Chapter Thirteen: We're Good at This Stuff, Right?

Cavel lunged forward on the couch. "I knew it! This place is crawling with gundam pilots!" he cried.

Wufei trained a gun on him. "Don't move. She might not kill you, but I will."

Anna's head was reeling. Four months ago she'd held Wufei's head in her lap and thought he was dying, and now she was inches away from touching his face. "Fei-chan..."

"Not now, Anna." He said softly. "You were going to question our young friend."

"Hmm? Oh." She turned with a glare to the seething Cavel.

"I'll tell neither of you anything. I refuse! I took the blood pledge, the same as Commander Barton. If you kill me, it won't help you." He snarled.

She leaned in close to him. "Then you've never died before, have you?"

"What kind of question is that?" Sparky exclaimed.

"An ironic one." Wufei suggested.

He was about to spit back a retort when a thump and a mild yelp went off from upstairs.

Anna turned. "What the heck?"

Sparky grinned so hard his face nearly split. "It's Dana. You're finished anyway. That blonde business flaw is a goner. You don't think we didn't plan for something like this? We know you gundam pilots. We were trained by one after all."

"That son of a gun! Quatre!" Anna took off towards the stairs.

Cavel leaned back into the couch with a cat like smirk. "It's all over."

Wufei glowered at him. "Don't be so sure, young one."

"You're one to talk. You almost joined OWN, didn't you?" He asked.

"I had prior loyalties."

"I'm sure."

"Where is Barton?"

"I will answer nothing."

"Where is Barton?"

Silence.

"Who gave the order to attack the man known as Lucky Vincent while he was in custody?"

Silence.

Muffled shouts and three gunshots went off in the loft.

Wufei leaned in close and looked ominous. "Answer the question."

"General Victor relayed the order from Commander Barton to get information any way we needed to from Mr. Vincent." Cavel said shortly.

"So he's in cohorts with Victor." He paused. "If she was killed or injured in any way, you'll be joining her shortly."

Sparky glared at him.

"Anna!"

"What?" she called back, sounding slightly frantic.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine! It's not me I'd be worrying about!"

The female soldier had slipped into the loft after all her comrades had vanished back to the base. She had seen the blonde Arab sleeping, and took advantage of the situation. She had grabbed a pillow and forced it over Quatre's face. Anna had burst in as the struggle increased.

Using the gun that she had confiscated from Sparky, she gave two warning shots, and then hit the female in the upper shoulder. The girl slumped to the floor, clutching her arm. Anna was now sitting on the bed, shaking Quatre gently.

"Quatre, Quatre, wake up. You're breathing, you goof, your pulse is fine, and I need you to wake up for me. Blast Trowa Barton, if I ever get my hands around his traitorous neck, I'll kill him! Come on Quatre, wake up!"

Wufei appeared at the top of the stairs, pushing Cavel in front of him. When the young soldier saw his partner, he gasped and rushed to her side.

"You killed her!" he cried.

"You've never seen one of your comrades die before?" Wufei questioned.

"Maybe you'll think about that before you shove a gun in my face the next time." Anna snapped.

Quatre groaned and stirred. "What happened?"

"Hey, relax. You could say we had a relapse." She replied gently.

"Help her." The whisper came from the floor.

Three pairs of eyes swiveled to the two enemies on the floor.

"Excuse me?" Wufei asked incredulously.

"Help her. She'll bleed to death." Sparky whispered.

"You've got to be-"

Anna silenced her Chinese friend with a hand on his arm. "I'll help her. On one condition."

He looked up at her, a mix of fear, pain, and contempt in his eyes. "What's that?"

"Tell me where Trowa Barton is, and what his schedule is." Anna said quietly.

"Deal."

"Good. Wufei, my room is the one on the right downstairs one floor. Go in and look in my top drawer in the dresser. Under the journals on the left there's a map. Bring it to me, would you?" Anna requested.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." She replied. She opened the top of the chest Dana was slumped against and pulled out a bag. She bent and looked Cavel in the eye. "Okay, Sparky. I'm going to uncuff you, and I need you to help me put her on the sofa over here. Don't try anything funny, okay."

He nodded slowly. He watched her carefully while she freed her hands. "Why are you doing this?" he asked.

"I'm a doctor before anything else. That includes being a gundam pilot." She responded.

Slowly they moved her to the couch. He said nothing as Anna gave the girl something for pain, and cleaned the wound. She finished what she was doing, and administered the amnesia drug. Wufei returned with the map.

She thanked him and spread it out on the floor in front of the young man. "This map is ten years old, but it has the four main colonies and earth within it. I need to know where Trowa's office is, where he trains, and where his superior is. Can you give me that?"

He lowered his head. "Commander Barton will kill me if I relay all that information. And if he doesn't, my comrades will."

Anna grabbed his chin. "If he kills you, he's a dead man. There's a lot riding on this, Sparky."

Wufei knelt next to them and she let him go as he nodded.

He finished telling him the approximate coordinates, and he gave the command to take him and the girl soldier back. Just before they vanished, Anna gave him the last dose of the amnesiac drug.

"He won't remember." Wufei said.

"I don't believe I watched you almost die." Anna murmured.

A slight bit of sweat appeared across Chase's forehead as she glared daggers toward the man she had once cared for. "I don't want to kill a former friend, Trowa, but DON'T underestimate me."

Heero placed a strong hand on her shoulder. "Chase, we're outnumbered," he murmured in her ear. "We don't have the weapons to fight this battle. Let's go."

Chase gritted her teeth in frustration. "BAKA!" she yelled, glaring at Trowa. "LIAR!" Faster than any of the soldiers could follow, Chase was in front of him, gun under his chin.

"And how do you figure that?" he asked calmly.

Chase shook with emotions she hadn't felt in so very long. "You once said you cared about me. We were friends, Trowa. Prove that, and let us go now."

"There's nothing to prove, Chase Yuy. The game has not gone your way."

Chase brought her knee up and caught him in the stomach. Hard. "This is no game, Barton," she hissed.

He gasped slightly, trying to regain his breath from the unforeseen attack. He coughed slightly and looked up at her dark green eyes. "Go back to your world, Chase Yuy, but you will not have it for long," he muttered.

Chase backed away slowly, gun aimed at any soldier that dared to try and stop her. She did not turn until she felt Heero behind her.

"Let's go home," he said quietly.

They vanished from the bunker as suddenly as they had come, Chase leaving Trowa with a final glare. His astonished soldiers gathered around the spot where the gundam pilots had been.

"Why'd you let them go, Sir?" a young man asked.

"Because they'll be back. All of you are dismissed. Avis!" Trowa let his gaze become icy as he swept the rising blood off his cheek again.

"Yes, Sir?" his right hand man replied.

"Did you get what I requested?" Trowa barked at him.

"Of course, Commander. I aim to please." Avis replied steadily. He looked up to his commander with the up-most respect. After all, Commander Barton had rescued him from the circus when he had left. He respected this man, but was not afraid of him.

Trowa arched an eyebrow. "Very good. Which holding cell is he in?"

"Two, sir." Avis said proudly.

A smirk settled over the older man's features. "How ironic." His expression fell flat again. "Let's try to keep this prisoner of war a prisoner this time. We've lost three today all ready."

"Of course. There is a triple guard posted around him."

Trowa nodded his approval. "Have someone search his hair. This one's tricky."

Avis saluted him, and quickly disappeared to follow the order. Alone, Trowa frowned. He slammed a fist against the wall. Frustration vented, he became the Silencer again, and headed for his office above ground.

Wufei reached out and grazed her cheek with his thumb. "You only assumed I was dead or dying, Anna. You were the one that said not to ever assume anything."

She gave a half smile. "Actually, Sherlock Holmes said it first. But I live in a world full of assumptions and guesses."

"Not the Anna Maxwell I know." He replied softly.

She slipped her arms around the justice-loving soldier, and hugged him. "Do any of us really know each other anymore?" she whispered.

"Have any of us undergone a major personality change besides getting older, wiser, and tougher?" he asked.

"I don't think so." She sighed.

"So we're all the same, on the inside." He murmured.

She pulled back and smiled at him. "I guess you're right." Her gaze fell on Quatre, who had fallen asleep. "But if I ever get my hands on Trowa Barton..."

Wufei silenced (no pun intended) her by placing a finger over her lips. "Did you hear that?"

They listened closely. Footsteps sounded downstairs in the kitchen. She nodded. He pulled his gun. "Stay here with the other gun and protect Quatre. He knows more than anybody."

"Be careful." She agreed.

He gave her a surprised look. "That hasn't changed either, ne?"

She shook her head. "Not on your life, buster. Go." She said quietly.

He grinned and disappeared down the steps to the second floor.

Chase rounded the corner into the hallway. Anna should be here somewhere. "Where are you Maxwell?" she muttered.

A strong sense of danger flooded her senses. Just like the old days. She whirled around, finding a gun pointed between her eyes. "Well, hello," she said quietly, trying to look past the barrel to its owner.

"Looking for Anna Maxwell?"

That voice...

"Maybe. Who are you to ask?"

Could it be?

"You're not in the position to be making remarks like that, woman."

Chase smirked. "It's been a while, ne, Fei-kun?"

Wufei's eyes widened slightly as he took the gun away, looking into the dark brown eyes of the young blond who stood before him. In a way she did resemble his old comrade. She was small, in size and height. Her hair was longer and she dressed differently, and she wore black-rimmed glasses that rested on her nose. "Chase?"

"Give the boy a prize!"

He shook his head slightly. "Anna! It's just Yuy."

"Never assume there is only one person in the house," Heero said from behind him.

"Correction: Yuys."

Anna laughed as she stuck her head around the corner. "Welcome back," she said smiling.

"I don't know about y'all," Chase said, "but I'm hitting the shower then hitting the bed."

"Me too," someone yelled from the other room.

Anna smiled slightly at the sound of her husband's voice. Wufei frowned.

Duo walked in with a bright smile on his face. "Hey guys!"

"Welcome back to you too," Anna, replied.

"Did Quatre make it here?" Heero asked.

"Not in good shape, but he made it. He's resting upstairs," Anna answered.

Heero nodded his understanding and walked off to the kitchen, leaving the small group.

"Never one to socialize very long, are ya, buddy?" Duo asked.

"Hn."

Chase yawned as she crawled under the covers. There was a knock at the door and she glared slightly. "What?"

"I can come back in the morning if you'd rather," Heero responded from outside.

Chase sat up instantly. "No. Come in."

The door opened and he walked into the room, eyes catching hers. "Something's been bothering me."

"Hmm?" Chase asked, laying back down and waiting.

"What went on between you and Trowa?"

Chase paled considerably as she stared into his dark blue eyes.