[Viva forever, I'll be waiting
Everlasting like the sun
Live forever for the moment
Ever searching for the one]
--- Chorus to 'Viva Forever' from the Spice Girls
A Silver Lining Part 11
Panting heavily as he wiped the sweat from his brow, Heero's gaze turned up to the sky as he picked up on the sound of helicopters flying in. Now that the sun was up past the horizon, he had to shield his eyes from the light to be able to make out the two distant crafts. After running as quickly as his legs would allow, he made it to the rescue post in time.
Quickly, the ex-Wing pilot took the smoke flares that he stole from the base. Pulling the pin loose to release the thick black smoke, he threw the canister a few feet before him. As the black smoke rose, the helicopters turned in its direction, flying straight on.
With a deep sigh of relief, the Japanese Preventer worked on catching his breath. Now that the rescue team found him, they could head back to recover Duo. They'd only parted about twenty minutes prior, sure that was plenty of time to get back to him before he was discovered. Turning his head west, in the direction where he left his braided friend behind, Heero felt the knot in his stomach return.
As he had been running to the rendezvous point to meet the rescue team, he had forced himself to put his fear and concern for his partner behind. Now that he kept his word and got to the pick-up mark, those fears and concerns were quickly catching up. Somehow, it just didn't seem like the helicopters were coming in fast enough.
Finally, the two crafts landed a few feet away, kicking up the loose dirt and grass from the ground. Shielding his face from the gusts, Heero ran towards the crafts. A handful of Preventers spring out, weapons up and ready as they secured the area.
Two other figures, one from each helicopter, jumped out into the open. It didn't take long to identify the people approaching.
Sally and Trowa met him half-way, the relief in their faces as the tall pilot shouted over the metallic swishes of the large propellers, "Sorry we have to keep this reunion short, Heero! We have to leave the area immediately!" His green eyes blinked against the dust as he scanned the area, asking loudly, "Where's Duo!"
"I had to leave him behind a little over five miles back!" Heero yelled in response, his unruly hair blowing wildly in the midst of the machine-created wind. "We're not leaving here without him!"
Both Sally and Trowa shared a wide-eyes look filled with concern. The braided woman turned to their reunited friend as she hollered, "Give Trowa the coordinates to where he can find him! I'm going back with you to our temporary base to look after your injuries!"
With her head, she gestured to the many, dark bruises on the ex-Wing pilot's abdomen that peeked out as the wind lifted his torn shirt. Shaking his head, Heero replied, "Aside from being sore, I'm fine! I'm going back to pick him up! You're not talking me out of it!"
Again, the other Preventers shared a look, this one being one of more resignation. Meeting the Japanese pilot's firm cobalt eyes, Trowa shouted, "We don't have time to argue over it! Get in and show us the way!"
With a nod, Heero entered the helicopter that Trowa jumped from. Once the tall pilot climbed in behind him, he took the seat beside the pilot. The young, blonde woman flying turned to Trowa as he told her, "Quick change of plans. We have to make another pick up. Agent Night was left behind."
At that, the pilot changed a few dials on the control panel. Looking over her shoulder, she asked, "What direction, Agent Wing?"
Leaning towards her from the seat he took between two armed Preventers, Heero answered, "West, about twenty degrees for five miles. I'll let you know when we're close."
"Got it," the blonde woman nodded firmly. Turning forward again, she finished entering her commands. Turning on her headset, she spoke into her microphone. "Agent Jet, we'll be leading us west, twenty degrees for our second recovery. Follow my lead."
The male voice of the other pilot came into her headphones as it replied, "Roger that, Agent Skyline. Ready to take off when you are."
With a small smile on her face, the blonde woman called to her team, "Hang on, crew." The second pair of Preventers, who had been securing the area just beyond the chopper, jumped inside and took the seats across from their comrades. Gripping the joystick, Agent Skyline sent the craft into the air.
Several minutes later, Heero recognized the crater-filled test area of the countryside below. As he squinted his cobalt eyes a bit, he spotted the tall hill with the large whole in its side. Leaning between two of the arms soldiers, he called to the pilot as he pointed, "That hill, right there!"
Agent Skyline gave a firm nod, her eyes never leaving her target as she spoke into her microphone, "Beginning descent." With an affirmative response from her partner flying the other helicopter, the blonde woman slowly pushed forward on the joystick.
Licking his lips, Heero felt his heart racing in anticipation of getting back to his friend and getting out of the hell they had been trapped in for the last three weeks. As the ground slowly approached, he moved closer to the opening, ready to jump from the belly of the chopper on a moment's notice. The wind blew his unruly hair up again as he peered just out the open doors.
Finally, the helicopter touched down without the slightest jaunt. Instantly, Heero jumped from the craft, running toward the opening of the hill a few feet away. Behind him, he could hear orders being yelled as the other Preventers secured the area. What was actually being said was lost to him, however, as all of his focus was on the cave where his friend had been waiting.
Just as he approached the opening of the gaping whole, Heero shouted, "Duo!" As he entered the manmade cave, he suddenly froze, nearly stumbling forward from the abrupt halt.
His cobalt eyes widened as he gave a strangled gasp. The cavern was... empty. The spot where Duo's injured leg had been lying was marked with a bit of blood spots. That left out any doubt that he was in the wrong place.
Instantly, panic filled Heero as he felt the bottom of his stomach fall out. Hoping that his partner was only playing some kind of cruel joke, he called back to the darkness of the cave, "Duo!?"
Only a slight echo from his voice answered back. As he swallowed hard, he forced himself to realize that even Duo would not find hiding from him as a joke at this time.
Behind Heero, Trowa and Sally rushed in. Just as their reunited friend, their eyes widened at the empty cave. Breaking from her shock, the braided woman blinked at something she noticed in the ground. "What's that?" she asked as she pointed to the strange markings.
When he notices what she was pointing to, Heero walked over to the place where Duo had been lying. As he squatted, in the dirt there, written in letters that appeared to be written by a rushed hand, he read: 'I'll wait for you.'
As the color drained from his face, the ex-Wing pilot whispered gravely, "They got him." Turning quickly to the others, he exclaimed, "We have to go back to the base! We can't leave Duo behind here or they'll kill him, if they haven't already!" His hopes dashed as he now noticed the small tears in his tall friend's eyes.
Clearing his throat and swallowing hard, Trowa said quietly, "Heero, w-we already flew over the base where you and Duo were behind held as we made it to the rendezvous point, in case you couldn't escape. The place was..." his voice trailed off, unable to finished what he was about to say.
Sally fought her own fight against the stinging tears in her own eyes as she finished for him, "The base was leveled by the time we arrived. The place was small enough they only needed a few small bombs. There's nothing left of the place."
Looking up again, Trowa continued, "We have reason to believe that they were going off to get assistance for when we arrived. These rebels don't just up and run like this, not without having a plan to strike back. There still isn't any time to waist; we have to get out of here now."
Heero cast his eyes down to the message that Duo had left in the dirt. Even though he knew that Trowa was right to be concerned for a counter attack, he still couldn't will himself to leave at that moment. He knew his legs wouldn't support him if he straightened himself now. Duo was not only back in the hand of their captors, but now there was no telling as to where they ran off with him.
A hand fell on the Japanese pilot's shoulder, breaking his thoughts as he looked up to his rescuers. Squeezing his shoulder, Sally eyes shimmered as she whispered down to him, "Heero, we have to go."
With a small, hesitant nod, Heero shakily rose to his feet. With a startled gasp, Sally acted as a means of helping him balance. Had he not been so overwhelmed by his shock and fear for his friend, he would have been surprised at his own unsteadiness as well. Trowa quickly stepped in, flanking Heero's other side. With an arm under either of his, he was led back to the helicopters.
Only vaguely aware of what was happening, the ex-Wing pilot felt himself being seated. The grim faces of those Preventers around him only made the situation all the more real. Those faces belonged to some of the young men and women fortunate enough to have been trained by the lively American.
As the helicopter took to the air again, Heero's cobalt eyes followed the hill until it disappeared from his sight. For the first time he could recall, he felt small tears prickling at his eyes. With a hand, he wiped at them before they could fall. When the sun suddenly peeked into the craft, a bright sparkle from a chain caught his attention.
Blinking his wide eyes, he removed the gold cross that he completely forgotten was dangling from his neck. Holding the pendant in his open palm, the Japanese Preventer recalled his partner's last words 'I'll wait for you.'
Recalling that he had made Duo promise those words to him before he parted, Heero had to believe that the written statement was a reaffirmation. He closed his palm tightly around the gold cross, his fist nearly shaking from his strain.
He had sworn to is best friend that he would find him. He promised to return his necklace. Whatever that means, Heero knew that he wouldn't rest peacefully until he fulfilled just that.
* * * * * *
"Heero? ...Heero?"
Duo's voice broke through the unruly-haired teenager's thoughts of the past. Looking over to the passenger seat, his eyes met concerned violet as Duo watched him. "Are you okay?" his friend asked. "You seemed like you drifted off for a while there."
With a reassuring smile, Heero replied, "I'm all right. Just thinking." That seemed to appease his braided partner as he gave his own small smile and a nod. As Duo turned his head back to gaze out the windshield, Heero couldn't help but admire him for just a moment longer.
Focusing on the long stretch of highway again, the Japanese pilot unclenched his right hand in his lap. He could feel the small scars from the gold cross that he squeezed until it embedded his palm that fateful morning. Lifting the hand from his lap, he placed it back on the steering wheel.
That morning as they had packed their things, Duo had remained quiet but continued to put on a brave front. There was no telling of what onslaught of emotions must have been wracking him since his announcement that it was time to head back home... back to deal with his past.
The only hint to Duo's inner struggle had been the few times Heero caught him running his hand over the bracelet made of the remains of his green tank top.
After a long pause of silence, Heero hesitantly stated, "I didn't know how to tell you, but Lady Une gave away your code name to another Preventer a while back." Thankful that the news did not seem to surprise or upset the other pilot when he nodded, he took a silent sigh of relief.
With a small smirk, Heero glanced from the corner of his eye and suggested, "We could think of a new name for you before we get back. Somehow, Agent Night never seemed to fit you, anyway." The reassurance served its purpose as Duo turned towards him with a bright grin.
'No,' Heero thought to himself at the sight of the smile, 'Night certainly could never fit something so that lights up so much.' He refrained from actually voicing his opinion.
Sighing silently to himself, the ex-Wing pilot thought about his newest dilemma... coming to terms with the realization that he was in love with his best friend. While he did hear Duo mummer his own affections as he drifted off in his arms the night before, Heero didn't know how to broach the topic with him just yet.
After having been through so much the last couple years, sure the braided pilot would have difficulty going into a relationship in addition to, now, literally facing his demons. While he wanted nothing more than to be able to share the fact that he shared his partner's feelings, Heero decided best to wait and think over the matter of how to bring it up.
"Phoenix," Duo's voice broke through his train of thought. As he turned, the Japanese Preventer found a small grin on the American's face as he shrugged, "How about Agent Phoenix?"
The concept made the corners Heero's own mouth tug upward as he replied quietly, "It's certainly fitting." He gave a firm nod, "I like it."
As he turned to gaze ahead again, Duo continued to smile slightly as he said softly, "Me too."
* * * * * *
Trowa sighed deeply as he rubbed his tired eyes. After sitting before his computer monitor for over twelve hours straight now, his exhaustion was quickly catching up. Across from him, Anna continued to work at her own station. Since announcing their discovery that there was a leak in the Preventers, the two pilots stationed themselves in the secured computer lab that served as the database for headquarters.
As he watched his red-headed lover continue to type at a fevered pace, he noted the frustration on her face. At the rate they were going, it would take weeks to decode the disturbance in the transfer of data. While that was certainly better than most hackers could accomplish, it was not nearly enough time to find the persons responsible for the security breech.
With a deep growl, Anna slouched forward in her seat. Rubbing her face with her hands, she commented, "Just when it seems as if we're following the missing thread in the right direction, they branch off to dozens of other possibilities."
Nodding, Trowa replied, "We can't stay cramped in this room without someone noticing. Lady Une's cover story that we're updating some new servers in here will only work for so long, a week or two at the most."
Anna added, "And if we're still here after that amount of time, word will get around quick. It'll tip off the bastards we're after before we get even pick up their scent. We don't have the weeks or months we thought that we had to work on this."
Folding his hands before his face, the tall ex-Gundam pilot thought aloud, "We need to think of another angle to narrow down the search."
As she ran a hand through her long bangs, sighed, "I'm open to any suggestions you have. I'm running out of my own pretty quickly over here."
With his arms folded, Trowa leaned back in his chair. Closing his eyes for a moment to gather his thoughts, he took a deep breath. After a long pause, his emerald eyes snapped open, wide. Quickly sitting up, he smirked, "We should start hacking into bank accounts."
Realization filled his partner's widening blue eyes as she stated, "See who's made a big pay off over the last few years. That would certainly give them motive for selling themselves to the enemy. There are a lot of people who would sell their souls if the price was right."
With a nod, the tall brunette continued, "It'll still take a lot of time, but it'll narrow down the field considerably faster than the route we're going. When we see anything suspicious, we can see if they're linked to this breech."
Smirking mischievously, Anna chuckled deeply, "God, I love you." Her fingers quickly tapped at her laptop's keys again as she advised him, "I can have us past the National Bank security system in a few minutes here."
* * * * * *
When they drove into the town nearest to their home on the beach, Heero suddenly came up with an idea. Turning the car towards in the opposite direction of the house, he announced, "Our house is pretty quiet, even with the two of us living in it." Duo looked at him with a confused expression at his choice of words, and the change in direction.
Smirking at him, Heero shrugged, "I had been thinking about getting a pet for some time now. What do you say we go check out the pet store?"
Duo's violet eyes widened in disbelief as he gasped sharply and whispered, "Y-you mean it?"
Heero chuckled deeply as he nodded, "You always wanted one. I think having one around now would be a good idea. It'll be a lot of work, but between the two of us, we'll be able to handle it."
Even the slightest hesitation Heero may have had at the notion vanished at the sight of the wide smile on his best friend's face. He wanted this to be something to ease the difficult times that Duo had ahead of him. Already, it seemed he had made the right decision.
* * * * * *
When they entered the pet store, Heero had to suppress a chuckle as he watched his excited partner looking over the kennels filled with a wide array of animals. As he stood beside the braided bundle of energy waiting to explode, he said, "Any idea which one you want?"
Shaking his head, Duo laughed, "I don't know how anyone can pick just one." His violet eyes scanned the kennels to the different breeds of dogs. Most of the canines were still quite young and energetic as they yelped to get the attention of the people watching them.
Before long, one puppy did standout of the group. In one of the last kennels on the bottom row, a collie stayed near the back of their cage, trembling slightly at the loud noises around them. Both Heero and Duo looked to the puppy at the same time, their attention drawn to the contrast of energy from the other animals.
Half of the pup's muzzle was light brown, the other half closest to its brown nose was white. Its tail was tipped with white in the same fashion. While the light brown fur was dominant over the remainder of the dog's body, its belly and paws were capped in the same snow white as its tail tip. Finally, the white markings surrounding the edges of its dark eyes rounded out the pup's physical character.
One of the young store clerks walked up, a sad smile on her face as her own brown eyes fell on the timid puppy. "A family that lives not far from here had a litter of purebred collies that they gave to us to sell, as opposed to worrying about it, themselves," she explained.
Gesturing with her head to the little collie, she said, "The poor thing is seven months old and the last of her siblings to be picked up. She hasn't taken to her confinement too well, and the sound of the other dogs makes her skittish."
At the small whimper that the collie made as she tried to back further in her corner, Duo turned to Heero with a saddened look on his own face. Smiling as he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, the ex-Wing pilot addressed the clerk as he stated, "We'll take her." Duo's eyes lit up as he smiled and mouthed the words, 'Thank you.'
The young brunette grinned brightly, "Very well, sir. We'll get you set up with whatever you need to take care of her."
Nearly a half-hour later, the two pilots had the dog bowls, toys, brushes, food and all the other little things needed for their new pet packed in the Taurus's trunk. When they returned to the store, Rachel, as they now came to know her, was walking from the kennels with a large box.
Biting his lip, Duo accepted the carton as the girl smiled warmly, "Here's your little one."
Inside, the little collie was sniffing up at the young men watching her. While she still seemed a bit timid, her curiosity certainly was getting the better of her as she walked to the nearest 'wall' towards the new faces. "She's perfect," Duo said quietly, a small smile on his face.
After exchanging their thanks, Heero and Duo walked back to their car with their new pet. Once they settled themselves back inside, the ex-Wing pilot smiled as he reached over to pat the top of the pup's head. When he pulled his hand back, he chuckled deeply as the little collie licked his hand.
"Duo, you have any ideas for a name?" Heero asked. "I'm sure Lassie would be too cliché."
The smile on Duo's face had never faded from the moment the pup was names theirs. As he gently ran his hand over her long fur, he replied, "Yuuki."
Unable to help the smile from spreading on his own face, the Japanese pilot nodded, "Yuuki it is." It was only fitting, after all, that their pet be given the Japanese word for Courage. Putting the key into the ignition, he prepared to bring their newest addition home with them.
* * * * * *
Later that evening, once all of their unpacking was finally taken care of and dinner was cleared away, Heero stepped out onto the front porch of their beach house. He smiled to himself at the sight of his braided partner sitting on the long swing, overlooking the ocean. It was no surprise to find him there, as it always was his favorite place to relax.
With the sun beginning to set, the sky was an amazing array of colors as the sea rolled in peacefully across the stretch of sand. The small smile on Duo's face in the glow of the bright reds, yellows, oranges, greens, blues and violets that reflected from the sky painted him as some fey-like creature.
As wonderful as a sight it was, Heero still couldn't help but remind himself that this was just the calm before the impending storm.
Curled in the American's lap was Yuuki. The pup's head perked up at the sight of the ex-Wing pilot and her tail wagged excitedly. While it had taken the pup a couple hours before she really felt safe with her new owners and in her new surroundings, she quickly warmed up to her new situation.
Looking over, Duo smiled at his best friend as he approached the swing. Heero returned the smile as he took a seat beside him. Gently, he rubbed the back of Yuuki's ear as she panted happily. She licked his hand a couple times when he pulled it away to stretch his arm out behind his best friend.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Heero asked softly, his gaze trained out on the horizon. "You know that you don't have to do this if you don't think you're up to it."
From the corner of his cobalt eye, he saw Duo nod as he replied, "I'm as ready as I'll ever be." They stayed in a companionable silence for a moment, leaving the topic at that.
With his own violet eyes gazing out to the view ahead, Duo whispered after a long pause, "Heero, I...." He forced himself to meet his partner's eyes as he said sincerely, "Thank you for, well, everything these last few months. I really don't think I would have gotten this far without you."
Heero gave him a small grin as he replied just as quietly, "You're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for." He gave a firm nod as he continued, "But you're very welcome." Biting his lip, Duo gave a nervous smile as he leaned in and kissed his best friend's cheek lightly.
Leaning up against the other Preventer, Duo closed his eyes as he rested his head on Heero's shoulder. Wrapping his arm tightly around the braided teenager's shoulder, Heero placed a tender kiss atop his best friend's. With a squeeze from his arm, he rested his head on Duo's as he continued to gaze out to the horizon.
As they sat together like that for the remainder of the sunset, the voice in Heero's head kept telling him how some day he would find the words to tell Duo how he felt. Until then, he would be content with moments like this. At least now, there could be a some day.
TBC...
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