This is my first fanfic ever!!! It's kinda mushy but also gorey and there is a few deaths. Be warned and don't gross out, although you probally won't. The storyline's a bit shaky so try and bear with me. Plus I don't have spell check and I'm a really bad speller so just try your best to make out the words. Hope you enjoy! (^_^)
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Gumdam Wing stuff mentioned in this fic such as the Gundam piolets, The Maguanak Corps, Quatre's mansion/estate/base thingy, or the Aribian village. These belong to the Gundam Wing series (that I enjoy a whole bunch!) With all that said, let the fic begin!!!
***
Quatre Raberba Winner stood in the middle of complete darkness. Complete and utter blackness sourrounded him. He could tell he was standing due to the pressure aganist the bottoms of his feet, although he couldn't see his own body.
"Quatre!"
Quatre swung his head around at the sound of his name. It was as if someone was desprately calling out for him. The voice was obviously female and thick with pain.
"Please!" the voice begged. "Help me!" The owner of the voice then broke into tears. "Please...," it said between sobs.
He couldn't pinpoint where the voice was comming from. It seemed to come from all directions at once. "Where are you!" he shouted in desperation. Of course even if the voice did tell him, there was no way of acctully finding the person. His sight had somehow betrayed him, leaving him vunriable to anyone or anything.
The sound of crying slowly faded and he could do nothing but wait and listen.
He felt something touch his right shoulder. He flinched at contact and wisked his head towards it. "Who are you?"
"Look Quatre, I brought you a present," another, this time manly, voice said.
Suddenly he could see lights and colors again. Then shapes and figures. Then as his eyes ajusted from the darkness to light he noticed a girl bound and gaged lying on the floor before him. "What did you do?" he asked now angry and upset.
"She's all yours, pal," the manly voice behind him replied.
Quatre turned his head to the right to see what monser of a person consitered him a "pal."
Standing right behind his right shoulder was a man with red hair just below his shoulders and dark, cold black eyes.
"Just who the hell do you think you are?!" Quatre shouted in disgust.
The man just smiled and dissappered.
Quatre gasped in suprise but quickly reminded himself of the tourtured girl. He walked to her and knealed down by her side.
She lyed on her left side with her legs curled in front of her. Her cheek was pressed against thr floor and her whole body trembled.
Quatre began to untie the gag. "Are you okay, Miss?" he asked as he pulled the gag off her head.
The girl lifted her head and looked up at Quatre with viberent, sarrowfilled eyes.
Quatre gazed into her beatuiful green eyes and relaxed. He loved the felling of those eyes on him. He felt somehow...safe. He could stare into them forever. Those brillant, safe eyes...
The girl noticed his attraction to her eyes and embarrisinly looked away.
He snapped out of his "trance" and finished untieing the girl.
"I'm fine," the voice said.
He looked away from the now untied ropes and at the girl's face.
She sat up but kept her head bowed so her strawberry blond bangs fell into her eyes. "I said I'm fine."
"Who are you? What happened?"
She looked up at him, her green eyes reassureing him with safty. "Quatre..."
He smiled as he leaned closer to her.
"Quatre..."
His face was inches from hers. He loved the feeling her eyes gave him. He wanted...more. He leaned in closer.
BANG!!!
***
Quatre's eyes snapped open and he shot strait up in bed, suprised and scared. He panted as he looked around his dark room. The window he had opened before going to sleep slammed shut from the harsh wind outside. He sighed and plopped back down. "It was only a dream." He sighed again, closing his eyes, trying to remember. "Those eyes..."
He reopened his eyes and sat up. He got out of bed and walked to his closet. He pulled out his khaki colored dress pants, his pink shirt, and his favorite purple vest. He shread his pajamas and got dressed.
When he was done he went to his window which slammed shut. He opened it and glanced back at the clock. It was 12:34am. He thought to himself I'll return at 1:00. 1:30 at the latest. I just need a walk to clear my head. He turned back to the window and lowered himself onto the sill. Then he jumped down onto the ground below.
A gust of wind ruffled his clothes and hair. He shuddered in the gust of cold air and clutched each shoulder with the oppisite hand. Despite his coldness, he began to walk. He first decided to walk around the peremiter of his property so as not to worry the Maguanak Corps.
He bowed his head as he walked, keeping his eyes on the ground where his feet would soon land with each advancing step. Almost involentarly, he stopped. He raised his head to the gate which lead to the outside world.
As if possesed, he slowly strode to the tall gate. His eyes fell on the lock and handle belonging to the barred gate doors. His left hand clasped around the handle and his right pulled out the gate key from his pocket. He slipped the bronze key into the hole and turned it. He turned the handle and pulled. The gate door gave way and swung toward him. He opened it just enough to squeeze through then he closed it behind him and locked it.
He turned wanting to walk forward but stopped just after his first step. The gate key was still in his right hand. He lifted his hand in front of his chest and opened it so the key layed flat in his right palm. He stared at it with confusion. "But... How?" He went over what he did before leaving his room. He didn't even remember putting the key in his pocket. He had no intention to leave his estate in the first place.
Another gust of wind blew and again he shuddered. He shoved the key in his pocket as if touching it would cause more strange events to happen. He didn't know he was wrong. He didn't need to hold the key. Strange events would happen even of he never had the key in the first place.
***
Quatre walked down the dark and empty streets of the village. The only sound to be heard was the clacking of his shoes aganist the ground and somthing russled by the wind during occasinal gusts. He stared at the ground, deep in thought. He almost didn't hear the scream of a frightened girl. But when the sound finally penitrated his mind, he snapped out of it and started to run towards the terrible sound.
He turned into an alley and saw a girl being attacked by a young man with red hair. Just like in his dream! But there was one diffrence: the girl was not helpless.
She threw her right fist at him and when it hit, his head jerked back from the sudden impact. Then she thrust her right leg to kick his torso. He fell on his back, terrified of her. She strode up to him and kicked his left side.
"You jerk!" she yelled. "People like you shouldn't even be allowed to live!" She kicked him again, this time in the head.
The man lyed there with fresh blood trickling down his left temple.
"Aren't you even gonna fight back! For a guy who attacks girls you're weak!" She kicked him in the head again. "Come on! A fifteen year old girl is beating you up! You wuss!"
The man couldn't take her mocking anymore and he sat up. His head bowed in pain.
She walked in front of him and kneed him in his face.
He grasped his face to stop the agonizing pain. Blood dripped between his fingers and on to the ground.
She kneed his face again and he flew down on his back again.
The man lyed there with blood distorting his face so much it was hard to see it's features.
Quatre couldn't stand it anymore. "Stop it!" he begged.
The girl turned around, startled.
Quatre knew her. He's seen her before somewhere.
She turned back to the half dead man. "You're lucky there's still nice people in this world. If it were up to me I'd kill you."
She seemed familar. The way she talked. The way her strawberry blone hair rested gently on her back. They were so familiar.
She turned back to Quatre and walked toward him.
He saw her face and it was definate. He did know her.
"Don't expect a 'thank you' from that guy. He's not very nice."
He gazed into her green eyes. Her brillant, safe, green eyes. The eyes he could stare into forever. It was her. It was the dream girl.
***
Quatre and the dream girl sat on a bench along one of the streets. He watched her wipe the blood from her shoe and knee with his hankerchef.
She's beautiful he thought.
She had on blue denim shorts and a black long sleveed blouse. She had on a necklace of a gold heart shaped locket with a pink flower on it.
"Like it?" she asked.
Quatre looked startled. "Huh?"
"The locket." She held it between her thumb and fore finger in Quatre's direction.
His eyes softened. "Yes. It's very beautiful."
She pulled it closer to herself and stared at it. "Yeah, it is."
"Where'd you get it?"
"It's a long story. I don't feel like explaining now."
There was a pause of silence between the two.
Quatre looked at her. "We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Quatre Raberba Winner." He extended his right hand.
She looked at him too then slipped her right hand in his. "I'm Catrina Salowan." They shook hands then pulled them back to rest at their sides.
"What are you doing out this late, Catrina?"
"What are you doing out this late?"
"I needed to take a walk and clear my head."
"I'm going home." She looked down as if ashamed of her answer.
"What's the matter?"
She became aware of her facial expression and tried to brighten up. "Nothing."
"Mind if I walk you home? Just in case anyone else tries to attack you again."
She looked at him in surprise. Then her expression softened. "You really are a nice guy. But I can take care of myself."
"No doubt about that. But I'd feel better if I was with you."
She smiled. "I don't mind."
They stood up and began to walk in the direction of Catrina's house.
The surroundings were about the same as when Quatre was walking down the streets earlier except this time another set of footsteps accompanied him.
He watched her face bob up and down as she walked.
She noticed this and turned to him. "What is it?"
He blushed and looked away. "Nothing."
She gave him a quizical look. "Can I trust you?"
He was taken aback by her question. He looked at her and stopped walking. "What?"
She stopped too. "Can I trust you?" she asked as if it was the simplistest question in the world.
"Yes. But...do you?"
She looked away. "I don't know if I can ever trust another man." She began to walk again.
Quatre stood there, stunned, watching her walk out of his life. He called out to her, "I can trust you!"
She stopped walking.
"I feel like I know you. Like we didn't just meet a few minutes ago but years ago. I can trust you. And you can trust me."
She stood there motionless. Not moving at all.
Quatre stood still too. Waiting for an answer and hoping it's to his liking.
Finally she turned around. "I had a dream about you."
For some reason Quatre wasn't surprised. Although he knew he should be. He smiled. "Me too."
She smiled back at him. It was the first time he ever saw her smile. Her lovely smile.
He walked to her. "Can we finish our walk?"
"Sure."
Again they walked together down the dark and quiet streets of the village. Quatre with his mind still lingering on her beautiful smile; Catrina glad that she finally found someone to trust; and the cold, howling wind forcing both of them walk close to each other.
***
They stood in front of the door to Catrina's house facing eachother.
"Thanks for watching out for me," Catrina told Quatre.
"It was my pleasure," he said.
"Would you like to come in for awhile?"
Quatre knew he had to get home soon but something told him to stay with Catrina. He smiled. "Sure. Why not?"
She smiled too then opened the door. "Come in," she said holding the door for him.
With a smile still on his face he stepped through the doorway. But one look around that room made his smile fade.
Catrina came in from behind. "What the hell happened?" she said with fear and anger in her voice.
The whole house was a mess: furnature was thrown and broken; walls were cracked; and blood was splattered everywhere. Then she saw the worse part of all: a dead body was slumped against the far wall.
Catrina's eyes widened. "Father!" She ran across the room to his side. She knelt down next to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Father..." She stared at his lifeless face. "Noooo! No, father! You can't die!" She wrapped her arms around his neck. "No..."
Quatre still stood in the doorway, clutching his chest. This is terrible. How could this happen? She was so beatiful with her smile. Who could cause her to feel so much pain?
"Don't worry, girl," a stranger's voice said. "He's not dead. Yet."
Quatre looked in the doorway leading to another room and there stood a tall man with dark hair and a green uniform. He didn't recignise the uniform but saw a gun at the man's belt.
Catrina stood up. Her fists were cleched and her kind eyes were clouded with hatered. "Who are you?! What did you do to my father?!"
"Oh," he sneered. "So you're his daughter. I heard you ran away from home."
Quatre looked at Catrina. Ran away?
"You're lucky to return the day we finally defeated your father. Too bad it'll be your last. Capture them!"
Men in similar uniforms came out from the shadows in the room and ran towards Quatre and Catrina.
The first man to reach Catrina got a taste of her newly cleaned shoe. The next got a left hook. Both men fell to the floor.
"Now I understand. Your father taught you as well. Too bad your blonde friend isn't as good a fighter as you."
Quatre's hand were pinned behind his back by a uniformed man.
Catrina saw Quatre situation and ran over to him. Knocking out a couple of men on the way. "Duck!" she yelled to Quatre. He did and she jumped and hit the man square in the face.
The man let Quatre go and fell to the floor stunned.
"Stay with me," she said.
Quatre nodded.
Two men rushed toward her.
"Get to the side," she said.
Quatre obeyed and she jumped up and over their heads just in time.
Another man came toward her and she caught his left cheek in a high kick. Then his right in a punch.
One of the men recovered from her hits and charged her again.
She easily kicked him out of the way.
All the men were now injured in one way or another, all except the one who they first met. He pulled out his gun and aimed for Catrina. He pulled the trigger and a bullet grazed her left shoulder.
She cried out in pain and clutched her wound with her right hand.
"Stop this!" the man yelled. "I didn't want to have to kill you yet, but I will if you won't cooperate!"
Catrina stood there panting hard with blood trickling from between her fingers and dowm her arm. Drops of blood occasionally fell to the floor, dripping from the fingers of her left arm.
"Why don't you kill me?" she asked.
"I may need answers from you."
"Answers for what?!"
"For my questions about your father training spys for us."
"What are you talking about?"
"I know you know. I saw you around his school. You probally helped train some of them."
"I don't even know what your talking about! Of course I was in his school, he was training me! But when ever I helped him it would be something minor like sweeping or something! He'd never let me teach! He always told me it was too-" she stopped talking, suddenly realizing something. She spoke again in a softer voice, "He said it was too dangerous... He was protecting me. Didn't want to get me involved."
The man gave them a cocky smile. "Sounds like you know something. But who's the boy?"
She looked at Quatre. "He's... He's a friend."
The man raised his gun again. "We have no need for him." He aimed for Quatre.
"No!" Catrina yelled. She stepped in front of Quatre, blocking the man's shot. "I won't let you kill him!"
The man lowered his gun. "Very well. We'll spare him. For now." He made a slight motion with his head.
Four uniformed men ran to Catrina and secured her hands behind her back. Another man repinned Quatre's hands behind his back.
The men lead the two to a van parked on the other side of Catrina's house. They therw them both in the back roughly.
Catrina landed on her left shoulder. "Owww! Don't you know how to treat a lady?!"
Two other men threw her father in the back as well. Then they slammed the doors with barred windows shut.
Quatre walked over to Catrina and helped her on to a built in bench on the right side of the van. Then he took a seat on her left side.
"Thanks," she said as she held her wound again.
They sat together in silence.
So many questions entered Quatre's mind: Who is rhe real Catrina Salowan? What does she have to do with this whole thing? Could these men have mistaken her for someone else? Why didn't she fight back after that man talked to her? What do they want from her father?
The van's engine started.
Quatre looked at Catrina.
She stared down at her father. Her eyes as sad looking as they were in his dream (minus the tears.) She looked up at Quatre.
Their eyes locked.
"Can you help me make a bandage?" Catrina asked.
"Sure," Quatre replied.
Catrina looked away and tore off her left sleeve where the bullet tore the fabric and her flesh. Then she tore the lenghtwise seam and handed it to Quatre.
He took it and began to wrap the deep gash. He didn't like looking at her wound and knowing her pain. When he finished he tied the two ends together tightly.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
They both bowed their heads in more silence.
"I'm sorry," Catrina said. "It's my fault you're here."
Quatre looked at her again. "No it's not. It was my choice to come with you."
"It's still my fault. If I never invited you in in the frist place..."
"No. You were just trying to be nice. You had no idea about any of this."
She didn't say anything. Just sat there looking down at her father again.
"Besides, I was supposed to make sure no one else attacked you."
She looked at him. "You're one great guy, you know?"
He smiled.
The van drove down the Araiban streets and into the dark, cold night.
***
Quatre and Catrina were thrown into a cell together at the base of the green uniformed men. The cell was a small room closed off from everything else with no lights except for the beams that were cast through the bars on the door. Two benches like those in the van were on eather side of the cell.
Quatre stood looking out of the bars belonging to heavily gaurded and locked door. Only a portion of the door had bars and therefore the room had very little light.
Catrina sat on one bench worried about what the men did with her father. Her legs were drawn up in front of her and her arms were wrapped around them. Her chin rested on her knees and her eyes focused on a stain on the ground.
Quatre walked away from the door and to the bench oppisite from the one she was on, glancing at her along the way. He felt pity for her and wished there was some way he could make her feel better. He sat down and rested his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped in front of him. He looked at her for awhile then shifted his gaze to the same stain she stared at.
"Some people are so lucky..."
Quatre looked up. Her sarrowfilled voice caught him by surprise.
"I mean, they find eachother even though the world is filled with other people. And sometimes the person they find is the right one, their soul mate. My father found my mother and sometimes I wonder if I'll ever find the right person for me. How do you even know when you're in love? If you never felt it before, then how do you know that's what you really feel?"
Quatre didn't know how to respond to her. So he sat and listened to her sad words of love, hope, and doubt.
"There was once a time when I thought I found the right person. That I was actually one of the lucky people in the world. Can you belive that? What a fool I was. He said he loved me and as a symbol of his love he gave me this locket." She touched the locket with the fingertips of her right hand. "I belived him and cared for him more than anyone in the world. But one night he told me he met another girl. I was outraged, but there was nothing I could do. The next morning I saw him on the news. They both got into a car accident and were killed." She paused and let out a sigh of sadness, her breath qurivered as if she was close to tears. "My father said the whole thing made me cold-hearted so he tried to find me another man. He was successful and even arranged us to be married. I hated the idea so much so I ran away from home. I didn't even know him, only his name: Heero Yuy."
Quatre gasped. "Heero," he wispered.
Catrina didn't even seem to notice, too deep into her memories. "He wasn't even the real Heero Yuy. Just an impersonator." She stopped talking and sat still in silence for a long time.
Quatre didn't move or say anything, too afraid to upset her.
When she spoke again her voice was filled with both passion and sarrow. "I don't know what I'm really feeling right now. I don't know if it's the same. But Quatre..." She looked up at him.
He looked up at her as well.
Their eyes locked and for a moment they both feeled content with their lives. But it was only a moment, and soon the sadness returned and spread it's self thickly around the room.
"I love you, Quatre."
They stared at each other across the room for awhile but Catrina quickly averted her eyes back to the floor stain.
"You probally don't care about me at all," she said, tears chocking her voice. "Except for the fact that you're a nice guy and you care for everyone. But to you I'm no one special."
Quatre didn't do anything at first except watch the tears drip from her eyes, down her face and onto her lap where her shorts soaked them up into tiny, dark spots. But then he stood up and walked across the room to her. He sat next to her on her right side.
She turned her head so he couldn't see her face and she continued to cry.
He reached out and touched her left cheek with his right hand. He gently turned her head to face him. He tilted it up a bit so he could look into her eyes. With his left hand he wiped the tears forming in her eyes. "Don't cry," he wispered. "You have no reason to cry."
She stared into his kind, blue eyes.
"I care about you more than I do just anyone. But I don't know if I'm in love with you, because I've never felt love before. Saying I am when I'm really not is what you did, and it lead you to heartbreak."
"I don't blame you for not wanting your heart broken. I don't want it for you either. It hurts worse than death."
"But I do know I care about you a lot. And if that's anything like what you think love is than you have nothing to cry about."
She continued to stare into his eyes, feeling a little better.
What Quatre did next surprised her. It even surprised himself. He leaned over and gently pressed his lips to hers. Thoughts raced through his mind: What the hell am I doing? Why can't I stop? Is this what love feels like?
Catrina pulled away and looked into his eyes again.
He watched as her eyes changed focus from one eye to the other, causing her beautiful, green eyes to shimmer. After breif hesitation she leaned toward him and pressed her lips to his more firmly.
They were so involved with eachother that they didn't hear the gunshots or the cries from the dying gaurds from outside their cell.
The door flung open, causing light to fill the room.
Catrina and Quatre finally recignised the presence of someone else in the room and averted their attention to the person at the door whose body was sealed in shadows.
"Come on," the person in shadows said. "Let's hurry up and get out of here."
Quatre stood up and felt Catrina's hand grab on nto his. He turned to look at her and smiled.
She looked up at him and smiled back then stood up next to him.
As they got closer to the person Quatre began to recignise him.
"Hello, Quatre," the man in the shadows said.
"Quatre, you know him?" Catrina asked in surprise.
"Yes," Quatre replied. "Hi, Heero."
"Heero?" Catrina asked more surprised.
"Yes. His name is Heero."
Heero turned away from them and walked out the door.
"Heero Yuy?" Catrina asked.
"Yes," Quatre said as he began to walk forward. "We have to keep up if we want out of here." He walked and she followed.
"Is this the same Heero..." she trailed off as if saying anymore would turn the frighting thought of marrage into reallity.
"I'm not sure."
They quietly sneaked through long halls and quaridors of the base.
"We can't leave," Catrina said, stopping. "We have to find my father."
"Your father?" Heero asked. He turned around to face her. "Is he still alive?"
Catrina looked at him in shock. "Of course he's alive! And we have to find him!"
Quatre, who stood next to her still holding her hand, looked at her and said, "Don't raise your voice. We need to be quiet."
"I didn't see where they took him," Heero said. "I assumed he was dead."
"That's no excuse!" Catrina shouted. "I'm not leaving with out my father no matter what you say."
"Well then you're going to be staying here a long time," a familar, cocky voice said from behind her.
They all spun around to face the familiar dark haired man.
"You," Catrina sneered with hatered.
"We already terminated your father."
She clenched her free fist.
"He was of no more use to us, so we desposed of him."
She began to tremble. "Liar!"
"I don't lie."
"But you can kill an innocent man?!"
The uniformed man made a sinister laugh. "You foolish girl! You father was anything but innocent."
"That's right," Catrina said, her voice thick with recrimination. "He works for you. And no one who does that is innocent."
"As a matter of fact, he does not. He works for my boss. I was just ordered to retrive him."
"Boss?" Quatre asked.
"Yes. My boss. Excuse me for not explaining to you, but I don't like to waste my breath on someone who will die soon."
"The only one who's going to die is you!" Catrina released Quatre's hand and charged towards the man. She threw a right punch but he doged.
"That wasn't a very good idea." He drew his gun and aimed for her.
"No!" Quatre yelled.
At that very moment, a giant, metal fist burst through the wall, causing rubble to fall in huge cement chunks.
Catrina took advantage of the man's destraction and high kicked him under the chin. He flew through the air and onto the floor littered with rubble.
Quatre ran to her side and pushed her out of the way just in time for a giant cement piece to crush his foot. He cried out in pain.
They landed lying stomach down on the floor.
"Quatre!" Catrina shriked.
His right foot was wedged under the cement chunk.
She stood up and tried to push it off of him.
A pool of blood began to form at the base of the huge cement block.
The giant hand which formed the hole in the wall picked the rock up off of Quatre's foot and dropped it on the side. Then it reached out and grabbed the terrified man in uniform.
In panic, the man repeatidly pulled the trigger of the gun, aimed at the Gundam.
The bullets bounced off the Gundam's metal as if they were just harmless, annoying pebbles. Then with out any warrning it clenched it's fist and crushed the once, but no longer, cocky and stupid uniformed man. It uncurled it's fist and let the dead crushed man fall to the ground as a bloody pulp.
The Gundam faced Catrina, who was tending to Quatre's smashed foot, and Quatre, who was clenching his teeth and fists to keep from screaming in pain. Then the Gundam's hatch in the torso opened and Heero stepped out. He jumped through the hole his Gundam created in the wall and went to the panicing couple. "Hurry. We need to get out of here before the reinforcements come."
Catrina looked up at him from her spot on the floor. "My father is still here!"
"That man said he was dead."
"He's not! That man was lying! I know he was!" She looked away from him, not wanting him to see the tears as they built up in her eyes.
Quatre fought his pain and sat up so he could see her face. "Don't you remember I told you you had no reason to cry?"
She looked up into his eyes. "I remember." More tears welded up. "But I can't help it." The first tear rolled slowly down her left cheek. "He was my father. He can't be dead." She caught herself up in a wave of sadness and the tears poured from her eyes. "Oh, Quatre." She burried her face in his chest and cried. "I don't want him to be dead."
He placed his hand on the back of her head. "But he is, Catrina."
"I know," she choked out between tears. "But I thought if I belived he wasn't then he wouldn't be."
"Shhh. Don't cry, Catrina. It'll be okay."
She pulled back and wiped her eyes. "I hope you're right."
Heero walked over to them and slung Quatre's right arm around his neck. They stood up together and Catrina followed. "Let's go."
***
Heero flew in bird mode towards Quatre's base. Catrina and Quatre were in the back together, holding each other again. Heero had to look away during their "moment" at the uniformed peoples' base, he didn't feel comfertable standing there, watching those two comfort each other through touching.
As he flew across the desert he couldn't help but wonder why that girl was so familar, and why she was so surprised to hear his name.
"Are you sure your foot's okay?" Catrina asked Quatre. "I could change the banadge for you. It got blood soaked really fast."
"I'm okay," Quatre replied, fighting back the pain. "How's your arm?"
"It still hurts, but I'll live."
There was a pause then Catrina wispered something to Quatre, unaudiable to Heero.
Quatre didn't reply. He just sat there with a worried expression.
"Well?" Catrina pressed.
He sighed. "You'll find out soon enough."
"Why can't you just tell me?"
"Just wait."
A few minutes later they reached the closest entrance to Quatre's base. The door appeared opening from under the desert sand.
"Where are we going?" Catrina asked.
"To my base," Quatre said.
"Base? Don't tell me you're going to capture me too."
He smirked. "No."
They entered the base which looked like a giant underground hanger full of moble suits.
Heero landed in a clear space and opened the hatch. He and Catrina helped Quatre up then leaded him to the hatch. They all jumped out, Heero had to hold Quatre so when he landed his foot wouldn't be worse off then it already was.
Quatre got out of Heero's grip and went to Catrina's side.
She looked around with a confused look on her face. "Quatre... I don't understand." She tuned to look him in the eyes.
"This is where my 'bodygaurds' keep their moble suits."
"Bodygaurds?"
"They need to protect me. It was my father's wishes... and their orders. This is also where I keep my dear Sandrock."
Her expression was still confused.
He sighed. "Follow me." He limped to a dark corner of his base with Catrina and Heero on his tail. He turned on the lights and said proudly, "This is Sandrock."
She gasped. "It's a Gundam. Just like Heero's." She walked into Quatre's line of view. "You piolet one of theese things?" she asked as she pointed to Sandrock.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
She sighed and looked down. "It's okay. I've been keeping secrects from you too."
"You have?"
She looked up at him. "I did know what my father was doing. I knew he trained spies for The Green Serpents."
Heero looked at her with intreest. "The Green Serpents?"
"Yes. My father was a very experenced martial artist and at first used his skills only to train a few people who were interested in self-defense. I, of course, was his first student. He trained me ever sense I began to walk. He wanted me to carry on the school after he passed away.
"But then The Serpents heard of him and his skills. They made a deal with him to train a couple of their spies for speed, quietness, and if they ever needed it, self-defense as well. He began to rake in the money and became... so greedy. I couldn't stand to be at home anymore, at least not when he was there...
"He wanted to speed up his training process and sent one man to me to train. That man was the one I fell in love with. But when he died and I became devistated and my father thought I was too weak to train anyone else and only let me sweep or dust or something else practilly useless. But his greediness made him find me another love so I could train others. That's why I ran away."
Heero's mind began to spin. Find her another love? Ran away? That's where I know her from! She was the one I was supposed to-
Catrina noticed the look of relization on Heero's face. He knows. She shifted her gaze to Quatre again. "I'm sorry. I lied to you."
He watched her put her head down as she always did when she was ashamed of herself. Then he took a step closer and wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay. I understand that you just wanted to be loyal to your father. Don't worry about it."
Heero turned away, trying to take in what he just learned. They told me she died. I thought she died. I can't... I can't...
Quatre pulled away. "Do you know who the head of the orginization is?" he asked Catrina.
"Yes. His name is Teruo Omote, and he's back at the base. My father used to take me with him to do his busness meetings, hoping that I'd want to follow in his footsteps. If anyone killed my father it would have been him."
"Are you sure?" Heero asked, his back still turned on them.
"Yes."
Heero turned to face them. "Then let's go."
"I'll ride with Quatre."
"No you won't," Quatre said. "You're going to stay here where it's safe."
"I'm going," she urged. "I need to avenge my father."
"Heero and I can do that for you."
"No! He was my father. I'm comming."
"You may be killed."
"Quatre." She looked him stright in the eyes. "It's part of my job to protect my father and his school. It's not yours. I'm a warrior just like you are. I know I may be killed but it's just a risk I have to take. It's a risk every warrior has to take. Not everyone is ready for it but if it's nessary, I am."
"But I'm not ready for you to die. No matter how you do. I just want to be with you. I- I think I'm in love with you."
"Quatre..." she looked down once again. "I know how you feel. But I'm sorry. I need to avenge my father."
They stood together in scilence again. And Heero found himself turning away again.
Quatre lifted his hand and placed it under her chin. Then he gently tilted her head up to him again. "You're very noble. I understand as well." He leaned in and kissed her lips.
She seemed surprised at first, but soon recignised the situation and kissed him back.
When they both pulled away, they hugged each other.
"Please don't come with us," Quatre wispered into her ear.
"I need to," she wispered back.
They looked into eachother's eyes then Quatre turned to his Gundam. "Don't be long." He began to walk towards Sandrock.
She stared at him as he walked away.
Heero began to leave as well.
"You know, don't you?" she asked.
Heero stopped. He stood still for awhile then finally answered, "Yes."
"I never thought I'd meet you."
"Me neither."
She turned to face him. "Did you ever care about me?"
He stood quiet again. Then, "No."
"I'm sorry but I didn't care for you either."
He turned to her.
"I didn't even know you," she admitted.
"You still don't."
"Yeah. But you don't know me, either. And I do know that you care about Quatre."
"He's a good friend. You better be nice to him."
"I will. I love him."
"Hurry and catch up with him. He told you not to take a long time." Heero turned away from her and walked to his Gundam. "Oh yeah, and thanks for the distraction back at the base."
He's a pretty nice guy she thought. If I wasn't so devistated by Anthony's death may-be it would have worked out. But I'm too in love with my Quatre right now. He's so wonderful. So very wonderful... She turned and began to walk to Sandrock and her wonderful Quatre.
***
Catrina and Quatre flew in Sandrock behind Heero who pioleted Wing Zero.
Catrina sat in the back with impatence. "Can't you fly this thing any faster?"
"Sandrock is not just a 'thing'. Besides we're going as fast as we can already."
"I'm sorry for calling Sandrock a 'thing'." She folded her arms across her chest. Sometimes he seems to love his Gundam more than me. That's impossible of course since Sandrock's just a hunk of metal while I'm flesh and blood.
Heero's face appeared on the screen. "We're almost there," he said with a slightly muted voice.
"Okay," Quatre replied. "We're ready."
Heero nodded then his image disappeared.
"You still never told me how you know him."
"I thought you already figured it out: We're both Gundam piolets fighting for the same reason."
"Is that all?"
"Yes. Why?"
"Back at your base, Heero told me you guys were 'good friends'."
"We are. You get to know someone when you fight along side them."
There was a pause.
"Catrina," Quatre said with awe in his voice. "Look."
She got up and walked to where Quatre was.
Beyond the windshield, the sun was beginning to rise over the desert horizon. Pink, purple, yellow, and orange colors were thrown across the sky.
"It's beautiful," Catrina said.
"Just like you."
Catrina smiled.
The silloutte of the base came into view and both of their attention was avertied to it instead of the lovely scenery.
"You should sit down before we land," Quatre told her.
"Okay." She returned to the back and took her seat. May-be I was over reacting a little when I thought Quatre loved Sandrock more than me. He told me I was as beautiful as a sunrise. What a great guy. I'm so lucky...
Quatre landed his Gundam next to Heero's in a dark part of the base. They all jumped out of their assigned Gundams and met in front of Sandrock's right foot.
You know where the boss is, Catrina, so you take the lead," Heero said.
"Okay," Catrina agreed.
Quatre stood in front of her and hugged her tightly.
She hugged him back.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Quatre asked her.
"Yes."
"I don't want to lose you."
She pulled back so she could look into his big, cyrstal blue eyes. "You won't. No matter what happens, I'll always be by your side."
"But I don't want anything to happen."
"The only thing that will happen is me killing that guy." She leaned forward and pecked his lips with hers. "Don't worry about me."
She pulled away completely and turned to face a door on the right side of the room. "This is the quickest way. So there's going to be a lot of gaurds." Then she turned her head towards the two boys, "Let's go."
The three teenagers ran down the halls as sighlently as they could. Heero and Quatre were both armed with guns, Catrina only needed her bare hands. Quatre had a little trouble with his foot but managed to do well.
At first they would only spot a couple gaurds at each corner - who were easily disposed of - but as they neared the boss's headquaters the number of gaurds increased.
"I think it's this way," Catrina said as she pointed down one of the halls after they defeated a few gaurds.
They turned the corner and this time was ambushed by five gaurds. The first thing that the gaurds did was knock the guns from their hands. The two guns clattered to the floor at the feet of the armed gaurds.
Catrina clenched her teeth and right fist.
Heero let out a slight grunt, agnologing that they were in a jam.
Catrina lunged for the nearest gaurd and punched him with her alrady balled fist.
The other gaurds were taken by surprise and while their attention was diverted, Heero and Quatre grabbed their fallen guns and pointed them at the gaurds.
The gaurds' guns were drawn as well, all four pointing at the two Gundam piolets.
The fifth gaurd was lying with his back pressed aganist the floor. The gun was knocked from his hand just out of reach.
Catrina was sitting on his chest punching his already bloody face. Her left and right fist alternated each time she threw a punch. "You scrondual!" she yelled. "This is what you get for trying to kill my Quatre!"
Heero took a note on her fighting skills and power. Now I know why she refused the gun: she doesn't need it. She does enough damage without a weapon.
When the gaurd lay motionless beneath her, his chest no longer rising and falling, she got up and turned to the men holding guns. Their backs faced her so she could easily take one down. But only one. The three other men might shoot Quatre. I can't take that chance.
Catrina took a step closer and looked around one of the gaurds.
Quatre stood with both his hands on the gun, pointing it at the gaurd nearest to him. His eyes glaring hatred at all of them, but concentrating on only the two before him.
Catrina caught his attention and signaled she would attack the boss by pointing down the hall where they were heading eariler.
Quatre nodded his head as slighly as possible.
She turned and began to run as quickly and quietly. But one of the gaurds noticed her and began to shoot almost recklessly at her.
"Hey! Get back here!" he warned her as he shot his gun wildly.
Quatre aimed and fired his gun at that man.
The man was hit in the stomach and stopped firing, trying to surpress the termendous pain.
Quatre shot his gun again. The bullet caught the man in the neck. The man fell to the floor, cluching his bloody wounds.
Soon, gunfire erupted from the hallway.
Catrina ran as fast as she could, no longer caring weather she was quiet or not. The only things on her mind was the upcomming battle between her and Teruo Omote and Quatre's safty. She knew Quatre could handle those gaurds. He is after all, a Gundam piolet: one of the best warriors in the world.
She reached a door gaurded by two men and quickly knocked them out with two fast and easy high kicks to their left temples. She flung the door open, knowing this will be the final day that Teruo Omote would ever see, and hoping that Quatre would be okay.
Right before her, sitting behind his big wooden desk, was Teruo Omote. He looked calm as if expecting her attack. His red hair was tied behind his head in a ponytail and his cold, black eyes stared stright at her. "I thought you'd never get here," he said with his deep, manly voice. "Sure wasn't long since we last met: in the alley."
"Teruo Omote, how dare you kill my father!" Catrina screamed in rage.
"He had it comming to him. He just got too greedy for my taste."
"And that gives you the right to kill him?"
"And just what gives you the right to start attacking my gaurds?"
"They abducted my father! How do you expect me to act?"
"I expect you to bow down and admit defeat to me."
"Forget it! I will never be defeated by you!"
"If it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you'll get."
"You? Fight me? In case you forgot, I kicked your butt in the alley."
"Ah, yes. But now it's my turn to pick the way we fight."
"And how's that?"
He smirked and drew his sword from it's sheeth. "Sword fighting."
"I don't use weapons. A person who uses them isn't in touch with their body and soul."
"Fine. If your chioce is not to use a sword then don't. But I will."
"Fair enough."
He let out another smirck. "You should have killed me in the alley..." He pointed his sword at her, "...because then, you wouldn't have to lose your life today." He let out a growl as he raced toward her. "Prepare to die!"
She saw his oncomming attack and jumped then fliped over him. She landed on her feet behind him but not as gracefully as she thought she could.
He stopped charging and turned around to face her. "Quite impressive. I understand why you don't need a sword." Then he charged her again.
This time she swiftly moved to the side, just out of his line of attack. She didn't think she had enough energy to last another jump.
Teruo Omote was beginning to get annoyed with her. "You can't defeat me by only dodging my attacks."
"I know," she answered simpily.
He growled as he charged again, this time faster than before.
She ducked down and let her left foot slide across the floor to his feet.
He fell to the floor on his stomach, sword knocked from his hand.
Catrina grabbed it and quickly stood up. She put the tip of the sword under his chin, sharp side up.
He grunted with defeat. "Don't say you're going to pass up another chance to kill me."
"No," she said, anger in her voice. "I won't this time. This time I'm going to kill you."
He slowly got up but Catrina held the sword firmly under his chin. As he stood, towering above her, she ajusted the sword to his hight, but now it hovered before his neck instead of his chin. He wanted to be very careful about his actions, he was not yet willing to admit defeat or death.
"I hope you rot in Hell," she sneered with hatred.
The door flug open and slammed aganist the wall. "Catrina!"
She recignised this sweet, loving voice and turned to look at the door. She saw a battered and bleeding Quatre standing in the doorway. Next to him a equally beat-up Heero. "Quatre!" she yelled, glad that he was safe.
Teruo Omote took adventage of her distraction and acted fast. His hand reached in his uniform top and pulled out a dagger.
Catrina looked back at him but it was too late.
Teruo Omote had his dagger in front of Catrina's chest, aimed for her heart. He thrust it in before she even noticed it.
"Nooooo!" Quatre screamed.
She gasped and raised both arms quickly as a reaction.
Teruo Omote's head rolled to the floor, followed by his decapitated body.
Catrina dropped the bloody sword and grabbed at her heart. Blood poured from the wound and down her front. She gasped for air then fell to the floor on her back.
"Catrina!!!" Quatre screamed with tears welding up in his eyes. He ran quickly to her side and ploped down next to her. He put his left arm around her so she could sit up with his help. "Catrina! Catrina you can't die! You promised me you wouldn't die!"
She looked into his sad, tearfilled eyes. "I'm sorry, Quatre. I'm so sorry..."
"No! Nooo!"
"Quatre, I don't have long..." She took in a breath of air. "Don't cry, Quatre. Remember? That's what you told me. You have no reason to cry."
"But I do! Your dying! And it's all my fault. I shouldn't have distracted you. I shouldn't have even let you come!"
"No. It's not you fault. Besides I'm happy, Quatre. I avenged my father. And I became one of those lucky people before I died. What we had was love, Quatre. We were lucky. We still are. We always will be. Forever. I love you, Quatre." She reached for the golden locket around her neck. Once she grabbed the pendent she pulled it away from her. The chain snapped and she handed it to him. "Please take this," she told him. "It was Anthony's symbol of love for me, now it's mine for you."
Quatre looked at the piece of metal in his hand. "I don't want you to leave me."
"I told you I will never leave your side. No matter what. I love you. And even if my body is gone, my love will live on."
He shifted his gaze back to her. "I just met you! I don't want you to die! We could have done so much together. But now we never will. It's not fair!"
"Life may never be fair, Quatre. But the important thing is we found each other and we knew it. We always will." She closed her brillant, safe green eyes.
"I love you, Catrina."
She was having trouble breating now. But she managed to let out her last breath of air while saying, "I love you too, Quatre. We were lucky..." Then she lay in his arms lifeless.
"Catrina? Catrina! Please don't die Catrina! Please! Catrina?!" He burst into tears and hugged her, burying his face in her shoulder. "No! Please come back, Catrina. Please. Please..."
***
Quatre sat on his bed back at his mansion. The Maguanak Corps were very upset with him for leaving with out telling them, but Quatre felt as if never leaving the safty his home again. He felt so lost without Catrina. He missed her. Especilly her beautiful eyes. Her brillant, safe green eyes.
He held Catrina's locket in his right palm, staring at it, imaging it still dangling from her neck.
"Are you ever going to open it?"
Quatre looked up, startled.
Heero stood before him in the doorway.
"Hi, Heero," he said then looked down at the locket again.
"You really miss her, huh?" Heero said as he walked in and sat next to Quatre.
"Yeah. A lot."
"Do you want to open it?"
"Not really. That other guy's picture is probally in here. I think it would be better not to know."
"What if his picture isn't in there. What if it's a picture of her?"
"Maybe..."
"You'll never know till you open it."
"I guess your right."
They sat in silence for awhile, then Heero stood up.
"I'm going to go now. I hope you feel better."
"Thanks."
Heero turned and left, closing the door behind him.
Quatre still stared at the locket, thinking whether to open it or not.
"Catrina..." He placed his thumb nail between the two panels of the gold locket, then poped it open. The first picture he saw was one of her. He felt his eyes begin to water as he gazed at her picture. The other side had a picture but the face of the person was faded so Quatre couln't tell who it was.
Was this him? I think she called him Anthony. But why is his picture faded? Did she want to forget him? Or did her tears smear his face?
He looked back at her picture and in to her eyes. For a second it seemed as if she was really there, staring back into his eyes. But the feeling quickly faded and that familar feel of sarrow overwelmed him again. He closed the locket and fell on to his back on his bed.
"Catrina..." His eyes filled with tears and through blurry vision he looked at the front of the locket again.
"Don't cry, Quatre."
He sat up and saw someone standing in front of his door, in his room. He wiped the tears from his eyes so his vision would clear and he could tell who it was. But by the time the tears were gone so was the person.
With courousity he called out, "Hello? Is someone in here?"
No one answered him so he lyed back down in bed. I must have imagened it. For a moment I thought it was Catrina talking to me. He remembered everything she told him before she died and one thing she said was she'd never leave his side. Is she really here right now?
He sat up and looked at the place where he saw the person. "Catrina?"
Again, no one answered him.
He sighed then looked at the locket again. He had already fixed the chain but didn't want to put it on. At least not at the time he fixed it. He opened the clasp then put the chain around his neck. He closed the clasp and let the pendent fall to his chest. A feeling of safety flushed through him and he no longer felt sad.
I'll always be by your side... Her words ecoed through his mind.
He looked down at the locket. Then picked it up and opened it.
Her beautiful face was before him once again and for the first time since she died he smiled.
He remembered her last words to him, the ones that stood out the most: I love you too, Quatre. We were lucky...
"Yeah. We are lucky. We always will be. Forever..."
Fanfiction Lucky People Wear Golden Lockets: A Quatre Love Story
