Chapter 5: VISITORS FROM THE PAST
Author: Konoe Yumi
Andrei closed his eyes and let a smile form across his lips. He turned in his seat once. Twice. Like a little boy who got promised a new toy… As he turned again so he faces the window, he frowned. His sister wouldn't like this. That he knew. And who knows? Any second from now she'll be barging into his room…
And when he heard the sharp sound of heels clicking on the steel floor outside, he knew, he wasn't wrong.
"I could not believe you Andrei!" came the enraged voice of an equally enraged female from the sliding door.
Andrei sighed.
"I knew you would not approve of it, Tal." He murmured and he took a sip of his wine.
"You - bastard!" she glowered, "Can't you do anything right?! What if you got her killed - !"
"She is not going to die with a little explosion, my dear sister." Andrei said before the young woman could even finish her sentence.
Chantal looked at him, her dark eyes disbelieving. "So, she wouldn't die. But what about those poor civilians?"
And her palms banged on his desk.
"I'm telling you Andrei," she began in a low voice, "once - "
A beep from the vidcom…
Andrei leaned towards the screen and gave a silent yes. He then held up a hand to silence her. "Look, sis," he began, turned his chair to finally face his furious sister, "we'll talk about this later, okay?"
"Andrei - !"
"Chantal." A warning. Her brother raised a finger and then motioned his hand towards the steel door.
And then it slid open.
He could have sworn his sister's jaw dropped to the floor.
"I'm sure you could still remember our dear friend Erik Keitel, Tal." Andrei said with a grin as the dark-blond entered the room. Erik gave Chantal a hug and a "My, it's been some time, hmm?" "Omigosh, Erik! The last time we saw each other you're really shorter than me." She replied as she returned the hug. The Keitels were very close to their family, and they had treated each other like real siblings, playing together, and going to school together… And when the war broke out, it was they who took Andrei and Chantal in. Lucrezia, was missing…
Andrei stood up and walked towards the young German and shook his hand, and they gave each other a big brotherly hug. "How was the trip?"
"Oh," Erik groaned and rolled his eyes, "don't remind me."
"So what made you come here?" Chantal asked with a smile, but she raised an eyebrow when her eye met her older brother's.
"Uh," Erik was about to answer when Andrei leaned forward towards the dark-haired woman and grinned, "That's gonna be our secret," and he motioned towards the door.
Chantal opened her mouth in protest but decided to keep it cool. "I'll get to you later, smarty." She hissed under her breath and heard a chuckle come out from her brother's throat as she went out.
"Let me guess, sibling fight?" Erik asked as he tucked his hands in his coat pocket.
"Ah, well you know me and Tal."
Erik shrugged.
"Anyway," Andrei's tone turned from casual to very business-like as he made his way back at his desk, "let's get down to business, shall we?"
* * *
Noin sighed heavily, her tired body resting against Zechs as they sat outside the burned hotel. The fire trucks had arrived in no less than fifteen minutes and have now extinguished the fire.
Zechs closed his eyes and sighed. He opened his eyes again and watched as Sally and Ann discuss something with the chief. He sighed again. Just when they thought everything would be fine…
"Zechs?" a muffled voice made him look down at the pair of dark blue eyes staring at him with concern.
"Yeah?" he asked softly, bringing his hand to her face to brush away the stray strands sticking against her cheek and forehead.
She shook her head; a faint smile on her lips as she nuzzled closer against him, coughing once.
He stared down at her for a moment, a smile on his face as he stroke her hair. She was such an extraordinary woman…
"MILLIARDO?"
Zechs looked up to see who just shouted out loud his real name. He opened his mouth in surprise to see his sister running towards him with Duo and Hilde following.
"Speaking of extraordinary women…"
"Hmm?" Noin murmured as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.
"Relena - ?" he managed to utter before she crushed him in a tight hug. "Milliardo!!" she exclaimed gleefully as her brother struggled from her arms. "I thought you were already dead…"
"Eh?"
Noin smiled at the scene the two siblings made. It was good that even after what Zechs had done, Relena was no less than happy to see him alive and well. She placed a gentle hand on Zechs shoulder and mouthed a silent, "I'll just go talk to the others," when he looked at her. The two needed some privacy, and that she knew. A little time to talk about things…
She sighed. 'Everybody has surely changed.' Putting her hands into her pocket, she thought silently to herself: 'What could they -' but even before she finishes, the same cold feeling rushed over her, making her shake her head and bite her lip. She walked around a little bit just for the heck of it. She didn't feel like talking to anyone now unlike what she just told Zechs…
TO BE CONTINUED
