Rain on the Roses
By: Starlight-x
Chapter 12: Happy

Zechs finished laying out all the information he and Noin had been given by Jess.

"I can't believe this, what a lucky break." Sally looked over at Wufei. Her partner was leaning against the wall, arms crossed and eyes closed. He opened one eye at her comment.

"Sure, if you believe in luck." Wufei closed his eye and continued his waiting.

Lady Une took command of the meeting then. "We've been given an opportunity. From what I've heard, the leader of Vengeance is no fool. We'll be lucky if we manage to get there in time to capture anyone. Let's not waste anymore time people."

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Relena stood outside the hospital room gathering her courage. Inside she would face the man who had, by his own confession, been responsible for the safe return of her son. Quatre touched her shoulder gently and then pulled her into a hug. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Relena nodded, returning the embrace gratefully. "I need to thank him if nothing else. He made sure my son came back safely."

"I'll go in with you if you want me to." Quatre offered again.

Relena pulled back, reaching up with one hand to cup the side of his face. "Thanks honey, but I'll be fine. From what I've heard he's in no condition to cause me any harm and I think this should be private."

"Alright." Quatre gave her a light kiss. "I'll wait for you here then."

Relena slipped reluctantly from his embrace and entered the room as Quatre opened the door for her. It shut quietly behind her and Relena was left facing the man in the hospital bed. He looked up at her entrance and offered a friendly smile. "Vice Foreign Minister, what a surprise." His voice was a comfortable sounding one, reminding her of a narrator for an audio book she'd recently listened to. To be quite honest, he didn't look at all like she had expected him to. His soft brown eyes held the post-war look that she saw in her brother and in all of the ex-pilots. But masked behind all of that was pain.

"Hello Jess." Relena took a couple hesitant steps toward him.

"Have a seat, take a load off." He gestured toward a chair. "Come on, make yourself comfortable. I promise I won't try anything."

Relena took the offered seat, folding her hands tightly in her lap. "Um, I just wanted to see you because I wanted to thank you for returning my son."

"Oh." Jess took a deep breath. "So he really did get back okay. That's great." He nodded, dropping his gaze to his lap. Still Relena saw the slightest hint of relief pass over his face.

"Why did you do it?" Relena asked softly.

"Why did I make sure he got back to you?" Jess' voice became distant as he spoke. "Probably because I had two kids once. They died and I don't ever want any other parent to have to go through the same anguish I did. Not if I can do something to prevent it." He looked up at Relena. "I'm sorry Glenn grabbed your son, he was an idiot in tight situations, he couldn't think well under pressure and that got him killed." He sighed and rubbed his face with one hand.

"What happened to your kids?" Relena asked. "Oh, I'm sorry. You don't have to answer that if it was too personal."

"No, no. It's okay." Jess shook his head. "It happened a long time ago, during the war. The building housing mobile suits next our apartment complex was destroyed. Subsequently the complex caught fire and burned. My wife and kids didn't get out in time."

"I'm so sorry." Relena murmured.

"After that I joined up to fight. I just wanted to die but when the war was ended I was still alive. The only thing that kept me going then was the thought of revenge. I know it's hardly rational. But it was all I had."

"What colony did you live on?"

Jess told her and Relena let out a little gasp. "I was there, right afterwards." She reached out and impulsively squeezed his hand. She remembered wandering through the destruction, pausing to look at a snow covered, singed teddy bear. That thought led to another, something Heero had once confided to her and she bit her lower lip, debating what she should say next.

Jess watched her curiously for a moment. "I joined Vengeance because they promised they could find out who had caused the fire." He admitted.

"Jess," Relena tightened her grip on his hand. "I suspect the fire in the apartment complex was an accident, whoever caused it probably felt very guilty and responsible." She remembered the haunted look in Heero's eyes as he'd told her. A mistake made by someone who expected perfection from himself.

Jess looked at her, his eyes assessing, probing for truth in her statement; trying to see beyond her words. Relena met his gaze equally, not trying to hide anything.

"You're a good woman." Jess finally said quietly. "Thanks Vice Minister."

"Thank you again for my son." Relena stood up, feeling the strongest urge to cry and not understanding exactly why she retreated from the room with as much decorum as possible.

Quatre stood in the hallway, making conversation with the pair of Preventers assigned to guard Jess.

"Hey there hon." Quatre smiled at her. He took in the look on her face and his smiled faded. "What's the matter?"

She heard the protectiveness in his voice and forced a smile for the benefit of the Preventers who were pretending not to watch. "I'm okay." She strengthened her smile and her words. "I'm okay."

Quatre's reply was to slip a welcomed arm around her shoulders, while giving the two Preventers a cheerful wave. "Come on baby." He said softly.

Relena leaned into him, slipping her arm about his waist, hooking her thumb through one of his belt loops. "Did you know he lost his family during the war?" She asked softly. "His wife and two kids, that's why he made sure Eddie got back safe to me."

"No, I didn't." Quatre kissed the side of her head gently as they paused at the bank of elevators.

Relena waited until they were out of the hospital and in Quatre's car away from the press and curious observers before continuing. "Did you know, Heero caused the accident that killed Jess' family? He told me about it once. I don't think he ever forgave himself for that mistake."

Quatre was silent and Relena glanced over to see something dark and hooded in his normally clear eyes. "Everyone carries regrets." His hands gripped the steering wheel tighter. "The hardest person to ever forgive can be yourself. No matter what you do, some ghosts haunt you forever. What's more important is how you live afterwards. Heero helped me realize that during the war."

Relena wondered for a moment what ghosts haunted him, what deeds clouded his eyes, before reaching out and touching him softly if briefly.

"You made it easier for Heero to let the ghosts go to rest." Quatre spared a glance her way, his eyes full of a feeling that caused her cheeks to warm. "For me too."

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"He's dead."

Chris sat back in his chair, listening to the report Layla had come to give him. A report he had expected after neither Jess nor the sniper he'd sent after him had returned. "And Jess?"

"Still alive although wounded. Preventer took him into custody. I wasn't able to find anything else out."

"Very well. We should prepare for the worst."

"Understood." Layla gave a short nod and turned to go.

Chris stood as the door shut behind her and began gathering items which he placed in a small knapsack. Lastly he pulled out a gun which he checked carefully for ammunition before placing it in and zipping the knapsack closed.

"Let Preventer come. We'll be ready for them." Picking up the knapsack he set it beside the door before heading out after Layla. He found her giving orders to a small group of Vengeance subordinates.

"Hurry it up." Chris interrupted. "We don't know how soon Preventer will arrive. Our time to respond is limited by our ignorance of how much they know."

"Yes sir." Layla spoke calmly, before turning back to her task.

00000

"Duo, Leann, suppertime." Hilde leaned around the door to the kitchen.

"Be right there babe."

Hilde frowned, placing both of her hands at the small of her back. Her back was aching again and she wanted nothing more then to sit down and let her husband massage all the tension out of her. She looked down at her bulging abdomen. "I can hardly wait until you're born." As if in response to her words, the baby kicked. "Impatient are we?" Hilde let a tired smile curve her lips.

"Hey Mama! Look what I did!" Leann came running into the kitchen, waving a paper in the air.

Hilde bent down to examine the drawing Leann held in front of her face. "It's a picture of our family." Leann said proudly.

"Very good sweetie. I love it." Hilde smiled down at her daughter. There was a blue stick figure with a long line of purple sprouting from their head representing Duo. Next to him stood a red stick figure with a large bump colored around their midsection. Hilde gave her own expanded waist a rueful glance. Last, but not least, was a little yellow stick figure. Each figure sported huge smiles and mismatched eyes.

"I'm gonna hang it on the fridge." Leann announced and used several alphabet magnets to affix her masterpiece where she wanted it.

Duo entered the kitchen and sniffed appreciatively. "Smells great."

"I'm glad." Hilde smiled as she used her thumbs to try and bring some relief to her aching back.

Duo noticed and guided her to a chair. "You should've called me earlier." He chided gently.

"I'm fine." Hilde's protest turned into a low moan of relief as Duo's hands found and worked out the tension in her lower back.

"Fine? You're too tense." Duo continued his massage while Leann climbed into her chair.

"I'm hungry." Leann announced, staring impatiently at her parents.

"Well, I guess this'll just have to wait until after we eat." Duo ended his massage with a soft kiss on Hilde's cheek.

"I'll hold you to that." Hilde reached over and smoothed some hair that had escaped from Leann's ponytail back from her face.

Leann chatted away cheerfully while Duo brought the food to the table and began serving each of them in turn. The little girl had been slowly regaining her carefree happiness after seeing that Eddie really was safely back. The assurances by her parents andvarious uncles and auntsthat the bad man who'd grabbed her playmate had been found and taken care of had helped to ease the nightmares that plagued her sleep.

"Can I have some more?" Leann looked at her father. "Daddy?"

"Duo? Earth to Maxwell."

"Huh?" Duo came back to the present with a startled blink, looking back and forth between his daughter and his wife.

"Leann wanted more." Hilde had risen and now scooped a small serving of Macaroni and Cheese onto her daughter's plate. "You were somewhere else." She frowned slightly. Duo had been acting rather spacey lately.

"Sorry about that Leann." Duo reached over to ruffle his daughter's hair. She ignored him in favor of the food on her plate.

"What's the matter? Preventer stuff?" Hilde picked up her own fork but waited for her husband's response before beginning to eat again.

"Nah, nothing like that." Duo shook his head. "I'll try not to space out again. Just something someone asked me to help with. I'll tell you later." His eyes went over to Leann and Hilde gave a nod in acquiescence. Duo had never lied to her before and had always kept his word. She didn't expect any less from him now.

00000

Quatre sat next to Relena supposedly watching television. Unfortunately his attention was miles away from the program being shown. Sometime within the next thirty-six hours Preventer was going to be making their move to take down Group Vengeance. In preparation for that Jess had been moved to a more secure, undisclosed location along with Middie. Trowa had requested and received a temporarily transference of duties to allow him to participate in the strike. Quatre had offered his services and had been soundly refused by Lady Une.

"Field agents come and go. It's easy enough to find more if you need them. Someone in your position with the access to as much information as you possess is rare. You're more valuable where you are then in the field as a active agent." The brown haired leader of Preventer had smiled to take the edge off her words but her decision had been crystal clear.

Quatre had spoken with Duo afterwards about it. The braided man had shrugged when asked if he'd even volunteered. "You and I have different responsibilities now." He'd said reasonably. "Lady Une and everyone else at Preventer know that they can count on us if they need us. I'd be the first to back them up with all the skills I've got. But I've got a family and a business now. Besides," he'd added with a twinkle in his eyes. "Hilde would kill me if I volunteered without asking her first."

Duo was right of course, Quatre had to admit to himself. After all, how many people were head of amulti-million dollar company, besides being a leader in information gathering. He was vital in the position he held but sometimes he wished to get his hands dirty, so to speak. To be on the frontline of operations again.

The television shut off with a suddenness that startled him out of his musings. Relena set the remote on the coffee table in front of them and turned to regard him curiously.

"I'm sorry." Quatre smiled carefully. "Was the program over?"

"You didn't seem to be interested, so I just turned it off. " Relena said neutrally. "I figured if you were so bored we could find something else to do."

"No, the program was fine, interesting." Quatre began.

"Tell me, what it was about?" Relena asked, her blue eyes sparkling with hidden amusement as Quatre fumbled for an answer. She slipped her arms about his neck, ending his floundering. "Like I said, I think we can find something more interesting for you to do that'll you keep your mind off what Preventer's doing."

"You know about the operation?" Quatre asked, startled.

"Zechs has been rushing around here with a half grim, half excited expression on his face when he's even managed to be home. Noin's been absent as much as he has and Trowa got someone to temporarily replace him as my bodyguard." Relena said comfortably. "Combine that with the little funk you've been in and it was easy to figure out."

"I haven't been in a funk…" Quatre started to protest.

"Oh no?" Relena lifted her eyebrows skeptically. "You haven't been watching your face in a mirror lately then." She reached up and began running her fingers through his hair. "You, my dear, sweet Quatre, have most definitely been in a funk and I have determined to bring you out of it." She finished her sentence by pulling his head down and kissing him.

When she finally let him come up for air Quatre knew he had to be looking somewhat befuddled especially since Relena chuckled softly. "You don't look like you're in a funk anymore."

"I don't feel like I'm in one either." Quatre let a slow smile spread over his face as he gently pushed her hair back from her face and caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers. "Can we do that again?" Without waiting for a reply he captured her mouth with his own. This time when they separated it was Relena who looked slightly befuddled.

"Has anybody told you that you're a wonderful kisser?" She asked when she had gotten her breath back.

"Lately? Only you." Quatre relaxed against the couch and pulled her close.

"That's good." Relena cuddled against him, one hand playing with the buttons on his shirt. "I wouldn't want to have to get jealous."

"Mmm." Quatre gave a sigh. "I wouldn't want to see you get jealous either, so I better make sure to keep my kisses only for you."

"I thought that would be a given." Relena teased lightly.

"Ah, yes." Quatre fumbled for a bit before turning his attention fully on her. "Did you know, you're one of the few people who can manage to make me lose my train of thought?"

"I'm honored." Relena was now tracing lazy circles on his chest. She peered up at him shyly through her eyelashes. "If it makes you feel any better you do the same thing to me."

"That does make me feel better." Quatre captured her hand, stopping its movements. "You're very distracting."

"I try." Relena's smile blossomed across her face.

Quatre couldn't resist and leaned in to kiss her again.

They were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Both looked up to see Zechs standing in the doorway, Noin peered around his shoulder. "Pardon me for interrupting," Zechs began dryly. "I just wanted to tell my sister hello. I wasn't informed that you two were busy."

"Oh no problem." Relena pushed back slightly from Quatre and gave her brother a little wave. "I didn't expect you home until much later though."

"We won't be here long." Noin admitted. "Just came home for a few hours sleep."

"Oh." Relena mulled it over in her mind for a moment and then smiled. "Well, goodnight then and come back safe from whatever you're going to be doing. Eddie's missed you these past couple days."

"Don't worry about us." Noin gave reassurance. "We should be back to normalcy soon." She gave her husband's arm a tug. "Come on handsome."

Zechs let her pull him away, giving his sister and Quatre a casual wave. "Carry on." His words drifted back to them, sending Relena into a paroxysm of laughter.

Quatre raised his eyebrows. "I thought it was an excellent suggestion."

His comment only made Relena laugh harder.

Quatre watched her, enjoying the flush of color that came to her cheeks and the way her eyes sparkled when she was happy. She caught his look and paused, trying to control herself. "What?" She asked somewhat breathlessly.

"What what?" Quatre responded.

"You're looking at me funny."

"I like watching you when you're happy." Quatre admitted. "You seem to light up from the inside when you laugh."

"Really?"

"Really." Quatre reached out and cupped her face. "Sometimes I can't believe this is real, you and me."

"Well if it isn't, then this is the longest dream I've ever known." Relena countered. "Blessings aren't something that can be rationalized, you just have to be grateful you have them."

"I am." Quatre pulled her close again. "More then anyone could ever know."

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A/N: I looked over the past couple chapters and came to realize that I had been going fairly light on the 4xR fluff, so I made a conscious effort to remedy that in this chapter. After all, what's a 4xR story without the necessary fluff? I meant to have this out sooner but electricity got knocked out for a couple days. No electricity, no internet, no computer, nothing. But it's done now and boy, am I glad. So hope you all enjoyed. Thanks for reading, my faithful reviewers and to all you who read without reviewing, thanks. Still, if it's not too much a bother, I enjoy the reviews….