A very dark fic, think something along the lines of an intense X-files episode. Some Quatre torture & intense situations.
"Are you awake, Quatre?"
Quatre woke to find himself tied securely to a chair bolted to the ground. He looked to see a blonde woman with blue eyes glaring at him. She had the physique of a boxer and an expression of barely controlled rage on her face. "What... I was going to the airport... Where? Who?"
"I am Adrianna Winner, your sister and enemy... As for where, you're in a dungeon I built. As for why, I'm taking revenge on the behalf of the twenty-nine women whose lives were destroyed by our father, head of the Winner Enterprises. Sadly, he is dead so the only person I can take out my revenge out on... is you." All this was said in a flat, almost monotonous voice.
She's crazy, he thought. I heard that the more they view you as human, the less likely they'll kill you. But whatever you do, you mustn't plead or order or do anything that really pisses the person off. "People will be looking for me. I'd hate to see you get in trouble."
"Trouble? I've already gotten away with killing the scientists who made us."
Quatre gasped. He'd heard about it from the newspapers. The bodies had been dismembered with the word "DOLLS" painted in blood on the wall of the room where they'd been found. She's not even bothering to wear a mask because she's figuring on killing me and leaving no witnesses. "What is it that you want?" I have to figure out a way to get out of here. Must...
The woman gave him an open-handed slap with the back of the hand. "I want to see you beg for your death."
"Iria!" said Trowa in his hotel room. He'd taken a break from Preventer business and was waiting for Quatre to join him for a vacation "What's happened to Quatre? He wasn't on the shuttle. It's been five hours now."
The face looking back at him on the videophone was that of Quatre's sister. "He never reached the spaceport. The police have found wreckage of his car but the only body inside is that of his driver. He's been kidnapped."
"What? I'll fly right over to L4."
"Wait, Trowa, please stay right where you are. I've already contacted the Preventers and they've sent Heero to help me deal with this. I'm asking that you handle the investigation Earth-side."
"Is there anyone who would want to kidnap Quatre?"
"There's always people," said Iria. "I'm working on firming up a list. Heero and I will be going over a list of possible suspects."
"I'm glad that you are there," said Trowa, "To help him." Damn, he thought.
"Adrianna," said Quatre. "Please tell me what father did that has made you so angry."
Adrianna looked at him after pacing around him like a trapped bear that's gone mad from confinement. "He made us, all 29 of us." Her voice became almost soft. "Quatre, you know you have 29 sisters, but you only saw a handful of them, isn't that so? Ever wonder why?"
Quatre thought, choosing his words carefully. "I was told that most of you were older than I was and living away from L4."
"Hmm, that's part of the reason, but the real reason was that most of us were sent away when we were small to foster families. Of course, he sent them money, but he didn't come to visit."
"I'm sorry," said Quatre.
"Then you came... The very last child that man ever had... The boy, the heir... Oh, you he kept near his bosom. He didn't farm you out to some employee's family to raise. No, he kept you close. This is how precious you were... a woman died to make you."
"What?!"
"You... you didn't know? You didn't know that Quatrina Winner... " A harsh laugh escaped from her mouth. "Oh, my God, they didn't tell you?"
"What?"
"A woman, your mother, Quatrina Winner died in giving birth to you... " said Adrianna very calmly.
Quatre gasped. "That's a lie! I was made by those scientists, just like you."
"Then why... aren't you a girl?"
"I... don't know."
"You see, the life of even your own mother is beneath your notice. In the end, you're just like father." With that, she punched him in the stomach, a hard jab.
Quatre gasped. That hurt, she's really strong. It was followed up by a sharp slap to the face, the beginning in a series of blows.
"Don't you think that the rest of the Winner family should be notified of what's going on? If they went after Quatre, they might go after the rest... " said Heero to Iria.
"You don't think it's a ransom kidnapping?" said Iria.
"Well, it was very well-planned. The people he left wouldn't expect to see him for a long period of time while the people waiting on the end wouldn't expect him for quite a while. But where's the ransom demand? The proclamation by a terrorist group. Also... "
"Also?" said Iria.
"There's a suspicion that this is connected to a series of the murders of several medical doctors, most of them retired, involved with the L4 artificial gestation project. Usually, we leave it to the police and the Colonial Bureau of Investigations to handle, but since Quatre is a member of the Preventers, we've become involved officially. We're trying to see it how all it ties together. Everyone else at headquarters are going through the data as we speak."
"I'm glad."
"I've got a question for you."
"Yes?"
"Does the word doll mean anything to you? Is it something the Winner Enterprises makes or is it an acronym of some kind you've heard of?"
"Doll? Not really. Why?"
Heero remembered the word etched in the paint of the car in scary, big letters. "Just wondering. Could you tell me where the rest of the family is located?"
Iria frowned. "That's a problem. Many of our sisters are spread throughout the colonies and some are on Earth. Some have completely cut themselves from the Winner family and changed their names. It's not going to be easy. There's a handful that even I don't know where they are."
"Who is in charge of Winner Enterprises while he is gone?"
"The Board of trustees for now. If Quatre were to die without an heir, then control would go to the closest male relative."
"It wouldn't pass to one of the sisters?" Heero frowned.
"It's an archaic custom, I know. The sisters would receive a large amount of money and property each, but the company itself would not go to any of us. We already receive money through the family trust so it's not like any of us should be suffering monetarily."
"Should be?"
"As I said. I'm not sure about everyone. A lot of the money in a few of the accounts have been untouched for the past year."
"Do you think it would be possible for any of the sisters would want Quatre dead?"
Iria fixed her mouth in tight line. "Most of them don't know Quatre personally. I can't imagine any of the ones I know even considering doing such a thing."
"The ones you know," stated Heero. "I'm just laying out all possibilities on the table. I will recommend that all of them be interviewed. I'm sorry but this sounds more along the lines of a personal vendetta."
"... " said Iria. It's impossible, she thought, isn't it?
Quatre awoke up to find himself chained to a metal-framed bed. He winced. There hadn't been any serious damage in terms of anything broken, but she had given him some very ugly bruises around his face and stomach. He could tell by the swelling in his face that he probably had a black eye. She really wants to make sure I don't get away, he thought grimly. If I'm going to survive this, I'm going to have use my uchuu no kokoro to figure out a way to reach her or at least stall her as long as possible. I can feel the rage, the disappointment coursing out from her. It reminds me so much of Dorothy when we were fighting except here, it's become much worse with age. I don't think anybody's ever tried to reach her.
Quatre craned his neck, looking for a clock or any sign of the passage of time. I'm losing track of time, he thought. I have no idea how much time has passed so I can't tell how much time I have left. He pulled at the chains hoping something would slip or break but they were solid. They should be, she's gotten practice. Quatre shuddered.
What she said about herself and my sisters, he thought. I had always assumed that they were all right, their needs being taken care of. After all, they all received an allowance from the estate. I was wrong to assume that, he thought. But what made Adrianna decide to come after me, not the others? If she wanted me to die instantly, she could've done it. No, he thought, I think she needs me to listen to her because nobody else has listened. She has some other purpose that she hasn't told me yet. Something that's near and dear to her heart.
Quatre then thought of the man who'd been waiting for him at the end of that flight that was never taken. Trowa... I'm so sorry that I didn't take time off earlier and more often. All those things I thought needed to be done, they're not important anymore. The only thing that I can think about is seeing your face again. If I get through this, I won't get caught up in the minutiae of business anymore. I swear it, Trowa.
Meanwhile, Adrianna slept, exhausted not by just the physical effort of executing a flawless kidnapping but also by her interrogation. It had drained her significantly. Anger had always propelled her, but now it was exhausting her. Because of this, Quatre gained half a day.
"Trowa? Are you on-line?" said Heero, sitting around a table with the other Preventers.
"Yes, Heero," said Trowa from his hotel room.
Heero said, "This is the profile that the Colonial Bureau of Investigations have worked up from the crime scenes and previous victims. This person is on a personal vendetta. These are not random killings by a typical serial killer. The person is intelligent, precise, and an excellent planner with a gift for breaking into security systems. The person also seems to have access to and is familiar with weapons and surgical instruments. There's little chance that this is a murder for hire due to the viciousness of the acts so the perpetrator must be fairly young and strong to pull this off. And due to the fact that many of these previous victims scattered across the colonies, we're assuming that the person also had a large amount of money in which to do this. While most perpetrators of this type of crime are 'male,' the word 'doll' or 'dolls' left at the crime scene introduces the possibility that this may be a female perpetrator."
Heero then continued to say, "The previous victims also have a connection with the Winner family. All were technicians who worked on the gestation of all 29 Winner sisters. Technicians who worked on creating other children have not been attacked."
"Why would someone kill them, especially?" said Trowa.
"Perhaps the person thinks that the sisters shouldn't have been made?" suggested Duo.
"But why Quatre?"
Sally frowned. "Perhaps, it's not who he is that he is being punished for, but what he stands for. He is the head of the family, the head of Winner Enterprises. It could be on a more symbolic level."
"Was there any physical evidence?" said Trowa.
"The fire destroyed anything we could've retrieved. As for witnesses, the perpetrator attacked Quatre's car while he was on his private road leading out of the estate before he could hit a major thoroughfare. And the driver was killed instantly."
"What is the plan now?"
"The only connection between the victims is the word doll and the fact that the Winner sisters seem to be the only connection. If we can figure out how these connections are interrelated then we can find this person. The plan is that we need to contact all the Winner sisters."
"The previous murders could've been done as a decoy, a way to draw our attention away," said Trowa.
Une shook her head. "No, this person truly hated them as well. If those murders were purely a decoy, then why dismember them? A simple dead body would've been enough to attract attention. No, there is a connection. Trowa, prepare to download a list of sisters and their last-known addresses."
"Be sure to keep me updated on any developments," said Trowa.
He saw their faces look at him with compassion. "We'll be sure to do that," said Wufei softly.
Two hours later
"Detective Sarah Winner?" Trowa said, dressed in his Preventers uniform. He felt a little strange standing in the middle of the San Francisco police station. People were either at their desks typing a report or escorting someone to be interviewed.
The policewoman with dark brown eyes and skin the color of coffee with a couple tablespoons of milk looked at him, away from the report she was typing. "Yes, what do you want?"
Trowa showed her his official ID. "I'm Preventer Trowa Barton. I was wondering if I could talk to you alone."
Sarah stood up from her desk and took him to an empty office and shut the door. "What can I help you with?"
Trowa pressed his collar, activating a device that would prevent any of their conversation from being recorded and listened in on. "This has been kept from the media, but Quatre Raberba Winner has been kidnapped."
"Quatre?" She looked surprised and concerned.
"Yes, on his way to the spaceport on L4. He's been missing for little more than a day now. Would you happen to know of anyone who would wish to harm him or the company?"
Sarah Winner shook her head. "Not really. I suppose there's other business interests, but nothing I know about. Honestly, I haven't seen that boy since he was five years old. I don't think I have anything useful to tell you."
"I'm sorry to ask you this question, but where were you yesterday?"
"I was working, then after work, I hung out with my girlfriend Rhonda at Freddie's. It's a nearby bar. Then we went home and had a late dinner. And if you really must know all the details, she stayed the night."
"I'm sorry, but there's been no leads so far."
"Do you need my help? Is there any connection to this area because if there is... "
"Basically, I came to warn you that anybody who went after him might go after his relatives. We think the danger is remote, but we're ready to offer you the service of a bodyguard if you feel the need for it."
Sarah Winner shook her head. "I can't work like that. Besides, I can take care of myself. I didn't become a Detective by being helpless."
Trowa thought for a second. "Please tell me about what it was like to be a Winner."
"I don't see how... "
"Please, we need all the information that we can get."
Sarah sighed. "All right. I was 22nd daughter born into the Winner family. You know who my genetic father is. I don't know my genetic mother's name. I just have her profile. She was tall, skinny, and dark with short curly hair. She came from a good family, college-educated and received a master's in mechanical engineering. I heard she was from Ethiopia."
"After I was born, I was placed with one of his employee's family to be raised. This, however, was done with the understanding that I would be raised according to Mr. Winner's wishes." She paused. "The people who raised me were good people, Mr. Barton. They once even petitioned to legally adopt me and change my name, but we were turned down by the courts on L4. I don't really think about Mr. Winner as my father, more like a sperm donor. I may not approve of him making 29 of us without being a real father to us, but I don't hate him. And be sure to tell me if there's anything I can do. I doubt being raised by that man could've been any fun."
"I just have one more question. Do you know anything about dolls or anything with that acronym?"
"No, sorry."
"Nanny, is it true I have 29 sisters?" said Quatre. He was four years old, sitting in his pajamas, ready to be tucked into bed.
"Yes, it's true," the nanny said, pulling the covers on top of him.
"When can I see them all?"
"You can't."
"But why?"
"They're in different colonies," said the nanny. "It would take a lot of time and money to get them together. They're much older and are busy with work and school. Now how about I tell you a story."
He nodded then said, "Can daddy tell the story?"
"I'm sorry, Quatre, he's in the middle of setting up a business negotiation with a conglomerate from L1."
"He never reads me a story," pouted the child.
"Well, today, I'm going to tell you a special story," said the nanny. "It's about a robot princess."
"Really?"
"Yes. Once upon a time, a princess was taken to the country of her betrothed to live after the wedding. You would think all was well, but not so. The court she was raised in was full of laughter, fun and play. Unfortunately, the court of her betrothed treasured quietness, contemplation and the strict rules of behavior. Sadly, the qualities that had first attracted the prince to the princess soon made him irritable. In that country, the only words that were supposed to come out of a princess' mouth was 'Please,' 'Thank you' and 'As you wish.' The princess soon began to wither under such an environment. She died soon after giving birth to a baby girl."
The nanny continued. "Well, the fairy godmother knew that the baby girl took after her mother and feared for her life if she stayed there. So, she constructed a robot that would grow like any other baby and would only be able to say, 'Please,' 'Thank you,' and 'As you wish.' She took the poor baby and raised the baby herself."
"As the robot grew, the court was immensely pleased at such a sensible and polite princess, who knew not to bother others with her opinions and wishes, but simply said one of those three phrases then curtsied. For fifteen years, this charade went on."
"The girl in the meantime had grown to be a lovely princess, full of gaiety and charm. Her fairy godmother decided that it was time to show her the kingdom from which had taken her."
"One day, the fairy godmother came back with the real girl then struck the robot princess so it broke into several pieces. She proclaimed, 'Look how empty your values are that you are so easily fooled by a piece of tin! This is your real daughter!' However, the court began to mourn the death of the 'princess,' proclaiming what a perfect paragon of virtue she was. The real girl began to cry because she realized that they prized that doll more than they did her. Disgusted, the fairy godmother patched up the doll and left it at the court who wept with joy at their 'resuscitated' princess who again said those three 'wonderful' phrases and curtsied. Meanwhile the fairy godmother had her real princess wed to a prince who loved her just as she was."
"Nanny, this is a sad story," said the little boy.
"Yes, I suppose it is," said the nanny. "But it's a story with a moral."
"What's the moral?"
"Well, Quatre, what do you think is the moral to this story?" said the nanny. Then she snapped, "Quatre!"
Quatre opened his eyes to see Adrianna standing before him. Why did I dream that? he thought, of all the things to dream about.
She opened a small can of nutritional supplement for him to drink. He hesitated.
"You think it's poisoned?' she said. She took a sip out of the straw then put it in his mouth. "No, I plan to keep you around for a little while longer. I'm not done yet. And believe me, I have no plans on poisoning you."
She stressed 'poisoning' as if she had some other method in mind.
"Une, how many sisters have been interviewed so far?" said Heero as they drove along the colony's main highway. It was XC5397 in the L1 cluster or otherwise known as Tokyo-3.
"You're interviewing the 22nd one. I managed to get Noin and Zechs to interview the few that were on Mars. Due to the distance, I'm sure that they were not personally responsible for this attack, but it does help to narrow down suspects. The Manganacs are being extremely helpful and have volunteered their services as well. Howard and Hilde are heading up the group interviewing people in the L2 area and L3 area. Sally and Wufei are in charge of the Preventers sweeping L4 and L5 for the sisters. Trowa's on Earth."
"Using the profile, how many sisters are likely suspects?"
"It's amazing how many of them have medical backgrounds. There're three doctors including Iria, two nurses and a few others who either went to medical or veterinary school. But all the ones we've interviewed are either too far away or they have a very strong alibi or simply don't fit the profile."
"Hmmm."
"Of course, we are also checking other leads as well. I'm having other people at headquarters look at the other possibilities like revenge for the actions that Quatre took during the previous wars, among other things."
"... "
"Report in after you're done," Une said before cutting off.
They stopped in front of a small condominium with a small scooter out front. They knocked on the door.
"How can I help you?" said the woman with brown hair and grey eyes.
"I am Preventer Heero Yuy," he said, flashing his ID. "This is my partner, Duo Maxwell."
"Nice to meet you," said Duo.
"You are Miranda Johnson?"
"Yes."
"Were you ever Miranda Winner?"
The woman's expression turned nasty. "I want nothing to do with the Winners!" She tried to close the door on him.
Heero reached and kept the door from closing. "Impeding a Preventer's investigation can be prosecutable."
The woman glared at him. "I haven't been a Winner for ten years. I've had nothing to do with anyone from that family!"
"So, you wouldn't have anything to do with Quatre's kidnapping?" said Duo.
Miranda frowned. "Kidnapping? Well, I'm sure the Winner corporation is marshalling all its resources to find him. You surely don't need my help."
"EXCUSE ME... " started Duo, pissed off at her attitude, but he felt Heero's hand grab his shoulder and give him a squeeze.
"Please don't think about it as something to do with the Winners," he said quietly. "Please think about it as helping me find a friend of mine, a young man who you don't know, but whom I want to make sure comes back alive. This isn't simply a ransom kidnapping. The person who's kidnapped him will probably kill him unless we find him. I wouldn't be here if it weren't that serious."
The woman's face suddenly slumped and she looked profoundly depressed. "I really don't know anything. After college, I changed my name and tried to forget I ever was a Winner. So, you're not just an employee of his?"
"No."
"Heh."
She answered their questions, but she truly didn't know anything helpful.
"I can't help but feel a little jealous of this Quatre," she said.
"Why?" said Duo.
"If I were to disappear, nobody would search for me," she said, tears began to fall down her face. Then she shut the door.
As Duo and Heero got into their car, Duo said, "Kuso, what kind of man does this? Makes children, then sends them away? Father Maxwell, he kept all of us together. There were dozens of us and he fed us and loved us and knew all our names. How can you even think of doing something like that to your own kid?" He punched the area above the glove compartment. "Damn it!"
Heero put his hand on his shoulder. "Are you going to be all right?"
Duo looked at him with tears in his eyes. "Heero, I interviewed Iria. She didn't mind, she understood it was something I had to do. Rashid vouched for her whereabouts at the time. They've been getting a little chummy." Duo flashed a little smile, which faded.
"She told me that she and the first five daughters were raised in their father's house. It was the later ones that were sent away from birth. She said she didn't know why until she called up her father's medical records. She had been horribly curious why there were so many women in the family."
"It turns out that their father had a really unusual genetic mutation where about 99.9% of the sperm he produced that had the 'Y' chromosome were damaged and unable to fertilize an egg while the ones with the 'X' still have some viability though much less than a normal man's. It seems like seeing all those daughters was a reminder of his own 'failure' at being an heir. He felt an heir's duty was to make not only a son, but a son who could take over the business. So a son who was damaged in anyway would also be a 'failure.' Considering the enormous number of malformed sperm, he didn't dare create a son who couldn't take over the business."
"Before Quatre was born, he had decided that he was going to appoint an heir by choosing one of his grandsons, who would of course take up the Winner name. He decided to get the smartest, beautiful and talented group of egg donors that money could buy. It didn't matter what race, creed or beliefs they had, that's why Quatre's sisters look so different from each other. As for how Quatre was born, it must've been a miracle. One viable 'Y' sperm must've made it despite everything. Quatre just beat the odds being born."
Duo then paused then said, "But the thing is even Iria said that after she was twelve, she was sent to private school, schools so far away that they could only visit on holidays. That's why Quatre didn't recognize her when he first saw her. Damn it, what is wrong with that man? I just don't understand how he can treat his own children like this."
Heero put his arms around his partner's shoulders. "I feel the same way. I'm just as mad, but we have to keep calm for Quatre's sake. Are you doing to be OK?"
"Yeah, it still makes me mad, though. It reminds me of how we were treated as expendable, but at least there was the excuse of us being soldiers, dying for a cause. These women, they didn't deserve this, any of it!" The last sentence was a shriek of rage.
Heero reached out and wrapped his other arm around him. "I know. I know."
Une massaged her temples from the pain. She'd been up for twenty-four hours straight and had only slept four hours before that. I've done this under battlefield conditions and have stayed alert, she thought, her eyelids feeling heavy. I shouldn't feel this tired. But then I don't have the threat of a missile coming at me to keep me awake.
The videophone began to ring. On the screen was Sally. "Sally, what news?" said Une.
"I've got someone here who has something important to say."
An older woman stepped forward. "I was one of the technicians at the birthing facilities. You said that you're looking for one of the Winner sisters?"
"Yes, an Adrianna Winner. She has risen to the top of our list of suspects in the disappearance of Quatre Winner."
"Is she the one who killed Charles and the rest?" she said, referring to her superiors at the birthing facility.
"It seems likely."
"Why don't you just use the receiver?"
"Receiver?" said Une.
"Mr. Winner was worried that the children would be taken by kidnappers for ransom, so he inserted a small transponder beneath the skin that would act as a beacon so they could be tracked. All of the sisters have it." Une frowned. "None of the sisters mentioned this."
"Well, I suppose he didn't tell them," said the technician. "It would've been dangerous if the kidnappers knew they were being tracked."
"Do you know the frequency?"
"It's all at the facilities, but I know where to find it."
"Do so."
"But we're talking an enormous amount of space to sweep. She could be anywhere," said Sally.
Une thought for a while then said, "If I wanted to hide out indefinitely, I would probably use one of the abandoned colonies along the LaGrange points. It wouldn't take much tweaking to turn on the life support for a few rooms."
"There are still quite a few abandoned colonies out there."
"That's where the resources of Winner Enterprises comes in. They have quite a few satellites we can use. They can do a sweep of the area, but we won't be depending on satellites only. Once we know the frequency, I'm sure Howard could make a tracking device," said Une. Finally, we're getting somewhere, thought Une. I just hope it's while Quatre can appreciate it.
"Adrianna," said Quatre, again tied securely to the chair.
"What?"
"Was revenge the only reason you had for kidnapping me?"
"As if you give a damn." She grabbed his lower jaw, digging her thumb into his swollen cheek, twisting his face left and right then abruptly letting go in disgust.
"I do give a damn," said Quatre. "Did you know I ran away from home before I became a pilot?"
"Why? Did you want some more of daddy's attention?" Sourness soaked her words.
Quatre could immediately guess what kind of image was in her mind: a spoiled, whining brat who pouted and threw tantrums, a rotten little boy. Some part of that was true during that time, he thought. But there's more to it than that.
"No, because I felt like something replaceable. Because I felt like something my dad made, a puppet, a doll. I felt lower than slime mold because I thought that I was just his toy, something for his convenience."
Adrianna looked startled.
Trowa was scanning the area around L2 point, waiting for the tracking device that Howard made to pick up the frequency. The others were also searching the area around the different LaGrange points.
As he waited, he began to read Adrianna Winner's profile. Adrianna Winner was the last daughter born. She was born three years prior to Quatre. She had gone to medical school but had failed.
An item caught his eye. Adrianna's egg donor was Quatre's mother.
Not just a half-sister, a full sister then, he thought. He looked at the picture. She really does look a lot like Quatre, but she's so muscular. I wonder if she's been taking steroids. That last thought gave him pause. Some of those drugs can make you paranoid and hyper-aggressive. He shivered at the idea.
He flipped through her childhood history. As a young girl, she had been sent to be raised by a young physicist and her husband. Unfortunately, due to their long research projects on research satellites, Adrianna was often raised for months at a time by a series of nannies. Soon, she was sent to a private school after the age of five. Looking at her medical history, Trowa saw that various drugs had been given to her since grade school to modify her behavior due to her outbursts of depression and rage. Prozac, Lithium, Valium, he thought. These shouldn't be given to a child. It's like they tried to bury her under a mountain of pills.
The tracking system lit up as he passed a wreck of a colony. Trowa looked at it and frowned. It would be that one, he thought recognizing the one where he and Heero had fought Quatre. He looked for a place to land.
"But my friends showed me that I was wrong because they were test tube babies too, that I should take pride in simply myself. That's why it's what a person does that makes them worthwhile, not how or why I was made," Quatre finished recounting his tale about how he met the Manganacs.
Adrianna digested it for a little while, then her brows creased and her eyes dilated until there was only a thin ring of color around her pupils. "But that's a lie! You're not a test tube baby! Your father knew that fact!" She hit him several times in the ribs, then squeezed his shoulders, digging her nails into his flesh. "If that's true then why did I have to do all this just to get your attention? Huh, why? The only time I've ever gotten any response is when I've caused trouble. Why are you pretending to understand when you don't understand at all? You're just like everybody else! I hate all of you!"
She continued to yell, "And what does that make me? I've killed people. Not like you should talk, you've killed people, too. But everybody considers you a hero because you fought for a cause. But I'm fighting for a cause, too, even if nobody understands it."
"You want to know the real reason I did all this? The real reason I kidnapped you was this: I don't want any more people like me to be created. I can feel the unhappiness of all twenty-eight of the other sisters. Everyday, I feel their sadness, their brokenness, their anger. Even the ones who don't admit it or think they've left it behind, I can still feel it! Nothing I do takes away the pain! I can't take the chance of you doing the same thing again!" With that, she pulled out a gun and pointed it at Quatre's head. "And this time I won't be leaving any parts because they'd probably clone you!"
Trowa shot a round into Adrianna's chest. She was rocked back by the impact of the slug, but kept standing. Then realizing that from the way she didn't go down and the fact there was no blood on her blue shirt that she had a bulletproof vest, he aimed a little higher and pressed the trigger.
The bullet sped its through her forehead and shattered the back of her skull before exiting and burying itself in the wall, all its kinetic energy spent, twisted and deformed.
"Quatre."
Quatre opened his eyes to see Trowa. "I'm sorry we couldn't spent time together somewhere else."
"Don't worry, I'm using some of my family leave time to be here. Once you recover, we could go on that vacation we planned. The doctors said that the calcium adhesive compound should help the fractures heal quickly."
"Trowa, did you find out what I asked you to find out?"
Trowa nodded. "Yes. There was a Quatrina Winner who died in childbirth. That information was deeply buried in the files, but it was there." Quatre closed his eyes in pain. "I was never told. Nobody told me. How could they keep such a secret from me?"
"There are a lot of things that will never be answered. Perhaps he didn't want you to feel guilty. Perhaps, he didn't want you to throw it in your sisters' faces. I don't know, Quatre."
"Adrianna, she's dead, isn't she?"
"Yes." And I'm so glad that she is, thought Trowa. "She had the gun pointed to your head. There was no helping it. Don't tell me you feel sorry for her?" If only you knew about all the things we talked about, thought Quatre. So many important things.
"Your other sisters, they're not like her. I know. I've talked to them. Don't feel sorry for her, she chose to do this. Many people have had worse things happen to them, but they don't do this type of thing. Take a look at what some of your sisters have chosen to do instead, Quatre."
Trowa opened the door and deliverymen carried in a stream of flowers came into the room. Some of the arrangements were dazzling with orchids and silk ribbons. Some of them were a bunch of regular flowers in a plastic stand. "Some of them are from the guys at work, but most of them came from your sisters when they heard about what happened. Want me to read one of their cards?" said Trowa.
Quatre nodded.
"Quatre - heard about what happened. What a bummer. I'm glad you didn't get whacked. Sincerely, Sonya," said Trowa. He frowned and put the card down. "What a terrible way to put things."
"I'm just glad she sent a card. It's not like she had to. She probably didn't know what to say to me. Trowa, I want to see all of them. I want to make amends to all of them. I really want us to be a family instead of just scattered human debris."
"There are some who really want to stay away from anything connected with this family. They might never want to see you."
"Still, I want them to know that if they ever want to see me, I'll be waiting for them and I'll welcome them. It's something I need to do," he wrote. "I'm going to leave it up to them if they do or not."
Trowa could almost see all the machinery whirring in Quatre's head as he formulated plans about how he could make this happen. He sighed and said, "Go to sleep, Quatre. There'll be enough time to plan tomorrow. Besides, your other family needs you to get better."
Other family... . Heero, Duo, everybody at the Preventers, the Manganacs... Quatre closed his eyes and nodded. Then he lay back in the hospital bed.
As Trowa closed the door behind him, Iria walked up to him and said, "How was he, mentally?"
"He's trying to cope the way he always does," said Trowa. "He's already trying to figure out how to make amends to the others. It's his way of getting control of the situation."
Iria sighed. "I wish that I could've been there for him more often... " Trowa put up his hand. "Blaming yourself won't help things. For now, lets just concentrate on how to help him face this. He hasn't allowed himself to really feel all of it yet. When it does... I'm going to need a lot of help."
"I've already written up a list of psychologists and counselors that I can recommend," said Iria, handing him a sheet of paper. "And Trowa, here is a number of a support group when things get rough. And Trowa, don't be afraid of asking the others or me for help."
Trowa smiled at her. She reminds me so much of Catherine sometimes. "Thank you, Iria. Thank you."
"I'll visit him tomorrow when he's up to it."
As she walked away, Trowa couldn't help but feel sad. This family, it makes me sad, he thought. Even though many families fall to pieces anyway, this one was never together in the first place. I can not help but feel that Quatre and all the sisters I've met were cheated out of so much, even Adrianna.
The End
(:./mk/dolls)
