AN: Sorry for the wait, but here's chapter three. Oh, and the last chapter(s) of Apathy will be out soon as well. Please forgive the names I made up for Quatre's sisters... I just had to think of something. Anyway, please review, it's much appreciated!

Waking Up In Vegas

Chapter Three

Quatrewas leaving Vegas earlier than he'd thought he would. And now, he was on an airplane heading to Nashville Tennessee... a state he'd never thought he'd visit, much less live in. And yet, here he was. All on a whim. To say he was rethinking this leap of faith would have been an understatement.

All he was grateful for was that Trowa seemed to be very logical... the opposite of most artists he'd met in NYC- flippant, avant-garde hippies. He really was starting to like what he saw from Trowa. He seemed like a very sweet, kind person.

"So, what do you do for fun?" Trowa asked, from his seat by the window.

"Huh? Fun? Well," Quatre thought about it. Noone had ever really asked him that before. "I suppose I enjoy reading. And I play the violin."

"That's it?" Trowa blinked. "No sports, nothing like pottery or dancing or art or *anything*?"

Quatre shrugged. "I've never really had time for those things. When I was younger, I loved martial arts, though. Does that count?"

His auburn haired companion laughed. "Yeah. Maybe you should ask Wufei to help you with that. He has a black belt in two or three different forms of martial arts."

"Maybe," Quatre said. "Although I don't think he likes me very much."

"Wufei's like that with everyone he doesn't know... and even some of the ones he does. Duo's really done alot towards getting Wufei to ease up."

"They sound like quite a pair," Quatre commented softly, looking up to where Wufeiand Duo sat, several rows in front of them. The braided young man was fast asleep, his head resting on his lover's shoulder. Wufei's arm was draped possesively around him. All in all, they made quite a picturesque sight.

"They are, but their my best friends. Life would be pretty boring without them. Do you have any best friends?"

Quatre smiled slightly. "Not really, I guess. Relena's the closest thing I have."

"Relena?"

"Relena Darlian. She's a real character."

"Darlian? Not as in *the* Relena Darlian, the senator's daughter?" Trowa's mouth fell open, and Quatre could see he was shocked.

"That's her."

"Wow... I'm married to a celebrity's best friend."

"Funny," Quatre said, but he smiled. This was... relaxing. He liked talking with Trowa. It was just an easy conversation. No pretenses, nobody wanting anything from him. Just nice and easy. He sighed, snuggling down into his seat more. "Y'know, I miss this," he commented.

"This?"

"Just... talking. Nobody expecting anything. No demands, no politics or business. Just talking and sitting around."

"I get the feeling your life is very... structured." His companion had chosen his words carefully, and they were spoken softly, as if afraid of offering offense.

Quatre snorted. "Yeah, you could say that."

"So... what is it that you do?"

"I own Sandrock Industries."

Quatre knew it would come out as a shock, but he didn't expect Trowa to nearly jump out of his seat.

"Wha... you mean you own one of America's biggest technology firms? The one that developed that new missile for the army?"

A nod. "Yeah. That's me. President and CEO. My father owns WEI, and he didn't agree with my decision to support a friend of mine, a special ops soldier. So now... I've lost all the support WEI gave to us. My business is pretty much in shambles right now."

"I'm sorry," came the automatic response. Trowa had settled back down into his seat, mostly over the sudden surprise. More than his shock, he was worried for Quatre.

"Don't be," Quatre replied softly. "I did what I thought was right, and I wouldn't change that, not for anything."

"If you don't mind me asking... why'd you fall out? Just because he didn't like your friend?"

Quatre laughed softly. "I wish it were that simple. See, my friend Heero is in the army... special ops. One of the solo missions he went on... it went wrong and a little girl died. Our new missile was involved."

"I heard about that on the news," was the quiet reply. "They were going to put that soldier on trial... right?"

Quatre nodded. "It was my father... and several other people's opinion that I should withdraw my support from the army. That I should stick to medical technology and not warfare. I was in Vegas for a conferencewith several different agencies and companies. My father didn't even show up in person. But he publicly disowned me and withdrew all ties that WEI had with Sandrock Industries. Many others followed him. I currently have less than half of my previous clients, and only about a quarter of my investors. It was Zech's... he's my XO... it was his idea that we let things die down a bit for a month or so, then go try to win back our supporters."

"Retreat and regroup?"

Quatre nodded. "It gives us time to plot a game-plan."

"I hope it works out for you. I really do. Did your... did your sisters side with your father?"

"Emmely, Maureen, and Rebekah support my father whole-heartedly in everything he does. They're the older ones, and they never really cared for me to begin with. Marina, Thalia, and Willamina are younger. They... they're sisters. I'm sure if I asked for help, they'd help. They'd just do it in secret to avoid angering Father. Ninnette... Ninnette hates me for some reason. She and Thalia are twins, and they were the babies until I came along. Ninnette would probably snitch if Marina, Thalia, or Mina tried to help me and she found out about it. Ninnette is my father's pride and joy now. Except for me... she's like his prodigy or something. She's probably very, very pleased right now.

"And Iria... Iria is my oldest sister. Our mother passed away when I was a baby, so Iria pretty much raised me. She is without a doubt the closest person to me."

"Will your father not be mad with her, too?"

Quatre shook his head. "Iria is a doctor. She works for me, heading one of my medical research facilities. She and Father had their falling out several years ago. He went as far as black-listing her. She couldn't get a job at any respectable hospital, clinic, center... anywhere."

"Except for you."

"Except for with me. Father's wasn't happy with my choice. He called me weak and sentimental." He shrugged. "I'd choose Iria over him any day."

"Cathy... my sister; well, my half-sister. She's only a few years older than me, but our mother had cancer for a long time and Cathy got stuck pretty much raising me. She teaches. High-school science. Mother had Cathy before she met my father, but Cathy's been my sister... my rock. I don't know where I'd be without her."

Quatre nodded. "We've got alot in common. Both being raised by an older sister. I'd hazard to guess you know lots of people, and are friendly with them. But I bet you don't have that many true friends. One's you let in next to your heart."

Trowa smiled. "Cathy. Duo, Wufei. Sylvia. Maybe a few members of my family. Not very many."

"Relena and Heero. Iria of course. Zechs. I count his girlfriend as a friend. My father's brother, Rashid. And Auda, his son-in-law. I love all my sisters... but.... they're not my friends."

Trowa nodded, thinking that he and his new husband were more alike than they'd first thought. "I understand completely."