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Bodyguards: Part Three
Surprisingly enough, Wufei had to admit that the girls had everything under perfect control. He sighed and flopped down on his bed. They also ran a tight schedule. They were meeting the Maganac tonight, then the gala was the night after.
He groaned. A gala. Suites. Chatting onnas. He certainly wasn't looking forward to the evening.
For that fact, neither was Heero. Heero was dreading it most of all. A whole night of listening to Relena jabber away in his ear. There were times when he could tolerate her. Times when he would protect her. Times when he would force himself to be silent. Usually, however, Relena annoyed him. The things she did were for ambassadors and representatives to listen to. He didn't have the patients to wade through political standpoints and long, complicated discussions about them. He was a man of action. He crossed the room to the door, pushing thoughts of the tedious evening from his mind.
Angel was a wreck. She paced about in the privacy of her borrowed room and then crossed back to the closet to look at the dress again. It was pale, pale blue. Almost a nonexistent hue, and silvery. There had been sparkling sapphires, on loan from Quatre, to go with it. And matching hair combs.
Nerves had her stomach trembling. Such fancy clothes, such fancy jewelry, such a fancy gala…
She whirled and composed herself when she heard the knock.
"Come in," she called. Quatre peeked in.
"I trust you found the dress?"
She nodded.
"And the sapphires."
"Yes, thank you." She flashed him the warrior grin she was famous for, and he smiled back.
"Great. Dress warmly—my nomadic friends are on their way and we'll be going to meet them."
"Right. Mako and I will be ready to brief them."
"Perfect."
He flashed another smile before he closed the door again. Angel slumped against the wall.
Well…at least this will keep my mind off of that stupid gala…
A few hours later, Angel and Mako accompanied the guys across a few miles from the estate.
Angel was not prepared for the group of men that walked toward them. Forty tall, Arabian men…and the one in front of them…
…was her father, Rasid Kurama.
She staggered back, blinking as if she'd seen a ghost. Duo caught her, eyes troubled.
"Quatre." Mako's voice was sharp. "Tell me…are these the Maganac?"
"Yes…" He, too, was looking at Angel in surprise.
"They're Angel's family."
"What?" Quatre and Duo looked at her in shock. Then Rasid came running toward them and scooped Angel into his arms.
"Habibi!"
~~*~~
Quatre's den was stuffed with people. The Maganac were passing Angel around. Most had tears in their eyes. Many referred to her lovingly as their daughter.
Quatre noticed that Mako remained silent during all this, lost in her own past. Duo was watching it all with big eyes. Heero remained silent, but Trowa was asking questions. Wufei was pacing near the window.
"This doesn't change anything," Angel suddenly announced. "We still need you to help us protect Quatre."
"Certainly," Rasid agreed, cradling her to him. "Your mother would be proud."
Angel beamed at him.
"What do you say we get ready for that gala?" Mako interrupted, pulling out the floor plans.
Angel composed herself quickly as she and Mako outlined what each person would be doing. Then they passed out little earpieces.
"They'll fit snuggly into your ear. There are no wires and no mic, but we'll be able to hear you when you speak," Mako explained.
Everyone nodded. Quatre beamed.
"Great, now let's all get some rest."
But Quatre didn't sleep well that night. He pulled on some boxers around midnight and strolled down to his kitchen.
"You know, late-night snakes are bad for you," came a slightly sarcastic voice from behind him. He turned to see Mako, who was wide-awake and glancing at him over her shoulder. In front of her were several monitors which showed her every inch of the grounds and every room and hallway in the house.
"I'll try and remember that," he answered with a smile. "Not much privacy around here, is there?' he added, gesturing to the monitors. Mako shrugged.
"All part of the job. Besides, isn't it worth it at the moment. Don't worry—I'm not peeking when you shower," she quipped. He took a seat and flashed her a charming grin.
"Well, good. That way I don't disappoint."
"You?" Mako's eyes slid over Quatre's well-muscled and lean body as he drained a full glass of milk. "There's no way you could disappoint"
He chuckled. "Well…good."
They laughed at each other as he popped some grapes into his mouth.
"Ready for the gala?" he asked quietly.
"Yes. Thank you for the dress and the rubies, by the way." She flashed him a look. "The VERY expensive dress and the VERY expensive rubies."
"Only the best for my staff."
And with a smart salute, Quatre bid her goodnight and walked back to his room.
Smiling.
Duo found Angel wandering in the halls. She looked frazzled, worried, and more than a little sleepy.
"You okay, little one?"
Angel tossed him a look over her shoulder. "Yeah. What're you doing up, Duo?"
"Sleepwalking," he joked. "Worried about something."
"Oh, just this huge party." She smiled and shook her head as she turned to him. "Why am I telling you this?"
"Because I'm extremely hard to resist."
"That you are." Angel kicked him in the bum. "Now, up to bed you. I promise I'll go, too."
"To my bed? You gotta deal!" he cried, laughing.
Angel laughed and shook her head again. "Go on, you. Go get some sleep."
She was still smiling when he left. Then she turned and went to bed herself.
Bodyguards: Part Three
Surprisingly enough, Wufei had to admit that the girls had everything under perfect control. He sighed and flopped down on his bed. They also ran a tight schedule. They were meeting the Maganac tonight, then the gala was the night after.
He groaned. A gala. Suites. Chatting onnas. He certainly wasn't looking forward to the evening.
For that fact, neither was Heero. Heero was dreading it most of all. A whole night of listening to Relena jabber away in his ear. There were times when he could tolerate her. Times when he would protect her. Times when he would force himself to be silent. Usually, however, Relena annoyed him. The things she did were for ambassadors and representatives to listen to. He didn't have the patients to wade through political standpoints and long, complicated discussions about them. He was a man of action. He crossed the room to the door, pushing thoughts of the tedious evening from his mind.
Angel was a wreck. She paced about in the privacy of her borrowed room and then crossed back to the closet to look at the dress again. It was pale, pale blue. Almost a nonexistent hue, and silvery. There had been sparkling sapphires, on loan from Quatre, to go with it. And matching hair combs.
Nerves had her stomach trembling. Such fancy clothes, such fancy jewelry, such a fancy gala…
She whirled and composed herself when she heard the knock.
"Come in," she called. Quatre peeked in.
"I trust you found the dress?"
She nodded.
"And the sapphires."
"Yes, thank you." She flashed him the warrior grin she was famous for, and he smiled back.
"Great. Dress warmly—my nomadic friends are on their way and we'll be going to meet them."
"Right. Mako and I will be ready to brief them."
"Perfect."
He flashed another smile before he closed the door again. Angel slumped against the wall.
Well…at least this will keep my mind off of that stupid gala…
A few hours later, Angel and Mako accompanied the guys across a few miles from the estate.
Angel was not prepared for the group of men that walked toward them. Forty tall, Arabian men…and the one in front of them…
…was her father, Rasid Kurama.
She staggered back, blinking as if she'd seen a ghost. Duo caught her, eyes troubled.
"Quatre." Mako's voice was sharp. "Tell me…are these the Maganac?"
"Yes…" He, too, was looking at Angel in surprise.
"They're Angel's family."
"What?" Quatre and Duo looked at her in shock. Then Rasid came running toward them and scooped Angel into his arms.
"Habibi!"
~~*~~
Quatre's den was stuffed with people. The Maganac were passing Angel around. Most had tears in their eyes. Many referred to her lovingly as their daughter.
Quatre noticed that Mako remained silent during all this, lost in her own past. Duo was watching it all with big eyes. Heero remained silent, but Trowa was asking questions. Wufei was pacing near the window.
"This doesn't change anything," Angel suddenly announced. "We still need you to help us protect Quatre."
"Certainly," Rasid agreed, cradling her to him. "Your mother would be proud."
Angel beamed at him.
"What do you say we get ready for that gala?" Mako interrupted, pulling out the floor plans.
Angel composed herself quickly as she and Mako outlined what each person would be doing. Then they passed out little earpieces.
"They'll fit snuggly into your ear. There are no wires and no mic, but we'll be able to hear you when you speak," Mako explained.
Everyone nodded. Quatre beamed.
"Great, now let's all get some rest."
But Quatre didn't sleep well that night. He pulled on some boxers around midnight and strolled down to his kitchen.
"You know, late-night snakes are bad for you," came a slightly sarcastic voice from behind him. He turned to see Mako, who was wide-awake and glancing at him over her shoulder. In front of her were several monitors which showed her every inch of the grounds and every room and hallway in the house.
"I'll try and remember that," he answered with a smile. "Not much privacy around here, is there?' he added, gesturing to the monitors. Mako shrugged.
"All part of the job. Besides, isn't it worth it at the moment. Don't worry—I'm not peeking when you shower," she quipped. He took a seat and flashed her a charming grin.
"Well, good. That way I don't disappoint."
"You?" Mako's eyes slid over Quatre's well-muscled and lean body as he drained a full glass of milk. "There's no way you could disappoint"
He chuckled. "Well…good."
They laughed at each other as he popped some grapes into his mouth.
"Ready for the gala?" he asked quietly.
"Yes. Thank you for the dress and the rubies, by the way." She flashed him a look. "The VERY expensive dress and the VERY expensive rubies."
"Only the best for my staff."
And with a smart salute, Quatre bid her goodnight and walked back to his room.
Smiling.
Duo found Angel wandering in the halls. She looked frazzled, worried, and more than a little sleepy.
"You okay, little one?"
Angel tossed him a look over her shoulder. "Yeah. What're you doing up, Duo?"
"Sleepwalking," he joked. "Worried about something."
"Oh, just this huge party." She smiled and shook her head as she turned to him. "Why am I telling you this?"
"Because I'm extremely hard to resist."
"That you are." Angel kicked him in the bum. "Now, up to bed you. I promise I'll go, too."
"To my bed? You gotta deal!" he cried, laughing.
Angel laughed and shook her head again. "Go on, you. Go get some sleep."
She was still smiling when he left. Then she turned and went to bed herself.