Gone

Hidy-ho good neighbor! Here I am again with my next chapter!!!! Disclaimers: The original characters are mine ( if there any) The Gundam boys and girls are not mine. They belong to Bandi and Sunrise. This is just for fun, I have no intention of making money on this kind of entertainment… ( as if I’m that good! lol!)

 
 
Gone

 
Chapter 5

 
Hilde shifted the file folder in her hand. It had all the information from the internet she had gathered , including the manifesto. Sally had told her she would be presenting it and her thoughts on all the information. She had spent most of the night in the computer room going through all of it and making sure it was what she needed for her presentation. She never made it back to the women’s barracks. She rubbed her eyes with her free hand. She would crash after this was all done. She had spent time with Duo and then left him when he fell asleep. Now it was 08hundred and she had to go to this meeting. As she stepped out into the main hallway, she paused as she came behind Duo. She followed behind him, wincing as he took each labored step. She shook her head. His injuries were worse than he had let on. She sighed softly. Why did these silly boys think they had to be so strong. They were human after all, well with the exception of Heero. The things Duo had told her he had done, made her wonder about him. Duo said he had set his own leg, and self-destructed his Gundam and survived! She shivered slightly. She watched Duo struggle on a bit more then made a decision. She moved the file from her hand to under her arm. She took a few quick steps and moved next to him.
“Hi, Duo.” She said, softly, then reached for his arm.” Let me help you. Lean on me, Duo.”
He looked at her and shook his head. “I can’t ,Hilde, I have to this alone. Wouldn’t want any one to think I was weak.”
“Who would think that?” Then she snorted, “Since when do you care what WuFei thinks?”
“Since I screwed up the last mission.”
She shook her head, “You didn’t screw up anything. It worked out alright. Wu Fei is just a hard head. Besides, if you don’t let me help you, you’ll be late and Une will be pissed off. You know how she gets.”
“Hilde.”
“OK,” She said, stepping back from him. “I forgot, you have to be strong. God forbid if someone would help you in any way, shape, or form.”
Duo sighed, “You know it’s not that way, Hilde.”
“You know, Duo, I don’t know. Every time I try to help you, or get close to you, you push me away. In one breath you claim to love me, then in the next you say go away. Which is it?”
She sighed and shifted the folder once more. She turned to him once more and smiled. “Well, if you want to do this alone, I’ll go. I’ll tell Une you will be late.”
She turned and started to take a few steps, going slow just in case he changed his mind.
“Hilde, wait!”
She turned and looked at him.
“Ok, I’ll gladly take your shoulder, Babe. I guess I do need you.” He smiled at her, as she came back to his side. “Besides, If any one asks we could all ways say we were necking in the closet.”
“Duo!”
He shrugged as he put his arm around her shoulders and leaned heavily on her. He sighed as some of the pressure was relieved. “Thanks, Hilde.” He said, as he pecked her cheek with a soft kiss.
As they walked to the meeting, He looked at the file under her arm.
“What’s that ,Hilde?”
“This? All the information I got from the internet about our … what do I call them? We don’t even know what they want or what they are doing.”
“Yeah. I don’t get it either.”
They walked in comfortable silence the rest of the way to the meeting.
Une and Sally looked up as they entered the room. Une frowned , but Sally grinned.
Duo disengaged his arm from Hilde’s Shoulders but clasped his hand around hers as they found a place to sit. Their fingers intertwined as they sat beside each other.
Une looked around, taking a head count. “ Who’s not here yet?”
No one said anything.
She glanced at her watch. “Ok ,people. It’s 8:45. We will begin this meeting in fifteen minutes. Presenters, please be prepared.” She turned to Sally.
Sally nodded and turned to the group as the last of the stragglers came in.
At exactly 9 am, Sally rapped on the desk. “ok. I think you all know why we are here.” She looked around the room and saw a few heads nod in agreement.
“Ok. Let’s get started.” She looked down at her paperwork. “For anyone who knows how to fly a mobile suit and that includes the Gundams, I would like to see you all after the meeting.” She looked directly at Hilde.
Hilde nodded, even though Dpokepoked her in the ribs.
“I have to go, Duo, She knows I can fly one.” She whispered to him.
“I know,” He answered back, “But I don’t have to like it.”
She nodded as she turned back to the front. When she was called she stood and presented all her information. When some one asked her how she accessed the information, She smiled.
“Actually it was easy. They wanted us to find this. I haven’t figured out why they didn’t publish it in the news paper, or why they only wanted us to find it. I’m beginning to think this is really a plot against the Preventers and not the places mentioned here. I was really angry at first, but why wouldn’t they demand something? Perhaps this is a way to make the Preventers to look bad. If we look like we couldn’t handle a crisis like this, then we could be disbanded. I’m sure there a political parties that would love to see the preventers fall.” She looked at Relena. “Relena do you know of any people who are high in the political circles that could benefit from the fall of the preventers?”
Relena snorted . “All of them.” She stood as Hilde left the podium, giving Relena the floor. She held up the copy that Hilde gave her. “ I feel that this is a farce. A cover up. I think there are some political people we should check into, very discreetly. I am not positive that any of them are involved. I may run in those circles, I am not allowed in all of them.”
She looked out at them, “ I am not fully trusted, because of my involvement with the Gundam pilots. People still fear them.”
Hilde watched her friend as she spoke, trying to catch things her body language was saying that her words could not.
Duo leaned over and whispered in her ear, “It’s gote te tough for her, Not being trusted.”
Hilde nodded, feeling sympathy for her. “Yeah.”
Someone shouted from the back of the room. “Yeah, so how do we find out who these cooked guys are?”
Relena sighed, “Isn’t that your job?”
Heero stood and glared at the shouter before he could say another word.
Une stood, “People. Please! We are all on the same side.”
Relena smiled and said, “We will have to work together. I have a few names of suspect senators.” She held up a finger. “But, we must be discreet!”
The room became noisy with the drone of several voices as Relena stepped a way from the podium. Une cleared her voice as she stepped up to take Relena’s place.
“Any questions?” There was silence. “Good. You will proceed to the front as I call out you and your partner’s name to receive your assignments. This meeting is adjourned.”
Hilde leaned back in her chair as she felt Duo’s fingers find hers again. He squeezed them as she looked over at him.
He grinned and she grinned back at him.
They were both jolted out of their daydreams when their names were called.
“We’re partners?” She whispered to him.
He shrugged, and looked at her. “If Une says it’s so, then we are!”
She helped him to his feet and the went to the front.
Unokedoked at him. “Since you are still recovering you are grounded as of right now. You will be helping Hilde in her research at this time.” She saw the disappointed look on Duo’s face, “But you two will train in the simulator, until you are fit to fly again, Duo. Now, you both need to see Sally in the hallway.”
As they left, Hilde glanced at him, “Sorry, Duo.”
“Huh? What for?”
“You getting grounded and stuck with me.”
“Ah, don’t worry about it. We still have the simulator!” He smirked. “I can’t wait to whip you in that thing.”
Hilde ’s mouth shot open and she growled at him, “We’ll see about that, Duo Maxwell!”
He laughed, knowing he had just challenged her into a good hard battle.
Sally looked at them as they stepped up to her. She handed them their simulator times. As they looked over the times, Sally looked at Hilde.
“I’m reinstating you as a mobile suit pilot, Hilde.”
Duo opened his mouth to protest. Sally silenced him with a finger. “It’s only if we need her, Duo. Otherwise, she stays on base. I need her more that the mobile suits do. But you both still need to practice! Got that?”
They both nodded and began to walk away, Duo slinging his arm over Hilde’s shoulders.
Sally smiled as she watched their retreating backs.
“So where to, now, Bab “I “I just want to sleep. I was up all night.”
He smiled. “I know the perfect place.”
“Where’s that?” She wondered as he led her toward his secret place.
“Oh, it’s a quiet little place only us Gundam pilots know.”
He led her to the hanger and past the mechanics stations and around the corner to a small room. He opened the door and flipped the light switch.
Hilde’s mouth dropped open. “Wow! Duo! This is cool! Is this your little hideout?”
He nodded. She looked around the room, noticing the couch, a small table, a TV, DVD player and a frig. She walked over to the couch and laid down. She stretched out and closed her eyes. Duo limped over to the table and gazed at the girl on the couch.
Hilde opened her eyes and motioned Duo over to her, She turned on her side. Allowing him room to lay beside her. He climbed beside and pulled her close to him, wrapping his arm around her.
“You know, we should take advantage of this quiet before the storm because when all hell breaks loose there will be no time for us.”
“Shut up and kiss me.”

To be continued…………..