AN: Hiya, fans and readers and other people! Much thanks and kudos and dedications for this chapter goes to a certain violet eyed demon! You know who you are, my dear! *winks* Thanks!
And thanks to ALL my fans, readers, reviewers, friends and generally everyone who is helping make 'Waking Up In Vegas' my most popular and most reviewed fanfic! We're almost there! *squeals* Yay!
Waking Up In Vegas
Chapter Fifty Three
Trowa leaned his head back against the the wall behind him, tilting to stair at the ceiling. How had things gotten so screwed up? Two weeks ago, he'd been perfectly happy with his depression. Well... not really, but life hadn't been fucked up, that was for certain. He'd lost his inspiration, yes, but at least he'd had his family all safe and happy.
And now... his sister had just been released from the hospital after their house burned down, he was married to a beautiful blond man who had created a machine that could bring on WWIII, his best friend was kidnapped or something, and he was sitting in a hospital... three chairs away from his ex-girlfriend who was the reason he'd been depressed in the first place.
He sighed. Cecilia had always told him "Life is easy. We are the one's who make it complicated." He'd believed her. So how the hell had he made his life this complicated?
At least Quatre wasn't insisting that he couldn't destroy that damn machine anymore. When they left here, they were going to the lab this new machine... Epyon or something... was at to destroy it. The more Trowa thought about it... the more he remembered small things about Quatre. The way Quatre's lips tilted up when he smiled. The small wrinkle between his eyebrows when he was frowning or thinking hard on something. The way his eyes lit up, or the way he swayed when he danced.
And the more he remembered... the more a nagging thought kept intruding. When was he remembering this from?
He closed his eyes, a flash of pale skin and aqua blue eyes flitting behind his lids. Remembered the sultry beat of a dark club, the flashing neon lights along the strip. He recalled the sweetness of the fruit drink or two he'd downed at said bar... the sweetness of pink, smiling lips as they brushed his own. The feeling of soft, soft skin and the melody of moans and screams offered up unto the night.
He remembered long hours sketching, and brief moments of drawing at odd times. He remembered laughing and dancing, smiling and talking. He remembered... he remembered Quatre.
He remembered meeting his soul-mate.
A soft tune filled the air, startling Trowa from his reverie to find Quatre walking into the room, pulling out his phone.
"Yes?"
"Marina? Slow down... what? Oh, no... Stay put, don't do a thing, okay? I can be there in twenty minutes! Marina, be safe!"
Trowa was on his feet before the call ended, worried at the sheer look of panic on his husband's face.
"Quatre?"
Horror was evident in aqua eyes when Quatre looked up at him.
"That was my sister Marina... She says... She says Ninette is threatening my father. She says Ninette wants to kill me."
Trowa's face paled. "What?"
Quatre shook his head. "I can't go get Epyon and go to help Marina. Where is Zechs? Noin?"
"They left. They wanted to see that receptionist home."
"Take your lover and go," Emily said, standing and coming forward. "Give us the address and Midii and I will make sure Epyon never sees the light of day."
Quatre blinked for a moment, wondering if he should trust these two almost strangers with the possible fate of the world.
"They can come with me," came a cold voice from behind them. Quatre turned to see Heero.
"Heero..."
"No. I'll finish what she started. Follow your heart, he told me. That's exactly what I'm going to do. I'm going to make sure that when she wakes up... she wakes up to a peaceful world."
Quatre paused, but nodded after a moment. "Okay," he whispered, knowing he couldn't argue.
"Go to your sisters," Heero said. "Now. It's time for this to be over and done with."
#
Megan looked over the living-room, where her two children played quietly with Meilan. She sighed at the sight. She'd never get tired of seeing it. Seeing the miracle that came from her.
"What are you thinking about?" came a quiet voice as arms wrapped around her waist.
"The way things are," she said softly. "The way I hope things will stay. Safe. Peaceful, for the moment at least. Is it horrible that I'm glad they're okay? Zoe and Zander? People are hurt, my friends may very well be dead or injured. That dark haired girl might become an orphan all over again. Two girls are missing, and in the last two days, I've watched lives build and fall apart. But is it horrible that all I can think of is that I'm glad my children are okay? That they're safe?"
Alejandro frowned, and kissed his wife's cheek. "Meg, mi belleza..." he whispered.
"No," came another voice. Megan startled, looked to see Cecilia standing beside them, glancing over the playing children. Her dark eyes were unreadable, her voice soft.
"No," said again. "It's not horrible. That's just a part of being a mother. It's always a trial, confusion. A conundrum. Is it horrible that I'm glad at least two of my children are safe and sound? I want my other two to be as well... but is it horrible that I'm glad that Hilde and Delana are here, with me? Is it horrible that I'm so damn happy that Delana and Cathy are safe and in love? Even when two of my children are missing and I can't do a damn thing about it?"
Cecilia turned watery eyes to Megan and Alejandro. "Why does being a mother have to be so damn unfair? So all-consuming, so wonderful... and so damn tragic and unfair?"
Megan looked back into the room as Zoe laughed. "I don't know," she said. "I honestly don't know."
"I just want all my babies to be safe and happy," Cecila cried softly. "Is that too much to ask?" She turned here eyes heaven-wards. "Is that too much to ask?"
#
"Where the hell are we going?" Duo demanded.
Dorothy rattled off an address from her position behind the wheel. "We have good proof that this is where Quatre Winner keeps the replica of Wing." Dorothy had, along the way, explained briefly about Wing- the whole reason for the world being on the brink of war, as she explained.
"The only way to stop this all is to destroy the replica as well?" Wufei surmised, receiving a nod from the blonde.
"Duo? Be a dear and look under the seat, please. I think we'll need a bit more fire-power than just the one handgun if we're to take this place on. These people aren't..."
"Dear?" Duo muttered, looking under the seat as bidden. "I ain't nobody's dear, you damn pig-faced, Devil-browed harpy."
"Pig-faced? Why you little white-trash redneck hillbilly horse-hugging HICK! At least I don't live in the middle of fucking nowhere!"
"Ha! But you live in the same town as me! Stupid blonde!"
"SHUT UP AND FOCUS!" Wufei's stern voice echoed in the sleek car, as the car went a little too fast ans veered a little too close to the car on it's left.
"Why don't you shut up you short little Jackie-Chan wannabe!" Dorothy, face flushed and angry, turned to glare at Wufei.
"DRIVE WOMAN!" Wufei screeched, grabbing the wheel to save them from plowing into another car. Horns were honking all around them.
"Damn stupid blond," Duo muttered, picking himself up from where he'd been slung across the back seat. He grabbed the box he'd almost lost hold of and sat up, opening it.
"Why are you all yelling at me?" Dorothy demanded. "I'm trying to help you and you yell at me!"
"SHUT AND DRIVE!" Wufei ordered. Dorothy opened her mouth to object again, but Wufei held up a hand. "And don't forget... Duo's got the guns..."
Dorothy's mouth snapped shut... the abrupt silence broken by soft giggling from the back seat.
Wufei blinked... worried. "Dorothy... what was in that box?"
Dorothy paled...
"A few semi-automatics... a couple of other guns... and some... C-4..."
Giggling came again, and Wufei just groaned.
The two front seat occupants looked at each other... and one word came to mind.
Well, actually... it was two.
"Oh, fuck!"
#
AN: Okay, that last bit of Duo and Wufei's scene was courtesy of me borrowing from ShenLong1's 'Down On The Farm'. She graciously allowed me and Animechan to borrow it for another fic, and I hope she doesn't mind me borrowing it again, because it just fit in sooooooo well with that bit, and that bit was sort of last minute! So ALLLLLLLL credit for everything past- and including- "... and one word came to mind," goes to Shen! Please go read her fics, because they are amazing and she is like my IDOL! *grins* I wanna grow up to be just like her! LOL, well... at least I aspire to write as well as she does! Sorry for not asking, Shen, but it's such last minute and I hope you don't mind! *huggles the stuffin' out of you* Sorry, but I love love love your work! LOVE YOU!
AN2: Everyone, please go read Kidishcaresh's fics, please! She's one of those amazingly nice and sweet friends of mine on here! Especially read the 'Chicken Soup' fics! They're all absolutely adorable! Love ya, Kidi-chan!