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: One, but it's something that was spoiled earlier in the fic.
Notes:
Feedback: Pretty please? With little chibis on top? (You pick which ones ~_^) Post here, or you can e-mail me at insanewritinggirl@yahoo.com.
Never Let You Go
Chapter 20
by quelirain
| 'Cause there's no kind of lovin' that could make this all right
I'm trying to find a place I belong --Fiona Apple, "The Child is Gone" |
Images of blood and falling bodies washed over Relena in a nauseous wave. She looked from one man to the other. Both Heero and Duo stood facing one another, guns drawn and at the ready.
"How did you find us?" Heero growled.
Duo smirked. "The cross, idiot. Do you honestly think that I wouldn't take advantage of a perfect opportunity to bug Relena? I didn't think you'd ever catch on; hell, I bet you didn't even know she had it."
Heero looked as if he wanted to ask something else, but instead he pressed his lips together in a tight line. "Relena, you should leave. Quatre should still be downstairs; he can get you out of here."
Relena had been staring, but now she stood and without hesitation, moved directly between Heero and Duo.
"Hey, pretty lady, is it just me or do you like being in the line of fire?" Duo said lightly. "Move, before Yuy gets trigger-happy. He's always wanted revenge for that day I shot him, although I think he's gotten his payback ten times over."
"Move, Relena," Heero growled in agreement.
"No," Relena said calmly, looking from one man to the other. Her heart was pounding. "This will not happen. I won't allow it. I know you're both upset. But if you want to be angry with someone, you should be angry with me. I caused this. It's my fault."
"C'mon, Relena, let him have his chance. After all, I have been playing hide-the-hot-dog with his fiancée," Duo answered.
Relena glanced toward Heero, seeing his arms quaver slightly. "He knows that," Relena replied sharply, before Heero could speak. "But it didn't just fall in there; Heero knows that, too." She let her eyes meet Duo's, seeking the kindness she'd always found in his eyes. "And Duo... Heero would never hurt me. He may get angry, he may lose his temper, but he would never--ever--hurt me. Please," she said again, "stop this."
"I trusted you with she who was most precious to me," Heero said quietly, as if he hadn't even heard Relena's plea.
"Yeah, and look how you treated her. Birds in cages always fly the coop." Duo winked.
"And I love you both, and I won't just stand here and let you kill each other!" Relena snapped. "If either of you ever cared anything for me," she said softly, "if either of you ever had anything in your heart for me... you'll put down your weapons."
A long minute passed. Relena's gaze flicked from one to the other. Finally, Duo sighed.
"Fine, Heero. If it's my blood you want, you can have it." Slowly, he lowered his gun, clicking on the safety and slowly setting it on the floor. His eyes remained downcast. "I'm probably being foolish, letting my guard down around you. You probably want to kill me, or at the very least inflict grevious bodily harm." He looked up, spreading his arms wide. His eyes sought Heero's over Relena's shoulder. "Do it." Duo let his gaze fall to Relena, the tender light returning to his eyes as he looked at her. "If this is what it takes," he said quietly, "then do it."
Relena turned to Heero, whose gaze and gun were both unrelenting. Slowly, she backed up until she stood directly in front of Duo. "If you're going to hurt him, Heero," she said, "then you have to hurt me."
Heero stared at her, confusion in his eyes.
The soft click of the door was the only warning Relena had before she was thrown to the floor by Duo. She heard Heero move above them, his weapon pointing toward an unseen target. She heard a gun go off and immediately began to struggle against Duo's weight holding her down. "Stop it! Please!"
More gunfire was exchanged, then she heard a door slam. She lifted her head, only to have Duo push it back down to the carpet.
"Yuy! Freeze!"
Wufei's voice didn't surprise Relena. Duo and Trowa had probably notified him about their plans. But the second voice startled her.
"Trowa, shooting Heero isn't going to change anything. Put down your gun."
Quatre.
"It doesn't matter, Trowa. I'm fine. Heero's my friend. We're both okay. Please stop this."
Quiet footsteps, though not even, moved somewhere off to Relena's side, then Trowa murmured something, and suddenly Duo was off her and pulling her to her feet. She saw Quatre, touching Trowa's hand, gently disarming him near the door of the apartment. Heero himself had slid down to the floor, his back resting against a wall, his right hand open and bleeding slightly where he'd held Duo's cross so tightly. Wufei knelt near Heero, talking quietly and examining a wound just below Heero's left shoulder. Duo's cross, chain broken, lay glittering on the floor in the remaining daylight.
Wufei came over to where Relena was standing. "Are you all right?" he asked, glancing her over. She nodded. He glanced at Duo.
Relena sighed. "Wufei, I'm fine. I'm a little shaken up, but fine. What happened to Heero?"
"Grazed by a bullet. Nothing serious." Wufei glanced toward Quatre, who was guiding Trowa to the couch and still talking quietly. Trowa wasn't replying to Quatre's comments, but he wasn't resisting being led to sit. Quatre had a limp, Relena noted, but the bruises were fading. He wore a dark suit and leather gloves, oddly enough.
//Unless... yes. It _was_ Quatre who was driving the limo. I thought he looked familiar.//
Wails of sirens neared at a rapid pace, and Relena heard Wufei roughly mutter an unintelligible phrase. Duo raised his eyebrows. "Wufei... I didn't think you used that kind of language."
Wufei frowned. "Someone must have called the local law enforcement."
"Gunshots in residential areas will often draw the attention of the local police, Wufei," Duo replied. "Anyway, isn't that Preventer badge enough to get the locals off our case?"
"It would be easier if we were simply gone," Wufei said. The sirens reached their peak, then stopped. Wufei surveyed the room. "I'll deal with Yuy. Maxwell, you get everyone else out of here. Quietly."
"I'm always quiet!" Duo protested. "I'm like a shadow in the night." He turned to the pair on the couch. "Hey, lovebirds, we gotta go."
Trowa stood, helping Quatre to his feet.
"Don't take this the wrong way, Quatre, but Trowa, just carry him. We've gotta move fast." He grabbed Relena's hand, pulling her along.
She pulled away. "Wait." Turning, she headed for Heero.
"Uh, Relena, this really isn't the time for a dramatic scene," Duo said, but continued ushering Trowa and Quatre toward the door.
"This will just take a minute," she replied over her shoulder. She crouched in front of Heero, searching his eyes before pressing a gentle kiss to his lips.
"The elevator is heading up to this floor," Quatre called. "Hurry up."
"Go on down to the lobby. Take the stairs at the end of the hallway," Duo called from the door.
Pulling back, Relena touched Heero's cheek with her hand, hovering there until Wufei grabbed Relena's arm, hauled her to a standing position, and shoved her toward the door. "Go," he barked.
Relena stalled for a moment longer, her eyes on Heero's slumped form, before allowing Duo to hustle her out the door.
~owari chapter 20~