By: Aja Golde
For summary, disclaimer and mild warnings, see chapters one and two.
Author's Notes: Thanks to wind dancer1981 who has reviewed EVERY chapter! Your reviews keep me going :)
Aya-chan: Zechs passing his number to the spiky haired employee? Well, I won't reveal who the strange blond man is, but rest assured that Zechs doesn't mix business and pleasure :).
And I've gone back and fixed some naming mistakes, thanks to Edna who pointed them out!
Chapter 6
Day 2 2:00 PM
The Restaurantosaurus served fast food, reminiscent of McDonald's. Quatre stood in line for food while Duo looked for Heero, leaving Quatre with instructions to order the biggest, fattiest thing on the menu because they, as Duo put it, 'deserved it for surviving a terrifying fifteen second freefall while in the stomach of a piece-of-shit lime green dino.'
So Quatre ordered two Dino-Sized Double Cheeseburgers (each served with fries) and two large Cokes. He grabbed a handful of ketchup and honey mustard packets and piled on the side: relish, olives, tomatoes, and carrots. He wandered through the many dining areas before Duo found him and waved him outside to a nice picnic area surrounded by trees and hungry birds and squirrels. They watched Quatre and Duo with unblinking eyes, just waiting for a morsel to drop.
Heero was sitting at a table already, eating a Mandarin Chicken Salad, and gave Quatre a polite nod. Duo unpacked his meal and ate with relish, "Oh God. This is the best cheeseburger I've ever tasted."
"And why's that?" Heero asked, looking at the cheeseburger as if it was going to grow fangs and bite him.
"Because just a while ago I didn't know if I was ever going to eat again!"
Heero looked back and forth between Duo and Quatre, but both were too busy eating to give him an explanation. Several minutes later Quatre looked up.
"Near-death experience," he said simply.
"Uh-huh," Heero said, "Well, speaking of near-death experiences, I heard there was a situation in DinoLand. The different parts of Animal Kingdom don't have great communication, but visitors are very gossipy. I might cut this meeting short and find someone who knows what happened, if you don't mind."
Duo's 'cat got the canary' smile spread slowly over his face, "No, no, we don't mind. Do we Watson?"
Quatre shook his head.
"As a matter of fact, go ask the area manager, I heard he was there at the scene."
"Zechs?" Heero frowned, "If Zechs came by it must've been something big. Was someone hurt on a ride?"
Duo just took a bite of his burger.
"Why'd you want to meet with us Heero?" Quatre asked.
"I wanted to know how long you were staying."
"We have six days left," Duo answered, "plenty of time for us to get to know each other!"
Heero wrinkled his nose, "I meant that the stuffed animal might come later. I don't think it was lost while in transportation, such things rarely happen. I was thinking that because it's the busy season, the delivery service must be overloaded. You'll probably get the toy before you leave."
"Great, now I get two stuffed animals!"
Quatre sighed, dipping a fry into a pool of ketchup limply.
"Oh come on Watson, you promised! The biggest and heaviest, remember?"
"I remember, I remember."
"Watson owes me a stuffed animal too," Duo turned to Heero amiably, "because we thought that you wouldn't get me one, so he promised me he'd get one for me."
"I am a man of my word," Heero sniffed self-righteously, fishing though his salad for olives.
"Well, Duo was upset," Quatre said.
"Why? It's just a stuffed animal."
"One that I didn't get," Duo muttered under his breath.
"Ah."
"Hey," Quatre said, a bright idea coming to him so suddenly he nearly fell out of his chair, "did you know there's a party going on in Magic Kingdom tonight?"
"A party? I love parties!" Duo tapped his straw against the table as if he was playing the drums, "Is it like a real a party? With music and dancing and stuff?"
Quatre nodded as Duo then proceeded to put the straw into his Coke. Heero grimaced, watching with morbid fascination as Duo sucked the same straw he had been banging against the table.
"You can join us, Heero, if you're not busy," Quatre suggested.
Heero blinked at them slowly, and Quatre had a feeling that Heero was not a man who got asked to social events often.
"What a great idea!" Duo reached over, and in clear lack of respect for Heero's personal space, tapped him on the nose with the straw, "It'll be a way to make it up to me for losing the stuffed animal."
Heero balked, "I did not lose the stuffed animal! It's probably on its way to your hotel right now."
"We'd welcome your company," Quatre insisted, "besides, it won't be just us. Trowa's coming; he works at the Affection Section in Rafiki's Planet Watch. He's the one who invited me."
Well, 'invited' was a stretch, more like 'I'm going, so I'm pretty much telling you that you have to go too'.
But Heero went abruptly still, and before Duo could ask what was wrong, Heero keeled over and began to laugh. Duo and Quatre watched him silently as he continued to snort and chuckle, wiping tears from his eyes, choking on his own lack of breath, and slipping from his chair as he held his stomach.
"Oh God," Heero gagged, before bursting out into another peal of laughter.
Then, just as suddenly, he sat back up, straightened his shirt, took a sip of his water, and went back to finding olives in his salad.
Quatre and Duo looked at each other, and Quatre wondered what exactly Duo had gotten himself into.
"So you know our Trowa?" Duo asked. Quatre couldn't help but blush faintly when Duo said our.
"We've worked here the past couple of summers together," Heero said, "plus, his sister did some animal training with my," Heero paused, "friend."
"Friend? Who's this friend?" Duo leaned closer.
Heero just stared at him, "A friend. But yes, I know Trowa. He doesn't talk much but he mentioned something yesterday about a blond guy and his annoying friend."
"Annoying?" Duo sat back violently, pouting comically.
"Rude, obnoxious, inconsiderate and far too talkative," Heero finished.
"He didn't say those things!"
"Word for word."
"What a jerk."
"That jerk got us front seats to the Festival of the Lion King," Quatre reminded Duo.
"Did he?" Heero regarded Quatre steadily.
"Yeah, apparently they bonded over goats. I guess Watson's the only one who can stand the smell of shit."
Apparently, because I hang around you all day, Quatre thought, but he only scowled at Duo, "Play nice or else no stuffed animal for you."
"I'll behave myself," Duo said dolefully, before picking up one of his fries and tossing it to the birds. In mid air a bird soared down from the trees and caught it. The ones on the ground clucked disappointedly.
"Wow," Quatre said, and decided he wanted to feed one of the smaller birds. He held his fry out and the bird hopped up to him.
"Look how cute you-"
The bird jumped up and snatched the fry out of his fingers.
"Ow," Quatre jumped back, nursing his sore finger.
"The birds of Animal Kingdom mean business," Duo said, warily watching the birds sitting around them.
"It's against the rules to feed the animals," Heero sighed.
Duo ignored him and threw another fry into the crowd of birds.
Heero looked at his watch, "I have to go soon. Zechs should still be around here somewhere; I'll ask for him and see what happened."
"Oh you'll see all right," Duo whispered under his breath. Quatre, sitting next to him, could hear what he was saying and figured Duo was looking forward to the shock Heero would be receiving.
"Will you be joining us at Magic Kingdom? I checked the schedule yesterday. The party starts at eight."
Heero shrugged, "Since Trowa's going I'll consider it. If I go I'll be waiting by the statue of Mickey and Walt."
"Bye Heero," Duo sing-songed, waving as he tilted back in his chair.
Across the picnic area, a man with blond hair watched Heero leave as well.
Day 2 2:45 PM
When Duo and Quatre left the table a trail of birds followed them, looking up at them expectantly.
"Looks like you've got paparazzi," Quatre said.
Duo glared at the bird following at his heels, "I've got nothing for you. Go pester someone else."
They were about to leave the dining area when a familiar mane of bright white hair caught Quatre's attention.
"Isn't that Zechs?" Quatre asked.
"Where?" Duo stopped abruptly, causing the bird to nearly run into him.
"He's sitting at that table over there, talking to someone."
"Damn, looks like Heero just missed him. Wonder what he's talking about?"
"Duo-"
But Duo was already slinking forward, giving Quatre no choice but to follow. He shielded his face by pulling his cap lower, looking at the ground, concentrating on following the backs of Duo's sneakers. Duo sat down at a table and pulled Quatre with him so that their backs were to Zechs and his companion.
"Hide your braid," Quatre whispered and Duo quickly pulled his braid around his shoulders. Quatre sat their trash down in front of them, so it looked like they were finishing up their meal. One of the birds still following Duo let out a high-pitched tweet.
"Shut up you stupid bird," Duo hissed, "I'm trying to eavesdrop!"
But the bird already drew the attention of a little girl, who squealed and came over to feed it.
"Hey Quatre, why don't you get us some napkins so we can clean up a little?" Duo suggested.
"Um, ok," Quatre got up and realized immediately that in order to get to the napkins he would have to pass Zechs. He walked as slowly as he dared, his eyes on the ground and his ears wide open.
"Nonsense Zechs," the other man was saying, "accidents like these happen all the time. They're precisely that: accidents."
"I was just asking for your opinion Treize. You aren't the Head of Internal Security for nothing. Can you at least keep on the lookout for suspicious characters?"
"I thought the TriceraTop incident was due to metal fatigue?"
Zechs paused, and as Quatre was walking away, he heard him say at last, "Maybe I am being a little too paranoid."
By the time Quatre grabbed napkins and came back, Zechs and Treize were gone. He gathered the trash on his and Duo's table, "Ready to leave?"
"Yeah, looks like the bird has been successfully distracted," Duo nodded towards the little girl feeding the bird, "let's roll before it decides I have more food to give it."
They escaped the bird and when they were safely in a talkative crowd of people Quatre shared with Duo what he had overheard.
"Zechs was talking to Treize, Head of Internal Security. Zechs thinks that the TriceraTop Spin accident wasn't just an accident. He thinks someone sabotaged it and wants Treize to keep an eye out."
Duo narrowed his eyes, "Maybe I should take a look at that TriceraTop ride myself."
"Maybe," Quatre shrugged, "if you can get near enough. The ride is closed so I don't think they let anyone but mechanics in the area."
"Yeah," Duo sighed, "and if I somehow got caught – which is highly unlikely, but if I did – then I'd be buried in fines up to my neck. I barely had enough money to pay for my share of this trip, and jail doesn't look too appealing."
"And you don't want to be the only person to be banned from Disneyworld."
"This Treize person is right. Accidents happen. MISSION: SPACE, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Expedition: Everest have all caused people problems. We were just unlucky; anyone could have been in our place, sitting in our dino."
"So let's forget about it and find something calm and entertaining to do."
"Calm and entertaining usually don't belong in the same sentence."
"Yeah well Expedition: Everest and Duo with neck injuries don't belong in the same sentence either."
"Shit," Duo smacked his palm to his forehead, "I forgot to ask how badly you were hurt."
"Well, you can ask now."
"Ok, how badly are you hurt?"
"It's a good thing I packed a little medicine kit. The painkillers will be helpful."
"Quatre, that told me absolutely nothing."
"Fine, fine, I just have some bruised ribs. They're wrapped, though, so it's all right."
Duo sighed, "Forgive me for being a self-centered ass hole?"
Quatre rolled his eyes, "I forgive you for being a little rattled after nearly having your neck ripped off your body. I was alive, you were alive, I was conscious, you were conscious, I was walking, and you were walking…that's all that really mattered at the time."
"I still feel like a bad friend."
"Well I owe you that stuffed animal, so let's do a little shopping. After that maybe we can go on one of the jungle treks before heading back to the hotel. Then we can have something to eat and maybe catch a nap, ok?"
"Perfect," Duo smiled, "just perfect. And after a little R&R we can go to Magic Kingdom and meet up with our hot dates."
"That was mean what you did to Heero," Quatre said as they neared the Everest gift shop.
"Well, Heero needed payback. My original revenge plan didn't work-"
"Because you found out he did nothing wrong-"
"So I'm putting this one into effect."
"He got you the stuffed animal Duo; you don't have to keep teasing him."
"I'll tease him until I have that Yeti in my arms. Besides, his face will be priceless once he learns it was us who were injured on that ride."
"You just want to see if he gets worried about you."
"Well, yeah. But thanks for inviting him to that party tonight."
"It's what friends do," Quatre said as they entered the shop.
"Or," Duo smirked slyly, "you just want to have Trowa all to yourself. You're going to dump me with Heero so that you and Trowa can sneak off and create a little bit of your own Disney magic."
Quatre just glared at him.
Duo surprised Quatre by not picking out the biggest, heaviest toy there was. Convinced that Hero was getting him the large, fluffy Yeti, Duo picked out a smaller, cuter Yeti.
"Mama Yeti and Baby Yeti," Duo explained.
Duo kept the present on his person, stuffing it into his backpack, because he didn't want it to get lost on the way to the hotel like the last one did.
Then Duo and Quatre walked to the Maharajah Jungle Trek, a self-paced series of trails allowing visitors to leisurely view animals such as Komodo dragons, Malayan tapirs, and Bengal tigers. Crumbling walls, bamboo fences, and wooden huts decorated the trail; by the time they were at the Bat Cliffs (where Rodrigues Fruit and Malayan Flying Fox bats lived), Duo was yawning widely.
"Quatre, I know you like this animal stuff, but I'm a little tired. Near-death experiences before noon, conspiracy theories by lunch and hitting the shops around midday can really wear a guy out."
"We can leave and go to the hotel," Quatre said, though he really wanted to see the tigers.
"Nah," Duo shook his head, "why don't you go ahead and check out some more of the animals? I'll sit right here and catch my breath. You can leave your backpack with me if you want; I know you have to be sore."
Quatre bit his lip, "I don't want to leave you alone. That's not what this vacation is about."
"I've caused you enough trouble. I know I can be a pain in the ass sometimes, I dragged you on a rollercoaster four times and then I gave you crap about wanting to see animals. And then you got me a Yeti. You deserve to see all the animals you want, I'm just a little tired."
"There are painkillers in my backpack if you want some," Quatre said, "are you sure you're ok? Are you hiding injuries from me?"
"No! Quatre, come on, if you want to walk around a little more, go ahead. Just remember to come back for me, ok?"
"All right," Quatre slipped off his backpack and handed it to Duo, "I really just want to see the Bengal tigers."
"Then go see the tigers. See every damn animal in the park. Just don't pet them, all right?"
"Shut up or I'll tell them that you're on the menu."
Duo sat down in a little nook on the trail, yawing again as he opened Quatre's backpack to look for the aspirin.
So Quatre walked a little farther before climbing up an outdoor staircase; he got to the top and froze. Standing in front of him, leaning on the railing, was a very familiar figure. He was talking quietly, but Quatre couldn't hear what he was saying. Quatre approached slowly before coming to stand by him. Quatre looked down over the railing and saw a massive tiger, stripes rippling over its body as it prowled its enclosure, bending to drink out of a pool of water.
"You like the tigers?" asked the figure beside him quietly.
Quatre nodded, "Yeah, I do."
"They don't… scare you?"
Quatre looked at the tiger, noting the thick paws and neck; its legs were at least as twice as broad as Quatre's. The tiger looked up at him, its golden eyes studying him.
Quatre glanced back up at his companion, and started slightly when he met the gaze of a cool green eye. The trees rustled in the wind, and the sun came pouring through in a dazzling beam. Trowa's eyes seemed to light up with an internal fire, cast in a golden hue in the light from the sun.
"I'm scared of lots of things," Quatre admitted.
Trowa narrowed his eyes, but Quatre returned the gaze. Then, that same small smile graced his lips.
"And yet," Trowa said, "you still live your life. That's good."
Trowa regarded the tigers again, "I like the tigers the best."
"Mmm," Quatre agreed, but continued to observe Trowa, "They're quite majestic."
"Yes. Beautiful, even though they're almost terrifying to behold. That's why we cage them," Trowa paused, "I don't like to cage animals."
Quatre and Trowa leaned on the railing, breathing in the moist air and the smell of jasmine and honeysuckle.
"I never expected to find you here, Trowa," Quatre said, laying his head on his folded arms.
"I come here when I'm on break; I know this place like I know the back of my hand. So it's nice to come across something unexpected once in a while," Trowa grinned at him.
"Glad I could liven up your day," Quatre smiled.
"Where's your friend? I thought he was attached your hip."
Quatre chuckled, though did he detect a hint of…jealousy?
"Duo's resting for a while. He's sitting near the Bat Cliffs."
"He doesn't like animals as much as you do."
"Duo just likes excitement, and to him watching animals is pretty much opposite of that."
Trowa snorted, obviously offended on the behalf of his beloved animals, "If he doesn't think animals are exciting then he has never watched a Bengal tiger eat, or a snake catch and digest its meal, or two horses race each other, or a pair of goats ram their horns in a battle."
"Before this trip, the closest Duo has been to animals was watching them on his TV."
"Shame; he's missed out on a lot of beauty," Trowa ran his eyes over Quatre's body.
Quatre coughed, "Um, yeah."
For the first time he heard Trowa chuckle quietly, a deep and soft sound, and it reminded Quatre of the rumble of a tiger. Perhaps Trowa truly felt a kinship with the large felines.
"Well, my break is nearly over. How about I walk you back?" Trowa offered.
Quatre agreed and after Trowa gave a lingering glance to the tigers, they walked down the steps and back to where Duo was resting.
"Oh Duo," Quatre smiled affectionately at seeing Duo propped up against a fence, head tilted to the side as he slept, oblivious to the world if the drool running down his chin said anything. Quatre chuckled and leaned over to shake his friend's shoulder, only to feel a shooting pain in his side. He squeezed his eyes shut, grunting slightly before deciding that a few pills were in order.
"What's the matter?" Trowa asked as Duo groggily came to.
"Just some minor pain, got pretty roughed up on a ride," Quatre shrugged and opened his backpack. He froze when he felt cool scales glide against his fingers. A soft and deadly hiss reached his ears.
"Watson – don't move!"