Title: Nothing Goes Like Planned
Author: Catrina
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing.
Summary: Sally gets kicked out of her apartment, when Wufei comes back he actually helps her out and allows her to stay at his place, then their work life gets turned upside down. What! Sally and Wufei aren't partners anymore…
Authors Notes: The title comes from the fact that the first time I proof read this I noticed that every plan Sally had got foiled by someone, usually to her dislike. But anyway this story along with More Than a Partner I wrote when I just finished watching the series almost 5 years ago. These aren't my best fics, but I'll never get them perfect.
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The couch in the office was bumpy and old and right in the middle of her back was that annoying spring that always found a way to create a knot right there to last the whole day. It really didn't matter which way she laid, the couch always found away to hurt her. She watched as the early morning light started to creep its way across her office floor. She knew soon, some one would find out that she had been kick out of her apartment, but even though she was looking the Preventer Apartments were full and well it was hard to find an apartment when you are a Preventer. The last landlord had been a sexist, and she had moved in while his wife was leasing the apartments out while he was sick. When her husband returned he had been trying to get her kick-out, well she was late one day on her payment she was out. He would listen to none of her excuses, he didn't care that she was on a mission in the middle of an icy no where, all he cared about was that his rent was one day late and he could finally get rid of her.
"Sally!" She heard the knock on her door and listen as Noin then knocked again. Luckily she hadn't been able to sleep all night so she had gone to the locker rooms earlier and showered she almost looked like she just got here. She got up walked slowly to the door, unlocked it and let her best friend in. "Sally, I dropped by your apartment last night." Noin said staring directly at her blue eyes watching Sally carefully.
"Um, yeah?" Sally said not sure what to say.
"Well I know that you are not living with someone that ugly and you don't have two kids. So when did you get kicked out?" She asked, she watched Sally falter and knew that she had hit it right on the head. "Sally, why didn't you call me?"
"Well, you just moved in with Zechs and well…" Sally stuttered, she hated that someone knew.
"What about Wufei?" Noin asked. Her eyes watched as Sally's mind kicked into gear.
"He is on a solo mission, he comes back today." She said in almost horror.
"How could I have been such an idiot?" Noin asked herself as she looked around and saw the boxes and the closet stuffed full of her belongings. "And sleeping on that couch?" She asked pointing to the infernal thing.
"I just can't find anywhere that will take me." Sally told her. "Right now it's no biggie, just a couple more weeks, on the two I've been her and it will be fine."
"I'm gonna find you an apartment." Noin said as she turned and walked out. Well that went well she thought, but then he walked in.
"Woman…"
"Wufei." She said with a smile, "Welcome back."
00-00-00-00
He stood outside the door listening to the two women. Why would Sally choose to stay here at the office when she had keys to his apartment? He watched Noin storm out then looked in the office. There she was, his block-headed, woman partner, who was to damn stubborn for her own good. Her dark blond hair was in their twist on either side of her head, he still had yet to figure out how she did that. She stood there lost in boxes and looking around as though she was trying to convince herself that it really wasn't that bad. But it was bad; he had slept on that couch once and then complained to her about it the next day. He walked in and watched as she looked up at him.
"Woman…" he started
"Wufei welcome back." She told him. His onyx eyes watched her and then he went to the corner and looked in one of the boxes, it was some of the meager things that she had once had in her kitchen.
"Woman, this is an injustice, you do not live in your work place. This is not right." He said bluntly, looking her over, in the past six years things had changed, not a lot but some. He was still the same old Wufei, but now he was taller over six feet, but still thin. He had broad shoulders and trim hips and all of it was muscle he had gained through hard work in the Preventers work out room. She on the other had had changed very little, except now she had lost weight making her smaller and more petite and the weight that she had lost she has turned the rest into muscle. She now had to look up to him. And right now she didn't like the way that he was watching her.
"Why didn't you go to my apartment?" He asked insulted.
"Well, I would never do anything like that with out asking first." She said avoiding meeting his eyes, honestly going to Wufei's apartment, with out Wufei, felt wrong.
"I will not allow you to live her anymore, you will move in with me and join me in the guest-room." He said with finality
"Wufei, no." She told him, they drove each other nuts at work how in the world would they ever be able to live together.
"Where's your jeep?" He asked wanting to get started loading up.
"Well…"
"Well what woman I don't have all day."
"It's broke down, in the shop and well I don't know when I'll be getting it back."
"Woman, you have problems." He said huffily.
"No I don't and Wufei there is no way I can live with you, I can barely stand you."
"You have no choice, during lunch we will load up the jeep, and we will leave at five." He said then turned and walked out. He slammed the door behind him, what had he done? He asked himself, they barely got along as it was, they would never be able to live together. He would have a day or so off, or until he got his next orders. He was still amazed at how much the Preventers organization had grown. They were still in the original building, but the new one was almost complete and he and Sally would have offices on one of the top floors. When he and Sally had first joined it had been just them and a hand full of others, now there were branches on the colonies and more scattered over the earth. All were under Une's control of course. She ran it well and strictly. The other Gundam pilots had joined and somewhere along the line each group got signed what they called Relena Duty. Though he had to give Relena credit. There had been no more incidents that had gotten to far and because of her, no one really wanted to anymore. There were always those that still thought of her as the Queen of Oz, but most accepted the way things were and the Preventers smashed everyone else.
Finally when noon rolled around, he took a Preventer jeep and reversed in behind Sally's office window. She turned around when she heard the noise startled until she realized who it was. He still couldn't believe that he was going through with this.
She couldn't either, she watched as he reversed to their office window and then he stood in the back of the jeep and waited for her to open the window, which she took her time doing.
"About time woman, hand me out your things." He ordered looking at her.
"Wufei, you don't have to do this, I'll find my own place soon." She said trying to get him to see reason.
"Woman, I told you, you would live at my place so you will." She could tell that she didn't really have a prayer of convincing him otherwise. So she started to hand him out boxes, tossing them through the window and the he would set them in the jeep. After everything was loaded she glared at him, letting him know that she wasn't happy with the arrangement then, pulled the window shut.
He wasn't too happy with it either, he really didn't know why he was doing this. It must be the small very small percent of gentleman in him, he finally decided.
00-00-00-00
"You mean you are going to live with Wufei?" Noin asked for the third time.
"He really didn't give me much of a choice. He just kinda told me and then I had this feeling that if I didn't just pack up my things I would have found it done for me later." She said. "I don't know why he feels he has to do this."
"He feels it an injustice." Noin said already sure of it.
"Something along the lines of that…" Sally looked up at the clock.
"Coming at five?" Noin asked.
"Yeah, how'd ya know?" Sally asked.
"That the fifth time you looked at the clock in this minute." Noin said laughing. "Hey, Wufei." Noin said as she turned around.
"Woman," he nodded his head as a greeting and Noin rolled her eyes. "Ready?" He asked Sally. She nodded.
"I'm riding the bike," he said referring to his motorcycle, "you follow me in the jeep. Then after we unload we will return the Jeep."
"Hey, I have to take a jeep home tonight, how about I follow you guys, then take the jeep you have home, it's on my way."
"Well…"Sally started.
"Fine, let's go." He said then turned and walked out. Sally glared at his back the whole time. Then looked at turned to glare at Noin.
"Have you ever ridden on a bike with him?" Noin shook her head.
"It can't be that bad," Noin said.
"Oh yeah, you'll see." She locked up her office and the walked with Noin out to the parking lot, where Wufei was waiting. He sat straddling the motorcycle waiting and as soon as he saw them pulled his helmet on and the engine roared to life. He threw Noin the keys to the Jeep and watched Sally as she approached the bike. He picked the helmet off the back and then threw it to her and she put it on her head fastening it tightly. She threw her leg over the back of the bike and then he could feel as she got settled, not bothering to ask if she was ready he let the gas flow as the bike flew toward the street. He heard her gasp and couldn't help but smirk. They got the edge of the parking lot and once again another jackrabbit start, this time he felt her arms go around his waist as she pulled herself closer to him. She was nervous, he could tell, and it was so much fun, he thought as he almost laughed out loud, pushing the gas to the point where the front wheel was nearly off the ground. When he pulled into his apartment complex he grabbed the first parking space and shut off the engine. She ripped the helmet off her head and got off the back of the bike to see Noin pull in and park next to them, her face was a mixture of humor and worry.
"Let's get you moved in shall we?" Noin said, by the look on Sally's face she wasn't going to be bringing up that bike ride. Noin had had to go 10 over the speed limit to even keep up and then the jackrabbit starts and the sudden stops she realized why Sally had been so worried about the ride. Sally didn't even have a ride right now her old jeep junked out at her old apartment building and since it had only been a block away from headquarters so she just walked. Wufei lived about five miles away, and that would be a long walk. The moved all the boxes in, and when Noin left, she and Wufei just kind of stared at each other thinking, 'what now.'
Wufei was the first to talk. "You room is right there," he said pointing to the door on the right wall of the hall. "Only one bathroom, right there," he said pointing to the room at the end of the hall. She nodded and headed for her room.
"Wufei," she said turning around and then waiting for him to do the same, she looked into his dark eyes and honestly said, "Thank you." He nodded and then went into his room to sleep.
"It's been a long day woman, be quite." He told her. She drifted through the apartment, she had been here before, been in every room but his, and now she couldn't resist. She opened the door a crack and realized that he had fallen asleep with the lamp on. His dark hair had fanned out around his head on his dark sheets. His chest was bare and she didn't really want to know how bare the rest of him was. He had a massive bed, which she wouldn't have thought, but then realized that it looked antique and may have been a gift or something from his past. She looked at him realizing that in times like this she could still look at him as a child, but she wasn't. She knew that he was a man and what scared her was she saw him a one, a very attractive, desirable man and that worried her.
Wufei sat up when he heard the door close. He had sensed her the minute that she had opened the door, but what was she doing? He lay back, unable to think about sleep, it was the one thing that wouldn't come to him tonight. His thoughts were filled with her, his partner and for some reason he was sure that she would haunt his dreams. He was right.
00-00-00-00
She woke up early, with no knots in her back. It had taken her all of a half-hour to unpack, though most of her possessions were still in boxes her clothes were out and hanging in the closet. She went to the bathroom carrying a little bag of her goodies and then laid her head against Wufei's door. She could hear him deeply breathing then the ruffle of sheets as he turned. It was only five in the morning. She went took a shower, did her hair and then applied make-up, then went to her room to get dress. About 6:30 she went to the kitchen to dig around. Finding what she wanted she started the coffee then drank what she could. The morning was quite and uneventful even thought Wufei had loved the coffee smell then getting only one cup of it he felt the need to grumble about it the rest of the time. The bike ride woke him up though. And he did enjoy scaring the crap out of his long time partner. He had both her hands dug into his stomach and had her body pulled tightly against his. They pulled into the lot and headed to the office. From the minute they got in the office everything was back to normal.
"Woman, where the damn coffee?" He asked looking around that area. She got up from her chair then walked to the cupboard and threw it at him; he caught it right before it hit his face. "Damn woman." He muttered. They sat at desks on opposite sides of the room and as they dug through paper work from there last missions. Noin stuck her head in about an hour later and smiled.
"Hey, Une wants to see you two." She said.
"What does the infernal woman want now?" He muttered.
"Wufei she is the boss, maybe you should respect her a little bit." She said as she walked through the halls beside him.
"She is still just a woman."
"I'm just a woman."
"I know." He muttered.
"Hey what did that mean!" she yelled as they came to stand outside Une's door.
"It means you are still a weak woman." He said as he pushed the door opened; Sally followed a look of fury on her face. Six years and she was still nothing but a woman.
"Sally, Wufei, I have a mission, pure reconnaissance. I need you to go to Siberia; up there in this area," she said pointing on the map where they were headed, "it seems that there are some building there that have just become active again in the last week. They used to store mobile suits here, and modify them, and we want to know what is going on. The area is mountainous, the only way in is the truck route that they are using, and it would work best to repel in then to climb out. Check out the area, we will probably have to destroy it later on, but we want to know what they are doing first. And next week you guys have training duty. Good luck you have four hours before you leave," She told them
"Short and Sweet," Sally said looking at Une.
"Pretty easy for you guys." She said.
"Unless you are just another weak woman." Sally said before turning to get ready. Une looked at Wufei who shrugged his shoulders and then left.
00-00-00-00
It didn't take to long before they were on their way, Sally still mad at Wufei was silent and Wufei who was Wufei was also silent. They drove into the area as far as they could and started their hike. The hike was about two miles in complete silence and it didn't take long to find the area. Sally took out her binoculars watched as two men in a large truck pulled into the yard. She and Wufei stood on top of the cliff looking down over the courtyard of the busy warehouse; it was obvious they were up to something. She threw the rope that she had packed over the side of the cliff after securing it to a tree, and then both she and Wufei repelled down, to take a closer look.
"How many do you see?" Sally asked as they hid in the bushed watching.
"Fifty, over." He stated. She nodded saying she had gotten close to the same. "Take the damn pictures woman and let's get out of here."
"Wufei, doesn't that look like a mobile suit?" She asked. He looked where she was pointing and nodded.
"Not even half done." He stated almost like it didn't deserve his attention. She took a quick picture and then they headed back up the cliff where they climbed up the stair-stepped rock together. Wufei pulled himself to the top then stopped. Sally sensing that something was wrong stayed put listening to the conversation above.
"Now look what we caught. It looks like a… Preventer, by the looks of the uniform." One voice said. Wufei looked from one to another. One was slightly taller and looked a little bit tougher. Neither one had a gun present.
"Knock him out and let's get outta here." Wufei looked behind him and not seeing Sally he knew that she was doing the smart thing and staying down. The first one walked towards him and he simply grabbed his arm, locking it up to the point of almost breaking his arm. Then sent the man hurling over the cliff, the man was too in shock to scream. He heard Sally let out a small scream, but he really didn't have time to worry about her, he made quick work of the other one, slamming him into a tree, and then ran over to the side of the cliff, leaning over the cliff.
"Sally!" he yelled quietly, laying down on the cold snow and looking over the cliff to see if she was still there. He saw her holding on to a small piece of rock with the man that he had thrown over the cliff holding onto her leg. She looked up, her blue eyes clam but worried and whispered.
"Shoot him." She wasn't asking, she was telling he could see it in her eyes. He grabbed his side arm, quickly put on the silencer then took aim. He then looked to Sally his dark eyes looking into hers calming her. He fired his gun and the bullet entered that man's shoulder and he let go falling the rest of the way down the cliff.
"Give me you hand." He ordered, she reached up placing her hand in his. His dark hand wrapped around hers, it was cold and shaking. "It's okay Sally, I've got you." He pulled her up a little ways and she helped. When she was half over the cliff she wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her up holding her slightly letting the worry he felt disappear as he held her in his arms. He pushed her away and looked down realizing that she was saying something.
"…Let's get back to the jeep and call Une, we've been compromised." She said.
"Screw calling Une," He said in frustration, "Just call headquarters and tell them to send a prisoner plane. We might as well just blow the place too." She smiled at him already knowing what was next; "I have explosives in the jeep."
"Let's go." She said with a smile, if it was anyone other that Wufei she never would have done this, but it was so she did. They made quick work of getting back the jeep, they grabbed the explosives and they had some gas in the back that they could use to put the people in the barracks asleep. They called for a plane then headed out. Sally did send a notice to Une from her laptop and then they headed back to destroy. On the way back the plan was constructed. He would go into the warehouse, take out the ten or so working, and then he would set the explosives. She would use the sleeping gas on the bunkers in the back and then hope the plane had lots of handcuffs. They repelled down then started working.
"Explosives set." Wufei whispered into his mic after about 10 minutes.
"Everyone's, gone beddy-bye," Sally said on a laugh. They looked up when they saw the plane fly in landing in the clearing.
"Hey!" Duo exclaimed, jumping out the plane. "Need a hand?" He asked looking at Sally. She nodded.
"Damn baka, what are you doing here?" He asked.
"Hey you want a pilot or not." He said looking at him
"Let's load' em up." She said and they worked on getting the 50 some men into the plane. Twelve unconscious from Wufei the rest sleeping peacefully.
"Glad I brought the big one!" Duo said scratching his head in amazement.
"Hey read them their rights when they wake up, 'Kay?" He nodded jumped backing the monstrous plane and then he was off.
"All of them?" Wufei asked. She nodded, there were only about ten that they had had to shoot. The once again climbed up the rock and then they remote detonated the warehouse, and watched it blow with satisfaction. Sally looked over to where the sun was starting to rise and realize how tired she really was. The hike back was slower this time and still awake at noon, she handed in her report to a very unhappy Une and then went back to her office to wait for Wufei to finish his report. Done by one, they headed back to his apartment. Once there they both walked in and deposited themselves on the couch.
"Une was pretty pissed." Sally stated.
"…"
"Wonder if we'll get punished?" She asked.
"Doubt it; I'm the best she's got." He said looking over at her. "Besides, training the recruits next week is enough punishment."
"True." She said as she then left him by himself. She had to say she was wounded, he wasn't the best, they were, so she thought. She laid down and fell asleep. But Wufei was still wired. He wondered around his apartment, seeing the little changes that Sally had made. He couldn't explain the wild fear he had felt before he had looked over to see that she was till there and had had no problem shooting that man if it meant saving Sally. Things had changed over the last 5, 6 years and one thing was that he was a man. And he now thought of her as a woman. His dreams the night before had been full of her, and not on missions. He could swear that he knew how she tasted and how she felt pulled against him and the more and more he was around her the more he wanted to act on it. He heard her let out a small scream in her room and rushed in seeing her sit up as he came in and snapped on the light. She looked at him with shocked eyes.
"Wufei?" She asked in question.
"Woman, what you screaming about?" He asked rudely, but he had to admit he had raced here to check on her.
"I had a nightmare." She said in awe looking at him. It had been horrible, and very disconcerting. She had tried to get to him but it had been too late, he had been in the white snow, and she had touched his rapidly cooling skin and he had been dead, but he wasn't, and why she would dream like that, she wondered confused. She let the sheet that she held to her drop revealing the tank top of her pajama. He walked over slowly sitting on the bed in front of her.
"What about?" He asked angry, but wondering
"Nothing." She said looking at him, she touched his arm and then visibly relaxed.
"Don't worry, woman. Dreams aren't real. Go to sleep." He said rudely. "Good night." He said leaving and shutting the door on his way out.
00-00-00-00
Sally sat in her room going over the list and files for the new recruits. She had only had to do this a few times and she knew by this time how to weed them out from the start. Her phone rang and she picked it up glancing over to Wufei seeing that he too was going over files.
"Sally here." She said talking into the receiver her thoughts on many other things.
"Sally this is Une, I want you in my office now."
"On my way." She said hanging up the phone and walking out. Wufei looked up startled at first.
"Woman where are you going, now?"
"Une's office, "she replied before walking out the doer and leaving him alone. He shook his head.
"Stupid woman." He muttered, referring to Une, then went back to weeding files like she had. Though he had to wonder why call Sally and not him?
00-00-00-00
"Sally you are one of the best operatives I have, you know that?" She asked then when Sally nodded continued. "But I am worried about the risks you take."
"Risks?" Sally asked.
"Sally after you and Wufei are done with training, I am going to assign you both new partners."
"What?" Sally asked confused, the thought of working with anyone other that Wufei was just wrong.
"Sally you take unneeded risk and take too many chances when you are partnered with him, and you only do this with him. It is something that I can no longer allow."
"Une, we work best with each other. I trust him more than any other person on the planet. Plus, we have been partners for five years, no one knows him like I do, Hell no one else can even stand him. Does he know you want to do this?" She asked.
"No."
"Une, this is a mistake. Don't tear us apart." She threatened.
"No, I shouldn't have let you work together this long. Most people change partners every two years, avoid too much of an emotion connection. Which you obviously have. This discussion is over. Do NOT tell Wufei I will talk to him next week, be prepared to move Tuesday." Sally shook her head, after promising not to tell then stomped out the door, she didn't care that it was childish all she knew was that her partner was being taken away and it wasn't fair. She came back in her office and sat steaming. Wufei looked back up at her and snorted.
"What? Things not go well woman, so you have to come and pout?" He asked smirking. He could tell that she was mad. He could always tell. Usually she would talk about it then get over it. Her head snapped up and looked to him. Her blue eyes were full of anger.
"Shut up Wufei." She said then ignored him most of the day. He looked at her confused; in all the time he had known her she had never told him to 'shut up.' So what was wrong, he wondered.
Sally was tense all weekend. She got a call from Noin and they found an apartment that she could move into at the end of this week. The apartment was nice and roomy and she could afford it on her salary. She smiled as she looked around. It was only a mile from the Preventers and her jeep was still in the shop, it had died before she had moved out of her old apartment, but living a block away from where she worked she didn't bother to get it fixed. It would be done tomorrow and with a big bill she didn't want to pay, but she could handle it. She looked around and she almost wanted to cry. At the end of this week her life would be different, and cold. She would miss Wufei, she didn't know why, they hated each other, but in a way she liked him. He was a friend; the only thing about it was she was constantly trying to prove herself to him. He still didn't know about the schedule, Une would tell him at the end of the week. Sally and Une both knew how it would be though. In the time the Une told him, all her things would be moved from their office and he wouldn't have a choice, someone else would be moved in. Sally had already accepted the change, didn't mean she had to like. She had had constant fights with Une and nothing she did; even threatening to quit didn't do any good.
"Wufei?" She started asking at Monday morning. "I found a new apartment, I move Wednesday." She told him watching him. He nodded and continued to read the newspaper.
"Good, woman, less time I have to spend with you."
"Wufei by tomorrow night you'll regret saying that."
"I never regret anything I say, woman." He said not looking up.
"This time you will." She threatened. "Time to go."
"You pick up your jeep up tonight." She nodded. They straddled the bike and they were on their way. She enjoyed the ride, knowing this would be that last time she ever rode with him. She wrapped her arms around him waist and held on. Every morning and every night it was the same, his muscles tight and taunt while hers tried to relax while digging her nails into his skin on the turns. Amazing how a motorcycle ride made her realize how muscular he was, how warm his skin was and how mush she liked to hold him. She knew him as a young boy, angry at the world, and she knew him as a man who now protected the world, she like the man better. If she didn't know better she would say she was attracted to him, but she knew that wasn't the case, how could she be attracted to someone like him?
They pulled in and Wufei was grateful that the drive was short. It drove him crazy having her ride on the back. Not exactly the ride, but how she would hold him and keep his back warm and tingly. Her legs rested right on his thighs, and her hands wrapped around his waist. He knew something was wrong with her, and she acted differently except on the bike ride. Every time they rode it was the same. He almost wished that they could do that forever, so whatever it was that was worrying her would go away. They went to the training room silently walking side by side. He was taller that her now, and he remembered when she had to lookup to him the first time, it had been quite an ego boast. They walking in and saw the recruits running around, playing around, and talking in groups. Sally just hated this part.
"Ready?" She asked looking over to Wufei who had a pained look on his face.
"Might as well. LINE UP!" Wufei yelled they instantly jumped and ran to line up in front of them. Sally watched as they checked both of them out, the hand full of girls were watching Wufei some even giggling before he glared at them. She looked over to Wufei, okay so he was hot, but no way would think so after knowing his personality.
"My name is Sally Po and this is my partner, Chang Wufei, This week will be a week of tests," she started. She noticed one guy, whom looked at her and winked, but she ignored it, she was used to that by now. "When you all applied and got through the first round you receive a book. You will now have an exam over that book. The exam lasts three and half-hours, once you are done, give it to either my partner or, myself. You will then have an hour break. When you come back we will tell you if you made the cut."
"Then we move on to physical test." Wufei said his voice booming to everyone's ears. "If you can not do any one thing, you will not pass. They are extreme test. You only have one chance." He said, he almost sounded angry. "Go find a comfortable spot, and prepare for your test."
They handed out the test, pretty much knowing who would pass and who would fail, they sat in the training room at the desk provided and worked on straightening the reports from their last missions and finishing the files. She looked up when a man laid his test down in front. She nodded saying thank you. But she looked up when he didn't leave.
"Ms. Po I must say that it will be a great pleasure working with you in the next week, I look forward to it." She looked at him carefully; she knew when someone was looking for brownie points. She looked down at the test to see his name.
"Thank you Mr. Jamenson." She said standing up and shaking his hand. Instead of shaking it thought he brought it up and kissed it. "That is not the way to pass these tests, Jamenson." She said pulling her hand away.
"Not sucking up ma'am, just giving a lady her due." He said before turning to leave. She shook her head and sat down and smiled.
Wufei watched the transaction. Rage filled him up, how dare he touch her? Then he stopped, what right did he have to say who could and could not touch her. He watched as the test piled up on their desks and they took the test away from those still remaining. They rushed to check the test in the hour they were gone. The written tests were once again successful, rooting out about half of the crew. Only thirty remained.
"The physical test will take the remainder of the day. They are fairly simple." Wufei started. "The standards are the same for men and women. All must be able to run a mile in under 6 minutes, 200 sit-ups in two minutes, 100 pushups in two minutes, swim a mile, equivalent to 30 laps in our pool, in under 10 minutes. You must be able to bench press, 100 lb. and leg press 200 lb. The other physical test will be done tomorrow. Any questions?" Sally asked. She knew there would be no questions.
"Jamenson, Paulinson…" Wufei started naming fifteen of the students, "You are with me. You have two minutes to get your swimwear on and meet me at the pool."
"The rest are with me!" Sally yelled. "To the track."
Wufei stood at the edge of the pool watching the recruits and counting laps as they went. Most were doing fairly well and others he knew wouldn't make it. He watched as a girl just hit her twentieth lap in ten minutes, he noted that in her record. Jamenson was doing well and to admit it he hated the bastard. Just the way that he had tried to suck up to Sally drove him nuts. Amazingly he kept counting and all in his group made this cut. He gave the ten minutes, to get changes, dry off, warm up, and then get to the track. Meanwhile he went to track down Sally. He found her in the weight room working with her group.
"Hey Wufei," she said walking over. "How's your group."
"They all passed the swim." He stated factually.
"Even thought you wish they all hadn't," she said on a laugh and he shrugged his shoulders.
"Your group?" He asked.
"Had to let two of them go." She told him. He nodded.
"Meet me at the gym after we are all done, then we'll go get your jeep." She nodded.
"Later!" she said walking away.
He also got to boot two people on the mile run, and then also on the push-ups and then the l00 pound bench press. He let them all go, and was very rude to the ones that didn't make it and said something along the lines of, "I'll be here next year too, so don't come back unless you train hard." Over all he and Sally knocked out about ten more, dropping the count to twenty. He was walking towards the door of the gym when he heard footsteps behind him. It was one of the few girls that had made it through the cut.
"Mr. Chang, what will we do tomorrow?"
"Ms. Po and I will be working with guns and hand-to-hand combat. Along with finishing the physical test." He told her looking down at the sheet.
"Thanks," She said and headed on her way. He turned back toward the door then smirked when he saw Jamenson sneak out. So for some reason he decided to follow. He followed him down the hall, then stopped as Jamenson found what he was looking for.
"Hello Ms. Po." He said gaining her attention.
"Jamenson." She said not really looking up.
"Did you have to go through these tests?" He asked.
"Yes, even thought I was one of the first preventers, I still had to pass the test."
"And Chang Wufei?" He asked.
"No he wasn't required to." She said finally looking up at him.
"Why not?" He asked scornfully.
"Oh, because he was a gundam pilot and already knew how to save the world." She told him sarcastically defending her partner, "Is there a point to this Jamenson, because you have no right to inquire about what could be your superior officer."
"Could he pass these tests?"
"Most defiantly, surpass both you and me." She said with pure confidence. Wufei smiled then scowled as the man's next words came out.
"I like you Ms. Po, can I take you to dinner?" She looked at him shocked then smiled.
"Jamenson, that is nice of you to offer, but I don't think so." She told him.
"Someone else." He concluded.
'Yes." She said with a smile. Wufei watched confused as she told him the blatant lie. Then turned and left. It was seven, before they met in the gym. She had her hair down, out of the twist, and it was still wet, from the showers that they had both taken..
"Who is it?" He asked determined to know.
"Who?" She asked looking at him, they hadn't even moved yet.
"The man you're involved with?" He asked.
"I'm not involved…" She started wondering why he was acting so strangely.
"Woman, tell me the truth, you told Jamenson." He said unashamed that he had been eavesdropping.
"That was to get him off my back." She told him, though knowing by the way he was acting he wouldn't believe her.
"Who is he?" He asked again, walking closer to her almost stalking her.
"Why do you care?" She asked getting sick of his attitude.
"Listen, I have to know if this could get in the way of our partnership."
"Oh, so if it isn't someone you approve of then you have a problem."
"Yes!" He almost yelled, he was getting extremely aggravated and she had no idea why.
"Listen Wufei," she started, trying to calm him down, "There is no one, no relationship no nothing, okay?" She asked him, but he didn't seem to believe her.
"What about Jamenson?" He asked.
"What about him? So he's cute and he wanted to go out." She said getting really defensive, "this is really none of your business,"
"Yes it is because we are more then friends," he had stalked closer to her at that time and was standing right in front of her. She had to crane her head to look up at him as it was. She looked up at him and he was looking down at her and she was amazed. His onyx eyes held something that she had never seen before, jealousy.
"Hey Sally," Noin yelled as she came in breaking the tension. "The mechanic called, your jeep is done."
"Thanks," she yelled tearing her eyes from Wufei.
"Let's go." He said still upset, but she had no idea why. She hung on tight to Wufei as they drove through the streets at top speed wondering what he was thinking about.
He was thinking insanely, why should he care if someone else kissed her, touched her, hugged her, made love to her. Why should he care? Because she was his, some part of his brain told him. No she is too independent, she belongs to no one, his other side reflected, and then the other side responded, no one but me. He shook his head and tried to stop thinking all together, the only problem now was Sally, with her hands around his waist and her body pressed against his. The ride home was cold without her there, holding him. She followed him in the apartment, and they packed up all her things but the necessities and packed them into boxes then loaded them into the jeep. When they had gotten back a message had been waiting for them saying she could move in the next day. So they packed in silence until they were done and Sally broke the ice.
"Wufei, what's wrong?" She asked, looking at him. He looked into her clear blue eyes and froze. He needed her, but Chang Wufei never needed anything, and he didn't need a woman, especially his partner, but he would never be partnered with anyone else and he liked it that way.
"Tell me the truth," he started calmly, she was leaning against the door and he stood in front of her. "Are you with someone?" He watched waiting for the answer that he was afraid of hearing.
"No." She watched as he breathed a sigh then leaned against the door blocking her in. "Is that what the whole thing at HQ was about?" She asked not at all uncomfortable by being trapped between him and the wall.
"No." He told her honestly.
"Then what was it about?" She asked, not expecting the answer she got. He was looking at her strangely, in all the years she known him he had never looked at her like that, but she knew what it meant. "Wufei, no." But that didn't stop him; he leaned down brushing his lips softly against hers. Her words stopped, as he brushed her lips again. She kept her eyes open, looking at him and he watched her. He pulled away slightly, but the hand that she had held up to stop him now held the shirt in place. He smirked at her slightly before leaning in to kiss her again, this time harder, longer and deeper. He pushed her lightly against the wall, digging his hands in the hazel strands of her silky hair, holding her in place. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer as he pushed her into the door. Her fingernails dug in his back as she let out a small moan as he pushed the kiss deeper. It was him, he realized that was kissing her, touching her and making her groan, him and he would never allow anyone else to do the same thing ever again.
"Mine Sally, you're mine." He said in a small whisper, kissing her again, deeper. Both of them losing themselves in the passion that they had denied themselves for so long. She had longed for this she realized, she had wanted this for so long, ever since she had seen Wufei as a man and not the kid that she had met when she was still a kid herself. She pulled away needing to breathe.
"We shouldn't, we can't…" She started as she pulled away.
"The hell we can't." Wufei muttered, swinging her up in his arms and silencing her with a kiss. She gave up wrapping her arms around him and kissing him back. Their tongues dueled as he walked her down the hall and kicking open the door to his room. He wanted this and he could tell that she did to, but he would give her one chance. "Now or never." He whispered in her ear, kissing it and tracing it with his tongue.
"We shouldn't…" she whispered as he laid her on his bed, "but I don't care, I want you." She finished. She reached up for him, pulling him down to her wiping the smirk off of his face, while kissing him with every once of wanting in her. She gave in to what she was feeling and helped as Wufei removed her clothes then helped him remove his own. Never had she realized that he was so sculpted, so muscular, he was like a statue. She ran her pale hand down the dark plane of his stomach and couldn't help but relish in the warmth and the texture of his skin. He couldn't believe the pale color of her skin and the smooth texture that reminded him of a flower. He longed to touch it all of it, and he did, he pushed her body to limits that it never knew it had, and then when the overwhelming pleasure took over she tried to hold on but then she heard him whisper, "Let go, Sally, let it all go." And she did, pulling them both with her.
He woke up slowly the sun shining in his eyes, usually he remembered to shut the blinds but as memories flooded his mind he could help but look over to his right to check that she was still there. He looked over watching her sleep and he couldn't help but pull her tighter to him. She murmured something then her eyes fluttered, "Hello awkward morning scene." She said pulling slightly away from him. "Wufei I have to tell you something…" Realizing that he really had a right to know that they wouldn't be partners anymore.
"Shit!" he yelled looking at the clock. "We're late! Get dressed now!" He ordered. She was glad that when they packed up she had left out a change of clothes. They took turned at 2-minute showers and then they left arriving at work about 1 minute apart, Sally in her jeep and Wufei on his bike. They raced to the gym were the found their students waiting patiently for them.
"You see the mats on the floor?" Wufei asked. "Well you are going to see them a lot better." He said, they were working on hand to hand combat. About noon they took a break and the rest of that afternoon they worked on firearms, hand guns and shot guns. They would be tested on these things later this week and if they couldn't do them they would be dismissed. They got out at three. Sally looked to the clock, knowing that by now Une had moved her office. As the recruits walked out she walked over to him.
"Wufei, you know how I wanted to talk to you this morning?"
"Woman this will have to wait. I need to see Une." He said. She watched him turn to leave before realizing what he was about to learn.
"Wufei!" She yelled when he got to the door, "I'm sorry." She said. He looked at her oddly then checked it to her being a woman. He walked down the hall, his destination set. He walked in the door not bothering to knock. She sat sternly behind her desk watching for him.
"Wufei, I need to talk to you, I approached Sally about this last week and she was forced to go along. I bound her by her promise; you understand Sally and her promises don't you?"
"What is this about woman?" He asked propping himself against a wall.
"I am assigning you and Sally new partners." She told him bluntly. Her wise eyes watched his reaction and then realized that Sally may have been right.
"I will work with no one but Sally." He said sternly.
"You don't have a choice."
"I am one of your best." He said bluntly, "why the hell are you tearing me from the partner I work best with." He yelled in anger.
"Listen Wufei, Sally is one of the best, and she does things around you that she doesn't do around others she works with."
"You do not want to tear us apart. I refuse to work with anyone but Sally."
"Wufei, as I said before, you don' really have a choice."
"Une I will not stand to be told what to do. I will not be paired with a partner that I don't want."
"I agree." Sally said standing at the door. "I told you this was a mistake Une. We know each other to well to work with anyone else. I want all my things back in my office now." She ordered. Une looked form one to the other noting both were angry and determined. They would not work with anyone else, she decided, but she still felt that they shouldn't work with each other. She relented.
"Okay, I won't assign you new partners, but I won't allow you to work together, you will be independent agents. Wufei you are dismissed, Sally I need you to stay." Wufei's dark eyes glared at Une as he turned and walked out. Sally glared at her also and then waited.
"Well…"
"I don't appreciate this Sally. I don't like my authority threatened." She stated.
"I don't care." Sally shot back.
"Your assignment," she said handing her the file, "Recon." She said again, "No blowing up of ware houses. Dismissed." She said then turned her back on her. Sally left the office with a smile on her face. When she walked into her office, she found that none of her things were back yet, but there was no doubt in her mind that they would.
"Woman, why the hell didn't you tell me." He roared at her when she sat down in her chair.
"Well, Une made me promise and well I did try, this morning and then right before you went to her office. But would you listen. No." She said smirking at him. He watched her and returned the smirk. He couldn't explain the fear that had roared through him after Une had spoken, it was almost equal to what he had felt when he looked over the cliff to see if she was still there. He would never let Sally go, not after claiming her so fully the night before. They may not go on missions together, but in his mind they were still partners. He picked up her assignment folder and flipped through it.
"Woman, never hide anything like that from me ever again." He said looking down at her, his black eyes staring into hers.
"I didn't want to in the first place." She said looking at him, telling him that honestly. "Were partners… Wufei, about last night…" She started; she needed to make sure that it didn't happen again. Even if she decided that she wanted to. "It was a fluke and it shouldn't have happened."
"No woman, it was a long time coming and I wonder what took us so long to get there in the first place."
"Good lord, if you are going to have sex with me the least you can do is call me Sally instead of woman!" She started in a whisper, but ended yelling.
"I did, last night," She blushed remembering exactly how he had said her name and how he had used it. He sat perched on the corner of her desk while she sat in the chair; she decided to page through the file that Une had given her. He sat perched there watching her even through the whole time that her desk got set back up for her. She was still seated in her chair and he was still perched on her desk. She finished going through the files of the recruits then her missions, deciding that right now she should ignore him. He left to go to his desk so that he could also go though his files then when was done. They stayed silently working.
"We need to talk more." Wufei stated, "Come to my apartment when you're done. I'm heading home." He turned left then she waited until she heard the roar of his bike then relaxed. He had been making her nervous, but he was right, they did need to talk. She finished then drove to his apartment, knocked and went in. He was sitting on the couch, watching a news program and all he had on was white satin pants. His hair was down and still a little wet from the shower he must have taken. He did it on purpose, was her first thought, but then again, Wufei never tried to look sexy, and he just did. He got up turned around and looked at her. He moved his head to one side before, but right before he could move toward her she walked to him and stood in front of him.
"Okay, so maybe it should have happened." She said referring to what she had said before; then she grabbed up and pulled his head down, kissing his shocked face. "I wanted it…" she said kissing him again, and then pulling away, "You wanted it." She said kissing him once again. "Why should we have stopped it?" She pulled away to see if his shocked expression was gone.
"Shut up Woman." He said taking control of the kiss. She jumped up on him, wrapping her arms and legs around him.
"I leave on my mission tomorrow, give me something to hold me over." She ordered, and he did. Then he lay awake that night holding her close. He didn't even think she remembered, but he did, he remembered exactly what she had said when she reached release. And her words echoed in his head, "I love you."
00-00-00-00
"Wufei, I'm leaving," she whispered in his ear her fingers gently caressing his face. He turned his head into her hand and his sleep filled eyes opened slowly. He stretched and let a small smile show.
"Have a good mission." He said sleepily. She wasn't sure that he was processing.
"Enjoy the recruits by yourself."
"Damn woman gets the good side of the deal." He murmured before pulling her down for a light kiss then turning on his side to fall back asleep. She looked at him from the doorway, his form tied up in the soft black sheets and then, paused taking a picture of it in her head. This feeling of dread that filled her heart scared her, but she pushed it out of her mind and left for her apartment to change.
The mission went easy and she collected all the evidence on camera to put him away, once on the place she hooked her computer up to the camera and sent the feed to Une's private line. Once done with the transfer, she powered down her computer and settled to take a small nap; she never even felt the plane crash until it was too late.
00-00-00-00
The day was really long without Sally to take some of the recruits off his hands and tough he fielded many questions about her; he still managed to be rude and overbearing to all the recruits. He dismissed them at 6:00, then went home lonely and had an early night. His sleep was filled with dreams of fire and cold, he woke up in a cold sweat. He looked over to the clock noticed it was 4:00 and decided to make it an early morning into work. He arrived the same time as Une and treated her with cold disregard. Then she came down to his office, "Wufei, the plane that Sally was on, it went down abut 18 hours ago and we are sending in a rescue team. Coming?"
"Woman!" he yelled grabbing her, "The plane went down 18 hours ago, she could be dead!" he yelled before pushing her back, "I'm so glad you treat your best agents so well." He walked in front of her boarding the plane before she could. "You aren't welcome here." He said to Une closing the hatch on her. "Lift off," he told the pilot.
"Don't worry man, she's fine." He looked over to find Duo standing in the cockpit door, "She's smart and we'll find her." He nodded then started going over the terrain.
00-00-00-00
It was very cold. She wrapped the others in the blankets that she had gotten from the plane. The crash she discovered wasn't too bad. The pilot had lost his engines so he had maneuvered it to at least them all alive, but she still lost one of the pilots. She was the only one without broken bones, she accounted to the fact that she was asleep when it crashed. She set the bones of the others and then made sure that they were all dragged from the plane and placed on the blanket. It was cold, but she was lucky that there wasn't any snow. They had crashed at around midnight and it was nine now, so she knew that someone would be coming soon. The man next to her moaned and she went over to him and brushed a soothing hand over her forehead. She knew someone would be here soon.
But three hours passed and still nothing, then six. It was hard to keep everyone awake. Many had concussions, so she tried to keep them all awake or wake them every hour or so. She wrapped herself in a blanket and covered the massive cuts in her uniform. The cut on her head wasn't very bad but it was still seeping blood, but she knew that head wounds usually bleed more that normal. The plane was still smoking and she figured that HQ would figure out that she had been missing, but it was over twelve hours now. She had lost the other pilot, he had been bleeding internally and there was nothing she could do. She looked to the sky above and shook, chilled by the cold. The sun would be setting soon, it was already 5:00 that meant that she had been officially missing about 17 hour now, and she knew he would come for her. Wufei would never find any one else that he could argue so easily with. She leaned against a tree, trying not to slip into sleep, but the cold seemed to be drawing her into it, she knew as a doctor she couldn't, but she couldn't hold it off. Her mind slipped into a deep sleep, she never felt herself be picked up and carried away.
00-00-00-00
"The plane, that's it." Wufei said looking over to Duo who sat calmly in the pilot's seat. He looked for a clearing and landed the plane with a thump. "You call that a landing, baka?" He asked looking over to Duo, who shrugged his shoulders and smiled.
"Hey anything you can walk away from." They got off the plane and walked north to where the plane still smoke. He saw the group of all five people lying in a small clearing. Duo started looking over the others. "Both the pilots are dead, but everyone else seems okay." Wufei shined a flashlight in everyone's face waking them up, as Duo then went over to help them to the plane. Realizing that Sally was still not accounted for shined the light around the clearing, then he saw her propped against a tree. He walked over and moved her head, seeing the cut on her forehead and the blood that covered a majority of her face.
"Sally!" He yelled shaking her slightly, forgetting almost everything he learned about in first aid. Fear took icy control of his heart as he picked her body up gently cradling it in his arms and walked her over to the plane. "I will not allow you to leave me woman." He whispered to the still sleeping woman in his arms. Une would send an investigation crew tomorrow, he knew and he would kill who ever was responsible. He walked with her in his arms to the plane, up the ramp, and then strapped her in on the med bed before telling Duo to lift off. He walked back and slowly started to clean the wound as the med on crew worked with the others. He took in her clothes seeing the cuts and the blood, working carefully.
"Sally." He whispered. "Wake up." He then looked over to the med. "Why isn't she waking up." He yelled at the med.
"Sir I don't know…"
"Find out, NOW!" He yelled not moving to help the med get to her. Wufei stroked her face much like she had the morning she left. She so cold, her skin felt frigid and was taking on a blue color. "Sally?" He asked again, wanting to get through to her. Her eyes fluttered and she opened her foggy blue eyes to see his.
"So cold," she whispered. He turned around and took the blanket that the med had just thrown over another to cover her.
"Better?" He asked. She nodded and looked up to him.
"Sorry, you had to come rescue your weak woman."
"No not weak, Sally, not you. I could never love someone weak." He told her honestly. She looked over to the med.
"Can I go back to sleep now?" She asked, he nodded, and she turned to Wufei grabbing his hand, "Don't leave." She told him. She woke up again, realizing that she was in the Preventers hospital. She looked up to see who had walked in the door.
"Une." She said pushing herself up.
"Sally, how are you?"
"Good, thank you. What can I do for you?"
"Nothing, I just wanted to make sure you're okay."
"I'm fine, and it's not your fault, the plane lost its engines. You did nothing, so don't worry." Sally said, she saw the relief pass through her eyes. "Even if I had been with Wufei it wouldn't have mattered." She nodded to Une and she smiled in return.
"I guess you know you're partners again." Sally nodded and said thanks. She then looked around her room and wondered where he was. "Wufei?" She whispered and then followed the sound of movement. She turned to see him sleeping in the chair behind her. "Wufei," she whispered again and he finally woke, sitting up straight.
"Woman, you're finally awake." He grumbled
"Yeah, finally. What took you so long to come and get me?" She asked accusingly.
"Hey, don't accuse me woman, it was your plane that went down."
"What does that have to do with anything?" She asked looking confused for a minute. She pulled the sheet back and slowly stood getting out of bed. She found Wufei by her in and instant. "I'm fine Wufei, I just fell asleep."
"But when… and I saw…" he tried to explain, but it wasn't coming out right.
"Shh." She smiled reaching up and putting a finger on his lips. "I understand, all that matters is that I love you and you love me too?"
"I do." He confirmed begrudgingly.
"Try saying my name." She said finally sitting back down on the bed only by sitting on his lap.
"I love you Sally."
"That was easy, wasn't it?" She asked, but he only kissed her in answer, they seemed to lose themselves in each other until the door opened.
"Damn baka." Wufei said looking over to see whom it was.
"Well about damn time." Duo said laughing, "Took ya long enough Wu-man." Duo said before running out the door knowing that Wufei would be after him, but Wufei only went to the door and shut it, but not before yelling to Duo.
"Later, baka, I'm busy." Duo's laugh echoed in the hall, but was ignore by the two in room 207.
THE END
Did I mention that this wasn't me best story? Well this one, a lot like More Than a Partner, I like just because they are my first and only Gundam wing fics. So I hope that you 5xS lovers like them. As always let me know what you think, whether good or bad, just be respectful.
Thanks
Cat