A/N: I don't own anything

28 minutes

Chapter 5

Take One: Quatre's Respite

Dorothy had been so kind as to inform Quatre that Treize would arrange a meeting with him. That was three days ago. He had gotten a call earlier this evening from Treize himself, asking him to come to his Casino tomorrow and he would talk to him in his Boardroom. Treize said he would have liked to discuss Quatre's investment today, but he had plans with a lady friend of his.

Wufei had contacted him as well, he explained that he was on his way to Germany for some reason. However he wasn't vague on the details. Now, he just sat back in his mansion and decided to clear his conscious for the meeting tomorrow. He would have to lay it on thick to get the schematics to the Resort and Casino, and from what he heard about Treize- he was no lightweight.

Well he would have to call Duo after the meeting…Time to turn in for the night.

Take Two: Trowa's Job.

"Alright, now that Howard is unconscious, Heero is AWOL, and Wufei hasn't called back, we'll have to talk the planning tomorrow." Duo rationalized, using a toothpick he had in the bathroom to pick his teeth clean.

" Howard said he would do the tech work. You know: explosive controls for the safe, rigging the security tapes, and so forth. But we still need those schematics before we send Heero in to get the security codes." Trowa explained.

"What are you gonna do?" Duo asked, Trowa always took the jobs he felt like doing- never the ones assigned to him.

"I figured I could play decoy, I can sneak in with the entertainment crew they will be having- it is their Grand opening. Then I could steal a uniform and viola!" Trowa said.

Duo looked at his watch: 10:52 p.m. "Where'd you think Heero went?"

Trowa only shrugged.

"Well, we spent the last three days on the phone, and ordering things for the heist." Duo sounded exhausted.

"Why would you do something that will implicate you after the heist is done?"

"Relax, I gave a fake name."

"What now?"

"I'm sleeping, Heero can sleep outside if that's what he wants." And with that Duo fell asleep on the carpet- given that the cot was taken up by Howard. Trowa followed suit, taking his place in a separate area.

Take Three: Encounters.

Heero had stormed out of the apartment in a fit of controlled rage. Howard was drunk, so Heero knew not to really take Howard too seriously. And brining up such things from the past only made Heero more frustrated. He needed to cool off, and walking downtown always made him neutral. Passing by people who didn't judge him, people who didn't know him, it made life easier for Heero. He knew what happened with Relena was entirely his fault- he could change things if he had the change, but he wouldn't take back the time he had with her- even if he was supposedly lying about it. He remembered the day he found out what role he was chosen for from the last heist clearly…

Flashback- 3 years ago

"Okay, if we are ever going to get inside the Peacecraft Manor, we're gonna need a decoy." Duo explained. He leaned back in his chair, and seemed to stare pointedly at Heero.

Everyone was at Howard's apartment, his lazy nature and slob behavior reflected on the state of his apartment- it was worse than anyplace Duo owned. Quatre, Wufei, Trowa, and Howard stood nearby. They were going over plans to rob the richest family in Sanc- the Peacecraft family. The Manor's blueprints weren't hard to find, since it was a historical landmark- Quatre only had to go to the Sanc Historical Society to find it.

"What would the decoy be doing?" Howard asked. As soon as he did, Duo pulled out a photo and layed in out infront of the men. A woman of about 19 was shown, in a white short sleeved shirt dress that stopped just above her knees and a black bet tied at her waist. Her golden brown hair hung loose about her shoulders and she smiled showing perfect flawless teeth. Her head wasn't angled straight at the camera, indicating the photo was snapped by an unseen photographer.

"You are to get close to her." Duo said simply. "We're gonna need to take this robbery in phases. The Peacecraft family has three vaults, and we're robbing all of them."

"So you want one of us to pretend to be interested in this girl?" Quatre asked, feeling uneasy about the situation- it was one thing to rob a fellow rich family blind, quite another to mess with them emotionally.

"I'll do it!" Howard eagerly volunteered.

"She is quite a looker." Trowa commented.

"No, no, no. I've already decided who would do it," Duo said. "Heero?"

"Why do you want me to do it?" He asked, examining the beauty In the photo.

"Because if there is anyone who can pull it off, you can."

End Flashback

As Heero walked the streets of downtown Sanc, he kept playing that moment over and over in his mind. His mind continued to wander as his body did, it lead him to the ritzy side of the downtown area, and straight into the tourist streets of Sanc. He passed by couples heading bars, clubs, or whatever nightlife establishments that were located in the area. He looked around at the tall buildings, levels beyond levels of windows. Shop lights sparkled, contrasting to the night sky, he found himself outside of the Sanc Hotel, a place for the rich and wealthy, along with a restaurant whose name escaped him.

But what didn't escape him was the limo making its way to the curb of the hotel. He stopped like the other passerbys' making a small crowd around the entrance. It must have been a celebrity or a wealthy businessman. He looked on like the rest, until he saw the familiar platinum haired head of a man step out. Milliardo scarcely changed since the last time he threaten Heero. Afterall, brother's tend to be over protective of their little sisters. A woman stepped out after Milliardo, her black short hair barely moving with the wind.

Next came a rather attractive man with red hair, and he held his hand out for the next occupant. A woman no doubt. It was in this moment that Heero felt himself stiffen.

Relena Peacecraft stepped out into the night air, her hand still holding the man infront of her. Her hair swayed with the night air, her skin glowing from the bright sign above. It didn't take her long to notice her. And he could barely make out her voice, but knew well what she said from reading her lips.

"Heero?" Her eyes widened, probably mirroring his own.

She only looked at him for a few minutes, when the man still holding her hand had guided her inside, unaware of the exchange that happened between the man in the crowd and the beautiful woman at his side.

Yes, Heero thought, this must be Treize Khushrenada. This man would soon know what it's like to watch from the sidelines. Heero wanted to rob this man of everything he had- including the woman next to him.

Take Four: Maybe it Wasn't

No. Relena thought, that couldn't have been Heero. The night must have played tricks on her, she was stressed about a lot of things and it just may be taking its toll on her. She was glad that her brother and Treize didn't hear her utter his name. A scene would have erupted. As Treize took her hand and guided her inside the restaurant, Relena decided to focus on the dinner ahead. She would need a bit of alcoholic courage for her to be at ease all evening.

The dinner went by smoothly, Relena said all the right things and smiled sweetly. Milliardo was sweating through most of the meal, making Relena feel a whole lot better- but it also made Lucrezia worried about her boyfriend's health. Treize observed with a small smile. It was 11:52 p.m. and the group was waiting for dessert. Milliardo had told Relena that he had planned to propose to Lucrezia at the stroke of midnight. The same thing that their father did for their mother. She was anxious as well, but the way her brother was looking it seemed that he may just call it off and do it another time.

11:58 p.m. Only two minutes left, and their dessert had made it to their table.

Boy it would be a long night