Warnings: hmmm... angst, potentially
bastardized Heero, 1xR, Rx?. Lemon-free... for now. 4+3 implied.
Disclaimers: The song is Fiona's, the boys belong
to some production company somewhere, not making any money from this,
you know the routine.
Spoilers: none (I hope!)
Notes: Hmm, next chapter... hopefully I'll be
able to get it up next week... or early May... I hate finals... -_-;;
Feedback: C&C always welcome. Post here, or
you can e-mail me at quelirain@yahoo.com.
Never Let You Go
Chapter 7
by quelirain
Heaven help me for the way I am
Save me from these evil deeds before I get
them done
--Fiona Apple, "Criminal"
|
They arrived on Earth without incident.
Wufei was waiting for them in the lounge outside the gate. "Let's
go."
"What, no 'how are you, glad to see you again,
it's been a while, whatcha been up to?' " Duo replied as he and Relena
followed Wufei through the shuttle port. A black four-door sedan idled
out front with tinted windows and a patiently-waiting driver. "The perks
of government work," Duo noted wistfully.
"Sometime you'll have to travel with me. Diplomatic
arrivals are outrageous," Relena replied, striding briskly to keep up with
Wufei.
Duo's hand slid out to squeeze hers. She looked
up in surprise and caught Duo's soft smile before he turned away. He seemed
so happy that she'd included him in her future plans. //Such a little
thing...//
They'd almost reached the car when someone shouted,
"Vice Minister Peacecraft!" Instinctively, Relena turned, but Wufei threw
open the car door and shoved her into the front seat. Through the tinted
windows--which, she suspected, were also one-way and bullet-proof--she
could see Duo and Wufei sprinting after whoever it was who had called her.
A few minutes later, the back door opened and
four people squeezed inside. Wufei slammed the door shut and barked, "Drive."
The Preventer behind the wheel locked the doors
without being told, then calmly wove through the local traffic onto the
highway. Curious, Relena turned to see who exactly was in the backseat,
but Wufei caught the motion before she could get a good look.
"Face forward," Wufei ordered in a tone just slightly
kinder than the one he'd used with the driver. "Keep quiet."
"And put your seatbelt on," Duo added.
Relena pressed her lips together, but obeyed.
"The camera," Wufei demanded.
"It doesn't matter," a feminine voice said coolly.
"You can't erase our memories."
"Can't we?" Wufei asked. "I know many ways to
help people forget what they've seen... perhaps you'd like me to demonstrate?"
"We know who you are, Chang Wufei. I recognized
you when I first saw you in the shuttle port. I assume that this is the
infamous Duo Maxwell of the Maxwell Orphanage," the female said. "And admittedly,
it took me a moment to recognize her, but who could forget the unmistakable
Relena Peacecraft?"
"You can and will," Wufei replied.
"Wait." Duo's voice was tight. "The signal was
already transmitted. They have it."
"Live?" Wufei asked.
"No," the woman said. "It wasn't live. But it
will definitely be featured on someone's next broadcast."
"Names." Wufei's demanding tone made it clear
that he expected an immediate and full answer. A more timid person would
probably offer her age, birthdate, and weight
in a hope to avoid the implicit threat of violence against her person,
but the reporter hesitated.
"*Now.*"
Finally, the woman replied, "Roshelle O'Connor.
My camera operator is Mike Drexel. We're from the National News
Service."
Relena flinched. The NNS was not really a station;
it was a news wire that other stations rebroadcast. She'd dealt with reporters
from the service often and found them professional enough, though she wasn't
familiar with this one.
"You and Mr. Drexel will remain with us." Wufei's
tone boded no arguments.
The woman cleared her throat. "As long as we're
all here, I'd like to ask a few questions. How is your health, Miss Peacecraft?
Your brother informed us just yesterday that you have mononucleiousis.
I'm surprised to see you're feeling well enough to travel--"
"I suggest you be concerned about your own health,"
Duo said warmly. Relena was sure he was grinning broadly. "But by all means,
if you enjoy feeling unwell, continue."
The woman snorted. "You wouldn't dare do anything
to us. Preventer Chang would most certainly lose his job, and you, Mr.
Maxwell, are a private citizen and subject to the law."
Relena bit her lip and tried not to laugh. The
woman was gutsy, if overconfident. Not many people dared interfere with
Wufei; he was as well-known for his dedication to justice as he was for
his temper. Of course, the reporter--Roshelle--thought she was dealing
with a normal Preventer and a guy who ran an orphanage, not two of the
most lethal men in the Earth Sphere. And even though both Wufei and Duo
were handsome, they certainly looked young and lithe to the untrained eye.
"Not everything leaves tell-tale evidence," Duo
replied conversationally. "And anything can be made to look like an unfortunate
accident."
Relena wished she could warn the reporter just
what she was getting into, but another part of her smiled and waited for
the other shoe to drop.
"Preventer Chang, why are Preventers' resources
involved in the transportation of Relena Peacecraft? Miss Peacecraft has
her own security detail, lead by Heero Yuy, her fiance and clearly one
of the best bodyguards in the business."
"The best bodyguard in the business," Duo corrected.
"And I don't think you're listening to what we're telling you--you're not
going to get any answers to your questions, so stop wasting air."
"Which leads me to my next question--why are you,
Mr. Maxwell, a private citizen, involved in what appears to be an official
transport--" There was a small gasp, then the woman cried out in
pain. "How--"
"The magic that is acupressure," Duo explained.
"Preventer Chang is a man of many talents. I advise you to refrain from
further questions."
"Are you threatening us, Mr. Maxwell? Or is Preventer
Chang detaining us?" Roshelle replied smartly. "Neither is really legal."
"Would you like to be arrested for interfering
with official Preventers' business?" Duo asked.
The woman clicked her tongue. "But that would
mean Preventer Chang would have to do what he's doing in the public eye
instead of behind its back."
Wufei made a noise in the back of his throat that,
Relena imagined, sounded like a dragon just before it roasted its victim
to a crisp with fiery breath. Roshelle took the hint and stopped talking.
Silence reigned until they reached a nondescript
brick building on the outskirts of the city. With a harsh, "Stay here,"
Duo yanked the reporter out of the car, leaving Wufei to assist the cameraman.
They entered the building. A few moments later, Duo returned for Relena.
He was wearing his manic grin, and his eyes were glittering.
"What did you do with them?" she asked.
"They're a little tied up at the moment. Wufei's
handling them." The car pulled away as Duo led the way inside the building
and into a freight elevator.
"What about Quatre? Hasn't anyone noticed he's
missing?"
"Nasira will make up something." They reached
the third floor of the building. Duo pulled aside the grate of the elevator
and led Relena to leftmost door at the end of the dark hallway. "It's a
bedroom," he said. "It's not much, but you didn't sleep on the flight,
and you need to rest."
"I'm fine."
Duo opened the door for Relena. "You need to rest."
"Someone needs to talk to Trowa," she replied
stubbornly.
"I'll take care of it."
"Am I just supposed to lie here and sleep while
you two go look for Quatre?" she snapped. "I made this mess, and
I'll be damned if I just hand it over to someone else to clean up!"
Patiently, Duo repeated, "You need to rest."
This time, she looked at Duo with her own interpretation
of the pleading gaze that Duo had perfected. "Please, Duo.
If something's happened to Quatre, it's my fault."
Duo swept her into his arms and hugged her fiercely,
followed with a kiss that left her breathless. "Quatre is *fine*.
We *will* find him, Relena. Don't you dare believe anything else."
She leaned her head on his shoulder, breathing
deeply. "Just let me talk to Trowa. If it is as it seems between
them... I'm still responsible. I should never have involved Quatre
in this. I shouldn't have involved any of you."
"Do you really think I'm all that susceptible
to female charms?" She looked up at him, wide-eyed. "I chose
to be here. Quatre would have done the same thing."
Relena raised her eyebrows.
"Okay, well, maybe not the *exact* same thing,
but you get my point." He winked. "Come on. We'll call
Trowa, then you're going to bed."
"Thank you."
~owari Chapter 7~
