"Big Sister…Thank God it's you." I spoke with disbelief.
"Maxwell, what is Agent Wind's condition?" As usual, Lady Une was all business. It did feel good to hear her voice again. She considered me family, an annoying little brother if you will.
"Bullet wound to the shoulder Une-babe. I don't have the supplies to tend to his wound. And I have a feeling that you will need to intercept this pod." My voice grew serious. "It's not equipped to enter the atmosphere. And before you say it, it doesn't have the fuel to make it to a colony. Send Q-bert and Tro-bean. Quatre has the means to get here the fastest, by the time you file the right forms and shit…we may as well be dead."
"Hang on a moment Agent Night." I
smirked at my old codename. Une had fallen back into her old ways.
"Agent Night, Winner and Barton will be out there in five hours
to intercept you. Maxwell," Oh shit…Une used my last name.
"Yes Une-Babe?" I asked meekly.
"Tell me what the hell happened up there." I could just imagine the scary scowl on Une's face that she wore when she worked for Oz.
I explained to Une how the ZERO System had integrated itself into Heero's brain. It was much easier explaining everything to Une. I knew that she wouldn't interrupt me or keep asking questions.
"You can inform Agent Wind that he still has his job." Une said after I finished my tale.
"What?"
"Shit, he would kill me if he knew I told you. You better not say anything Maxwell. Let him tell you when he is ready and let on that I never told you." Une surprised me with this…I never thought her to be such a sneaky person. "When Merquise learned that you were kidnapped, he was furious. He destroyed his office. Wufei came forward and told us his part in the ZERO'S plans, but he couldn't tell us everything, ZERO still had some control and told us where Heero was. I guess ZERO wasn't concentrating hard on Wufei. Merquise wrote down the location of the weapon and began to leave. I told him if he stepped out the door that he would no longer have a job. He looked at me and said 'Life without Duo Maxwell would be empty. If he died and I still had this job…I would accept missions that would result in my death. Fire me if you want Une, but Duo needs me.' And he walked out the door." My mind was trying to process what Une had told me. What she had just told me confirmed that Zechs loved me.
If only I hadn't been so stupid and actually stayed to listen to what was being played out. Zechs was probably nervous proposing to me because he loved me as much as he had loved Treize and didn't want to scare me. I heard a groan emit from behind me.
I turned around and noticed that Zechs was trying to sit up. "Une-babe, Zechs is conscious and needs my undivided attention. Agent Night out." I flipped the radio off before Une could respond. I rushed over to Zechs and helped him sit.
"You're ok." He whispered before he buried his head in my chest. Soon his body was racking with sobs. I stroked his back and whispered soothing words into his ear. I can't believe he reacted like this. He must love me as much as Heero did. At the thought of Heero, my heart felt heavy. He had loved me after all…we were soul mates and I had lost him to the ZERO System. But I still had Zechs and I will not lose love a second time. That damn curse of mine will be broken and I will break it with Zechs.
"Zechs…please look at me." I pulled him away from my chest and I looked into those icy blue depths so full of emotion.
"I love you…" I was cut off by Zechs closing his mouth over mine. It was a tender, loving kiss at first, and then it turned passionate. Zechs was tugging at my shirt, trying to pull it out of my pants. We broke the kiss due to lack of oxygen.
"Zechs we can't make love here in the pod. One, you are injured, two there isn't enough room, and three we have no lube." My face broke into the patented Duo Maxwell grin as Zechs registered the meaning behind my joking words. I saw happiness in those blue eyes.
"How about we get married after we get you patched up and after you give your report to Une?"
"Duo, yes of course. But I am afraid that I am out of a job, Une fired me after I told you I was coming after you." Zechs looked away, as if he were unsure of himself.
"I'm glad you came after me." I pressed my forehead against his. "I love you Zechs and for awhile I didn't think you loved me…but when you came after me, it proved to me that you loved me. And it made me feel stupid that I ever doubted you. And don't worry about your job. Une-babe said that you still have it."
"You were in contact with Une?"
"Yes, the radio still works on this piece of shit. Anyway…Q-bert and Tro-bean are on their way here. They should be here in a few hours. Why don't we lie down and rest until they get here?" Zechs nodded his and lay back down on the cot. I shook my head and made him get up.
I was now lying on the cot and I motioned for Zechs to join me. He had a questioning look on his face. "I want to hold you and I don't want to bother that wound of yours." Zechs nodded in agreement and lay down beside me. His head rested on my chest and his body splayed beside me. He took my left hand and slipped a band on my ring finger. He twined his fingers with mine and we fell asleep.
