By Stella and the Black Rose
AN: Okay, for those of you who didn't know.... We wrote this into a script entitled The Kings of Navarre, and pitched it to some producers in Los Angeles in November. In January, one got back to us and asked to see the script - which is apparently a big deal, we've been told, especially since we have no agent and this is our first script. This particular production company has very recently passed on the project, but gave us some usable feedback on where our script can be improved (character motivation ? which IS fixable!!!!). But that's what kinda held us up on posting this chapter. It's admittedly a little difficult to work on both at the same time, and the script version changes we did in January burned us out on working on the story for a while. But we are DETERMINED to get through these last like 3 chapters. We are oh SO close, with most of it drafted and just in need of revisions.
We have about half of Enemy ch 7 rough drafted, and Missing by a Mile ch 22 has made some progress recently. I think it's going to be kinda long, and it really is a pivotal chapter. I can't apologize enough for the long wait there. : ( But anyway... Thank you for your patience. Love, Rose and Stella
Chapter 12
PCC Ballroom
Hitomi smoothed the front of her dress and checked her lipstick one more time in the reflection of a nearby window. If Van Fanel would rather keep his expensive cars than be with her, it was his loss. And frankly, she couldn't help but think she looked far better in red than whatever it was he had sitting in his garage back home.
"I'm starting to sound like Dorothy," she mumbled, accepting a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. As she turned to face the crowd, hers eyes flicked over the dancing couples and landed... Right on him when he walked in from the balcony with the hard-to-miss blond tester.
Van.
The young woman bit her lip, feeling her resolve begin to falter. She needed reinforcements. She needed...
"Dorothy. Where did you go?" She spun around to scan the room for her friend.
The attorney picked her way through crowd with a raised eyebrow and glided to Hitomi's side. She smirked and leaned in close to her friend's ear to be heard over the music and chatter in the room.
"Look, Hitomi, I've brought you a present."
"May I?" A deep voice asked politely from somewhere above the din.
Hitomi whirled around, nearly sloshing the champagne out of her glass.
Dorothy cleared her throat.
"Hitomi Kanzaki, this is Mr. Ken Hidaka, of Weiss Kreuz, Inc."
The young man smiled and held out his hand. She dazedly shook it, her eyes forgetting to blink while she stared at his handsome face.
Dorothy's grin grew wider and she deftly lifted Hitomi's glass from her fingers. She nudged the marketing rep. towards the new arrival.
Ken smiled. Hitomi took the attractive former goalkeeper's offered hand and smiled back. "I'd love to dance with you, Ken."
He led her out on the polished floor; his dark brown hair hung just low enough to get in his eyes, but they shone brightly from underneath. The small orchestra began to play a soft, soothing melody, and the pair began to sway in a loose embrace.
Hitomi felt heat flood her face. She certainly wouldn't be able to forget about Van, but she had to admit that Ken was certainly an acceptable distraction. "I...I hope you've been enjoying the evening so far."
He nodded. "Yes, actually. You ladies have been very kind."
She stared at his shoulder. "Oh, well, that's just how Relena is...." Hitomi glanced up and caught site of her friend chatting with the red-haired Ran Fujimiya. "She and Ran seem to be getting along pretty well."
"They have a lot in common." Ken's head dipped downward, and she saw his lips press into a thin line.
Hitomi felt her own blithe expression fade. "Yes, I know. But she said his sister, Aya? She's doing better, now?"
Ken let out a long breath and met her eyes again, the tension in his face softening. "Yes, thankfully."
"You're attached to her."
"Yes, very."
The pace of their movements slowed, and Hitomi looked up at her dancing partner. "Then I'm very glad for both of you."
"You have no idea how hard it's been..." He trailed off and shook his head. "No, that's unfair."
She brought a hand up to rest on his shoulder. "It's different when the one you are in love with is in the situation. Similar in a way, but different."
The pair began to sway once again. "Yeah."
They fell into companionable silence. The dance continued as the music flowed all around them.
*************************************************
One down, two to go.
"A woman like that isn't going to wait forever, my friend." Vash tried to conceal a smirk, but he felt the corners of his mouth turn downward when he looked at Quatre's face.
"There's no hope, Vash." The other man sighed and hung his head. A certain blond attorney had just walked by with one of the members of Weiss and there was no missing the expression on CFO's face. All the color had drained from his face, and his shoulders slumped as if a heavy weight had settled on them with no chance of letting up. He hadn't looked like that since the day of his parents' funeral.
Vash laid a reassuring hand on his friend's arm, and with the other, offered the shorter man a gin and tonic. "This could be your last chance to tell her how you feel. You have to ask yourself what it is that will bring you true happiness."
"I know, Vash. I already know." Quatre's hand tightened around the glass and his whole body seemed to tremble. His narrowed eyes shot up to meet Vash's, then drifted to wear Dorothy stood chatting with Yohji Kaduo. She smiled coyly and traced a pattern across the front of the hacker's tux jacket. Quatre exhaled and stared back at the drink. "I don't know, Vash. Will she ever forgive me for being such a... a..."
A feminine cry split the air around them. "Van Fanel you stop this right now!"
*************************************************
Van glared at the cozy couple floating across the dance floor. That....that... lowlife hacker who dared to hold his Hitomi - and yes, she would be HIS - was going to step off, or face the consequences. He could still taste the bitterness of the alcohol on his lips, reminding him for an instant that he'd already lost everything: the company, most of his fortune, his job.
The marketing VP ? former marketing VP- stopped at the edge floor and caught his breath as the dancers turned. Hitomi smiled and pushed back a lock of hair before bringing her hand up to rest on the top of Ken's arm. Beautiful. Van shook his head. There was till one thing he had left to lose. He squared his shoulders and strode out onto the floor.
"I'd like to cut in."
Hitomi bit her lip and whispered to her dancing partner. Ken's head snapped around and he frowned before steering a wide-eyed Hitomi away. Van scowled harder, and stormed after them.
"Excuse you."
The dark-haired hacker ignored him and changed direction again. The band switched tempos and struck up a livelier tune as Ken and Hitomi twirled away. Van dodged through a cluster of dancers until he caught up with them once again.
"Hey, I'm talking to you!"
Hitomi peered over Ken's shoulder. "Van, keep your voice down."
Ken released his partner and turned around. "You're out of line. When this one is over, you can ask her to dance."
Van reached out grabbed a fistful of Ken's collar. "I'm out of line?"
"Yes. You're making a scene and embarrassing the lady."
"Um, Van? If there's something you'd like to talk about..." Hitomi stepped forward and Van's attention turned from the man in front of him. The next thing he knew, Ken lunged at him and Hitomi stumbled. The marketing VP shoved his opponent back and issued his challenge: "I'd like to see you try that again. Come on!" He shrugged out of his tux jacket and loosened his tie.
Hitomi picked up the discarded coat and moved towards him as he was rolling up his sleeves. "Van, please."
"Just get out of the way, Hitomi."
"Van. I..."
Before she could finish the sentence, he jumped at Ken and felt his fist hit home. Van struck the hacker square in the jaw before the other man could get set. Ken's head whipped back, but he stood his ground. He glared back at Van for just a second, then pounced. The former soccer player charged the GLLC exec, knocking him to the floor. They wrestled, each one trying to get the upper hand as they tumbled over the smooth surface.
"Stop it, both of you!"
As Van turned to acknowledge Hitomi's voice, Ken's knuckles slammed into his mouth.
"Hitomi, just stay back!" Van found his feet, wiped at a trickle of blood from his lip, then dove at his opponent again.
*************************************************
Vash heard the gasps, the shouting, and whirled around to investigate the commotion coming from the dance floor. The band had stopped playing, and dancers crowded in a circle around the apparent disturbance. Vash craned his neck and had to fight to keep himself upright when a disheveled Van burst through a group of onlookers, pushed the ruffled hair out of his eyes and shoved his way back in.
Quatre caught up to the taller man, and Vash picked up the pace.
"Oh, man, this is bad."
Quatre squinted. "What's he doing?"
"Well, you see... Van and I had a little talk, and I guess you could say..."
Angry voices echoed through the ballroom. "If you so much as look at her again, Hidaka, I'll light you up."
"Shut your damn mouth, Fanel. She doesn't belong to you. Christ, you smell like alcohol."
Vash cringed as he and Quatre neared the source of the excitement.
"What exactly did you say to him?"
A slight blush heated the tester's cheeks and he scratched his head. "Oh... uh, well, just what I told you. To find his happiness ? to tell the woman he loves how he feels. And maybe I gave him a drink. But I really didn't think he'd just go out there and start bowling for hackers."
The two GLLC execs pushed through the stunned crowd, able to see two other members of Weiss, Yohji Kaduo and Omi Tsukino weaving through on the opposite side. Vash and Quatre raced for the clearing in time to see the pair of men grapple onto Van and wrestle him away from Ken. The bruised former soccer player jumped to his feet and looked ready to land a punch to the struggling marketing VP.
"Three against one?" Quatre's left hand balled into a fist. "We have to help Van!"
He tried to artfully make it passed the people that stood around the perimeter of the dance floor, but Quatre quickly gave up and began shoving the other guests aside.
Vash could see the anger flash in his friend's eyes when he reached the edge of the crowd. His gaze had landed right on Yohji Kaduo: who had been talking with Dorothy. And dancing with Dorothy. And... Vash watched while his friend untied his tie and let his jacket drop to the floor. Quatre squared his shoulders and looked back at the tester.
"This is my last chance, right? I don't want to lose Miss Dorothy."
Vash caught his breath. "Not you, too. Quatre? Quatre!" The normally mild-mannered CFO looked at the drink still in his hand, shrugged, and downed the entire thing. He handed the glass to Vash, turned on his heel charged into battle with Yohji in his sights.
Vash stood frozen. "Quatre! Oh... hell."
The shorter blond tackled Yohji from the side, sending the taller man reeling backwards. Some onlookers joined the fray, attempting to stop the brawl, but to no avail. The newly freed Van launched himself back at Ken, clobbering the chairman of a video game company and kicking another software VP in the process. An new group of angry participants seemed to leap out of the crowd.
Omi attempted to stand between his friends and the new arrivals, but Yohji regained his balance and shoved his own associate aside to swing at his attacker. Quatre rallied back, but instead of connecting with other man's nose, his fist landed higher and snapped the hacker's signature sunglasses. Yohji snarled and knocked Quatre to the floor. Ran's fiery hair came into view, and the fourth member of Weiss put a hand on his friend's shoulder and tried to drag him away.
Vash squeezed his eyes shut, and opened them again. Nope, not a dream. This was really happening. He watched as Quatre attempted to get to his feet, but he didn't make it very far. Yohji landed a savage kick to the CFO's abdomen. And these guys say they can't take me anywhere... "Quatre! I'm on my way!" The spiky-haired tester groaned and freed himself of his own tie and jacket. He kicked them aside and dove into the m?l?e.
*************************************************
The dark-haired woman swallowed hard as she addressed the most unapproachable of the Gundanium executives. "Excuse me, Mr. Yuy? Do you have a moment?"
He seemed not to have heard her at all. Either that or he was ignoring her completely, entrenched in a remote corner of the bustling ballroom all but lurking in the shadows. She called out his name again and he didn't flinch. His steely blue eyes appeared to be fixed on something... Or someone, far across the expanse of the room.
Meryl inhaled deeply. She couldn't back down. Not with everything she had to tell him. And he had to listen. He just had to.
"Mr, Yuy?"
Her tone had been a bit louder, and if she didn't know better, Meryl would have thought she'd startled him. His whole body seemed to tense against the wall where he stood. He turned his head slowly to face her, as if it were almost painful to turn his attention away from its previous focus.
"Miss Stryfe."
Her name was a low rumble that came from the back of his throat. Like a growl. His menacing stare would have sent anyone else on an all-out retreat, but dealing with intimidating characters was part of her job. The reporter stood her ground.
"I have something very important that I need to talk to you about. It concerns Relena and the con--"
He squinted at her, drawing his face into a pinched expression while he pushed himself away from the wall and began to advance towards her in an almost predatory fashion. Meryl unconsciously backed up as he advanced, noticing after a few seconds that he was scowling not at her, but at something over her shoulder.
"What the hell...?"
She turned around, barely able to hear his words over the ear-shattering racket rising from the dance floor.
Heero took a few more steps and stopped right beside her. She could make out a certain set of blond spikes bobbing above chaos. Apparently, Heero had seen them, too.
"Vash, what are you--? Is that Weiss in there?"
Meryl climbed up on the railing that separated the dining area from circular inner floor. The white cross on the side of Yohji Kaduo's jacket flashed in the middle of the crowd.
"Looks like it," Meryl said. "I wonder if one of them... Mr. Yuy?" The reporter turned to find that GLLC's president had leapt over the wooden barrier and was quickly advancing in the direction of the dance floor. Had they all gone crazy?
Meryl scanned the rest of the ballroom. It was as if all hell had broken loose the moment she'd turned her back to speak to Heero. A brawl between a couple of hot-headed software moguls had turned an entire room into a riot. A riot of... computer geeks!
Several gawky onlookers stood on the outskirts of the dance floor, hesitantly watching the combat within. A few threw off their jackets, snapped their suspenders and charged in, while others backed away and cowered under the buffet tables. Hor d'ourves were flying, glasses were broken, chairs and dining tables were overturned. One particularly wimpy guy seemed to want to dump out the punchbowl, but couldn't quite manage to lift it.
Other guests spoke hurriedly into their cell phones, or were already snapping photos with their high-tech mini digital cameras. A chorus of shouts sprung up beside her, with geeks waving bills in the air while two men each sat at tables typing furiously n their tiny computers.
Meryl tapped a nearby nerd on the shoulder. "Don't tell me they're betting on who's going to win."
The young man shook his head. "Nope. We're taking bets on how fast they can upload the info to their websites. My money's on the guy from Infosystems, they're way better than Uber-tech."
Meryl rested her head against one of the wooden pillars. Could this possibly get any weirder?
Just then Vash and Van emerged on the far left, dragging an injured Quatre along with him. They laid the CFO at a horrified Dorothy's feet, and Van shouted a few words at her before being swallowed up into the fighting once again. Dorothy frantically dialed her cell phone and nodded to Vash, who turned and caught sight of Meryl. He stole a quick glance over his shoulder, and then trotted over to where the reporter stood.
"Hey, Reporter-girl, you ok?"
"I'm fine. What on earth is happening?"
Vash ran a hand through his sweat-soaked hair. "It's a long story. I promise I'll tell you all about it later. Dorothy made a call, the police and the paramedics are on their way. Quatre got a nasty bump."
Meryl looked over to where Dorothy sat with the CFO cradled in her lap. "This has just turned into a disaster."
"You're telling me. But you know... there's no one else I'd rather share a disaster with than you." He turned his head in the direction of the betting, and a slow grin spread across his face. He stared at the floor for a moment, before lifting his eyes to meet hers. "Reporter girl... about, well, I?"
"I know, Vash. It... It's ok."
She leaned down and he planted a quick peck on her cheek. His smile widened and he reached out for her hand. Meryl soon found a bill thrust into her palm.
"Vash?"
"Twenty bucks on the guy from Uber-tech. Less than 45 seconds till he gets it on his site. Infosystems has a slight upload delay." Without another word, he ran back to the dance floor and plowed back into the crowd.
Sighing, Meryl followed his instructions, and stood up on tiptoe, trying to catch a glimpse of Vash from her perch. Instead, in the center of the brawl, she finally found Relena, standing behind the distinctive red hair that belonged to Ran Fujimaya. And facing the unmistakable scowl that belonged to Heero Yuy.
She couldn't hear any words that passed between them, but honestly, she didn't think they'd said a thing. Relena tugged on Ran's shoulder, urging him backwards, but the redhead would not be moved. The head of PCC cautiously placed herself between the rivals, a sympathetic expression gracing her features as she looked from one to the other... But to no avail.
It was difficult to tell which one of the men attacked the other first, but as they did, Relena lost her footing and was thrown to the floor. It didn't appear that she was hurt, but Heero saw her fall, and glared at his opponent with renewed intensity. He turned to help her up, only to have Ran's fist meet his eye with enough force to send him staggering backwards. Heero stumbled over an errant dining chair, and before Meryl could blink, he'd picked it up and had brought it down over his assailant's back. The CEO of Weiss shook off the attack, and rushed after the waiting King of Gundanium.
Meryl's head shot around when a loud "boom" echoed throughout the room. Police officers and paramedics filed inside and hurried down the stairway. Stern orders echoed through megaphones, and blue clad police officers surged through the unrest, nightsticks in hand. The majority of the brawlers scattered, but the remaining men from Weiss and GLLC were another matter. It took Vash and three more burly officers to finally drag Van away from Ken.
Guests quickly collected their coats from the checkroom and made a hasty exit. Meryl moved to the main entrance so that she could better watch the comings and goings.
The paramedics passed with Quatre on a stretcher, and Dorothy hurried behind them. A stream of blood trickled out from the bandage around his head, and the Gundamium CFO seemed to be unconscious.
"Is he going to be all right?"
"They think it's a slight concussion." Dorothy yelled over her shoulder. "I'll call you when we know for sure. We're going to Johns Hopkins."
"Ok." Meryl shouted back. "I'll take care of the rest of them."
Dorothy nodded. "Relena and the others are giving statements. They'll want to go with you when you're done."
The attorney disappeared into the waiting ambulance, which sped off as soon as the doors were slammed shut. Meryl stood back and waited for the rest of the ?offenders.'
Heero and Van were lead out first, and surprisingly with little struggle, at least as far as Van was concerned. They were followed by Ken and Yohji, who were placed in a different car. Lights flashed and the police cruisers were gone. Ran had somehow managed to escape the fate of handcuffs and a ride downtown in the back of a squad car.
And finally, there was Vash. His hands were clasped behind his back, and he struggled and writhed in the grasps of the two very annoyed-looking policemen charged with leading him out. They were forced to nearly drag the much taller man, who howled and pulled like a giant dog who'd finally been subdued by the dog catchers. His sorrowful green eyes landed on her when he passed, and the delinquent software tester planted himself where he stood. The cops grunted, and with much effort, forced him to move forward again.
"I'm innocent! Innocent I tell ya! Meryl! They're taking me away! Wait for me Meryl! I won't let the big house break my spirit. Come and visit me! Bake me cakes with nail files! Meryllllll!!!"
The pair of officers halted and one of them turned to the tester and rolled his eyes. "Would you just walk already?"
"Oh, yeah, sure." Vash straightened up and quieted, but only for a second. He grinned and looked down at the much shorter cops as they finally made it to the door. "Hey, can I sit up front and work the lights?"
"No."
"Awww, man. Please?"
"No!"
"What about the siren?"
"Get your ass in the car!"
"Do they allow conjugal visits where we're going?"
The reporter took a mental note of the precinct number after the officers had finally managed to stuff Vash into the backseat. She then had a silent mental debate over whether to actually go and bail the pervert out before turning to step back into the ballroom.
"It'll do him good to sweat it out for a few more minutes."
Meryl stood at the top of the staircase and took one last weary glance at the carnage that remained. Smashed chairs, overturned tables; napkins and tablecloths lay strewn about the room like lifeless casualties.
Shattered glass glinted under the still in-tact chandeliers, which had only survived because they were so high up on the vaulted ceilings. The streamers and decorations were in complete and total ruin, but Meryl's eyes stopped when they hit the dance floor where about two dozen geeks were crawling on all fours... in search of their eyeglasses.
"Definitely a night to remember," she mumbled, and dug out her cell phone to call a cab.
*************************************************
NYC Police Station
Relena glanced around, noting the rows and rows of desks of the police station as the lieutenant directed her towards the group she came to find. Her first charity event. And it ended with having to bail out the guests of honor and the man who broke her heart. Ran, Hitomi and Meryl walked silently beside her.
She caught sight of him at the very end of the hall, sitting handcuffed next to a duty officer's desk ? instead of in a holding cell like she hoped. Heero's expression, however, said exactly how pleased he was to be there. He looked ready to choke himself with his restraints. A few policemen had gathered around the desk where he was sitting and notably, around the computer as well.
"Do you really think that'll fix my email?"
Heero's eyes rolled heavenward. "It should."
An out-of-uniform officer stood nearby sipping coffee. "Z/OS sucks. I like Alliance-ware better. It's open source and doesn't have all those bugs."
"Then why don't you ask them to fix your email account?" Heero banged his handcuffed wrists on the desk. "I'm sure Linus* has nothing better to do."
"Oh, here you are." Relena interrupted the session before it got any worse. Ran nodded at her then continued on to the holding cell to retrieve the others. Hitomi and Meryl went with him.
Heero was looking up at her in obvious relief - as if she had come to save him from a torment worse than death. Relena couldn't help but smirk. This was going to be fun. "Gentlemen, I'm afraid he's made bail. But, Mr. Yuy promises that in exchange for not pressing charges, he'll be your personal, on-call tech support." She held out a card complete with Heero's home and cell phone numbers. "Here's his card, it's the least he can do for all the trouble he's caused."
The so-called King of Gundanium's face fell into a scowl. An officer clapped him on the shoulder and unlocked his cuffs with a grin.
"Now there's customer service, Mr. Yuy."
"Hn." He stood up and glared down at Relena. She just smiled back.
"Oh, come now, Heero. You should be grateful you made bail. Unless you'd prefer to stay and solve their network infrastructure issues."
Hitomi, Van, Vash and Meryl picked that moment to show up. Hitomi moved around the desk and placed a hand on Relena's arm. "Rel, we're going to check on Quatre at the hospital. We told Ran we'd get you home. He went on with his partners."
Relena nodded and let out a long sigh. "I'm sorry. I'm just exhausted and I have a mountain of work to do. But please call and let me know if he's--"
"He'll be fine, it was just a little bump on the head." Vash grinned. "Let Heero take you home, and get some rest. We'll give you the scoop tomorrow."
Before Relena could protest, the tall blond had ushered Hitomi and the others outside and was climbing into the taxi that Meryl had waiting.
Relena turned to see Heero signing the last of his release paperwork. He glanced up and met her eyes. There was something in that look, something...apologetic? No. But maybe it held just a bit of concern.... She was so involved with trying to figure it out, it startled her when he called her name.
"Relena?"
She took his offered arm and let him lead the way.
*****************************************************
Relena's Apartment
Relena swallowed against the hard lump in her throat. Her stomach had tied itself into a knot and she tried to keep her hands from shaking. Heero was standing just a little too close as she unlocked the door to her apartment. When had he started to make her feel dizzy?
"There's something I want to know."
She glanced up into those eyes again. She still couldn't name what emotion colored them a lighter blue than the dark, icy glare he had worn just a few days ago. Of course, it could just be that the one was looking a little puffy. Relena gave him a small smile and let him in.
She felt her jaw drop when he held the door for her.
~Five minutes later~
"Here, hold still. You need to put some ice on that before it really swells up."
"I'm fine."
"As long as you want to look like you were in a drunken bar fight tonight, that's true. But if you want your eye to be somewhere in the realm of normal-looking, then I suggest you sit still."
Those same dark blue eyes glared at her as she held the small, plastic bag full of crushed ice to his face. She brushed his hair away from his forehead and settled beside the spot he occupied, leaning against the kitchen counter.
"My brother used to get in fights a lot when he was a kid. I was too young to tend his wounds so to speak, but I remember my mom fussing over him..." Her voice trailed off as she looked away, a small frown taking shape on her features. The look on her face stifled Heero's dry remark. Most of his childhood memories had to do with Zechs pounding on HIM.
"Keep holding it up like this, and go make yourself at home on the couch. I'm going to go change. I won't be able to get any work done in this dress."
He blinked and watched her retreat to her bedroom. Feeling oddly at ease, he went to sit on the sofa she had indicated and waited for her to emerge. It was nice, having her ?fuss' over him instead of yelling or being angry. He figured this was the best time to explain his situation to her ? but first he needed to find out just how close she and ?Ran' were.
She came back into the living room, dressed in a pair of loose-fitting pajama bottoms, and white tank top. Her hair was pulled back into a long ponytail; her face had been scrubbed clean of makeup. She looked younger, fragile, but incredibly beautiful. Heero felt the urge to pull her hair down and run his hands through it. Instead, he clutched the bag of ice tighter against his palm.
She carried a laptop case and plunked it down on the floor next to the couch, then unpacked her notebook pc. She set it up on the coffee table before arranging herself on the floor in front of it.
"I never thought I'd see the day when a PCC exec would use a KS laptop."
She shrugged. "We got out of the laptop business last year. We were losing too much money."
Heero raised his good eyebrow. "It was only your second year. You can't expect to turn a profit so quickly..."
"We didn't have unlimited capital to sink into the venture. We scaled back several of our riskier operations last year in an attempt to restructure and go forward with solid, revenue-maximizing products. We're boosting our efforts in markets we already dominate, and cutting our losses in the ones we are too far behind in."
"I thought PCC was doing well."
"Are you keeping the ice on your eye?"
Is she avoiding the question? He wondered, his brow furrowing slightly as he regarded her with half his vision. He grunted. "Yes." She placed a pair of glasses on her face as she began reading over a report.
He started to broach the subject again when her email program sang out its notification that she had a new message. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she retrieved it. After a moment he heard her grumble. "Thanks a lot, Milliard." She groaned and set about typing a reply.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. My brother just scheduled me for an early morning meeting ? tomorrow."
"I thought he was here in New York. I was going to ask you why he wasn't at the thing tonight."
Her shoulders tensed, but he couldn't see her face. "He got called back to Seattle. I wanted to go with him, but I have too much to do here." She clicked the laptop shut. "Would you like some coffee or tea or, oh, I have some hot chocolate?"
"Coffee."
"Is instant okay? I was just going to turn the kettle on."
"It's fine."
"I'll be right back."
He sighed and put the ice pack down on the table. The whole right side of his face was already numb with the cold, and he could no longer feel it. She walked back into the room.
"You're just too damn stubborn for your own good, you know that?"
He tried to scowl, but at this point, he couldn't make his own face cooperate. "Ice is only good as long as you can feel it. My cheek is numb, so there's no point in continuing to hold it on my eye."
She giggled.
"What?"
"You just...you just had that look on your face. Like a little boy being scolded by his mother."
Heero stared at the floor for a moment. "Can't say I ever had that luxury."
"You didn't know your mother?"
"My parents both died when I was really young."
She started towards him, still holding the coffee in her outstretched hand. "I'm sorry."
He bristled. "Don't be. It was a long time ago."
Relena turned and walked back into the kitchen. "Oh. Well, if you ever feel neglected, I'll be happy to yell at you anytime."
"So I've noticed."
She turned and grinned at him. It was the most encouragement he'd had all night. He sucked in a breath and decided to dive right in.
"You didn't tell me you were seeing someone."
The smile fell from her face but her eyes held his, challenging him, as they always did. "I believe there are quite a few things you don't know about my personal life."
"So, how serious is it?"
"How serious is..Ran?" She had disappeared behind the wall, so he was unable to gauge a reaction when he mentioned the other man's name.
"This is the first time I've seen him on not a professional level."
Heero sank back into the couch cushions. She emerged once again and dropped down beside him.
"So PCC does have a business interest in Weiss."
Her eyes narrowed. "That's not exactly common knowledge, and I'd thank you to keep it to yourself."
"Why should I? If you don't care for the association--"
"They're a reputable firm."
Heero could feel the muscles in his entire body tensing once again. "They're hackers. They have always been hackers. They will always be hackers."
Her mouth opened, but she shut it again without saying a word. He supposed that her angry look was intended to intimidate. But the fire in her eyes traitorously sparked flames in his chest and lower abdomen then spread throughout the rest of his body. He stared back, determined to win the battle of wills.
The kettle whistled. She got up to go back to the kitchen. "How do you take your coffee?"
"Black."
"Figures."
She returned with two steaming mugs. He stood to take them from her and set both on the table. She sat down on the couch, and he arranged himself closer to her this time, their shoulders touching through the half buttoned tuxedo shirt he wore. He watched her blow on her cocoa to cool it down. Glistening pink lips hushed over the steaming liquid before leaning forward to kiss the porcelain container.
"So what's PCC's business with Weiss?"
Relena turned to face him. "I can't tell you that. If word leaked out, it could damage the contract negotiations. Nothing's been officially signed off on, yet."
"You can trust me."
Her mouth caressed the mug again, and he watched her swallow the sweet fluid.
"I'm sure that's true. But it's nothing personal. I just can't afford to trust anyone."
Heero sipped his coffee, but his eyes never left her. "I see. So how did your date go?"
She set the mug back down on the table and scooted backwards. Relena crossed her arms and stared at him. "What exactly are you asking me? And why all the questions? What is it you really want to know?"
"I want to know if your date went well and if you'll be seeing that guy again." Her face remained unchanged, but Heero decided to press the issue once again. "I also want to know what business PCC has with Weiss."
Relena sucked in a deep breath and her gaze floated away. "His name is Ran, my date was fine. He's very nice and treats me well, so I don't know why I wouldn't see him again. And I already told you I can't tell you what business PCC has with his company."
"Because you don't trust me."
Her eyes snapped back to his. "Because I can't trust anyone."
"What if I offered you a deal? Your secret for mine."
Relena shook her head. "GLLC company secrets don't interest me."
"This is a personal one. And if the information got out, it could cause my company some problems."
"I see. Well, I suppose secrets of the highly reclusive Heero Yuy could be...mildly intriguing."
Heero felt a smirk tug at his lips. "So you agree?"
Relena drummed her fingers on the nearby table's surface. "Is this a contract negotiation? If so, I'll have to consult my attorney and get back to you in five years with a refusal."
"Relena...."
"I don't know why you're so interested, but.... All right. Who goes first?"
"You."
"I should have guessed."
Heero brought the coffee mug back up to his lips and glared at her through the steam. "It's the least you can do for electing me most likely to take over the world and replace humans with clones or whatever."
"I only nominated you," she corrected. "Vash ran your campaign."
"Figures."
"Are you ready?"
Heero replaced his cup on the table and gave her his full attention. It was taking a lot of willpower not to let his gaze wander below her neck... to the straps of the tanktop that caressed her shoulders, and the way the white material hugged the curves beneath and...
"Mr. Yuy?"
"Yes?"
"PCC is in negotiation with Weiss for a new database program they wrote. It runs completely in memory, balancing across CPUs on a server. It backs itself up to the disk, but it's not accessing the hard drive every time it pulls from or writes information to a field." His eyes were completely focused on her lips; his head felt light when he saw her tongue flick in her mouth as she pronounced hard drive and CPUs.
"Interesting." She could have just told him the apartment was on fire.
"We're trying to get an exclusive contract for that and their White Cross utility program...." Every time she said the ?th' sound, the tip of her tongue would become visible.
The walls grew closer; the room seemed stifling hot. His chest was tight, and breathing was becoming more and more difficult. Heero closed his eyes, but he could still see her ? only his mind was playing tricks with her clothing, or lack thereof.
He cracked his eyelids; she stared back. And something like his whole body just snapped into place, like the last piece in a jigsaw puzzle. He wanted this....
Heero peered at her through lowered lids and admitted his defeat.
One kiss...Just one...
He had fought the good fight and lost.
*************************************************
His hand came up to turn her chin towards him as he leaned in close, his dark eyes burning into her skin. Relena felt his mouth brush hers, a tentative, searching caress that lasted less than a second. For all his arrogance and bluster, his kiss was so gentle... Her eyes slid shut as she relaxed into him, her lips accepting and returning his touch.
Time slowed, and she was keenly aware of everything about him; his scent, his taste ? warm and coffee flavored. His hands, at first on her neck, slipped down the length of her back. One moved up and pulled her hair from its elastic band; his fingers combed through the receptive locks over and over again.
She felt herself falling, and then realized he was only lowering her to the couch. His palms came to rest on her hips as his entire body sought contact with hers. He relinquished her mouth to claim her neck.
"Heero..." She breathed his name. He shifted positions, nudging one leg aside to where he could bring himself closer. Her hands came up to thread themselves in his chocolate mane. "I...I can't fall in love with you. It's not fair."
He paused, raising his head to where he could look her in the eye. "Sounds like you already are." He brought his mouth down hard on hers.
Her fingers moved down his back, tugging his shirt out of his slacks without prior approval from her brain. He didn't seem to mind; his own hands stroked her under her top, his thumbs grazing the bottom of her breasts. His shirt fell open, and he sat up, drawing her with him to help remove it. He pulled his t-shirt off, exposing his chest for a moment before crushing her against it, then lowered them back down onto the cushions of the sofa.
She kissed him blindly, logic completely locked from her mind; she was intoxicated with the feel of his hands on her bare skin, the heavy sound of breathing coming from his throat, and the smell of cologne and sweat and soap that combined to make a scent that was him. He pressed the lower half of his body into the space between her hips.
"Relena..."
*************************************************
Taxi Cab, Uptown NYC
The winter air still clung to Meryl as she slid into the taxi behind Vash. The pale glow of the hospital's ER sign illuminated the darkness, creating a halo of sorts behind her black hair when she leaned over to give the driver directions. The cab lurched forward and the petite reporter settled back into her seat, letting her hand brush over Vash's. He smiled at her and relaxed into the cushions, his eyes never leaving hers. Meryl must have noticed his expression and took it for one of relief.
"See, I told you Quatre would be fine," she grinned, shaking the snow from her scarf. "It was just a little bump on the head. And I'm sure Dorothy will take good care of him."
"I'm sure she will." Vash snickered. Meryl gave him a look, but even in the dim light he couldn't miss the amused expression she was attempting to suppress. "I hope Relena will do the same for Heero."
Meryl's face went blank. Her gaze darted away to the window, but then found its way back to him. "Actually, Vash, I think she needs someone to take care of her. This deal for their new servers was their last chance. If this deal doesn't fly, the company will go under."
Vash sat up straight, nearly hitting his head on the cab's roof. "What? How could Zechs let this happen?"
"He didn't." Meryl sighed. "It just did. There's only so much you can do from a hospital bed."
Vash blinked. "Hospital bed?"
"He's dying. He was diagnosed with leukemia about a year ago. I wanted to tell you tonight. I tried to tell Heero, too. I found out this afternoon."
The blond tester's jaw slackened. "Dying?" All he could do was stare at the reporter as she continued.
"The company was already in a slump last year, when he got really ill. Relena stepped in to help and was left to clean up the mess. The new product was what she came up with to get the company out of trouble, but without the GLLC deal..."
Vash's hand tightened over hers. "I'll talk to Heero. I can fix this, and I promise I will. We'll help her as much as we can"
The woman across from him tilted her head. Her brow furrowed into a doubtful line. "Do you think you can really get through to Heero?"
"I have to. And if he truly wants to be a better man, and be part of her life, he'll listen. I know he's a good person. They all are. I've always believed in my friends."
Meryl smiled. "I know. They're lucky to have you. And... so am I."
He snaked an arm around her shoulders and drew her closer. Something about her presence, and this moment, made him feel warm and complete and... happy.
"And I never did thank you for your help. Not just anyone would have come to bail me out." His mouth hovered just above hers. Meryl's eyes glittered as they passed under the streetlamps on the expressway.
"I would hope I'm not just anyone."
Vash brought a hand up to her cheek. "Not to me."
His lips brushed against hers, and he couldn't help but smile when he felt her do the same.
"Besides," Meryl said and giggled. "Your winnings were just enough to cover your bail money."
"I won?" Vash laughed.
"Uh-huh. Uber-tech uploaded in 38.7 seconds. Odds were good under the 45 second mark."
"Cool!"
The cab lulled to a stop in front of Meryl's hotel. She gave Vash another quick kiss before scooting towards the door. "Well, I have to get an article in about what happened tonight. It's definitely not everyday that the world's greatest computer geniuses end up in an out and out brawl at a charity function. I should be done in an hour or so, if you want to stop over."
"Maybe I can help you."
She pulled on her gloves and thrust the door open. "I've got it covered. I already have my headline."
"Oh?"
"Geek Fight Erupts at Charity Event."
"Yeah. Great."
Meryl closed the door and darted into the lobby. The taxi pulled away from the curb and Vash leaned forward, tapping the man behind the steering wheel lightly on the shoulder. "Hey, mister cab driver? Do you mind stopping at a liquor store? I think this calls for a toast."
*************************************************
Relena's Apartment
Relena's eyes peeled open and she stared at him for a short moment before those insanely enticing pink lips parted. "Do you want to move to the bedroom?" She said in a hushed voice; red leapt to her cheeks and she focused on his shoulder. Desire stirred, and he had to kiss her again, his mouth fitting tightly over hers.
"Why not here?" He hissed between clenched teeth, forcing himself to retain some amount of control and not just tear the thin fabric coating off her body.
She broke away again, her cheeks scarlet as she embraced him tighter and buried her face into his neck. "I...I've...Heero, I've never..."
Her voice seemed to waver, and she wouldn't look him in the eye. He could tell that she needed something from him. Some reassurance, perhaps? For him to tell her it was okay, that he still wanted her ? and oh God, did he want her. But something about her admission hit him like a bucket of cold water, forcing logic along with realization back into the ruling position of his mind. He couldn't do this; he'd lose his company, everything he'd ever worked for. He had already gone too far with what he had done ? what he had led them to do.
"I can't do this. I shouldn't have... Dammit."
Gently, he untangled her arms from around his neck, his eyes unable to meet her gaze. He pulled away, cursing himself, and picked up his discarded shirts, bowtie and jacket. He threw on his t-shirt and draped the button-down over his shoulders and arms. I don't have to tell them. His thoughts swirled around his head, completely focused on how to keep from losing GLLC. He'd almost made it to the door, when he remembered the other party involved.
Shit. Relena...
He turned back to see her sitting in front of her laptop again, long blond hair drawn over the side of her face closest to the door so that he couldn't see her expression. His shoulders slumped. She hates me. He took in a sharp breath and watched for a moment as she typed on the small keyboard in front of her. His heart sunk. I don't blame her, I hate me, too.
"Relena..."
"Don't tell me you got lost trying to find the door."
"I..."
"I've never known you to beat around the bush, Mr. Yuy. If you have something to say, just say it."
"I can't see you anymore."
Her voice sounded distant even though she sat just a few feet away. "I think that's probably best."
"You don't understand."
"Yes, Heero, I do. Better than you know. Just...Let yourself out."
"Relena..."
"Goodbye, Heero."
He trudged out into the hallway, glancing over his shoulder as he went, his eyes glued to her profile and still hoping she'd look up at him. She didn't.
His fingers dragged the door shut, blocking her from his view. He stared at the obstruction, her strange words ringing in his ears.
"I understand... better than you know..."
What did that mean? Heero blinked himself out of his daze, and, crossed the small hallway to the elevator. What did she understand?
He barely noticed the descent ? one floor after another, then out onto the street and into a nearby cab.... He had expected tears - no, anger or resentment. A stammered explanation, probably bad and only serving to make the situation worse. He wanted to fight, to become angry, but instead he had kissed her, and almost taken advantage of her. The feel of her mouth, her skin... She hadn't even looked upset. Of course, she wouldn't let him see her face.
"I understand better than you know..."
She had run into Vash the other day, had spoken to him frequently during the course of the party. And something was obviously up with his spiky-haired friend this evening. Maybe...Had his well-meaning but loud-mouthed associate spilled their secret? Did she know about the pact? What had Vash told her?
His heart picked up its pace. Maybe she understood, really understood. Was it possible?
Tires screeched on the pavement as the cab driver wrenched the wheel, turning around in the middle of the road and narrowly missing several oncoming cars. The car accelerated and they sped off in the direction from which they came.
He had to see her. He had to know....
*************************************************
Relena brushed aside the tears that had managed to escape her otherwise hard resolve. He was a jerk, a class A certifiable jerk with a capital J. She should have stuck with her first impression of him ? shutting the door to the elevator practically in her face. The nerve of that man!
At least you found out now, instead of in the morning. Relena punched at the keys on her keyboard, glaring at the computer that dared take more than a second to deliver the information she requested.
She had almost slept with him, almost given him something very precious and something he obviously didn't deserve. Or want...
Relena got up and made her way to her room. She closed the door with her bodyweight, sinking against it like her legs had decided to quit their job. She thumped her head lightly against the hard wood, then repeated the action several times for good measure. "How could I have been so stupid?" Her hands came up to smooth her hair away from her face.
After a quick shower, Relena changed into a nightgown and made herself another cup of cocoa to drown her sorrows. She could have called Hitomi, but she didn't feel like talking to anyone right now. Besides, it was late ? her friend was probably in bed.
Trying to keep her thoughts off the masochistic self-beating her mind was apparently not finished with, she turned on the television and surfed listlessly through a myriad of infomercials. She groaned at the "Ultimate love collection" CDs and quickly changed the channel. She scowled at the next commercial, and the lame 90s song coming from her TV.
"He's a cold hearted snake. Look into his eyes. Oh oh, he's been telling lies." Huh, someone wrote a song about him 15 years ago. She was too miserable to even smirk at the thought, choosing instead to flip the station before they could start playing that wretched "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to" tune.
"And you can try it for thirty days for only $14.95. If you're not absolutely satisfied, you can send the Gazelle back, no questions asked, or keep it for only five payments of...."
A loud knock on the door interrupted Tony's well rehearsed sales pitch. Relena quickly muted the TV, but it was too late. Whoever it was, and she had a pretty good idea who, knew she was up and knocked again.
"Relena!"
His voice brought tears to her eyes all over again. Why was he here? What could he possibly have to say to her?
"Relena!" His voice grew louder, oblivious to the hundreds of other people probably trying to sleep at that hour of night. Someone banged on the ceiling overhead, yelling at the floor to: "Shut up down there."
Deciding that waking her neighbors was a bad thing, Relena padded lightly over to the door, clad in her satin nightgown and robe, her long blond hair still wet from her shower and tossed back over her shoulders in a tangled mess. What could he possibly want, that pompous ass, that stupid jerk? If he wants a piece of my mind, then he's going to get it! She allowed anger to well and pool for her own protection, and yanked the door open in her fury.
"What did you mean?" His voice rasped as his hands came up to grip her shoulders. "Did Vash tell you? What did he say?"
"What are you talking about? May I remind you, Mr. Yuy, that my office hours are from 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday only. If you wish to speak to me, you have my phone numbers, and you are free to call me then."
His grip relaxed and he stood up from his more forward posture. "You said you understood, what did you mean by that? What do you understand, Relena?"
She blinked, taking in his strange expression, his hands falling back to his sides as all the liveliness disappeared from his face at her earlier words. She had tried to keep this confrontation from happening, wanting to spare them both from angry words and herself from more hurt than was necessary. But he was apparently determined to make a fool out of her.
****************************************************
He watched her face change, noting the redness of her eyes as if she had been crying ? or sleeping. The television was on, so it couldn't have been the latter, and his hope dimmed for a moment as she spoke to him in a clipped, angry tone. Her words were immaterial, he didn't even hear them ? he just stared at her, this woman that had come to mean so much to him. Had it been three weeks ago, there would have been no question. He would have pursued her until she caved and agreed to be his wife. But it wasn't three weeks ago, and nothing could alter the situation. This was his choice. But looking at her, now, if he could go back in time to change it, he would.
Damn women, they're always on their own timetable, and almost always late.
She had finished speaking to him, her perfect pink lips crimping into a tight line as his ears rung vaguely with the sound of her voice calling him Mr. Yuy again. His heart fell to the floor as he stood up and released his grip on her shoulders. Did she know? Would she wait?
"You said you understood, what did you mean by that? What do you understand, Relena?" There was a short pause. "Did Vash tell you about the pact?"
"I understand, Mr. Yuy..." She blinked. "What pact?"
"I promised I would tell you, but I let myself get...distracted."
"Tell me what?"
"My secret in exchange for yours."
"Yes, well, I don't really care anymore. If you say a single word-"
"Three weeks ago, before leaving Seattle, my partners and I swore to give up certain distractions for three years and pursue a higher education.
"We made a pact, and if any one of us breaks that pact, we lose our share of the company.
"One of the clauses forbade romantic relationships."
Her eyes widened and she tightened her hold on the doorknob. "So. You're saying that your asinine behavior towards me has been due to this pact which forbids you from dating for three years under penalty of losing your company."
"Yeah."
The door slammed in his face. It wasn't exactly the reaction for which he had been hoping. He frowned, his jaw clenching into a tight line, and knocked loudly again. "Relena!"
The door hedged open. "Other people are trying to sleep. You may not care about anyone other than yourself, but that doesn't mean I want to keep these poor people up. You've had your fun, and made an utter fool out of me, so why don't you just leave? Or are you trying to get an audience?"
"Make a fool out of...I don't understand. I just explained-"
"You expect me to believe that you four otherwise somewhat normal men made a pact to swear off of women for three years. That has got to be the worst excuse I've ever heard. I would have rather you just left than make up this phony story as an explanation."
The door slammed shut once again. He leaned forward and rested his forehead on the cool surface, then drew back only to lower it again in a banging motion. He repeated the action several times before gritting his teeth and knocking once again.
"Relena..."
She wrenched the metal barrier open with an iron grip. He sucked in a breath, willing his mouth to form the right words to make her comprehend his situation, but froze at the expression on her face.
"You don't understand..."
Light played on the smooth surface of her makeup-less features, illuminating her more natural beauty, but it glittered strangely around her eyes. Tears, he realized far too late....
"You're wrong. I understand, perfectly, Mr. Yuy. I understand that you are just like every other man I've ever met. And I can honestly say I never want to see you again."
The door shut with a dull thud that sounded oddly final. It was quickly followed by the soft thump of her body falling back against it, then sliding to the floor. He stared for a long moment wishing he could see through it. Gentle sobs escaped through the crack underneath, and Heero bent down on one knee, his hand resting against the door as if trying to comfort the girl on the other side. He had hurt her, undeniably injured the only woman to ever capture his heart.
I'm sorry, Relena.
He stood up and made his way down the hall once again.
****************************************************
Lion's Gate Apartments
It was beginning to snow. The soft white flakes played in dizzying circles, chasing each other in a childish game of tag. It would have been beautiful if there had been any light, but the moon was hiding behind the clouds like a parent letting its children play unattended in the other room. So the dark night absorbed the pleasure and left Heero with only the cold to keep him company. Just like his life.
The apartment was dark when he trudged inside, his wet shoes squeaking across the hardwood floors. Heero was about to relinquish his coat when something caught his eye. Someone was sitting out on the balcony.
Heero slid the door open, stopping in his tracks when he saw his friend reclined, with his feet up on the railing, kitty in his lap and a half full glass of dark liquid in his hand. Moonlight glinted off the wine bottle on the table beside him.
"Vash! What the hell are you doing? There's no-"
The tester didn't turn around. He kept his gaze fixed out onto the twinkling city below. "It's done, Heero. We're done. It's over."
"What are you talking about?" Heero stormed around the chair to face the blond tester. Vash sat up and simply smiled up at at him. "Where are Van and Quatre?" Heero growled.
"With Hitomi and Dorothy," Vash answered, nodding his head out towards the city. "I've never seen them look happier. " He brought his legs down from the railing. "I was hoping not to see you tonight, either. That you'd be with Relena. But since you're here, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."
Heero grabbed the wine bottle and leveled it an inch away from Vash's nose. "The only talking I want to hear is an explanation for this. We signed a pact, Vash."
The other man slowly rose to his feet, shaking his head and smiling sadly at his friend. "I shouldn't have expected anything less from the great Heero Yuy. You still can't see it, can you?"
"See what?" Heero seethed. "The only thing I see is you violating our agreement. Is nothing sacred?"
"Perhaps you should ask yourself that same question."
Heero couldn't speak. He dumbly watched as Vash slid the door open, wine still in hand. The tall blond let out a sigh and raised the glass in Heero's direction. "Here's to you, my friend. Congratulations. You are now the sole shareholder of GLLC." He drained the liquid in one gulp.
"Quatre will have the papers drawn up first thing Monday morning. And then that's all you'll have. GLLC will be yours, Relena will be Ran's, and your friends.... Well, we'll still be your friends, but, not your partners." He shook his head. "But then again. You don't need anyone, do you? "
Heero didn't respond.
"Well, if you'll excuse me, I don't want to keep Meryl waiting any longer than I already have."
Vash slipped into the shadows of the living room, with kitty trotting in behind him. Heero heard the front door open and shut, and the GLLC president nearly collapsed onto the balcony's solitary chair. He caught a glimpse of the wine bottle, his lone companion, on the nearby table. In an instant, the object flew over the railing and shattered on the deserted pavement in the darkness below.
Vash rolled his eyes, and braced himself against the merciless winter wind. "You can't go your entire life without needing someone, Heero."
Heero slumped forward and rested his head in his hands.
"Yes, I can."
***************************************
AN: For those who haven't figured it out, who don't care to figure it out, who didn't know they were supposed to figure it out?.
The Zero operating system is supposed to be the equivalent of Windows. Alliance-ware is basically Linux.
*Linus is Linus Torvalds, the guy who programmed Linux. Heero's suggesting that the policeman ask Linus to fix his email, since the guy said he liked Linus's software better. Funny Heero.
Applause to those computer geeks who knew this already. I don't think Stella figured out that was supposed to be a joke. . .yet. *ducks*
Love, Rose <-- who reluctantly admits to being the geek that threw that one in.
anger can be so sexy 
. He may have been mean to Heero in the past, but is there any way you can possibly save him, great goddesses of the fanfiction world? As Heero would say, Relena would be sad...and we can't have that...or else Heero might come after you in the night...& then where'd we get our favorite stories?
mwahahahaha
Hats off to you!
okay that was stupid anyway 