Waking Up In Vegas
Chapter 40
"I'll get it," Heero said. Relena was sitting on the porch steps, comforting Julia, an elderly woman who'd had a bit of a start at the sight of everything going on. Mrs. Henderson had suggested a glass of ice water and an anti-depressant. Normally Heero was strongly against sharing prescriptions, but he had assurances that Julia had the exact same medicine in the exact same dosage at home. And if the lady kept up like this, then she was liable to worry herself into a heart attack, which was something Heero didn't want on his head.
Armed with the medicine name and the location of Mrs. Henderson's medicine cabinet, Heero entered the house. It was a modestly decorated house... decor he'd expect of such an aged lady. But there was immediately something off to him.
He heard the noise before he saw anything, and ducked out of the way as the butt of a hand gun swung for his temple. He twisted away, grabbing the arm, squeezing the wrist with his thumb in the sensitive area, pushing the muscles between the bones.
His attacker gasped in pain, the gun falling to the floor.
"Aia... let go, dammit," the woman said, and he did.
"Damn Serpent Guard," he spat at her, grabbing the gun. "You guys are getting stupider every day."
"Yuy," she growled. "Where's Winner?"
"And why would I tell you?"
"Because there's a bounty on his head. You know as well as I do that mercenaries did this.
"Two innocent women were almost killed. Now tell me what kind of stakes the Serpents have in this? Why does Louisa Lovecraft have anything to do with this?"
"We're trying to stop a global war," she said, eyeing the gun that was trained on her. "Dermail is in the country. We know what he's trying to do witht he X303. We know why he wants you, too. We're trying to stop him."
"And how are you planning on that?"
"Taking out everyone that had anything to do with the X303. You, Winner. Haptism and Parfacy. And were my eyes tricking me? I could have swore I saw Jezebel Hartisan leaving not long ago. I thought she was dead."
"Well, if you're the best Lovecraft has to offer?" Heero snorted. "Then I'm shaking in my boots."
"Asshole," she spat. "I really won't mind killing you. A few people for the fate of the world? Nothing."
"You going to kill yourself then, too? Because you seem to know an awful lot about ZERO."
"We're only taking out those that know exactly how it's built and works. That's pretty much limited to a few people at Sandrock, and a few military people."
"You're crazy," Heero said. "One little group like the Serpents isn't going to be able to do that."
She smirked. "That's where you're wrong, Yuy. It's not just the Serpents. We have outside support."
"Who?" Heero asked, cocking the gun.
"Lovecraft," she smirked, reminding himself of the Serpent's founder. "We're *quite* influential with a certain English mercenary group who also believe as we do. We're trying to stop a world war. We're trying to stop Dermail."
"So Dermail is behind all of this?"
She shrugged. "Who the hell knows? Maybe he's taking orders from someone else. I don't know. All I know is that in order for peace to prevail... certain people will have to die!"
"Well," Heero said slowly. "They won't be dying today. Not by your hand." With that, he quickly flicked the gun around and brought the butt down on the girl's temple.
It was a simple thing, then, to tie the unconscious girl. Until, of course... things started to go to hell in a hand-basket, to steal Allelujah's phrase.
"Heero?" Relena questioned, walking into the house. "Heero? Did you not find the... HEERO!"
Heero looked up at his friend's wide blue eyes, and took stock of his situation, bent over an unconscious girl, using his belt to tie her hands.
"Relena. Go back out. You don't need to be involved."
"Heero! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!"
"RELENA," he snapped. "Be quiet. I *told* you that I didn't want you to come. It's dangerous. There are people," he nodded tot he unconscious blond, "that want nothing more than to kill anyone who's ever heard the name ZERO. It's not *safe* for you."
"It's not safe for anyone," came a new voice. Heero snatched up the gun, pointing it unwavering at the two arrivals.
"Midii, right? And Emily?" He remembered them from when he'd first arrived on the scene.
"Is she dead?" The younger girl asked, looking at the girl laying on the floor.
"Just unconscious. You can't worry about *their* deaths when *they* are out to kill you."
"She's my cousin," she replied. "Maybe I don't approve of her choices, but I don't want her to die."
"Who are you two and what do you want?" Heero finally asked, not moving his gun.
"The blond girl... Jezebel was her name, right?"
Heero nodded.
"She left, right?" the brunette... Midii... asked.
He nodded again.
"She's not safe," Emily said. "There are others out here besides Sei..."
"Sei?"
Emily motioned to the girl. "Sei Lovecraft."
"Shit," Heero muttered. "It must be important for Louisa to send her own daughter!"
Emily shrugged. "Sei means very little to Aunt Louisa. No-one means much to her, actually."
"Still," he growled. "And Jezzy can take care of herself."
All four people turned towards the front door, where barking could be heard.
"What's that?" Relena demanded.
"Nataku?" Emily asked, recognizing the Shepard through the screen door. Only... she'd never seen Wufei's dog act so scared and worried. Jumping around, onto the porch, off of it. Onto it, back off, all while looking worriedly towards her home.
"She's trying to tell us something," Emily muttered. "She'd normally not like this."
"Then let's follow her," Heero said, as if it was the most common thing in the world to follow a dog.
Midii gave him a look. "What kind of super-man follows a dog?"
"A *dog*" Heero said, "sniffed out a bomb that had been planted on my plane a few years back. I trust them. More than alot of people," he added quietly.
"I'm coming, too," Relena said, following as Heero walked out the door.
"No," he snapped. "Relena, stay here. "It's dangerous, and I don't want you hurt."
"I don't care," she retorted. "I'm coming."
"No. I didn't even want you to be *here*," he reminded her, turning on her. "I want you *safe*. I care about you, Relena. You have alot to give this world... you need to live. You'll make it a better place, and I can't guarantee your safety if you follow me."
"Heero... I..."
"No!" With nothing else coming to mind, he did the first and only thing he could think of. He crushed his lips against hers in a kiss born of desperation and fury and passion. Relena melted under the onslaught, feeling the fear and worry in the soldier. "Relena," he whispered against her lips. "Stay. Please."
"Okay," she said. "But you'd better come back alive to me, Heero Yuy. You can't just kiss me then walk away. We have to talk this out."
"I'll be back, Relena." he promised. "Trust me. I'll come back... to you."
Vanny looked at Megan, eyes wide in fear. The girl was sitting in the backseat of the Navigator, Zander held securely in her arms fast asleep.
"Miss Megan..." she asked. "Can... Can I call Mama? She needs to know where me and Maia are."
"Oh, baby," Megan said. "Of course." She handed her own cell phone to the girl and not the one the blond had given her.
Vanny's fingers shook as she punched in her mother's cell phone number.
"Hello?" Cecilia's voice came down the line.
"Mama?"
"Vanny? Is that you? What number are you calling from? Aren't you at Duo's house?"
"It's Miss Megan's cell phone. Mama... we aren't at Duo's anymore. Oh, Mama..." She broke down crying. "Oh, mama, it was horrible. The man came and he broke down the door! And he had a gun and we were running and then Jezzy and Jasper were there and now we're just driving and Jezzy stayed there with Jasper and oh, mama, I'm so scared!" She let it out all in a rush.
"Vanny? Oh, my god! Vanny, put Miss Megan on the phone, baby."
Vanny hand the phone to Meg.
"Mrs. Maxwell?"
"Mrs. Martinez. What the hell is going on?"
"I wish I knew," the woman frowned. "I wish I knew. We're heading to a hotel in Alabama. I think we're safe, though. I don't think they wanted any of us. He was looking for Quatre. Mrs. Maxwell... please keep an eye on your family. If they truly don't know where QUatre is... they may try to find out from you."
"Okay. Oh, God. Ma'am... you take care of my daughter. And my grand-daughter. And my son's cousin. If you don't, then by God you won't have to worry about them coming after you."
"I'll protect them all with my own life, ma'am."
Back at the hospital, Cecilia dropped the cell phone onto the chair.
"Ma?" Duo asked, walking up beside her. "What's wrong? Was that Nessa?"
When his mother didn't immediately answer, Duo got worried. "Mama? Mama? Tell me. Who was that? What's wrong?"
Cecilia looked at one of her two oldest children. Duo, one of her first babies, her only son. "Duo... don't panic. That was Vanny. Something happened at your house. Megan's taken the girls someplace safe.
Duo felt his stomach drop. The first word out of his mouth was 'Nessa'. That was his sister... his baby sister. The second... the second word was 'Mei'. His daughter. *His* baby girl. The world tilted around him.
"Duo!" He heard his husband calling his name, and snapped out of it, catching himself before he could fall. Wufei was right there, arms around him. "It's okay, baby. It's fine. It'll all be fine." Wufei's eyes went to Cecilia. "Right? They're all fine, right?"
Cecilia nodded. "Everyone's safe. Apparently there was a break-in or something, but Megan's taken them all away. They're heading down to Alabama to a hotel. I have no idea why."
Duo's eyes hardened. He'd learned to like Quatre. He'd become a friend in the past few days. But nothing like this had ever happened before *he* showed up. Before Vegas. Now there were creepy people threatening his parents. There were house fires that nearly killed his twin. There were helicopters landing on his mother's lawn. And now there were people threatening his child.
It all had to do with Quatre, Duo knew. He was sure of it. And somewhere out there... Trowa was with him.
"Trowa," Duo whispered, turning to Wufei. "Trowa's in danger! We have to warn him to get away from that blond!"
He pulled away, grabbing his keys from beside his mother's phone.
"Duo? Duo where are you going?" Wufei scrambled after his lover, who was steadily marching away.
"Back home!" Duo called out. "Someone is trying to hurt my family, Wufei. And there's a couple people there that may have answers! And I want answers, damnit."
"But... Delana!"
"Ma and Dad and Hilde are here. Wufei, don't argue with me."
Wufei grabbed Duo's arm, twisting his husband to face him. There was a look in those violet eyes. And scary look. He'd seen it only a few times before. This wasn't sad Duo. Or upset Duo. Or happy Duo. This wasn't the Duo who'd try to take his own life. This wasn't the Duo who'd corner Wufei in a parking lot and kiss him senseless.
This was a murderous, rampaging Duo. This Duo was out for blood. This was a Duo you didn't get in the way off.
This was a Duo you didn't want to mess with.
(AN: Uh-oh! Duo's gone Shinigami! What's going to happen next?)