Protector
Heero thought he would die of boredom before the meeting let out. They had been sitting outside the conference room waiting on meeting after meeting for nearly seven hours. Quatre, Sally, and Dorothy were busying themselves with watching the crowded lobby below. Next to them, Trowa, Catherine, and Hilde were sitting against a pillar resting. A few feet away, Wufei was meditating. A bit down the hall, Zechs was leaning against the wall and talking with Noin. Whatever Lady Une had him doing earlier apparently wasn't enough to keep him busy for long. He had been waiting when the others showed up outside the conference room. Duo, meanwhile, had tired himself out and was sleeping on the next bench down from Heero.
After a few more minutes of staring at the ceiling, Heero stood as he heard the doors open. The delegates made their way into the hallway talking to each other about this dinner party and that trade agreement. Heero and the others got a few questioning glances, but they were generally ignored. Except for Duo, that is. His snoring was quite the attention getter, despite Hilde's best efforts to wake him.
Relena was the last out of the room. She wore a look of exhaustion on her face, but quickly perked up when she saw everyone waiting for her. It wasn't exactly a surprise to her, but she was happy to see some friendly faces.
Hello, everyone. Sorry about all this. That last meeting went much longer than it should have. It shouldn't be so hard to agree on something as simple as where the annual summit will be held. I hope you weren't too bored.
Sally waved her hand in a dismissive gesture.
Don't worry about it. It wasn't too bad out here. Lady Une actually had lunch sent to us while we were waiting.
That was awfully kind of her. I'll have to thank her for keeping my bodyguards so well fed.
As the group of ten walked down the hall, Heero saw Zechs and Noin talking on a nearby vidphone. From the sound of it, the person on the other end was Lady Une. Zechs ended the conversation and followed Noin toward the others.
Lady Une?
Yes, it was. She's managing a small PR crisis. It seems one of our higher up officials had a bit too much to drink last night and said some rather nasty things to someone he shouldn't have.
Actually, yes. We've been trying to keep a lid on it. How did you hear about it?
Heero shrugged.
He keeps a half dozen bottles of scotch in his office and he can't keep his mouth shut anyway. I can't stand the guy.
Zechs laughed at the truth of Heero's observation.
Well, you may not have to put up with him much longer. Lady Une and I just discussed early retirement' for him. This isn't the first time he's done something like this and if he stays around much longer it won't be the last.
They walked in silence the rest of the way down the hall and into the parking garage. Quatre suggested that they use just one car rather than two. Sally agreed that it would be easier for everyone to stay on top of things if they stayed together. They decided to use Catherine's trailer being that it was larger than Quatre's van and would fit all of them more comfortably.
Catherine was still a bit drowsy from her short nap and held the keys out for Trowa. He silently took them and slid behind the wheel while his sister reclined the front passenger seat and put her feet up on the dashboard. The others climbed into the back and filled the seats. Duo opted for the bed near the back so that he could continue his nap. Hilde decided to follow him.
As Quatre and Heero watched her walk to the back, they looked at each other and shrugged, deciding to leave the two alone. They probably need some time to themselves anyway; everyone did. They were all beginning to feel the toll that the past three weeks had taken on their lives and relationships.
Everyone ready back there?
Trowa made sure everyone had a place to sit before starting the engine, easing out of the parking area, and getting on the main highway that would take them to the Peacecraft estate.
They passed through a couple minor traffic delays, but it was hardly noticeable to the twelve occupants, most of whom were deep in thought about one thing or another. When they were about five minutes from their destination, they heard something buzzing. The pilots were glancing around looking for the source of the noise when Catherine turned in her seat.
It's just the vidphone, guys. Quatre, could you be a dear and get that for me? It's probably just the circus manager wondering when I'll be back.
The vidphone rang again.
Sure thing. What should I tell him?
Just tell him I'm busy and I'll call him later.
The phone rang once more before Quatre answered it. On the screen was a woman with long, brown hair.
Quatre. Good. You're all still safe.
Lady Une?
Yes. Is something wrong?
Uh, no. Just expecting someone else. So what's going on?
Well, I'll get to the point quickly. I thought you would be home by now, so I called the manor to give Zechs an update on our little crisis. The problem is that I didn't get an answer of any kind. Even when Pagan is busy I normally talk to one of the other servants. Then I tried your van, Quatre. Needless to say I didn't get an answer there either. I feared the worst until I remembered that some of you had come with Catherine. You don't know how relieved I am right now.
Zechs popped his head over Quatre's shoulder. He had a worried look on his face.
So what you're saying is that
that there could be something or someone waiting for you at the estate. It could be nothing and I honestly hope that I'm overreacting, but I thought it best to inform you. That way you're not taken by surprise.
I see. Thank you, Lady Une.
Her face turned sympathetic.
All of you please be careful.
The screen flashed and went dark. Sitting in his seat and leaning against the cabinet next to him, Heero closed his eyes. He had heard every word of the conversation. All too clearly, in fact.
*Well then. Seems Demarc is finally putting his cards on the table.*
To his left, he felt Relena scoot closer and hold his arm. He looked over at her. Though her face betrayed nothing, there was a look of fear in her eyes he had never seen before. He thought she would burst into tears any second.
Heero released his arm from her tight grip and reached around her, pressing her head to his shoulder. He said nothing, but ran his fingers through her hair to calm her. She smiled weakly and closed her eyes, knowing deep inside that she would be safe.
With his free hand, Heero reached behind his back and pulled out his gun to check it over. Across from him, Dorothy, Wufei, and Sally were doing the same. They knew what Lady Une's words meant. Everyone was aware of what it meant. Well, almost everyone. Sally looked at Noin sitting behind Catherine.
Someone should probably tell Duo and Hilde.
We heard.
Duo stood beside her, gun in hand. His face was serious and focused, as was Hilde's, who stood next to him. Heero nodded to them and looked to the front.
How much longer, Trowa?
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gundam Wing or Perfect Dark (it came in earlier...don't worry about it now). They are copyrighted by people who have a lot more money than I do. This was written for fun and for the fans of the series. All ideas concerning the storyline are mine.
NOTES: Well, looks like the stage is set for the final conflict. Oooooooo...can you feel the suspense? No?! Oh well. Can't say I didn't try. Notice that Duo is ready to kick some ass now instead of being annoyingly cheerful. That's a plus for your Duo fans out there. Well, let's get on with it shall we?
Comments and criticisms are welcome. Please send them to HeeroWZero@hotmail.com and be sure to include your name so I can get back to you. Thanks for reading!