Prologue
Christian looked at the
letter one more time before crushing it into his hand in aggravation. He
couldn't believe he was here, going to see HIM of all people. The one man who
had made his life miserable, and further more destroyed his mother. He ran an
agitated hand through his midnight black hair and leaned against the headrest
on his seat. He had hoped the train would crash, or break down, anything but
actually meet it's destination. He uncrumpled the paper still clenched in his
hand and read it over again, burning the instructions in his mind. He was a
cadet in the vast army of the Preventer’s Corp. He never wanted to be a
soldier, but somehow it found him anyways. "Must run in the blood" he
murmured to himself. He was supposed to transfer away from his base at home, as
was customary for cadets in training. He was hoping to go somewhere
adventurous, far away and exotic. His mother had other plans in her mind.
//one week prior//
"Chris, we need to
talk." Hilde stated as she came into his room. He looked up from his book
and put it down, sitting up so there was room for his mother to take a seat on
his bed. She sighed. He wasn't going to
take well to what she was about to lie down in front of him. "Son, I know
you had hopes of going somewhere exotic.... but there’s somewhere I want you to
go specifically." He raised an eyebrow at her. "And where would that
be?" He asked nonchalantly. Inside he cringed. He knew that look on her
face. Whatever she was about to say, they both knew he wouldn't take well to
it. "I'll be blunt." She stated. He braced himself. "I want you
to go to the Sanc Kingdom in Western Europe." He scowled. Hilde pressed further. "Its nice there,
really nice, and I’m sure you'll find just as much adventure-"
"Why?" He asked, cutting her off. She straightened her back. She
wouldn't lose this fight. "It holds the most high tech training facilities
in the Preventer’s and you'll benefit greatly from the training you'll
receive." Chris turned slightly to lean against the wall at the head of his
bed, his arms crossing over his chest. "Ok, now tell me really." She
slumped her shoulders. "Christian." She started again. "I've
kept you away from your father all your life. I shouldn't of secluded you so
much. I think, maybe you should meet him, get to know him before you start your
life." He scowled. "Mom, if I wanted to meet that man I would've made
the effort. I have no desire to have him in my life, OUR life. Not after what
happened to you." Hilde sighed. She never meant to seem bitter to her son,
but it must have slipped out. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she
scooted to his side. "Baby, if it never happened, then I wouldn't have
you. I love you more than anything in this world, you know that right?" He
sighed, feeling his wall breaking down. Crazy as it was to him, he did in fact
know. Hilde continued. "It was both of us, not just him. And remember he
never knew about you. You can't blame him for that." She felt him tense up
again. "No I can't. But I can blame him for getting you pregnant and
then leaving you when his girlfriend, wife, or whoever she was got pregnant. He
shouldn't have been fucking around." Hilde scowled at him, not as
intimidating as his own, but it served its purpose. "That’s enough of
that." She warned. Chris felt he could argue about this all day, but he
had a hard time defying his mother. At that point he gave in, much to his
chagrin, and accepted the post in the Sanc Kingdom, or as he termed it, hell on
earth. Because the devil lived in hell and he was about to meet him.
The train whistle blew,
causing him to jump out of his thoughts. One of the ticketers came down the row
to pass him. "This is your stop, Mr. Schbeiker." Chris stood and
nodded. "Thanks." He responded before reaching up to grab his bag. He
took a deep breath before stepping off the train.
Heero waited for his recruit to step off the train.
The last name caught his attention. It wasn't a common last name and he could
only think of one person to have it. He never knew where she had disappeared
to, and the fact that she had a son that was full grown blew his mind, IF it
was her son. His eyes narrowed on a tall, lanky youth with wild pitch black
hair. Deep blue eyes targeted him, and to Heero's surprise they narrowed in on
him with anger. The man walked over to him steadily but cautious, staring at
what looked to be a photo from a distance. "Heero Yuy?" He asked
sternly. Heero was slightly taken aback. Who did this punk think he was talking
with such disrespect in his tone? He would have him doing push ups till sun
rise if it wasn't for a strange feeling he got when looking at the boy's eyes.
"Christian Schbeiker I presume." Chris just nodded and then, as if
regaining himself, saluted. Heero returned it with an "at ease"
Before leading the boy to the car. "What brings you to this base
Schbeiker?" Heero asked, curious about the name, wanting to know if he was
the son of who he thought. There was no answer as Chris kept walking. Heero
walked in front of him and stopped him. "I asked you a question." He
warned. He was stunned again by the look in Chris' eyes. In the cold blue
depths he could not mistake it. There was hatred in those eyes. "My mother
wanted me to come here." He finally answered coldly, daring Heero to press
the issue. And Heero wanted to, more than anything. But not here at the
station. "Let's go." He ordered as they walked to the car.
Chapter 1
Chris kept his gaze out
the window, admiring the lush green scenery rolling pass. The ride was quiet as
each man debated whether to bring up a subject neither really wanted to talk
about. Chris was just eager to get this over with and return home. Heero wanted
to know if this cold angry kid belonged to Hilde. After the agonizing hours led
to sunset, Heero pulled the car up to the Preventer base. Chris jumped out of
the car and slung his bag over his shoulder. He proceeded to walk towards the
base, tossing Heero a quick "Thanks for the ride" over his shoulder.
"Schbeiker wait." Heero called out. Chris stopped. Grimacing he
quickly composed his features and turned around. Heero was angry. Christian
realized that he was being out of line. This was not the way a Preventer acted.
He had to remember that here. Heero walked up to him. "Disrespect me like
that again and I’ll make sure you'll be the whipping boy at this station got
it?" He growled out. Chris saluted respectfully. "Sir!" He
answered. Heero nodded. "You have an unusual last name." Chris
groaned.* Here it goes* he thought to himself. "Who's your mother, I may
know her." Chris looked away. "My mother is dead sir." He
answered. Heero stiffened. "I thought she sent you here." He
answered, confused. Memory of why he had to come made Chris' features harden.
"She did. She died soon after that. I had no choice in the matter."
Heero swallowed. He wasn't expecting something so dramatic. "What was her
name?" Heero pressed. He could see the boy was having trouble with his
emotions and didn't want to press the issue, but he had to know. Chris debated
whether he wanted to go with his mother's wishes. He could lie, lie about
everything and go home trouble free. Of course could he live down his mother's
wrath? Probably not. "Hilde Schbeiker sir." He finally answered.
Heero frowned. So this WAS Hilde's son. How did she die? Where had she been? He
wanted to know more, but Chris seemed impatient, almost desperate to leave. And
why did he have her last name? "One more question Schbeiker. Who is your
father?" Chris smirked. "Oh. He's just some deadbeat who abandoned my
mother when he got her pregnant in....Oh let's say it was AC 199. He went back
to his girlfriend. He sounds like a real asshole and I’ve never met him....
until recently. I better be off sir. Have a good night." And with one more
salute, Chris headed towards the base, leaving Heero lost in thought.
Chris entered the office
to retrieve his room. A young woman was sitting behind a desk typing.
"Excuse me." he politely interrupted. "My name is Christian
Schbeiker. I'm here to claim my room." The woman looked up.
"Schbeiker eh? Let's see now, we were expecting you." After rummaging
through some files she pulled out a sheet. "Ok here we go. You’re in bunker 12. You have a roommate already signed
in." She handed him some more
forms. "It's pretty late so just take these with you to fill them out and
return them here in the morning." He took the forms and gave her a small
smile. "Thanks." he said before walking out. She stared after him.
*He was a looker wasn't he? But there was such coldness in his eyes.... Seems
like a troubled boy.* The lady continued her typing, eager to get done and go
home.
Relena watched as her
husband clicked channels on the TV aimlessly, almost zombie-like. Something
wasn't right. He never watched TV. She came to sit next to him. "Heero,
tell me what's on your mind." She asked softly. He clicked off the TV.
"I picked up the new recruit today. He's Hilde's son." Relena's eyes
widened. "Wow! That's a blast from the past. Let's see. He has to be about
18 to come here. She must have just had him right after she took off."
Heero stared hard at the blank screen. *AC 199.... 199.... She still lived here
for part of that year.* Relena watched her husband's face tense up and then
twist in confusion. "Well who's his father?" Relena asked. Heero
scowled remembering Christian’s words: Just some deadbeat who abandoned her
when he got her pregnant...Went back to his girlfriend...AC 199.' Heero rubbed
his eyes with the tips of his fingers. "Relena we need to have a long
talk." Relena nodded. "I know we said we’d never bring this up for
Rebecca’s sake, but this needs to come
up." Relena moved closer to Heero and took his hand. "Ok just tell me
everything." Heero took a deep breath. Bringing back such buried memories
was hard for him. "When you and Duo had an affair, Hilde and I were having
one too." Relena nodded. "Yes you told me that." Heero
continued. "When you told me you were pregnant I told Hilde and said that
I had to take responsibility for it and that I had to end our relationship to
come back to you." Relena stiffened at that but let him continue. "I
never knew why she left, she never even told Duo. I thought maybe she was hurt,
or she didn't want to cause a problem...But now...." Relena squeezed his
hand. "It's ok Heero, just say it.” He let the memories flood his mind.
//AC 199//
Duo and Relena had been sneaking around
behind Hilde and Heero's back for sometime, a few months before Hilde and Heero
had started their own relationship. Neither couple was aware of the web they
were entangling themselves in. It had been about 4 months when Relena had come
to Heero with a statement that would change everything.....
"Heero,
I’m pregnant." Heero dropped
his coffee cup, ignoring the shattering of fine china on the floor by his feet.
"Your sure?" He asked, shocked. Relena just nodded, not sure if this
was happy news to either of them. Heero immediately went to Hilde to explain
what had happened. "Hilde, we can't see each other anymore." Hilde
froze, shock evident on her heart shaped face. "W-why?" she stammered
out. He looked down at his feet, embarrassed and for the first time since this
had started, ashamed of his actions. "Relena is pregnant. I can't leave
her now...It's just not right. I'm sorry but I have to stay with her now. It's
not that I don't care for you -" Hilde put her hand up to cut him off, tears
welling up in her eyes. She was always so strong; they stayed at the brink of
her eyes. She'd be damned if she’d let them fall. "I understand Heero. I
wish you the best of luck." He was confused by her abrupt reaction. She
turned and walked away. It was two days later that Duo called, telling him that
Hilde had disappeared. No one had ever heard from her again...
Heero looked back at Relena, patience
reflecting in her eyes. She had always been a patient woman.
"Christian...I asked him who his father was and all he told me was he was
a deadbeat who abandoned his mother when she got pregnant and left her for his
girlfriend....In AC 199." Relena thought about that for a moment before
her head shot up to stare at him. "Heero. Do you think-" She stopped
midsentence when she saw his stricken face. He saw the question in her eyes and
nodded. "I think I’m his father."
Chapter 2
Christian entered into
the bunker, expecting his roommate to be sleeping. He wasn't thrilled to have a
roommate but he knew it was inevitable. He had a hard time getting along with
people, preferring to stick to himself. He was surprised to see his roommate
up, lying on the top bunk reading a book. He looked up from his book.
"Hey, how's it going man? I assume you’re my roomy correct?" Chris
just nodded, setting his things down near the bed. The other boy got down and
stood in front of him, a lazy smile on his face. He wasn't intimidated by Chris
at all, matching his cold stare with a laid back attitude. They looked at each
other practically eye to eye. "I'm Chad." He stuck out his hand.
Chris looked at it for a second before shaking his hand. "Chris." He
answered. Chad didn't seem phased by Chris' cold attitude, which confused him.
He had intimidated every roommate he ever had. This one didn't seem affected in
the least. Chris sized him up. He was just an inch taller than himself. With
his shaggy blonde hair framing around his face and just above his shoulders, he
looked more like he should be surfing instead of being in military training.
Dark green eyes sparkled as he watched, amused at Chris for looking him over.
"You look like a surfer." Chris commented. Chad just laughed. "I
am." He answered back. "Oh...It's just...how did you wind up
here?" Chris was having a hard time making conversation, but this laid
back guy was making it a good practice. "Probably the same reason you
did.... money." Chad grinned. Chris nodded. He was too right. "I took
the top bunk, since no one really ever wants it. If you want it though we can
switch." Chris nodded. "I like the top bunk." He answered.
Chad's reaction was to reach up and grab his book. "Then it's yours. I see
you have tons of that wonderful paperwork to get through so I’ll leave you to
it." Chris just nodded again and climbed up to the top bunk. When he heard
Chad settle on his own bed, he started to go through the paperwork. Basic
information.... Blood type, rank, age, date of birth. He froze when it asked
for parent's name. He easily jotted down Hilde's name. Under it was the bold
print word FATHER. He knew who his father was...But did he want to consider him
as one? *Not on your life* he thought before writing an N.A. in the space
provided. *I don't have a father. I never will* He finished the rest of his
paperwork before tossing it on the floor. He jumped when he heard Chad speak.
"Pain in the ass isn't it?" He murmured sleepily, before turning off
the lamp. Chris settled into his bed. "Definitely." He answered. It
was a while before he fell asleep.
When
Chris woke the next morning, Chad was gone. Chris didn't think about it much as
he got ready for the day. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, he
headed towards the office to drop off his mass of paperwork. The same woman was
working. "Oh hello Mr. Schbeiker. Commander Yuy was in here looking for you."
Chris tried to mask the scowl on his face. "Oh? Did he say why?" The
young woman just shook her head. "No. But he looked upset. Just thought
I’d warn ya." She winked. He gave her a smile, which made her heart
flutter. When he wasn't scowling at people, he was actually very good looking.
"Thank you.... um. I didn't catch your name." She smiled and stuck
out her hand. He was faster at picking up the handshake than he did with Chad.
"Regan Bloom. I'm actually Chad's cousin." Chris smirked. Somehow he
wasn't surprised. "Thank you Regan. I'll see you later." She waved
and went back to her files as he exited. Something about Chad and Regan made
him almost comfortable. Maybe his stay here wouldn't be as bad as he first
thought. As he bounded out the door he ran smack into Heero. *I guess I spoke
too soon* He thought as he murmured an "Excuse my sir" and tried to
maneuver around him. Heero was having none of that. "We need to
talk." He said softly, but with enough force to make Chris' back stiffen.
He didn't want to talk. He regretted not lying about who he was and laying low.
All he wanted to do is run. But he wasn't a coward. He'd face Heero Yuy head on
and give him the finger... Fuck that. Chris pushed past him and bolted out the
door. He'd heard and read enough about that man to know that running was the
best option. After all, his own mother did the same. Heero stared, stunned at
the gall of that boy. "Christian!" He hollered after him. Chris kept
running. He didn't know where he was going but he wasn't sticking around to get
drilled by that asshole. He took a detour into the woods and away from the
street. Heero may be fast, but he wouldn't catch up if he were lost in the
woods. Christian slowed down. His pride was a bit damaged that he ran away from
the fight, but he didn't want to discuss his origins with Heero. He preferred
to keep it a secret. He settled against the base of one of the larger trees. He
closed his eyes and let the rays of sunshine warm his face. "I guess I’ll
head back to base." He told himself as he stretched and sauntered out of
the woods and onto the road. He figured following the road would be easier than
winding through the seemingly endless trees. A car was heading toward him so he
stepped off the road so he wouldn't get hit. He jumped as the brakes screeched
and the car came skidding to a halt. A very agitated Heero stepped out quickly.
Christian was stunned. "What are you doing here?!" Chris spat out,
angry that he got caught after all. Heero stalked over to him. "Why did
you run?" He demanded. Chris scowled. "Because I didn't feel like
talking." Heero ran his hand harshly through his hair. "You knew what
I was going to ask didn't you?" He asked. He had to know the truth.
Christian remained silent. "Am I your father Christian?" "I
don't have a father." He replied coldly. Heero sighed. "Get in the
car." Christian flipped him off and started to walk away. In an instant
Heero had said finger in a death grip, painfully bending it backwards.
"I'm not asking, I’m telling you to get in the damn car." Heero
gritted out. Christian held out. He was fully intent on letting him break his
finger. Heero pushed back further, bringing Christian to his knees. "Just
get in the car kid." Heero urged, knowing that just a slight bit more of
this and his finger would snap. "Fuck you." Chris spat out. Heero
scowled. "I want to talk to you. What are you hiding from me? Don't think
that I would just stop at one finger. I can be more stubborn than you want to
know." Chris didn't like to be threatened. He liked it even less that he
got himself in this situation. His answer was to punch Heero in the groin. His
finger was released instantly, but this time Christian did not run. Heero was
holding himself, gasping for air and glaring and Chris at the same time. Chris
hid his smirk. Now was not the time for humor. "What the hell do you want
to know?" He asked, arms out, daring Heero to come after him. Heero stayed
where he was. As long as he was talking, he'd keep his cool. "Am I your
father?" Heero asked again. "I wouldn't go so far as that. I'd just
say you were a sperm donor." Heero had a feeling that this was true, but
hearing it clarified still stunned him. "Why didn't Hilde ever say
anything?" Christian rolled his eyes. "Oh I don't know. When you’re
about to tell someone the most important news of your life and before you can,
dipshit says 'I got my girl pregnant so
I’m leaving you' It just doesn't have the same luster." He retorted
sarcastically. Heero felt his heart sink. "She was pregnant? I never
knew...I..." He couldn't finish. What could he say? There was nothing that
could excuse this... "I want you to come home with me." Heero
offered. Chris snorted. "Look Yuy. I appreciate the offer. But let's get
one thing straight. I've lived without you for 18 years. Trust me, I don't want
to build a relationship now. My mom wanted me to know you and now that I’ve met
you I know enough." Heero gritted his teeth so he wouldn't bash his head
in. "You know nothing about me." Chris shrugged. "I don't care."
Heero met Chris' scowl. "Hilde wanted us to have a chance, why can't you
just try?" Chris laughed. The lil shit had the audacity to laugh.
"Because you mean nothing to me!" He said amused, but angry.
"How dare you just expect me to welcome you with open arms. Fuck
you!" Heero sighed. This was going nowhere. He was going to have to play
dirty with this situation and he knew one person that could help. He'd give
Christian no choice but to give him a chance.
"It's getting dark, do you want a ride back to base?" Chris
raised an eyebrow, stunned. He had no idea where that came from. "Umm.
Yeah I guess." He really didn't feel like walking back. He cautiously got
in the car and sat, waiting for Heero to drive. *Please don't be a trick.* He
prayed in his head. Heero drove straight to the base, much to Chris' relief.
The silent drive was the only halfway pleasant experience he had with this man
and he was glad it was over. Heero turned to him. "Look kid, I’m sorry if
I got pushy to you. I just wanted a chance to get to know you. I still do."
Guilt started to turn in Chris' chest. He quickly stomped it down. "Thanks
for the ride." He replied before exiting the car. Heero smirked. He wasn't
going to give up that easily. He headed towards the main building to request a
meeting with someone who could help his plan.
Chapter 3
Lady Une sat back in her chair, her brows
narrowed in thought. Heero sat across from her, waiting for an answer.
"Heero." She started. "You know as well as I that what you’re
asking is extremely unethical." Heero nodded. "True. But I see no
other way to get to him. Besides." He started to smirk. "I did save
the world you know. Consider this a payback of sorts." Her eyebrows shot
up. "Your not serious." She said, shocked. He shrugged. "Well
it'd be a nice thank you." Une sighed. The cold silent Yuy was much easier
to handle than the manipulative one. "I'll think about it Heero. But I
wont force him off this base and into your home. He came here to train, not to
be harassed, got it?" Heero nodded. "Understandable. I just want him
placed in my custody for a couple days a week." Une nodded. "I'll get
back to you. Heero stood and left, leaving Une to consider this difficult favor
in hand.
Chris
woke to the sound of Chad rustling around. He turned bleary eyes to the alarm
clock. "It's 6:30." He mumbled. Chad turned to him. "Yeah I
know." He continued getting his stuff together. Chris rubbed his eyes.
"In the morning." He finished. Chad didn't bother to turn around this
time. “What’s your point?" Chris scowled. "What the hell are you
doing?" Chad pulled out his wet suit from a bag. "I'm going
surfing." He stated gleefully. Chris was confused. "Now?!" It
wasn't very warm outside and though the Sanc Kingdom was near the ocean, it
wasn't warm. Chad stuffed his equipment in his bag. "Now is the best time.
Wanna come?" Chris scowled. "One, I don't have any surf gear. Two, we
have to be at warm-ups in 3 hours. Three, the water is freezing." Chad
laughed and threw an extra wet suit up at Chris. "One, I have extra equipment,
Two, we ditch warm ups, and Three, the cold water will just give you added
incentive to stay on your board. Any more excuses?” Chris thought for a moment.
It'd be nice to skip warm ups...and he did want to try surfing...And it would
keep Heero Yuy out of his hair for a few hours. "Sure. Why not." He
stated and hopped out of bed. Chad grinned. "Great! You'll have a blast
man I promise." After sneaking off base and taking a cruise to the beach,
Chris began to relax. No one was out here. After struggling to get into Chad's extra
wetsuit and getting a quick demonstration of what to do, Chris found himself
out in the frigid water. Surfing was much harder than he thought and Chad got a
good laugh as he fell and crashed over and over. Still, he didn't give up
easily. Chad sat on his board nearby. Disappointment was written all over his
face. "The waves suck out here." He pouted. Chris didn't know the
difference. "Where are you from?" Chris asked. He was stunned that he
actually wanted to know. "California. We get some good waves from time to
time and the water's cold, but the air is much warmer." Chris could see
Chad was a bit home sick. " Why didn't you get stationed closer to
home?" Chad shrugged. "Well Regan works out here and I haven't seen
her in a while. Besides, this base has top ratings. It seemed the better
choice. I can deal with cold wave less water for a while." Chris nodded.
He supposed everyone had to sacrifice something to get a better deal in life.
He decided the waves beat him up enough for one day and he followed Chad to
ride the next wave back to shore. Chris looked towards the beach and spotted a
figure walking along the sand. He motioned to Chad. "Someone's here."
He warned. As they dragged their boards out of the water, Chad’s green eyes
narrowed as he tried to get a better look. He smirked. "Well if it isn't
Princess Peacecraft. Wonder what she's doing out here by herself." Chris
raised an eyebrow. The girl walked up to them. Chris just managed to keep his
jaw from hitting the floor. Her hair was floating about her waist like a
platinum blanket of snow. He never knew hair could be such a color. Large
violet eyes stared at the two of them. Chad bowed sarcastically. "Your
highness, to what do we owe the pleasure?" The girl rolled her eyes.
"Please stop it Chad." Her eyes were immediately drawn back to the
silent boy with the wild black hair. *He must be new* She told herself. He was
tall, about 5 inches taller than her. His wetsuit clung to his legs and the
rest hung around his waist, exposing a very toned chest. She blushed as he
watched her staring at him. She cleared her throat. "I'm Rebecca."
She introduced. Chris looked at Chad for help. All he got was another shrug. He
turned to face her again and swallowed. "I'm Christian." She smiled,
making his heart skip a beat. "You must be new here. And I see you've
fallen in with the wrong crowd. You should be at the base you know." Chad
shook his head, purposely shaking cold droplets of water in her direction.
"Oh and I suppose you're allowed to be out here without your warden?"
She frowned at his comeback. "Touché" She added. Chad laughed.
"Well Princess, we need to get back. And you need to be more careful,
gallivanting with lowly peasants such as ourselves." He mock bowed again.
"Good day to you, your highness." Her answer was to grin in amused
annoyance. As much as his sarcasm drove her crazy, he was the only person on
the base that didn't suck up to her for who she was. She had to respect that.
"And I hope I'll be seeing you around here more, Christian." She said
before walking back the way she came, taking heed of Chad's advice. If her
parents caught her out here alone....
The
two boys watched her go, one amused and one in awe. "She'll never change,
that girl." Chad shook his head. He teased her mercilessly for months, but
he knew she didn't mind as much as she showed. The girl was sheltered, very
sheltered. He took it upon himself to toughen her up a little, even if it was
only little annoying jokes. Every little bit counted. Chris stared at her
departing figure. "Who was she? I don't think I’ve ever seen anyone
so..." He stopped himself as he realized Chad was grinning very wide at
him. "Oh Chris, dude, don't tell me you've fallen for the princess! You'll
never get close enough to her, not with her parents." Chris frowned.
"Peacecraft...So she must be Milliardo and Lucrezia's daughter." Chad
shook his head and motioned for Chris to follow. He made a buzzer sound like
you'd hear on a game show. "Wrong answer, dude. That’s her aunt and uncle.
Nope, she belongs to Relena Peacecraft, well now Yuy." Chris dropped his
board in shock. Chad continued on, not aware of the emotional tension in the
air behind him. "You.... You mean...She's Heero Yuy's daughter??"
Chris choked out. Chad just laughed. "Yeah that's what I said, now come
on!" Chris grabbed his board and hurried after Chad, but his thoughts were
more slowed. *If she's Heero's daughter.... Is she my sister?* He threw his
board into the back of the truck and got in the car. Chad was used to Chris'
silence by now, but he was unaware that this time it was different. He was
totally oblivious to the chain of reactions he would cause with a few simple
words.
Chapter 4
Chris lay in bed for the rest of that day, confused, angry, but mostly
anxious. What did this all mean? If that girl is his sister, then why didn't
Heero mention it earlier? Surely he could have used it as an excuse for him to
come around more....Or maybe he was as overprotective as Chad had said. And if
it was true - was he really attracted to his own sister?! The thought made his
stomach turn. He tried to reason with himself. He didn't KNOW she was his
sister so he couldn't blame himself right? -RIGHT????! He turned and hit his
pillow. He should have just stayed in bed...Yes...That was his plan for the
rest of the day. Unfortunately, the day had other plans. Chad burst through the
door in a worried panic. "Dude we're busted!" Chris turned to look at
him. Could his day get any worse? Chad paced around the room. "I don't
know how.... I sneak off all the time to surf! But I received a summons to meet
with Une...UNE of all people! We're in deep shit Chris!" He looked up at
the blank expression on Chris' face. "Dude, did you hear anything I just
said?" Chris started to laugh, making Chad back away slowly.
"Ummm.You ok man?" He was afraid Chris had gone crazy for a moment.
He shook it off. Chris wasn't crazy, just a little weird. "My day cannot
get ANY worse!" Chris hollered and buried his head in his pillow. If he
didn't laugh, he probably would of started crying. Chad sunk to the floor.
"We're fucked, man, we're fucked." Chris just groaned in agreement.
In another hour, both young men found themselves dressed in uniform and waiting
outside Une's office. Chad shifted and fiddled with the hem of his uniform in
anxiety. Chris was just still and emotionless. In other words, he looked
normal. Chad leaned in to speak quietly. "Hey man, no matter what happens
in there, you're still my pal...I just wanted you to know that." Chris
turned to look at him, slightly amused. "Why are you so scared?" Chad
looked around nervously. "Well I heard that the last guy that got
reprimanded by General Une...Let's just say he sings soprano for the choir
now." Chris gulped. They both jumped as the door flung open. "Barton!
Schbeiker!" Both of them looked at each other once more before entering
what was fondly referred to as the 'torture chamber'.
Une tried to hide her amusement as she watched the nervous pair drag their feet
into her office. She put on her most intimidating face. Chad Barton was just as
she remembered him as a child, honest, amusing, and loyal. She knew he liked to
sneak off to surf and she never reprimanded him. She felt almost ashamed of
having to drag him into Heero's plan, but this incident presented a very good
opening. She couldn't back down. She did owe Heero a lot. She motioned for the
two boys to take a seat. Chad cleared his throat. "General Ma'am. If I
may, could I say something?" Chris eyed Chad out of the corner of his eye.
*What was he up to? * Une nodded. Chad took a breath. "I know it was wrong
to sneak off base, but it was my idea, not Cadet Schbeiker's, and I take full
responsibility for it." Une leaned her elbows on her desk. Chad was still
as loyal as always. It made her feel even worse for the deception she had to
play a part in. If she didn't believe it would do Heero and Christian some good
she wouldn't have reconsidered this plot. She looked down at the two folders on
her desk. Really, Chad's new assignment wouldn't be so bad for him. She hoped
that Christian's would go smoothly, but the cold look in his eyes reminded her
too much of Heero which could only mean one thing - nothing ever went easy with
him. She handed the two boys a file each. "You've been called here on two
accounts. One was ditching your warm ups, which you both know is serious."
Chad looked down guiltily. Une continued. "Had you been there, you would
of each been assigned a mission training exercise. As it is, I feel the
assignments left to you will suffice as training and punishment." She sat
back as she waited for them to open their folders. Chad looked at Chris before
slowly opening the envelope, dreading some horrible task he'd never be able to
accomplish. His eyes narrowed as he read. "Ma'am, are you sure this is
correct?" He asked confused. This didn't seem like punishment to him. He
read it again. He was to be the personal escort to the daughter of Head medical
Doctor Po.... Po.... Oh yeah, she married the martial arts master Wufei Chang.
He was a hellion when he came to his first base near his home and did a
demonstration. He was nicknamed the dragon after that. What if his daughter was
the same??? He shuddered. Could he protect the daughter of the dragon? Would he
need to? Chris still held an unopened envelope. After seeing the questions
running through Chad's expressions, he hesitated. What on earth could be in
these? He slowly opened the top of the manila envelope and pulled out the
sheet. His eyes could of bore holes into the paper in front of him. This wasn't
real. He'd blink and it'd be over, it had to. He was to be the escort
of...Rebecca Yuy? Princess Peacecraft??? His somewhat possible sister??? He
never knew fate could be so cruel until he came to this hellish place. He was
tempted to toss the paper on the desk and tell Une to shove it. Then catch the
first train outta here. What would his mother say? He groaned as he heard her
voice ring in his head. /You just ran away?? I never taught you to run from a
fight Christian! You know better!!/ Then she'd force him back to pick up where
he left off. He sighed as he put his file back in the envelope in defeat. Une
watched his reaction the whole time. She frowned, wondering if she had made the
right decision after all as she watched the look of defeat fall upon his
beautiful face. She stood. "The both of you start tomorrow at the times
indicated on your file. There will be no switching, so don't try it. I'll be
checking up on you. You're dismissed." Both saluted and left the building
in silence. Walking quickly back to their bunker, Chad closed the door and
locked it before turning to face Chris, who looked like he was going to either
kill someone or cry. Chad didn't know which was worse. "Dare I ask what is
in that file of yours?" Chad asked cautiously. Chris flopped down on Chad's
bed, not having the energy to climb to his own. "Tell me yours
first." Chad sat on the floor. "I have to be a chaperone to the
daughter of the dragon." Chris' eyes widened "CHANGS
daughter???!" Chad hung his head. Chris sighed. It seemed so coincidental
that he was stuck with Heero's daughter, it was so suspicious. After hearing
Chad's 'sentence' however, he supposed it could be coincidence. Both were stuck
with the children of horrible people. Chad looked miserable. Chris felt a tinge
of guilt that Chad tried to take the blame. "You didn't have to take the
blame for this you know." Chad looked up. "Well I’m the one who
talked you into surfing. You wouldn't be in this if I just let you sleep."
Chris nodded. That was true, but it still wasn't his fault. "Forget it man,
I wanted to go surfing. You just sprang an opportunity." Chad nodded and
stood. "Fuck this, I’m gonna check out what Regan is up to. Wanna
come?" He grinned. "Or have you learned your lesson yet?" Chris
tossed his file on the ground. "Fuck the lesson, let's go."
After grabbing Regan, the three of them headed down the beach. Chad built a
small fire to sit around while Regan set out some towels for sitting.
"Chad really loves the beach." Regan commented as she motioned for
Chris to sit. He did, watching as she continued to lie out some towels. She was
a beautiful girl, tall, with glorious red hair that bounced around her shoulder
blades. Her eyes were a turquoise blue that looked as if the ocean should have
mimicked them instead of the dark gray-blue water expanding in front of them.
After the fire was going and everyone picked a spot to sit, Regan handed Chris
a beer. He stared at it. Chad caught the one that Regan threw at him, laughing
at Chris' expression. "It's beer dude, drink it." Chris looked up and
scowled. "I know what it is!" He snapped. "I've just.... well
I’m not much of a drinker." Chad raised his can to them both before taking
a huge gulp. "Well I’ve never been much of a thinker, but I’m thinking
this is your last night of freedom and you should take advantage." he
chimed. Chris' answer was to crack the can open and guzzle a few gulps,
grimacing as the bitter liquid hit his throat. "This is groase." He
commented. Regan and Chad burst out laughing. "It gets better, trust me."
Regan joked. After a couple more beers, Chris had to admit, it didn't taste as
bad as he first thought. The day he had to face in the morning was forgotten.
He tuned into Chad and Regan's conversation. "So has your dad been bugging
you lately?" Regan made a face. "At least once a month. I don't know
why he won't take a hint." Chris just looked at them, waiting, hoping
someone would clue him in. Chad noticed. "Oh, Regan's dad keeps trying to
come into her life. He's married and has a couple other kids." Chris choked
on his beer. Too close to home. Regan rolled her eyes. "He ditched my mom
after he got her pregnant. Tried to excuse it, saying his wife forced him to
stay. I say bullshit. My mom did too and she packed up and moved closer to her
brother-" "My dad." Chad cut in. "And he lives here."
She finished. "And who is he if you don't mind me asking?" Chris
ventured. Regan hesitated. "Quatre Winner." She stated. He nodded.
"So he's married to Ms. Catalonia." Regan nodded. "She wanted to
keep her own name. Her kids took his name though. He wanted me to, but I
refused. He wants me to be a part of his family, but I’m not. He's not my
father he's just -" "A sperm donor?" Chris offered. Her eyes
widened and then she laughed. "Exactly! Wow it seems like you know exactly
how I feel." Chris stretched out one leg and sighed, tilting his head back
to the darkening sky. "Maybe I do." He answered. Chad leaned closer,
eager for more information on his usually cold and distant friend. Chris gave
them both a hard look. "If I tell you two something, you can't ever
mention it. Promise?" Both Chad and Regan raised their left hand in oath.
"Scouts honor." Both said simultaneously. Chris rolled his eyes.
*Must be a California thing.*
He couldn't hold it in. He HAD to tell someone. "I know how you feel
Regan. Ever since I got here my 'father'-" he used his hands to make
imaginary quotation marks to his sarcastic tone- " Has done the same"
Chad scooted closer "You didn't mention a dad around here...Who is
it?" He asked, not caring if he sounded nosey. Chris took a breath.
"Heero Yuy." Chad fell over. Regan cleared her throat. "Your the
son of Commander Yuy? I never knew he had a son." Chris shrugged.
"Neither did he. He found out when I got here. He cheated on his wife with
my mom. Both women I guess got pregnant around the same time. He told my mom he
was leaving cause Minister Peacecraft was pregnant. My mom never got to tell
him." Chad frowned. "That's sad." Chris nodded. "And now
I’m stuck guarding his daughter." Regan frowned.”Then Princess Peacecraft
is your sister?" Chris looked down at his feet, kicking sand around.
"He didn't mention it...I don't know." Regan laughed. "What is
it about this place that thrives on broken homes?" Chad shrugged.
"Don't ask me, my parents are happily married." Regan grinned.
"Well with Aunt Midii's charm and Uncle Trowa's laid back attitude I can
see why." Regan lifted her beer to toast with Chris. He copied. "To
our mothers! For being kick ass women! And to our deadbeat dads - FUCK
EM!" Chris smiled as they clinked beer cans.