GREEN EYES
Part I: The Desert
By Lini


Trowa yawned. He wasn’t used to this type of heat, and it was really getting to him. Sprawled out across the sofa, lazy was an extreme understatement for his current condition.

He’d thought it would be fun to visit the desert with Quatre, but now, while he was trapped in the endless heat and sand for another week, Trowa was beginning to wish he hadn’t gone at all. His friend did not seem to notice the heat, and he was as happy and active as ever.

Today, Quatre and his Maganacs had gone into the nearest city to pick up supplies. Apparently, a trip by camel was being planned...

Trowa yawned again, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Damn, how was he going to survive on a camel out there, without a fan?! Not that the fan really helped... Quatre had rented them a tiny room in a run down motel on the edge of some village with a name Trowa could not pronounce. Eventually, he let it slip from his mind completely and decided it didn’t need a name.

I wish I had brought HeavyArms, he thought suddenly, it would be nice and cool in there.

Slowly pulling himself to his feet, Trowa stretched. It was going to be hard, but somehow he had to DO something, sitting around was getting boring. Maybe I should have gone along with Quatre after all.

As he made his way into the tiny kitchen area, Trowa shoved his hair back. The heat was literally starting to make him wilt! Passing by the one dusty window, something caught Trowa’s eye and made him stop. Running his hand over the glass to clear a view-hole, Trowa felt his eyes widen.

Literally dragging themselves along, a lone person was struggling against the blowing sand toward the town, coming from the open desert! A hand rose to the figure’s hidden face, and then stopped. Wobbling on shaking legs, the figure seemed to look around... and then collapsed. Trowa found himself hurrying to the door, without even realizing he had moved.

What am I doing? he wondered, as he opened the only door and squinted against the brightness. Rushing out into the sand, Trowa shielded his face from the gusts of dirt filled wind, and began to run towards the fallen person.

Trowa reached what looked like a pile of blankets and dropped to his knees. Ignoring the scorching sun on his back, Trowa carefully turned the person over... and gasped.

It was a girl (a very beautiful one at that), probably his own age. He could see strands of her black hair poking out from under the blanket over her head, and he found himself reaching to touch a tendril. She had a delicate mouth, open as she panted for air, and golden skin, hidden under a layer of dust.

”H-hey, are you okay?” Trowa asked quietly, not really expecting an answer. The girl was unconscious. Running a hand over her forehead, Trowa noticed that she was burning up with fever. It was then that he again felt the sweat trickling down his face and realized that he was almost baking in the sun.

Without really contemplating his actions, Trowa scooped the bundle up in his arms, surprised at how light she was, and hurried toward the motel room. “I’ve got to get you cooled down,” he said to the girl, rushing into the room, leaving the door wide open behind him.


Cold... cold... she felt something cold! She moaned slightly, willing her exhausted limbs to work. She didn’t have to, it appeared that something was already holding her up.

Snapping to consciousness, she could feel the cold water slipping over her bare skin... and the warm arms around her waist... Her eyes shot open.

She was in a shower, her clothes were gone, except for her underwear... and someone was holding on to her!

”L-l-let go-” Her voice failed her. Turning her head to the side, she saw that it was a young man behind her, holding her under the cool flow of water. His clothes were soaked, he’d obviously been quite concerned with cooling her off quickly.

She knew she had a fever, and she was thankful that the brown haired boy was there to hold her weak body up. She struggled to turn her head to see his face, but his hair had fallen down over his eyes, blocking her view.

”W-w-” she mumbled, but he raised a hand from around her waist and put it against her lips.

”Shh, don’t worry, you’ll be okay.” he said. “Don’t talk, save your strength.”

She nodded and let her body go limp against his. For some reason, she finally felt safe with the strange boy. If only it were true...

As the cold water continued to glide over her body, the fever over took her again and she fell into unconsciousness.


God she’s beautiful, Trowa thought as he carried the girl from the shower. The water had been so cold that he’d begun to shiver, but as soon as he’d shut the tap off, the heat returned and his sopping clothes hung uncomfortably against him.

Dripping water everywhere, Trowa gently laid the girl on one of the beds, then hurried to the kitchen to get something for her to drink. When he came back to the bed with a glass of water, he saw that her eyes were open. They were green, just like his own.

As he sat beside her, Trowa gently lifted her shoulders then held the glass to her pink lips. “Drink this,” he said softly. She did as she was told without any complaint, and when he pressed the 2 pills to her mouth, she took those also. “For the fever,” he assured, not mentioning that one of the pills would soon knock her back into unconsciousness. She looked like she could really use the rest...

Carefully lowering her back down onto the pillows, Trowa thought to himself with mild amusement, Since when did I become a caring, motherly figure?

His gaze met hers and she smiled weakly. Trowa’s face remained blank. “Thank you,” she whispered, her words somewhat slurred. The medication was beginning to work.

Trowa simply nodded and stayed silent. Reaching a delicate hand, she gently pushed his sopping bangs aside, revealing his entire face, and she smiled again. Trowa’s response was to blink, and then watch as her eyes slowly shut and she fell asleep.

”You’re welcome,” he said when he was sure that she wouldn’t hear. Sitting on the bed beside her, creating a giant puddle, Trowa found he couldn’t take his eyes off of her face. Finally, with difficulty, he tore his gaze away and stood up. Damn, he’d made quite a mess, better clean up. Pulling his wet shirt and pants off, Trowa walked into the washroom only in his boxers.

After mopping up some of the water from the washroom floor, and hanging his clothes to dry, Trowa went back into the main room to get some dry clothes.

Just as he stepped into the room, a voice cried, “Oh!” and Trowa jumped. He’d forgotten to close the front door...

”Trowa?” the fair hared boy in the doorway asked, sounding shocked. His blue eyes moved from the half naked girl in the bed to his half naked friend standing at the edge of it. His cheeks instantly warmed, and the boy turned to leave the room, mumbling, “Sorry, I didn’t know you were occupied.”

It took Trowa a moment to understand. His eyes widened, and then he hurried to already closing door. “Quatre! Wait, no this isn’t- isn’t-” he didn’t know what to say. Pulling the door open, Trowa grabbed his friend by the arm. “Hey! Quatre, come back, I’ll explain.”

The Maganacs were piling into their own room, and watched with wonder as Quatre stopped. “Are you sure?” he asked, his voice ever so innocent. The Maganacs turned to look at the sparsely clothed Trowa, who nodded.

”Okay,” Quatre said, sounding somewhat relieved. Smiling, he walked back into the room and shut the door. As his eyes fell on the girl, he asked, “So what exactly is this, then?”

Trowa let out one of his rare laughs. “Uh, I don’t quite know it all myself. I found her, saved her, I guess. She was all wrapped up in blankets, coming from open desert. I saw her collapse and...” he paused, taking it all in himself. “ran out to help her. She had a fever so I decided I had to cool her down.”

Quatre listened intently, hiding his surprise at his friend’s heroics. When Trowa finished, Quatre looked back at the girl and said, “I see. Strange, very strange... I wonder where she would be coming from? There aren’t any other towns that way.” He paused and let his eyes meet Trowa’s. “Can we trust her?”

Trowa blinked. “I don’t see why not-”

”Are you sure? It just seems odd-”

Since when was Quatre so untrusting? “I’m pretty sure. I don’t think she could fake the fever...” He stopped, thinking of some of the things his own friend Heero ‘shouldn’t’ have been able to do. “No, she’s just some poor girl who somehow got lost in the desert and ended up with heat stroke. That has to be it.”

Quatre nodded in agreement. “All right Trowa, I trust your judgment.” He smiled at his friend and asked, “Do you know her name?”

Trowa shook his head. “No, I-”

”It’s Yaneesa,”

Both boys spun around to see the girl slowly sitting up on the bed. But how? Trowa thought, That medication should have kept her out for hours!

”My name is Yaneesa Trent, but you can call me Neesa.” Her voice was warm and light, tinged with... and English accent? Both Quatre and Trowa continued to stare at her as she ran a hand through her long black hair. “What? Is something wrong?” she asked finally.

Quatre blushed and Trowa looked away. Lowering her gaze, Neesa realized that she was nearly naked. “Oh! I see, you boys aren’t used to having girls around!” She let out a laugh and wrapped the blanket around herself. “Do you guys have anything I could wear? My rags over there aren’t all that appealing anymore.”

Finally snapping out of it, Quatre stepped forward. “Of course! Sorry for the, uh, awkwardness, we just-” he stopped, but she smiled as if she understood. “Anyhow, I am Quatre Raberba Winner, and this is my friend Trowa Barton. Pardon his cold exterior, he never shows more emotion than this.”

Neesa’s green eyes stopped on Trowa. “He seemed pretty concerned with saving me!” she said, winking at him. Trowa just blinked.

”Well, I am sure I can find you something to wear! It won’t exactly be flattering for a lady, but,”

”Thank you Quatre, whatever you have will be fine.” She gave him a warm smile. Quatre beamed and hurried over to his suitcase in the corner.

Standing in the middle of the room, Trowa was lost deep in thought. How could she be so alert already? The pill should have knocked her out! Maybe Quatre was right to doubt her...

”Trowa, huh?” she asked, bringing him back to reality. “You are the one who saved me, right?” He nodded. “Okay, guess I owe you then.”

”No you don’t. I just did what was... right.”

”Ah, you can speak after all! I was beginning to think I’d imagined it.” she teased. Trowa didn’t reply. After a moment, Neesa said, “Well,” but then fell silent again. The two remained awkwardly quiet until Quatre returned from his suitcase.

Carrying an oversized white t-shirt, that he most likely had never worn, Quatre said, “This is all that I have that would be suitable for lounging in.” He handed her the shirt, keeping a good distance from the bed.

Neesa pulled the shirt on and slowly stood up and stretched. The shirt hung on her thin body... which suddenly seemed too thin to Trowa, unhealthy even. “Thanks, it’s great! Comfy!” she replied cheerily.

For someone who had just survived what could have ended up as death, Neesa seemed too cheerful. Trowa turned his head as Quatre asked, “So how exactly did you get yourself lost in the desert?”

She didn’t appear to panic at the question... “Well, I wasn’t exactly lost.” she said. “I had been staying in a hotel in the city, I was there on a photoshoot.” She smiled when both arched their eyebrows. “Yes, I am a model. Anyway, the photographer decided he wanted better scenery than the city, so we packed up and went out into the sand dunes. I had my first, and last experience on a camel there! We were out in the middle of nowhere, taking pictures, when these... bandits attacked us. I had been on a camel, and the stupid thing got scared and took off. I hung on for as long as I could, but I eventually fell off, with a bunch of blankets and no water. Thankfully, I had enough sense to cover myself, rather than trying to get a tan!” She paused and smiled at each boy in turn. “I know that now the big question is if I was doing a swimsuit shoot, and yes, I was. Notice the bikini?”

Quatre blushed at the word. “So I-I suppose you just kept walking?” he asked.

”Yes, until I finally got here. You know the rest of it.” Neesa let out a laugh. “Trowa, you look as if you don’t believe me!”

Trowa let his gaze meet hers, keeping his face a complete void. He stared, not saying a word. Finally, Quatre said nervously, “Don’t worry Neesa, like I said, don’t expect much out of him. Hey, I’ll bet you're hungry. Should I have something ordered?”

Neesa nodded, still keeping her eyes locked on Trowa. “Sure, I could use some food.”

”Great! I’ll run over to the restaurant and have something sent up. I’ll be right back!” Quatre called as he rushed out the door.

Funny, a moment ago he thought she was a threat, now he’s catering to her! Trowa thought in amusement.

”So what is it about me that you suddenly don’t trust? Remember, you were the one who saved me in the first place!” While he had been watching Quatre leave, Neesa had crept up right behind him.

Turning around, Trowa asked, “What makes you think that?”

She laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. She was just too skinny... “Trowa, please. It is obvious that you don’t believe my story. What, am I too ugly to be a model?” She tapped his bare chest. “Seriously, even if you are as quiet and stony as Quatre claims, the look on your face tells me enough.”

”Neesa,” he said, looking into her eyes. She waited for him to say more, but he didn’t. He continued to stare blankly at her.

”Okay, fine!” she threw her hands up and turned away. “You win Trowa, all right? You are the King of No-Emotions! I won’t force you to speak anymore, I’ll just go sit on this side of the room by myself, and you go do whatever it is that you do.” She stomped over to the chair beside the door and threw herself down.

Trowa remained where he was, watching her silently. When she looked up and gave him a cold stare, Trowa finally turned away and left to get dressed.


When Trowa stepped out of the washroom, dressed in jeans and a loose blue shirt, he instantly noticed the aroma of food. The intense heat made it easy to forget about eating, and Trowa realized that he was famished.

Quatre had returned with a tray of fruits and breads, and another with pizza. Leave it to Quatre to find pizza in the middle of the desert, Trowa thought.

Walking over to the two chatting on one of the beds, suddenly best of friends, Trowa struggled to keep his blank face from growing angry. Quatre was the first not to trust Neesa, and now he was acting as if he had known her for years! But I was the one who told him to believe her...

”Hey Trowa! Finally decided to join us?” the blond boy asked with a warm smile. Neesa kept her eyes down and said nothing as Trowa sat on the complete opposite side from her.

Quatre looked from one to the other, then sighed. “Well, I see you two have gotten off to a great start. What did Trowa do, depress you too?”

Neesa forced a smile. “No, no I don’t think his ‘depression’ is contagious. But I’m afraid your friend doesn’t trust me. He thinks I’m some sort of thief or murderer or something.”

Quatre arched an eyebrow, giving Trowa a ‘But you told ME to trust her,’ look. “Trowa,” he said, “is that any way to treat a guest? A guest who nearly died, none the less!”

Trowa’s cheek twitched. When he raised his green eyes to look at his friend, Trowa muttered, “She seems pretty healthy to me.”

Neesa frowned and snapped, “What does that mean? That I lied?”

Trowa shifted his gaze to her. “I don’t know,” He stopped, looking as though he were going back into his spell of silence, then surprised them all by asking, “Don’t you think it’s a little strange that one minute you were unconscious and the next you’re up and... perky? And,” Trowa said, going for a record, “I find it really strange that you are fully alert after I gave you a pill that should have put you out for hours!”

Neesa and Quatre stared at him in shock. Quatre slowly looked over to the girl beside him and then moved away to sit closer to Trowa. Neesa laughed at this. “What? You guys think I’m dangerous?”

”I-I don’t know Neesa. I-if Trowa feels this strongly about y-you...” he trailed off.

”Quat-” Neesa was cut off by loud, angry voices from outside. Moving to the window, Trowa’s frown deepened. Three large men, dressed in tattered clothes and filth, were arguing with the innkeeper.

”I don’t care what your guests find offensive!” the fat man in the middle bellowed. “I want the girl found!”

”B-but sir, I can’t just let you search-”

The other man shouted something in a foreign language, and the innkeeper cringed. Jabbing a stout finger at the shorter man, the fat one hissed, “You know you have no choice. Now, let us begin.”

The innkeeper nodded in defeat. Shoving him aside, the three men made their way to the first door, only three away, and knocked. Trowa listened attentively as the man growled, “Let us in,” and shoved the occupant aside. So they were searching the rooms for a girl...

Trowa slowly turned around to see a frightened Neesa staring at the door. Hmm, Trowa thought, If she was just lost in the desert, why would she be afraid of these guys? Why are these guys...

”How many of them are there?” Quatre had appeared behind him, and was listening to the noise of the men throwing stuff around in the next room.

”Three,”

Quatre nodded. He moved his eyes to Neesa, no longer regarding her as a friend. “If we hide you, will you tell us the truth?”

Her emerald eyes widened in disbelief. “You’d help me?” she cried.

Quatre nodded again. “Let’s just say we know what it’s like to be hunted. So, do you promise to explain this to us if we hide you?”

”Of course! I’ll tell you whatever you want! Hell, I’ll DO whatever you want me to!”

A slight blush appeared on Quatre’s face, but he ignored it. They could hear the men coming out of the room next to theirs. “Okay, Trowa, you and Neesa get back in the bathroom. Trowa, strip down and pretend you are actually taking a shower. Neesa, hide in the corner of the shower behind the curtain. I’ll stay here and talk to them.”

Trowa gave Quatre a skeptical look. “And if they order me out of the shower?”

Quatre grinned. “That’s why you get naked. If they pull the curtain aside and see THAT, they’ll leave you alone.”

”But-” Trowa began to protest. Neesa was going to be in there with him...

A loud knock rang out. “Hey! Let us in!” a deep voice called from outside.

Giving Trowa a push to move, Quatre said, “Go, get in there. I’ll stall them a bit.” Nodding reluctantly, Trowa followed Neesa into the washroom and shut the door.

Quatre walked to the front door and asked sweetly, “Yes?” Another thump was his response. Taking a breath, Quatre opened the door. The blond boy looked at the men innocently. “Yes? How can I help you gentlemen?”

”Git outta our way. We gotta search the room.” The three filthy men pushed passed Quatre and began tearing the room apart.

Ducking as some of his clothes were thrown from his suitcase, Quatre cried in shock, “What do you mean? I have done nothing-”

His act was interrupted by the fat man glowering at him. “Shut up an’ stay outta our way an’ you won’t git hurt.” Quatre nodded nervously. The man suddenly noticed the sound of running water.

”Who’s in there?” he demanded.

Quatre pretended to cower at his tone. “My friend, he’s in the shower.” The man began stomping towards the washroom door, and Quatre chased after him. “K-kind sir!” he cried. “I don’t think my friend would appreciate being barged in on!”

The man slowly turned around and glared at Quatre. “Is that so? Amahl, keep this little brat out here, outta my way!” The man who had been looking in the closet came over and cornered Quatre.

”Oh my,” the boy muttered in feigned fear. The fat man then opened the door and walked into the bathroom.

The room was steamy, and the man silently crept toward the shower. He was sure he’d found her... Pulling the curtain open, he cried, “Ah ha-”

”Ahh!” Trowa shrieked, trying to conceal himself. The fat man blinked once, then quickly turned away grumbling. Obviously, the naked boy hadn’t been what he’d been looking for. When he reached the door, he turned back and gave the startled boy an evil stare, then left.

Pulling the shower curtain shut, Trowa sighed. Leave it to Quatre to make HIM expose himself... A slight giggle caught his attention, and Trowa turned around. Neesa had appeared from behind the curtain and was watching him.

”Nice butt,” she whispered, winking. Trowa felt his cheeks flare, and he quickly grabbed for his towel and wrapped it around himself. Quatre owed him for this! Looking back up, he saw Neesa still smirking at him.

”You were supposed to stay behind the curtain.”

”Yeah, but the guy is gone. It’s safe for me to come out.” Trowa just stared at her, once again expressionless. They heard the front door slam, and soon Quatre entered the bathroom. Trowa shut the water off and stepped out from the shower.

Neesa hopped out behind him. “Are they gone?”

”Yes,” Quatre sighed. The three men had literally torn the room apart, tossing all of Quatre’s neatly stacked belongings everywhere. It was going to take a lot of ironing to straighten his clothes out... “Okay Neesa, now I believe you have something to tell us,”

The girl dropped her head. Sitting on the edge of the bath tub, she sighed. “I-I know I said I’d tell, but...” her voice trailed off.

Pulling his clothes on in the corner, Trowa mumbled, “Huh, didn’t expect you to. Quatre, run outside and tell the guys that we found a girl.”

Catching on to the act, Quatre began making his way to the door. “I bet we’d even get a reward!” he said with a grin. Neesa’s head jerked up, her eyes wide.

”You wouldn’t,”

”I don’t know Neesa, you broke a promise,”

She stared hard at Quatre, then visibly shook. “Okay, okay, I’ll tell, but don’t-”

”We won’t,” Trowa said, toweling his brown hair.

Neesa swallowed. “I-I could be arrested for it,”

Quatre sat beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Neesa, we won’t turn you in. But, if you are going to be with us for a while, I think we should know why it is you are hiding.”

”Well, see, when we were on the photoshoot, it was those guys who attacked us. But, there were four of them. The fourth guy tried to- grab me, so I-I-” she swallowed again. “I always carry a small gun with me while on shoots in the, rougher areas, so I shot him. The shot scared my stupid camel, which then dragged me away, but not before the fat guy saw my face. I guess they want revenge now. You know the rest from there.”

Trowa looked to Quatre, who was smiling gently at Neesa. Somehow, something in her story still didn’t sound right to him. Trowa shook his head and opened the door.

”Let me guess, you still don’t believe me?”

Trowa stopped in the doorway. Keeping his back to her, he said quietly, “That doesn’t matter,”

”Would you like it better if I said that I was their love slave? That I ran away from the gypsy camp to find excitement, and they want me back?”

Trowa listened to her anger, still not looking back. He said nothing. “Well? Would you?” she cried. Still saying nothing, Trowa simply walked out of the room and put the TV on. “Aragghh!” Neesa screamed, burying her face in her hands.

Quatre patted her back lightly and soothed, “Don’t worry about him. Trowa is just... like that. You just need to get to know him, gain an... understanding.”

Neesa looked up, arching an eyebrow. “Do I take it that you are inviting me to stay with you? Even after you know what I did?”

Quatre blushed once again. “Well, until the people from the photoshoot can be contacted. I’ll have Rasid call the city and tell them we found you. I’m sure they’ll come for their model in no time. Until then, I guess we are roommates.”

Neesa smiled, but to Quatre’s dismay, her eyes were cold. Pushing the sudden worry to the back of his mind, Quatre stood and pulled Neesa to her feet. “Come on, you should really get some rest now.”

”Okay, and Quatre, thank you so much.” The blue eyed boy nodded as he helped her into one of the beds. Just as Neesa lay down, she caught sight of Trowa, sitting in front of the TV, silent, and completely oblivious to the world around him. Silently she cursed him, though she wasn't sure why.


Neesa had been with them for three days. Rasid had had no luck in finding ‘who she belonged to’ and had given up trying. Whoever it was Neesa had come with, they were just going to have to find her themselves.

They’d better hurry up, Trowa thought, because we leave in three days! What will Neesa do then? Trowa looked over at the still sleeping girl. It was early morning, and he was the only one up. Quatre was on the floor near the bed, as it was Trowa’s turn to have the bed.

He still didn’t trust Neesa, thought she was very nice to both of them. Trowa had to admit he didn’t mind having her around, she kind of reminded him of Duo, cheerful and fun... if only he knew her secret.

Neesa turned over and opened her eyes. Seeing Trowa was awake, she smiled sleepily. “Hi,” she whispered across the room.

Trowa blinked in reply. Neesa was starting to get used to his silent manner. “Still watching me, I see,” Another blink. Neesa yawned, then focused on Trowa, her face completely serious. “Trowa, what can I do to convince you to trust me? I’d like to get to know you, to become a friend, but it’s hard with you watching my every move, waiting for me to do something wrong.”

He turned his head to the side, and she could see him shut his eyes. “Why did that pill have no effect on you?” he asked suddenly.

Neesa looked away. He couldn’t know, could he? “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just immune or something.” she replied with a small smile.

Still not looking at her, Trowa asked, “Do you have an eating disorder, Neesa?”

What kind of question was that?! Quatre sat up. “Trowa,” he said in a scolding tone, “don’t ask her things like that!”

The two in the beds looked at the boy on the floor. “It’s okay Quatre, I know I’m thin. But no, I do not have an eating disorder, I’m just naturally scrawny.” Irritated, and silently alarmed by the question, Neesa turned over. “I’m going back to sleep. It’s early.”

Quatre looked up at Trowa and shook his head. Sometimes, his friend could just be so... unaware of everything! Quatre jumped as the phone in the kitchen began to ring. Who would know this number? Only Duo, Heero- Oh oh, Trowa must have had the same thought because he leapt out of bed and ran to the phone (which was strange, Trowa hated phones).

”Hello?”

”Trowa?” The voice sounded surprised.

”Yeah,”

”Oh, it’s Heero. We have a small problem here. I’m flying down there right now, my plane should land in about 30 mins. I’ll meet you and Quatre in the airport with your tickets then.”

”Okay,”

”Good.” CLICK. Heero was about as interested in small talk as Trowa was. Hanging the phone up, Trowa turned to see a very curious boy standing behind him.

”Who was it?”

”Heero,”

Quatre nodded. He hadn’t really expected anyone else. “Did he ask us to come back early?” Quatre tried not to sound disappointed. He was enjoying his time in the desert.

”Yes, he’s on a plane here now.”

”Oh!” It must be more urgent than he thought. “Did he say what it was about?” Trowa shook his head. “Hmm, I guess that’s Heero, can’t expect him to reveal his plans!”

”Who is Heero?” Neesa had been listening, now sitting up in her bed.

”A friend. He’s coming here.”

Neesa’s eyebrow raised. “And he’s taking you guys back now too, right?” Both boys nodded. “I see,” Neesa said quietly. “Well, I suppose I could find a job to pay for a room here...” she trailed off. Neither of the boys replied and Neesa rolled her eyes. “Hellooo, this is where you offer to pay for my room because I have NO money!”

Quatre laughed. “Of course! We couldn’t just leave you like that.” Trowa looked at his friend curiously. “Trowa, I’ve got enough money to pay for this room for another week. If the photoshoot people don’t find her by then, she can call and I’ll send more.” he said, as if that was really his friend’s concern.

”Hey, wait a minute! Why don’t you guys just take me with you to the airport, and then I’ll head back into the city myself?”

”But what if those other guys find you?”

”Uh, well, at least I’d have a better chance of escaping, and I might be able to find my co workers too! Besides, I want to wave good bye as your plane leaves.” she added with a shy smile.

Trowa eyed the hopeful girl. If she was willing to go to the city alone, why was she still staying with them?

”Well, I suppose so. Trowa, what do you think?”

The brown haired boy blinked. “Heero won’t like it,”

”Probably not, but then again, what DOES he like? I’m sure he’ll be okay with it.”

Trowa shrugged. It really didn’t matter to him. Even if Neesa was a threat, they’d be leaving her behind anyway. “I don’t mind.”

Neesa beamed. “Oh, you guys are the best! I’m going to miss you!” I think I’ve just found my way out. “So how soon is your friend getting here?”

”Half an hour,”

”And you are leaving immediately?!”

Trowa nodded. “Heero said we have to,”

Neesa regarded the boys suspiciously. What could be so urgent? “Do you know what the emergency is?”

Quatre jumped in. He hated lying to people, but Neesa couldn’t know who they were. “It’s my aunt, she’s very old and is quite sick. Heero has been taking care of her while I was away. I’m afraid- well, if he’s coming here, she must be much worse.”

”Oh, I’m sorry! That’s terrible.” Why didn’t she believe him? Could these two have a secret too? Neesa looked more closely at the boys. Yes... their eyes, they weren’t the innocent eyes of normal kids, they had seen more... More of what, she wasn’t sure. Even their stances, the ‘ever prepared’ posture, screamed out that Quatre and Trowa were not just the ordinary tourists they claimed to be. But what was it that they were hiding?

It doesn’t matter, Neesa scolded herself. I’ll be long gone soon enough.

”Well, I suppose we should pack up. I’ll have to tell the Maganacs we’ll be leaving earlier than they are.” Neesa turned to Quatre. Could the sweet boy really keep some terrible secret?

Trowa had already moved to his suitcase. Neesa smiled warmly. “I’ll help you guys. Just tell me where you want me to put stuff, kay?” Quatre, already hidden in his own suitcase, mumbled something.

Within 15 mins., the bags were packed and loaded into the jeep outside. As the three sped along the dusty road toward the city airport, with Trowa behind the wheel, Neesa couldn’t help but wonder what the reason for their haste really was.


They reached the airport exactly 30 mins. from when Heero had phoned. Grabbing their few suitcases, the three ran into the building to find Heero. “Wow, your friend must be really grumpy or something!”

Quatre glanced back at Neesa, who was trying to keep up. “Yeah, actually he is. Why do you ask?”

”Well, we obviously can’t keep him waiting, because we’re almost in a marathon here! Hey, there’s Gate 2B, the sign said his plane should arrive there.” Neesa pointed to the large double doors ahead of them.

The group stopped beside one of the pillars and dropped their luggage. Heero didn’t seem to be there yet. “Hey, I didn’t realize it, but I never got any pants from you Quatre! No wonder people have been gawking at me.” Quatre looked at Neesa, and saw that she was right. In their rush, they’d forgotten that she was dressed only in a large t-shirt. Oh well, too late to do anything about it now.

Quatre reached into his pocket and pulled out the wallet he had bought for Neesa. In it, he’d placed a cheque and the equivalent of $1000. “Here, you’d better take this now. It should last you a while, at least until you’re found.” Neesa took the wallet and nodded in thanks.

”Who is she?” Quatre jumped. Heero had been there all along!

”Heero, you scared me!” Quatre thought he saw a hint of a smile on the boy’s lips as he stepped out from behind the pillar.

”Who is she?” he hissed again, his blue eyes studying the dark haired girl.

”Hi, I’m Neesa Trent. You must be Heero! How is Quatre’s aunt?” Neesa said, offering her hand. Heero looked from her, down to her outstretched hand curiously, but made not move to shake it.

Quatre caught Neesa by the arm and gently pulled her back, away from Heero. “Uh, Neesa, if you thought Trowa was, um bad, Heero’s worse.”

The spiky brown haired boy raised an eyebrow, his face otherwise blank, yet... dangerous. Neesa let her eyes roam over his slender, yet muscular body, and knew that this boy was special. Heero only further proved that they were hiding something.

”Why is she here?” His blue eyes were cold, angry.

”Well,”

”I saved her,” Trowa said, surprising everyone. They had no doubt forgotten he was there. “She’s in some trouble, so we gave her a ride here.”

”Well let her leave now. Our plane takes off in 5 mins.”

”What?!” Quatre and Trowa cried in unison.

”We need to get back right away,”

”But-” Neesa began, but stopped as Heero glared at her. She sighed, her plan wasn’t going to be easy with him around.

”Here,” Heero handed the other boys their tickets. “We need to board now.”

”I guess this is good bye,” Neesa said, watching as Quatre slipped the ticket into his back pocket. Perfect.

”Yes, unfortunately so. It was wonderful to meet you Neesa. I hope you use the number I gave you and call sometime.”

”I will,” She turned to Trowa. “Hey, keep practicing, you’ll get the knack of speaking someday.” He nodded, though a trace of a half smile appeared behind his long bangs.

”We’ve got to go now,” Heero had already started walking away. Trowa and Quatre hurried after him.

”Wait! I’ll at least walk you to the gate!” Neesa hurried up the escalator and stood behind Heero, right in front of Quatre.

Half way up, she began. Quatre had turned back to Trowa, and Heero carefully stepped around her to get closer to the other boys. Just as he began to move down, Neesa leaned forward and pushed.

Heero let out a slight gasp as he stumbled forward, and bumped into Quatre. Neesa reached forward, snatched her prize, and ran up the escalator. Quatre lost his balance as Heero hit him, letting go of one of his bags, and watched in horror as it sailed to the floor. It hit the bottom with a thump, then exploded, sending Quatre’s belongings flying everywhere.

”Oh no!” Quatre pushed passed the other riders, running back down. Trowa looked at the crowd of potential thieves already gathered around the suitcase.

”Come on, we’d better help him.” Trowa said to Heero, already running down the steps.

Heero glanced back over his shoulder. Where was the girl? He couldn’t have fallen on his own, not him! Giving up in frustration, Heero reached the top of the escalator and quickly got on the DOWN one.

”No, no! Hey, put that down!” Quatre frantically ran around his stuff, shooing away spectators and thieves. Trowa walked over to him with an armload of clothes.

Dropping them into the open suitcase, Trowa said, “That was a great trick back there, Quatre,”

”Excuse me, but someone bumped me!” The blond boy was visibly shaking over the loss of some of his belongings. Tossing the last item in, Quatre bent down to close the suitcase. He looked up as two yellow-booted feet stopped in front of him. “Heero, if this was some sort of joke-”

The brown haired boy frowned at the word. “Where is your friend?” he asked sharply.

”Neesa? I don’t know! She probably went to ask the lady at the gate to wait for us.” Quatre replied as he piled his bags in his arms again.

Giving a nasty grin, Heero said, “You’d better learn someday Quatre,”

The three boys got on the escalator and rode to the top safely. When they got off, Quatre asked, “What does that mean?”

Heero pointed to the gate ahead of them. Neesa was no where to be seen. Trowa swallowed, following a bit behind the two. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Trowa’s green eyes moved to the pocket where Quatre had placed his ticket...

”Well, she-”

”Heero’s right!” Trowa blurted out. The two ahead of him stopped and turned back in astonishment. “Look in your pocket, Quatre. Where is your ticket?”

Quatre did as he was told, his eyes widening in disbelief. “I-it’s gone! Neesa? No!”

Heero’s frown deepened. “I’m going to see if she’s around here somewhere,” he hissed, stalking off like a hunter on the prowl.

”Oh no, he’ll kill her if he finds her! Heero! Trowa-”

The other boy had him by the arm and was pulling him to the gate. “Tell them,”

Quatre blinked, then snapped to alertness and understanding. “Yes,” he said. “Excuse me madam, but I’d like to report a stolen ticket.”

The woman behind the desk looked up. “I’m sorry, you’ll have to talk to security.”

”No, I’m supposed to be on this flight, I had my ticket a minute ago, but now it’s gone!” Quatre realized how pathetic he sounded. The woman’s cold stare made him blush.

”Sir, I can’t let you on the plane without a ticket-”

”Of course not! But-”

”Did a girl with long black hair, wearing only a white t-shirt get on yet?” Quatre looked to his side. Heero had appeared, obviously unsuccessful in his search.

”I’m sorry sir, I don’t know. Excuse me, the plane is leaving now. Boarding is closed.”

”Wait!”

”We’re closed!” the woman snapped, sliding her window shut.

”What are we going to do?” Quatre wailed, slumping against the desk. He couldn’t believe this! Not Neesa!

”Well, with enough money we can get you another ticket. Hopefully, if we explain the problem, we’ll all be on the next flight in two hours.” Heero said quietly. His head was down, hiding his face. He’d known something wasn’t right about that girl...

”Come on,” Trowa said after a moment, bringing them all back to reality. “Let’s go talk to security.”


As the plane took off, Neesa leaned back into the comfortable seat. Finally, her real mission could begin. Too bad it had to start off this way... Looking out the window at the dry land below, the green eyed girl whispered, “Sorry guys, you’d understand if you knew...”

END PART I

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