Attempt
“I just want to know if they’ll treat me like a child or a
bed-warmer...or both.” Nikki’s tone was a little annoyed.
I thought about that a second, “I’m sure a few of them know you.
There is one computer specialist who was in the war...I’m sure he does...other than
that...” I shrugged, completely unsure.
I hadn’t even thought about how these people would treat
her...she was obviously young...younger than me...
I sincerely hoped they wouldn’t treat her as a bed-warmer.
My call to Duo was brief as I explained what was going on and
Nikki slid off the desk.
It wasn’t so much that it bothered me really...it was the way it
looked.
She was wearing a pair of black low-cut slacks...I had no
idea where she got those...not that they looked bad...and a black low-cut spaghetti
strapped shirt under a nice black sweater with black high heeled shoes...shoe
shoes with a silver clasp...not normal high heels like stilettos or anything...and her was
partly held up by a silver barrette.
Had anyone seen her leaning over the desk at me the way she had
been...they would instantly dismiss her.
That had been fun...and typical...I’d been tempted to pretend I
couldn’t make myself look away, but settled for pretending to be trying not to look
down.
It wasn’t that I was intending to treat her like an
employee...but in front of my other staff, that was the way it needed to be...
I was, however, a little peeved with her dismissal of me being her
employer...I wondered if she did have enough money...and where she got it if she
did.
She flicked her hair at me, “Mr. Winner...”
I gave her a level look.
She ignored that, “Let’s go.”
I sighed, standing, “Nikki, don’t call me that...it’s as bad as
Master Quatre...from you, at least...”
She stopped before opening the door, turning back to me, “All
right. But what about in public?”
I thought about that, “I’m sure they all know you’ve been staying
with me. It’ll be obvious we’re friends...maybe that won’t encourage them seeing you as
a gold digger...” I sighed, “We’ll see.”
Everyone stood quickly as I held the door open for Nikki...a lot of
walls and doors were made of glass here...
Nikki stood to one side and let me lead to the head of the table,
“Good day, everyone.”
There were murmured greetings as we stopped.
“Well,” I looked them all over, “I’m sure some of you have been
wondering who this young lady is...” I gestured to Nikki.
She nodded her head and everyone focused on her...They’d all
seen her walking with me this morning as I made my rounds.
“This is Nicole Kaze.” I tried to fight my grin at the shocked
looks, “She’s my new personal assistant.”
People stood and started coming forward to introduce
themselves...I was sure they’d seen her in the pictures the media took and on TV
also...they knew that she’d been traveling with me...I hoped they weren’t going to treat
her as a bed warmer...
Nikki was the picture of a socialite as she returned their greeting.
When the former communications expert reached her, he paused and just looked at her.
Finally Nikki tilted her head slightly and he snapped out of it.
The meeting was long, but as we went to join Duo, Heero, Kris,
Kat, and Sam for lunch, Nikki was near skipping and full of energy.
“That went well.” she noted as I held a door open for her.
I nodded, wishing I had her same enthusiasm...but
something was bothering me.
When we got out of the taxi, I was evidently not going fast
enough for her. She grabbed my hand and pulled me along...something...I
allowed her to lead me as I looked around, trying to figure it out.
Heero was waiting on the sidewalk in front of the cafe as we
approached. Nikki let go of me and dashed for him. His smile lighted up...then dropped,
he looked at me for the briefest of instants, then focused past me, his expression
changing to pissed.
I caught up to her fast, then grabbed her and pulled her down as
he drew his gun, aiming.
A bullet passed where her head had just been and hit Heero in the
shoulder.
She gasped as we hit the ground, but stayed behind me as Heero
also shot and I stood...then I shot.
The man who’d tried to kill her was disappearing around a
corner.
Heero took off after him.
I turned to Nikki, “Are you all right?”
Her eyes were wide as she looked at me and I could almost see
her heartbeat.
“Nikki?”
Duo and Zechs appeared from inside and disappeared after
them.
I smiled as Nikki finally came into view.
It had been a long boring morning, and seeing her that close to
skipping and pulling Quatre along with a smile on her face, made me feel immeasurably
better.
Something behind them caught my eye and I stopped smiling as
she started to run to me. I held Quatre’s eyes for a moment...not even half a
second...then everything hit slow motion...
A bullet speeding at her head...Quatre was chasing after her and
pulled her down within two feet of me as I drew my gun...The breath was knocked out of
me at the sharp pain in my shoulder...I could hear Nikki gasp...I ignored that, shooting.
Quatre had stood and also shot as Nikki remained low behind him. I could see Duo and
Zechs stand from where they sat inside.
Then the man was running away and I started after him. There
was no way the asshole was getting away with that shit...had I not seen him, that would
have been a direct hit to her head.
It didn’t take long before we were getting to the crappy run-down
part of the city. He turned down an alleyway and I followed, ignoring the pain in my
shoulder...knowing Duo and Zechs would catch up...wishing for something to stop the
bleeding...
We turned into another alley and he jumped a wall, I was about
to follow as Duo turned the corner.
“Heero!” his tone was filled with warning.
I stopped, turning on him, absolutely pissed, “What the
fuck!”
He ignored me and ripped part of the hem of his shirt off,
pressing me against the wall and the wad against my wound as Zechs also appeared...I
could now hear Nikki hailing Trowa, Wufei, or Sally over the walkies.
“That way.” I pointed, allowing Duo to move my shirt so he
could check the hole.
Zechs didn’t say anything, but jumped to look over the wall. He
didn’t move any further over it, though, he held himself there and watched a moment,
then dropped back down.
“Let’s go. There’re more.”
I took the cloth from Duo and followed as they went back the
way we’d come.
Nikki was standing in the entrance to an alleyway with the others
as we returned. As we approached I could hear her talking to Wufei and telling him what
happened.
“Heero,” his voice had went firm, “Get your ass here. Let
someone look at it.”
I sighed, hitting the button, “It’s fine.”
“No. Now.”
Duo grabbed my left arm...the shot was in that shoulder... “We
doing this the easy way, or the hard way?” he pushed slightly on the arm.
I stared at him a second as pain blossomed...taking deep breaths
but not actually flinching. Nikki gave him a dirty look and came to me.
“Omaesan...please?” she used her meek tone.
I closed my eyes a moment, then nodded.
The entire trip to the base was silent. We had an agreement with
the Preventers to store our suits...so we could go there without the annoying questions
that accompanied normal hospitals...and, unlike the general public, the Preventers knew
we were on the brink of war.
Noin had brought her van, so we piled in that. Early on...it was a
long trip...Duo had insisted on checking the hole and Nikki’d made me take off my shirt
so he could...but other than that I didn’t say anything. I didn’t let myself flinch as he
popped the bullet out with his knife...or at any of the other tortures he decided to inflict
on me...I knew he knew what he was doing...but really...
I was amused as Zechs passed Duo a bottle of sterelizer...leave it
to Noin to carry a complete military first aid kit...
The near strangled silence continued as the nurse asked me a few
questions and had me follow her into a room.
Nikki didn’t let go of my hand the entire time. I wasn’t annoyed
with Duo for stopping me...since it’d been a trap...but I’d acted annoyed. I’d been pissed
for that first instant. But I was really grateful...anger had a way of carrying me
away...especially when it was something to do with Nikki.
Kyeian
