Hi again! I hope this part clarifies some things and frustrates you in others! Haha!

Cowboy, Take Me Away

Part Four

"Sir?" A young man asked as he entered his superior's office. He didn't know why he was this nervous, he'd been working for Ruthers Agency for nearly a decade, and he was, by far, Mr. Ruthers' favorite spy. Ruthers Agency was not a normal insurance agency. Thomas Ruthers sold a different kind of "insurance", a deadly kind. Thomas Ruthers turned his tall, leather desk chair to face him.

"Ahh, First-Class Simon. Come in, come in. You said you have some news for me?" He said and he gestured for Simon to have a seat.

"Yes, Sir. It's about the Seer," Simon said taking a seat. Ruthers looked suddenly sinister. "I've located her in Lake Melody, just as you said."

"Good, all is going according to plan then? How was your stay in Lake Melody?" Ruthers asked, seeming to relax a little bit.

"Fine, Sir, thank you. But I have more news," Simon said.

"Yes?"

"A Preventer has become... involved, I guess would be the word for it, with the Seer and he seems willing to protect her at all costs. Even from his own employer, Sir," Simon added. A smile broke across Ruthers' face.

"So all we have to do is draw them back here... hmm..." Ruther tapped his chin with his index finger.

"If I may, Sir, I have an idea," Simon said slightly timidly. Ruthers looked back to him waiting for his idea. "One of the Seer's guardians, who I've found out to be M218946-"

"M218946? The escaped proto-type?" Ruthers said heatedly. Simon nodded and Ruthers look more than impressed. "Is his sister with him?" Ruthers asked, now standing and leaning over the top of his desk with excitement.

"Yes Sir, F218875 is entirely intact, with a bit of an attitude to boot," Simon said.

"This is incredible, how perfect. We can use this to our advantage, can't we?" He asked Simon. Simon nodded.

"It gets better Sir, the Seer has lost her memory some how and hasn't a clue as to what she is, and her guardians aren't about to tell her."

"So that's why she so readily accepted the Preventer without suspicion, because she doesn't know that he's there to harm her, or was at least."

"That's correct, Sir. Which will make it that much easier to collect her because she's more trusting of strangers than she would be if she knew who she was. But my idea, Sir has more to do with M218946."

"Yes?"

"He has a girlfriend, a very easy target. And I think it's safe to say that M218946 would die for her in a heartbeat."

"So, you're saying take the girlfriend and M219846 would be forced to leave his guardian duties and the Seer would be vulnerable, correct?"

"Yes Sir, and F218875 shouldn't be a problem either, she wasn't trained in combat."

"And the Preventer?"

"Leave him to me."

"So, what do you think?" Christy asked B.J. after she gave him the basic idea for Thea's 'vacation.' She was trying not to make it sound like a big deal but knowing his personality, or lack there of, she was pretty sure it was a waste of time to even bring the idea up.

He gave her a droll stare over the counter top in their kitchen. "What do you think, I think?" It was a rhetorical question.

"I agree with you mostly, but really, we have no control over what she does. She's a grown woman, B.J."

"Yes, on the outside. On the inside she's as naive as an eight-year-old is," he said nonchalantly. Christy gapped at him, how could he say something like that? Not after what happened almost five years ago. It made her chest tighten in long forgotten grief.

"Ouch, B.J. that was low. You don't need to bring Luke into this."

"I'm just trying to make my point, Chris."

Christy was trying her greatest to hold back the tears that burned in her eyes. Luke was an innocent child, and B.J. was treating his memory like a bad one.

"Well, shit B.J.!" She yelled, losing her temper completely, "Can't you think of another way to do it besides bring back the worst memory of our entire lives! That's what started all this in the first place!"

"She's not going, that's final."

"You know you can't stop it B.J., it's already been foretold. She's going to die too, and there's nothing we can do..." she trailed off. She couldn't hold back the tears anymore. With anger and grief burning inside her, Christy stormed from the kitchen and left B.J. to his own. She was a strong person, yes, but this, this was stronger. What was coming was fueled by greed and stronger then anything they had. Stronger than them... and stronger then love.

Stupid windshield wipers, does anything ever work on this hunk of junk? I mean come-on, this is ridiculous. Thea held the wiper button down on her rickety old jeep as she drove the highway. The rain splattered against it with echoing power, though the steady sound seemed to relax her. She had always loved the rain. It had amazing cleansing qualities.

Her month without Duo was very trying, not just because of his absence, but trying in general. Things had not been quite right between her and the closest thing she had to family: B.J., Christy, and Tate. It was like they were anticipating something, and they wouldn't give her the slightest hint as to what it could be. It troubled her, to feel that her friends were troubled.

She smiled as she could faintly see a road sign that said she was only around a mile outside of the big city that made up the Earth Sphere Nation's capitol.

Her smile faded as her battered jeep started to sputter. A loud noise came from under the hood and the engine died.

Thea cursed, this was just her luck. She pulled over on the shoulder of the highway and shut the tin can off. She reached in her coat pocket and dug out her cell phone.

No service. Damn. This was not good. She tried to move to a better area in her jeep to hopefully get service on her phone but to no avail. Sighing heavily, she pulled the hood release under her seat and got out into the pouring rain.

When she pulled the hood up the smoke was so thick she couldn't see the problem. It ran down her throat when she breathed, stinging her lungs and making her cough. She thought of her two options: stay in the jeep where its dry, and be there until someone pulls over-which could take all night, or walk the mile into town to find a payphone and get soaked in the process. Climbing back into the jeep, she sat for a moment, shivering from the wet chill. At least if she was moving she could create more body heat. She glanced in the rear-view-mirror.

After watching eight vehicles pass with out stopping and feeling her anger and frustration grow considerably, she climbed out, grabbed her bag, locked the doors and started walking down the highway.

Duo was annoyed. No, annoyed didn't even begin to describe it. He was trying his best to avoid lying to his boss as she started down the bridge of her nose at him. "Look; just let me do my job, any everything will be a-okay. There's a reason I'm doing what I'm doing and if you wouldn't mind butting out, I could be dong it right now," Duo said, trying hide the peeved note in his voice.

Lady Une didn't look pleased, "And that is?"

Duo sighed in frustration.

"You know, Preventer Maxwell, it has been brought to my attention by one of your peers that your emotional and mental state is becoming a concern."

Duo felt his stomach sink, "Heero."

Lady Une ignored his comment, confirming that that it had been Heero that talked to her, "I think it's time you took a vacation Mr. Maxwell. A mandatory vacation."

"Why?"

"I want you off this case, and out of here. I don't want to see you again for two weeks. I will put Preventer Winner in your place. That is an order."

Okay, at least Quatra wouldn't jump to conclusions about Thea.

"And if I refuse?"

"It will be your badge."

Duo crossed his arms over his chest and gave an "I dare you to" look. Lady Une sighed and pulled her round glasses off.

"Duo, we all need time to heal. A good soldier knows himself, or herself, well enough to understand the limitation of their well being. Now I'm asking you, make time to move on. You can't keep letting Hilde interfere with your career."

One thought went though his mind before he felt his temper snap: If you only knew that is isn't Hilde.

"I will decide when I am good enough to do my job."

He stormed out of her office.

Quatra was headed out the front doors of Preventer HQ when he saw a sopping wet woman walk through the door next to him. A feeling of recognition swept through him, although he couldn't place her. She gave him a warm smile that made his stop in his tracks and approach her. "Can I help you, miss?" He asked.

She smiled wider, "Yes; actually, I'm looking for Duo Maxwell. Is he here?"

At that moment, realization went though his mind like a hot knife. Duo's words ran through his mind. "I messed up bad, Quatra. But it's the best mistake I've ever made." "And you are?"

"Thea Fox. I guess you could say I'm his girlfriend, well maybe." She laughed nervously.

This is Duo's mistake. Oh Allah...

"No, I'm afraid he just left. I'm sorry, I'm not sure where to reach him." She eyed Quatra disbelievingly.

I knew I could never lie to save my life.

"Are you sure? You seem like you know him, I believe he told me he lived here."

Quatra squirmed nervously for a moment. Then felt an even worse feeling of dread; someone of an unmistakable aura was about to round the corner where they were standing, in plain sight. It was Duo.

Duo was still cursing under his breath as he walked down the hallway. The widows flashed with lightning and were followed by a loud rumble of thunder. He recognized the relationship between his mood and the threatening weather. He really wished it were legal to push your boss off a cliff. He smirked when a second, slightly darker thought crossed his mind. It wouldn't be the first illegal thing he would have done in his lifetime. He was about the round the corner, fully intent to start off his mandatory vacation by drowning his troubles in a tavern down the street. But he never made it to the doors. He came around the corner and literally ran into something cold, wet, and shivering. "Oh, 'cuse me-" he mumbled before immediately realizing who it was he ran into. Surprise ran through him, but was quickly followed by fear and guilt. "Thea! What are you doing here?" He asked excitedly, hiding his fears, but the look on Quatra's face said he wasn't hiding them well.

She rewarded his excitement with a wide and beautiful smile. "Duo!" She exclaimed throwing himself into his arms.

"You're soaking wet," he said releasing her and taking of his jacket before wrapping it around her shoulders.

"Surprise! Well the sopping wet part isn't really the surprise but hey it got your attention!" She laughed. He chuckled a little before repeating his question. "I took a week of vacation!"

He smiled. This really wasn't happening. Thea. Here. He'd never been happier or more terrified in his life.

He took Thea back to his room, which to his elation was empty. He grabbed a towel out of the bathroom for her and went to he vid-phone. It took him a few moments to remember the number and track Marcus down, but when he did, he was able to convince him to find somewhere else to stay for the night. At the moment, Duo wanted privacy. He glanced over his shoulder at her. She had let the towel fall to floor before hanging his jacket on the chair to her left and was now staring at something on his dresser. Her long, dark hair was dripping and clung to her face. She was the most radiantly beautiful thing he had ever seen. He then realized how much he craved her.

"Duo?" She asked, bringing him out of his less than pure thoughts. He got up and walked to her. She was running her fingers over the embossed letters on an extremely tattered book that read "Holy Bible" on the cover. "I didn't know you were a Christian man," she said quietly.

"I'm not. Well, anymore," he said just as quietly.

"Then, why do you keep a bible?" She turned to face him with a quizzical expression. He sighed and took her into his arms.

"Must we spoil this pleasant evening with religion?" He asked dramatically. As soon as he finished the last word, a loud clap of thunder rang out through the building, as well as the room. She laughed.

"Yes, this beautiful, pleasant evening," she teased sarcastically.

"Hey, we can pretend. Can't we?"