Disclaimers: Never owned 'em, never ::sigh:: will. Now shoo, bad lawyers, shoo!
Authors Notes: ::winces:: Okay, to those of you who have actually kept up with this story, I REALLY apologize that it has taken me *this* long to get it out. Circumstances, tho!! I won't go into any real detail, but suffice to say this is the second time that I have written this Chapter. The other one was lost with the next chapters when my computer crashed. So... gomen nasai!!! I tried to rewrite this as quickly as I could. Anyway, a big thanks to all of those people who have stayed with this story and kept encouraging me. I really appreciate it!! I dedicate this chapter to those people, and I hope because it's sooooo long (2 chapters worth) that it makes up for the time in between chapters. ^.~ Arigatou minna-san!!
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*Fairy Tale Endings: Chapter 7*
A Gundam Wing Fanfiction by Jadet
Copyright 01'
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L4
It had been a really boring day. Quatre sighed and leaned back in his chair, a slight frown on his face. No paper work to do, no meetings to plan for, not even a crisis on the colony to deal with. There was nothing for him to do and it was driving him nuts.
Quatre sighed again and turned mournful blue eyes towards his windows. Outside the colony was getting darker, the synthetic sunset casting brilliant red and gold colors onto the support beams. It was almost painful to look at considering that Quatre hadn't seen a true sunset in years, only being able to view the imitation ones the colony produced every day. Stretching back in his chair, Quatre allowed himself to try and remember the last time he had been to Earth. If memory served him right... Quatre frowned. If he was right, the last time he had been on Earth was for Heero's false funeral, and that was a day he wasn't too eager to remember. He should have told Relena that Heero had survived, despite what the others had said. Thinking he was dead was not easier to take than knowing he was barely holding on to life somewhere else. And Relena would have been able to keep the secret that Heero had survived, no matter what Wufei said. 'Her joy would have been apparent' his butt. Because they had kept silent, Relena had been married to someone she didn't love, and Heero had been forced to watch her from afar. Their silence had brought nothing but problems.
Shaking his head, Quatre dismissed his anger. It wouldn't do any good to get angry at past events. They had done what they thought best at the time, and that was all there was to it. Turning his chair back around to his desk, Quatre began to go through the information he had gathered about the new threat.
Apparently the new organization was a branch off of the Romerfeller organization. They called themselves the Catalysts, and if the information he had gathered was correct, they had been planning a total overthrow of the present alliance since the end of the Marimaya incident. If things kept progressing the way that it had, the Gundam pilots and everyone else might be looking at another Eve Wars.
Closing his eyes, Quatre wished deep in his heart that the battles that kept cropping would end. Heero had almost died the last time they had been sent to put down a rebellion, would the next person be so lucky next time? By the looks of the number of Mobil suit parts being sent to various colonies and earth, and the number of old-war soldiers eager to join a new battle, they just might not.
Quatre was startled out of his thoughts when the door to his office slammed open. With a quick glance to the side Quatre noted that it was after six, way past the normal time that employees were supposed to go home. That meant that the intruder wasn't here for pleasantries, Quatre thought with resignation.
The figure stepped inside the door, catching the door on its rebound off the wall, and shutting it behind him. From Quatre's view from the desk, the entire body of the visitor was covered in a long over coat. Plus that, Quatre thought, noticing the protective tilt of the figures posture, the visitor was injured.
The visitor identified himself not a second later, pulling the hood of his coat down. With wide eyes, Quatre watched as Wufei walked slowly towards his desk, his normally cold black eyes infuriated. Wufei stopped a few feet from Quatre and sat down unceremoniously in the chair, cradling his left side.
"We have a problem."
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The phone call was made from a dark room.
The second in command tapped her long finger nails on the counter in front of her as she waited for the phone to be picked up, an impatient frown on her face. Behind her she could hear the sounds of her people cleaning up the mess that 05 and that idiot had made. In total, thirty-five Mobil suits were obliterated with the original in the blast, fifty-one damaged, twenty men injured, and nine soldiers killed, not to mention the equipment and data lost.
As she mentally ran though the list again, the second in command could feel herself becoming enraged again. How could she have not predicted 05 plans? She had had soldiers trailing him 24 hours a day, video cameras positioned strategically all over the satellite, and a trace on his computer. But despite those precautions, and her own incredible genius, 05 had found a way around them and damaged the organization almost to irreparable. If just one more suit had blown up, it would have been a disaster. And if that wasn't enough, the damn pilot had gotten away!
Growling, the second in command barked orders to her lieutenant, slapping him hard across the face when he questioned her. With a glare, the soldier nodded and went off to do as she had ordered.
[Damn it, damn it all to hell!] She mentally ranted, trying to find someway to channel the icy-hot rage flowing through her blood. She had to calm down before she did something irrational, but damn it all, the Gundam pilots were becoming more of a problem than she had originally thought possible. And it wasn't helping that the commander still had not picked up the phone.
Just when the second in command had decided to hang up and try the commander's home phone, the line clicked.
"This had better be good."
Suddenly the rage that she had been feeling vanished, replaced by indescribable fear. He was going to kill her. The second in command took in a few deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart, but only succeeded in making herself hyperventilate. He had to understand, he *had* to!
"Sir, something... unfortunate transpired here."
The voice on the other side was silent for a minute, and the second in command nervously ran a hand though her long blond hair.
"Where are you?"
"The satellite base, sir."
"Why aren't you on earth preparing for the commencement of the plan?"
The second in command flinched at the barely concealed venom in his voice. "There was one last thing I had to take care of...."
"What 'one last thing'?" The commander asked maliciously, his mocking tone making her develop a nervous twitch in her eye.
"Well, sir, I had previously learned of some... information pertaining to the Gundam pilots... I thought it was a good idea at the time to let 05 infiltrate to... to capture and torture at a later date. When I came up here to deal with him...." The second in command's voice faltered and faded.
"Yes?" It wasn't a question, it was a demand to continue.
She swallowed and forced herself to stand straighter, refusing to let the tremor in her voice continue. "He found some way around my security. Thirty five suits were destroyed in the explosion and fifty one damaged."
Again the commander was silent for a minute before speaking. "And where is he now?"
This was the part that the second in command was frightened to tell. In all the years the two had been lovers and co-conspirators for this organization, she had never once failed him. Every single order was carried out to perfection, which she took absolute pride in. Because she was so good at what she loved, the commander had always let her have complete reign while he was away. The... game she had first intended to play with 05, while such an enchanting idea before, had backfired on her. A total misjudgment of decision and a failure, and she had *never* failed the commander before... until now.
"He got away in one of the shuttles, sir. We are not sure where he is now."
"I see."
The second in command felt the tremor come back into her voice, despite her efforts. "Do you think he knows about me? He might be heading towards Quatre as we speak...."
"I'll take care of it. After all, I do need to speak to my employer before I leave for the day."
The second in command opened her mouth to say something, but closed it and allowed a satisfied and unmerciful smirk to cover her face. If the commander said he would deal with it, he would deal with it.
"Understood sir. I will finish loading up the remaining suits and join you on earth at the appointed time. There should be no more problems." She hesitated for a moment, then plunged on. "I'm sorry about this mistake sir. I accept full responsibility."
The commander's voice chuckled and she felt herself relax a little. "Don't worry so much, my love, mistakes happen. However, Dorothy?"
The relaxed feeling went away, and Dorothy Winner, the second in command, unconsciously cringed. "Yes sir?"
"Don't fail me again." The threat was there in his voice and Dorothy had no doubt he would fulfill what he hadn't said.
"Ye... yes sir."
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Earth
"Why did you pretend to be dead all this time, Heero?"
Heero opened his eyes and looked down at the woman cuddled in his arms. After finishing their family hug, something Heero had wanted to do for two years, Heero had swept her and Caleb up in his arms and brought them back to the bedroom. Then, with all the tenderness he possessed, Heero had leaned back on the bed and pulled Relena and their son with him. They had been sitting like this for about two hours, just content to together, even Caleb who fell asleep almost immediately, lulled by the security he felt. Even Duo and Trowa, who had come back with Relena and Caleb's clothes, had recognized their wish to be alone and had not interrupted them. Heero had been content with their silence, happy just to be where he was. However, by the frown Relena was craning in his direction as she tried to turn her head and not disturb Caleb at the same time, said she disagreed otherwise.
"Heero?" Relena implored again, giving up trying to look at him and just settling back into his arms.
Heero sighed and rubbed his chin against her hair. How to tell her without getting her mad and worried at the same time? Heero racked his brain for something to say that was half-truth, half fabrication, but couldn't for the life of him think up anything. That left the truth, unfortunately.
Taking a deep breath, Heero recounted the majority of what had happened that day at the lunar battle, how he had woken up from his life-saving surgery almost three months later to find out she was engaged and to be married that next day, how he had gotten to the wedding to late to stop it, and about the talk he had with Zechs. He left out, however, the months of recuperation that he had had to go through. No use in worrying her over something long done.
By that time Relena had been sobbing quietly, shocked and hurt by her brother's betrayal and lies. How could her brother have done that to her? Lied to her like that just because he had never liked Heero? She had truly been devastated when she had thought Heero had died, and that... that *bastard* had patted her on the head and comforted her! Then he had used his illness to prod her into a marriage she loathed! How could her brother have done that!?
Though he knew he should have stopped, Heero continued telling her everything that had happened, but only briefly mentioned the new threat, hoping she wouldn't catch it. She didn't.
Relena listened quietly, her sobs silent. By the end of Heero's tale, Relena wasn't heartbroken anymore. No, she was infuriated!
"How could my brother do that?" Relena whispered angrily, brushing a few tears away with a shaking hand. Heero grunted and tightened his hold on her.
"He did what he thought best at the time."
"Well I don't care what he thought was best," Relena spat, feeling her eyes well up with more tears. "It wasn't his decision to make! I mean, I think about all the time he *knew* and I... I..." Relena stopped when her voice cracked. Caleb stirred in her arms slightly, and absentmindedly Heero reached around her and rubbed Caleb's back gently.
Relena stopped her ranting for a moment and watched, entranced, as Heero lulled Caleb back to sleep. More tears came unbidden to her eyes. Heero would have made such a good father...
Relena blinked as a thought came to her. Who said that Heero wasn't going to be Caleb's father? He was alive and wasn't going to leave again, after all, so he could be Caleb's father in more than genes. He could be Caleb's father and marry her (after she divorced of course) and... Heero would stay though, wouldn't he? A sudden terror came over her, and brought up her earlier question. Why hadn't he come forward before now?
"Heero?"
Heero made a questioning sound in his throat, too absorbed in watching his son sleep peacefully in his mother's arms.
"You told me what happened at the battle and after, but you didn't tell me why you didn't come back to me when you could. Why?" Relena's voice trembled at the last question, and she felt Heero stiffen a little behind her. A feeling of trepidation spilled into her heart.
Heero tore his eyes away from his son and focused on the shining sea green eyes staring at him, hurt and confusion in their gaze. He soon found himself looking away guiltily.
He didn't want to answer the question. Not only was he sure she wouldn't like the answer, but he couldn't even think of a logical reason he had done it in the first place. And that surprised him. Heero wasn't one of those people that questioned his decisions after he made them. He took the results, both good and bad, in stride and kept moving along. It didn't do any good to dwell on the past, that he knew for sure. Now though, he was questioning his reasons for staying away. He could protect them better if he was close by, not if he wasn't there at all. And leaving both Relena and Caleb in the hands of an idiot like Reginald wasn't being kind; it was hurtful and potentially dangerous. Yet he had not re-entered her life for those very reasons.
Anger at himself made Heero scowl fiercely, not aware of that Relena had taken his silence to mean that he no longer cared about her and that was why he had stayed away. It was only when she started crying again in earnest that Heero noticed her distress.
"Relena?" Heero asked, turning her in his arms slightly so he could look at her. She wouldn't meet his gaze so he placed a finger under her chin and tilted it up. The look on her face made his heart beat painfully.
"Relena, what's wrong?"
Relena sniffled, and looked down. In a tiny whisper she asked, "You're going to leave again aren't you?"
Heero inwardly winced at her tone of voice but didn't let any emotion display on his face. Some lessons would never be forgotten.
"Where did you get that idea?"
Relena's eyes changed from desolate to detached. "When you didn't answer me."
Heero frowned. "You mean about why I left?" She nodded, not raising her eyes to look at his. Heero sighed and ran a hand through his messy chocolate locks. "Relena, the reason I didn't let you know I was alive was because I thought...."
Heero trailed off and Relena pulled her eyes away from the sheets to his face. He looked like he was struggling with words, torn between being the perfect soldier and the hidden, sensitive man she had always believe lived in him. Relena wished she could just tell him that it didn't matter, that he didn't have to give her a reason, but it did. She needed to know before she made a mistake that would change both her and Caleb's life.
Heero closed his eyes and scowled at the battle he was waging with himself. He took a few more minutes to debate with himself before he opened his eyes again and focused Prussian blue orbs on sea green.
"Relena I stayed away because I thought that you would be better without me. Zec... your brother, said some things that were very true. I didn't, don't, deserve you."
Relena felt her eyes widen before they started burning with anger. What was it about the men in her life that thought she couldn't make a single decision for herself? Pulling one arm away from Caleb, she lifted it towards Heero's forehead and flicked as hard as she could. If it wasn't such a serious conversation they were having, Relena might have laughed at the surprised look on Heero's face. Unfortunately she was too angry to laugh.
"Baka!" She admonished, using one of the terms she picked up from him. "I can make my own choices about who deserves me and who doesn't. One thing you and my brother share is the infuriating trait that you think that I can't decide for myself. And yes you do share that same trait with him Heero, so you can stop frowning at me like that. I am my own person and I will decide what is best for me and now for Caleb. Do you understand that?"
Relena punctuated her question by flicking his forehead again. Heero raised a hand and captured hers, effectively stopping her from venting her frustration on his innocent forehead.
Shaking her head at him, Relena relaxed her glare and softened her gaze. "Heero, I love you. I have always loved you, and it is you who I always will. No one will change my mind about that, not you and not my brother."
Relena suddenly felt very tired, and she looked down at Caleb still sleeping in her arms. His light brown hair was wild now, looking like he had gone through a hurricane and not brushed his hair. His head rested in the crook of her shoulder, mouth wide open, and if she was correct the wetness she felt was from him drooling in his sleep. His arms were curled trustingly around her neck, and with each breath she could feel warmth bathing her. He looked adorable, and Relena had to fight the urge just to curl up in a ball around him to protect him from everything. Instead of giving in to her urge however, she turned back to look at Heero.
Heero had observed her loving gaze and turned his eyes down to his son too. Relena was right, of course, just like she always was. It was her decision to let him stay or to make him go, not his responsibility to make that choice. He could only hope that she wasn't so angry with him that she would ask him to leave.
"And do you know what, Heero?"
Heero looked back at Relena, shaking his head.
"I'm keeping you."
Heero felt a small, almost invisible smile bloom on his face. Turning her back around, he hugged her to him. Nuzzling her ear, he leaned his cheek against hers. "I guess I'm not going anywhere then." He said, then paused to whisper in her ear. "Ai shiteru, Relena."
Relena smiled and leaned back into her lover's chest, loving the feel of his arms around her and his reassuring heart beat bumping against her shoulder. "I love you too, Heero."
They sat together again in silence until someone politely cleared their throat. Heero and Relena turned to look at Duo who had an embarrassed smile on his face, standing half shadowed in the doorway.
"Sorry to disturb you two kids, but I thought you might like to know."
Heero frowned and pulled Relena off his lap reluctantly. "What is it Duo?"
Duo frowned and looked at Relena. "Reginald and his sister are dead."
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L4
Quatre nervously raised an eyebrow. "A problem?"
Wufei nodded, and leaned back in the chair gratefully. It had taken almost six hours to fly from the satellite to Quatre's colony, and with his side burning like hell, it had taken almost all of his strength. Any other person, or weakling actually, would have been knocked unconscious a long time ago. Because Wufei wasn't weak, though, he had managed to get away from his two would-be captors with only a small nick to his side. If he had been feeling better, Wufei would have smirked at how well he had handled that situation. He did not feel better however, so he settled for an irritated scowl instead.
Quatre had risen from his chair during Wufei's momentary lapse of attention, and headed toward a locked cupboard to his left. Taking out a small little key from somewhere, he unlocked the cupboard and brought out a couple rolls of bandages and disinfectant quickly before locking it back up. With an appreciative grunt, Wufei grabbed the offered items and set about wrapping his wound.
"So," Quatre prodded a few minutes later, watching Wufei finish wrapping his wound. "What happened at the satellite?"
A guarded look came into Wufei's eyes when he looked up to meet Quatre's worried look. Sighing, Wufei placed the remainder of the bandages on the desk. This was why he had come to Quatre first. He had the right to be informed first, though they all should have expected it. [Stupid woman!]
"Are we alone here?"
Quatre thought about it for a second. "I believe so. Mr. Richards, my vice president, might still be here getting ready for tomorrow, but...."
Wufei interrupted him when he stood up abruptly, a look that might be terror quickly flashing across his face. "Did you say Richards? Ishaq Richards?"
Quatre's brow creased. "Yes, he's the son of one of my father's friends. He was raised Arabic even though he's lived on the colony's his whole life. Why?"
"Quatre, we have to..." Wufei stopped when the door to Quatre's office opened. An attractive man about their age stepped though, smiling. He flipped his blond hair from his startling blue eyes, and bowed in apology.
"I'm so sorry sir, I thought that you had gone home awhile ago and was just checking in here because I heard a noise. I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"
Quatre looked at Wufei who looked like he had seen a nasty bug that he wanted to squash, and turned back to the man in the doorway, puzzled inwardly. What had Wufei started to say before they were interrupted? "Actually you are, but that is quite all right. Wufei I'd like you to meet my vice president, Mr. Richards. Mr. Richards, this is my good friend Colonel Chang."
Richards bowed again. Wufei did not, but instead glared and backed up a step, again surprising Quatre. It only took one more clue of Wufei darting a glance towards Quatre and then back to Richards, that Quatre finally put all the pieces together.
Quatre turned shocked eyes back at Richards, unconsciously taking a step back. "You...."
Richards looked innocently at his employer. "Me sir?"
Wufei growled, and reached behind his back, pulling out his gun. "Put your hands above your head, villain. You're under arrest for charges of conspiring against the government, shooting an officer, and making illegal Mobil suits."
Richards only smiled. "Oh am I? Well I'm afraid, gentlemen, that I don't have time for this. I have an alliance to overthrow and revenge to take from you Gundam pilots. I simply can't allow the two of you to interfere with my plans. But I will say hi to Yuy for you, and of course your beautiful wife Quatre."
Quatre swayed on his feet, a sense of betrayal immobilizing him. "Dorothy?"
Richards grinned. He pulled an object from behind his back, quickly pressed a button, and stepped behind the door before Wufei could move to shoot. Yellow gas began pouring out from the ventilation shafts as Richards closed the door. Both Wufei and Quatre ran for the door, trying to cover their nose with their shirts, only to find it locked.
"I do so hate to leave, gentlemen, but I must go. Don't worry though, that gas is very poisonous and can kill a man in three minutes. You won't be in pain... for long," Richards voice said, floating through the door. Wufei growled and turned to run towards the windows, firing a round at the window. The bullets stuck dead on and bounced off, falling to the floor. Howling in rage, Wufei added another magazine to his gun and fired it off. Only after he wasted all of his bullets, did he turn to Quatre who was still standing by the door, a stunned look on his face.
In a daze, Quatre turned to look at the window Wufei was trying to break with a chair and keep his shirt over his nose at the same time.
"The door's locked and the windows are bullet proofed," Quatre whispered, watching morbidly as the yellow gas consumed all of the space in his office. He turned hollow blue eyes towards his companion. "We're trapped."
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To be continued in Chapter 8....
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AN: Well... I hope you liked it!! It took me two days to write and another day to edit. If anyone is wondering, Ishaq means 'a laughing person'. I thought it kinda matched him... ::winks:: So, did anyone expect Ishaq? Hehehehe, I know some people guessed Dorothy, but a lot of people though Quatre!! ::innocent look:: Where on earth did you get that idea?? ::laughs:: Well I admit to making it sound like Quatre because I wanted people to have their attention drawn away and to make it a bigger surprise! But you should have known better!! I gave clues that it wasn't him!! ^_^ Well anyway, tell me what you thought! Jya ne!!
Authors Notes: ::winces:: Okay, to those of you who have actually kept up with this story, I REALLY apologize that it has taken me *this* long to get it out. Circumstances, tho!! I won't go into any real detail, but suffice to say this is the second time that I have written this Chapter. The other one was lost with the next chapters when my computer crashed. So... gomen nasai!!! I tried to rewrite this as quickly as I could. Anyway, a big thanks to all of those people who have stayed with this story and kept encouraging me. I really appreciate it!! I dedicate this chapter to those people, and I hope because it's sooooo long (2 chapters worth) that it makes up for the time in between chapters. ^.~ Arigatou minna-san!!
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*Fairy Tale Endings: Chapter 7*
A Gundam Wing Fanfiction by Jadet
Copyright 01'
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L4
It had been a really boring day. Quatre sighed and leaned back in his chair, a slight frown on his face. No paper work to do, no meetings to plan for, not even a crisis on the colony to deal with. There was nothing for him to do and it was driving him nuts.
Quatre sighed again and turned mournful blue eyes towards his windows. Outside the colony was getting darker, the synthetic sunset casting brilliant red and gold colors onto the support beams. It was almost painful to look at considering that Quatre hadn't seen a true sunset in years, only being able to view the imitation ones the colony produced every day. Stretching back in his chair, Quatre allowed himself to try and remember the last time he had been to Earth. If memory served him right... Quatre frowned. If he was right, the last time he had been on Earth was for Heero's false funeral, and that was a day he wasn't too eager to remember. He should have told Relena that Heero had survived, despite what the others had said. Thinking he was dead was not easier to take than knowing he was barely holding on to life somewhere else. And Relena would have been able to keep the secret that Heero had survived, no matter what Wufei said. 'Her joy would have been apparent' his butt. Because they had kept silent, Relena had been married to someone she didn't love, and Heero had been forced to watch her from afar. Their silence had brought nothing but problems.
Shaking his head, Quatre dismissed his anger. It wouldn't do any good to get angry at past events. They had done what they thought best at the time, and that was all there was to it. Turning his chair back around to his desk, Quatre began to go through the information he had gathered about the new threat.
Apparently the new organization was a branch off of the Romerfeller organization. They called themselves the Catalysts, and if the information he had gathered was correct, they had been planning a total overthrow of the present alliance since the end of the Marimaya incident. If things kept progressing the way that it had, the Gundam pilots and everyone else might be looking at another Eve Wars.
Closing his eyes, Quatre wished deep in his heart that the battles that kept cropping would end. Heero had almost died the last time they had been sent to put down a rebellion, would the next person be so lucky next time? By the looks of the number of Mobil suit parts being sent to various colonies and earth, and the number of old-war soldiers eager to join a new battle, they just might not.
Quatre was startled out of his thoughts when the door to his office slammed open. With a quick glance to the side Quatre noted that it was after six, way past the normal time that employees were supposed to go home. That meant that the intruder wasn't here for pleasantries, Quatre thought with resignation.
The figure stepped inside the door, catching the door on its rebound off the wall, and shutting it behind him. From Quatre's view from the desk, the entire body of the visitor was covered in a long over coat. Plus that, Quatre thought, noticing the protective tilt of the figures posture, the visitor was injured.
The visitor identified himself not a second later, pulling the hood of his coat down. With wide eyes, Quatre watched as Wufei walked slowly towards his desk, his normally cold black eyes infuriated. Wufei stopped a few feet from Quatre and sat down unceremoniously in the chair, cradling his left side.
"We have a problem."
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The phone call was made from a dark room.
The second in command tapped her long finger nails on the counter in front of her as she waited for the phone to be picked up, an impatient frown on her face. Behind her she could hear the sounds of her people cleaning up the mess that 05 and that idiot had made. In total, thirty-five Mobil suits were obliterated with the original in the blast, fifty-one damaged, twenty men injured, and nine soldiers killed, not to mention the equipment and data lost.
As she mentally ran though the list again, the second in command could feel herself becoming enraged again. How could she have not predicted 05 plans? She had had soldiers trailing him 24 hours a day, video cameras positioned strategically all over the satellite, and a trace on his computer. But despite those precautions, and her own incredible genius, 05 had found a way around them and damaged the organization almost to irreparable. If just one more suit had blown up, it would have been a disaster. And if that wasn't enough, the damn pilot had gotten away!
Growling, the second in command barked orders to her lieutenant, slapping him hard across the face when he questioned her. With a glare, the soldier nodded and went off to do as she had ordered.
[Damn it, damn it all to hell!] She mentally ranted, trying to find someway to channel the icy-hot rage flowing through her blood. She had to calm down before she did something irrational, but damn it all, the Gundam pilots were becoming more of a problem than she had originally thought possible. And it wasn't helping that the commander still had not picked up the phone.
Just when the second in command had decided to hang up and try the commander's home phone, the line clicked.
"This had better be good."
Suddenly the rage that she had been feeling vanished, replaced by indescribable fear. He was going to kill her. The second in command took in a few deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart, but only succeeded in making herself hyperventilate. He had to understand, he *had* to!
"Sir, something... unfortunate transpired here."
The voice on the other side was silent for a minute, and the second in command nervously ran a hand though her long blond hair.
"Where are you?"
"The satellite base, sir."
"Why aren't you on earth preparing for the commencement of the plan?"
The second in command flinched at the barely concealed venom in his voice. "There was one last thing I had to take care of...."
"What 'one last thing'?" The commander asked maliciously, his mocking tone making her develop a nervous twitch in her eye.
"Well, sir, I had previously learned of some... information pertaining to the Gundam pilots... I thought it was a good idea at the time to let 05 infiltrate to... to capture and torture at a later date. When I came up here to deal with him...." The second in command's voice faltered and faded.
"Yes?" It wasn't a question, it was a demand to continue.
She swallowed and forced herself to stand straighter, refusing to let the tremor in her voice continue. "He found some way around my security. Thirty five suits were destroyed in the explosion and fifty one damaged."
Again the commander was silent for a minute before speaking. "And where is he now?"
This was the part that the second in command was frightened to tell. In all the years the two had been lovers and co-conspirators for this organization, she had never once failed him. Every single order was carried out to perfection, which she took absolute pride in. Because she was so good at what she loved, the commander had always let her have complete reign while he was away. The... game she had first intended to play with 05, while such an enchanting idea before, had backfired on her. A total misjudgment of decision and a failure, and she had *never* failed the commander before... until now.
"He got away in one of the shuttles, sir. We are not sure where he is now."
"I see."
The second in command felt the tremor come back into her voice, despite her efforts. "Do you think he knows about me? He might be heading towards Quatre as we speak...."
"I'll take care of it. After all, I do need to speak to my employer before I leave for the day."
The second in command opened her mouth to say something, but closed it and allowed a satisfied and unmerciful smirk to cover her face. If the commander said he would deal with it, he would deal with it.
"Understood sir. I will finish loading up the remaining suits and join you on earth at the appointed time. There should be no more problems." She hesitated for a moment, then plunged on. "I'm sorry about this mistake sir. I accept full responsibility."
The commander's voice chuckled and she felt herself relax a little. "Don't worry so much, my love, mistakes happen. However, Dorothy?"
The relaxed feeling went away, and Dorothy Winner, the second in command, unconsciously cringed. "Yes sir?"
"Don't fail me again." The threat was there in his voice and Dorothy had no doubt he would fulfill what he hadn't said.
"Ye... yes sir."
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Earth
"Why did you pretend to be dead all this time, Heero?"
Heero opened his eyes and looked down at the woman cuddled in his arms. After finishing their family hug, something Heero had wanted to do for two years, Heero had swept her and Caleb up in his arms and brought them back to the bedroom. Then, with all the tenderness he possessed, Heero had leaned back on the bed and pulled Relena and their son with him. They had been sitting like this for about two hours, just content to together, even Caleb who fell asleep almost immediately, lulled by the security he felt. Even Duo and Trowa, who had come back with Relena and Caleb's clothes, had recognized their wish to be alone and had not interrupted them. Heero had been content with their silence, happy just to be where he was. However, by the frown Relena was craning in his direction as she tried to turn her head and not disturb Caleb at the same time, said she disagreed otherwise.
"Heero?" Relena implored again, giving up trying to look at him and just settling back into his arms.
Heero sighed and rubbed his chin against her hair. How to tell her without getting her mad and worried at the same time? Heero racked his brain for something to say that was half-truth, half fabrication, but couldn't for the life of him think up anything. That left the truth, unfortunately.
Taking a deep breath, Heero recounted the majority of what had happened that day at the lunar battle, how he had woken up from his life-saving surgery almost three months later to find out she was engaged and to be married that next day, how he had gotten to the wedding to late to stop it, and about the talk he had with Zechs. He left out, however, the months of recuperation that he had had to go through. No use in worrying her over something long done.
By that time Relena had been sobbing quietly, shocked and hurt by her brother's betrayal and lies. How could her brother have done that to her? Lied to her like that just because he had never liked Heero? She had truly been devastated when she had thought Heero had died, and that... that *bastard* had patted her on the head and comforted her! Then he had used his illness to prod her into a marriage she loathed! How could her brother have done that!?
Though he knew he should have stopped, Heero continued telling her everything that had happened, but only briefly mentioned the new threat, hoping she wouldn't catch it. She didn't.
Relena listened quietly, her sobs silent. By the end of Heero's tale, Relena wasn't heartbroken anymore. No, she was infuriated!
"How could my brother do that?" Relena whispered angrily, brushing a few tears away with a shaking hand. Heero grunted and tightened his hold on her.
"He did what he thought best at the time."
"Well I don't care what he thought was best," Relena spat, feeling her eyes well up with more tears. "It wasn't his decision to make! I mean, I think about all the time he *knew* and I... I..." Relena stopped when her voice cracked. Caleb stirred in her arms slightly, and absentmindedly Heero reached around her and rubbed Caleb's back gently.
Relena stopped her ranting for a moment and watched, entranced, as Heero lulled Caleb back to sleep. More tears came unbidden to her eyes. Heero would have made such a good father...
Relena blinked as a thought came to her. Who said that Heero wasn't going to be Caleb's father? He was alive and wasn't going to leave again, after all, so he could be Caleb's father in more than genes. He could be Caleb's father and marry her (after she divorced of course) and... Heero would stay though, wouldn't he? A sudden terror came over her, and brought up her earlier question. Why hadn't he come forward before now?
"Heero?"
Heero made a questioning sound in his throat, too absorbed in watching his son sleep peacefully in his mother's arms.
"You told me what happened at the battle and after, but you didn't tell me why you didn't come back to me when you could. Why?" Relena's voice trembled at the last question, and she felt Heero stiffen a little behind her. A feeling of trepidation spilled into her heart.
Heero tore his eyes away from his son and focused on the shining sea green eyes staring at him, hurt and confusion in their gaze. He soon found himself looking away guiltily.
He didn't want to answer the question. Not only was he sure she wouldn't like the answer, but he couldn't even think of a logical reason he had done it in the first place. And that surprised him. Heero wasn't one of those people that questioned his decisions after he made them. He took the results, both good and bad, in stride and kept moving along. It didn't do any good to dwell on the past, that he knew for sure. Now though, he was questioning his reasons for staying away. He could protect them better if he was close by, not if he wasn't there at all. And leaving both Relena and Caleb in the hands of an idiot like Reginald wasn't being kind; it was hurtful and potentially dangerous. Yet he had not re-entered her life for those very reasons.
Anger at himself made Heero scowl fiercely, not aware of that Relena had taken his silence to mean that he no longer cared about her and that was why he had stayed away. It was only when she started crying again in earnest that Heero noticed her distress.
"Relena?" Heero asked, turning her in his arms slightly so he could look at her. She wouldn't meet his gaze so he placed a finger under her chin and tilted it up. The look on her face made his heart beat painfully.
"Relena, what's wrong?"
Relena sniffled, and looked down. In a tiny whisper she asked, "You're going to leave again aren't you?"
Heero inwardly winced at her tone of voice but didn't let any emotion display on his face. Some lessons would never be forgotten.
"Where did you get that idea?"
Relena's eyes changed from desolate to detached. "When you didn't answer me."
Heero frowned. "You mean about why I left?" She nodded, not raising her eyes to look at his. Heero sighed and ran a hand through his messy chocolate locks. "Relena, the reason I didn't let you know I was alive was because I thought...."
Heero trailed off and Relena pulled her eyes away from the sheets to his face. He looked like he was struggling with words, torn between being the perfect soldier and the hidden, sensitive man she had always believe lived in him. Relena wished she could just tell him that it didn't matter, that he didn't have to give her a reason, but it did. She needed to know before she made a mistake that would change both her and Caleb's life.
Heero closed his eyes and scowled at the battle he was waging with himself. He took a few more minutes to debate with himself before he opened his eyes again and focused Prussian blue orbs on sea green.
"Relena I stayed away because I thought that you would be better without me. Zec... your brother, said some things that were very true. I didn't, don't, deserve you."
Relena felt her eyes widen before they started burning with anger. What was it about the men in her life that thought she couldn't make a single decision for herself? Pulling one arm away from Caleb, she lifted it towards Heero's forehead and flicked as hard as she could. If it wasn't such a serious conversation they were having, Relena might have laughed at the surprised look on Heero's face. Unfortunately she was too angry to laugh.
"Baka!" She admonished, using one of the terms she picked up from him. "I can make my own choices about who deserves me and who doesn't. One thing you and my brother share is the infuriating trait that you think that I can't decide for myself. And yes you do share that same trait with him Heero, so you can stop frowning at me like that. I am my own person and I will decide what is best for me and now for Caleb. Do you understand that?"
Relena punctuated her question by flicking his forehead again. Heero raised a hand and captured hers, effectively stopping her from venting her frustration on his innocent forehead.
Shaking her head at him, Relena relaxed her glare and softened her gaze. "Heero, I love you. I have always loved you, and it is you who I always will. No one will change my mind about that, not you and not my brother."
Relena suddenly felt very tired, and she looked down at Caleb still sleeping in her arms. His light brown hair was wild now, looking like he had gone through a hurricane and not brushed his hair. His head rested in the crook of her shoulder, mouth wide open, and if she was correct the wetness she felt was from him drooling in his sleep. His arms were curled trustingly around her neck, and with each breath she could feel warmth bathing her. He looked adorable, and Relena had to fight the urge just to curl up in a ball around him to protect him from everything. Instead of giving in to her urge however, she turned back to look at Heero.
Heero had observed her loving gaze and turned his eyes down to his son too. Relena was right, of course, just like she always was. It was her decision to let him stay or to make him go, not his responsibility to make that choice. He could only hope that she wasn't so angry with him that she would ask him to leave.
"And do you know what, Heero?"
Heero looked back at Relena, shaking his head.
"I'm keeping you."
Heero felt a small, almost invisible smile bloom on his face. Turning her back around, he hugged her to him. Nuzzling her ear, he leaned his cheek against hers. "I guess I'm not going anywhere then." He said, then paused to whisper in her ear. "Ai shiteru, Relena."
Relena smiled and leaned back into her lover's chest, loving the feel of his arms around her and his reassuring heart beat bumping against her shoulder. "I love you too, Heero."
They sat together again in silence until someone politely cleared their throat. Heero and Relena turned to look at Duo who had an embarrassed smile on his face, standing half shadowed in the doorway.
"Sorry to disturb you two kids, but I thought you might like to know."
Heero frowned and pulled Relena off his lap reluctantly. "What is it Duo?"
Duo frowned and looked at Relena. "Reginald and his sister are dead."
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L4
Quatre nervously raised an eyebrow. "A problem?"
Wufei nodded, and leaned back in the chair gratefully. It had taken almost six hours to fly from the satellite to Quatre's colony, and with his side burning like hell, it had taken almost all of his strength. Any other person, or weakling actually, would have been knocked unconscious a long time ago. Because Wufei wasn't weak, though, he had managed to get away from his two would-be captors with only a small nick to his side. If he had been feeling better, Wufei would have smirked at how well he had handled that situation. He did not feel better however, so he settled for an irritated scowl instead.
Quatre had risen from his chair during Wufei's momentary lapse of attention, and headed toward a locked cupboard to his left. Taking out a small little key from somewhere, he unlocked the cupboard and brought out a couple rolls of bandages and disinfectant quickly before locking it back up. With an appreciative grunt, Wufei grabbed the offered items and set about wrapping his wound.
"So," Quatre prodded a few minutes later, watching Wufei finish wrapping his wound. "What happened at the satellite?"
A guarded look came into Wufei's eyes when he looked up to meet Quatre's worried look. Sighing, Wufei placed the remainder of the bandages on the desk. This was why he had come to Quatre first. He had the right to be informed first, though they all should have expected it. [Stupid woman!]
"Are we alone here?"
Quatre thought about it for a second. "I believe so. Mr. Richards, my vice president, might still be here getting ready for tomorrow, but...."
Wufei interrupted him when he stood up abruptly, a look that might be terror quickly flashing across his face. "Did you say Richards? Ishaq Richards?"
Quatre's brow creased. "Yes, he's the son of one of my father's friends. He was raised Arabic even though he's lived on the colony's his whole life. Why?"
"Quatre, we have to..." Wufei stopped when the door to Quatre's office opened. An attractive man about their age stepped though, smiling. He flipped his blond hair from his startling blue eyes, and bowed in apology.
"I'm so sorry sir, I thought that you had gone home awhile ago and was just checking in here because I heard a noise. I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"
Quatre looked at Wufei who looked like he had seen a nasty bug that he wanted to squash, and turned back to the man in the doorway, puzzled inwardly. What had Wufei started to say before they were interrupted? "Actually you are, but that is quite all right. Wufei I'd like you to meet my vice president, Mr. Richards. Mr. Richards, this is my good friend Colonel Chang."
Richards bowed again. Wufei did not, but instead glared and backed up a step, again surprising Quatre. It only took one more clue of Wufei darting a glance towards Quatre and then back to Richards, that Quatre finally put all the pieces together.
Quatre turned shocked eyes back at Richards, unconsciously taking a step back. "You...."
Richards looked innocently at his employer. "Me sir?"
Wufei growled, and reached behind his back, pulling out his gun. "Put your hands above your head, villain. You're under arrest for charges of conspiring against the government, shooting an officer, and making illegal Mobil suits."
Richards only smiled. "Oh am I? Well I'm afraid, gentlemen, that I don't have time for this. I have an alliance to overthrow and revenge to take from you Gundam pilots. I simply can't allow the two of you to interfere with my plans. But I will say hi to Yuy for you, and of course your beautiful wife Quatre."
Quatre swayed on his feet, a sense of betrayal immobilizing him. "Dorothy?"
Richards grinned. He pulled an object from behind his back, quickly pressed a button, and stepped behind the door before Wufei could move to shoot. Yellow gas began pouring out from the ventilation shafts as Richards closed the door. Both Wufei and Quatre ran for the door, trying to cover their nose with their shirts, only to find it locked.
"I do so hate to leave, gentlemen, but I must go. Don't worry though, that gas is very poisonous and can kill a man in three minutes. You won't be in pain... for long," Richards voice said, floating through the door. Wufei growled and turned to run towards the windows, firing a round at the window. The bullets stuck dead on and bounced off, falling to the floor. Howling in rage, Wufei added another magazine to his gun and fired it off. Only after he wasted all of his bullets, did he turn to Quatre who was still standing by the door, a stunned look on his face.
In a daze, Quatre turned to look at the window Wufei was trying to break with a chair and keep his shirt over his nose at the same time.
"The door's locked and the windows are bullet proofed," Quatre whispered, watching morbidly as the yellow gas consumed all of the space in his office. He turned hollow blue eyes towards his companion. "We're trapped."
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To be continued in Chapter 8....
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AN: Well... I hope you liked it!! It took me two days to write and another day to edit. If anyone is wondering, Ishaq means 'a laughing person'. I thought it kinda matched him... ::winks:: So, did anyone expect Ishaq? Hehehehe, I know some people guessed Dorothy, but a lot of people though Quatre!! ::innocent look:: Where on earth did you get that idea?? ::laughs:: Well I admit to making it sound like Quatre because I wanted people to have their attention drawn away and to make it a bigger surprise! But you should have known better!! I gave clues that it wasn't him!! ^_^ Well anyway, tell me what you thought! Jya ne!!