(Author's Note: Okay, folks, we're pounding down the homestretch!! Things should start getting interesting quickly. Don't fall behind!! I'm going to get this baby finished yet!)
Chapter Nineteen
The hospital was quiet, the only sounds being the random beeping of monitors and the soft scuffling of the nurses' shoes as they went on their rounds. It was early morning and most of the patients and even the guests were asleep. In the lounge, Heero dozed lightly in a straight backed chairs, his head nodding occasionally. Quatre dozed as well, sitting on one end of the couch, his head tilted back, a soft snore coming out every so often. Leila was stretched out on the couch, her head pillowed on Quatre's thigh. One of the nurses' had offered Hilde a bed in an empty room down the hall and Duo was with her, sprawled out on the pullout couch in the room.
A sudden burst of noise and activity woke Heero and he was instantly alert, looking around in a suspicious fashion. A small grin quirked the corner of his mouth when Quatre only snorted and tried to burrow down into the couch, one arm slung protectively over Leila's shoulders. The door to Noin's room opened and Relena came out, her eyes dark from lack of sleep and tears running down her cheeks. Alarmed, Heero leapt to his feet and hurried to her side, heart lodging into his throat.
"Relena! What's happened? Is Noin—" he broke off when she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.
"Everything's fine, Heero. I'm just, just so happy!" She hurriedly wiped her eyes, a bright smile on her face. Quatre and Leila had been roused when Heero had jumped up and they joined the other couple. Relena couldn't quit smiling, even though she felt like her cheeks were going to split. "Where's Duo and Hilde?" she asked, noticing they weren't there.
"They're asleep in an empty room," Quatre said, covering a wide yawn.
"Oh, I see," Relena said. "Let's not wake them then. Hilde needs her sleep." She clasped Heero's hand tightly, about to burst with her news. "But, I'm delighted to tell you that I am now an aunt! My niece, Amillia Renee Peacecraft, was born at 4:12 a.m. She weighs eight pounds, nine ounces, and is twenty-one inches long. She and her mother are doing wonderfully. Her father is another story." Relena couldn't help but to laugh. "Milliardo made the mistake of letting Noin hold his hand and she broke two of his fingers. He's having them splinted right now." Heero and Quatre both winced and Leila couldn't help but grin. "The doctor said that you can come in and see them in a few minutes," Relena continued, face shining with happiness. "Just wait 'til you see the baby. She so beautiful! Her hair is almost the exact same color as Milliardo's, but her eyes are dark, dark blue. I just can't get over how little she is…" Relena trailed off as the door opened and the doctor came out. The older woman smiled at the group and nodded as she took her clipboard from the tray next to the door and strode off down the hallway. Several nurses followed minutes later, laughing among themselves.
After the hall was clear, Relena poked her head in the door and spoke softly to her brother. Zechs was sprawled out in the only chair in the room, a bit pale and peaked. Two of the fingers on his left hand were splinted and bandaged, sticking out straight in an awkward manner. With a barely concealed grin, Relena led her friends in. Noin was propped up in the bed, her face tired but happy. She cradled a small swathed bundle against her chest, smiling down at it from time to time. She looked up as they entered and waved at them to come in. Relena made a beeline for her sister-in-law's side, pausing to pat Noin softly on the shoulder. Noin smiled up at the younger woman and handed her the baby. Relena held the baby carefully, moving back the blanket to show them the tiny wrinkled face.
Quatre and Leila both leaned in for a better look, while Heero barely glanced over. "How precious!" Leila whispered, unable to resist running a finger down the infant's downy cheek. The baby turned her head toward the contact, her lips pursing.
"Oh, Noin, I think she wants you," Relena said with a chuckle. Noin opened her arms for her baby and settled her as Zechs saw the others out.
"Why don't you all go home and get some sleep," he suggested. "Especially you, Relena." He pressed an affectionate kiss on his sister's forehead, then had to stifle a yawn.
Relena nodded, leaning against the wall for support. "I'm not going to argue. I'm too tired. We'll be back later, then." Zechs nodded and gave them all a slight smile as he went back to his new family.
Heero escorted Relena and Leila out to the waiting car while Quatre roused Duo and Hilde. They hadn't even made it out of the parking lot before Relena was asleep. The ride back to the manor was quiet, most of them half asleep anyway. When they reached the house, Heero simply lifted Relena out of the car and carried her up to her room, ignoring Duo and Quatre's smug faces. Duo shook his head wryly, then helped Hilde up the stairs to their own room. Quatre turned to say something to Leila, only to discover that she was sound asleep as well. He shrugged then followed Heero's silent example.
Empty stomachs finally roused everyone around noon. Blinking owlishly, Quatre dressed quickly, noting that Leila was already gone. He found her downstairs, sipping a glass of orange juice and chatting with Hilde. Leila's face brightened as Quatre walked over and placed a kiss on her cheek on his way to the waiting food. He filled his plate from the buffet and sat down next to Duo, who was mechanically shoveling food into his mouth.
Relena came in about ten minutes later, still looking a bit tired but happy. She nodded to Peygan as she took a seat and reached for the coffee pot. She was halfway through her second cup before she actually spoke to anyone. Louise came in from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel, demanding to hear all the details. Relena obliged, making sure to describe the baby in great detail.
"That's such marvelous news," Louise said, beaming. "I've made a basket for you to take your brother. I'm sure the food at the hospital can't possible compare to anything from my kitchen."
"Of course not, Louise," Relena assured the older woman with a straight face. Peygan rolled his eyes, unnoticed as he left to answer the phone.
Moments later he returned with a handset, which he extended to Quatre. "A call for you, sir."
"Thank you, Peygan," Quatre replied, taking the phone. "Quatre speaking. Oh, hello, Rasid. I-- What? You're kidding? When?" He pushed away from the table and headed out onto the patio, closing the door behind him. The others could see him pacing back and forth, speaking into the phone. Hilde and Relena gave Leila a curious look but she just shrugged. She wasn't sure what the call was about, but she had a reasonable idea. Perhaps it was news about his cousin.
"Iria and I went over the phone records from the office, Master Quatre," Rasid was saying, worry coloring his voice. "We noticed a repetition of calls to one company, Cryo-tech. Iria called Zahra for information, and she got permission from Lady Une to share their files on the company with us. It's not good. Cryo-tech is owned by the Romus Corporation. And the Romus Corporation is owned by—"
"Anton Romus," Quatre finished grimly. "One of the silent backers of the Romefeller Foundation."
"This isn't good," came a third voice on the line.
"What the--?!?!" Quatre and Rasid exclaimed at the same time. Quatre was quicker to identify the new voice. "Heero?" He looked up to see Heero on the balcony overhead, a smug grin on his face and a phone in his hand
"Anton Romus is not the kind of man you want mad at you, Quatre," Heero continued as if he had never been interrupted. "His business rivals have a tendency to have nasty accidents."
"I've heard rumors," Quatre said softly, glancing through the patio doors at Leila. A cold chill ran over him at the thought of any harm coming to her.
"Master," Rasid said urgently. "I don't want to be an alarmist, but perhaps you should cut your visit short and come home. We can protect you better here. Not that the Vice-Foreign Minister doesn't have excellent security, mind you. But Zahra's spoken with Lady Une and the Preventers are unofficially watching the colony as well." Quatre bit back a sigh. This wasn't how he wanted to introduce Leila to his home and family.
"I think I'll take that job you offered, Quatre," Heero said slowly, a hint of amusement in his voice. "And what better time for me to come back and look things over, hm?"
Quatre chuckled. "What better time indeed. Rasid, call Taariq and Muraad and tell them to stay with the company shuttle. They know the drill. We'll leave the day after tomorrow. That will give us time to say our good-byes."
"I'll tell Iria to make sure everything is ready at the manor," Rasid said, sounding relieved.
"Thank you, Rasid," Quatre said. "We'll see you soon. Good bye." He hung up the phone and looked up again to see Heero already gone. He was already deep in thought as he re-entered the dining room.
"Quatre?" Leila spoke softly to him as he sat back down beside her. "What's wrong?"
"We're going to have to cut our visit short," he said, making sure that everyone heard. "There's a family problem on the colony that's demanding my attention." He gave Relena, Duo and Hilde a regretful smile. "I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about that, Quatre," Relena said, reaching across the table to
touch his hand lightly. "You have a lot of responsibility. We're glad that you
got to stay for as long as you did."
"When d'you have to leave?" Duo asked,
toying with a half-eaten blueberry muffin.
"The day after tomorrow," Quatre said, noting Leila's slightly disappointed look. He patted her knee under the table and she flashed a small smile at him. "Of course, once we're both settled in, we'll expect you all to come and visit."
"Well, if you're leaving so soon, you need to see my niece again before you go," Relena said, pushing away from the table and dusting her hands together. "I'm ready to go myself."
"I didn't get to see her last night," Hilde said, rising as well. "Give me a minute to freshen up and I'll join you, Relena."
Leila looked over at Quatre, who nodded. "I'll go too, if you don't mind," she said, finishing the last of her juice in one gulp.
"We'll meet you at the hospital," Quatre said, standing up and pulling Leila's chair away from the table. "I have a few last minute things I need to take care of." He caught Heero's eye as he walked in, and the other young man nodded. Relena frowned slightly, noticing the by-play.
"All right," she said, reaching up to squeeze Heero's hand when he placed it on her shoulder. "We'll see you then. Hilde, Leila, I'll meet you downstairs in fifteen?"
"No problem," Hilde said. "It shouldn't even take me that long." Leila nodded in agreement.
Half an hour later, Heero, Duo and Quatre were in the study, leaning over Heero's laptop. "I'm glad we got the girls out of the house," Duo said, a frown wrinkling his forehead. "This is not good news, Quatre."
"I know," Quatre said, frowning as well. "It looks like someone has been diverting company funds for unauthorized research and development at one of our storage depots. I'd like to know who's been helping Ahmed with all of this. He can barely pilot a mobile suit, much less build one from scratch."
"Well, from what I've found, it looks like he's managed to build at least five," Heero said, fingers flying over the keyboard. "And they've got the parts there to put together at least five more."
"We need to call in the Preventers," Quatre said grimly. "I want this done right. I don't want any lives lost over my mistake."
"Quatre," Duo said, looking up at his friend. "It's not your fault. You didn't know."
"That's no excuse," Quatre began to pace, running a hand through his blonde hair, pushing his bangs away from his face. "I'm responsible for what happens with my company and family. I knew that Ahmed was angry over not being given control of the business. I should have anticipated this. I should have had him under surveillance."
Heero spared a glance from his computer for his worried friend. "You try to see the best in everyone, Quatre," he said evenly. "Especially those close to you. It's your greatest strength as well as your greatest weakness." Quatre smiled wryly at that, knowing it was true.
"Can you encrypt a copy of all that, Heero? And send it to Lady Une?" he asked, reaching for the phone. "I'll call her now." As he waited for the call to be picked up, he thought rapidly. If the Preventers were unable to assist him, he'd have to get Rasid and the Maganacs to help. Destruction of the illegal mobile suits were the first item on the agenda. Then he'd worry about catching his cousin and whatever accomplices he had. He was sure that Cryo-tech was involved somehow, but Anton Romus was entirely too clever to leave any incriminating evidence anywhere.
Anton Romus' office was at the top of his main branch office in Rome. From his high vantage point, he could see over the entire city and it pleased him to know that people had to look up to see him. He sipped at the rich red wine in a glass at his side and contemplated the view.
"Sir?" Derwint, his unobtrusive aide, appeared at his side, nervously clutching at the folder in his hands.
"Isn't the view lovely this morning?" Romus said, ignoring his aide's anxiety. Off to his right, he could see the remains of the Coliseum and several temples, gleaming whitely in the early morning light. After a few more minutes contemplating the view, he swiveled his plush leather chair around and regarded his aide. "Now, what has you so agitated?"
"It's Quatre Winner, sir. I think he's onto Ahmed. He's been digging around in his cousin's files," Derwint said quickly, a drop of sweat rolling down his temple as he extended the folder to his employer. Romus took the offering and perused the contents silently.
"I always knew the boy was shrewd," Romus said, closing the file and dropping it into the shredder under his desk. "It's a shame that I couldn't convince him to work with me."
"You tried, sir?" Derwint asked, amazed. He had never heard mention of this before.
"No, Derwint," Romus said, turning to contemplate the view once again. "I wouldn't waste my time with something so futile. Young Winner is too firmly entrenched with Relena Peacecraft and her ilk to ever listen to me. Although…" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Threats work as well as a bribe, and tend to have more of an effect. After all, you only have to threaten a man once, bribes tend to need to be repeated. Quatre's marriage has been a hot topic in the media of late. Find out what you can about his lovely young wife. She may be the leverage we need. After all, if we can get Quatre in our pocket, we won't need Ahmed."
"Understood, sir." Derwint made a little bow and headed for the door. He was almost there when Romus' deep voice halted him.
"Oh and Derwint, find out what our friend Ahmed is planning."
"Of course."
Leila was thoroughly enjoying her visit to the hospital. They had taken turns holding the baby, and now she sat in the rocking chair cradling the sweet bundle in her arms. She had never held a baby this little before. Her only previous experience had been with her cousin's baby and he had been at least three months old at the time. Everything about the baby was enchanting, from her tiny perfect fingernails, to the dark feathery lashes resting against her petal soft cheeks.
"She's so beautiful, Noin," Hilde said, peering over Leila's shoulder. "I can't wait till the twins are born."
Noin grimaced wryly, shifting in the chair next to the bed. The doctor had told her to move around as much as possible, but it was still a bit painful. And now she had to go the bathroom. But she still smiled at the complement to her child. "She looks just like Relena's baby picture," Noin said, attempting to struggle out of her chair.
"Really??" Relena asked, looking at her sister-in-law with astonishment.
"Yeah," Noin grunted, managing to get out of the chair. She had refused Relena's help, saying that the doctor had told her to do it herself. "Look in the drawer there," she continued, pointing at the bedside table. "I think Zechs left his wallet. There's a picture of you at two weeks old. He's had it forever. Amillia's the spitting image." So saying, she made for the bathroom as quickly as she could.
Unable to contain her curiosity, Relena opened the drawer, finding her brother's wallet. Opening it, she found the mentioned picture. Sure enough, they both had the same white-blonde hair and features, the only difference being the color of their eyes. Relena's had been a clear, pale blue, whereas Amillia's were a darker blue, almost purple.
"Your hair got darker as you got older. I suspect Amillia's will do the same," came Zechs' smooth voice from the doorway. Relena turned to face him, eyes wide. Zechs gave her a wry smile and sat down in the chair that Noin had recently vacated. "I had dark hair when I was born, believe it or not," he continued. "Almost black. It turned lighter as I got older."
"She has Noin's eyes, though," Relena said.
"Well, I'm glad to have contributed something," Noin groused, exiting the bathroom slowly. Zechs rose from the chair and offered it to her. She shook her head and made her way to the bed. "I feel like stretching out."
The baby began to fuss at the sound of her mother's voice and Leila hummed softly, rocking back and forth. The fussing became a little wail, however, and Noin glanced up at the clock on the wall. "She's most likely hungry, Leila," Noin said. "It's time for her feeding." Leila nodded and stood up carefully, bringing the hungry baby to her. As soon as she was in her mother's arms, Amillia stopped crying and began to root urgently, making soft grunting noises.
"Why don't we give you some privacy," Relena suggested, moving toward the door.
"I could use a cup of tea," Leila said, following.
Hilde rolled her eyes. "You're as bad as Quatre. Tea, tea, tea." She grimaced at the thought. "Tea just goes straight through me. But I could use a glass of ice water."
Relena couldn't help but to laugh. "We'll be back in a bit."
Hakeem was waiting outside the room when they exited and insisted on escorting them to the cafeteria. Leila wondered why Quatre had been so insistent that the man go along with them. Surely the hospital of all places was safe? But if he was that concerned, she would oblige him. Later, she would ask him what was going on.
Lady Une was surprised by Quatre's unexpected call, but her surprise turned to concern when she received Heero's encrypted files. "I don't have to tell you this worries me, Quatre," she said bluntly. "I've already spoken to your sister about the situation. I take it she didn't have this information at the time she contacted me?"
"No, she didn't," Quatre said, responding to the silent question. "If she had, she would have told you, family business or not. Zahra wouldn't withhold vital information."
Lady Une nodded. "I'm glad to hear it. She's one of our best operatives. Now, to the situation at hand." She tapped one manicured fingernail on her oak desktop. "I know your security is good, Quatre, but would you mind if I sent a few more agents to the colony?"
Quatre sighed in relief. "Of course not. Have them contact Zahra if need be. Heero is going to accompany me back home to inspect the computer system at work." He grinned wryly at his friend. "He's my new network consultant. If there's anything in the computers, he'll find it. I only wish I could find an excuse to have Leila stay here."
"Yes," Une said with a tiny smile. "I had heard congratulations were in order." Quatre shrugged, a faint blush spreading across the bridge of his nose. Duo rolled his eyes at the sight. "Mariemaia's quite disappointed."
"How is she?" Quatre seized onto the comment to change the topic of discussion.
Une's face brightened a bit. "She doing quite well. Top of her class, in fact. She's due home at the end of the week for vacation."
"Tell her I said hello," Quatre said with a smile.
"I'll do that," Une promised. "Now, about that storage depot. If it met with an… unfortunate accident, would it be too much of a problem?"
"Not really," Quatre said thoughtfully. "If it were an unforeseen accident, the insurance would cover the damages. I'll have Rasid send you the schematics on the building and the area, but I'm fairly sure there's a gas main running under the building. Quite dangerous if there were a leak, you know."
Lady Une smiled wryly. "Yes, gas lines can be a hazard indeed. And the resulting explosion would destroy anything in the building.
"I think Winner Enterprises can withstand the loss of a few cartons of spare parts. Which is all that is supposed to be in that depot," Quatre said. "But the sooner the better. I don't want anyone getting suspicious and moving those suits to another location."
"Hmm, yes," Une agreed, looking over the information on her screen. "I'll start planning the mission as soon as I get the schematics. We can have it taken care of in a couple of days."
"Good, the sooner the better," Heero said. "I'll see to any information in the computer system. That includes finding something to tie in Romus. I don't want him getting away."
"I agree," Une said grimly. "We've been trying to build a case against him for several years, but unfortunately, he's always managed to elude us."
"He won't this time," Heero said, the tone of his voice chilling all who heard it. "I'll see to it personally."
It was several hours before Duo, Heero and Quatre joined everyone at the hospital. Duo and Quatre were openly interested in the baby, each holding her, but Heero kept his distance. When the nurse came by to remind them that visiting hours were ending, Quatre offered to treat them to dinner. "I'll take a rain check from you and Zechs," he said to Noin, teasing. She stuck her tongue out at him and grinned.
Hakeem went ahead to ready the car and the three couples strolled out of the hospital. As they exited, all hell broke loose. A bright flash exploded from the hedges lining the walk, blinding them all. Duo grabbed Hilde, covering her as best he could as they hit the ground. Quatre tackled Leila and Relena, trying to shield them both. Heero hit the ground on his side, a pistol appearing out of nowhere, trained on the man crouching in the bushes. He was shouting something at the top of his lungs, which Quatre was able to make out as "DON'T SHOOT!!" repeated over and over very quickly. Heero snatched the man out of the bushes as Hakeem and a security team came running, lifting him off of his feet and holding him in the air by his collar.
Duo looked absolutely furious as he gently helped Hilde to her feet. Fists clenched, he started after the man, but Quatre caught his arm and shook his head. "It's a photographer," Quatre said, disgust coloring his voice. He had a well ingrained dislike of paparazzi and he grabbed the camera dangling from the man's limp hand, yanking out the film.
"Hey—urk!" the photographer's protests were cut off by the barrel of Heero's gun pressing into his throat.
"Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused?" Quatre asked, not really expecting the man to care. The security team stood nearby uncertainly, not sure of what to do. With a disgusted sneer, Heero flung the man at their feet. With a remarkable poor sense of self-preservation, the fellow leaped to his feet, shouting, "Who d'you think you are?? I'm with the press. I got rights!!"
"So do I," Quatre said calmly. "The right to press charges for harassment. I know who you are. And I have a restraining order against you. I was polite enough to drop those breaking and entering charges on you, but now I'm starting to seriously reconsider."
The man paled and began to stammer. "Now, M-Mr. Winner, I t-tried to explain that was all a misunderstandin'. Besides, I wasn't even after you this time. I was tryin' to get pictures of the Vice-Foreign Minister and her new boyfriend."
Quatre heard Duo's soft "Oh, shit" and turned to see Heero with a look of absolute fury on his face. Relena caught him before he could move, whispering in his ear. Her words had some effect on him, for he visibly calmed. He fixed the man with a glare that made him pale even further, but said nothing.
"Gentlemen," Relena smiled at the security guards holding the unfortunate photographer. "Please see that this man is charged with violating a restraining order. And if he ever comes near me again, I'll have him brought up on charges as well. There are ways to obtain pictures, and this isn't one of them. I'm known for cooperating with the media," and she fixed him with a glare of her own. "When asked, of course." She turned away, dismissing the man from her consideration. "Hilde, are you okay?"
Hilde smiled, trying to dispell some of the tension in the air. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just had the breath squashed out of me."
"If I see that jerk again, he's gonna be sorry," Duo vowed, glaring as the security team escorted him away.
"I'm so sorry, Master," Hakeem said, sweat beading on his face. "I didn't even see him in the bushes." The large man wrung his hands as he waited for words of condemnation.
"It's not your fault, Hakeem," Leila said, placing a conforting hand on his arm. "He probably waited until you had gone to get the car before hiding in the bushes. Besides, you couldn't see him from over there."
"I should have stayed with you," Hakeem said, still upset over the incident. "I shouldn't have let you out of my sight."
To everyone's surprise, Heero let out a short laugh. "Don't worry about it, Hakeem. I didn't even see him. We should just consider this a lesson learned and go on."
"I don't know about the rest of you," Relena said, "but I'm still hungry. And someone promised me dinner."
Quatre laughed. "Well, never let it be said that I starved a lady!" Everyone laughed at that and they headed for the black limo in a much better mood.
Chapter Twenty
Their remaining time passed so quickly that no-one seemed to know where it had went. Duo and Hilde said their goodbyes at the house, not wanting to make the trip to the crowded spaceport. Leila gave them each a warm hug and made Duo promise to call if anything happened. Hilde managed to whisper a message that made Leila pause. "You should tell Quatre you love him," she had said. "He might just surprise you."
Relena rode to the spaceport with them, chatting easily with them about various people and events. Quatre noticed, however, that she kept a grip on Heero's hand the entire way. Taariq met them at the private gate, keeping an eye out for any suspicious behavior, while Muraad helped the pilot, yet another member of the Maganac Corp, with the preflight inspection. Hakeem brought up the rear with various bits and pieces of luggage.
Quatre took Leila up front to meet the pilot and to give Heero and Relena a moment to themselves. When they returned to the cabin, the two were talking quietly by the door. Taariq was waiting outside to escort Relena back to her car so that they could leave as soon as they got their clearence.
Heero pulled away first, running a finger down Relena's cheek. "Remember my promise?" She nodded, one crystal tear escaping her control. "Don't worry then."
"I'm not," she said. "I'll miss you." To Quatre's everlasting shock, Heero wrapped his arms around Relena and gave her a slow, tender kiss.
The overhead speaker interrupted the sweet moment, however. "Master Quatre," came the voice of Achmed, the pilot. "The tower is clearing us to approach the ramp. We need to be going."
Quatre reached over to toggle the intercom. "Right, Achmed."
Heero let Relena go, giving her a gentle push toward the stairs. She nodded, following Taariq to her waiting car. Once he had seen the Vice-Foreign Minister safely ensconced in her armored limo, Taariq sprinted back to the stairs, huffing as he secured the door behind him. A slight change in the air signaled that the cabin was pressurizing as everyone found a seat and belted in. The shuttle moved so smoothly that the only indication of motion was the changing of the scenery outside the window. Leila swallowed a bit nervously, still not overly enthused by the idea of air travel. Fighting a grin, Quatre reached over and took her cold hand in his.
"It's all right," he said. "Try not to think about it too much."
"Talk to me," she asked, her clouded green eyes locking with his blue ones. "Tell me about your home. Describe it to me."
"Our home," he corrected gently. But he began to describe everything he could think of; from the driveway out front, to the gardens in the rear, even the suite they would be sharing. He had to raise his voice slightly when the boosters fired, but other than that, the takeoff was uneventful. As soon as they left Earth's gravity well, Heero unbuckled his belt and floated over to where Muraad was working on a laptop. They spoke quietly for a few seconds, then Heero brought out his laptop and linked the two computers together. Quatre rolled his eyes at the sound of clicking keys. Muraad was a talented hacker; not in Heero's league, but then again, who was? Quatre thought as he drifted back to the galley to get a drink.
"Master?" Achmed's voice came over the intercom. "Would you like me to turn on the gravity?"
Quatre rolled and looked over his shoulder at Leila. She was gripping the arms of her seat tightly, eyes squeezed shut. Tendrils of her unbound hair floated up around her head like odd seaweed.
"Not just yet," he replied, forgetting all about getting a drink. He pushed off against the wall, moving over to float in front of her. "Leila, it's okay. It's free-fall. I'll help you, if you want. If you don't like it, we'll turn on the gravity." She opened her eyes and peered up at him uncertainly. He gave her a reassuring smile and nodded. Taking a deep breath, she unbuckled her seat belt and reached for his hand.
Quatre was pleasantly surprised that Leila was a natural in free-fall, adjusting to the lack of gravity right away. They played games like a couple of small children for almost an hour, stopping only when Heero called Quatre over to look at something he and Muraad had come up with. Then the fax machine began to beep and they returned to their seats as the gravity was turned on. As soon as it had, the printer started chattering, and a ream of paper spewed out of the machine.
Quatre heaved a disgusted sigh as he gathered it all up and stacked it neatly. More proposals from members of the board. And a message from his uncle, Hassan Winner, wanting to know when he and his wife would be available to dine with him. "I'm sorry, Leila," Quatre said, giving her an apologetic smile. "I really need to start reviewing these proposals for the next board meeting."
She smiled back reassurningly. "That's all right. I know you have a lot of business to take care of. After all, you've been gone for over a month. I can amuse myself." So saying, she pulled down the tote bag she had brought on board and pulled out a paperback novel. "I'm trying to finish the last few chapters," she explained.
Quatre dropped a quick kiss on her forehead and, gathering up all of the papers, sat down at the desk provided across the aisle. Truthfully, he always worked while in transit. It saved time that way. He picked up his pen and began to read. He was halfway through the stack when the vidphone shrilled, making him jump. With a grin at his own foolishness, he answered, waiting until the screen cleared before he spoke. It was Zaheer, yet another member of the Maganac Corps.
"Quatre Winner speaking. Go ahead."
"Sorry to bother you, Master," Zaheer said, trying to hide a smile. "But there's been an accident at Storage Depot number nine. The gas main running under the building ruptured and the entire building's a loss. We evacuated everything for a mile radius, and there were no injuries to report. The fire squad has the flames contained and they're standing by to make sure it doesn't flare up again. The gas company had also ordered a full investigation into the matter." Quatre nodded, that had been expected. Rasid and Lady Une made a formidable team. They had planned everything down to the most minute detail. Heero looked up, catching Quatre's eye and the two exchanged a wry grin. Leila noticed the by-play, but kept her questions to herself.
"Once everything cools down, the inspectors will go in and catalogue the damage," Zaheer continued. "Then the insurance people can have it. I just wanted to let you know what was going on. I'll have a written report for you later."
"Thank you, Zaheer," Quatre said, smiling. "I'll be waiting for it then." He terminated the connection with a laugh and went back to the boring documents before him. Heero looked up from his laptop, an identical expression on his face.
Damn!! From his vantage point across the street, Ahmed watched the firefighters put out the last remaining pockets of flames. He'd made arrangements with the Cryo-tech team to start moving the mobile suits out tonight. Now what would he do?? He'd already taken the money for the suits and now that he couldn't deliver, they'd probably take the payment out of his skin. He closed his eyes and thought hard. Maybe if he gave them back the money, they'd let him off. But how to get the money? He'd already spent most of it and it wasn't like he could approach his father for it either. He'd just get up on his moralistic high horse and say that it was his responciblity as a man to deal with his own mistakes.
Ahmed groaned. At this point it seemed as though the only thing that would save him would be Allah himself. Just then, two members of the Maganac Corps walked by his hiding spot, heading for the large truck at the end of the street.
"Yeah, I just heard," one of them said, pausing to chug down on a bottle of water. "Rasid said that Master Quatre was on his way back. They'll be back tonight, in fact."
"They?" the other man asked, pausing to wipe soot and sweat from his brow.
"Yeah. His new wife and some big-shot computer consultant are coming in with him," the first man said.
"I saw the vids of the wedding," said his partner, grinning. "She sure is a good looking woman. Master Quatre got lucky."
"He always does." They both laughed and then continued on their way.
That changes things, Ahmed thought, leaning against the rought brick wall, already formulating a plan. His partner had been asking a lot of questions about Quatre's new wife recently. Perhaps… He needed to get back to his hotel and place a call or two.
It was in the wee hours of the morning when the shuttle finally docked at L-4. The lights in the cabin were dimmed, and everyone but Quatre was asleep. Even Heero had dozed off. No matter how many times he came back, Quatre always watched as the shuttled docked and he came home. For him, coming home was something to never be taken for granted. He looked over at Leila, sound asleep in her seat, a light blanket draped over her. And it was different this time. He was coming home with someone important to him. As he looked down at her face, relaxed and vulnerable in sleep, something shifted within his soul, shattered and rearranged, all the little piece forming a new whole. He gasped aloud, clutching at his chest.
"Oh my god," he said in sheer wonderment. "I love her."
A snort from behind him almost made him jump out of his skin. He turned to find Heero looking at him with half-closed eyes. "I wondered how long it would take you to realize it," he said, a wry smile tilting his mouth. "It's a scary moment, isn't it?"
Speechless, Quatre nodded. "How did you, I mean, I –"
"It was obvious to anyone who's been there," Heero said calmly, as if they were discussing the weather, rather than a life altering realization. "Take it from someone who's been there, Quatre. Don't wait until it's almost too late before you tell her." There was nothing he could say to that. He turned back to the window and watched as the boarding tube slid out to connect the shuttle to the colony.
Leila woke suddenly, completely disoriented. "Where am I?" she said aloud, sitting up. The room was unfamiliar and she was feeling a bit nervous. The bed was huge, an oak four poster. Nightstands were on either side of the bed, each with a phone and a lovely flower arrangement. She crawled over to the right side of the bed, dimly noticing that her shoes were sitting on the floor by the nightstand. She ran her tongue over her dry lips; she wasn't feeling well. This feeling of displacement was making her a bit nauseous. There were doors on either side of the bed and she opened the one on her side, curious. It was a dressing room with feminine décor. Nothing overly frilly, but it was obviously meant for a woman.
There were two doors here, one directly across from her and the other in the back of the room. Still feeling a bit like Alice tumbling down the rabbithole, she opened the door across from her. It was a nursery. Unable to help herself, Leila walked into the room, running her fingers over the smooth wood of the furnishings, twirling the cloth animals on the mobile hanging over the crib. There was a stack of baby clothes folded atop the changing table and she reached for one, holding it up to admire. It was just so tiny and precious. She hugged it to her, rubbing the soft material against her cheek, trying to picture her baby in this beautiful sunny room.
Quatre felt like he'd been punched in the chest when he found Leila in the nursery. She was cuddling an infant sleeper, a dreamy look on her face. He found he could picture her here, holding their baby. Quicksilver yearning welled up inside him and he cleared his throat. Leila jumped like a scared rabbit. She turned quickly, an alarmed expression turning to a smile when she saw him.
"Quatre!" she couldn't resist stepping toward him. She was delighted when he pulled her into his arms, kissing her on the forehead. She tilted her head up to look into his eyes, slightly puzzled by the look in his eyes.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," he gently teased. "I tried to wake you when the shuttle docked but you were sound asleep."
"Is this," she waved her hand at the surrounding rooms. "ours?"
"Yes," he said, leading her back into her dressing room. "I have a dressing room on the other side. And a bathroom." He pointed to the door at the back of the room. "That's a bathroom as well."
"Hm," she said. "Practical, but hardly intimate." She blinked, realizing what had just slid out of her mouth.
He grinned, squeezing her hand. "That's true. I guess I wouldn't mind sharing." He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "As long as you don't leave girl stuff all over the bathroom."
"Girl stuff??" she huffed. A laugh from the doorway distracted her from the pithy comment she was about to make and she turned to see Iria lounging in the doorway, grinning from ear to ear.
"It's good to see you again," Iria said, reaching out to hug her tightly. Leila smiled as they both took a step back. She had liked Quatre's older sister from the moment they had met. "There's a brunch laid out downstairs in the small dining room," she said, glancing over Leila's shoulder at her brother.
At the mention of food, Leila's stomach roiled. "I'm not very hungry," she said. "I wouldn't mind some tea though."
Quatre frowned. "You don't look too good," he said, concern tinging his voice. "You didn't eat much last night either." He laid a hand on her forehead. "You're pale, too."
She gave him a smile and stepped out the door. "It's probably just all the travel. I need to get adjusted to being in one place."
"You're probably right," Quatre agreed, reached for her hand as they left. "Coming, Iria?" he called over his shoulder.
"Right behind you," she said, a smug speculative smile curving her pink lips.