[Hush little baby, don't say a word
And never mind that noise you heard
It's just the beasts under your bed
In your closet, in your head]
--- Lyrics from 'Enter Sandman' performed by Metallica
A Silver Lining Part 36
It was one of the longest scars that she had ever seen.
Rachel tilted her head to the side, her brown eyes wide, as she looked to the wide line that ran from the right shoulder blade, under the straps of the deep purple sports bra and down to the left hip. It wasn't something she expected to see just stepping out from the bathroom, changed into a new outfit. There were many other scars here and there, but nothing like the angry one that ran across the whole back.
Looking over her shoulder as she continued her stretches, Anna gave her one of her pretty smiles and greeted, "Hey, little one. All finished with your bath, I see." Rachel watched as the pretty red-haired lady rose to her feet and threw a deep green tank top on before scooping her up.
Sitting on the edge of one of the two beds, Rachel was settled comfortably into the Preventer's lap as she began to play with her hair, asking, "So what would you like today? Do you want a ponytail? Or a braid?"
With a smile of her own, the little girl answered by holding up a silver headband that she picked out to wear with her hair down. "Ah," Anna beamed, "A fine choice." Taking up a fine comb from the dresser next to the bed, the nice lady began gently getting the knots out of Rachel's damp hair.
As she worked, Anna's charm bracelet jingled quietly. The penny-sized charm with the winged angel in the middle had the words 'Saint Christopher Protect Us' wrapped around the edges. When Rachel had asked her about it before, the redhead told her that it had been a gift from her mother, so she rarely took it off. For the little girl, the soft jingling of that bracelet was as comforting as having arms wrapped around her.
Once the knots were out, Anna moved to a soft brush to run through the child's brown hair. Closing her eyes, Rachel thought of her mother and how she would brush her hair for her, making it all pretty. It felt wonderful to have someone do that for her like that again.
Biting her lip, the little girl tried not to get tears at remembering that the next day, she would be sent off to an orphanage with the other children that had been rescued. Her time with Trowa, Anna and their friends had been some of the best times she ever had.
She felt a gentle kiss at the top of her head and heard Anna whispered, as if reading her thoughts, "No time for sad thoughts now. We still have a whole day and night together, so best to make the most of it, right?" The silver headband was put in place as the red-haired pilot brushed a few short bangs loose.
Looking up, Rachel smiled bravely even though her heart was breaking. Even though Anna smiled back, it seemed sad somehow. "That's a good girl," she said quietly, running a hand over the back of her head.
"Trowa should be back in a few minutes so we can go to breakfast together," the tall woman said as she lifted Rachel from her lap before rising from the bed. Moving over to one of the dressers, she began brushing her own hair, using the mirror to pull her long, red hair into a ponytail.
Slowly walking over to stand beside her, Rachel reached up and traced a finger over the tank top, where she knew the end of the long scar ran down. "Did it hurt?" she asked quietly.
Anna stiffened, her hands frozen where she was securing the rubber band. Finally, with another one of her pretty smiles, she turned to meet the wide, brown eyes watching her. "Not any more," she answered softly. "It did hurt a lot when I got it, though."
Lowering herself to her knees so their eyes were the same height, the Preventer asked, "I thought you would be in the bath a lot longer. I didn't mean to scare you by having you see that nasty thing."
Rachel shook her head and replied honestly, "It didn't scare me. I just never saw one that long." At that, Anna nodded with a look that told the little girl she knew that she had questions and it was okay. "How'd you get it?"
Something in the pretty smile that she was given told Rachel she asked the right question. "When I was on a mission, one of my first with the Preventers, I hesitated in shooting someone because I was afraid."
The orphaned girl felt her eyes get big as she breathed, "You get scared, too? Just like Trowa?"
"Of course," Anna grinned. "I was afraid in this case because I thought that I could stop the bad man I was after without having to hurt him. Just when I was close enough to put on the handcuffs, he turned and fired a gun that I didn't know he had. I spun and fell to the ground as the bulled cut down my back. So I learned my lesson after that."
Swallowing hard, Rachel nodded, "M-my mom and I hesitated when those bad men came to take us away. We had a chance to get away, but we were too afraid to." A large tear rolled down her face as she began to shake.
With a deep sigh, the red-haired pilot gently wiped the tear away before pulling the little girl into her arms for a tight hug. Sitting at the edge of the bed again with Rachel in her lap, Anna held her like that until the shaking stopped. Easing the child's head up with a finger under her chin, her blue eyes met hers with a serious look.
"If you ever remember anything of our time together," the Preventer began, "I want you to remember what I tell you." Anna's voice stated slowly and firmly, "Don't ever hesitate to do whatever it takes to protect yourself if someone tries to hurt you. Even if you're scared, don't hesitate to hurt someone if they mean to hurt you."
Nodding firmly, Rachel swallowed hard and promised, "I won't. I promise I'll remember."
* * * * * *
Trowa gave a sigh of relief after looking over the little girl in his arms. At first glance, one would have been startled at the blood splattered on Rachel's arms, legs and nightgown. That was until one saw the state of the driver that had captured her, knife in the side of his neck and his carcass hanging from the broken windshield following the crash. Still, it was just a reassurance that the tall pilot checked to see that the child didn't suffer any wounds.
In finding her free of any abrasions or cuts, Trowa held her close. Rachel smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I didn't hesitate," she whispered.
Blinking in surprise, the tall Preventer pulled her away enough to look into her smiling eyes. "What," he asked quietly, still a bit shaken after the turn of events that left him nearly scared to death for the little girl.
Rachel grinned, "Anna told me not to hesitate to hurt someone if they meant to hurt me, even if I was scared. I didn't hesitate this time."
With a sharp breath of a laugh, Trowa hugged her tightly again, whispering in pride, "No, you didn't. I'm proud of you. And I know Anna will be, too, when tell her." Holding her up with one arm, he turned to watch as Wufei approached the car.
His dark eyes narrowed, Wufei dragged a tied and gagged Tim along before shoving him roughly into the back seat, growling, "I don't want you to move, make a sound or so much as piss your pants without our permission until we get you in for questioning, asshole."
Slamming the car door after the last leak in the Preventers, the Chinese pilot winced at the glare his foul mouth earned him from his friend. In Trowa's arm, Rachel just smiled at the dark-haired pilot as her hanging legs kicked back and forth.
"Sorry," Wufei muttered to his comrade before grinning to the little girl. "Looks like we're going to have a young recruit on our hands after that brave act back there," he chuckled deeply, gently rubbing the top of her small head. Rachel giggled and blushed, pulling her teddy close.
The sound of patrol officer sirens filled he air and neared. Before long, the sight of flashing red and blue lights rounded the distant corner. "Good. They're finally here," Trowa sighed deeply. "Since we have all that we need, we'll let them block off the crash site and bring the body into headquarters for us."
Nodding firmly, Wufei replied, "Right. We better head back." With that, the Chinese pilot took the driver's seat once more as Trowa rested Rachel into his lap in the passenger seat. Just as the police officers pulled into the crash site, the black Preventer car pulled out to make a U-turn before speeding back to the orphanage.
* * * * * *
"They certainly found themselves a professional for this job," Noin growled deeply as she managed to pry open half of the silver cylinder of the detonator. With the clock winding down from 3:04, Quatre carefully opened the second half. With the wires and gears exposed, the two pilots removed their flashlights to examine the makings of the device.
Duo, Zechs and Sally looked on from the doorway of the bedroom. "Do you think we did the right thing not telling Sister Grace and the children what is going on?" the braided young woman asked, peering at her comrades from the corner of her eye.
With a deep breath, the tall blonde replied, "We wouldn't be able to get them far away enough if they're not successful in stopping the bomb. If it goes off with them downstairs, it would be best." He did not need to explain further that it would be a quicker end for them.
At the suggestion, Sally's eyes widened as she turned to him and asked quietly, "You think there's a chance they won't stop this thing?"
Meeting her gaze with a calm, reserved expression, Zechs answered simply, "They'll stop it. Noin and Quatre there are in disarming explosives. It just doesn't hurt to make precautions." Only somewhat comforted by that, Sally swallowed hard before turning back to watch the two pilots in the center of the room.
Sweat dripping down his face, Quatre hissed, "This isn't a simple matter of cutting a single wire. He wired this in such a way it that cutting cord will set the whole thing off." Noin grunted her agreement as she continued to carefully move her hand over the multicolored cords, guided by her flashlight.
The clock hit 2:36.
Duo bit his lip and stepped out into the hall and began pacing down the long corridor. With all that had happened that evening, he was starting to lose his nerve again. Finding that dead priest in the basement certainly did nothing to help him in fighting off the demons of his past. Now, the thought of the orphanage being engulfed in flames only worsened the situation.
As much as he wanted Heero with him, Duo knew better than to radio him as there had been no official confirmation that the area outside had been secured. There would not be such announcement until the ex-Wing pilot caught up with Scott and Angie again. He was in the process of finding the two when Zechs last received word. Until then, they would have to maintain radio silence.
While he would never risk the mission of keeping the children and his teammates safe, Duo would have given anything at that single moment to at least hear his lover's reassuring voice just once. He still wasn't strong enough to go about this alone, and it was beyond frustrating.
His thoughts were abruptly hauled when a gentle hand fell on his shoulder, causing the braided pilot to jump as he spun with wide eyes. Raising her hands, Sally spoke in a soothing voice, "Sorry to startle you. I was just checking that you were all right."
Swallowing hard, Duo fought to calm his heavy breathing and nodded. He wasn't able to trust his voice at that moment to respond any other way. The braided agent tilted her head and said quietly, "Would it be out of line if I asked for a hug? It's been a long night and I'm afraid that my nerves are a bit shot."
The request certainly served to confuse Duo, as he had never known Sally to be frazzled by anything. But at the warmth in her eyes, he soon realized her true intentions. She had known that he badly wanted to be comforted somehow, but also knew that he was not one to ask for it. So her request was not for herself, but for his sake while at the same time sparing him the embarrassment of voicing it.
At that, Duo's emotions got the best of him as tears filled his eyes. Closing the distance between them, he wrapped his arms tightly around her frame, his own trembling. Sally reached up to hold him closely, rubbing his back in support as he quietly sobbed against her shoulder. Turning her head, she gently kissed the top of his braided head.
Somehow finding his voice at last, the American confided in a broken mutter, "I hate being so weak, Sal."
Gently pulling back, her hands on his shoulders, the young woman silently urged him to meet her concerned gaze. A warm smile tugged at her lips as she stated quietly, "You're not weak, Duo. In fact, you're far from that. After everything that you've endured, you've come so far these last few months."
Cupping the sides of is wet face, Sally said sincerely, "I have treated others who had been through your nightmare that continue to hide within themselves. But you're overcoming your ordeal by leaps and bounds."
To Duo's surprise, he watched as large tears filled her eyes. Having to clear her throat, she breathed in a shaky voice, "I just want you to know how incredibly proud of you I am. And just remember that like Heero, we all love you and we are here for you when you need us."
With a small whimper as his tears began to fall again, Duo kissed her lips gently and threw his arms around her again. As she returned the tight embrace, he whispered faintly, "Thank you, Sally."
"Found it!" Noin's voice exclaimed from the bedroom. "We have to cut these two at the same time." Quatre's voice exclaimed his agreement of her findings.
Looking back to the room, the two pilots eased out of the tight knot they made and ran back down the hall. When they rejoined Zechs in the doorway, they watched as both Noin and Quatre reached for a pair of pliers from their pockets. :41 was displayed on the counter as the three pilots looking on held their breaths.
From her end of the detonator, Noin placed her pliers at a vibrant green cord. At the other end, Quatre was ready to cut through a black cord. Licking her lips, the short-haired woman took command and suggested quietly, "On three." With a firm nod, the Arab pilot kept his hand still in anticipation.
Her eyes narrowed on her target and sweat dripping from her chin, Noin counted, "One. Two. Three." On the word three, the two pilots cut their cords at the same time, their eyes squeezed closed tightly should they have been wrong in their judgment.
When nothing happened, they opened their eyes to find that the timer has stopped at :29. Noin and Quatre released deep sighs of relief as they fall back to lie on the floor. "And with time to spare," Zechs chuckled deeply. "Good work, the two of you."
The moment of stillness was broken at the sound of a vehicle peeling out through the back of the woods and around the orphanage. Running to the window, the five pilots watched with wide eyes as a black car rounded the building to make a quick escape down the only road out. With no one around to stop them, the driver had a clean getaway as they disappeared into the night.
Pounding his fist on the windowsill, Zechs hissed, "Damn it! I had hoped we would get all of them." Looking to the others, he commented, "Heero, Angie and Scott must have their hands full. I'm going to see if they need more help."
"Right behind you," Noin announced as she followed her husband's heels while removing a pistol from her belt. Looking over her shoulder, she advised, "The rest of you stay here with the children and the others in the basement. We'll radio if we need backup." At that, the pair disappeared at the turn of the hall in their charge downstairs.
The radio on Sally's shoulder beeped to life and Wufei's voice called, "Sally?"
Quickly taking up her receiver, the braided woman replied anxiously, "Wufei? Are you all right? What happened with Rachel?"
Taking his eyes off the road for a moment, the Chinese pilot looked to the girl curled up in his friend's lap. A content smile on his face, Trowa held Rachel close as she continued to cling to him and her teddy bear. While bloodied from her attack on the man that had captured her and shaken up from the night's events, the child seemed happy to be in safe arms.
As his eyes turned back to the road, Wufei brought the radio close with one hand and answered, "We managed to get to Rachel, with her help. She's a bit shaken, but fine otherwise. As for Trowa and myself, there are no injuries to report."
The person tied and gagged in the back seat looked up from where he was lying on his side. Swallowing hard, he noted the black eyes glaring at him in the rearview mirror. "And we have an added bonus to getting her back," the dark-haired pilot smirked darkly. "We should be back at the orphanage in the next fifteen minutes or so.
"Along with that, I checked in with dispatch at headquarters and found out that two teams of agents will be arriving soon as well to relocate everyone at the orphanage," Wufei added. "I take it, since I don't hear gunshots, that the orphanage has been secured."
Chuckling deeply, Sally responded, "Brilliant deduction as always, love. Yes, aside from at least one culprit getting away, we managed to secure the area. Noin and Zechs just went to help Heero, Angie and Scott in flushing out any other possible stragglers. So, until you hear otherwise from me, proceed back into the clearing with caution."
"Right. We'll be there soon," Wufei's voice answered. "Chang out."
With a deep sigh of relief, Quatre smiled, "Well, at least the worst of it is over." Appraising the pistol at his hip, he stated, "As fun as it's been to relive old times, I hope I don't have to do it again any time soon."
"One confirmed dead over on my end," Zechs's voice announced quietly over the radio. "Still no sign of Yuy or the others."
Nodding to herself, Noin responded just as quietly, "Same over here. One dead on this end as well that's not one of our own."
Her eyes widening, Noin checked that the readings on her night vision glasses were skewed. "I think I just found a second one," she announced. Approaching the body that she found, she panted heavily from her charging across the perimeters. When she got near the body, however, her heart leapt into her throat.
Quickly removing her night vision glasses, Noin fell to her feet beside the body, crying, "My God! It's Scott!" Looking up, she shouted, "Zechs! Get over here!" With a grunt of effort, she rolled the injured pilot onto his side.
Trembling, the white-haired young man wheezed with every breath that he struggled to take. Blood oozed out from under his hands pressed against his abdomen. "Hang in there," Noin told him gently as she added pressure onto the bullet wounds.
Within moments, Zechs arrived, removing his own glasses with wide eyes. "What the hell happened?" he managed, looking up for a moment to the cars that had been hidden amongst the trees.
"A-A," Scott's voice gurgled in attempt to speak, blood dripping from his mouth. With a deep, bubbling breath, he breathed in an airy wheeze, "Angie... did this... has Yuy." With a sharp gasp, Noin paled, looking up to the equally shocked face of her husband. "E-end it," the injured pilot pleaded.
Nodding firmly, Zechs knelt up and aimed his pistol to the injured pilot's temple. "I'm sorry I doubted you. I hope your soul finds peace at last," he whispered to the hopeful eyes, filled with pain, watching him. Closing his own eyes, he pulled the trigger. As the sound of the gunshot echoed throughout the forest around them, he sagged to sit on the cold ground.
As her hands began shaking, Noin removed her hands from the still body as she fell back on her heels. "Angie?" she whispered in disbelief. "The whole fucking world has gone mad." Her blood-covered, shaking hands gripped her hair as she squeezed her eyes closed and screamed, "When is this going to end!"
In an instant, Zechs was by her side, pulling her into a tight embrace as he rocked her. Kissing her head, he whispered, "Shh. I know how bad this looks, love, but we have to hold ourselves together somehow."
Biting her lip, Noin held onto him in desperation for some sort of comfort, for something right in a world where everything had gone wrong. Whimpering against his shoulder, she asked, "Heero's been captured and we have no way of knowing how to find him or what they want with him. How the hell are we supposed to break this news to Duo?"
At the mention of the braided pilot's name, Zechs closed his eyes slowly. Heero had been Duo's strength more often than not. He dreaded how the American would react to their announcement. With a shaky breath, he answered quietly, "I... I don't know."
Slowly getting her composure back, Noin pulled away, wiping at her shimmering eyes. "I still can't get over the fact that Angie, of all people, has been working against us all along. We welcomed her into our safe house-" Even as she spoke the words, her eyes widened anew. "Oh my God!" she shrieked.
His back stiffening, Zechs gasped and shouted simultaneously with his wife "Relena and Anna!"
* * * * * *
Yuuki began to bark at the sound of a car rolling up the dirt driveway towards the house. Quickly walking over to the window, Relena peered out as the beam of headlights moved up through the trees. Smiling in relief, she called to her friend, "Anna, looks like Lady Une is pulling in."
"Good," Anna grinned as she walked into the hallway. Looking out the window beside the pregnant politician, the redhead watched the approaching headlights. Suddenly, the beam began to pick up speed as it neared.
Her blue eyes narrowing, the Preventer waited and watched as the car seemed to gain even more speed, its lights getting closer. "Something's wrong," Anna whispered, her eyes widening in realization.
Blinking in surprise, Relena turned to her and asked, "What do you mean?"
The car came into view, rounding the corner as it nearly peeled off the road in its top speed. "Lady Une wouldn't be pulling in that fast." The car revved head on towards the safe house. Taking hold of her friend's shoulder just as the sound of bullets filled the air, Anna screamed, "Get down!"
Landing on her side with the red-haired pilot shielding her with her own body, Relena cried out as bullets riddled the side and front of the house, shattering through glass and through walls. Outside, the car wheels could be heard screeching in their turning around as another round bullets whizzed over their heads.
From the driveway, several more cars pulled in quickly, their drivers and passengers hooting and laughing loudly as they rounded the safe house. Panting loudly, Anna slowly crawled off of her friend and checked over her, asking urgently, "Are you all right?"
Having to swallow hard to wet her dry throat, Relena looked up and nodded stiffly, "I think so. What about you?"
With a snort, the redhead answered, "Don't worry about me."
Just then, the lights flickered as the two young women held their breath. Light and dark fazed in and out until finally, the sound of a chainsaw cutting through thick cord filled their ears from outside. Looking to each other with wide eyes, the frightened face watching them was the last thing they saw before the house entire house plunged into pitch darkness.
TBC...
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