Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but plot and original characters.
Enjoy and please let me now what you think of it.
We're A Family
Paris stared into the flames and tried to think things through as he tried to put his feelings aside to look at the problems that had arisen. He felt as though everything in his world was suddenly off kilter and he didn't know how to righten it. He hated not to be in control, to be at Fate's mercy yet here he was, at a crossroad he didn't understand or want. He should be happy after all, he was doing his favorite thing, lazing in a big comfy chair with nothing to do but relax and think. But his thoughts were anything but light or relaxed. What was he to do, the fight had only temporarily alleviated his anger, and soon it would come roaring back with a vengeance. It was ironic he thought as he watched the colors spark in front of him that even though his secret was out his friends still didn't know him, didn't know Paris McMaster. They probably believed him to be some playboy, Heero's opposite, but they were wrong in that assumption, he was neither of them. He was himself, more of a combination of the two sides his friends knew and seen. What must they think of him Paris wondered with a twisted smile, they must think him to be more crazed then Lady Une had once been. Heero was his mask against the dark side of the world Paris thought with a smirk and the Paris they'd seen was his defense against the lighter side. He'd always had a mask for every occasion; it was how he'd survived this long. Had he ever really planned to let them see the real Paris, or would he simply have left one day and disappeared into the night? He didn't really have an answer to that. The question on his mind was what was he going to do now?
Sue-Ling stayed in the shadows as she watched her master sit brooding, the light from the fire providing little light. She lacked the words or the feeling to offer him the support he might require which angered her as she watched the shadows play upon his face. He had been her master for nearly four years and no one save possibly Rome knew him as she did, of what he must be feeling now. She'd contacted Asia who'd informed her of who had done what in Preventers that had resulted in this pain her master carried yet she sensed that their deaths would not alleviate his pain; only increase it. She knew what it was to be betrayed by someone close to you, to have your heart ripped out and brandished before you while you stared in disbelief and pain. She had felt such things once, but never again would anyone have the chance. She felt nothing now; that was the way it would stay. But such an existence wasn't right for her master though, he was meant to live an ordinary life, a life where there was a belief in love and peace. She might not approve of some of her master's choices in friends and love but she had watched over them, kept them from harm when she could and she knew them well. They had not betrayed her master on purpose; they had not betrayed him as she had been betrayed. But what was she to do, to say to make him realize this? Whatever he chose to do she would stand beside him, his well being all that mattered to her.
"What should I do Sue-Ling?" Paris asked, eventually having become aware of her presence in the darkness of his father's old study. She was so silent that often times he thought of her as merely a shadow, something that faded and appeared at whim to watch over him. A guardian angel some would say but he wouldn't, angel was not a word he'd use to describe her. She was rather like Heero in a lot of ways, often cold and hard, but unlike Heero she had no real emotion, none save loyalty to him. He valued her opinion always, she had seen as much as he had during the war and he knew she knew betrayal well. She never spoke of what had been done or who had done it but he thought it had something to do with the day they'd met. The day she'd nearly died in his arms. Ironic that in risking his life to save hers he had gained a lifesaver for life.
"What you know you must do master, hatred does not suit you Master, it never really has. Even Heero Yuy would not harm them, even he would know that they did what they did for reasons other then to betray him." Sue-Ling said softly moving to stand beside his chair, her face as always void of expression.
"But how can I forgive them, you have not forgiven whoever betrayed you." Paris said looking up at her to make sure he had not gone too far. But as always she'd shown nothing, a female version of Trowa in many ways only Trowa showed more personality and emotion; something that had always amused him in the past.
"There is great difference in our betrayals." Sue-Ling said softly as she looked down at him with eyes as black as the night. "Your betrayal was not done with intention to harm, mine would have killed me had you not intervened." Her blood spilled for having a heart, spilled to protect the honor of another who should have valued her more then it.
"Will you ever tell me who shot you that day? I know you know, I wish you'd tell me so that I could help you lay your past to rest." Paris said placing a hand on her arm, letting her know that he cared. People hadn't shown her affection when she'd been growing up; a hug or kind word was always met with surprise when aimed at her. She'd had her family for longer then he had yet he'd be willing to bet that he'd been more fortunate.
"He is dead to me, as my family is dead to me." Sue-Ling said looking down at him, then at his hand upon her arm. Such a small gesture yet meaning so much. Her master would mourn her death, as would Asia and Julian. She was dead to her family; they would have mourned her loss in terms of losing a possession, not a person. Perhaps her mother had mourned, but that was most likely wishful thinking.
"If he's dead then why does he still hurt you?"
"He is dead in my life only because he believes I am dead. Should he find out that I live, then I will tell you more and why I wish him dead." Sue- Ling said with a hint of frost in the air. "I have already seen to your packing and arrangements, your flight to Preventers will leave in ten hours."
"How did you know that I would be going?" Paris asked not really surprised that she'd known what he was going to do before he had.
"Because I know you, Master."
The Gundam pilots and the rest of the people who were aware of what had been seen the night before gathered together during lunchtime with their reports and opinions on what they should do and what were possible scenarios of what was to come. Everyone who took a seat in the room looked exhausted and drawn, results of their sleepless night and troubling thoughts.
"So who's going to start?" Duo asked in a weak voice, his lack of life as apparent as the dark circles under his eyes. He didn't believe that they were in any physical danger but Duo would gladly take one for the chance to explain things to Heero, Paris, whatever. Whatever his name he was Duo's best friend and he didn't want to lose him anytime soon.
"Well I ran the tests like I promised with what was left of their medical files." Sally said with a sigh as she'd remembered the surprise waiting for her in her computer and office. "When I accessed Noin's files they'd all been erased and only my personal copies that I keep specially stored were left untouched, she might as well have never been here for all the info we have. This morning all of Heero's were gone as well, they were their last night when I started going through his records. I barely have a folder's worth of information if I were to combine the two now."
"But why didn't any of your past tests show that they were siblings before hand?" Quatre asked wearily as he leaned back in his seat. "Wouldn't D.N.A. have shown them to be related, or at the very least that they had some biological connection?"
"Results can be tampered with as can a person's D.N.A. structure. If their clothes and conversation were anything to go by they could afford to have their's alter enough that a primary scans wouldn't pick up on anything. Without samples of their blood and a lot of time I wont be able to confirm that they are related." Sally said rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. "Physical appearance isn't anything to go by either of course, we have only their words to back up the idea."
"Assuming that they are siblings why didn't they tell us, it's not like we would have freaked out or kicked them out of Preventers." Duo said with a shrug as he tried to hide his hurt. He had always known that Heero his a lot from him and the other guys but why hide something this important? "Why keep it all a big secret? I mean I can understand during the war, they were on opposite sides for a while so that wouldn't have been good but afterwards, why not tell us the truth?"
"Perhaps for the reason they went undercover in the first place." Wufei suggested as he finished off his tea that he'd brought with him. "One has to assume that there was a reason they lied about their pasts and joined up on different sides of the war. They're both highly intelligent individuals, they wouldn't do it unless it was necessary."
"You admitting there's such thing as an intelligent woman, miracles do happen." Sally said with a weak smile. "I agree with Wufei, there had to be a good reason why they did what they did."
"From what I found out I would imagine it had something to do with their parents." Trowa said calmly as he watched the others. He hadn't been able to sleep at all last night and had instead used the time to dig up information. He hadn't found much but he had an idea or two now of some of the pieces they'd been missing.
"What about their parents, Trowa?" Relena asked as she tried to keep her face impassive. Now above all else she had to be strong. She'd have to understand what was going on before she tried to undo what she had unwittingly done.
"Heero told us that they'd been killed in a car bombing when he was a child." Quatre chimed in looking over at Trowa. "Does that have something to do with it?"
"I believe so. I accessed Julian's image and ran it through our databanks. I believe that Julian is Julian McMaster, ring any bells, Quatre?"
"He and two of his cousins are head of one of the largest electronic companies in the world, or at least they will be given time." Quatre said in surprise at the name, he'd never met the man but heard of him, oh yea. "I've never met him but I heard he's a really great guy, very into using his money for good causes and the betterment of others. Apparently he's a genius when it comes to computers and electronics, there's nothing he can't do with them. You think he's their cousin?"
"I know he is." Trowa said calmly as he held up several disks full of the information he'd gathered surrounding the McMaster family dynasty. "I believe that Noin and Heero are Rome and Paris McMaster, the only children of Niles McMaster killed along with his second wife Jessica Tang McMaster by a car bomb believed to be related to his protests against the Oz organization though no charges were ever laid against Oz officially."
"Oz? Oz was responsible for their parents' deaths?" Sally said, her blue eyes going wide, that was a curve. "But then why did Noin work for them and enter into their academy?"
"I don't know. Rome McMaster is the result of Nile's first marriage; it was arranged and ended when Rome was almost three years old, much to the disgrace of his family. Soon after he married Jessica Tang, which resulted in the birth of Paris soon afterwards. The family apparently never condoned Nile's second marriage and Paris was never recognized as Nile's male heir. After their parents were killed there was a huge legal battle between the people named as their caregivers and the family. The family was willing to allow Paris to go to the caregivers but the family and her biological mother fought for custody of Rome. Eventually the caregivers won out and were still the recognized guardians when the two reached adulthood. After they each turned twelve they respectively vanished from the media's sight but popped up every once in a while during the years to confirm their existence. They are both co-owners of McMasters and though no recent stats have been given they are both estimated at a worth well over a quarter of a billion dollars."
" A quarter of a billion dollars." Duo choked out as he gapped at Trowa. No way. "You can't be serious?"
"Given how much their father was worth when he died it's a reasonable number." Trowa said calmly. "I doubt they have used much of their trust funds in the past years given the lifestyle they lived when we knew them. Also we know them to be practical people who aren't the type to go around wasting money."
"Yea but we don't really know them, do we?" Milliardo said speaking up for the first time. He should have already known everything Trowa had dug up, Noin should have told him long ago. But she hadn't and he had to find out someone else. He'd trusted her with all his secrets and she'd kept all of hers to herself.
"I think we do." Quatre said firmly as he shook his head at Milliardo. "I think that we know them pretty well, maybe not everything but we do know them. Sure they changed their personalities for whatever reason but I think that as a whole they're the same person, I refuse to believe that it's all been a lie."
"I'm with the Q-man." Duo chimed in before Milliardo could argue back. "Maybe we didn't know that Heero could sing but we did know that he's smart, loyal, hardworking and a bad guy to mess with, all things that Paris is as well. It's the same with Noin, sure her taste in fashion's gotten better but she can still kick ass, is smart and doesn't take any lip. No one can live a lie for over five years straight. The best way to lie is to stick to the truth as much as possible, I betcha that's what they did. They're still the people we know, just a little different and a lot madder at us."
"You think so?" Relena said looking at the pilot hopefully.
"I think so." Duo said nodding his head in agreement. "Even if some people are too angry to see it the way it is." He added looking pointedly at Milliardo.
"What would you know, Maxwell," Milliardo said glaring at the other pilot. "I have ever right to be pissed off."
"I'm not saying you don't but I am saying that you shouldn't be so quick to condemn her until you've heard the entire story. You've screwed up plenty of times and she's always stood behind you, but now, at the first sign of trouble on her side you can't take the heat and give up." Duo said glaring at the other pilot who thought he had the monopoly on pain. "And I do have an idea of how you feel, Heero's my best friend and like family to me, you think this is easy for me, for any of us." He said motioning to the other pilots. "We might not have been together as long as you and Noin but sometimes I doubt I'd be wrong if I said we were closer. I for one don't care why he did what he did, as long as he comes back okay. Families are suppose to be the ones you can always count on, families don't give up on one of their own when something goes wrong."
"Duo..." Milliardo began not really knowing what to say.
"Well it's about time one of you started talking some sense." Turning around rapidly in their seats they stared in surprise at Quatre's private secretary who had entered the room without any of them noticing her. Which was quite a feat given who was all in the room she'd just entered. She stood quietly by the door with an exasperated look on her young face as she returned their gaze without flinching. She was a little shorter then Quatre with short blue hair and blue eyes, often referred to as Sailor Mercury, a character from a former hit t.v. show who she happened to resemble. She also happened to be very good at ease dropping and getting around without being seen. "What?"
"When did you get in here?" Relena demanded shooting the secretary an angry look. What was being spoken in this room would not leave this room; she wouldn't allow it to be otherwise.
"Long enough to realize that Mr. Barton and Duo are the only ones talking sense." She said with a chipper look that made her look even younger then her nineteen years. "Don't get your tail in a knot Ms. Peacecraft, I have no intention of announcing anything I've heard to anyone, I wouldn't be working for Mr. Winner if I was that stupid."
"You'll be out of a job if you do Ms. Colins." Quatre said looking at her with an expression that told her that he was more then just serious.
"Have I ever let slip anything I've overheard in this building?" She replied looking at her boss with a rueful look. "Don't worry about it okay, I wont mention this to anyone, you have my word, and my job."
"What do you think about all this, Ms. Colins?" Trowa asked curiously as he looked over at the petite bundle of energy. The girl had been working here for a year and it had often struck him that she was far more intelligent then she let on. Most of the time she acted like a female Duo with a bit more restraint but she was also a genius when it came to her work according to Quatre.
"About them being someone else or about how stupid Mr. Peacecraft is being, sir?" Ms. Colins replied stepping forward so that she could see her boss's face better. Better to know when she needed to make a hasty exit.
"Both." Milliardo said giving her a look that probably would freeze the blood of most people. But Ms. Colin wasn't most people and she simply smile backed at him.
"Well as for being someone other then themselves I'd say judging by what little I know I take it your plan to find Noin with the tracking device resulted in you seeing and hearing things you weren't expecting to find?"
"How did you know about that?" Wufei demanded, practically getting ready to jump out of his seat.
"I'm Mr. Winner's personal secretary, it's my job to know everything." Ms. Colins said with a smirk that wasn't exactly appropriate. "So am I right?"
"Mostly." Quatre said shaking his head slowly. His secretary was a puzzle to him and one he doubted he'd ever figure out. She was always exasperating him and then doing something that drove home that he probably couldn't function without her; even if she was always trying to shove vitamins and minerals down his throat. A health food junkie Ms Colins was.
"Well then I'd guess from your discussion that they acted differently then they would normally and that has lead you all to believe, minus Mr. Barton and Duo, that they've been lying to you since the day you've meet. Therefore Milliardo is learning what its like to be Noin and you guys are seeing Heero finally act like you've been trying to get him to act for years." Ms. Colins pointed out. Oh the things she could say but didn't dare. She was already on thin ice.
"What do you mean I'm finding out what its like to be Noin, I never lied to her." Milliardo demanded to know as the warmth in the room dropped a couple of more degrees.
"Mr. Winner, if I answer him am I going to be risking losing my job?"
"No."
"Okay then. Maybe you didn't lie to her but you didn't let her close enough to get to know you. Sure she knows a lot about your background but how close were you really? In the year I've worked here I've seen you treat Noin like a friend that you sleep with, a pet almost. You treat it well and you play with it but if it got run over you'd go out and buy a new one or not bother. Maybe you do love her, maybe in the shadows you even say it to her but that's not the same thing. Sure all women want the words but there's got to be evidence to support it. Sleeping with a person or sharing an apartment with one doesn't mean anything like that. You've left her countless times in the past Mr. Peacecraft, you go off and do things without any thought to her or what she wants in life. Maybe she should have told you things but maybe she didn't because she couldn't trust your love enough to tell you. Like you could trust her love for you."
All was silent in the room as the occupants looked from Quatre's secretary to Milliardo and back again. The two held each other's gaze and Milliardo was the first to look away.
"Well I didn't come here to talk about your relationships with women, it would take me hours and most of it would go over your heads." Ms. Colin said briskly as she too looked away from eyes that had shown her nothing of what she'd hoped to find. "Mr. Winner you have a meeting in twenty minutes and these papers need your signature." She said placing the papers on the desk before nodding her head in acknowledgement of the rest. "I'll let you get back to your meeting." Nodding again she turned around and left the room, everything still as quiet as a tomb since she'd given her opinion.
"Is she always like this?" Wufei asked finally after the door had closed behind her minutes ago.
"Pretty much." Quatre said with a sigh as he let his head fall into his hands; what a way to start the day. "Asia's never been one to hold back an opinion if you ask her for it. I'd apologize for her but I doubt it would do any good."
'I think this meeting is adjourned for now." Relena said softly, her eyes only for her brother who sat so still in his chair, as unmoving as a statue carved from stone.
"Yea, I think your right." Sally agreed and slowly everyone made their way out of the room and back to work. Ms. Asia Colin's words had definitely hit home.
Well that's it for now, what do you think? Story getting any clearer? Anyway more to come and I hope you enjoy and review.
We're A Family
Paris stared into the flames and tried to think things through as he tried to put his feelings aside to look at the problems that had arisen. He felt as though everything in his world was suddenly off kilter and he didn't know how to righten it. He hated not to be in control, to be at Fate's mercy yet here he was, at a crossroad he didn't understand or want. He should be happy after all, he was doing his favorite thing, lazing in a big comfy chair with nothing to do but relax and think. But his thoughts were anything but light or relaxed. What was he to do, the fight had only temporarily alleviated his anger, and soon it would come roaring back with a vengeance. It was ironic he thought as he watched the colors spark in front of him that even though his secret was out his friends still didn't know him, didn't know Paris McMaster. They probably believed him to be some playboy, Heero's opposite, but they were wrong in that assumption, he was neither of them. He was himself, more of a combination of the two sides his friends knew and seen. What must they think of him Paris wondered with a twisted smile, they must think him to be more crazed then Lady Une had once been. Heero was his mask against the dark side of the world Paris thought with a smirk and the Paris they'd seen was his defense against the lighter side. He'd always had a mask for every occasion; it was how he'd survived this long. Had he ever really planned to let them see the real Paris, or would he simply have left one day and disappeared into the night? He didn't really have an answer to that. The question on his mind was what was he going to do now?
Sue-Ling stayed in the shadows as she watched her master sit brooding, the light from the fire providing little light. She lacked the words or the feeling to offer him the support he might require which angered her as she watched the shadows play upon his face. He had been her master for nearly four years and no one save possibly Rome knew him as she did, of what he must be feeling now. She'd contacted Asia who'd informed her of who had done what in Preventers that had resulted in this pain her master carried yet she sensed that their deaths would not alleviate his pain; only increase it. She knew what it was to be betrayed by someone close to you, to have your heart ripped out and brandished before you while you stared in disbelief and pain. She had felt such things once, but never again would anyone have the chance. She felt nothing now; that was the way it would stay. But such an existence wasn't right for her master though, he was meant to live an ordinary life, a life where there was a belief in love and peace. She might not approve of some of her master's choices in friends and love but she had watched over them, kept them from harm when she could and she knew them well. They had not betrayed her master on purpose; they had not betrayed him as she had been betrayed. But what was she to do, to say to make him realize this? Whatever he chose to do she would stand beside him, his well being all that mattered to her.
"What should I do Sue-Ling?" Paris asked, eventually having become aware of her presence in the darkness of his father's old study. She was so silent that often times he thought of her as merely a shadow, something that faded and appeared at whim to watch over him. A guardian angel some would say but he wouldn't, angel was not a word he'd use to describe her. She was rather like Heero in a lot of ways, often cold and hard, but unlike Heero she had no real emotion, none save loyalty to him. He valued her opinion always, she had seen as much as he had during the war and he knew she knew betrayal well. She never spoke of what had been done or who had done it but he thought it had something to do with the day they'd met. The day she'd nearly died in his arms. Ironic that in risking his life to save hers he had gained a lifesaver for life.
"What you know you must do master, hatred does not suit you Master, it never really has. Even Heero Yuy would not harm them, even he would know that they did what they did for reasons other then to betray him." Sue-Ling said softly moving to stand beside his chair, her face as always void of expression.
"But how can I forgive them, you have not forgiven whoever betrayed you." Paris said looking up at her to make sure he had not gone too far. But as always she'd shown nothing, a female version of Trowa in many ways only Trowa showed more personality and emotion; something that had always amused him in the past.
"There is great difference in our betrayals." Sue-Ling said softly as she looked down at him with eyes as black as the night. "Your betrayal was not done with intention to harm, mine would have killed me had you not intervened." Her blood spilled for having a heart, spilled to protect the honor of another who should have valued her more then it.
"Will you ever tell me who shot you that day? I know you know, I wish you'd tell me so that I could help you lay your past to rest." Paris said placing a hand on her arm, letting her know that he cared. People hadn't shown her affection when she'd been growing up; a hug or kind word was always met with surprise when aimed at her. She'd had her family for longer then he had yet he'd be willing to bet that he'd been more fortunate.
"He is dead to me, as my family is dead to me." Sue-Ling said looking down at him, then at his hand upon her arm. Such a small gesture yet meaning so much. Her master would mourn her death, as would Asia and Julian. She was dead to her family; they would have mourned her loss in terms of losing a possession, not a person. Perhaps her mother had mourned, but that was most likely wishful thinking.
"If he's dead then why does he still hurt you?"
"He is dead in my life only because he believes I am dead. Should he find out that I live, then I will tell you more and why I wish him dead." Sue- Ling said with a hint of frost in the air. "I have already seen to your packing and arrangements, your flight to Preventers will leave in ten hours."
"How did you know that I would be going?" Paris asked not really surprised that she'd known what he was going to do before he had.
"Because I know you, Master."
The Gundam pilots and the rest of the people who were aware of what had been seen the night before gathered together during lunchtime with their reports and opinions on what they should do and what were possible scenarios of what was to come. Everyone who took a seat in the room looked exhausted and drawn, results of their sleepless night and troubling thoughts.
"So who's going to start?" Duo asked in a weak voice, his lack of life as apparent as the dark circles under his eyes. He didn't believe that they were in any physical danger but Duo would gladly take one for the chance to explain things to Heero, Paris, whatever. Whatever his name he was Duo's best friend and he didn't want to lose him anytime soon.
"Well I ran the tests like I promised with what was left of their medical files." Sally said with a sigh as she'd remembered the surprise waiting for her in her computer and office. "When I accessed Noin's files they'd all been erased and only my personal copies that I keep specially stored were left untouched, she might as well have never been here for all the info we have. This morning all of Heero's were gone as well, they were their last night when I started going through his records. I barely have a folder's worth of information if I were to combine the two now."
"But why didn't any of your past tests show that they were siblings before hand?" Quatre asked wearily as he leaned back in his seat. "Wouldn't D.N.A. have shown them to be related, or at the very least that they had some biological connection?"
"Results can be tampered with as can a person's D.N.A. structure. If their clothes and conversation were anything to go by they could afford to have their's alter enough that a primary scans wouldn't pick up on anything. Without samples of their blood and a lot of time I wont be able to confirm that they are related." Sally said rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. "Physical appearance isn't anything to go by either of course, we have only their words to back up the idea."
"Assuming that they are siblings why didn't they tell us, it's not like we would have freaked out or kicked them out of Preventers." Duo said with a shrug as he tried to hide his hurt. He had always known that Heero his a lot from him and the other guys but why hide something this important? "Why keep it all a big secret? I mean I can understand during the war, they were on opposite sides for a while so that wouldn't have been good but afterwards, why not tell us the truth?"
"Perhaps for the reason they went undercover in the first place." Wufei suggested as he finished off his tea that he'd brought with him. "One has to assume that there was a reason they lied about their pasts and joined up on different sides of the war. They're both highly intelligent individuals, they wouldn't do it unless it was necessary."
"You admitting there's such thing as an intelligent woman, miracles do happen." Sally said with a weak smile. "I agree with Wufei, there had to be a good reason why they did what they did."
"From what I found out I would imagine it had something to do with their parents." Trowa said calmly as he watched the others. He hadn't been able to sleep at all last night and had instead used the time to dig up information. He hadn't found much but he had an idea or two now of some of the pieces they'd been missing.
"What about their parents, Trowa?" Relena asked as she tried to keep her face impassive. Now above all else she had to be strong. She'd have to understand what was going on before she tried to undo what she had unwittingly done.
"Heero told us that they'd been killed in a car bombing when he was a child." Quatre chimed in looking over at Trowa. "Does that have something to do with it?"
"I believe so. I accessed Julian's image and ran it through our databanks. I believe that Julian is Julian McMaster, ring any bells, Quatre?"
"He and two of his cousins are head of one of the largest electronic companies in the world, or at least they will be given time." Quatre said in surprise at the name, he'd never met the man but heard of him, oh yea. "I've never met him but I heard he's a really great guy, very into using his money for good causes and the betterment of others. Apparently he's a genius when it comes to computers and electronics, there's nothing he can't do with them. You think he's their cousin?"
"I know he is." Trowa said calmly as he held up several disks full of the information he'd gathered surrounding the McMaster family dynasty. "I believe that Noin and Heero are Rome and Paris McMaster, the only children of Niles McMaster killed along with his second wife Jessica Tang McMaster by a car bomb believed to be related to his protests against the Oz organization though no charges were ever laid against Oz officially."
"Oz? Oz was responsible for their parents' deaths?" Sally said, her blue eyes going wide, that was a curve. "But then why did Noin work for them and enter into their academy?"
"I don't know. Rome McMaster is the result of Nile's first marriage; it was arranged and ended when Rome was almost three years old, much to the disgrace of his family. Soon after he married Jessica Tang, which resulted in the birth of Paris soon afterwards. The family apparently never condoned Nile's second marriage and Paris was never recognized as Nile's male heir. After their parents were killed there was a huge legal battle between the people named as their caregivers and the family. The family was willing to allow Paris to go to the caregivers but the family and her biological mother fought for custody of Rome. Eventually the caregivers won out and were still the recognized guardians when the two reached adulthood. After they each turned twelve they respectively vanished from the media's sight but popped up every once in a while during the years to confirm their existence. They are both co-owners of McMasters and though no recent stats have been given they are both estimated at a worth well over a quarter of a billion dollars."
" A quarter of a billion dollars." Duo choked out as he gapped at Trowa. No way. "You can't be serious?"
"Given how much their father was worth when he died it's a reasonable number." Trowa said calmly. "I doubt they have used much of their trust funds in the past years given the lifestyle they lived when we knew them. Also we know them to be practical people who aren't the type to go around wasting money."
"Yea but we don't really know them, do we?" Milliardo said speaking up for the first time. He should have already known everything Trowa had dug up, Noin should have told him long ago. But she hadn't and he had to find out someone else. He'd trusted her with all his secrets and she'd kept all of hers to herself.
"I think we do." Quatre said firmly as he shook his head at Milliardo. "I think that we know them pretty well, maybe not everything but we do know them. Sure they changed their personalities for whatever reason but I think that as a whole they're the same person, I refuse to believe that it's all been a lie."
"I'm with the Q-man." Duo chimed in before Milliardo could argue back. "Maybe we didn't know that Heero could sing but we did know that he's smart, loyal, hardworking and a bad guy to mess with, all things that Paris is as well. It's the same with Noin, sure her taste in fashion's gotten better but she can still kick ass, is smart and doesn't take any lip. No one can live a lie for over five years straight. The best way to lie is to stick to the truth as much as possible, I betcha that's what they did. They're still the people we know, just a little different and a lot madder at us."
"You think so?" Relena said looking at the pilot hopefully.
"I think so." Duo said nodding his head in agreement. "Even if some people are too angry to see it the way it is." He added looking pointedly at Milliardo.
"What would you know, Maxwell," Milliardo said glaring at the other pilot. "I have ever right to be pissed off."
"I'm not saying you don't but I am saying that you shouldn't be so quick to condemn her until you've heard the entire story. You've screwed up plenty of times and she's always stood behind you, but now, at the first sign of trouble on her side you can't take the heat and give up." Duo said glaring at the other pilot who thought he had the monopoly on pain. "And I do have an idea of how you feel, Heero's my best friend and like family to me, you think this is easy for me, for any of us." He said motioning to the other pilots. "We might not have been together as long as you and Noin but sometimes I doubt I'd be wrong if I said we were closer. I for one don't care why he did what he did, as long as he comes back okay. Families are suppose to be the ones you can always count on, families don't give up on one of their own when something goes wrong."
"Duo..." Milliardo began not really knowing what to say.
"Well it's about time one of you started talking some sense." Turning around rapidly in their seats they stared in surprise at Quatre's private secretary who had entered the room without any of them noticing her. Which was quite a feat given who was all in the room she'd just entered. She stood quietly by the door with an exasperated look on her young face as she returned their gaze without flinching. She was a little shorter then Quatre with short blue hair and blue eyes, often referred to as Sailor Mercury, a character from a former hit t.v. show who she happened to resemble. She also happened to be very good at ease dropping and getting around without being seen. "What?"
"When did you get in here?" Relena demanded shooting the secretary an angry look. What was being spoken in this room would not leave this room; she wouldn't allow it to be otherwise.
"Long enough to realize that Mr. Barton and Duo are the only ones talking sense." She said with a chipper look that made her look even younger then her nineteen years. "Don't get your tail in a knot Ms. Peacecraft, I have no intention of announcing anything I've heard to anyone, I wouldn't be working for Mr. Winner if I was that stupid."
"You'll be out of a job if you do Ms. Colins." Quatre said looking at her with an expression that told her that he was more then just serious.
"Have I ever let slip anything I've overheard in this building?" She replied looking at her boss with a rueful look. "Don't worry about it okay, I wont mention this to anyone, you have my word, and my job."
"What do you think about all this, Ms. Colins?" Trowa asked curiously as he looked over at the petite bundle of energy. The girl had been working here for a year and it had often struck him that she was far more intelligent then she let on. Most of the time she acted like a female Duo with a bit more restraint but she was also a genius when it came to her work according to Quatre.
"About them being someone else or about how stupid Mr. Peacecraft is being, sir?" Ms. Colins replied stepping forward so that she could see her boss's face better. Better to know when she needed to make a hasty exit.
"Both." Milliardo said giving her a look that probably would freeze the blood of most people. But Ms. Colin wasn't most people and she simply smile backed at him.
"Well as for being someone other then themselves I'd say judging by what little I know I take it your plan to find Noin with the tracking device resulted in you seeing and hearing things you weren't expecting to find?"
"How did you know about that?" Wufei demanded, practically getting ready to jump out of his seat.
"I'm Mr. Winner's personal secretary, it's my job to know everything." Ms. Colins said with a smirk that wasn't exactly appropriate. "So am I right?"
"Mostly." Quatre said shaking his head slowly. His secretary was a puzzle to him and one he doubted he'd ever figure out. She was always exasperating him and then doing something that drove home that he probably couldn't function without her; even if she was always trying to shove vitamins and minerals down his throat. A health food junkie Ms Colins was.
"Well then I'd guess from your discussion that they acted differently then they would normally and that has lead you all to believe, minus Mr. Barton and Duo, that they've been lying to you since the day you've meet. Therefore Milliardo is learning what its like to be Noin and you guys are seeing Heero finally act like you've been trying to get him to act for years." Ms. Colins pointed out. Oh the things she could say but didn't dare. She was already on thin ice.
"What do you mean I'm finding out what its like to be Noin, I never lied to her." Milliardo demanded to know as the warmth in the room dropped a couple of more degrees.
"Mr. Winner, if I answer him am I going to be risking losing my job?"
"No."
"Okay then. Maybe you didn't lie to her but you didn't let her close enough to get to know you. Sure she knows a lot about your background but how close were you really? In the year I've worked here I've seen you treat Noin like a friend that you sleep with, a pet almost. You treat it well and you play with it but if it got run over you'd go out and buy a new one or not bother. Maybe you do love her, maybe in the shadows you even say it to her but that's not the same thing. Sure all women want the words but there's got to be evidence to support it. Sleeping with a person or sharing an apartment with one doesn't mean anything like that. You've left her countless times in the past Mr. Peacecraft, you go off and do things without any thought to her or what she wants in life. Maybe she should have told you things but maybe she didn't because she couldn't trust your love enough to tell you. Like you could trust her love for you."
All was silent in the room as the occupants looked from Quatre's secretary to Milliardo and back again. The two held each other's gaze and Milliardo was the first to look away.
"Well I didn't come here to talk about your relationships with women, it would take me hours and most of it would go over your heads." Ms. Colin said briskly as she too looked away from eyes that had shown her nothing of what she'd hoped to find. "Mr. Winner you have a meeting in twenty minutes and these papers need your signature." She said placing the papers on the desk before nodding her head in acknowledgement of the rest. "I'll let you get back to your meeting." Nodding again she turned around and left the room, everything still as quiet as a tomb since she'd given her opinion.
"Is she always like this?" Wufei asked finally after the door had closed behind her minutes ago.
"Pretty much." Quatre said with a sigh as he let his head fall into his hands; what a way to start the day. "Asia's never been one to hold back an opinion if you ask her for it. I'd apologize for her but I doubt it would do any good."
'I think this meeting is adjourned for now." Relena said softly, her eyes only for her brother who sat so still in his chair, as unmoving as a statue carved from stone.
"Yea, I think your right." Sally agreed and slowly everyone made their way out of the room and back to work. Ms. Asia Colin's words had definitely hit home.
Well that's it for now, what do you think? Story getting any clearer? Anyway more to come and I hope you enjoy and review.