Disclaimer: I don't own the boys, though I wish I did...but all of us fanfiction writers make due.

Author's Note: This is a request/gift fic for Sapphiregamgee on Deviant art. I offered to write her a fic, and she gave me the outline.. so here goes! Thank you, Sapphire..for *ALL* of the wonderful ideas and inspiration both from your writing, and your artwork!

Warnings: Angst, Drama, Switching PoV's...Duo at first, then Heero from then on.

'Senator Willarn, I beg your pardon. I feel that the supplies would better be delegated...' I listened to Quatre's honey tones filling the packed conference room and shook my head quietly. This meeting of the Senators and Delegates had been going on since... I checked my watch, noting the time around my semi-automatic weapon... six hours now. I hate these kinds of things, but Quatre had asked the three of us specifically to help with the security of this shindig, and I wouldn't let the guy down. I adjusted my grip on my gun and glanced down from my second floor post. Heero was standing behind Relena, his arms behind his back, and his feet shoulder width apart. He was wearing the uniform of the Vice Foreign Ministers personal Guard, though he also had the Preventers symbol tacked onto his shoulder. It was rather imposing from a criminal standpoint, if I do say so myself. Parade rest was as relaxed as that man got, and I think that's all he knows, honestly. Relena was sitting as prim and proper as you please, her expression belying nothing of her feelings. I couldn't help but be afraid of both her and Quatre's political sides - the two were brutal when put together.

I looked over the crowed and then to the second floor where the rest of the security were standing, myself included. I listened to the quiet chatter in my headpiece, giving Trowa a quiet nod across the way, noting his in kind. Wufei was standing outside the conference room, waiting to stop any possible threats coming from outside. There was more security around the building, and a handful of other guards outside the room, but other than that, there wasn't much considering the gathering. Only Trowa, Heero and Myself were actually security in the room.. But I guess that's all they wanted, seeing as four in the room were former Gundam pilots. I shifted my footing and leaned back against a pillar, behind a potted fern that helped conceal my presence. It wasn't that we were supposed to be invisible security - the delegates knew we were there, but I guess they didn't want the sight of us bristling with weapons and decked out in armor, ruining the conference... Whatever, it worked for me.

I crossed my arms over my chest and waited, letting the AK-47 hang from its strap by my waist. It was within easy reach and I wasn't too concerned about it being too far away before I grabbed it if I needed it...which I doubted. However.. those are always the famous last words, arent't they? If I could have anticipated the attack, I would have been closer than I was.. but as it was, it worked out perfectly. I saw the movement out of the corner of my eye and looked towards it, frowning at the fact that Trowa was across the way and it was me myself and I.. great. I pulled my gun from around my shoulder and set it as soundlessly as I could to the ground. That bulky weapon put away, I crept along the wall, keeping as close as I could and using all the skills I'd learned as a rat to keep whoever it was from seeing me. As it turned out, sneaking was the best plan of action, I could see the guy knealing next to the railing and aiming a high powered handgun at one of the delegates. I didn't have the time to wait, or try to see who the target was, I acted completely on instinct and charged the man. Hindsight, maybe I should have done it in a more sneaky way, but I could see the safety off, and I wasn't taking chances. That's what security was for, right? So I charged the man.

I don't know how he didn't hear my boots hitting the tiling on the second floor, but he didn't, and I bull rushed him, jerking his aim and causing the shot to fire wide. I was too concerned with the would-be assassin to realize that the shot hadn't hit the mark. I didn't notice Heero grab Relena and take her to the ground, or Quatre taking the two delegates on either side to the floor as well. I could only assume that the rest were taking cover, but I was grappling with the man who wished ill on those I was trying to protect. The man was built roughly like a damn tank, and I couldn't match him strength for strength, I knew that. He had about three inches on my final height of five nine, but that didn't mean I was completely outmatched. We wrestled a bit, and I felt myself gaining ground to shove him over the banister when it happened. My boot slipped on something slick, sweat maybe, but I went down backwards over the railing. Only my reflexes managed to keep me from crashing to the floor and delegates below, but i knew that my precarious grip on the railing rung was the only thing keeping me from doing just that. The floors were about fifteen feet apart, but even if I dangled and dropped, it was still a good ten foot drop... I would break something without being able to see what was below me. The man above re-cocked his weapon and I whipped mine out, taking aim and firing, managing to wing him, but not after I felt the searing fire in my right arm...the one holding me onto the second floor.. After he dissapeared in my vision, I felt like I was coming back ot the world.

'Duo! Duo! Are you allright!' I reached up, grabbing hold with my left hand and swung myself so I could get some momentum to get back up to the second floor. 'Yea...yea I'm fine, Heero... What's going on?' The silence was deafening and I blinked in shock when I felt a strong grip on my left wrist, looking up to see Heero kneeling and grabbing me. He hauled me up and I let him, planting my feet securely on the second floor. I gripped his forearm in thanks and turned, looking at the delegates. 'Wu Fei has gone after the enemy. We are needed below... let's go, Duo.' When Heero turned, I nodded and took off after him, wondering why the hell he was running. My footsteps matched his pace for pace as we rushed headlong down the stairwell and towards the floor where a circle of delegates were surrounding someone, looking down. We shoved through the surrounding crowd, my mouth opening to speak the question that was first and foremost on my mind.

-Heero PoV-

'I didn't stop him?' Duo's tone broke through my headset about the same time that we broke through the gathered group and arrived at what was causing all the ruckus - Quatre. The blonde pilot that I had come to accept as a competent partner was lying on the ground with red blood flowering up over his chest. Trowa, as the resident 'medic' of our small group was working his fastest to stop the bleeding. I reached out and grabbed Duo's bicep, keeping a firm grip on it and ensuring he wouldn't do anything rash, but I should have known better. All he did was move over to the fallen pilot and kneel to help Trowa stop the bleeding, I didn't do anything to expose myself in that fashion, but instead, watched for the three men I'd fought beside for the last five years. Relena had been moved to a more private sitting room under guard, as were all the delegates. I didn't worry about my wife, because I knew she was in the hands of men I had trained myself, my duty was to protect those that were in danger. I felt that Quatre was in danger, and with Duo and Trowa putting themselves in such an open position, it was my duty to protect them. I knealt with them and began assisting with holding the pad over Quatre's chest, and realized that the wound was over his heart. I couldn't tell if it had actually pierced...had he been aiming for Quatre uin the firs tplace? I saw Duo's cheeks glistening and gently bumped my shoulder into his, while keeping pressure on the wound. He seemed to gain control and I noticed his resolve steeling his nerves and steadying his hands.

I had already called the paramedics, and could only hope that Trowa was able to stop the bleeding until they arrived. I heard Wu Fei calling that he'd caught the shooter after a short chase and was taking him into custody. I kept my voice low while I responded to him, knowing that Trowa, Quatre and Duo had their headsets off. 'Chang, return to the conference hall.' I didn't wait to get the affirmative, I only released the talk button and helped clear a path for the paramedics to arrive. I watched as they helped load the blonde onto the gurney, to take it to the ambulance. Trowa went with them, as our resident medic, and one of the few in this world that knew our tolerances. Trowa had been cleared on all four of our files to make medical decisions should we be unconscious. Most people tended to balk when the dosages required for us were brought up, thinking that it would surely kill us with an overdose.

I reached down and grabbed Duo's bicep, hauling him to his feet and dragging him from the conference room. I had no worries about the safety of the conference, the delegates were being put away, Relena was safe, and I had no duties other than to my partners. Duo was looking slightly shell shocked, and I decided that he was currently unfit for duty and was going to take him to the hospital. First, we had a stop to make, Relena would want to hear the news from me as was our custom. The two guards at the door saluted and let us through, and much to my surprise, Duo started cracking jokes like he usually would. We entered and I moved immediately to Relena's side, taking her hands and guiding her to her feet. 'Heero, what's going on?' 'It's nothing, Relena. We have subdued the threat and you are safe.' 'Why should I wait here, whilethere is no danger? The delegates must be spoken with - I'm sure they're quite frazzled.' I reached out, touching a hand to her face and shaking my head. 'You must stay here. The threat may be subdued, but you could still be in danger.' 'Will you remain here to protect me, Heero?' 'No.' I listened to duo moving around behind me, listening to his breathing and trying to gauge his emotional state of his still fully armed partner. 'We have business, Relena. I will be taking some personal time off.'

I can only assume she glanced over to Duo and saw the blood on his face and hands as she squeezed my hands lightly before hugging me. Against everything I would have done years ago, I returned the embrace, pulling away and leaving. I've never been much for goodbyes, or small talk in general - it was just easier to do your job and get it done. Duo followed me from the room and we moved to the Preventers issue vehicle he had driven and soundlessly handed over the keys. That alone, caused me to reassess his condition, as Duo would hardly ever admit a weakness, and that included not being able to drive. Through the entire trip, I was amazed at how quiet Duo was being and finally gave up and looked over at him when that same silence I longed for began to drive me insane. 'Duo, I will submit a request to the Commander for you to take a hiatus.' 'I'm fine, Heero.. Really. I can function.' I noticed the pale color of his skin in the traffic lights as he stared out the window, and the white coloring of his knuckles as he clutched them. I would wait until I saw how he reacted upon news of Quatre's condition before making my final judgment.

The trip ended quickly, and before I knew it, we were pulling into the parking lot of the hospital. Our Preventer badges got us through the security where we were shown into the waiting room for friends and family of the Emergency Room. There, we found Wu Fei leaning up against the wall, a short book in Chinese in his hands, Trowa was sitting in the chair nearest the door, his legs stretched out and arms crossed over his waist. I gave a nod to each and moved to guide Duo over to a chair, helping him get settled, and ignoring the looks from the other two pilots. After the war, and even during it, Duo had become one of my best friends, and that friendship had only grown in the years since A.C. 195. I don't know what really started the friendship with the loud Deathsythe pilot who was completely different from I. We were like Oil and Water, but then again, that was a good combination when it came to cooking. I took up my place along the wall, watching the other three pilots, Duo specifically. I noticed that Wu Fei was keeping an eye on Trowa. After the war, Quatre and Trowa became as close as I and Duo had. Trowa was due to get married next summer, but I know Duo constantly joked about the two being as attached at the hip as he and I.

Duo was concerning me, just sitting there staring at his feet. I knew that the man was upset about Quatre, and I knew that he was a bleeding heart for that boy. I couldn't help but think of Quatre as a boy, since he always seemed somehow...more fragile than the other three. He may have been our tactician during the war, a brilliant politician and an equally as brilliant CEO of Winner Enterprise, but he still seemed..weaker somehow. I sighed, crossing my arms and thinking about the war and our weekly get togethers for dinner every Tuesday. We had all changed in the last few years, and I couldn't help but feel I had changed the most, and I must admit - the fact that I lived through the war, that any of us lived through the war surprised me. The fact that we lived through the war and were now integrated into Civilian society surprised me even more. We were soldiers, warriors... killers not good enough to protect people. Not at the close relationship that Preventers offered - but here we were, all five of us in some way, shape or form helping the Preventers out. Our pasts and histories were so different, but so much the same.

I had joined with RElena's personal guard in order to protect the one woman we knew was important to our continuing peace. I worked in some capacity with the Preventers, and more often than not, partnering with either Duo, Wu Fei or Trowa. I had married Relena little over a year ago, and we knew there was a little one on the way - though none of the others had this information. Duo had worked with Hilde on L2 running a Salvage Yard, but after a year or so, the thrill of battle still sung in Duo's veins and he returned to Earth and requested admission into Preventers. The man was now one of the top rated Agents in Headquarters, along with Wu Fei. Trowa had gone to the circus with his older sister, Catherine and stayed for three years until she'd inherited it from their manager. At that time, the man had come back to Earth at the request of Quatre to become his personal bodyguard. He worked with the Preventers on a part time basis on setting up an outpost on L3 where Winner Enterprise was based. Quatre helped to fund the Preventers and assist in rebuilding the colonies we'd destroyed in our war. He was the only one of us pulled in on specific missions in order to plan and oversee them. The few that required all five of us involved. Wu Fei, to my knowledge had joined the Preventers right off the bat and had been married to Sally Po for a little over three years now.

I was brought out of my thoughts when the doors to the ER opened and none other than Sally Po stepped out, wiping her hands on a towel. As a unit, all four of us straightened and stood, converging on the woman. I watched Wufei take her into his arms and hug, to which I politely turned my head, knowing he had to be worried to show that in public. When she spoke, we listened with an attention one would usually give a life or death announcement - - wait... 'I am happy to announce that Quatre has made ti through... The problem is his recovery. We're not sure if he'll make it... He's lost a lot of blood. Is anyone an O negative?. He may not need it, but a blood transfusion would be a good backup. Donations from one of you boys would be best, as there may be some sort of training that affects your blood.' I turned, watching first Trowa, then Wu Fei and then Duo all shake their heads. When the other three couldn't donate, I raised my head and nodded to Sally. 'I do.' 'Please, Heero...come this way.' I followed Sally into the ER and glanced over to Wu Fei. A silent nod was his answer to my also silent request, and I saw him closing his book and pushing off the wall as I went into the ER. Duo was closer to Quatre than Wu Fei or Trowa was...but maybe the two could keep him calm enough that we didn't have to put him on a probation.

The room Quatre had been put in was quite possibly the most unsettling thing I had been in since the war. I'm not afraid of hospitals or doctors like Duo seemed to be, I didn't trust them, but I understood the need for them. I ignored Sally and moved over to the bed that our comrade was lying on. It seemed for all the world that he looked like some ethereal, translucent spider. His skin was clammy and waxy when I reached out to push some his blood soaked bangs out of this face. 'It really is better than it looks, Heero. We usually don't let people see this part of the recovery process. Mosy of these things will be removed before he is moved to a public room, but for now in the ICU, he's going to look a bit like a spider. Come, Heero, sit down over here.' I took the offered bed and laid down only because I'd noticed the door had been locked. Old habits die hard, I guess, but I could handle things. Sally set up a direct transfusion and I could immediately see the color of Quatre's skin returning. I waited while Sally bustled around, getting things set up, or doing this and that. I lost attention from her and started watching Quatre instead, trying to sort out what I was feeling about him, how I was feeling. I know it was nothing like what I felt for Relena...

I never had been any good with emotions, even though I had been told to live by them, and I did - that still didn't mean I knew what they were. The pale form on the bed looked even weaker than he did in life, and that in and of itself was unnerving. Times like these, I realized just how fragile we all really were. I knew that if it had been Wu Fei or even myself in this bed, we would be just as fragile looking. The red liquid moved from my arm to the machine to Quatre's arm, and I was perplexed by watching it and following the movement of that small air bubble to and fro. Strange, how much our lives had changed, from fighting for our lives in Gundams to fighting for our lives in a hospital, how much a stray bullet could take from our small group. I listened to the beeping and let it reassure me, and I closed my eyes, forcing my attention away from Quatre's red line and my own blood flowing through it. I focused on my breathing, and worked out what it was that I would say to Duo, Trowa and Wu Fei.

By the time Sally removed my line, I noticed that Quatre's color was *MUCH* better and straightened, refusing the hand offered. 'Thank you, Sally. Take care of him.' 'You're...welcome Heero. Go home to your wife. She'll need you in her condition.' 'They need me more right now.' I turned before I saw the soft smile on Sally's face, and honestly? I don't know what I would have done if I had. She let me stay in the room for a little longer while she sorted things out, and I took full advantage of it. His skin was much less clammy, and much warmer than before, and that alone loosed something I didn't realize that I had tensed. The air whooshed out of my chest in a rush and I found myself gripping his hand in a grip that could bend steel. Before I knew it, my head was resting on his chest, or more accurately, my forehead was resting on his chest. I found then, that I had been scared that we would lose the little blonde, who was anything but weak. He was, quite possibly the strongest out of the five of us, and I couldn't figure out how I had come to think of him as weak. Sure, he lacked strength, but resolve and pure guts were his strengths.. They rivaled even Duo's. I let myself rest there, my head braced on the blondes chest, where it was uninjured, and my hands gripping one of his. The gentle touch to my mussed hair had me jerking back, and I smiled when those cornflower blue eyes met mine. I knew he wasn't capable of speaking, but the hand on my shoulder told me all he wanted to say, and all I needed to know. I reached up and gripped that hand in a firm hold - knowing that he might need that comfort as well.

A gentle touch of fingers on my cheeks brought my attention to the moisture there and I blinked in shock, eliciting a soft chuckle from the blonde. The gasp at the door had me looking that way, seeing Duo, Trowa and Wu Fei framed there in the light of the hall. Each of the three rushed over to us and I felt Duo's hand on my shoulder paired with Wu Fei's on my other. Trowa moved over to Quatre and ruffled his blonde hair, while Duo was talking animatedly, all concern and fear gone. I sat back and kept my hold on the blondes hand - just as he kept his on mine. Duo's low tenor filled the room and I just let the constant noise wash over me while my thoughts drifted. I realized something then...

I could happily spend the rest of my life with these four men... These four that were bonded to me by something stronger than any epoxy known to man.. even stronger by ten than Gundanium. These four were my brothers, and I knew it was time to let them in on a little secret. These four men who had shed blood with me, who had seen me at my best, and my worst. These four who I would still be competing against when I was ninety. We would still be having our weekly dinners.

'Hey... Guys. I have some news for you...'

Author's Note: So! It's done! ^_^ I really enjoyed writing this one! ^_^;;; I really really did. It came out ...not as much as it was in my head.. not so much angst as I would have liked.. but I think it worked for the overall feel. I'm not sure how OOC Heero got, but I figure marriage and five years would mellow a guy out. Hope you guys liked it.. And you, es specially, Sapphire!