Waking Up In Vegas

Chapter Thirty Seven

"You don't think *that* gave away that we're here?" Mueller asked, motioning over his shoulder at the smoke billowing into the sky. "I think that seems a pretty good give-away."

"You weren't paid to *think*," Nichol snorted. "*I* was. They're all going to be too upset worrying over that annoying little red-head's death to even bother thinking about us."

"I dunno, Nichol," Trant pondered. "Those girls. The one's you asked for direction from back on the main road? They looked like they knew something was up. Especially that blond one."

"Shut up, Trant. We've got other things to worry about at the moment. I didn't believe that spit-fire red-head when she said she didn't know where Winner was," Nichol snarled.

"She did seem a little hung-over," Otto nodded. "Maybe we were too hasty in dismissing it all. Maybe she just couldn't remember at the moment."

"Don't worry about it," Nichol snapped, cursing the soft-heartedness of some of the men he got stuck with. "Let's just move on to the next informants on our list, okay? We'll split up. Cover more ground quicker. The boss'll not be happy we missed Winner on our first stop."

The other three nodded, and they headed out.

He smirked as he awaited the repercussions of his actions. Really, one might consider it overkill to follow through with his blackmail when victory was already assured him by other means. One might consider it petty, he thought, but really. It was all about image. And his own conscious. He was supposed to be a man of his word, was he not?

Well, at any length, Midii Une would know to never cross him again. Really... she'd never be *able* to cross him again after this. It took but a flick of his wrist for her criminal record to be made public and leaked to her boss... and it took but another flick to have a thick manila envelope delivered straight to Treize Kushrenada's desk.

And if Dekim Barton felt any remorse at allowing him to destroy his ex-son-in-law's future and dreams... well, Dekim never said anything about it.

And now, really... all there was to do... was wait.

Trowa glanced at the phone as he turned it on. He always turned it off when he had plane trips. "That's strange," he muttered as he followed Quatre out of the cab. He slung his duffle over his shoulder as he followed Quatre into the ritzy apartment building.

"What's that?"

Trowa showed his husband the screen. Twenty missed calls. All of them showing either Cecilia or Duo or Wufei next to the numbers.

Quatre frowned. "That doesn't seem good."

"No, it doesn't. I've got several voice mails, too."

"What do they say?"

"I dunno. Let's see."

Trowa dialed his voice mail and listened as the latest message- from Wufei- played.

"Trowa, I guess you haven't turned you're phone on yet, but please, God, call me back as soon as you get this." Trowa frowned. He did NOT like the tone of Wufei's voice. "Me and Duo are at the hospital now. We haven't heard back from the doctors yet, so... we don't know anything yet. The paramedics said it could have been alot worse, though. They said Cathy had a concussion and had inhaled alot of smoke. They think Delana's shoulder might be broken, though, and she had a concussion, too. Oh, God, Trowa... just... call me back!"

Trowa's face was pale by the time he let the phone drop away from his ear. Quatre looked at his husband, worried, as the boarded the elevator.

"Trowa? Trowa, what's wrong?"

"Wufei," he muttered. "He says... something... Cathy and Delana... in the hospital." He was already dialing Wufei's number before the reached Quatre's floor. He never noticed the size of the penthouse, or the simple yet tasteful decor. The occasional family photos, or the more often recurring ones of Quatre and Heero and Relena and Jezzy, or others he didn't recognize.

For once in the past few days... Quatre wasn't the first thing on his mind.

His sister was.

Wufei once again thanked God for Megan Martinez. She was a life saver. He and Duo didn't much like the thought of leaving Meilan her first day with them, but he couldn't stomach the thought of her first memories of living with them being of long boring hours in a hospital. At least he could rest a little in knowing that Meilan wasn't with some strange babysitter, but a woman she'd know since infancy. Megan and Alejandro were two of the best parents Wufei had ever seen. Right up there with Cecilia and Howard.

He was pulling his phone out of his pocket before he ever realized it was ringing.

"Chang," he answered.

"Wufei!" Trowa gasped. "What the hell's going on? What are you talking about?"

"Trowa, calm down. Duo's talking with Doctor Po right now. Apparently they're both okay."

"Okay? Wufei... WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED!"

"There was a fire, at your house. Just before dawn. It started not too long after you two left, we're guessing."

"Oh, My God..."

"That's been what I've been saying all morning," Wufei said wryly. "Cathy was trapped inside, we're assuming. Delana saw the smoke first. Trowa, she rode all the way there bareback on Diana, jumping the paddock fence, too. Just to reach Cathy. From what Jasper and the other's are saying, Delana went into the house, got Cathy, and somehow got her out onto the roof over the back porch."

Trowa let out a strangled sort of sound, and Wufei sent his heart out. He'd heard that same gut wrenching sob come from Duo when he'd first saw his sister on the paramedic's stretcher.

"The people watching, they say something must have exploded in the house or something, because Delana and Cathy fell... Oh, God. We're just lucky that those two whoever they were... Heero and Jezebel? Who the hell are they, anyway?... they're like in the army or something, so they have emergency medical training, I guess. Paramedics said things could have been alot worse. Delana stopped breathing, Trowa," Wufei closed his eyes, remembering what he'd been told from Jasper. "And that Heero gave her CPR. Things would have been so much worse if not for those two, whoever they are."

"Two of Quatre's friends," Trowa found himself muttering.

"Yeah. Whatever. I'm just grateful for them."

"What'd they say? Cathy? Delana?"

"They both have concussions and have inhaled alot of smoke. And they both have a few pretty bad burns, but really not that bad compared to what it could have been. Cathy's pretty beaten and bruised. She hasn't woken up yet, but that's cause they have her sedated. Delana's drifted in and out a bit. Her shoulder was dislocated and bruised. She'll be out of the saddle for at least six weeks, but they're both alive, Trowa. They're both going to be okay."

"Thank God," Trowa sighed.

"All I've been doing today," Wufei assured him. "Look. Duo needs me right now. Cecilia's trying to keep reign on Hilde and Howard. Old man almost had a mental breakdown at the thought of maybe... loosing his girl. Maia and Vanny are at my house. Megan and Ali are there watching Meilan and the girls. Someone else or I will call you when they let us know anything else, alright? And Heero told me about Quatre's sister. Send our condolences, okay?"

"Will do," Trowa said, suddenly sapped of energy. "Bye, 'Fei."

"Trowa?"

Trowa turned to the tremulous voice. Quatre looked at him, aqua blue eyes wide and worried.

"Trowa? What's wrong?"

"My house," he said, mystified. "My house caught fire not long after we left. Delana went in to get Cathy out. They ended up falling from the roof over the back porch," he continued.

"Oh, no... are they..."

"Okay," Trowa sighed. "They're okay. Worse for wear, apparently, but alive and that's what counts."

"Thank goodness," Quatre said... and then his eyes went wide, his face went pale.

"Quatre?"

"Oh, no... it's my fault," he whispered. "That's my fault, too. Cathy almost died because of *me*... oh, no, oh, no," he shook his head.

"Quatre? Quatre, what are you talking about? Is this whole blaming everything on yourself something I should look forward to?"

"You don't get it, do you?" Quatre asked, tears falling from his eyes as he glared at Trowa. "You don't get it. It is my fault. Because I had to go and build that damn *monster*. I tried to help people... and I've brought nothing but destruction!"

Trowa gaped at his husband. Just what the hell had he gotten himself into, he wondered- and not for the first time in the past week. Between midnight visitors to his house, his new husband's sister dying, a *helicopter* landing in Cecilia's yard and his house catching fire less than hours after he'd left? He was beginning to think there was alot more going on than anyone had told him. Maybe it was time someone told him what the big picture was... because Trowa Barton was *not* going to just sit around and be some pawn in someone's chess game. He would fight back.

The emerald eyes he locked with Quatre's eyes were calm and steady... as calm and steady as his voice.

"Quatre... just what exactly is going on?"