Lies - Between Friends and Lovers
Chapter45

Quatre woke slowly to the familiar nagging of his alarm clock. Flinging his arm in the direction from where the irritating disturbance was coming from, he slapped the button that brought immediate and blissful silence. He stretched and yawned loudly, feeling the slight ache that accompanied a vigorous bout of love making. It was Sunday, his mind recalled, causing him to smile. He simply adored Sundays. There was no where either one of them needed to be today, and no work or familial obligations. Whenever possible he and Trowa liked to spend Sunday morning lying abed while reading the newspaper, talking or simply enjoying each other. Reaching out to his left, he was disappointed to find Trowa's side of the bed vacant, the sheets cool to the touch. The barely audible sound of water running in the bathroom could now be heard, but a moment later it ended, indicating the shower had been shut off.

Several minutes later the bathroom door opened and he turned his head in time to watch his lover emerge wearing a pale blue towel wrapped around his waist. With his auburn hair combed back it was easy to see those stunning green eyes brighten as they turned to him. Trowa's lips curved upward as he strolled to the bed. Once he reached it, he bent over to kiss his lover good morning.

Quatre was aware his breath was probably less than appealing at the moment, so he kept the kiss brief, but that didn't stop him from hugging Trowa or copping a feel of the treasures hidden beneath the towel. The good news they'd received the night before seemed to have made the both of them rather insatiable.

Just as his lover pressed him down into the mattress the vid phone rang. With an apologetic smile, Trowa straightened and moved towards the desk. Over his shoulder he said, "Go ahead and take your shower. I'll handle this." Inserting the earpiece into his ear, Trowa hit the appropriate button and received the call with a quiet hello then listened to whatever the caller was saying. Though he was curious, Quatre knew Trowa would give him an account of who was calling and of his conversation. He made his way to the bathroom looking forward to a nice hot shower.

A good half hour had passed by the time he exited the bathroom wearing his favorite yellow bathrobe. Much to his disappointment, Trowa was fully dressed and sitting on the edge of the made-up bed. Figuring his lover really was ready to start the day, the blond proceeded to the dresser and asked over his shoulder. "Who called?"

"Heero. And five minutes after I hung up, Duo called."

With underwear and socks in hand, Quatre turned around, a worried crease forming between his eyes once more. Trowa continued. "Heero informed me he's on his way to Sanq and that he'll be leaving Earth shortly after he reports to Preventers, returning to L4 with an ETA sometime late Monday morning. He wants to speak with both of us about the report Agent Warfield submitted last night. I have the feeling that something in her report has aroused his suspicions."

Discarding his robe and pulling on his boxer briefs, Quatre asked, "What do you think it is?"

Trowa shrugged. "I'm not sure. Perhaps we didn't display proper concern for Wufei's absence. Agent Warfield might not have been able to capture in words your worried expression."

"I'm not much of an actor," the blond said as he moved to his closet and threw open the doors to look inside.

"You did well enough," Trowa answered. "I suppose we'll just have to wait and see what he suspects. We're in sync with our version of our last meeting with Wufei, so even if Heero splits us up to interrogate us, we'll be on the same page."

The look of worry on Quatre's face persisted. He glanced at the clock on the bedside table and noted the time was 8:10 a.m. "When are you supposed to leave for L2?"

"From here, around four tomorrow morning if I'm to pick up the crew and get there by late morning."

Quatre frowned. "You can't possibly be back in time to meet Heero. He's going to become suspicious of your frequent absences, regardless of any explanation I give him."

"I've already thought of that. When Duo called, I asked him to rendezvous with us a little closer to home. We briefly reviewed our discussion last night and he'll recheck with Rashid to make sure all the planet-side arrangements have been made."

"Did you tell him Wufei isn't to know he's involved or that there's a second ship. If he sees Duo, he'll realized we've lied to him, again. That might make him angry enough to do something we'll all regret."

"Yes, I instructed Duo not to let Wufei see him or his ship. I've got that part all figured out also." Then stepping forward to pick up one of the two socks that lay on the bed, Trowa directed the blond to sit down the edge of the mattress. Kneeling before him he began to slip it over his lover's slender foot. "I don't want you worrying unnecessarily about Wufei's reaction," he continued. "He's more level headed than he has ever been before. He'll remain true to his word even when he finds out there was a bit more to our operation than just supplying food to L2."

Several moments of silence stretched out as Quatre waited for his lover to elaborate on his plan. When it looked like Trowa wasn't going to say anything further, he tilted his head and said, "You're not going to tell me all that you have planned, are you?"

A ghost of a smile graced the brunet's handsome face. Having now pulled on both socks on Quatre's feet, he kissed one pale knee before him before rising. "It will make a good story when Wufei calls. Trust me, everything is going to work out."

Standing, Quatre slipped on a pair of pleated trousers and a polo shirt he'd selected, definitely dressing down for a day at home. And while he dressed his thoughts remained on Trowa's trip to L2 and what the end of the next day might bring. He then remembered that Duo had also called. "Why did Duo call?"

"Heero discovered Taylor."

"What!" Quatre's face blanched.

"Heero made a sudden trip to New York, intending to surprise Duo at the premiere he was to attend last Friday, the one Taylor was covering for him." Quatre's eyes widened almost comically with a look of horror. Trowa continued. "Heero wasn't fooled by Taylor's resemblance to Duo. He confronted him and apparently whisked him away from the theater and back to the apartment where he kept him hostage until Duo returned Saturday evening. Duo said the scene was rather tense at first, but he and Heero talked and he managed to convince Heero that Taylor is merely his stand-in for events he doesn't want to attend. Of course Heero questioned him about what he does when Taylor is taking his place. He's obviously trying to put two and two together, but Duo thinks he managed to persuade him that he really just wants to be free to be himself for a day or two, away from photographers and the public eye. Oh," he remembered something else. "If Heero asks, we stick to the story about Duo using the cabin up in Vermont."

The crease between Quatre's eyebrows deepened, a sign that his worrying was escalating. "Did he ask about the marauders or Relena?"

"Duo didn't say. But having learned about Taylor, Heero is bound to question again whether it was Duo or Taylor who was the at the restaurant when Relena was kidnaped. We'll have to make sure Taylor has his story straight. And knowing Duo, I'm sure he's been thoroughly coached by now to say he was somewhere else that night and that Duo was the one in that restaurant. We don't want to add any more to Heero's growing list of suspicions."

"Do you think Heero would arrest Duo if he did discover some link between him and the raids?"

Trowa contemplated that question for a moment. "I don't know. Heero has always been rather enigmatic. Choosing between his scruples and Duo might be one of his greatest challenges."

They both silently wondered what their Preventer friend would do if he found out about their involvement. While he might not be willing to haul Duo in, he didn't have the same emotional tie to them as he did the American.

Quatre looked up at Trowa, worry etched in his blue eyes as he stated, "I've got the papers drawn up that will turn over my shares of the family's business in case we're arrested, tried and found guilty of our crimes." Breaking eye contact, he moved to the bed and picked up his belt. The lighter, celebratory mood they had shared the night before was gone. Before beginning their quest to save L2's citizens from starving, preparations had been made to protect the family's business if they were identified as the men behind the raids on the freighters. They'd done their best to see that the ships they'd targeted were recompensed and that they operated without harming any member of the ships' crews. As careful as they had been, the odds of being discovered grew each time they boarded a freighter and confiscated a portion of their goods.

"I'm sure it won't come down to Heero having to make that decision," Trowa said, approaching his lover and gently brushing his hands aside to finish buckling his belt. "If Wufei can understand our reasons for what we do, enough to abandon his job as a Preventer to join us, there is hope Heero can be persuaded of our good intentions." Pulling the end of the belt through the last loop, Trowa gave the belt a small tug, bringing the blond even closer. Then putting his hand on Quatre's chin and raised it slightly so he lean down and place a kiss on his lips. As natural as taking a breath, Quatre leaned into his lover, savoring the taste and touch of the man he loved so dearly.

Abruptly breaking the kiss, the blond businessman wrapped his arms around the taller man and held him tightly. "I don't want to lose you, Trowa," he whispered, his voice strained and his eyes welling up at the thought of possibly being separated from his lover for many years.

Running his hand over the blond hair, Trowa said with as much confidence as he could muster, "You'll never lose me, my heart."

"If we're convicted and sent to prison, it will be just like losing you."

"Then I'll be even more careful on this last run."

"But Heero..."

"Will be kept in the dark," the brunet said firmly. "We will each keep playing our parts and hold on for another couple of days. Once Relena is returned to Earth, she'll do something about L2's situation. Hilde wouldn't have alerted Howard unless she'd seen a definite change in her."

"I pray that you're right, Trowa. Relena is our last hope for reaching the public and putting enough pressure on the UEC to begin changing what's been happening on L2. I can bear the thought of losing my home, money and even the respect of my family, but I can't imagine life without you."

"We've talked all of this out before. You, Duo and I all agreed that the lives of the people on L2 were worth the risks we've taken. Do you feel differently now that we might have become suspects?"

Quatre's answer was immediate. "No. The actions we took were necessary. Someone had to step forward and help those unfortunate people. I can't regret what we've done in order to save them or agreeing to help Duo when he asked for our support. It was the right thing to do, even if we are found out and arrested."

Reluctantly easing back, Quatre looked up and into the green eyes of his lover and saw love and reassurance in their depths. Trowa brushed back the soft blond curls hovering over his lover's left temple and tucked them behind his ear. "Hold onto that thought, Quatre. I swear to you that if we are arrested, charged and sentenced to prison, I'll find a way to be with you, even if I have to break the both of us out. We'll live on the run, if we have blue funk."

"Just like the good old days."

Trowa gave his lover a smile and nod of his head.

"You are my heart and soul," Quatre said as he stroked Trowa's cleanly shaved cheek, knowing that Trowa knew his declaration to be true.

And just has honestly, Trowa replied, "And you are everything to me."

The kiss that followed was tender yet transmitted a hint of desperation, and then they held each other for several minutes before leaving the bedroom together, hand in hand. There were still tasks that needed to be completed before Trowa's departure the next morning, but all of that could wait until after breakfast.

TBC

Lies Between Friends and Lovers

CHAPTER 46

Typically, Wufei considered himself a morning person. But when he woke up Monday morning he really didn't feel like getting up. Since returning to the thought-to-be abandoned satellite from the botched raid on the Eclipse, he'd remained in bed feeling despondent and unsociable. He stared at very familiar off-white ceiling and the five similarly painted pipes that went from one end of the ceiling to the other, ignoring the slight throbbing pain in his wounded arm and wondering about his future. Was there a future after abandoning his position as a Preventer and joining the marauders?

He thought back to the day he'd confronted Trowa in the hanger of this very satellite. The information Trowa had gathered four years earlier hinted that certain members of the UEC government had acted against L2 for reasons other than the mere lawlessness on that colony. Trowa managed to intercept a handful of emails between those like-minded men. Phrases such as clean sweep, Noah's Arc, and pest control peppered the otherwise carefully crafted memos. While the threat of systematically annihilating the inhabitants of an unnamed colony seemed to be their goal, none of the private messages stated outright that L2 was their target. However, the often used initials S.C., an abbreviated term for slum colony, which was how the corresponding emails referred to their subject, couldn't be anything but the poor, trouble fraught L2. It didn't take a genius to realize the "pests" or some other undesirable vermin referred to in those messages were references to that colony's citizens.

Trowa traveled to Earth and presented the emails to Director Une. After carefully reading them over, the head of the Preventers removed her glasses and looked up at Trowa with a solemn expression. Despite the veiled threats in the emails, she told him there was no real proof that the men had broken any laws. Unless it could be proved they'd acted against L2 for reasons other than that colony's refusal to comply with UEC's laws, she was unable to take steps towards charging the men with a crime. After studying the names again, she recognized most of them as being those representatives responsible for drafting and pushing the bill that would permit the government to levy the embargo. The only action she could take, Une told him, was to put their names on a watch list and assign a couple of agents to investigate their pasts to see if there was a common, underlying reason for their actions beyond their dislike for the impoverished colony. The emails, inadmissible in court, would be used only as a basis for further investigation.

Disappointed but not surprised by the inability of the Preventers to do anything further, Trowa continued keeping tabs on the five men, believing it was only a matter of time before one of them let something incriminating slip, and then the Preventers would arrest and charge them with any number of crimes.

The chime at his door brought Wufei out of his thoughts. He eased himself to his side and slid his legs off the bed. With a grunt he forced himself to sit up, wincing as the movement pulled on his sutures. He made it to his feet and then walked to the doorway where he pushed the button that slid the metal door open, revealing Howard on the other side, dressed all in black. The smiling, overly-cheerful man handed him an armful of clothing. "Good morning, Wufei. We just got a call to pick up an important package from L2. If I'm right, and I almost always am, this might be our last run."

Wufei blinked, surprised by the announcement. "What do you mean?"

"Just get dressed and you'll find out soon enough."

"I wish you would speak plainly and just tell me what is happening. I don't like going into any situation unprepared."

Howard pushed the clothing towards him again, which looked like the green generic uniform typically worn by men and women who worked on ship repairs. "Think you can manage that, or do you need some help?"

Slightly offended by the insinuation that he couldn't take care of himself, Wufei turned his nose up at the Sweeper. "I haven't needed help before this, so I highly doubt I need it now."

"Good. We'll be taking off for L2 in half an hour. Why don't you hit the galley and get something to eat before then, all right?" Howard waited for his nod of agreement, then turned and left Wufei to dress.

As he struggled to remove his night clothes and re-dress in the clothing Howard had supplied, using only one hand, Wufei wondered about the item they were going to pick up from L2. Whatever it was, it must be of great importance if it could end the blockade. Was it proof of the people's suffering? Perhaps a representative from L2 was going to speak with the UEC in an effort to persuade them into lifting the sanctions. One of the emaciated children alone would be enough to enrage the public, he thought. By the time he zipped up the front of the jumpsuit, he felt more tired than he should have been from the effort. Unwilling to move his arm enough to pull his hair back into its normal style, he had little choice but to leave it down. Following Howard's instruction he boarded the shuttle and went to the galley and made himself a very simple breakfast.

Howard poked his head into the room just as he was cleaning his dishes. The engineer asked him to come to the cockpit as soon as he was able. It was time to leave.

Wufei followed two minutes later, noticing as he passed that the main hatch had been closed and secured. Entering the cockpit, he was surprised to find Trowa sitting in the pilot's chair, his nimble fingers running over the systems in a pre-departure check. The absence of the other two crew members indicated to Wufei that this flight was going to be a three man job.

"Everyone take your seats," Trowa said, and with a turn of his head he locked eyes with Wufei and gave him a slight nod in greeting. He then returned to the task of preparing the shuttle for takeoff. "We need to make this a fast trip," he added. "I've got Heero coming to visit later today and I need to return home as soon as possible. Something about the interview Quatre and I had with Agent Warfield has made him suspicious."

Wufei wanted to ask about the item they were picking up and where they were taking it, but he'd learned early on that Trowa and Howard told him only what he needed to know. If they withheld information, it was for his benefit, or so both men had told him repeatedly. He had to trust them, which was difficult at times because he really didn't like not knowing what was going on.

It was just after noon, L2 time, when the blinking lights of the colony could be seen clearly from the port bow. Once they were safely docked, Trowa and Howard stood from their seats and asked Wufei to remain where he was, that they would return shortly. Since he wasn't wearing the black clothing they used to hide their identity, he remained in his seat. From there he watched as Trowa cover his head with the black mask and then proceed to open the hatch. But that was as far as he went. Trowa remained inside the shuttle while Howard, his face also covered, stepped out and disappeared down the ramp to the deck below. It was more than apparent that this time they didn't have cargo to unload, but Wufei couldn't help but wonder why they included him on this trip if he wasn't needed?

Ten minutes passed, and during that time Trowa remained silent, which really wasn't unusual for the man. Then Wufei heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Curious as to what or who they were picking up, he stood from his seat to greet the returning engineer. Trowa, still on guard at the door, gave Howard a hand as the man re-entered the shuttle carrying a large, blanket-wrapped bundle in his arms. The hatch was once again closed and sealed before Trowa followed Howard to one of the passenger seats where he carefully set the mysterious bundle down. He then proceeded to unwrap the blankets from around the person inside, exposing both their face and identity.

"What the hell?" Wufei exclaimed, turning angry eyes to Howard.

"She's sedated and we're taking her back to Earth," Howard explained calmly.

"You kidnaped Relena Peacecraft! Why?"

"I think you're smart enough to figure it out."

Wufei quickly went over the logical reasons for why Relena had been kidnapped and sent to L2. "Think of the big picture," Howard urged with a sober expression. "This wasn't your typical kidnaping for ransom or revenge."

A possible answer came to the Preventer's mind. "Having seen and lived as one of the people of L2, Relena will be a credible voice for them, a witness to their suffering. She's always been a person the people of Earth's sphere listen to, even when she was just a teenager. No doubt she'll have the attention of the media when she suddenly returns."

Howard winked at him, a grin tugging at his lips. Wufei frowned, glancing from Howard to Trowa and then back again. "Are you certain she will be sympathetic and not angry and resentful for being forced to live in such desperate condition?."

"Our source on L2 has assured me that Relena declared her intention to do whatever it takes to end the suffering on L2," Howard said and he bent to secure the sleeping woman in her seat.

"And she'll be none the wiser about who brought her here?"

"She was in a similar state on her trip to L2," Trowa said. "We'll give her another injection half way through the flight so she'll not wake up again until she's back on Earth and we're long gone."

Wufei contemplated for a moment everything he'd just learned, then with a perplexed expression asked, "And the purpose for my being on his flight?"

Trowa put a hand on his friend's shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze. "With Relena's pledge to help L2, our work is almost done. Thank you, Wufei, for joining us, but now that it's over we're going to do what we can to return you to your life with as little damage to your position in the Preventers as possible."

"How do you propose to pull that off?" he asked, dubious that his career could be salvaged at this point. If his defection was brought out in the open, any job in the field of law enforcement would be out of the question, even though he'd previously been an effective agent.

Howard looked at his watch and said, "Let's get off this colony and back into space. I'll tell you what I can after we're away from here." Then with a glance at the ebony-haired man he asked, "You do want to return to your job, don't you?"

Wufei sighed and leaned against the seat in front of Relena's and answered. "I honestly don't know. Even though I've done my part in seeing that the peace we fought for was secure, I feel the UEC's politics has taken a turn for the worse. As a Preventer, there was little to nothing I could do about their unjust actions towards L2. Hell, I believed they were justified until I was given the marauder's case. I think I might be more effective in securing the peace if I resigned my post and applied for a job with Quatre. I've observed that Winner and Barton not only have their fingers on the pulse of the colonies, but that they also need someone to steer them away from trouble."

Trowa smiled and Howard laughed out loud at Wufei's reply. "And I think you are just the person to do that, at least until they are needed to save the next colony."

"Give it some more thought after this is all over," Trowa advised. "But if you're serious about the job, I'll speak with Quatre. I can guarantee he'll find something for you in his organization and make it worth your while." Turning, the tall, auburn haired man returned to the cockpit to prepare for the next stage of their flight.

"Take a seat, Wufei." Howard motioned to the seat across from where their newest passenger sat sleeping. "I'll be back after we pass the blockade and explain to you what we've got planned."

For the next two hours El Diablo cruised through space toward a rendezvous point Wufei had been told about, but was kept ignorant of. He slept for part of the journey, then listened to Howard as he gave him his simple but workable solution.

One hour and a meal later, he changed back into his Preventer uniform and watched as Relena was given an injection to keep her asleep for another eight hours. Howard then turned to him and grinned. "You better sit down. This stuff works quickly once it enters the blood stream."

Wufei moved to take off his jacket but Howard put a restraining hand on his arm. "Don't bother."

Taking his seat across the aisle from Relena, Wufei waited for further instructions. While Howard prepared the next injection he asked, "Are you sure this injection is merely meant as an attempt to explain my absence to my superiors, or is it a way to keep me from meeting your contact?"

"Both," Howard grinned, then suddenly and without warning he pressed the injector onto Wufei's thigh and depressed the syringe, sending the fast-acting drugs through his clothing and into his flesh. The abrupt action took the Chinese man by surprise.

Grunting, Wufei muttered in complaint, "You could have warned me."

Howard merely shrugged as he held up the syringe to make sure the entire vial had been emptied. "It's not everyday I get to surprise a former gundam pilot."

As Howard promised, the drug in his system worked with astonishing speed. Wufei found the interior of the shuttle and the man beside him quickly fading. Unable to resist the pull, he closed his eyes and let himself tumble into a dreamless sleep.

TBC