dolls, but he knew there was a connection of some sort. And if
that�s true,
then the girl who died back at the base was a friend of Hyde�s and that had
to be painful.
�I�m sure. Just keep looking for any unusual soldiers.� Hilde replied,
scanning the
Universal Congress.
�Unusual?� Duo asked, cocking an eye brow.
�Yeah. He�s a girly type. Like you.�
�Hey!�
�Shh! Quatre Winner is about to speak. Keep looking, quietly.�
�Yes sir!� Duo answered sarcastically.
Hilde and Duo made their way across the room, searching for any signs of
Sally Po.
Hilde had heard that the other undercover rebel Doll would be sent to guard
one of the
senators, but she had no idea which one. Since all the senators were here,
Sally had to be
here. Hilde and Duo�s attention tuned to the podium, however, when the
mild-mannered,
yet highly influential Senator from Colony L4 began to speak.
�Ladies and Gentlemen of the Universal Congress, I come to speak to you
today on
the issue of the Dolls System. I fully believe that if the people of the
universe are to
become a great race, we must do away with such things as prejudice and
hatred. Really,
aren�t those things a bit childish? How long have minorities suffered and
died just because
of the way they were born? As senators who vote and decide on important
issues, we must
make the right decision. Whether it be controversial, or politically
incorrect, we MUST do
what is right. For the sake of the colonies as well as the earth, we must
vote for the Dolls
Freedom Act to be passed. Thank you.�
He walked off the stage, eyes downcast, as they usually were. He glanced
up at
Dorothy Catalonia, this Hilde noticed, and examined her reaction, hoping for
her approval.
She smiled in an appreciative way and nodded her head. He only looked back
at the
ground as he returned to his seat.
Hilde blinked. That was strange. She thought Quatre would�ve smiled back,
especially
from the way he was looking at her before. Hilde shrugged. The personal
affairs of the
senators were of no concern for her. She kept scanning the room, straining
her vision and
hearing. Hoping to recognize a voice or a face. Finally, she saw the back of
someone
familiar stepping out of one of the doors. �There!� Hilde practically
screamed, pointing at
the escaping figure.
Duo and Hilde raced to the exit and caught up the person in suspect,
which happened
to be none other than Sally and Senator Wufei. Sally whirled around at the
feeling of
Hilde�s hand grasping her arm. She looked hard at Hilde for long moments,
studying the
pale face and jet-black hair. �H-Hil-?!�
Before she could finish voicing Hilde�s name, Hilde wrapped her arms
around her and
held her tight. �Shhh..� she breathed into Sally�s ear, �my name is Hyde
now.�
Sally held her back. �Oh, Hyde. I was so worried about you. When I heard
that the
base had been destroyed, I was certain you were killed!� Tears rolled down
both their
cheeks. Then Sally looked up and saw Wufei, standing close by and looking
irritated at
this display of affection. He stood as a reminder of her failed mission,
and the danger she
now faced. �Hyde, you have to get out of here. Just leave immediately. Go on
with your
mission and forget you saw me.�
�What? I don�t understand. Why would I do that? We could just work
together on
our missions!� Hilde protested.
�Hyde, my mission has failed. I�ve been discovered.�
Hilde�s eyes became wide and they slowly crept over to Wufei. His eyes
as black as
her hair were glaring straight into hers with a knowing expression on his
face. He half
smirked. �I see my bodyguard knows a few soldiers. Don�t you think this
little scene is a
bit strange?� Wufei asked, looking at Duo.
�Strange? What do you mean?� Duo asked, not really sure of the situation
at all.
The two girls separated and Sally looked nervously at Wufei. He stepped
up to Hilde
and eyed her. He circled her as a wolf circles it�s prey. Hilde swallowed
hard. Suddenly,
he reached out a hand and ripped her shirt open, revealing her completely
bandaged chest.
She gasped and jerked back.
Duo�s eyes widened. �You�re…. a woman?�
�More like girl.� Wufei commented. �She�s been fooling you all along,
soldier. She�s
a rebel Doll! She�s a spy!�
Duo was shocked. Hyde had been his friend, his companion. This was all
too much to
absorb way too fast. He felt stunned. But then, a new feeling came over him.
Shame. Why
was it so important? Who cares if Hyde was a girl or a boy? Hyde was still
Hyde. Hyde
was still his friend.
�Well, soldier?� Wufei coaxed, �what do you have to say to this
traitor?�
�I don�t care if Hyde is a girl, or a boy, or a damn dog. Hyde is my
friend, and I�ll
stick by her.�
Wufei frowned. �That�s treason, you fool. You�ll be killed for that.�
�I�ve seen others die for less.� Duo replied.
�Very well. You�re now both in my custody. We�re all going on a little
trip with Miss
Po. She claims she has some interesting things to show me about the Dolls.�
Hilde looked to Sally in a questioning way.
�It seems Senator Wufei has been a told a sugar-coated version of the
story of the
Dolls. I�m going to show him that our lives aren�t like the fairy tales he
was told as a
child.�
Hilde smiled. Now they had the advantage. She looked to Duo before they
started off.
�Duo… there�s something I have to tell you. My name is Hilde Schbeiker,
not Hyde. I�m
sorry I lied to you, but it was the only way. I wanted to tell you… I was
just so afraid…�
Duo took hold of her hand. �I understand. It�s perfectly all right. I�ll
stand by you. No
matter what happens. You�re my friend, and I always protect my friends.�
Hilde smiled again. Then, as she and the other three people made their
exit, she
whispered to him. �Thank you.�
Chapter Eight
Catherine fiddled aimlessly with her bangle bracelet. It was the only
reminder left of
her circus background. She removed it from her hand, then placed it back on.
She
repeated this act many times before Trowa finally reached over and gently
took it from
her.
�Catherine, you�re making me nervous.�
�You? Nervous? That�s a first.� Catherine muttered offhandedly.
�Look, I know you�re worried. I am too. We just have to believe in
Quatre and
Dorothy Catalonia. I think our chat was enough to make them do their best.
Their new
passion for this cause will do them good.�
Catherine brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around
them.
Trowa smiled at this maneuver. She was still as nimble as ever. She looked
strange
however, sitting in that pose while wearing such a militaristic outfit.
�I�ve missed you, Catherine.�
She didn�t look up. She didn�t want to. Years ago, she would�ve craved
those words,
but now she was a much stronger person. She didn�t depend on him anymore.
She was
truly a different woman. Her kindness was still entact though, Trowa could
see that when
he first looked at her. The changes she made could not run deep enough to
make her a bad
person.
She was a rebel, but he knew in his heart that she shouldn�t even have to
rebel at all.
The Dolls System shouldn�t exist, and he now felt ashamed that he was a part
of it. It
pained him to see her this way. She was so wrapped up into her cause,
putting so much
pressure upon herself, that she didn�t even realize that her life had been
frozen in place,
she couldn�t move on with so much riding on her shoulders. This war had to
end, and
soon, or else Catherine would remain frozen, while the rest of creation
passed her by.
She once had such dreams. She squinted her eyes, trying to remove the
sharp, painful
memories from her mind. She wanted to be a circus star, before she got lost
one day when
she was twelve years old. The Dolls System took her in, pretending to be a
friend, but
once she reached fourteen, she was shoved into a life of servitude and
humbleness.
Now, she was the leader of the Dolls Rebellion, and she was happy about
that. She
was doing all she could to help these girls, but her dreams had been put on
hold. Many
Dolls who escaped returned to their families or pursued what careers they
could. Being a
circus star was a career she could�ve went to. She actually even thought
about it. But
when she thought of the thousands suffering everyday, she couldn�t force
herself to be
happy.
Trowa reached out a hand to place on her shoulder. Before contact was
made,
however, she smacked his hand away. �Don�t touch me.�
Trowa lowered his eyes. �I know you must hate me now. But I can�t help
that. I can
help your cause now. You�d be a fool to refuse help.�
�You�ve already fulfilled your role in this game. You used up your use.�
she said,
standing up and quickly drawing a gun. She aimed point-blank for his head.
Trowa didn�t panic. In a way, he felt this was poetic justice. Perhaps he
deserved to
die for his participation in such a horrendous thing as the Dolls System.
Perhaps it was
because he�d killed so many in battle. Some were younger than him, fresh
recruits who
didn�t fully understand the risks of war. He had blocked out the guilt and
the emotion to
survive. Now, he was as good as dead anyway.
�What? Aren�t you going to try to talk your way out of this? Try to play
upon the
feelings I once had for you?� Catherine prodded.
�No. I have no right to.�
Catherine smiled wryly. �Got that right.�
Trowa closed his eyes, waiting for the end of this mess he called a
life. But it never
came. After a long silence, he opened one eye.
�You think you�re going to get off that easily? You deserve to live with
your pain.�
She tucked the gun into her coat pocket.
Trowa remained expressionless, as he most often did, studying her
features. �This
new look strangely suits you.�
�You think so?� she asked, holding out the ends of her coat.
�Yeah. You always were a strong woman. This only makes you look
stronger.�
She smiled and pulled off the coat. Underneath was a pair of
loose-fitting, army pants
and a cropped black tank-top with a high neck. She also wore biker gloves
and army
boots. �How about this?� she asked, a bit playfully.
�That makes you look sexy.�
Her smile faded and she quickly replaced the coat. �Yeah well, I try to
look decent.�
she said under her breath and walked over to the window in Quatre�s office,
which
overlooked the city. �It�s beautiful here, ne?�
Trowa nearly smiled. He knew she was trying to change the subject. That
much was
obvious. He only pondered for a few moments before taking action. He grabbed
her by the
arm and jerked her around to face him. He pressed his lips to hers and
engaged her in
passionate kiss. It seemed to last forever. At first, Catherine struggled a
bit and tried to
push him away, but she slowly gave into his beauty, his tenderness, and the
softness of his
lips. She slowly closed her eyes and allowed him to take her.
He shoved the coat from her shoulders and she remained motionless,
nervously
allowing it to slip off her body. He slipped a hand beneath the fabric of
her top, slowly
going up toward her chest. Before he could get very far, she opened her eyes
again and
pushed him away with more force than she�d used in years. �Baka!� she
screamed,
catching her breath.
Trowa stepped back, looking slightly embarrassed. �I�m sorry.�
�You should be.� she muttered, sitting down on the floor. She wrapped
her arms
protectively around herself. �I just can�t bring myself to do things like
that. Not after all
that�s been done to me.�
Trowa squatted down in front of her. �I really am sorry. I wasn�t
thinking about that.
I was just thinking of how beautiful and strong you had become.�
�It�s just that… when I think of things like that, all I can see is
Kurei�s hands reaching
out for me.� she told him, her eyes becoming watery.
�Was Kurei ever so gentle with you? Was he ever like me?�
�No. He was nothing like you.� Catherine looked up at Trowa for what
seemed like
endless seconds. His eyes were now full of care and kindness, just like they
had been years
ago when she fell in love with him. She reached up and slowly, carefully
wrapped her arms
around him.
He embraced her in return, leaning forward and pressing her back onto
the floor. One
again he began to pull up her shirt, this time more slowly and looking into
her eyes as a
way of assuring her that it was him, and not Kurei, there with her.
She trembled a bit at first, trying to block out any and all memories of
the past. She
just wanted to concentrate on this moment. This one moment. That�s all she
wanted. And
as she was absorbed into an abyss of passion, she closed her eyes and
whispered into his
ear �I love you, Trowa.�
Chapter Nine:
Quatre sat at his seat at the Universal Congress Meeting. A couple of
years ago, his
knees would�ve been knocking. The Dolls Freedom Act was in hot debate, and a
decision
couldn�t hope to be reached by the next day. Yet, after the death of his
sisters in a freak
accident, he was no longer a naive, goody-two-shoes. He pulled out a
cigarette and lit it
up. He�d been chain-smoking since he was twelve years old, when ninety
percent of his
family was taken away. It kept him calm. Now, he didn�t think he actually
needed them to
stay calm, but he was addicted, so he shrugged and puffed away.
He looked up just as Dorothy was making her exit. He only saw the tips of
her blonde
hair disappearing out one of the doors. He stood up quickly and followed her
out. In the
hall, he cought up with her.
She turned to face him with a crooked smile. �What? Do you expect to fall
on my
knees and thank you?�
Quatre narrowed his eyes at her. Had he lost all of his kindness, he
would have
slapped her. But some still remained and he cursed it�s existence. Her smug
face was still
beautiful, but taunting all the same. It was a reminder that he could never
have her. �No. I
expect you to show at least a tiny bit of gratitude. I�ve risked my career
and my place in
the Universal Congress for your cause.�
�My cause? Ha! What makes it my cause?! Have you forgotten what happened
to
your sisters?�
�My… sisters…. what do you mean?�
�You think that crash was an accident?! You�re more of a fool than I
thought you
were!�
�What are you talking about?! Tell me!� he screamed, grabbing hold of
her
shoulders.
She knocked his hands away and laughed mischievously, in that
I-know-something-you-don�t-know manner.
He was becoming angry, losing his patience. How dare she make a joke of
his sisters�
deaths. �Tell me now, or I�ll kill you.� he said plainly.
She laughed even harder at that remark. �Oh really? I thought you loved
me!� she
said with a giggle.
He reached out suddenly and grasped her neck, squeezing so tightly that
it terrified
him. He�d never killed someone like this before. Never physically, with his
own hands. The
thought scared him undoubtedly more than it did her. She smiled at him.
�If you kill me, you�ll never know what happened to them, and I won�t
care a bit. My
role is finished here.� she choked out.
Quatre released his hold on her and stepped back. �I�m sorry… I
just…�
Dorothy lowered her eyes slightly. �Me too.� she whispered under her
breath.
Quatre looked at her strangely. Had she just apologized? No. Not Dorothy
Catalonia.
�Now tell me what happened to them.�
�The ship they were in didn�t just malfunction. It was rigged.�
�Why?! And by who?!�
�Why do you think?! Your father was strongly against the Dolls System
and he stated
it openly. He was a threat. He was their target, not your sisters. They just
happened to be
on the ship with him.�
�You mean…. they died for nothing?�
�Nothing but your father�s beliefs.�
�How did you know?� he asked, his voice breaking.
�I�ve had spied in and out of the Dolls System for years. I know
everything about
them. If the Dolls Freedom Act isn�t passed, I have plenty of dirt I can
bring up on them.�
�Why didn�t you bring up any of it before now?�
�Because I�m afraid of all the dirt they�ll bring up on me.� she said
with a grin.
�I still can�t believe it. All this time, I had no one to blame. Now I
do. I don�t know
what to do.�
She stepped closer to him and lifted a hand up to his face. �Quatre,
death is something
that can never be blamed on anyone. All of us have a set date, and we�ll die
on that day,
no matter what we do. If the Dolls System hadn�t rigged it, something else
would�ve
happened. But that doesn�t mean they shouldn�t be punished for their
involvement.�
He stared at her. For the first time, she seemed kind. He�d always
viewed her as a
vicious, blood-thirsty sexist who would stop at nothing to further her own
personal goals.
He found that somehow attractive, this new kindness she was displaying was
even more
attractive. He stepped back a bit. He couldn�t allow himself to fall
completely in love with
her. He just couldn�t. He was happy with his distant obsession. At least he
thought he was.
He was now closer to her than ever before, and he didn�t know how to react.
Suddenly he remembered Trowa waiting for him back at his office. He had
to go back
and see him. �I�m going back to my office. Trowa and Catherine Bloom are
still there. Do
you want to go back with me and talk some more to them?�
Dorothy shrugged. �Sure. It�ll be hours before they even come close to
deciding what
to do.�
She linked her arm with his, flashed him a smile, and practically dragged
him out the
door. He looked down at her and smiled uneasily. Her smile was like venom.
It was pure
poison, and it�s whole purpose was to weaken his defenses, and destroy his
heart.
But smiled inwardly as well. He silently praised the poison, for he began
to love it,
indulge in it, and perhaps even depend on it. He sighed, knowing full well
that he was
hers, whether she wanted him or not.
Chapter Ten:
Sally didn�t like the position she was in. Basically trapped in a tiny
space craft with a
man she�d love nothing more than to smack across the face made her naucious.
Senator
Wufei sat comfortably and carlessly in his seat, arms crossed across his
chest. The grin he
wore was enough to make Sally puke.
�What�s wrong, soldier? Nervous?� he asked.
Sally narrowed her eyes. �No. Disgusted.�
He chuckled softly and turned to Duo. �Are you sure you trust that woman
to pilot
this thing?�
�I�ve seen Hyde… Hilde… pilot everything from mobile suits to basic
airplanes. I
think she can handle it.�
Wufei shrugged and turned his attention back to Sally. �So tell me, why
did you
decide to be my bodyguard? Were you going to try to assassinate me?�
�No. I just wasn�t going to do a very good job of protecting you.� Sally
replied with
a grin of her own.
�Well, that plan fell through miserably, didn�t it?� he asked
tauntingly.
�I�ve heard that you�re a very good gloater, Senator. What I heard was
right, and so
is everything else I heard.�
�Oh? And what else did you hear?�
�That you�re an egotistical prick who gave up his job in the military
because he was a
coward, afraid of his own weaknesses!�
With that Wufei was on his feet, his hands made into fists, pulled back
and ready to
attack. Duo jumped up and took hold of Wufei�s arm. �Settle down, Senator!�
Wufei pushed Duo away and breathed hard. He sat back down and glared at
Sally.
�Woman, you�re treading on thin ice.�
Sally�s heart was pounding. She showed no fear, but she sure felt it.
But was that
why her heart continued to beat so steadily? Was it really fear? Or was it
something else?
She shook her head. No. Wufei was a chauvanistic idiot. She branded the
words into her
mind.
Wufei looked up at her again. �Why do you wear your hair in that
ridiculous
hairstyle?�
�Why do you?�
Wufei reached behind his head and pulled the band from his jet-black
hair. The silky
strands were released to fall over his ears and face. He smiled strangely at
her. �Now it�s
your turn.�
�I never agreed to take down my hair.� Sally said, turning her face
away. She sat
there silently for a few moments before she felt strong hands grasp the two
twirled
collections of hair that hung on either side of her head. They were gently
pulled out into
straight strands that danced across her shoulders.
She looked up to see Wufei standing over her. �There. You�re not so hard
to look at
this way.�
�Hard to look at?!�
Wufei laughed and retreated to his seat, leaving Sally fuming. She
opened her mouth
to speak, but was cut off by Hilde.
�Sally, we�re here.�
Sally and Wufei stood up. They looked out the windshield of the ship and
onto the
dim, damp streets of Colony L5. It was the darkest place on the colony.
�Wait a minute. People like this can�t afford Dolls!� Wufei yelled.
�You really think so? What about the cheap Dolls? The younger ones with
defects?�
�Defects? What kind of defects?� Duo asked, his eyes looking unusually
serious.
�Maybe scars, sometimes slight deformities. Retarded girls are common
here too.�
Hilde answered.
�So, the ones that need the most care and sympathy, are the ones who end
up here,
like this?� Duo asked, more to himself than anyone else.
�Of course. You think the powerful polititions and rich aristocrats want
dammaged
goods?� Sally replied.
Wufei snorted. �Let�s quit chatting and check this place out.� He
opened the door
and jumped off the space craft, landing gracefully on his feet. The others
followed, Duo
far behind the others, partially afraid of what he�d see.
Sally took a deep breath, took hold of Hilde�s hand and silently prayed
that what they
were about to see would break through Wufei�s stubborn mindset. And as they
took the
first steps toward the scene of suffering and torment, a tiny, crystal tear
strolled down her
cheek.
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