Love's Labours Lost Chapter 9 by Stella and Rose

[blackrose]

Love?s Labours Lost

By Stella and the Black Rose



AN: YAY! Another chapter! Only five more to go! *hugs* to everyone still with us, thank you so much for your support. We sincerely hope you will enjoy it!!!!



Disclaimer: Bandai owns GW and Escaflowne. Pioneer owns Trigun. We own?.erm, these nice shoelaces and a clock, and?.



Chapter 9



Heero rolled out of bed Sunday morning, and silently thanked the powers that be for the heat still being on. The company president groaned as he stood up and tried to lift his mind out of the fog of sleep. He scowled at the calendar hanging on the wall and thought about the events of the day before ? trying not to dwell on the kiss he had received. The fact that she had seemed apologetic about the incident didn?t relieve his mind the least bit. If anything, it darkened his mood even more.

?Business,? Heero muttered. ?This is just business. Contract? Addendum. I need to find that addendum.? He flung open the door and stomped out of his room.

Vash stood in the kitchen, finishing off a ridiculously huge bowl of cereal and letting Kitty lap the milk out of the bottom. ?Good morning boss. Geez, you look happy.?

Heero rifled through the unopened mail and supermarket circulars littering the countertop, but found nothing from PCC. He turned to the spiky-haired tester. ?Have you seen an Addendum C??

?To the PCC contract??

?No, to the electric bill. Yes, to the damn contract.?

Vash shook his head and smirked down at his friend. ?Wow. Just when I thought Van had you beat in the grouch competition, you managed to really dig down deep and pull out the win.? He leveled his cereal spoon in front of Heero?s mouth like a microphone. ?How does it feel to be a champion??

The resounding clatter of silverware hitting the tile floor across the kitchen echoed through the apartment. ?If you say another word besides ?Yes I?ve seen the addendum? or ?No I have not?, you and the flea bag are going to go live in the stairway with the rat.?

Vash?s shoulders slumped. ?I haven?t seen it, boss.?

?Hn.?

Heero turned and stalked back to his room. Unmindful of the time, he picked up his cell and dialed Millie?s number at home. Perhaps PCC had sent the addendum to the office and she hadn?t forwarded it along just yet.

The connection crackled in his ear.

?Wolfwood.?

Heero?s jaw dropped and he glanced at the display on his phone. It read Millie Home ? so why was his chauffeur on the line? ?Wolfwood? What the??

?Oh it?s you. You realize it?s Sunday at 6:30 in the morning. Some of us like to sleep.?

Heero gawked at his phone. He forgot the time difference, but no matter. He just wanted to talk to his secretary. ?I thought you went to church on Sundays.?

?I do, but not even the priest gets up at 6:30. And I prefer to go to the late service.?

?Let me talk to Millie.?

?She?s asleep. Call back in a couple of hours.?

?Wolfwood?. Put her on the phone.?

The gruff voice growled in his ear. ?Listen, Yuy, I?ve seen her paycheck, and no offense ? you don?t pay her enough to take your phone calls on a weekend much less at this ungodly hour of the day. So, call back on Monday when she?s in the office.?

?This is important.?

?Then I think you ought to ante up some dough.?

Heero groaned and fought the urge to just open the window and send the phone sailing to its doom. He almost smiled at the thought of the satisfying ?crack? that it would make hitting the pavement from sixteen stories up. ?Fine, I?ll pay you a hundred dollars to let me speak to her right now.?

The man on the other end of the connection snorted. ?I mean salary-wise. She needs a raise. When was the last time you gave her an increase??

?Hn. I don?t??

?That?s because it was far too long ago. You?re taking advantage of this sweet girl that worships the ground you walk on and does everything you ask ? only to be shouted at and awoken at an indecent hour on her day off.?

Heero rubbed a hand over his face. ?I?ll give her a ten thousand dollar raise if she?ll stop sleeping with you.?

Silence greeted his answer.

?I?m waiting, Wolfwood. Maybe you should wake her up and ask her what she thinks.?

?Give her eight thousand and I?ll let you talk to her right now. She deserves it, Yuy.?

?Fine. I?ll call into payroll tomorrow and have them make the change.?

?That?s more like it.?

?But tell her I?ll give her another two thousand dollar bonus to kick your ass out.?

?Here, you can tell her yourself.?

?Hello?? A sleepy feminine voice yawned into the phone.

?Millie, have you seen an addendum to the PCC contract? Was it sent to the office??

?Oh hi, Mr. Yuy. How?s New York City? Any better now??

Heero could feel the creases deepen in his forehead. ?Better than what? Never mind. Have you seen an addendum sent to our office from PCC??

?Ummmm, not that I recall. But I sent a bunch of stuff to you the other day, it didn?t get there yet??

?No.?

?Oh. That?s strange. I was positive I sent it out on Wednesday. But I?m sure it will be there real soon.?

?But you haven?t seen an addendum,? Heero pressed.

?Not that I remem-? She yawned again. ?ber. Sorry.?

Heero?s shoulders slumped. ?That?s fine. I?m sure it just got lost in the shuffle.?

?All right. Well, I?m going to get some more sleep, now. You should, too. Tell Mr. Vash??

?Yes I know. You said hi.?

She giggled. ?Good night.?

Heero hung up the phone and sunk back onto his bed. Where could that addendum be? Had Relena sent it at all? The software mogul frowned. ?I?m sure it was just an oversight. But I need that section so I can sign the contract and end things with her.? He flung an arm over his eyes and collapsed back into his pillows.

I wish there was an answer. I wish I could have known. If I could change the past, I would. I?d take that risk.

But this one?s just too much.
*********************************************************

Heero awoke early Monday morning after a fairly uneventful Sunday evening. He got up, only to drop into the desk chair in front of his laptop and hit the space bar to wake it from its own sleeping status. He pulled up his email account, trying to ignore the little voice in his head that hoped Relena had sent him a message. Today is the first day of the next two years, eleven months, twenty-four days, two hours and thirty-eight?Shit. Stop thinking about her! She is out of my life ? or will be as soon as I can find that damn addendum and get this THING over with.

He scowled and opened his inbox, scanning the list of new mail. Vacation notice, vacation notice, hnnnnn, looks like I?m going to have to place a call to HR and find out if these people are taking advantage of my being out of the office. He deleted the lot of messages, then noticed he was receiving another email. ?Mailerdaemon, your message was delayed.? He blinked. What message? He clicked on it, wary that it was one of those viruses that were still circulating about, but his antivirus software didn?t even hiccup.

?Your message to Relena.peacecraft@pcccorp.com has been delayed.? He clicked on the attachment, wondering which message she hadn?t received.



Relena,

I think we?ve all had experiences that make us think twice about starting relationships. I say that not to make light at all of your particular situation, and I thank you for trusting me enough to share those things with me. If you only knew?. It scares me sometimes how well we seem to get along, but I am thankful for your friendship.


Heero?s eyes widened as he continued to read. It sounded like?well, him, but he knew he hadn?t written this to Relena. How on earth?.?

I, too, have my own reasons not to rush into anything as far as romantic relationships go. Maybe it?s predictable, but there are so many women out there that are just interested in the amount of money I make. The one that particularly comes to mind is the one that broke Van?s heart ? Millerna. She didn?t even have the decency to pretend she wasn?t using him. As soon as he introduced her?.


His jaw clenched tighter with each passing moment that he stared at the screen, reading the words again and again. Whoever had written this was impersonating him, sending Relena emails from his address, and telling her details of his personal life. Details that he considered very private. They knew about Millerna, so they had to be in the apartment. They had to have reason to want him out of the picture with Relena. They had to be?.

?Vash.? He said aloud, his hands gripping the edge of the table so hard his knuckles turned white. He bolted up from his chair; it fell over with a loud bang but Heero didn?t even look backwards. He stood leaning over the table, trying to breathe and calm his angry pulse. ?I have my own reasons not to rush into anything as far as romantic relationships go?.?

?GOD DAMMIT VASH!? He screamed and chucked open the bedroom door, intent on murdering the software tester in his sleep. ?No. I?ll wake him up THEN kill him.?

Heero stalked through the hallway, his voice booming over the open space and reaching its target a split second before he did. ?You?d better call the police, Vash, because I?m about to commit a homicide.?

The blond sat up in bed just in time for Heero to grab a handful of his t-shirt and slam him against the back of the sofa. ?EEK! What the heck? Heero, what the hell is wrong with you??

?Why have you been sending emails to Relena pretending to be me??

The green eyes grew wide and then darted away. ?Uhhhhhhhhh, are you sure you didn?t email her and just forget??

?Positive.?

?Maybe your computer has a virus. I?ve heard??
?It does. One with blond hair and green eyes. Tell me why you?ve been pretending to be me, or I swear when I get done with you, that rat will seem like your fairy godmother!?

?Dang, you?re scary boss!?

?I?m not in the mood for games.?

?When are you ever??

?An explanation! Now!?

Heero loosened his grip and stood back. He crossed his arms and glared. Vash swallowed hard and took a deep breath.

?I?I just?I wanted to keep her from getting hurt. I wanted to warn her, ya know, that seeing as we?ve made this pact and all, that you weren?t interested in pursuing anything romantic with her. But then I couldn?t tell her about the actual pact, so I told her about??

?Millerna. I saw.?

?Oh. Well, then you already know.?

?Why are you so interested in her feelings??

Vash toyed with the edges of the blanket in his lap. ?Well, um?that?s a little tougher to?? He glanced up and then quickly away. ?I like her. I think she?s nice.? The tester gave him a weak smile, slowly rising from the bed. ?Why can?t I send her an email, boss, and??

Heero?s hand caught the other man squarely in the chest and shoved him back down. ?I don?t have a problem with you emailing her, as long as it?s about business and you sign your own FUCKING name to it, Vash!?

Blond spikes sagged beneath Heero?s withering stare. ?Boss? Look, I?m sorry. I didn?t tell her anything bad. I just wanted to??

?Wanted to what?? Heero snarled, pacing the room. ?You revealed my personal information to someone who does not need that information. She is a business associate. She doesn?t want or need the details of my private life.?

?Maybe she does, boss. She wants to be your friend.?

The GLLC president froze in mid-step, finding Kitty?s water dish ? and Kitty ? in his path. In a swift motion, the ceramic bowl cracked against a nearby cupboard, sending the tiny black cat scurrying towards its owner on the sofa.

?I don?t want her to be my friend! I want to sign the contract and get on with my life. That?s all.?

Vash reached out for the nervous ball of fur, cuddling it under his chin. Two sets of green eyes turned on Heero. ?With all due respect, I think you?re making a mistake.?

?I don?t make mistakes. You, on the other hand, if you ever do this again, I?ll charge you with identity theft and force you out of the company. Is that clear??

The taller man gained his feet, but Heero turned his back, stomping his retreat down the hall.

?I used to think it was the bourbon that made you mean.? Vash?s voice called out from behind him.

Heero whirled around and slammed the door to his room with a loud bang. The sound was satisfying, the feel of the hard wood a comfort to his fingertips. He pulled it open and threw it shut again. And again. The walls rattled. It felt sinfully good to abuse the oak panel. He paused for a moment when he heard the front door open and pound shut. Heero peered out into the living room, noting that Vash and the kitty were nowhere to be found. Guilt nipped at his stomach until the software mogul ruthlessly dismissed the emotion without pay. I have every right to be angry.

A sleepy voice called out from the other side of the apartment. ?What on earth is going on out there? Where?s Vash??

?None of your business,? Heero spat and gave the door a final slam.



He stayed in his room until it was time to go to his eleven o?clock class, and by that time, didn?t feel like going at all. Heero grumbled as he picked up his books, tossing them into his briefcase and dragging himself towards the living room. He shrugged into his nice, warm coat Relena had given to him on Saturday and tried to block out the remembrance of her soft lips on his. He scowled and wished he had his own, albeit not as warm jacket from before. Every time he even looked at this one he was cursed with memories ? of lying next to her, the scent of her hair filling his nose as he drew her back into his embrace?.

Heero shook it off and mumbled something about how throwing his jacket overboard was destruction of personal property. ?Maybe she and Vash do deserve each other.? He stepped into the hallway on his way to attend his first half-day of classes.



The frowning executive shuffled into the elevator checking the time and watching the lighted numbers fade in hypnotizing succession. His peaceful monotony was broken when the car jolted, stopping at the seventh floor. A cheerful looking older man nodded at the other passenger before moving inside. Heero glared at the unsuspecting neighbor who dared to cross the threshold. He didn?t take the hint.

?Hey there, sonny. Still pretty cold out. I can?t wait for the spring and warmer temperatures can you??

?Hn.?

?You guys just moved in, right? I saw you hauling your bags up when I was in the lobby last week. Where are you from??

Heero expelled an annoyed breath. ?Seattle.?

?Wow. Well, I bet it?s not any warmer there, huh??

?Hn.?

?So is it just you four guys, then? Did you move here for business, or do you have girlfriends in town? Ehn?? He winked at Heero and nodded with a smile.

?Work. We?re here strictly on business. Well, all but one of us, apparently.?

The man chuckled. ?Sounds like he?s the smart one.?

?Hn.? Heero?s black look darkened even more. The elevator chimed and the two men went their separate ways.



Back out in the frosty air of the city, his mind wandered avenues of places he didn?t want to go. Relena was?everything he could have asked for in a woman. Smart, beautiful, pleasantly challenging?responsible, pragmatic, the list went on. In a fairly short time, they had seen a lot of one another. And no, they hadn?t gotten along a hundred percent of the time, and no, they didn?t agree on everything, but she had still managed to awaken feelings in him that he hadn?t really ever felt before. It was strange, unsettling, and yet comfortable at the same time. All other things being equal, he wouldn?t have hesitated ? even if dating and pursuing a woman?s affection wasn?t something with which he was terribly experienced.

But all things weren?t equal. He had a company to be responsible for ? thousands of people depended on his leadership, his decisions, to continue to be able to provide for their families. Millions of people worldwide depended on him and his product to run their businesses, complete their homework, and even to do things like perform laser surgery. Great, I?m sounding like one of Van?s commercials.

He had a responsibility. He couldn?t just give up and say oh, this is hard, and I want something else now, then run out of the apartment to chase after his libido. HE couldn?t do that.

Damn you, Vash, what happened to loyalty?

***********************************************************

He watched with trepidation as the storm accumulated over land. He knew it had to be devastating to Van, but-

?Dammit, Heero, what happened to loyalty? I can?t believe you-you-?

?Van, I?m telling the truth.?

?No! No, you?re not! You?re jealous, that?s what it is, isn?t it? I?m getting married, and I?m going to be happy, and you just can?t stand it!? He stamped his foot into the ground, both fists balled at his sides. Heero was instantly reminded of Van?s temper tantrums when they were still kids.

?Van, stop acting like a child.?

?Then you start acting like a friend!?

Heero flinched. ?I AM!?

Quatre gulped before jumping to Heero?s defense. ?Van, we?re all sorry, but we saw her flirt-?

?Flirting isn?t cheating. It doesn?t mean she?d??

Vash finally stood from his chair, turning a compassionate expression towards their ailing friend. ?Van, I didn?t want to tell you this, but I saw her last week, getting into the car with some other guy. At first, I thought he might be a friend or something, but then she kissed him. I was so angry! There she was, getting into the car you bought her, and kissing some other guy! I should have told you?I just didn?t know how.?

Van paled. ?You?re all liars!?

?Van! If you want to believe that, then go right ahead. But I?m not going to participate in this wedding, and I?m not going to be there to bail you out when she?s cleaned out your bank account and run off with someone else.? The software mogul spun on his heel and stalked across the room.

?Wait, Heero, if Van-?

But he was already out the door.

Hours later, he got the call at his office to go find the reluctant bachelor. Fists flew, and then tears fell. Heero wished Van didn?t have to suffer. But Millerna had really sunk her claws in deep if the marketing VP was questioning his friends? loyalty.

A quiet knock sounded at the door an instant before Vash let himself in. Van didn?t seem to notice.

?I?m never dating again.? Van downed another shot of tequila.

?Hn.?

?She lied to me.?

?Yes.?

?And I was the fool for believing her.?

?It happens,? Vash piped up.

?Thanks.? Van poured another shot from the bottle as Vash took a seat beside him on the couch.

?Van, there are things worth having in life, people worth knowing and sharing things with you don?t normally share with the rest of the world. Millerna isn?t one of those people. She?s selfish and greedy, and doesn?t know what it means to care about someone.?

?So, what do you suggest??

?It?s simple, Van.? Heero stood up and moved towards the door. Vash was better at comforting than he was, so it was best he just head home while there were still a few hours left to sleep in. ?Find the one that does.?
*************************************************************
Uptown NYC



?Please, reporter girl. Come on, I?m really in a bind here ? I can?t take him to class with me. Think of what happened at the restaurant.?

The crack of a blue hotel door opened further to reveal Meryl Stryfe, wrapped only in a towel and still dripping from a shower. Vash fought to keep his gaze level with hers and not allow his eyes to trail down to the knotted terrycloth right above the swell of her-

?Why didn?t you just leave him at home?? The reporter narrowed her sharp hazel eyes from her hiding place behind the door. ?And why the heck are you wandering the streets in your pajamas at 10:30 in the morning in the dead of winter with a kitten??

Vash sighed, feeling the corners of his mouth turn downward. ?It?s a long story. Let?s just say that Heero found out about my lousy typing skills and wasn?t too pleased.?

Meryl pressed her lips together, the confusion obvious on her face ?Lousy typing? What are you- Oh my god! I thought you were kidding the other night. You mean you really have been e-mailing Relena??

?Well you see, reporter girl? Ehhh??

A petite set of arms crossed over the damp towel. A bare foot impatiently tapped on the carpeted floor. ?Out with it, Vash.?

He shifted his weight from one leg to the other, tucking Kitty under his arm and settling himself against the doorframe. ?Ok, it?s like this. I think the boss has a thing for her ? and that she feels the same about him. So when I caught them exchanging e-mails, I thought ? what could it hurt? I might be able to help them along, or at least save her some heartache if the Grump King decided that he was going to stick to the pact. Only he didn?t see it that way.?

?And??

?He had a little tantrum this morning. You didn?t hear him yelling at me all the way over here??

?Can?t say that I did. But you should have expected him to be absolutely furious if he found out.? Meryl tucked a wet piece of hair behind her ear and readjusted her covering. Vash squeezed his eyes shut, avoiding the tempting sight.

?I know, I know. And I realize that it might not have been the best way to go about it, but I only wanted to help my friends. I just want them to be happy. And to tell you the truth, I don?t think that he?s mad because I was emailing Relena about him. I think he thinks I?m violating our pact.?

Meryl threw him a skeptical glance.

?Seriously, if I didn?t know any better, I?d say that Heero was mostly upset because he thought I was trying to make a move on Relena. He?s in love with her, Miss Meryl. I just know it. But he?s too damn stubborn to admit it.?

?Then what are you going to do, Vash??

?I wish I knew, reporter girl, I wish I knew. But right now I really have to get to class, so can you keep Kitty? Please??

The dark-haired woman rolled her eyes and stretched out an arm, accepting the purring bundle.

?He likes to watch tv before lunch, then he takes a nap, but he can?t go to sleep unless you scratch him under his chin for a couple of minutes. Oh, and be careful what show you turn on ? no Tom and Jerry ? he might get an inferiority complex watching the mouse outsmart the cat all the time. Oh! And his milk has to be just on the warm-ish side of tepid and-?

The reporter groaned and shook her head. ?I think I can manage. See you in two hours??

?Yeah. Thanks again, Miss Meryl. Guess I?m going to class in my pj?s.?

?Eh, don?t sweat it. You?ll fit right in. They look more normal than what you usually wear.? The blue door closed in his face, a bit more gently than last time, and Vash let out a long breath as he meandered towards the elevator. ?Columbia University, here I come.?



* * * * *

Columbia University

Advance Computer Science Principles I



Heero slammed his briefcase on the desk nearest to the heating vent and plopped down in the hard wooden seat. The interior of the aged brick building was what he?d expected it to be. Plain walls, off-white like the pages of an old book wrapped around him and reflecting what hazy sunlight the warbled ancient windowpanes allowed to filter through. Polished oak doors, worn and varnished too many times, guarded the entrance to the classroom and the small closet beside the pristine chalkboard. How many people have sat in this room over the years? How many great minds pondered the questions of the universe, deliberated and reached the conclusions that have shaped life as we know it? Columbia has been the school of presidents, Nobel prize winners, writers, scientists and geniuses. The atmosphere itself seemed important, learned, as if one absorbed knowledge by just being in it. The software exec felt his muscles relax. This is what he?d been waiting for.

He turned his attention to the briefcase, removing his books, a notebook and pen as the door banged shut and the din of his classmates? conversations ceased. Heero?s eyes followed a short, bearded man in a sport coat as he hurried to the front of the room, tossed a worn leather bag on the heavy, wooden desk and promptly hopped up beside it.

?Hello, people. I hope you?ve all had your morning coffee. I?m not one for prissy introductions or writing out little papers that tell you what I expect of you this semester. You?re here to learn advanced programming. I expect you not to be morons. Let?s jump right in, shall we? Since the lab won?t be open until next week, we?ll just have to talk theory for now ? so answer me this: If you wanted to run Z/OS?s word processing program, Word Zero, on Alliance-ware, what are the first basic changes you would make to the source code? You, in the back, wearing the suit. Where would you start??

Heero sat up in his seat and just stared at the man, not quite believing the words he just heard. That had to be the stupidest question he had ever heard. ?There?s no reason to run Word Zero on Alliance-ware. If A-ware doesn?t have its own program, that?s their problem. Use Zero.?

The professor sat back and snorted, launching himself off the desk. ?It seems we have a Z/OS fan in our midst, ladies and gentlemen.? Light chuckles resonated throughout the room. ?And tell me, what?s so great about Z/OS that makes it the end all and be all of computer operating systems? Is it the fact that a simpleton can use it? That it strips away all control people might have over their machines by integrating everything so that the users don?t even have to think? They can just leave that to Yuy and GLLC and its programming gods out in Seattle, though after version 7.1 I don?t know how much thinking they?re doing out there.?

Heero slowly rose from his seat, feeling his breath coming in short, even gasps. ?I guarantee you most people don?t want to think. They want to turn on their computers and work.?

?Is that so??

?That?s what our market research shows.?

The professor shrugged. ?And how is it that you?re such an expert, Mr?.?

??Yuy. Heero Yuy.?

* * * * *

Lionsgate Apartments



Soap Opera, soap opera, talk show, talk show, talk show. Quatre sighed as he flipped through dozens of channels searching for something that wouldn?t turn his brain to mush. Daytime television really made him want to be at work.

The doorbell rang, offering brief respite. He paused his channel surfing to answer it, but Van beat him to the door.

"Package for a Mr. Yuy."

"I'll sign for it." Van took the electronic pen and tapped the pad.

"Thanks," the driver said and left.

Van let the door close behind him and gingerly placed the package on the table. Quatre walked over and peered down at the box.

Van raised an eyebrow. "It's something from Millie."

The CFO let his fingers brush over the well-taped box, giving it a slight shake. "I know you?re bored, but I wouldn't open it if I were you."

Quatre nodded, gently setting the box back down. "Yeah. Wonder what?s in there? But Heero should be back soon, I think."

Van?s eyes flew to the door. "Great. Maybe we should leave."

"He's been in a bad mood lately, hasn't he?"

"Lately?"

"Well, more than usual."

Van made a face. "I think you're giving him too much credit, Quat-" The television dialogue cut into their conversation.

"But Roger, what about my family?"

Quatre and Van both turned towards the TV. A middle aged man stood in the center of the screen, his face set in a dark expression. The younger-looking blond woman hugged herself, her eyes seemingly filled with tears. Roger advanced towards her, and pulled the attractive woman into a loose embrace.

"Trixie, your life has been a lie.? Roger?s voice sounded in a hoarse whisper.

Quatre wondered what kind of lie, and who had been telling them to her. She seemed so innocent.

?You owe it to yourself to find the truth."

Quatre nodded.

"But I can't just leave my husband and children to run away with you to an underground city. I need to think about it, first."

"Ugh! Who writes this garbage?" Van hit the button on the remote to change the channel and headed back to the sofa. The CFO snapped to attention and charged back towards the television.

"Van! I want to know if Trixie is going to run away with Roger!"

The marketing director stared as his friend, then back at the screen. "You're watching this crap?"

"It's either this or 'my husband's a transgendered alien from the future' on the Harry Derringer show."

"I think the alien thing sounds better."

The door swung open like a clap of thunder, and the apartment seemed to grow darker as if a storm cloud had suddenly blown in from out of nowhere.

"Heero."

"Van, Quatre?" His eyes found to the box on the table. "What's this?"

"The package you've been asking about.,? the CFO explained. ?It arrived about twenty minutes ago."

Van stepped forward, shoving the box at his friend in a swift, hasty motion. "We didn't open it."

"After your tirade this morning that chased off Vash, neither of us was willing to risk losing our stake in the company over the charge of felony mail theft."

"Your obvious attempt at guilt isn't working, Quatre."

"Guilt?? the blond blinked. ?No one was trying to make you feel guilty, Heero. If you feel some amount of guilt, perhaps it's your subconscious telling you that you were wrong to treat Vash like that and you should be more considerate and make an effort to stop being such a grouch all the time. But as for any of us purposely trying to make you feel guilty...The thought never entered our mind.? Quatre fidgeted under Heero?s ruthless stare. ?So, do you? Feel guilty?"

The company president reached for the package. "No."

"Oh."

"How was class?" Van cut in.

Heero opened the box, tearing brown paper and mangling the cardboard beneath it. His efforts were rewarded when he finally slid a manila envelope from the papery wreckage. His eyes hungrily devoured the page of company stationery attached to the front; he scowled and ripped it to shreds, muttering something under his breath. Quatre caught the words: "Idiot professors" and "couldn't program a Hello World java applet."

"That good, huh?"

Heero found an envelope and pulled a neatly stapled packet from inside. He sat down, flipping pages, his eyes skimming over the contents. Van shrugged and left the room. Quatre turned back to Trixie and Roger in ?Days of our Lies?.

Trixie stood in the presence of another man on screen. One who was clearly not Roger. The CFO scowled at the interloper.

"Flint, you don't understand. When I was nineteen, Roger and I...well, we went to live in this underground city together. We were so happy...Until the amnesia set in."

A loud thud wrested his attention from the engrossing saga. He looked back to see Heero with his head cradled in his hands, elbows on the table and pages spread out all over the grainy surface. His lips were set in a grim line and a deep frown marred his features. Quatre opened his mouth to address his friend, but Heero shot up from his chair, grabbed his cell phone and stabbed a series of numbers.

?Miss Peacecraft?s office.?

The tone of Heero?s voice made Quatre?s blood run cold in his veins.

?Please, Heero. Do the right thing.?

* * * * * *

Pizzazz Deli

Uptown NYC



There was something different about him; she noticed it right away. His posture was stiff, his shoulders tense, and his eyes were cold, detached?. She was staring at that picture of him on the magazine cover again. Relena had to look away.

?You wanted to talk about something? I was told it was urgent, my secretary called as soon as my plane landed.? Relena could hear the strain in her voice as she fought to sound unaffected and business-like, all the while mentally berating herself for hoping this meeting was for some other reasons. Reasons his emailed correspondence had more than hinted at.

His features remained unchanged. ?I received your list of required changes as an addendum to the contract.?

?It was part of the original contract,? she corrected, taking the seat across from him. ?We just described them in greater detail in the addendum.?

?I disagree.?

?I?ll be happy to show you where you?re wrong.?

?I?m sure you would.?

?What?s that supposed to mean??

A frosty glare flashed in her direction. He seemed like a statue carved in ice. ?Those changes are not within the scope of what GLLC is willing to do to accommodate PCC?s new product launch.?

?Those changes are necessary in order to have your product run on our new line of business servers. If you are no longer interested in extending your market share?.?

?Now that I?ve seen the document, I understand why you?ve been hiding it.?

Relena felt her jaw slacken. ?Hiding! What on earth are you talking about? We sent that section to your office first, before we found out you were in New York. We knew that you?d probably balk, but my brother thought that if he met with you personally?.?

?Your demands are unreasonable.?

?What is unreasonable??

?You expect me to do all those revisions to a brand new release?? Heero asked with a shake of his head, the first real movement she?d seen him make. ?Not my department of developers, but me personally??

?It was my understanding that past releases were so flawed because you did not directly oversee them. PCC does not have time to deal with software bugs; we know you?re the best??

?I can?t possibly manage my current workload and do all those changes.?

Relena pursed her lips together and frowned, forcing her tone to remain quiet and even. ?Fine, if your developers can get the changes done in time, I have no objection.?

?You missed my point. The software doesn?t need to be changed.?

?Our consultants say those code revisions are necessary in order to integrate certain components with Z/OS in order for it to be effective??

?It?s fine as it is.?

?I?m sure it is. But this is very??

Heero bolted up from his chair, and leaned over the table, apparently unconcerned about the steadily increasing volume of his voice. ?I can?t afford to have to do these kinds of revisions every time a computer maker comes out with a new model. Your engineers should learn to work with it as it is.?

?It?s brand new technology,? Relena explained, rising to her feet. ?How can they possibly?? She glanced up to see anger heating his expression. At least it was better than the carved-from-ice man that had been sitting across from her. She looked away. ?I see. We had hopes you?d be more cooperative.?

?There?s nothing to be cooperative about,? he spat. ?If you want patches and device drivers, hire your own team of developers??

?It would take such a team months to orient themselves to the proper source code and overwrite the function calls, and then it wouldn?t be a certified version of your software. We don?t have that sort of time right now, and it?s not like we were asking you to do it for free. We outlined, in my opinion, a fairly generous compensation bonus for doing the work. I think it is you who is being unreasonable.?

Dark blue eyes narrowed from across the table. Relena had no idea what it was that seemed to be bothering him so much, but in his current state, she really had nothing more she wished to say. ?If that is all, Mr. Yuy, I?ll be going, now.?

She turned to leave, but his voice reached out and coiled around her, halting her progress. ?So that?s what this has been all about, then.?

?What??

?These?pleasantries. Your attentions to Vash. Find the weakest link?.?

?I don?t know what your other partners have to do with anything. I?ve met Vash only once?.? Realization hit her and Relena couldn?t have been more surprised if he had just slapped her. Her eyes widened and she charged back to where he stood.

?You?How dare you?. It?s bad enough that you?ve apparently been wasting my time, dragging out these negotiations when you had no intention of agreeing to our requests, but to then accuse me of?of prostituting myself for my company!? Her mouth opened to continue, but she caught herself at the last second and reeled in her temper. ?I don?t need this.? She stomped towards the door, but he was too quick. He caught her by the shoulders and whirled her back around.

?Relena??

She struggled in his grip. ?Don?t touch me!? She wrenched free and stumbled back. Relena turned away. ?It doesn?t matter what I?ve been through the last two days?You, I shouldn?t have tried. They told me you wouldn?t do it, that I was wasting my time??

?Wasting your time? Is that what this has been to you??

She spun around to face him, startled by the emotion evident in his voice. She wanted to scream and yell and pummel her fists into his chest. She wanted to lie and tell him she didn?t care, that she had never cared?. But Relena had never been one to cause a scene or to deny her true feelings. ?That?s not what it?s been to me.?

?Relena?I??

?Heero, I really need those changes?.? She looked at him, studying his stoic face, pleading with her eyes. She would have done anything at that moment to finally just let go ? to tell him everything if he?d hold her and lend her some of that strength he always seemed to command. She expected the words she heard next, it was only that she dared hope not to hear them.

?I can?t agree to it, Relena. And I won?t.?

She nodded and looked down at the floor, taking a deep breath and allowing her gaze to dart up, briefly scanning his features as she tried to hide her disappointment. ?I understand. I should go, I have work to do. But if you?re ever again in the area, you could stop by, or call?.?

?I can?t do that, either.?

She couldn?t help the bitter smile that tugged at her lips. ?I see. Well, then? Good-bye, Heero.?

He nodded and she walked passed him to the door. But she stopped before she pushed it open, her heart stinging with his rejection. ?You were right, you know.?

?What?s that??

?You were right. The rumors were more correct than I.?

* * * * * *

Lionsgate Apartments



?Well, Vash. That?s what you get for being a pervert, I have absolutely no sympathy for you.?

?But Van! It was the most horrifying experience I?ve ever had. If you?ll excuse me, I?m going to go grab some battery acid and blind myself.?

Quatre stood up and gave the traumatized tester a pat on the back. ?But you had to know when you signed up for the class that the ?Art of Human Figure Drawing? meant the figures of both women AND men.?

Vash watched the CFO?s retreating form as he headed to the kitchen. ?Believe it or not, the thought never really occurred to me.?

Van snorted. ?I?d believe it.?

Vash sank back into the couch cushions, trying to concentrate on anything except the mental image replaying over and over in his mind. ?If you had been there, you?d be suffering along with me, friend. There I was, sketchbook in hand. The professor seemed like a nice enough guy when he introduced himself and told us that our model, Terry, would be out in just a minute.?

?And let me guess,? Van smirked. ?You were expecting some cute, perky co-ed to come out, drop her robe, and drape herself over the couch in the middle of the room for your viewing pleasure.?

Vash grinned. ?Well, basically? yeah.?

?And then??

?And then Terry came out and dropped HIS robe? and proceeded to drape his hairy backside on the couch and stayed there for the rest of the hour. If I didn?t disapprove of suicide so much, I would have stabbed myself with my pencil and ended it right there.? Vash shuddered, but quickly recovered as Quatre returned with a plate of sandwiches.

?Ooooh ? food. Maybe life is worth living after all. So, what did you guys do today? Where?s Heero??

A heavy veil of silence dropped onto the men in the room. Vash looked from one to the other, but was finally answered when the front door swung open and Heero?s rigid figure marched into the apartment.

The tester watched Van and Quatre exchange knowing glances. The marketing VP jumped up from the sofa and stormed towards the kitchen, stopping inches from Heero?s face.

?You didn?t.?

?I did, and that?s the end. Get out of my way, I just want to go to bed.?

?You had no right to do that without consulting us! All of us!?

Heero pushed his way passed the other man, heading for his room. ?Van, the changes were unreasonable. And I?m the CEO. It?s always my right.?

?Changes?? Vash repeated. ?Quatre, what are they talking about??

?The addendum to the PCC contract arrived today. Heero looked over them, but then he picked up his cell phone and left without a word to either of us.?

Van?s angry voice rang through the still-frosty air of the living room. ?You son of a bitch, I can?t believe you!?

Quatre leapt up and took up a position between the two men. ?Van, this isn?t going to change anything. Heero, I thought we had all agreed??

?Apparently,? Van seethed,? It doesn?t matter what we want. Heero is the king and the rest of us are his lowly peons.?

Vash stood up, slowly making his way towards his business partners. ?I thought Relena was your friend, Heero. How could you just turn your back on her? I wanted to help her. I thought, I hoped, that maybe you did, too.?

Heero stalked away, taking up his familiar pattern of retreat down the hallway. ?Listen to me. This is the last time I?m going to say it, and the last time I want to hear about PCC or the contract or Relena Peacecraft. I am not here to be supporting other people?s companies that they can?t run, Vash. I don?t give a damn what she wants, what you want, or what Van and Quatre want. All that I want is some god-damned peace and quiet and some time away from work and feeling like the whole world?s depending on me - for just once in my life!?

The door to Heero?s room shut with a resounding and final bang. Vash glanced up, actually surprised that the door was still on its hinges after all the workout it had been getting lately. There had to be a way to fix this.

There just had to be.

*********************************************

Quick note: Across Enemy Lines is not being abandoned. Neither is Missing by a Mile. We apologize for the delay in continuing those fics; we understand we?re testing people?s patience, and for that we cannot apologize enough. Thank you so much for reading. Love, Rose

[silversong]

(cheers) Next chapter! Hooray!!
...there's 4 more...?..(is not sure whether to like that fact or be upset by it)

..wait a minute....

~Silversong: I will not be corrupted, I will not be corrupted, I will not be corrupted, Treize and Une forever, I will not be corrupted......

[Darkwing]

Rooose! Stellaaa! *Hugs*

Great chapter as usual! I was sure I'd have liked it even before reading. And now that I did...well...I love it!

You play with my emotions! And I like this! I almost fell from the chair from laughing when I read the dialogue with between Heero and the professor..and I felt a knot in the stomach when Heero meet Relena (Fool Heero! Don't let her like this! :x).
I look forward for the next parts. I'm really curious!

(P.S. Don't worry about our patience...there are things worthy to wait for. "Across enemy lines" and "Missing by a mile" are some of this! )

[kmf]

Another excellent chapter which left me with an urgent need to kick Heero several times. If I didnt know you better I would be very worried at this point, but I have faith that you will get Heero and Relena together in the end and there will be much making up over misunderstandings

*pouts* only four more chapters. Well, I for one will be waiting eagerly for each and every one of them! Well done!

kmf

[blackrose]

(cheers) Next chapter! Hooray!!
...there's 4 more...?..(is not sure whether to like that fact or be upset by it)

*hugs* Thanks sooooo much! We're sad and relieved... It's always hard to let stories go. But, there's still 4 to go, so hopefully, we'll get 10 out soon!!!

..wait a minute....

~Silversong: I will not be corrupted, I will not be corrupted, I will not be corrupted, Treize and Une forever, I will not be corrupted......

*giggles* We love Treize and Une, too!

Thanks for reading!

Love,
Rose--> resistance is futile, resistance is futile, Heero and Relena forever... *grins*

[blackrose]

Rooose! Stellaaa! *Hugs*

DARKWING!!!! *glomps*

....and I felt a knot in the stomach when Heero meet Relena (Fool Heero! Don't let her like this! :x).

He's been very bad! Very bad, Heero! *thwacks Heero with Chidori's paper fan*

(P.S. Don't worry about our patience...there are things worthy to wait for. "Across enemy lines" and "Missing by a mile" are some of this! )

Can you go lobby for us on that account? Ahem: Darkwing said it's okay we take a while. *ducks rotten tomatoes* BU-BU-BUT *more rotten fruit*

Oh well, nice thought. Thanks so much, Darkwing!

Love,
Rose

[blackrose]

Another excellent chapter which left me with an urgent need to kick Heero several times.

*holds struggling handcuffed Heero down so KMF can kick him*
KMF: Ummmmmm, I dunno. He'll eventually get loose, and then there's no safe place on earth for me to hide.
Rose: *sigh* True. Verrrrrry true.

If I didnt know you better I would be very worried at this point, but I have faith that you will get Heero and Relena together in the end and there will be much making up over misunderstandings

Ooooooooooooooooooh dear. Well, hmmmm....*taps fingers on keyboard* I guess we'll see. At this point, I can only say yes and no. You'll see what I mean in the next couple of chapters. (and no, I'm not pulling your leg)

Thanks so much for reading, KMF! *hugs*

Love,
Rose
PS - Any chance you have a 3rd Heero in handcuff fic in store for us? *pokes*