Lost
?We?re getting married,? he said calmly the next day at work. Duo literally spit soda through his nose, and Wufei looked over at him in disgust. Trowa?s mouth hung open a little but was quickly recovered. Quatre just looked around at everyone else, as if to see that they had all heard the same thing.
?You can?t be serious?Heero, buddy. We gotta talk.? Duo stood up and tried to help Heero sit down as though he was ill; he didn?t budge. ?Now I like Relena as much as the next guy, but you weren?t married to her, and just because you were tortured into believing that you were married doesn?t mean you have to marry her now.?
?Was the sex that good?? asked Trowa slyly.
?Ahh, he wouldn?t know,? said Duo, turning away from Heero and giving up his mission to make him sit.
?I?m not going to discuss ?our? sex life with you,? Said Heero to Duo?s back. He spun around to see an evil smirk at the corner of Heero?s mouth. Duo?s eyes brightened and he scratched the back of his head.
?You?ve become a man, eh? I?m gonna have to start calling you by your last name now, huh, Yuy?? Heero gave him the death glare. Duo threw his hands in the air and yelled, ?Fine! Nobody tells me anything anymore!?
?Why are you marring Miss Relena?? asked Quatre with an inkling it wasn?t for the reasons they all thought.
?It will flush them out into the open,? Heero said simply. Without a fleeting hint of emotion.
?Have you thought that maybe they are not only out to get you, but Miss Relena as well, Heero?? asked Quatre with his ever-present concerned look.
?Well I doubt that?? Duo started, but felt a sharp pain in his side as Wufei, who had been silent until now, was holding a rather long sharp razor against his kidneys. Duo stopped immediately.
Heero rolled his eyes and looked back at Maxwell. ?Why??
The razor cut through Duo?s shirt. He felt just the cold sliver press against his skin. ?Because they haven?t given us any reason to believe that she would umm? be in danger, or something??
?It would make sense for us to put an extra guard around Relena, wouldn?t it?? asked Quatre, still looking concerned.
?As long as it?s not Yuy,? snarled Duo, throwing Wufei back a little as the Chinese man raised the blade to his face and scraped it across his jaw sneering at Duo. ?Forgot to shave, eh??
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Duo and Wufei waited until Heero and Quatre had left the room to grab Trowa and drag him back inside. Trowa struggled against them until he was sure they meant business, in which case he calmed down enough to freak Duo out with his completely passive stare.
?I thought you guys would tell me what that razor bit was about. You know something that I don?t?? he finished, sounding a bit cocky.
?It seems you know everything these days,? leaked Duo sarcastically. Wufei told him to shut up before addressing Trowa.
?We followed Zechs last night after he left the Peacecraft mansion. Noin was after him,? Wufei reported.
?He was drunk,? said Duo disdainfully.
?How do you know he wasn?t drugged like Yuy was?? Trowa asked Wufei.
?Because we watched him get that way,? Wufei in a businesslike manner.
?Yeah, wine,? said Duo grudgingly.
?He confessed to Noin that he had done it to protect Relena; we guessed that easily enough. But he said he had done it for someone else, that he can?t afford to get caught. He is working for somebody.? Wufei continued.
?Did they say who?? Trowa asked Wufei, ignoring Duo.
?Only that it wasn?t the devil. Do you think Noin will tell us anything?? Wufei asked in a rather hushed voice
?I can?t say, really. They are lovers and she may throw her allegiance in with him.? Trowa contemplated this.
?She said that she had to put Relena above him. She certainly thinks they are after Relena; maybe she?s right,? Duo said. He looked at Wufei, who just shrugged.
?By using her own brother, Maxwell? That?s cruel,? Wufei said to Duo. ?Why do they think they can get to Relena through Heero? That has to be the hardest route.?
?You didn?t see him like we did,? said Trowa darkly. ?If Relena hadn?t seen Heero first? he was unstable enough to kill himself and all of us.? Trowa looked to Duo this time for approval, who nodded. ?He believed that we had framed him. We were just lucky that he found Relena. She may have saved our lives without knowing it.?
?She means enough to him that he would hurt himself over her. Man, it must be love,? Duo joked. ?Typical.?
?I will set a guard on Peacecraft, other than Yuy,? Wufei said with a nod.
?But we can?t keep them apart; that could be equally as dangerous,? Trowa said as they all nodded. The annoyed look returned to Duo?s face.
?I can?t believe the clown knows more than me,? Duo complained as they exited the room.
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?Cathy, I don?t know what to do. It all seems so perfect? too perfect,? Relena said over a stiff drink at a local bar. Cathy, who was a Sanc Head Attorney, sat across from her drinking an equally stiff drink.
?He said he loves you?? she asked after wincing at the taste.
?Yes, and then he spent the night with me.? Relena eyed Cathy, waiting for her reaction.
Cathy put her drink down fast and raised her brows. ?Really? How was it?? she asked with a huge smile on her face.
?What? That night or the morning after?? Relena said, laughing.
Both girls laughed, that juicy kind of laugh that draws attention from the men around them and puts a very scared look on their faces. ?Miss Relena! You bad? bad? girl. What happened the morning after??
Relena, who had been smiling impishly with her friend, suddenly became very serious and looked a little apprehensive. ?Then?? she swallowed hard. ?He asked me to marry him.?
Cathy just stared at her vacantly, with a look much like her brother?s. ?Oh honey, I am so sorry!? Cathy reached out her hand and held Relena?s. Relena looked up at Catherine?s dimly lit face with tears in her eyes.
?I know??
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Lucrezia drank this time. She devoured the entire glass and tipped the bottle?s mouth over her glass. She frowned and whined when nothing came out. She was on the floor in the dark of Milliardo?s room, and he was sleeping so silently that she had begun checking on him for signs of breath. They were always there. Things had been so perfect for both of them. That is, until Milliardo had began acting funny weeks ago. They had almost decided on moving in together when Milliardo stopped most of the relationship. He became moody and withdrawn. This was the first time she had been in his private rooms in weeks. Almost all his family pictures had been turned down, especially those containing Relena. Truthfully, she was alarmed about this, but soon got over it when she saw everything else in the apartments. Weapons, more weapons than necessary. Cash of all kinds just sitting out collecting dust. She sighed, at least thankful that there were no drugs. What she found instead, however, was equally upsetting: bottles littered all over the place. Full bottles, empty bottles, leaking bottles. She cleaned everything up and put the pictures up and sat down again, waiting for him to sleep it off. It was then that she decided to help Zechs stop drinking by drinking all of the wine in his house. What could she say? Love makes you stupid.
Zechs watched her from his bed. He hated seeing her like this, although she did remind him a bit of himself. He would do anything to make her understand, but she couldn?t possibly; it wasn?t possible for anyone to understand what plagued him. What made him want to destroy Yuy, and why Relena needed him to. He saw her looking at him again, unsure if she saw his open eyes. He remained silent.
?Milliardo?? she slurred. ?I?ve got to find a way to help you. Those boys!? she said louder. ?They are going to catch you! They are fucking Gundam pilots, for Christ?s sake! They are going to catch you and kill you!? She threw an empty bottle at the wall, shattering it. ?And I can?t do a damn thing about it!?
She was looking right at him. Staring him down. He sat up and attempted to speak, but she cut him off. ?In fact,? she chuckled a bit. ?You?ve effectively made me a traitor.?
Zechs just looked at her. She screamed at him over and over again, demanding that he say something. He couldn?t say anything to ease the effects of the alcohol or reduce the emotions coursing through her body. But he wouldn?t sit there and watch her suffer. So he got up and dressed, heading out into the night as she sobbed at his retreating form.
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Quatre and Heero sat in the mess hall eating. While Heero was completely consumed in his food, Quatre couldn?t help but look up at him every two seconds. Heero wore a completely passive face as Quatre did this, despite his growing annoyance. Quatre stopped once and let his eyes linger on the Japanese face, shaking his head when Heero did not respond.
?Did you have something to say?? Heero asked without looking at him. Quatre picked his head up and looked over at Heero, who was now staring at him.
?I think you?re wrong,? Quatre accused Heero, ?to marry Relena like this.?
?Like what exactly?? Heero looked past him at something.
?To use her to find out who is getting to you is wrong. You could put her in danger,? Quatre opposed as Heero?s attention didn?t waver.
?Do you think I?m incapable of taking care of her?? Heero accused him.
?I?m not talking about your abilities. I?m talking about Relena?s emotions. You just can?t use another human being like that.?
?Why not? I?ve been used my entire life,? Heero said simply.
Quatre had no response for this. ?Heero, what are you going to do when she finds out your engagement is a sham?? He said with a little more edge to his voice then he meant.
?Punch you because I know you?ve told.?
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It was almost nine and Relena had been home for only a few minutes. She had just got off the phone with Heero, who was going to bring home Chinese. It was a funny feeling, Heero bringing them food to eat in bed. Bed, where she would spend the night with him again. Relena couldn?t help but remember his smooth, hard body pushing her down on the bed or the way his wet hair tickled her eyelids in the shower. She stopped her daydreams when there was a knock at her door.
Expecting to find Heero, she flung open the door and put her best ?come hither face? on; all she got, however, was a slightly confused Catherine. Cathy stepped in the door with nothing but her purse and a big manila folder.
?Why are you acting so strange?? Cathy asked as Relena stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest, trying to hide her blushing. ?Oh! Heero. Of course. This isn?t going to take long, Relena. I dug up some stuff on Milliardo?s behavior lately and I think you should see this.?
?Why? What is this?? Relena asked, taking the folder and opening it. She flipped through the security stills, a drug test, and Milliardo?s last psych evaluation.
?I?m sorry Lena, but I think it was Zechs.? Relena recoiled as if Cathy had hit her.
?Don?t call him by that name,? she said fiercely, turning away from her friend and looking out the window of the Peacecraft mansion. ?I can?t believe ??
?There?s a catalogue of the drugs I found in his locker. They were all present in Heero?s system. I?m sorry.?
?It?s fine,? said Relena, throwing the file down on her bed. ?I can?t do this right now. I?ll look at it tomorrow and call you then.? She rubbed her temples.
?Okay. I?ll talk to you tomorrow.? Cathy slipped out of the door after giving Relena a weak smile.
Relena walked around to the other side of the bed, staring the file down as if it were an animal. She paused and trained her eyes on it, almost expecting it to turn into a giant monster and eat away at her whole life. But it wasn?t long before she picked it up and flipped through it. It was definitely Milliardo entering and leaving the room where Heero was quarantined several different times and on several different dates.
Relena knew that, if she lined them up, they would stretch across the time span that Heero was gone for. Cathy was right. Every drug he had in his hidden locker was present in Heero?s system. She cursed and threw it down. Then she heard foot steps in the hall. Relena raced to find a place to throw the file before Heero got to the door. In sheer stupidity, she threw it under the cushion of a chair and stood up abruptly as Heero walked through the door.
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The street was wet and dark. Black streams of filth seemed to litter its surface like the veins underneath the fairest of skin. Two slim figures ran over its surface like a shiver on the crust. The men were silent and dark. They seemed to glide over the concrete without a trace of human inconsistency. The taller of the two flipped his long, eye-covering bangs off to the side as his eyes narrowed on a head of white hair. The clashing head of jet black hair nodded as his equally dark eyes sought out the man?s greatest weakness. He was tired, though not from injury. The man was cold, wet, and tired, an opportunity they could not pass up.
Just as they advanced, he turned into them and let them know he was there. It took both men to stop his hands from reaching their throats and eyes. Not long after they scraped each other against the stone and concrete walls of the alley, the man stopped his resistance and let his ice blue eyes burn into the other men.
Trowa never flinched, and Wufei slide back into the shadows, letting a glint of steel escape. Faint foot steps were heard, and Wufei appeared in Zechs?s only route of escape.
?We know what you?ve done,? Trowa said in extremely calm, almost jaded, voice.
?You don?t know shit,? said Zechs back, sounding just as calm but with all the venom he could gather.
?We?ve got evidence, Zechs. Give it up and preserve what honor you have left.? Wufei stalked him just beyond the light.
?You can?t possibly know what is happening, even as it does...?
?Oh? Have we been drinking again?? taunted Wufei.
?Yes.? Zechs struck Trowa in the throat and the man crumbled. Wufei took his opportunity to knock the bigger man out with an old pipe. Trowa got up, rubbing his throat and nodding his thanks to Wufei as they dragged Zech?s body into a private where house.
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?Heero, I?m sorry I have to ask you this. But have you seen Milliardo?? Relena asked meekly.
?Am I bleeding?? Heero returned.
?No.? Relena looked quizzically at him.
?Then I haven?t seen him.? He said gruffly.
?Heero, please don?t, not right now.? Heero lifted his head. Relena had never told him to do anything before. He didn?t like it.
?I like you better when your mouth is occupied,? he said under his breath.
?Excuse me, what?? He looked in her direction and received a rare and feared Peacecraft death glare.
Heero glared back. ?None of your business,? he muttered at her.
?Yuy?are you sleeping in my bed?? she asked in a low, dangerous voice.
Heero glared at the bed as if it was its fault and didn?t say anything. His eyes located a paper sticking out in a chair next to the bed. Then he noticed the small ring box on her bed side table. A quick look at her hands gave him his ammunition.
?Why aren?t you wearing your ring?? he asked darkly. The glare fell from Relena?s face.
?I?I don?t know, Heero,? she stammered and went to unpack the food he left on the table by the entrance. Heero grunted and sat in the chair, wasting no time pulling out the folder. His face turned to stone as he looked at several of the reports. The sound of breaking glass brought Heero back to earth. Relena was staring at him blankly, a shattered wine glass at her feet.
?Did you think I wouldn?t find it?? His tone was hushed and dangerous. Relena shook her head with wide eyes.
?Heero, I can explain??
Heero closed the folder and stood up. Relena stepped out of his way and he headed for the door. He turned toward her, and she almost flinched at the look of betrayal. He threw the folder at her, sending papers and photographs flying everywhere. When they settled, he was gone, having left the door open behind him.
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Relena dropped and let her arms fall to her side. Tears threatened to fall just as her eyes found something to occupy themselves with. The only paper laying directly in her view was Milliardo?s latest mental health evaluation. She edged her finger across the wood floor to its corner and whipped it into her sight. She gasped as reality dawned on her. The report catalogued the incidents in which Milliardo had dangerous hallucinations, and events where he had contemplated suicide or hurt himself. A description of his hallucinations included Treize returning to tell him he must stop Heero from taking his baby sister away, and that Yuy would kill her, and that Milliardo must kill him first.
She remembered the last real conversation she had with Milliardo in the kitchen. How dangerous she had sensed him to be and what lengths he had already gone to. Cold fear replaced her anger at Heero; he would kill Milliardo now, and she had to stop them before her life came crashing down around her.
She gathered all the papers, wincing at the photographs of wounds he had inflicted on himself, and stepped in her bathroom to fix herself before leaving. She felt rather then heard the silence, then the sounds of breathing.
Stepping out, she faced the two armed men?one standing in her doorway, the other just off the side of her bed. She backed away from them slowly, the alien feeling of ice rushing through her veins.
?Peacecraft?? the man by her bed said lowly.
?No.? She shook her head. Relena knew what she had to do. She didn?t have any other choice. She ended up on the other side of the room at her vanity. The drawer was open and, instead of a hair brush, she felt the cold, hard steel fit her hand perfectly. She pulled it out and saw her reflection in the mirror. It was Heero?s gun, and it barely recoiled in her hand as the bullet flew from it, striking the man standing in her hall and leaving a pin prick of red in his chest and a bloody hole the size of a quarter in his back. Blood spattered across the wall he slumped against.
The man didn?t run to the other; he was dead, and he knew it. Relena looked at the amount of blood, not believing what she had done, and wasn?t quick enough to dodge the pain in her head as the other man broke a vase across it.
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AE