Mistaken Words chapter 72

[Morganeth]

Mistaken Words

AN: I can`t thank all of you enough for being so patient with me! Here`s another chapter for you I hope you enjoy!

Thanks morgansgirl for the edit!

Disclaimer: I don`t own Gundam Wing!

Burned

The roar in Trowa?s ears was deafening as he unwillingly rose out of the blackness he had fallen into. Unable to think clearly, Trowa had no idea how long he had been out, but he was really beginning to wish he hadn?t come back. His head pounded and that wasn?t the only part of him that ached, though at the moment his mind was far to clouded to make any sense of it. He couldn?t even clearly remember what had brought him here, what he had been doing before the blackness.

Opening his eyes Trowa winced biting back a groan as his blurred vision cleared only so far as double. He tried to move to look around himself, instincts kicking in telling him he wasn?t safe wherever it was that he was laying. Pulling his arms under himself Trowa pushed himself up through the pain so he was resting on his hands and knees, still trying to get his vision to clear.

?..Owa!? a voice shouted in the distance, Trowa barely heard it over the pounding in his ears. ?Trowa!? the name was clearer this time as was the voice shouting to him.

~Tony?~ why was he shouting? Trowa reached for his right ear feeling for the ear piece that should have been there, but all he found was a torn bit of wire. Sitting back heavily Trowa tossed the useless bit of wire away and tiredly fell back against the tree he realised he had been lying under. Pain seared his back and he sat forward suddenly, frustrated that he couldn?t make sense of the situation.

?Trowa!? the voice was no longer a shout but an exclamation of relief, as Tony came rushing over to him. The former pilot shut his eyes tight in the hopes that that could possibly clear them, ?Get me a medic over here now!? Tony?s voice demanded and he could feel a hand lightly on his shoulder, ?Trowa, look at me.?

Opening his eyes again Trowa finally only saw one of everything around him, it was a small relief. ?What happened?? he asked the words sounding slurred although he was sure he had spoken normally.

?The building exploded,? Tony informed watching Trowa very closely, his expression worried, ?Bastards did it with everyone still inside. You were right about the reinforcements. All the windows blew out, but there doesn?t appear to be much structural damage.?

Trowa couldn?t seem to make total sense of what he was hearing and it frustrated him, he moved to push himself up wanting to get on his feet, but Tony?s hands stopped him. ?Just wait, you?re burned and bleeding, you need to have a medic look at you.? Trowa looked down at himself really for the first time, his arms were cut and bleeding, he couldn?t see where on himself he was burned but vaguely remembered the pain when he had leaned against the tree.

Closing his eyes Trowa drew in a breath, hearing some commotion rise up around him. His head continued to pound but he was feeling a little more alert, although he didn?t want these people around him at the moment. ?Trowa can you open your eyes for me?? a new voice asked, and he could feel the man kneeling beside him.

Reluctantly he complied knowing the sooner he dealt with them the sooner he?d be alone again, and for some reason he wanted that more than anything. Upon opening his eyes a hand reached out to take hold of the side of his head and thumb his eyelid back further. Before he could react a bright light was flashed across his eye, and he struggled to get away from it, pushing the man away from him.

?Trowa!? Tony sounded surprised as he lightly restrained the former pilot?s hand.

?Could be a concussion,? the medic comment backing off a hair.

The fact that his brief diagnoses was directed towards Tony, only served to further Trowa?s agitation. Pushing himself forward despite the pain Trowa attempted to gather himself but was once again stopped by Tony, and this time the medic as well. ?Do you remember what happened?? the man asked, his focus on Trowa?s cut arms working carefully to clean away the blood and expose the worst of the damage.

It would have been easy to have just recited what Tony had already told him, but he knew that wasn?t what the medic was looking for. And so he thought back trying to pry through the fog to before the pain and blackness. It took some effort but he finally managed to remember being inside the building now smoking and smouldering not far off. ?I had infiltrated the Inner Circle?s strong house?? he trailed off frustrated at the continued slur of his words, it didn?t seem quite so obvious now but it still bothered him. ?They detonated the building.?

?Good,? the medic nodded as he began to disinfect the numerous gashes, ?Can you tell me who he is?? the man briefly pointed Tony?s way.

?Tony Irving,? Trowa spoke with a sigh.

?And my name??

Trowa stared at the man, his head pounding in time with the still elevated beat of his heart, had he even heard the name before? His thoughts coming to him just clearly enough to glance over the man?s uniform he could at least see the medic?s last name, ?Vickers.?

The medic nodded as he wrapped Trowa?s wrist with gauze, and the former pilot?s attention drifted to Tony who was kneeling behind him, ?Looks like first and second degree burns,? It was only then that Trowa really noticed that he had lost his shirt somewhere along the way, no doubt it had simply burned off him. The thought brought on a wave of pain, and a slight feeling of nausea which he managed to suppress.

?Lee, can you bring a vehicle over?? the question sounded odd to Trowa?s ears, neither Tony nor he had ever been called Lee. And although he?d have hated to admit it aloud, he was in no shape to be driving anything. It took a moment of hard thinking to realise that Vickers had been speaking into his mike, communicating with someone back at the main base.

Drawing in what was supposed to be a calming breath Trowa tried relax, but it wasn?t working. he was agitated, unnaturally tired and in pain. He didn?t want to deal with any of this, if the medic or Tony noticed any of this they weren?t letting it show. Once again they appeared to be discussing him as though he wasn?t capable of understanding what they were saying.

?I want to get him to Kahlan, those were our orders if anything major happened,? Vickers said to Tony as the medic began to look at the burns on Trowa?s back.

Once again that wave of nausea returned but this time it was overwhelming and Trowa doubled over, his stomach emptying its meager contents onto the grass. There hadn?t been much in him since the last time he ate but his body didn?t seem to realise this, as he continued to dry heave for what felt like hours, before his system finally settled back down. He rested on his hands and knees drawing in slow breaths, his throat raw his eyes watering. He felt more drained than he had before and just wanted to let his eyes close and fall back into that black abyss.

?Stay with us Trowa,? the medic called, ?You?ve definitely suffered a concussion, I need you stay awake, alright??

Scrubbing at his mouth with the back of his left hand Trowa mutely nodded, ?Here,? Tony materialised in front of him and offered a bottle of water.

?Let?s get him into the van, it won?t take us that long to get to the main hanger.? Vickers moved to Trowa?s left while Tony remained on his right. He wanted to push them both aside but seriously doubted his legs would support him at the moment.

WMWMWMW

Wufei stepped up into the shuttle and was met by Duo, who was looking a little the worse for wear with the field dressings on his arm and leg, he had undone the front of his coat, his exposed chest displaying several dark bruises. ?Sally?s going to be happy to see you,? the pilot commented dryly.

?No doubt,? Duo chuckled softly, holding a hand to his ribs as he did, ?Heero?s in the back room sleeping,? he informed gesturing with his thumb in the direction.

?Do you know what happened?? Wufei asked making his way down the narrow hall.

?So far as Kahlan can tell, he suffered a heart attack, Zero was putting him under a lot of stress for too long.? Duo?s voice lowered as the walked into the small room at the end of the hall. Within where two beds one occupied by the sleeping pilot the other stood empty. Kahlan looked up from his work, he had been settling Heero into place, making sure nothing could catch on the IV, and that the heart monitor was connected properly.

Heero didn?t look that bad, tired and a little dehydrated, ?How?s he doing?? he asked the medic.

?Stable, exhausted, but he should be alright,? Kahlan assured.

Wufei breathed a sigh of relief at that, he hadn?t been able to get here fast enough when word of Heero?s condition had reached him. And he had cursed himself for having not paid more attention to how much Heero was doing, and what toll it could have taken, or did take. Not that the thought of pressing Heero about how he was doing would have gone over all that well, this was after all his first mission back, and he was proving himself.

?Guys,? Eimz?s voice spoke into Wufei?s ear, and by the reactions of the other two theirs as well. ?Trowa?s coming in, he?s hurt pretty bad.? A moment later the tech appeared in the doorway, ?He ought to be here in about five minutes.?

Duo and Kahlan were already moving towards the front of the shuttle, Wufei glanced back towards Heero. Not entirely comfortable with leaving his friend alone, and glad for the moment that Heero was asleep, so he wouldn?t know what he was about to say. ?Could you stay here with him?? he asked the tech, wanting to see with his own eyes how bad Trowa was.

?Sure,? Eimz?s agreed immediately.

?Just make sure he doesn?t wake without knowing you?re there,? Wufei?s lips twitched up a little, ?It might be a little hard to tell, but when he does can you get me?? the man nodded in response looking just a little unsure as he glanced over to Heero. He stepped towards the still opened door but a thought stopped him, ?Did you give Ash the info??

Eimz looked a little surprised, ?No, I?ll take care of that now, you go on Trowa will be here soon.?

Nodding his thanks, Wufei made his way down the hall, just in time to see Tony bring a pale Trowa in. The taller man was seriously banged up, both arms wrapped thickly with bandages, and he was missing his shirt, revealing that his back and been burned. Kahlan moved in to assist Tony in leading Trowa into the infirmary. ?He?s suffered a concussion, first and second degree burns,? Tony was filling the medic in as Wufei leaned against the doorway not wanting to crowed the room further.

Trowa?s expression was a dark one, he looked exhausted and about ready to explode, both by products of a serious concussion. ?Man Trowa what happened to you?? Duo asked maintaining a light tone, not wanting to enflame the situation. But Wufei hoped he wouldn?t actually be expecting an answer.

He didn?t receive one as Kahlan began his exam, keeping up a constant stream of questions, he too didn?t receive much of a response. But kept it up despite that, more determined to keep Trowa awake than actually speak to him, concussions were dangerous and unpredictable. Tony finally stepped back towards the door, ?You?ll give me an update??

Wufei nodded once and took Tony?s place near the exam table, looking to Duo before he turned his full attention on Trowa. ?Why don?t you got take a break yourself, you look about ready to drop.?

?I?m not dropping before you, but I could use something to eat,? Duo chuckled as he walked out of the infirmary the door sliding shut behind him.

?This is going to need stitches,? Kahlan informed glancing up from the deep gash he had just finished cleaning hidden within Trowa?s hairline. Wufei glanced over his shoulder and sucked in a breath receiving a disgruntled look from Trowa for it. ?I?ll freeze it but unfortunately I can?t give you any pain killers right now, not with the concussion.?

Trowa looked about ready to drop and Wufei wasn?t sure if his presence was even appreciated, but he supposed it didn?t really matter so long as the former pilot remained awake. ?You heard about Heero?? he asked drawing Trowa?s attention to him as Kahlan began his painful work on the head injury.

?What happened?? Trowa asked tone irritated. Wufei drew in a breath this was going to be a very unpleasant trip back.

WMWMWMW

?Heero you awake??

It was an odd sense to wake in an unfamiliar room with an unfamiliar presence seated beside him, but to immediately know the voice speaking to him. ?Eimz?? he questioned, rousing himself further so he could open his eyes, only to see the tech breath a sigh of relief. Heero felt drained, and knew he really hadn?t slept for long, though he still felt better than he had when he woke in the infirmary. His chest felt a little tight, but he was breathing easier and the pain in his left arm had faded.

Eimz cleared his throat a little awkwardly shifting in his seat. He had sounded completely relaxed over the com system to see him fidget now appeared odd to Heero. ?Wufei ask me to sit with you until you woke,? the brown eyed man looked a bit more unsure of himself, and laughed a little sheepishly. ?I?ve been asking if you were awake for the last twenty minutes, he told me to make sure you knew I was here before you fully woke.?

Heero pulled his elbows beneath him making to push himself up from the bed, ?Where are the others?? he asked rather surprised that one of them hadn?t been sitting in Eimz?s place.

?Are you alright?? Eimz asked back instead coming to his feet hands poised to stop him though that was as far as they went. ?Should you be sitting up??

He glanced about the small room, feeling a little light headed for a few seconds, but that sensation at least passed quickly. ?I?m fine,? Heero responded immediately a little surprised that he didn?t feel the same being faced with these, all too familiar questions when coming from someone like Eimz and not Ash.

The tech looked less than convinced from where he stood watching, ?You?re sure? I heard you suffered a heart attack, maybe I should go get Kahlan??

?No, I?m alright,? he indulged, sitting a little straighter leaning back against the wall. The heart monitor attached to his chest still beeped at a slightly irregular rate, but despite that Heero felt alright.

Eimz leaned a little closer as though to see through a potential lie, and after a second blinked and reach out a hand to slap against Heero?s shoulder. ?Don?t scare me like that!? he chastised leaving Heero feeling more than a little stunned. ?I was just about positive you?d died on me,? Eimz dropped back onto his chair.

Heero raised an eyebrow at that, ?I?ve been ?dead? for the past year,? he wondered what difference it would actually make to the rest of the world if it were true.

?And to have that happen on my watch?!? Eimz was incredulous, but he seemed to have relaxed a little taking Heero?s previous comment as a joke as he was not smiling himself. ?Besides I don?t want to get blamed for this.?

The former pilot shook his head, ?I?ll be taking the brunt of this,? he wasn?t particularly looking forward to returning to earth. ?You pushed for breaks, I just didn?t take them.?

?I?d been told how stubborn you can be,? Eimz chuckled, ?Don?t really know what they expect me to do about it if you weren?t going to listen.? He looked a little thoughtful, ?I suppose I could have gone to the other pilots??

?Rather glad you didn?t,? he massaged at his brow, the pain behind his eye a little more aggressive that it had been a moment ago.

?Yeah, Gorren was telling me you didn?t seem all that pleased when Duo found you,? Eimz produced a bottle of water from somewhere beside him and offered it to Heero.

Heero accepted the offered water and took a moment to wet his mouth, ?Where are the others?? he was a little surprised to have been awake for around twenty minutes and to not have seen them yet.

?Waiting for you to wake so we could chew you out over having a heart attack,? Ash`s voice answered the question from behind Wufei as he stepped into the small room, Ash following not a full step behind. His expression showing immediate relief to see his friend awake.

Eimz stood looking all of a sudden a little awkward again, ?I should be getting back to my work??

?Thanks Eimz,? the tech nodded mutely to Wufei and after casting one last glance Heero?s way walked from the room.

?Damn Heero,? Ash shook his head dropping down into the seat Eimz had vacated, his left arm was in a sling, and he winced as he settled back,

?What happened to you?? Heero was quick to ask before they started asking how he was feeling.

Ash looked over at his arm expression hard to read, ?Duo shot me.?

?Huh?? Heero grunted, ?Bad habit of his.?

Ash laughed, but it quickly turned into a pained groan, as he tried to support his arm. ?I?m sure Kahlan has something he can give you for the pain,? Wufei pointed out.

?Maybe later,? he turned his focus to Heero, ?How are you feeling??

?Where?s Zero?? he asked instead wondering how long he?d be able to dodge the question. Seeing the small grin that pulled up at the edges of Ash?s lips he could see that this would be a challenge.

?Still safely in our hold,? Wufei assured, ?We?ll be moving it out into space to destroy soon.?

?You know you won?t be able to dodge my question forever,? Ash warned.

?And all the information on it?? that was something of concern to Heero, he didn?t want to think that any piece no matter how small of the schematics could be left somewhere that anyone could find.

Wufei sat down on the edge of the other bed, ?We?ve been searching the colony for anything related to the reaction of Zero, it seems like more of it was kept to the bunker where it was built, and all that has been wiped clean.?

?So that just leaves our memories?? Heero breathed darkly, ?We?ve all seen how safe those are??

Neither Wufei nor Ash seemed to have much to say in response to that, and a moment of silence steeled between them. Heero was not about to let it linger for too long, still wanting to put off the inevitable, ?Where?s Trowa?? He hadn?t heard anything about the last pilot since waking.

?He?s in the infirmary,? Wufei answered, ?Members of the Inner Circle destroyed a safe house while he was still inside. He suffered a serious concussion, some burns along with cuts and bruises.?

Heero shifted pulling his legs up from beneath the blankets intent on getting to his feet to go and see his friend. But Wufei and Ash certainly had other ideas about that, the former was on his feet in an instant blocking Heero?s path, while the latter shifted to the edge of his seat. ?Just stay put for now, it hasn?t even been eight hours since you suffered a heart attack, give yourself a break,? Wufei reasoned looking to have escaped the mission in perfect health. Heero didn?t actually consider him lucky, chances were Sally would attempt to turn him inside out just to prove him wrong.

The Japanese man settled back again not really in a mood to fight them over it, besides that he wasn?t sure his legs would support him. Ash was on his feet then as though Heero were getting up despite what Wufei said. But instead of moving to stop Heero who wasn?t moving, he made for the door, ?I?ve got to get Kahlan something?s definitely wrong.?

?Ash,? there was a warning note in Heero?s voice.

?What?? he came a step back, ?You?re not fighting us, clearly something must be wrong, you need a doctor!?

Wufei made to cover a grin behind his hand, as Heero fixed his friend with a dark glare, ?What I need is a computer.?

?You?re supposed to be resting,? Wufei countered.

?I am, but I want my laptop,? this was something he?d fight them on if they decided to be unreasonable.

?Try and get some more sleep, I?ll bring it in when you wake, fair?? the former pilot asked standing up from his seat.

Heero thought it over for a moment and nodded his head in agreement, he could deal with that. He was tried enough to go back to sleep, and seriously doubted that he?d have done much on the laptop had it been given to him right now. ?When do we leave?? he asked as he began to settle back on the narrow bed.

?In a few hours,? Wufei confirmed, ?There?s a few things left to settle, but Kahlan wants to get Trowa back to Earth, and not doubt Sally?s going to be wanting to see all of you.?

?What about you?? Heero returned with a raised eyebrow, looking his friend over again trying to see what might have been hiding beneath clothes.

Wufei smirked a little shaking his head, ?You?re as distrusting as Sally.?

?Well you know she?s not about to take fine as a legitimate answer,? he pointed out then, drawing a seriously incredulous look from Ash.

?Then why are you so damn attached to it?!? Ash demanded gesturing with his good arm.

Heero chose to ignore that question, and refocus his attention on Wufei, who looked rather confident, ?She can?t find what isn?t there.?

?Doesn?t mean you?ll escape the harassment,? if one of them had to suffer, they all should, though Heero wasn?t so sure he?d be so willing to agree to that if he were the one who was fine. But that was the fun of their little game, try to avoid Sally while putting each other in her line of sight.

?Well I can certainly try,? he took a step towards the door drawing their conversation to a close while doing so. ?Are you going to sleep in here Ash??

?Yeah might as well,? he cast a glance back in Wufei?s direction as he got to his feet and moved over to the second bed.

Heero settled himself down on the pillow, allowing himself to feel drained again, not fighting his body?s need for more sleep. He now knew what was going on and could rest easy in that knowledge. ?I have a few errands to run, but Kahlan ought to be by in a little while to check on Heero,? although still awake Wufei seemed to be directing his comments to Ash, perhaps thinking a few seconds was all it would take for him to drop off. ?I?ll make sure he brings you something for the pain as well.? The blackness rose up, and Heero drew in a slow calming breath.

WMWMWMW

Wufei left the room at the end of the hall quietly closing the door behind him, and quickly walked down to the infirmary. He was a little surprised to see Duo sitting in the room resting only a little uncomfortably on the other unoccupied exam table. His coat had been removed revealing the extent of the damage he had received. ?Finally getting yourself seen too?? it was a rhetorical question.

Duo smiled a little lopsidedly, ?Now?s as good a time as any,? his expression sobered a second later, ?How?s Heero doing??

?He seems alright, tired, but he was asking for his computer,? Wufei informed.

Kahlan?s head came up at the last part of his statement, he had been looking over some files, ?He should be resting.?

?He is, I told him I?d bring the laptop to him when he wakes next,? he smiled a little, ?He was fast asleep before I even left the room, don?t think he realised just how tired he was.?

The medic exhaled, ?Good, you all need rest,? he sniffed looking pointedly at each of them.

?Something tells me I?m about to get more of it than I want,? Duo chuckled looking over the array of implements Kahlan had laid out for the extraction of the bullets.

?Which leads me to wonder when will you be ready?? Kahlan asked an eyebrow raised as he looked at Wufei.

?Nothing you need to be concerned about here,? he was quick to assure, though not too quick, raising his arms from his body, ?I haven?t been cut, shot, or blown up.?

?Impressive,? Kahlan commented sounding a little distracted as he left the file behind and moved closer to Duo. ?Take off the pants as well, I could always cut them off of you, but that seems like a waste of effort.?

Duo rolled his eyes but complied standing up to begin taking off the thick material. Wufei turned his attention then towards Trowa who still occupied the other table, he was laying on his stomach head turned away from the room. An IV line had been fed directly into his neck considering the damage his arms had received. He had been stripped of his clothes and from the waist down was covered by a blanket, leaving his burned flesh exposed. Walking over to his friend Wufei got a clearer look at Trowa?s features and thought they looked a little flushed considering how pale Trowa had been when he arrived. Tentatively reaching out his left hand Wufei lay fingers against his friend?s warm flesh.

?Kahlan did you know he has a fever?? he asked glancing back to see Duo hesitate in lying back on the bed to cast a concerned look Trowa?s way.

?That?s not surprising with all he?s been through,? the medic assured guiding Duo down the rest of the way. ?Don?t worry, I?ll be keeping a close watch on him, this will put you out for a while, no doubt you could withstand this awake, but I just can?t stand the idea.? The last of his words washed over Wufei as he went back to watching Trowa, knowing Kahlan?s attention was more completely focused on Duo.

Several moments passed before Wufei broke the silence, ?How long are you going to let him sleep before waking him?? he turned back to the other side of the room and walked over to where Kahlan worked on an unconscious Duo.

?Not too much longer,? his expression skewed as he worked over his patient, ?Say are you right handed or left handed??

?Right,? Wufei blinked.

?So Trowa?s the only natural lefty?? Kahlan mused to himself not looking up.

The Chinese man shrugged, it wasn?t really saying much for any of them, they were almost equally good with both hands, they just naturally gravitated towards one over the other. ?What brought that on?? he inquired.

Kahlan shrugged, ?Curiosity, I don?t remember reading anywhere.?

?Will he be capable of piloting the shuttle when you?re done with him?? it was a thought that had been floating around his head for a while now. And He had thought he?d missed the opportunity to ask when Kahlan had begun his work, but it seemed he wasn?t to be distracted by a little conversation.

?I wouldn?t recommend it, but when has that stopped any of you from doing what you want??

?If you don?t recommend it, than I?m going to find us another pilot while he?s still out,? Wufei strode towards the door. ?He won?t have much to say once he wakes, my cells on call me if anything comes up.?

?Will do,? the medic assured.

He hesitated a moment then, ?When you go to check on Heero can you bring Ash something for his pain?? Kahlan nodded waving him off, with a bloody glove.

Stepping outside of the shuttle Wufei drew his right wrist up from his side, the limb throbbing painfully as a reminder to his lies. It wasn?t anything extreme, and no doubt Sally would find it, but he doubted there was much she could do beyond what he had already done. So he was content to keep the information to himself and let Kahlan worry about the others.

Wufei left the shuttle behind, wandering among the agents and larger shuttles not exactly sure who he was searching for. There was a lot of activity in the large hanger as agents moved about, transporting prisoners, and gathered further information. Wufei was a little surprised at how many members of the Inner Circle they had been able to detain, none of them had really any way of knowing how many their were. He felt confident in saying that they had found all of them, Heero had been nearly positive that the Inner Circle hadn?t settled themselves anywhere other than Freedom?s Point. And right now they hadn?t received or interrogated anything to contradict that.

?Wufei!? a familiar voice called out to him, and the former pilot turned to see not one but two familiar faces.

?Ryan, Anderson,? it was no surprise to him that Relena short time guards where on this mission, but up till now he hadn?t run into them.

?Maybe you can settle our bet,? Anderson smiled, having been the one to call out to Wufei.

?And just how much money?s been wagered?? he asked curiously.

?Someone,? Ryan thumbed in his friend?s direction, ?Doesn?t actually want to place money on his guess.?

Anderson folded his arms across his chest, ?Just who?s in your shuttle Wufei??

?Duo, Trowa, Kahlan and Ash?? he watched both men for any sort of reaction, ?Why??

?Because none of them would require the shutting down of the hanger for nearly an hour,? Ryan responded immediately, ?So we figured someone important must be on there. I think it?s the leader of the Inner Circle.?

?I don?t even think we know who the leader is,? Anderson put in his guess, ?But an informant might need protection.?

?And if you?re both wrong?? Wufei returned ignoring for the moment that Anderson wasn?t really all that far off from the truth.

?Then who is it?? it was an impulsive question from Ryan, he had to have known Wufei wouldn?t readily tell him if they had went through the trouble of hiding the person?s identity.

?Classified,? he shrugged apologetically.

?Figures?? Ryan grumbled.

Wufei was about to wave them off, when a thought suddenly occurred to him, ?Anderson are you still current in your shuttle training?? he seemed to recall reading in the man?s file over a year back at he had training in shuttle piloting.

?Yeah, you need a pilot?? he sounded a little incredulous, no doubt unable to imagine Duo giving over the stick to anyone.

?Duo?s been injured,? Wufei informed but was quick to add, ?He?ll be alright but Kahlan wants him resting not worrying about landing a shuttle.?

?I can help you there,? the agent assured, and a mischievous light entered his eyes, ?Does this mean I?ll find out who the top secret passenger is??

Ryan looked equally interested, and Wufei looked at the both of them with a blank expression, ?You wouldn?t believe me even if I told you.?

?Bah! That?s a copout!? Anderson accused pointing a finger, and Wufei wondered what exactly would happen if he did come out and tell them.

Part of him wanted to just say it right here and now, but knew this wasn?t the best place. It wouldn?t be too much longer before the rest of the world knew that Heero Yuy was in fact alive and in good standing with the Earth Defence Corp. But for the moment Wufei wanted to keep it to as few people as possible. ?Come with me,? he instructed walking further away from the shuttle searching out a specific person now.

Tony proved a more difficult challenge than the pilot had been, but still Wufei managed to track him down. He wished he hadn?t removed his radio, but considering the completion of the mission there wasn?t much point to still be wearing it, besides that he was scheduled to leave soon. It didn?t make sense to leave himself available if he was just going to be shipping out. In the end he found Tony standing in the shadow of Zero, speaking with a few other agents. Both Anderson and Ryan cast amazed glances up at the Gundam.

?Wufei, how?s Trowa doing?? Tony ask patting the shoulder of one agent as a dismissal as Wufei came to a stop near him.

?Stable and resting, though he?s in one hell of a mood,? the Chinese man winced at the thought of having to wake his friend to make sure he was okay.

Tony nodded his head in understanding, ?And the others?? his eyes didn?t glance to Anderson and Ryan as he spoke but Wufei knew he was acutely aware of them.

?Same, stable,? he folded his arms across his chest, being subtly careful of his right wrist as he did so, ?We?ll be leaving soon, I was hoping I could leave the destruction of Zero, in your hands.?

?No problem, I?m already getting started on it, I have techs down in the bunker wiping everything clean.?

?Good,? Wufei didn?t think that would completely ease Heero?s mind, but it?d help, ?Come see me when you get back, we?ll have a drink.?

?Sounds like a plan,? Tony smiled and nodding once walked off towards a crowd of agents.

?Damn bastard!? Anderson growled looking up at the Gundam.

?I do believe it?s an inanimate object, and one that helped us a lot during this mission,? Wufei commented dryly.

Anderson scowled, ?You know who I?m talking about, he built it!?

?That he did,? he agreed easily, ?And he piloted it too.? He seriously doubted they?d take him literally, and he smiled to himself as he walked away. It was impossible to imagine what they?re reactions would actually be like, but he?d find out soon enough.

Thanks for Reading!

I Don`t Believe You:

Walking across the small room Wufei came to a stop at Trowa?s side, the former pilot continued to sleep as though Kahlan had never woke him. Wufei trusted in the medic that he had, and that Trowa was for the time being stable. Although he wanted to wake him just to be sure, instead he seated himself beside the bed and reached for his cell, knowing Quatre would probably appreciate a personal call. And if Trowa become unruly perhaps hearing another friendly voice might calm him. Wufei wasn?t holding his breath on that one.

Not knowing where Quatre would be at this time of day, Wufei hand no idea how long he would have to let the phone ring before he could receive and answer. As it turned out he wasn?t made to wait long. ?Hello?? Quatre asked politely into the phone.

?Thought you might like to know the mission?s complete,? he said leaning back in the chair so his arm could rest on his abdomen with the icepack still securely held over it.

?Wufei!? Quatre?s voice held a clear note of relief in it, ?I was just about to contact Une and see if there was any news, how is everyone??

?We?re all still breathing,? he said at first lightening his tone so as not to worry the president. He then launched into a brief explanation of the injuries and how they had happened, his tone was very matter of fact, he didn?t know if Quatre would find that at all reassuring but as things stood he had already said all this once before.

When he had finished Quatre breathed a sigh of relief, ?I?m glad everyone?s okay, I?ll be making a trip to Earth shortly after you arrive. I want to be there when the announcements are made.?

It was a legitimate reason to come down to Earth for a time, he wondered if Heero would appreciate them being around him for that. He didn?t get the impression that Heero wanted the world to know that he was alive, why that was exactly Wufei hadn?t thought to ask. But he got the distinct impression that what was to happen after this mission was something Heero was trying not to think to much about. ?Do you regret not being able to come?? Wufei asked suddenly looking over to Duo for a moment before he eyes returned to Trowa, neither man stirred.

?After I heard what happened to all of you?? He could hear the smile in Quatre?s voice, ?Kind of glad I?m so well tied down.?

?Figures.?

?Have you spoken to all of them since the incidents?? Quatre asked that note of concern layering his voice thickly.

?Yeah, at least once,? he confirmed, ?Duo most recently, I want to wake Trowa but I doubt he?s going to be in the mood for talking. He punched Kahlan.?

He caught a surprised snort which the president tried to cover with a cough, ?So now he?s passed the job to you??

?Lucky me, I get to be Trowa?s favorite from now on,? he returned dryly and got to his feet, ?Give me a moment will you?? he kept the phone to his ear, as he looked down at Trowa?s face. He hoped his familiar presence would be enough to relax Trowa but just in case he wasn?t about to reach out an touch his friend. ?Trowa?? he called his friends name as loudly as he dared hoping that would be enough. The former pilot didn?t so much a flicker a muscle, ?Trowa,? this time he spoke the name more forcefully, ?You need to wake up.?

??uck Off?? came a slightly slurred reply sounding more than a little irate.

?Sorry my friend,? Wufei leaned over Trowa looking to see if his eyes were opened, ?It?s going to happen a lot.?

?Go?away?? he didn?t seem in the least bit prepared to ?get used to it?, he was irritated and not up to putting up with any of it.

?In a minute,? he promised, wanting to be sure Trowa was coherent, ?What color do blue and red make??

His answer was a few minutes, ?Light?or pigment??

Wufei chuckled ?I?ve got Quatre one the phone, do you want to hear from him?? A tiny nod was all Wufei received as an answer, but it was clear Trowa was understanding him and was indeed awake even if his eyes remained closed. ?Alright Quatre,? he said just before placing the phone to Trowa?s ear.

What Quatre said Wufei couldn?t catch, no doubt he was speaking softly in deference to the serious headache Trowa no doubt had. What Trowa said in returned was altogether clear, if not still a little slurred. ?I?m?being good?? he tone sounded like he was protesting something, ?Won?t quit?poking?me.? Wufei chuckled quietly at that, Trowa?s voice was beginning to sound a little more distant, like he was slipping back into the sleep he had been pulled from, ?Right?? was the last thing he said.

Wufei put the phone back to his ear and sat back down, ?I?ll be down as soon as I can,? Quatre?s voice was grave.

?He?s in good hands,? he assured knowing it wasn?t really necessary, ?But he?ll be happy to see you,? They all would.

Morganeth Taren`drel

[Incantatrice]

YAY UPDATE!!!!! Wow I've been reading this story from the start and I've got to say it's well worth the waiting

Heero having a heart attack holy cow I didn't see that coming and Trowa with a lesson in the incorrect way to fly Loving all the action can't wait to see what Sally is going to do to those boys when they get back. lol I have no doubt it shall be interesting

Keep it up I love your style of writing, you keep everyone true to form mad props

[Morganeth]

Thanks so much!! Sally's not going to be pleased to say the least ^_~

I hope you continue to enjoy!

[Morrighan]

Hahahahaha.... And Wufei <i>said</i> he wasn't injured, but now that he's Trowa's punching bag.... *snickers* Oh, Sally's gonna be happy with him... XD

Can't wait to see more!

[Morganeth]

*laughs* Trowa's punching bag ^_^

Lets not forget that he's sprained his wrist ^_~

Thanks for the reviews!

[epyon]

hahaha! alright! double posts! just what we like!! keep em coming, can't wait for the next harrowing installment.

[Morganeth]

thanks! I'll see what I can do ^_~

I have one other chapter I just need to edit, but then it could be awhile again before I have another post.

I apologies in advance.

thanks again!

[amulak]

Woo-hoo for an update!!
Now that the mission is pretty much over, I feel a lot better!
Leave it to Heero and his intense-ness to have a heart attack... oh well, at least he's being good and resting!! ^_^
I hope Trowa's going to be okay, poor guy!
Update soon!

[Morganeth]

thanks a lot! I would have had a chapter out sooner...but both my laptops kicked the bucket... >_< and I'm waiting on repairs, hopefully I'll have them back this week *fingers crossed*

Thanks again!!

[epyon]

good luck with your computers