Quatre's Place
"No."
Relena had not seen that coming over the course of the day. She was standing beside Zeches, in the middle of Quatre's living room, with Heero not letting Zeches take her. After finding out about the possibly fake test, she and Dorothy were prepared to take tests. However?
Space was different. Earth was different. They could take the test but it said right on the packaging, it could not guarantee results to anyone that had lived less than three years in space.
Quatre had then made the brief recommendation, more to be polite than accepted, that he could have his doctor examine them. Heero didn't even need to say a thing.
RTL could have threatened someone his doctor loved. They could easily do it, they had the resources to move on any threat. Deciding there was no choice but Earth pregnancy tests, Heero gave control of a secure line to her.
Zeches came with cheap tests, but also with the will to have his own personal doctor examine her, and Heero was fighting him on the point. "My doctor's go through rigorous training and trusted trials. He has taken care of me for years, and I trust his judgment. She needs to be looked at and confirmed by a trustworthy doctor."
"No one is trustworthy if RTL gets to them." Heero wouldn't hear of it. "No."
"Relena," Zeches looked toward her. "I did locate imported pregnancy tests, but it will do little good. They are emergency tests and only for evaluation purposes. It says right on the boxes that an Earth test taken to outer space will not give accurate results either."
That way too? To take an accurate Earth pregnancy test, the test had to stay on Earth. "No wonder we couldn't find any imported." She looked back toward Heero. Was there any other choice? Short of going back to the Earth. With quarantine happening, that would take time, unless Zeches knew of an isolated and safe path. "We have to trust somewhere, Heero."
"Not there." Simple, secure words. Heero wasn't backing down. "Any doctor by you means he also used to work for the alliance, for Oz, and anything else you ever worked for."
"One exam, and this could all be cleared up. Relena could be out of this mess," Zeches insisted.
"One exam, and a negative could become positive," Heero came right back with.
"No, it can't. You would need the best luck there is without whatever technology RTL had been using, and you've already proved that it is flawed," Zeches pointed out.
"It's still a chance."
"She can't be out like this with a previous gundam pilot, it's going to get her killed!"
"I am watching out for her. She isn't going to get killed. Going to a doctor is not happening."
"Fine then, then I will take her and do my best to get through the quarantine sections," Zeches insisted. "It will take at least five days to crawl through it safely."
"No."
"Then what do you want to do?" Zeches demanded. "She needs a doctor. She needs to be accurately tested. You can't get any of that here."
"Zeches is right, Heero," Quatre sided with him. "We need to trust someone or wait until they are undeniably pregnant. We have to make it back down to Earth."
"Where on Earth? Places I know aren't safe anymore."
Relena watched Quatre's movements. He didn't seem comfortable with the question Heero threw at him. He'd rather we all go back to Earth than with Zeches' doctor.
"This is utterly ridiculous," Zeches spoke up. "Quatre Raberba Winner, you have your own doctor, do you not?"
"We just need a blood test," Quatre pointed out to them. "That's it. If we watch the doctors draw blood and perform the blood test, it should be good enough. My doctors have their own lab, it won't take long." He looked toward Dorothy. "Would that be fine, Miss Dorothy?"
Dorothy nodded. "That sounds fine, Mister Winner. As long as it stays that simple."
Okay. "I agree then," Relena said.
"At first," Zeches added. "If it's negative, then you need to be examined physically to get the press and media off of your reputation and good name."
"With an eyewitness." Heero just had to drop that into the conversation.
"If she's negative, I can handle it from there," Zeches insisted firmly to Heero. Heero's eyes didn't back down from his.
"If she's negative, then I won't risk her becoming positive during an exam. Full hospitals on Earth, the colonies, her personal physician with suspicions of nearby pharmacies and stores have all been involved with Revenge of the Lost. Revenge of the Lost has Support of the Loss' budget and loyalty of members." Heero made the point clear. "They can be anywhere."
"I can be in the room with you, Miss Relena," Dorothy volunteered. "Would that be suitable for everyone?"
"That should work," Quatre agreed, but Heero looked skeptical. "Heero. She's pregnant too."
"She hadn't always been on the right side." Heero glanced at her.
"Are you kidding?" Oh, Dorothy was certainly offended. "I would not falsify watching someone hurt Miss Relena! I never would do such a thing, even during the wars." She turned her back on Heero. "We are all in this terrible predicament together, and I only want to help her. After all, who will watch her, Heero Yuy? Will it be her own brother in that room, you, or both of you?"
"Me," Heero answered.
"You are not needed in that room, I can handle it," Zeches told Heero. "A personal matter does not involve an amateur."
"If something goes wrong, Relena and I are the ones that pay," Heero came right back on him.
"Okay, enough," Quatre interrupted. "First things first. Everyone can be present with a blood exam. If it's positive, then there's no reason to argue the second point. If it's negative, then the argument between the three of you can continue privately."
Agreed.
Not long after talking to Quatre's doctor, they got the next set of bad news.
A blood test would also be different in space.
"This is beginning to border on ridiculous," Dorothy said, confronting Quatre's doctor. "Fine then, don't do Relena. Do mine, I've lived here three years."
"Uh?" Quatre stayed quiet and watched the doctor. They all did.
"I qualify, so please test me." She curtsied. "Tell me if I'm bearing the next Winner please."
The doctor didn't look any better. At all. He looked even worse and started to sweat. "It's not my specialty field? I'd rather not do it."
"I knew it," Heero spoke up. "You've been threatened by RTL."
"Only if something medically comes through about pregnancy," he said. "I have an ex-wife on Earth." He looked toward the ground. "Mister Winner, it's usually more of a political jargon about the difference in the tests. There's more room for error, but not a high degree."
"Political. Hmph, of course." Zeches nodded. "If someone from Earth gets a wrong readout in the colonies, it goes against them if something happens because she thought she wasn't pregnant. Is that closer to the truth?" A nod. "How accurate. Over 90%?"
"Between . . . 80-90 roughly. That is a guess and it's not legal." He looked toward Quatre. "Am I fired?"
"No," Quatre said. "You are protecting the people you love, but you didn't falsify evidence. Thank you. You're dismissed." Quatre looked back at the others as the doctor left. "80-90. It isn't perfect."
"Fine then. Relena, we are going back down to Earth," Zeches insisted.
"Forget it, traveling with more people creates too many eyes," Heero said.
"I will bring her back if it's positive."
"Through a quarantine, you wouldn't be briskly doing that."
Oh no. Relena watched Heero's expression. That would not work. Between Zeches and Heero, I feel so blocked. Positive. Negative. Unable to go back.
"Just give us one of the tests here," Dorothy insisted, holding her hand out toward Quatre. "If Relena is negative, Zeches can take her to Earth to make sure it's negative. If Relena is positive, she stays here and waits for Earth until it's safe. I'll take one to have a better idea at least."
"Fine, I can agree with that," Zeches settled on. "However, she will still go down to Earth and take another test when it's safer."
"It sounds like the best plan, Heero," Quatre mentioned to him.
"Except for Dorothy. You're not going to let her go to Earth easily. You did hear from Trowa about that," Heero remarked.
Trowa? What about Trowa?
"Yeah." That's all Quatre said as he looked at Dorothy "I'll trust in the results, Dorothy. If it's positive, we'll assume positive. If it's negative? I think it would be best if you still stay, as my personal guest, until we know without a doubt."
Dorothy seemed a tad concerned about that conversation too. "I would be pleased to stay as a guest to the luxurious Winner estates until it was safe to travel back to Earth."
Good going, Dorothy. She had managed to get Quatre to crack his secret seal a tad bit more.
"You don't have to worry about that," Quatre said. "You are a target of RTL, and it would be best if you just stay safe until your name is cleared."
"You would defend me even if you thought I had no Winner connection to you anymore?" She questioned. "My, that's almost too graceful Mister Quatre Raberba Winner."
They were hiding something, but they were always hiding something. At least Dorothy got a little more confirmation, but it didn't look like anyone was spilling. Heero held out a test box to her. Relena took it, knowing there was no more putting it off. "I better get this done then."
"Feel free to use any restroom," Quatre said politely as he handed Dorothy her own package too.
A few minutes later . . .
Relena came from the bathroom she had gone too. It looked like Dorothy was coming back too.
"80-90% accuracy," Zeches repeated to her. "The test, Relena."
"It's still a high accuracy," Quatre said as he looked at Dorothy. "Well?"
"The lottery of life has not always been kind to me." Dorothy held up her test. It had two lines.
"Is that negative or positive?" Quatre asked. "Miss Dorothy?"
"Well?" Dorothy glanced at Relena. "One or two lines, Miss Relena? Are we twins?"
"Twins?" Quatre's voice rose. "The test can't detect that, can it?"
"No," Zeches answered. "She is rattling you."
Relena held her test up with one line.
"That means." Quatre stared at Dorothy. "Yours was successful."
"A proud father you still seem to be. Heero Yuy must be absolutely jealous." Dorothy didn't smirk. "Congratulations, Miss Relena. It seems you will be getting your life back."
"The sooner we get going, the better," Zeches said. "Come, Relena."
Relena looked toward Heero. "Thank you for your help, Heero."
"One week and one week only," Heero instructed her. "We meet back at Saint Gabriel's Institute. Don't forget it's not completely accurate, so do not take any risks."
Relena nodded. "I promise."
Heero watched Relena walk away. "I'll be leaving soon, Quatre."
"Do you have to?" Quatre asked. "Food will be here soon."
"I have a lot of work to do," Heero insisted. "See you around." He walked out, not needing to pack anything. He could pick up essentials later. One week. He went toward the kitchen trash and looked at the test kit he switched.
Zeches would watch his sister well, and he would return her back to take that next test. However, if she had been positive, Zeches wouldn't have just said goodbye forever to his sister. He would have started to try and track him. Even one person trying to track and find him like Zeches would make it more likely they would be spotted. It's how Relena found him in the past. He couldn't allow that to happen this time.
Throwing everyone off for now was a better idea.
Heero had switched a one strip line positive box, with a colored test strip. Her line was pink. If it had been blue, he wouldn't have had to lie. That wasn't the way his life ever worked though, and whether she hated him afterward for bringing her down into his worlds, she would have to deal with it.
Because pink meant pregnant, and danger would be following.
Getting everything done without someone hanging around him was better too. In fact, if RTL figured out Relena was with Zeches, they probably wouldn't be trying to kill her. They'd have to wonder why he wasn't with her, and Zeches and Noin would be watching her carefully.
For one week. Throw everyone's scent off track. His gut instinct told him the more he zig zagged instead of curved, the safer Relena would be. It was better that way.
"I don't know if you should have done that, Heero." Quatre's voice came from behind him.
Heero turned around. Of course Quatre figured it out.
"Why would you do that?" Quatre asked. "You switched boxes, but why? All that's going to do is make Relena more certain nothing's wrong. It's going to hurt that much worse when they meet you back on Earth."
Heero didn't answer, just watched as Dorothy Catalonia came through the door. "Just take care of your own responsibilities, Quatre, and I'll take care of mine."
"Miss Relena." Noin greeted her aboard Zeches' ship. "It's so good to see you. How are you?"
Before Relena answered, Zeches said, "She is coming with us, Noin. RTL messed up, she isn't pregnant."
"That's great news!" Noin hugged her.
"Not completely," Relena answered. "It's 80-90% sure. I have to take an Earth test on Earth's surface to know for sure. We'll meet Heero next week."
"I wouldn't worry too much," Zeches assured her. "A high percentage is a high percentage. You should start readying a speech about this whole mishap."
"Yeah. It might be able to help Dorothy Catalonia too," Noin said. "You have a way with words like no one else."
Relena didn't know about that. "I shouldn't assume anything yet. I should not be making any kind of waves until I know for sure. We'll meet Heero in a week first."
"We could find our way down now?" Noin suggested. "Home is on Earth. It'll be some distance, and a few days, but it'd be worth it to get back home, wouldn't it?"
"We have to find our way down because it's going to take time," Relena agreed, "however, I'm not taking a second test without Heero Yuy. I could tell. He wants to be there."
"Okay then. I have no problem with that," Noin agreed. "Let's find our way through the thick of this all then."
It seemed impossible to wipe the smile off of Noin. She was so please to her okay. Zeches was also in a good mood, though it was harder to tell without knowing them. Everything is fine. It's okay, yet Heero's words and expression. It bothered her. "We'll all find the correct path home."
Although, in a way, it was disheartening. She enjoyed Heero's presence, always had, and could never explain it away. Even now, this much older and with this much trouble. I will miss you, Heero. Til' we meet again in one week.
Waiting Terminal
Middie waited in a corner. They couldn't go through any further. Even with the family of Gin's help, it couldn't get them through quickly. Gin was looking around, trying to figure out how to stay undiscovered while they waited in a terminal overnight.
He needed to find the answer to problem two. Concern to take off as quickly as possible so No Name couldn't catch up led them to another problem. Middie was in terrible shape. Even walking, people could see she wasn't an ordinary person with no problem. She had a long shirt that Gin had paid someone off for to hide her bruises on her arms, and a hoodie that he paid someone off for too. They each helped to hide the bruises but she had to keep looking down at the ground, away from everyone.
Her entire face had to be hidden in order to get through.
"One night here," Gin said as he came over toward her. "Unfortunately, the route of safety zig zags. It'll take a few days to make it through." He sat close to her. "At least there aren't many here. Makes it a little easier to rest. Then again, makes it a lot harder to find what we need to cover you up. Oh, if I just hadn't been so gungho to get out, we could have bought make-up or veils or something."
"It's okay, Gin," Middie replied. It wasn't the first time in her life she was stuck somewhere unpleasant. It was still a secure safe location with guards. No one knew their purpose yet. Even if they found out her abuse, they would only send them back to Earth to get it documented before they allowed her through.
She simply scrunched up on the floor, her legs pulled up with her arms hugging them. She tucked her head over them, but down and unseen. It was the most comfortable way she could think of to sleep.
"At least we already got hot tips from the media. She was last in some healing colony, almost arrested but rescued by someone. If we can figure out that 'someone', then we can find where they took her."
Middie didn't respond. Rest was all she wanted.
Circus
"I will take the risks," Trowa asserted on the phone, trying to find a way to get on a shuttle to go to the colonies. The quarantine between the Earth and the colonies was tricky to get through. For one, for emergencies only, there were some non-contaminated stations where no trace had been found. Those were the only way to get through, and since there weren't many, the price had increased exponentially. It zig zagged a strange way, and created a barrier of wait times nearly five days long.
Trowa had to find a way up there. Whatever lies they told Middie, he had to find her and clear the air about it. Not only that, but he needed her on Earth to take a test, to discover her truth. So far, Duo was cleared and so was Wufei. He had just heard from Heero and Quatre though. Both Relena and Dorothy still seemed to be pregnant, but it couldn't be said with total accuracy. Relena also wasn't with Heero anymore, he was playing his own way through the problem, leaving her with Zeches now.
Meanwhile, Trowa waited on the phone as they checked through what was available and how much. Cost wouldn't matter, Quatre already said he'd put in any help Trowa needed. He just needed to find a way up. He strolled over to his bed, still waiting for an answer.
From the day he lost her, he had already become prepared when he found her again. She should have been there, that night, safely in the boxed in bed area he made to prevent anyone trying to get to her at night.
It was unexpected that Duo had found her, but he was grateful. At least now he had something to go on. Quatre had also been aware of Gin and Middie now too, but he didn't want to worry Dorothy about it. His security was tight, and Quatre was still on the premises.
Middie. She had tried to escape her past, but RTL was forcing her back into it. I can't let her get away with this. It would damage not only her, but Quatre too. Middie didn't even know Dorothy Catalonia was pregnant.
Duo was fine though. He seemed to have more bounce in his voice last they spoke again. He wasn't leaving with his friend back to the colonies until he knew for sure she was okay and quarantine was lifted. Wufei hadn't contacted him again, but Heero stated that the woman Mei-Lin wasn't having Wufei's child. Her test should be completely accurate having only lived in the colonies. Wufei planned on testing in one more week, then she would be freed. Until then, he hadn't even planned on sleeping in the same bed.
That sounded like a mistake.
"Knock knock." Catherine came to his tent. "Trowa? How are you doing?" She looked over toward his boxed-in bedding. "I bet that's a pain to take down between shows." Trowa didn't respond. "I wish I could make things better for you. Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Yes." Trowa turned. "If I get a hold of her, she is staying with me 24/7."
"Well, if she's carrying your baby, sure," Catherine said. "I'm sure we'll have to get it figured out. Once she takes the test though, maybe this will be over."
"No," Trowa disagreed. "If it's negative, it means I have a better chance of beating RTL, but I won't let her out of my sight or they will just try something again. Until RTL is brought to justice, I can't risk letting her go."
"Oh." Catherine sounded disappointed. "You mean no matter what, that dirty little spy has to be here?" She looked toward the bed. "What if she tries something at night against you?"
"It wouldn't be in her best interest since I am the one protecting her," Trowa reminded her.
"Well, I didn't exactly mean try to kill you." Catherine groaned. "I don't trust her, Trowa. Don't get too close to her."
"That's . . . not a problem right now."
"Oh, I didn't mean to! To drag up losing her. Again." Catherine looked disappointed in herself. "You should talk to the ringmaster, Trowa. We don't get along with regular people on the outside very much. That's why you picked the carnival in the first place."
"I know that, Cathy," Trowa said affectionately. "I will deal with her presence here, if it becomes a problem." If. It was the 'if' that was the hard part.
"Mister Trowa Barton?"
There. He got in on the phone. "Yes, I'm still here. This is an emergency, so did you find something?" Trowa asked. "As soon as possible." There was only one thing that would be letting Trowa in. It was something he didn't want to use, but without some political influence, it would be positive to work.
Duo made it obvious. Middie was in bad condition. Duo had said her leg was funny, her face was smashed up and she had bruises all over. With a small amount of guidance with Heero, he managed to get himself in officially as someone looking for Duo's half-brother Gin, for suspicion of abuse.
"We have a route for you, and we might have found the person you are looking for," the voice on the phone answered. "A suspicious man and woman. She is even sleeping now with her face covered in a hoodie."
"I need along that route, right away. Please do not intercept them, just make sure they cannot leave," Trowa demanded.
"Yes, Sir. We will be waiting. We will not approach."
"Good." Trowa got the details and hung up. "I am going after Middie Une, Cathy. I am bringing her here. Anything management needs to talk about, I will. Could you please pick up a pregnancy test for me?"
"Now? Trowa, it's almost time for the last show tonight," Catherine urged him. "You're going to collect the spy now?"
"Yes. Her name is Middie. Middie Une," Trowa reminded her. "I'll be back."
Hopefully, this time, with her.
