Chapter Three
Lista felt warmth enveloping her from within as she came out of her deep slumber. She instantly felt someone's strong arms squeeze around her.
"Good morning, love," his voice purred in her ear.
She craned her head over her shoulder, her sleepy eyes connecting with his. "Morning. When did you get home last night? I was trying to waiting for you."
Quatre nodded and nuzzled his nose against her shoulder. "I know. Forgive me for being late. I got held up at the office with my advisors. I tried desperately to get out of there, but they insisted on coming to a decision about some finances not another day later. I found you asleep on the sofa when I got here."
Lista turned in his arms, rubbing her hands against his bare chest. "Oh, that's right. I was watching television. I didn't realize I'd fallen asleep. I even drank a cup of coffee. I guess that failed miserably."
"Well, I would rather you not lose sleep on account of me. Besides, there was a positive aspect of it. I had the pleasure of carrying you up here," he replied with a smile.
Lista cracked a grin. "I guess I had to get up here somehow." She cuddled against him. "You're a wonderful, sweet, adorable man."
Quatre's smile widened at her compliment. He kissed her again. "Now, tell me. What was the decision concerning the strange alloy readings on the colony?"
Lista rolled off of him, lying on her back with a sigh. "Everyone but Merrick agreed that the Gundam pilots should be involved in the mission. He was just concerned that we would be wasting our time doing something that turned out not to be harmful to the Colonies. He thinks that Preventer is overreacting."
Quatre leaned up on his elbow, gazing down upon her. "I can see his point, but until we know more, we should take necessary precautions. So, what is expected of us?" He reached forward, gently moving wayward bangs out of Lista's eyes.
"A meeting will be arranged for all of you once we've located Duo. I'm sure he'll be willing to help, and of course, seeing as Trowa, Heero, and Wufei are a part of Preventer, they will be ready, as well. Unfortunately, I will not be able to accompany all of you on the mission. The cabinet would have a coronary if I put myself in direct danger like that," she explained. She sighed deeply and gazed up at him appreciatively. "I'm glad you're willing to do this. I know how busy you are."
Quatre leaned down and kissed her long and tender. "Nonsense. Think nothing of it, sweetheart. I would feel better myself knowing what's going on there, anyway. Everything will be fine."
Lista sighed deeply. "I sure hope so. I don't want to think about having another war. The people are enjoying the peace, and quite frankly, so am I. I've lived enough of my life as a soldier. I'd rather not live any more of it that way. There are other things, more important things, to look forward to now."
"I heartily agree with you. Everything will fall into place, and we will not have another war. I promise you that," Quatre replied.
Lista pushed herself up on her elbows. "Quatre, you can't possibly promise me something like that, and I wouldn't expect you to."
"No, perhaps not, but if there's any possibility of a war, I will do everything in my power to stop it," Quatre vowed. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. "Now, shall I order up breakfast? We can eat in bed today and talk before heading off." He offered her his hand.
She gladly took it and allowed him to pull her up. "That sounds like a wonderful plan. I wonder how long it will take for them to make breakfast." She covered her mouth and giggled playfully at her hidden meaning.
Quatre was standing now, and he turned around once he caught what Lista was referring to. "I suppose I can put in a special request for the cook to take his time." And he rushed out of the bedroom, leaving Lista chuckling happily.
An hour later, Quatre was leaning against the headboard of Lista's bed, his knees bent and Lista sitting in between them. Both were naked and lazily nibbling on apple slices. One of Quatre's arms was loosely encircling her torso, his fingers moving over her flesh.
"We have to get up soon," Lista pouted, leaning her head back to rest against his.
Quatre quickly sucked in a breath, smelling her hair. It smelled of vanilla and raspberries, just like the shampoo she regularly used. "I know. I'm not too keen on working after such a magnificent morning with you, but we must. I am sure the cabinet will wish to speak with you on the upcoming mission."
"I know, I know," she mumbled. "But laying here with you seems much more appealing. I wish I could call in sick or something. I could use a day off, anyway. And hopefully Merrick will be a little more open today about this mission."
"I'm sure he will. He was always accommodating to my father when they worked together in the Winner Corporation," Quatre replied as he finished the apple slice in his hand.
Lista turned around to look at him. "Wait, you never told me Merrick and your father were once in business together."
"I never mentioned it? Forgive me, sweetheart. I guess it slipped my mind. It's been a very long time now. He was once a business advisor to my father. I was still a very young child. I don't remember him at all, but I know my father seemed to get along well with him," Quatre explained. "But not to worry. It's not an important detail."
Lista draped her legs over his waist, smiling. She pressed her lips teasingly against his, pulling away before he could deepen it. "This has been the most perfect morning." She tapped the end of his nose and smiled.
"I agree, sweetheart." He leaned in to steal another kiss from her, but the phone on the nightstand rang, interrupting their intimate moment.
Lista sighed, dropping her shoulders in defeat. "It figures." She leaned over Quatre, feeling his hands on her sides to stabilize her, and grabbed the cordless phone. She fell back into place in Quatre's lap and answered it after the third ring. "Hello?"
"Good morning, Secretary," Sidney's voice said through the other end. "I apologize for contacting you at home."
"Oh, that's quite all right. What can I do for you?" Lista asked. Quatre was pulling the blanket from behind her, covering her nakedness so she wouldn't get cold. Lista flashed him a grateful smile.
"I just thought I would inform you before you came to the offices that I got a hold of Duo Maxwell for you last night, and he said he was willing to come to the government building for a briefing on the mission," Sidney replied. "I arranged a meeting for all the Gundam pilots this morning. The only pilot I haven't been able to reach is Mr. Winner."
Lista turned over her shoulder with a smile. "Thank you. I appreciate that. And as for Quatre, he's here with me. I'll be able to tell him. Did you arrange a specific time?"
"I asked for them to arrive by ten, since I figured you would like to conduct the meeting firsthand before having your meeting with the cabinet later in the day," Sidney answered.
Lista made an approving noise deep in her throat. "Thank you, Sidney. If the others get there before I do, direct them to the conference room and make sure they're comfortable and have whatever it is they need."
"Of course. I'll see you soon."
"Thank you again. Bye." Lista pushed the "end" button and smiled at Quatre. "Duo was located. Everyone's going to be at the government hall this morning so I can brief them on the nature of the mission." She placed the phone down next to them and rubbed her hands up and down his chest. "Are you able to come? I know how busy you are."
Quatre smiled and grabbed her hands, pulling them up to his mouth. He rained kisses on her palms. "Of course. I'll clear my morning for the meeting." He moved her hands away and leaned in to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her nakedness against his. After breaking the kiss, Quatre grazed his lips against Lista's. "We should get a shower and get dressed. We shouldn't keep our friends waiting."
Lista nodded in agreement and pulled away. "No, I suppose not." She pulled out two fresh towels from a cabinet and set them on top of the sink. "Now, we have a shower to take, don't we?" She giggled and led him into the shower, pulling the curtain around them as the hot water fell in a torrent upon them, steam barreling up and escaping from the top of the curtains. Her giggles got louder, and she wondered if they would actually bathe at all.
Quatre, clad in dark gray suit and red tie, opened the front door for Lista. She had her hair pulled up high out of her face and was dressed in her white Imperial uniform. She had her briefcase in one hand while Quatre held firm on her other. As soon as they were seen, both of them were greeted with a litany of "good mornings."
"I am sincerely glad that everyone treats you so well," Quatre whispered as they walked down the main hallway.
Lista smiled. "Well, of course they do, more or less because I don't think they would like to be on your bad side," she replied. Her eyes darted around the room. "I wonder if our friends are here yet. It's almost ten. Sidney told them to be here by now. I just hope we didn't make them wait too long if they are."
"I am sure they don't mind, love," Quatre assured her as he led her into the elevator, pressing the "7" button. "Don't worry about it so much. They will be thrilled to see us." His smile faded, and he let go of her hand, causing her to look at him in inquiry. "I suppose I should compose business etiquette with you around the cabinet."
Lista frowned, shook her head, and grabbed his hand again. "There's nothing wrong with the way we act around one another. Our relationship has been public since the war with White Fang. It won't be a surprise if we walk around holding hands. It's hardly inappropriate." She leaned in and pressed a quick kiss against his cheek. "Don't worry about what everyone will think. Besides, people are intimidated by you and your influence. I don't think they would want to anger you." The elevator doors parted and Lista was the one who pulled Quatre out by the hand. They began walking down the hall to her office. "We'll check and see what messages I have before heading to the conference room."
Sidney quickly greeted them with a wide smile. "Good morning, Secretary. Oh, Mr. Winner! Good morning to you, as well."
Quatre smiled and nodded once in acknowledgment. "Good morning, Sidney. It's lovely to see you."
Lista grinned and turned back to Sidney, her hand still firm on Quatre's. "Do I have any messages, Sidney?"
Sidney nodded and grabbed a small stack of papers from her desk. "Yes, Mr. Wysor was looking for you, but he said he would try to catch you before your meeting with the Gundam pilots. They have all arrived and are waiting for you in conference room one." She handed Lista the papers. "Is there anything you need before heading into your meeting?"
Lista shook her head. "No, that will be all for now. I don't know how long I'll be in the meeting, but I'll try to make it fast and efficient. Thank you, Sidney." She spun around to Quatre. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yes. Have a good day, Sidney. I hope to see you again soon," Quatre said with a gentle wave.
"Thank you, Mr. Winner." Sidney sat back down at her desk and began typing on her laptop.
Lista and Quatre began walking down the hall, this time taking a right down a branching hallway instead of going straight to the elevator. As soon as they rounded the corner, Lista nearly bumped into Merrick. "Oh, Merrick. I'm sorry. How are you this morning?"
Merrick smiled and bowed his head. "Splendid." His eyes traveled over to Quatre. "Mr. Winner, it's a pleasure to see you."
Quatre flashed a smile. "Likewise, Mr. Wysor." The former pilot turned to Lista. "I'll head to the conference room to greet our friends. Take your time." He squeezed her hand before letting go. "Take care, Secretary." With that, Quatre turned around, walked down the hall, and entered the room at the end of the hall.
Merrick turned his attention to Lista. "Secretary, I hope I'm not being too bold, but I would like to ask if I may sit in on the meeting."
Lista cracked a weak smile. "You're not being too bold, Merrick, but I would prefer discussing this with my friends alone. Some of them would respond better to the situation if it were just us. Don't take it personal, but they like their privacy, and they're just sometimes very delicate about their missions when it comes to people they aren't familiar with. It's just how they were raised as soldiers. I hope you understand."
Merrick cleared his throat and folded his hands behind his back. "I see. Well, I suppose there's nothing I can do about that. Very well."
Lista nodded. "I'll inform you and everyone else in the concluding meeting of the day. Thank you for understanding, Merrick."
"Not a problem, Secretary. I hope you have a successful meeting," Merrick replied. He began walking away.
"Thank you, Merrick. I'll see you in the meeting this afternoon," she called after him. She watched him walk around the corner without another word. Staring at his rigid back, she sighed before turning towards the conference room. She made her way down the hall and into the room, prepared to greet her friends with a bright smile.
"Lissy!"
Lista felt strong arms envelop her from behind and swing her around twice. She yelped and laughed loudly, gripping the hands holding her waist. "Duo! Let me go, you loon!"
Duo put her down and jumped in front of her, his smile wide and happy. "You don't know how much I've missed you, Lissy. I'm so glad your assistant called me up and told me to come. I've been meaning to do it anyway."
"Don't smother her, Maxwell," Wufei spoke up as he stood from his spot at the table so he could shut the door. "She just walked in. Give her a second to breathe, for God's sake."
Duo shot him a glare. "Oh, c'mon, Wufei. I haven't seen her in ages!"
"Don't pout, Duo," Heero replied, making his presence known. Lista looked over Duo's shoulder, her heart fluttering when she saw Wufei sitting back down next to Heero, who was sitting next to Trowa. On the other side of the table was Quatre, and an empty seat next to him was presumed to be Duo's.
"I'm so glad to see all of you," Lista beamed as she moved to the far end of the conference table, placing her briefcase and papers on top. "I hope all of you have been well." They all nodded. "Thank you all for coming. I am sure you know for the most part why you're here." Duo pulled out Lista's chair so she could sit, then pushed it back in before sitting down next to Quatre at her right. "Has Lady Une found anything else?"
Trowa shook his head. "No, not as of yet. We're puzzled as to why we can't find anything. Someone is obviously trying to hide something."
Lista sighed deeply and lowered her head. "I was afraid of that." She folded her hands on the table. "The cabinet think it's a good idea for all of you to go and survey the colony, and I agree. I don't trust anyone else handling this if there's a possibility of another war breaking out."
"You shouldn't worry too much, Lissy. We don't know enough, but whatever is on that colony, we'll find it," Duo assured her. He reached over to place his hand on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring grin and a wink. "So, when do we go?"
"Well, I need to discuss some things over with the cabinet members and make some finalizations. Once we agree on something, I'll talk to Lady Une. We'll be using Preventer's resources," Lista replied. Her brows furrowed, and she sighed. "I don't think I ever promoted this sort of behavior from the colonists."
"Don't be so down on yourself," Trowa said gently. "There are still people out there that do not support peace, that thrive on war. It's nothing you have necessarily done. There's always bound to be someone who disagrees with the government, or what there is of it at the moment."
Lista sighed disgustedly and shook her head. "I just hate that some people can't leave things the way they are. The majority of the people want peace." She rubbed her hands against her face in aggravation.
She turned to Wufei, who was sitting with arms folded over his chest. "Has Lady Une found anything else out about the readings on Colony D-98934?"
Wufei shook his head. "No. There's been no reported change. Lady Une is still concerned about it. There's been no indication of violence there, but that doesn't change the fact that there's still a possibility someone is illegally using gundanium alloy."
Lista nodded in agreement. "Right. That is the concern right now. What if someone is truly creating mobile suits with gundanium alloy? The Gundams were destroyed after the fight with Mariemaia. We don't have any means of retaliation, at least of the mobile suit kind."
"The Gundams might be needed again," Trowa remarked. Everyone turned to look at him. "We might have to consider the option of rebuilding them. We all have the original blueprints of our own Gundams. If someone is creating mobile suits with gundanium, we will have to do the same. Titanium will not be very effective against them."
Lista felt her heart skip a beat. Recreate the Gundams? If that happened, war would definitely break loose again. But what if someone was several steps ahead of them and they had no means of protecting the Colonies? Wasn't it her responsibility to keep the colonists safe?
"Okay, so we might have to rebuild them. Where the hell do we get the finances? I'm sure I could get my hands on enough gundanium, but we would need the resources to build them," Duo spoke up. He folded his hands casually behind his head. "I sure as hell ain't doing it by myself. It would take too long if we're supposed to be expecting a crisis. If we're going to do it, we're going to have to do it fast."
"I would not be opposed to using my own resources," Quatre said. "Funds aren't an issue. I can supply what money would be needed. If that is the decision, to recreate the Gundams, we would have to keep it quiet. The colonists shouldn't find out about it. That would be quite a problem against the law passed to prevent the production of mobile suits and the fact Lista was the one who proposed it." He turned to look at her. Her face was pale, her eyes unblinking as she stared down at the table. "Sweetheart? Are you all right?"
Lista snapped her head up, feeling the five sets of eyes on her. "I don't know. I fought to have that law realized, and now to break it myself? What if the people found out about it? The cabinet? They would deem me untrustworthy. I don't want that to happen. I have enough non-supporters as it is. I don't need political unrest behind me as well as everything else."
"That's not going to happen, Lista," Heero assured her. He turned to the other pilots. "We should wait until we finish our mission on the colony. If we don't detect any signs of hostility, there's no need to rebuild the Gundams. Let's not jump to conclusions until we've gathered more of the facts."
"I agree," Wufei said. Trowa, Quatre, and Duo nodded in concurrence. Wufei turned to Lista, who was staring down at the table, propelling herself into her own little world of maddening thought. "So, if we do find an army being built on the colony, would you approve the construction of the Gundams?"
Lista swallowed hard. "I don't think I would have much choice in the matter. It's obvious that if gundanium is being used for an army, the best option we would have against them would be the Gundams themselves. But I can't let the cabinet know we're contemplating this. They won't approve of it." She sighed deeply and rested her elbows on the table, burying her face in her palms. "This is bad. I hardly thought I would be going against my own law. People are going to accuse me of favoritism, especially if we rebuild mobile suits for us to use."
"Whoa, hold the phone," Duo interrupted, causing Lista to look up at him. "If this happens, you're going to rebuild a suit for yourself, too?"
Lista frowned. "Well, why not? I'm not going to take any chances."
"It would be one thing to go against your own law and approve of this, but they would surely not consent to you insisting to pilot a mobile suit again. You're an important member of the cabinet," Trowa explained matter-of-factly.
Lista loosened her aggravated expression. "Maybe, but I'm not throwing all of this on you. That's hardly fair. We're in this together. If I had to, I could try to convince the cabinet it's in the best interest of the Colonies."
"I wouldn't be so quick to trust them," Heero warned, his voice stern. "We have been double-crossed before."
"You can't let paranoia rule your life, Heero," Lista replied. "If I did that, I'd go crazy trying to juggle everything. I would be worried about every little thing."
"You normally are worried about every little thing. And you're worried about this, aren't you?" Heero shot back defensively.
Lista scowled. "Of course I am. This is the first indication of retaliation since Mariemaia. I don't want to see the colonists die or suffer the deaths of their loved ones. I've seen far too much of that in my lifetime." She blinked and looked over at Quatre without turning her head. He was staring at her passionately, but his eyes were sad. She didn't want to see Quatre in pain like in the wars when his father had sacrificed himself, when his sister had died trying to save him. "Look, it's going to be like this: the five of you are going to go to that colony and find out what's going on. What you find will dictate what course of action we take. I trust you more than anyone with this type of mission. If a substantial-sized army is found, we will rebuild the Gundams to fight back. If the army is small enough to detain, or there is none at all, the construction of the Gundams will be unnecessary."
"That sounds like a good idea to me," Duo said with a smile. "But I'll start looking for some gundanium just in case. I want to be ready."
Lista nodded. "That's fine, but be quiet about it, Duo. I don't want questions asked. I don't want everyone knowing about this. If this is going to happen, it will be up to us to put a stop to it." She stood from her chair. "Thank you for coming here today. I appreciate that you're going to do this. I want this to be as unnoticeable as possible. The less the colonists know about this, the better. I'm not going to get them worried over nothing."
The Gundam pilots stood and nodded to her. "We'll report back to Lady Une and inform her of our possible course of action," Wufei said.
Lista nodded once. "Thank you, Wufei. I appreciate that. Now, on a lighter term, do you all have plans for tonight? Quatre and I would like to invite you all over for dinner. It's been quite some time since we have spent some time together. I'm sure there are some things we have to catch up on."
Duo's eyes beamed. "Hell yeah! I could use a good meal, and a little vacation at that!" He turned to his friends. "You guys are going to come, too, aren't you?"
"I think the three of us can clear our evenings with Lady Une," Trowa said. Heero and Wufei nodded in accord.
Lista clapped her hands together happily. "That's great! I'll arrange transportation if you don't have it. My last meeting of the day should be over by five or six. I'll call the cook and tell him to prepare a menu. And if anything new develops today, we can discuss it tonight." She gathered her briefcase and papers in her hands. "It was nice seeing all of you again, but I really should be going. I have a lot of work to do. I know the cabinet would like to know the outcome of our meeting."
"What are you going to tell them?" Quatre asked as he walked up next to her.
"They don't need to know the details, but I'll tell them you all agreed to go on the mission. Other than that, I'll leave the rest in the air." She leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek. "You should all get going. I'll have security escort you out."
Duo slung his arm around Lista's shoulders, grinning slyly. "Please, babe. We don't need security. They should be taking their time keeping your gorgeousness safe."
Lista hugged her briefcase to her chest and shook her head amusedly. "Duo Maxwell, you're a charming nutball. But if you insist, then I won't bother with it. All of you be careful going back. I'll see all of you tonight."
Trowa opened the door and motioned for Lista to exit first. She did so, only after prying Duo's playful arms off of her. Quatre and Duo followed closely after her, with Heero and Wufei walking out before Trowa shut the door behind him. "We will be there. It will be a nice change for once," the uni-banged pilot replied.
Lista nodded and noticed two security guards walking up to her. "I can't wait. Have a good day, guys. I'll see you tonight." She turned to Quatre and flashed a smile at him before spinning away from them, guided down the long hallway by the two burly men clad in black.
"It's nice seeing her happy," Duo spoke up after Lista disappeared around the corner. "She's been crazy busy lately, hasn't she?" Duo turned to Quatre for an answer.
The Arabian pilot nodded and sighed deeply. "Yes, she has. She's been hoping for some time off so we could all spend time together. She misses that. I've been doing everything I can. I'm worried she gets lonely sometimes."
Duo nudged Quatre in the side, his grin wide and suggestive. "Somehow I get the feeling she doesn't get lonely with you around, if you know what I mean." He waggled his eyebrows.
Quatre turned away before Duo could catch his blush. "We really don't need to discuss that, Duo. It's quite personal. Let's just say that I do what I can for her."
"Well, we're happy for you both, Quatre," Trowa spoke up, coming up next to the twosome. "You and Lista complement each other well, and it's hard not to see the joy you bring to her."
Quatre exchanged glances with Heero and Wufei, who both nodded in agreement with Trowa. He smiled at his friends, unable to disagree, because he knew deep in his heart that he would do what it took to make it so.
