This entry is part 15 of 15 in the series Gundam Wing: La Femmes

Gundam Wing: La Femmes

Andria woke to the familiar sounds of insects and the warm breeze blowing off the plains. She sighed and stretched, not wanting to open her eyes. She felt like a child again. It was the stretching that made her realize she was certainly NOT a child any longer. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes and sat up, brushing away her tangled copper hair. “Mmm… Sunshine…” She smiled out the window of her hotel room at the city and beyond it, the ‘wild’. She grinned and jumped out of bed to get dressed. She paused only to open her laptop and send off a quick email before packing it and heading downstairs to the dining room for breakfast.

Heero looked up at her mildly as she entered. “‘Catch you later, alligator’?” he swung his laptop around to show the email she had sent not five minutes ago.

“You got a problem with that?” she tried to keep it light, taking a seat halfway around the table.

“Did you really think you could leave here without me?” he took a sip from the mug by his plate.

“I can take care of myself,” she bantered. “Have some orange juice, it’s good for you.”

“Hn.”

“The world’s greatest conversationalist, ladies and gentlemen.”

“Hn.”

They ate in silence for several minutes, Heero tapping away at his laptop. “What are you doing?”

“Getting the layout of the first base you were planning to hit.”

“How do you know which one I was planning to hit first?”

“It was in the attachment with your email. I read the entire objective- I take it you thought a crocodile waving at me was amusing?”

Andria’s cheeks turned pink. “Well it would have if you’d gotten up a little later… I was going to time the mission to when I heard your yell of frustration…”

He gave her a skeptical glare. She was like the dawn. Golden and bright, but with darkness delicately cloaking her to give her a mysterious air. No wonder he had gotten involved with her. “Ready to go?”

“What makes you think you’re coming?!”

Heero held up her purse.

Andria gasped. “How did you-“ she quickly picked up her bag and riffled through it. “How the hell did you get that?!”

“Experience,” he gave it back to her. He sent up silent thanks to Duo for teaching him everything he knew. “I have experience penetrating bases like that. You’ll need my help.”

“Heero,” Andria kept her eyes down, busying herself by putting away her purse. “How did you meet those other boys? How do you know Relena?”

Heero took a long time to answer. “War destroys things, but it also brings people together,” he said carefully. “Come on. I’m going to need time to plant the bombs.”

_________________________________

All clear… She snuck the last five feet into the office and went immediately to the computer console there. Within moments she had bypassed the firewall and was in. “Let’s see… Training regime… Food delivery… Ah, here we go.” She copied over files containing data on the new MS to her disk. She surfed some more. “Jackpot…” she copied over their plans for the next six months.

Something in the hallway caught her attention. She stood, hand going to the gun at the small of her back. If she had to, she would kill.

“Whoever you are, you better say your prayers right now,” a boy’s voice came from the shadows of the hall. He stepped into the room and Andria frowned. He couldn’t be more than thirteen. “Because in a few minutes, you won’t be here anymore.”

He wasn’t in uniform. She could afford the risk. “What do you want?”

“Just to hack into the network over there. This base is going up in pieces in a few minutes anyway,” the kid shrugged.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Andria neatly flipped out her disk. “I’m doing the same thing- see? Something tells me we aren’t enemies.”

The boy looked unimpressed. “How do I know you’re an ally?”

“Luke? Luke what are you-?” a man’s voice came from the hallway.

“Found us another rebel, just like us,” the kid replied.

“What are you-“ the man came into the room and froze.

Andria nearly dropped the disk. She backed up, banging into the table, eyes wide with shock. “Dagan?!”

“Andria?!”

_________________________________

Heero turned to take a last look at the base. It was running so smoothly- soon it would be in chaos and flames. De ja vu swept over him. With it came the mask he had worn for so long… He shook his head to shake it off. Where was Andria?

“Heero!” She ran towards him, followed by two others- a man and a boy. Heero frowned. “Heero, you can’t set it off yet! There are others inside there!”

“Andria, what’s going on?” he caught her arm and she came panting to his side.

“Other rebels… still inside… my- my-“

“Andria, what is it?” he demanded.

“You can’t blow it up yet,” she said defiantly, looking him in the eye. “The Princess is in there.”

For a moment, an image of Relena flashed through his mind. But shouts from the base, caught their attention. Several people ran for all they were worth from the base. MS were already mobilizing to give chase.

“I don’t know where your bombs are placed,” the man spoke for the first time. Heero had forgotten his presence. “But it’s all clear with me to blow it up.” He held up a detonation device.

Heero studied the man’s face. “Likewise.” They pushed the buttons at the same time. The base erupted in patches- then all at once was engulfed in flames. The people fleeing the base came to join the two who had followed Andria.

“Heero,” she said quietly.

“Who are they?”

Andria swallowed. “I want you to meet my brother- Dagan Ntengi. Dagan,” she called the man’s attention away from his comrades. “This is my- friend- Heero Yuy.”

“It’s good to meet you- Heero,” Dagan held out his hand. Both men sized each other up.

Heero could see the similarities. The same jaw line and those green eyes. He wondered briefly if those eyes also spit fire the way Andria’s did. The hair was darker and duller than Andria’s flamey locks. “Good to meet you as well.”

Andria bit her lip, looking from one to the other. Finally she turned to Dagan. “What are you doing here? I thought you were dead.”

“That’s what we thought about you,” tears filled the tall man’s eyes and he wrapped her into a large hug. “I thought I’d never see you again…”

Andria found herself crying as well. “Dagan…”

“Dagan?” A woman’s voice said. Heero turned to find a tall woman who appeared to be a cross of Indian and African bloods. “Who is this?”

“Dagan?” A woman’s voice said. Heero turned to find a tall woman who appeared to be a cross of Indian and African bloods. “Who is this?”

Another loud explosion from the base caught everyone’s attention.

“No time- we need to get out of here,” Heero ordered.

“The bikes are nearby,” Andria replied. “Dagan, you coming?”

“We’ve got transport of our own, little sister,” Dagan grinned wolfishly. “Wynne?”

“Alright everyone, head for the trucks, we’re making tracks here,” the tall, dark woman shouted, commanding attention and obedience. The other people there ran into the bushes. “Way ahead of you,” she smiled warmly at Dagan.

Andria blinked. The look that passed between them- was it-?

“We don’t have time to stare,” Heero grabbed her arm. “Hurry up,” he pulled her in the other direction to the motorbikes they had stashed in the bush. They mounted quickly and were on the road immediately, circling back to meet up with the large trucks being driven by Dagan and this woman.

‘Who is she?’ Stray thoughts ran unbidden through her mind as they flew down the makeshift highway. ‘Dagan… the last I saw you, I was almost too little to remember your face…’

Heero spared her a glance from the road. He frowned in concern. Distraction was a danger to all of them. But he couldn’t deny that there was something to think about. This Dagan… what sort of man was he?

Andria stared into the fire, ignoring the people around her. Dark had long since fallen, and the fires placed around the camp were the only things to light this bare clearing in the grass of the savanna. In the tent behind her was her bag and all she had brought here with her. She didn’t bother to shift her weight on the hard rock, despite what it was doing for her circulation. Slowly she started to rub her chilly arms as she stared unseeing into the flames.

They had returned to camp with Dagan, who had insisted they move their things here. Heero had agreed it would be less suspicious if no one knew where they were, and before Andria knew it, she was surrounded by good folk who liked to smile and knew the meaning of good work. There were times when she looked at them and couldn’t tell these people were fighting a war. There were others when it was all too clear. It was a revolution.

Sudden weight across her shoulders made her look up, startled. Heero settled the blanket and handed her a plate of food, taking a seat next to her with a plate of his own.

“Hey,” he said quietly. “You should know it gets cold here after the sun goes down.”

“I do,” she wiped her eyes free of the little moisture that had gathered there as she stared at the fire. She looked down at the food on her plate and her eyes lit with delight. “Curry!”

“Is that what it is?” Heero asked dryly, still not sure whether it was safe to try or not.

Someone’s chuckle made them both look up. “The first time you ever tasted curry was when you were three,” Dagan took a seat on a tree log next to them, speaking directly to his little sister. “You loved it so much, you snuck into the kitchen after dinner, found the curry powder and tried to eat it straight from the jar.”

Andria’s jaw dropped. “Gag! That must have been AWFUL…”

“It was,” her brother laughed. “You dropped the jar and it broke- Mother was scrubbing yellow out of the floor for weeks and it was never the same.”

Heero poked at the sticky mass of- well- yellow- on his plate. “What does this taste like?”

“It’s good!” Andria picked up a forkful. “If you’ve never had it before, then you should probably have some water near- by-“ she and Dagan stared at him as he took a large bite.

‘If you’re going to try it, really get a taste for it,’ he had always been taught… Heero’s eyes widened. He stopped chewing.

“H-Heero?” Andria didn’t miss the watering in his eyes.

“GAH!” Heero jumped to his feet and raced for the table half way across the camp and demanded a glass of water from the woman standing at it. He swallowed it down in one go and took another to rinse his mouth out. That was SPICY! He swore and wiped his mouth off, and slowly became aware of the laughter. Every African in the camp was laughing at him. Shamefaced, he returned to Andria and Dagan.

Andria was trying desperately to hide her laughter. “I’m sorry, Heero- I tried to warn you,” she giggled.

Dagan looked vastly amused. “Andry, your friend doesn’t seem to like it very much.”

“Oh, be quiet, Dagan,” she stuck her tongue out at him. Heero managed to frown a little as he continued to swallow to wash his mouth out. Had he detected a slight accent there? One that very nearly matched Dagan’s and the other people here?

“Dagan, are you trying to poison our guests?” The tall, dark woman said sternly but playfully, coming to sit beside Dagan.

“Wynne, I want you to meet my little sister, Andria,” Dagan smiled at her. “Andria, this is Princess Wynne Amanth. Her kingdom was usurped and we’re fighting to help her regain control.”

“I’ve heard of you!” Andria gasped, shaking Wynne’s hand. “You were on the telly last night!”

Telly? Heero gave Andria an odd look. Yes, there was a pronounced accent coming into her speech that had absolutely not been there before.

Wynne smiled at the younger girl. “I’ve heard a lot about you, too. Sometimes Dagan gets very wrapped up in telling me about his childhood,” her black eyes danced with amusement and Dagan blushed.

He coughed. “Um, Andry- who’s your friend? We weren’t properly introduced.”

“Heero Yuy,” he said before Andria could cut in.

Both Dagan and Wynne grew very serious and seemed to reassess this young man at their campfire. Wynne scrutinized his features, “Yes,” she murmured. “You certainly are, aren’t you?”

Andry looked between them in confusion. Was she missing something here? “Highness, uh-“

“Call me Wynne,” she relaxed and smiled at her.

Andria smiled back shakily. “Wynne, how did you come by curry? Isn’t it expensive?”

“Not to treat my little sister who showed up out of the blue when I thought she’d been lost to the wilds,” Dagan said smugly.

“And what about YOU? I thought you must’ve- must’ve-“ she choked on the words. ‘gone the way of Mom and Dad’…

Dagan grew serious. Her rubbed Wynne’s back as he stood. “Come on, Andry. I think we need to talk.” He lead her away from the fire to another place to sit and talk in private.

Wynne sighed and watched them go, concerned. She turned back to Heero and arched an eyebrow at the glaring frown on his face. “Alright, let’s be frank with one another, Mr. Yuy.”

“Princess,” he replied formally.

“You’re a Gundam pilot, yes?”

“Hn.”

She nodded. “You can only be the now legendary Heero Yuy. You fit the description perfectly.”

“Just as you can only be the daughter of Kyria Amanth,” he growled.

Wynne flinched visibly. Her mother… “I’m sorry,” she apologized. “We’ve started badly, haven’t we?”

He only stared at her in the same icy way.

“Please, Mr. Yuy, it’s wrong of me to ask this- but- why are you here?” Her dark skin made her eyes appear luminescent in the flickering light.

“To protect Andria,” was his immediate response. He thought about the words only after they had left his mouth. He really was, wasn’t he? He was here to help her in this insane mission she had dreamt up so that she could get home quicker and be safe. “The man who’s usurped your throne- he’s in league with Markiah, isn’t he?”

“He is,” she blinked at him in surprise. “That bastard’s been giving him help- helped him take my place and is helping him stay there.”

“Then we share a common enemy.”

“We do.”

Silence stretched between them.

“When do we start?”

“Now.”

Dagan lead his little sister on a walk through the camp, showing her around while they talked quietly.

Andria drew in a deep breath and stopped, wanting to look him in the face. “Dagan, what happened to Mom and Dad?”

He wouldn’t look at her for a few minutes. “You were too little to remember, weren’t you? How old were you, three?”

“Four.”

“Close enough. Mom and Dad were scientists, you remember that, don’t you?”

She nodded. “They studied plants, didn’t they?”

“They went off on these trips into the Serengeti and they took us with them… but- I don’t know- something happened. The party was attacked and you and I were still at the camp while they were out. Then I lost you in the melee… I was so scared, Andry. Those men… they were raiders or rebels or something. They didn’t care that we were just kids. Next thing I knew, one of Mom’s friends had yanked me onto a truck and we were driving away and they wouldn’t turn back to find you. They wouldn’t listen to me, and trucks were still driving away so I hoped maybe you were on one.”

Andria studied the sand at their feet. “I remember,” she said quietly. “One of them shoved me into the bushes and told me to keep quiet, so I did. That was the most terrifying night of my life. I’ve had nightmares about it,” tears slipped into her eyes and she wiped them away. “What happened to you?” She fought the rest of the memories, tried to suppress them. They were worse.

“We went back to the town but you weren’t there. I thought you were dead, Andry.” He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. “You’re my little sister…”

She squeezed back. “I’m glad you had it so easy then.”

“Why? What happened?”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“They never found Mom and Dad, you know,” he said quietly.

“They didn’t… I did…” she murmured.

“What?” his green eyes widened. “Oh, Andry,”

He let her cry into his shoulder, releasing at last the horror of a four-year-old child who had wandered the hot, dry grasses for days before coming upon the corpses of her parents. A foreign wetness fell onto her cheek and she looked up to find that he was crying as well.

“Life hasn’t been kind to us, has it?” she whispered hoarsely.

“But it’s given us the gift of finding one another,” he tried to sound hopeful. “Come- tell me what you’ve been doing?”

“Can’t.” she pulled away, wiping her eyes on her sleeves. “Classified.”

He arched an eyebrow at her. “Don’t you try to give me that cheek. You know plenty of dangerous information about me.”

“What, that you’re assisting ‘rebels’ and having some kind of affair with the rightful princess?” Andria shot him a Look. “Yes, I can see the way you look at each other. Is it serious or what?”

“Wynne is my soulmate, Andry,” he told her solemnly. “The first time a saw her I knew I had to talk to her, get to know her. Now I don’t know how I ever managed to live without her. I love her.”

“And she loves you back,” it wasn’t really a statement or a question. Andria’s eyes drifted across the camp to where she could see Wynne and Heero talking still.

“Mm, yes, this Heero of yours… tell me about him,” Dagan said, a teasing lilt in his voice.

“What about Heero?” Andria squeaked. “He’s- well- he’s Heero. There’s not much else to say.”

“Is he your boyfriend, then?”

Andria fell silent, staring across the area thrown into highlighted relief, orange on black, flickering in the light of the flames, at the boy who had followed her all the way into the wilderness. “He was…”

“Wynn-ey, Lynn-ey, give me your answer, do. I’m half crazy, all for my love of you! It won’t be a stylish marriage, I can’t afford a carriage, but you’ll look sweet, upon the seat of a bicycle made for two! OW!” Dagan grinned sheepishly at Wynne, still scowling at him, a pillow in one hand. “You didn’t like the song, love?”

“I would like it much better if you would WORK while you sang,” she told him sternly.

Andria glanced up from her laptop, seated on one of the logs ringing the now much lower fires. The camp has dispersed into the many duties necessary for survival here on the plains as soon as the sun rose. She had been allowed to sleep in, and couldn’t help feeling resentful, as though she were useless. Since no one would allow her to help today, she had resigned herself to her mission. It irked her that she had not yet seen Heero this morning, but she was kept distracted by her mischievous brother mercilessly teasing Wynne. They continued to bicker and she shrugged, returning to the keyboard, humming the tune as she typed.

/Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do/
I’m half crazy all for my love of you/
It won’t be a stylish marriage/
I can’t afford a carriage/
But you’ll look sweet upon the seat/
Of a bicycle made for two./

She had a vague memory of her father singing that…

“Ack! Andry, help me, she’s bloody trying to bloody- ow, Wynne, watch it!” Dagan tried to put Andria between himself and Wynne.

“No way, go ahead, do what you like to him,” Andria stood and moved out of the way, taking the laptop with her.

“Thank you, my friend,” Wynne smiled wolfishly, advancing upon her prey once more.

“Traitor,” Dagan scowled at Andria. She merely grinned at him and chose a different seat to watch.

With a cry, Wynne attacked and the two of them battled for a moment- then tripped into the tent behind them, lost within it’s folds. Andria laughed as a thousand odd noises of yelping, crashing, banging and tumbling emanated from within. After a moment, Wynne emerged, triumphant, and fixed a loose lock of hair behind her eyes, smiling at Andria and winking.

“I don’t think he’s going to want to come out for a while,” Wynne said slyly.

“Oh? What’d you do to him?” Andria giggled.

Wynne arched an eyebrow at her. “You’re too young, aren’t you?”

“I’m nineteen!”

“Maybe not, then,” Wynne took a seat beside her.

Muttering, curses, Dagan came out, rubbing his head. “Vicious women… conspiring against me…”

“They’re by the stream, now go help them already!” Wynne ordered. He wandered away in the direction of the river, still grumbling. “Men… I’m sorry- he is your brother but-“

“Don’t apologize! He’s worse now than when we were kids, I can tell,” Andria laughed. “Besides, you seem to like him enough.”

“Mm, yes, though sometimes I wonder why,” Wynne smiled after him fondly.

That look of happy contentment in the one you loved sent a small pang through Andria’s heart. She immediately crushed it. She thought she was over that! Maybe she was- but was Heero? He followed her all the way out here- why? This didn’t bode well for his relationship with Relena, which made her feel distinctly uncomfortable. She wasn’t aware that Wynne has spoken to her at first, and glanced up, confused.

“I said,” Wynne was smiling genuinely. “What’s troubling you?”

“Oh…” Andria’s lashes drooped. “I- it’s nothing.”

“Which means it’s something very big. Do you want to talk to me about it?”

Andria paused. The invitation was a tempting one…

“And then do you know what he asked me? To ‘take care of Relena’ for him!! Take care of her FOR HIM. Is he BRAINLESS or something?!”

“You must be joking,” Wynne said in disbelief, handing Andria a mug of warm tea.

“No, I swear it! I didn’t hear from him for days after we left and then suddenly at the airport he’s there beside me like ‘which is closer, Sank or Australia? Well, gee, aren’t I just perfect being able to get here so much faster than you when I was so far away, Hah hah, ain’t I great?’”

“How has he acted since then?”

“Coolly, calmly- never phased by anything, but then, he never was. You know- Three years may seem like a long time to get to know somebody in, but- if anything… the last month and a half has taught me just how little I know about him…” her lashes drooped with her voice. “I know nothing about his past or why he is the way that he is… Hell, I couldn’t even tell you where he got his frigging laptop from.”

Wynne glanced towards Andria’s tent. Before it was Heero’s ‘set up’. He has refused a tent for himself and instead set himself as her personal guard. An uncomfortable thought tickled her mind. ‘She doesn’t know…’ “What has he told you?”

“He told me… he told me about his friends…” her eyes widened a little. “You know- he didn’t even tell me very much about them! I know nothing!

Wynne gave this pause, considering quietly. At last she spoke, with the quiet, gently commanded dignity and attention that was so common of wise people here. “Perhaps… he is not ready to tell you. Perhaps he is ashamed of his past.”

“What can he possibly have to be ashamed of?!” Andria exclaimed, frustrated.

Wynne shushed her. “You do not know that. Wait. Be patient. Be his friend. And he will tell you when he’s ready.”

Sound advice. Solid advice. Logical advice. Advice that probably stood a damn good chance of working.

WHAT THE HELL KIND OF ANSWER WAS THAT!?

Andria hunched her shoulders, and knew her bottom lip was protruding in a pout. She also knew Wynne was right- but that didn’t make it any easier. Emotions were harder to rationalize with. She- hn’ed!!? (AN: O.o Andry! You’ve been hanging with Heero too much! Abort mission!! Abort! I’ll say it again- press The Button!)

Wynne smiled to herself. She had made her point. Andria was clearly smart enough to understand. “Well then,” she stood. The younger woman’s eyes followed as she rose. “I think it’s time we got back to work, hm?”

The sun rises and the sun sets, and our lives go by whether we want them to or not. Time is not something that can be seized and held, though sometimes it can stolen. Humans do not really understand time, but they act as though they do, because if they did not, their securities would be undermined.

On Earth, time can be witnessed in the progression of natural things; seasons, weather, days. The dramatic difference between day and night is so definite on Earth- yet nonexistent in the colonies. The colonies must try to manufacture these same things, and fool their bodies into believe that they are still on Earth.

This can be done because humans are adaptable creatures. Not only are their bodies able to grow accustomed quickly to new situations, but they learn from their surroundings. Indeed, humans are the very product of their experiences.

If I were to be completely honest with myself, I would have to admit that this human capable is truly amazing. However, adaptability does appear to have its limits.

And if these #%&$ing mosquitoes don’t leave me alone, I’m going to #%&$ing shoot something.

-Heero Yuy’s Notes, AC199

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