"You sure about this?" Trowa asked, checking their progress to the L1 colony cluster. "Roddy isn't too happy about me leaving."
"Very sure," Heero replied, helping Trowa with navigation. "And Jin isn't too happy about us coming to see her, but they'll learn to deal with it."
"They married difficult men," Wufei said from behind them. He got two quiet glares in response. "Do you think Quatre and Duo were too angry?" he asked, wanting to change the subject.
"Duo was pissed," Heero replied. "Quatre just said he understood. He's still uneasy about Kaori taking care of Quatre Jr., but he accepted it." He stretched, rubbing his sore neck.
"Heero?" the communicator crackled.
"Yuy here," he replied, pressing a few buttons to ease the static.
Jin's face appeared. She was smiling despite her displeasure of her husband not obeying her command to stay at home. "You shouldn't have come."
"Had to come," Heero said simply.
"Well, I'm waiting for you at the shuttle docks. Find me." She signed off.
Heero turned to Trowa. "How long till we dock?"
"Three minutes," Trowa replied, glancing at a few dials on the consol.
Masterfully, Trowa landed their unmarked Preventor shuttle on an L1 colony. Jin was there, waiting for them when they disembarked, as she promised. As soon as Heero set foot on the colony ground, she was in his arms, holding him close and practically choking him with her enthusiasm. Jin finally relinquished her grip on Heero's neck, proceeding to hug both Trowa and Wufei but with less fervor.
"You shouldn't have come," she repeated as she walked with them into her temporary apartment. "I've found out too many things, and we're all paying for it now."
"Are you saying that the List is your fault?" Wufei asked, overeager to plant the blame on someone so he could deliver swift justice.
* * * * * * *
"You know, I feel so much better with a Yuy around," Roddy said with a smirk, sipping some more lemonade for the second day in a row. Catherine looked over to where Kaori sat crosslegged on the grass a few feet away. Her "episode" had taken place only yesterday morning, and Kaori was healing with incredible speed. The dislocated shoulder was no longer an issue, having fully mended. Her hand was still wrapped and supported with a splint, but in a few days Sally should be able to take out the stitches. Of course, her knuckles would remain mostly scar tissue for the rest of her life, but Kaori was still healing quickly. In all ways.
"She looks so much her father," Quatre Senior mused, noting the way Heero's gun was tucked into the back waist of her pants. Even in the safe shadow of the Academy building, Kaori's eyes shifted over every known parameter, checking for danger. She pretended to watch his son as he played soccer with some of the cadets. She was really watching every movement of his son, as his acting bodyguard.
"I know that you boys didn't agree with having Kaori watch over Junior," Catherine said with a smile at her husband. She stroked through his hair as his head lay on her lap. "But I'm very glad that she is here with us while Trowa, Wufei, and Heero are gone. Not that I don't have complete faith in you, dear." She tugged on Quatre's hair, making him smile.
"I only wish our son was not first on the List," Quatre said with a sorrowful tone.
* * * * * * *
"Do not blame her," Heero said with an intimidating growl. He glared at Wufei, upset that the Chinese pilot would ever suggest that the List was a product of Jin's doing. Wufei's eyes apologized silently for him, showing that he hadn't meant to accuse anyone.
"It is my fault, Heero," Jin said softly, sinking into a couch in her temporary apartment. "I should have died in that cell twenty years ago."
"Don't talk like that," Trowa soothed, sitting next to her.
"What could you have done to target all of us, and our families?" Heero asked, sitting on the other side of her. He couldn't understand why Jin was placing the blame for all of this on herself. It seemed like he couldn't understand much of anything anymore. Heero was feeling more and more useless as time went on, but he wouldn't tell Jin that. He couldn't stop his daughter from hurting herself. He couldn't keep his family and friends out of harm's way. Nothing was going right anymore.
"I fell in love with you," she replied, looking up into his eyes. Her crimson eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she bit her lip, trying not to give into her urge to cry. "I'm so sorry I took you away from her." Jin buried her head in Heero's chest, too ashamed to look at him.
"Her?" Wufei asked.
"Relena," Heero answered, having already suspected their enemy. "Relena is behind all of this."
"How do you know?" Wufei asked, pressing for more answers.
"Quatre's family first, to get even with Quatre for dismissing her after they…slept together. Then my family, to get even with me for not loving her. And for loving Jin instead. She wants Quat and I to suffer before we die. And then she'll eliminate her greatest threats, you guys. Then she'll mop up the rest of your families." Heero explained his interpretation of the names on the List with his usual monotone, slipping into soldier mode in order to distance himself from the pain. "But there is more than just personal revenge in this…"
"What else is there?" Whether Wufei or Trowa asked the question, Heero couldn't be sure, as his attention was more fully concentrating on Jin's sobbing form curled in his lap.
"I think someone might even be using Relena. Using Relena's influence to their own means and simply allowing this little plot for revenge in order to get us out of the way," Heero answered. He hoped that he was wrong. He hoped.
* * * * * * *
"Uncle Duo!" Little Quat yelled as he ran up to the tangled mass of braids and bodies, again. "Uncle Duo, you can't tackle in football!" The little blonde pulled his "Uncle's" hand and tried to get him off the ground. He was laughing as the pile of Maxwell boys slowly disentangled.
"Sorry, kid," Duo said, smiling and rubbing his shoulder where he'd hit the ground especially hard. A few other cadets had gathered around, since their friendly soccer scrimmage had been interrupted by their instructor's insistence that tackling was allowed in football. "I'm just not quite used to this game. You say 'football' and I think of the American version of the game. You know, your Uncle Heero and I used to play basketball when we were in school. Man, did we make a great team. Together, we could hustle any team of players." Duo smiled brightly at the miniature Quatre and helped his own sons off the ground. "Sorry guys," he said to Hayden and Luke.
"It's alright, old man," Luke teased, picking some grass out of his hair. "Not like you could hurt such fine studs with your puny little tackles…"
Some surrounding cadets chuckled at the friendly banter.
"Oh really?" Duo challenged. "So you want to play a real game of football?"
"Dad," Hayden said, being the voice of reason in the family. He wasn't much of a voice of reason, but compared to his father and his brother, he was a stick in the mud. "We don't have the pads for playing real football."
"You're right," Duo conceded with a sigh. "So, shall we get on with the game?" The surrounding cadets cheered lightly and broke back up into their two teams, waiting for the Maxwell family to join. Natalie and Quatre Jr. were already standing near their group of teammates.
Mei walked over to the Maxwells. "Perhaps we should put you all on one team, so that Colonel Maxwell isn't tempted to tackle either of his sons?" she suggested with a raised eyebrow.
"He can take my place," Daniel offered, stepping over to Duo's team. "Please, sir, take my position on Luke and Hayden's team."
Duo looked back and forth, seeing his sons with Natalie on one team and Mei with Little Quat and Daniel near his old team. "Hmm…I guess I can spare you boys the embarrassment of being beaten by your ol' dad for the time being," he said, joining his sons' team.
* * * * * * *
Kaori watched as the elder Maxwell slapped his sons on the back and joined their team. Good, at least he won't be so tempted to tackle them all the time now, she thought, shifting a little as she sat on the grass. Her eyes wandered endlessly, stealing glances at the Preventor Academy building and grounds as she continuously checked for any signs of danger. She sighed and leaned back on her elbows, feeling her father's gun's pressure against the small of her back. For the moment, it seemed as if they were all safe.
He watched Hayden for a moment, indulging herself in his beautiful form. His long braid swung wildly as he maneuvered on the field. Sweat made his tan Preventor undershirt stick to his muscles, showing them off ever so nicely. As she watched, Little Quat scored a goal, and despite the fact that Hayden was on the opposing team, he gathered Quat into a congratulatory hug. Luke, who had been positioned as goalie, looked upset at the goal against him, but congratulated Quatre Junior as well.
Little Quat seemed to be enjoying himself. Though the boy was aware of possible danger, he didn't let it spoil his fun. The other cadets had accepted him and Natalie instantly, not that Kaori was surprised. Many of them were sure to have younger brothers or sisters at home. Playing with Quatre's and Trowa's kids was natural to them. Even Daniel looked after the kids. They couldn't be safer with this many big and overprotective cadets around.
Daniel caught her eye as he ran downfield. He made a little gesture, pretending to drink from a glass for a moment. Obviously, he was thirsty. With a sigh of stiff muscles, Kaori got up off the ground and walked over to where Quatre Senior, Catherine, and Roddy were sipping lemonade while lounging on a blanket.
"Hello, Kaori," Catherine greeted her with a big smile. Quatre was practically asleep with his head in her lap, so he hardly noticed the new person walking up to their blanket. "How does your arm feel today?"
Kaori winced a little at the reminder. She'd been stupid to give into her urges like that, and it hurt more to be reminded by a family member than to see the injuries herself. Not that she looked in the mirror much anymore. Seeing her current state of disabilities would make her go off the deep end, and she knew it.
"Fine, Aunt Cathy," she said, trying to mask the hurt. "Sally says I'm healing well, considering the extent of my injuries." Kaori reached down and poured some lemonade into a glass and held it in her left hand. Her right still couldn't close all the way, due to the splint.
"Are you getting used to operating with your left hand?" Roddy asked, just trying to make conversation. Kaori was awfully quiet normally, and since she'd been appointed as Quat Jr.'s bodyguard yesterday, they'd hardly heard more than four words from her mouth.
"Father taught me to shoot left-handed, as well as right-handed which is natural for me. He didn't want any possible injuries to hinder me if I needed to protect myself. I can write left-handed too," she replied. Kaori didn't know if Aunt Roddy was trying to assess her physical condition or just trying to be pleasant and act interested. But she felt compelled to assure them all that she was more than capable of taking care of Little Quat.
"We never doubted you," Quatre said, opening his eyes and looking deep into Kaori's strange-colored red-violet eyes.
"Thank you, sir," she said to him, bowing her head slightly. Kaori walked away, returning to her old trampled place in the grass. Setting the full glass of lemonade down beside her, she noticed Daniel slipping out of the game to come and get his refreshment.
"Hey," he said, slightly out of breath. He plopped down on the grass next to her, drinking his cool beverage in large gulps. "I really needed that. Thanks."
"No problem."
"Something wrong?" he asked, noticing that she wasn't necessarily paying attention to him, but instead looking out at the open field where the soccer game was taking place.
"No."
Daniel's brow furrowed slightly. Typical of her not to talk when something was wrong. But obviously she wasn't willing to talk about it. So, pursue another avenue of conversation… "How's the hand?"
"Healing."
Daniel's concentration on Kaori was broken as another blonde trotted up to their little powwow on the grass. He smiled at the approaching figure.
"Kaori?" Little Quat asked, embarrassment evident in his face and voice. And by the way he was jumping back and forth from foot to foot, Daniel could tell exactly what he was going to ask next. "Can you take me to the bathroom?" Even in his haste, the boy knew better than to bolt for the Academy building without checking with Kaori first.
Kaori smiled up at him and stood. Daniel stood up quicker.
"I'll take him, Kaori," Daniel offered. He smiled at Little Quat. "I need to go too."
After a millisecond of extreme analysis, Kaori decided that the Academy was safe enough for Little Quat to be out of her sight for the amount of time it took for him to relieve his call of nature. "Sure. Thanks, Daniel," she said, giving Little Quat a smile.
She watched as Daniel and Little Quat disappeared into the building, keeping her eye on the door they entered and anxiously waiting for their return. After about two minutes, Kaori decided to follow them. She trusted Daniel completely, but she did not wish to have anything happen to Little Quat just because of a slip in her judgment. Better to be overprotective to the point of damned annoying than to lose Little Quat.
The halls were darkened. Something was wrong. And Kaori was instantly cursing her stupid judgment as she raced down the sterile Academy hallways in the direction of scuffling sounds off to her right. The direction of the repair hangars where Col. Maxwell worked, her mind noted as she sped around another corner, barely missing the sharp edge of the corner with her shoulder. She saw the two blondes ahead, being pulling into the third hangar door. Her left hand clasped around the gun, bringing it before her as she poured on more speed, rushing to get to the door. Sounds of engines warming up before takeoff roared in her ears.
She feared she was too late.
