A Silver Lining Part 20
The last two days of waiting for any word from Quasar had been agonizing. Duo was doing his best to keep himself occupied, though his efforts did little to ease his tension. Having Quatre and Relena did help the braided pilot keep his sanity in having actual people to talk instead of talking to himself. They had both been extremely supportive and understanding when he needed to voice his concerns over the mission. This mission was the first he ever back out on and the decision to do so was still looming over him, let alone the fact that his partner was off fighting without his backup.
It was just quickly growing dark when Duo returned to his secluded home on the beach following his walk with Yuuki. Just feeling the need to have some time alone, and allow the young couple staying with him some privacy, he opted to enjoy the warm day outdoors. Along with all of those reasons, today was a particularly difficult day.
If the transport ship was going to continue on its run as planned, the mission should have been underway by now - if it was not already completed. At any time, Duo hoped to get some kind of word from Heero or the others on how everything went. His stomach was in knots all afternoon in hopes that the mission went smoothly and nobody had been injured. The thin bags under his eyes spoke of the lack of sleep he had been suffering the last couple of nights in anticipation of the dangerous interception.
At seeing the house, the pup let out a playful bark and ran towards it. Shaking his braided head, the ex-Gundam pilot strolled after her. Quietly re-entering the house with the puppy running in before him Duo moved towards the living room to rest his feet for a bit. He stopped just within the doorway at the sight of his two friends at the couch furthest in the room.
Lying on her back across the sofa, Relena's eyes were closed and a serene smile was on her face while Quatre sat on the floor beside her, his head gently lying on her swollen belly. Gently running a hand through her lover's blonde hair, the young woman asked quietly, "It's still pretty overwhelming, isn't it?"
A warm smile lit Quatre's face at the question. When the baby started kicking again, he reached up to caress Relena's stomach lightly. "It is," he replied just as softly. He opened his eyes to meet the blue eyes watching him and said, "During the war, I never dreamed that I would be a father one day." His smile faded and his eyes saddened.
With her elbows propped on the couch, Relena sat up a bit with a concerned frown. "What is it, Quatre?" she asked.
Lowering his gaze to the floor, the Arab pilot said quietly, "It's just that... I don't know what kind of father I'll be. I can't take back the things that I did during the war, Relena. You know I still have nightmares from that time. It just worries me over how good of a parent I am going to be to our child."
Slowly, Quatre lifted his head to meet the eyes of the young woman he had fallen in love with. Biting his lip, he whispered, "I just don't want you to have any regrets."
Relena's smile returned and she carefully sat up before lowering herself to sit beside the ex-Sand Rock pilot. Cupping the side of his face, she leaned in and kissed him soundly, their eyes drifting closed as the kiss deepened and lengthened.
When they separated at last, the Vice Foreign Minister smiled lovingly to the uncertain eyes opening to her. "I do not, nor will I ever, have any regrets when it comes to you or our child, Quatre," she breathed. "I need you in my life."
Lowering her hand from the side of Quatre's face, she took up one of his own hands to hold it against her belly. "And you are going to be a wonderful father," she reassured him quietly. "And that's because of the things that you've had to do and the things that you experienced. I don't think that a child could be in better care than someone who knows how precious life is and how important it is to protect it."
Small tears filled Quatre's aquamarine eyes at the tender and sincerity behind his lover's words. "I love you, Relena," he whispered in a voice that Duo's ears strained to hear from where he was.
With small tears in her own eyes, Relena replied the same, "I love you, too... with all of me." They leaned in to exchange another tender kiss.
From where he stayed in silent vigil, Duo smiled warmly to himself and stepped away from the tender moment to give his friends more time alone. Seeing the exchange between the young couple was as heart-warming as it was heart retching in that it only made him ache to be with Heero all the more.
Yuuki was anxiously waiting in the kitchen for her treat that she was always rewarded for being good on her walks. Chuckling deeply, the braided pilot took care of his unspoken duty in appeasing the pup when it came to giving her treats. He took up the tea kettle and began boiling the water within to make some tea for his guests. In a matter of minutes, the kettle rang out in announcing that the water was ready.
Taking up a tray with three ceramic cups of tea, Duo headed back to the living room. He was in the middle of the hallway when the phone suddenly rang. With a sharp gasp, the American's eyes widened and he quickly made his way to the living room a few feet away yet.
"Trowa," Quatre's voice carried from the room. "How was the mission? What's wrong?" At the sudden concern that he heard in his friend's voice, Duo's heart pulsed faster and desperately, he tried to reach the doorway that seemed to move further away from him, the hallway stretching deeper ahead of him.
When he finally approached the doorway, Duo could just make out Trowa's voice over the vid phone. Whatever his friend was saying over the phone was lost for all but two words that screamed in his ears, "Heero... shot."
The tray fell from Duo's hands, the cups shattering against the tiled floor. Both Quatre and Relena jumped from where they were sitting before the vid phone at the loud crash. The couple quickly moved from where they sat before the coffee table when Duo ran towards them, falling to his knees before the monitor. His voice desperate and his face pale, the braided pilot choked out, "Trowa, what happened? Is Heero all right?"
On the monitor, Trowa's tired face smiled warmly to his friend and he quietly reassured him, "Duo, it's all right. Heero is out of surgery now and will make a full recovery with some rest and time. I was merely calling to advise you that the mission was a success and Heero is going to be just fine."
Tears began to fall from Duo's violet eyes and Relena moved to sit beside him in sensing that he was in no position to speak. Gently rubbing soothing circled along her braided friend's back, she looked to the tall pilot on the monitor and asked, "Any details on what happened to him?"
Sighing deeply, Trowa frowned and nodded, "Two agents from Heero's team witnessed his shooter hitting him twice from behind. She fired on him twice before they took her out." At the mention of the young woman's name, his friends' eyes widened in disbelief.
Outside, a figure in dark clothing ran towards the black car waiting a half mile from the beach house. Turning on the ignition, the lone driver sped off at top speed into the darkening evening to peel down the desolate road.
Looking to the clock on the dashboard, they estimated about another hour or two before the people within the house would begin to settle themselves down to bed. Plenty of time to get to find a place to sit and watch the view.
"By Allah," Quatre whispered, his eyes still wide at the news that they just received. "He's lucky they got to him in time." His hand was already squeezing his trembling friend's shoulder for support while Relena continued to rub Duo's back soothingly.
Trowa nodded again and replied, "I can't go into great details of the mission and all that happened at this time, but I will keep you posted on Heero's progress." He smiled to his teary-eyed comrade and said gently, "I know that he'll want to speak to you when he wakes up, Duo. Until then, get some sleep."
Biting his lip, Duo forced a smile and replied brokenly, "Thank you, Trowa." With a few farewells, the call was disconnected.
As emotional as she had become in her current pregnant state, Relena was losing her own fight to the tears filling her own eyes as he turned towards her American friend. Gently drying his face, she whispered, "Heero's going to be fine, Duo. There's no need to worry any more, just as Trowa said." Yuuki came up and curled in her owner's lap, lifting her tiny head in attempt to lick at his face.
Quatre added with an encouraging grin, "And you know better than any of us of the things that he's pulled through in the past. This will be nothing for him."
Wiping the last of his tears, Duo turned to the friends sitting on either side of him and whispered with a small smile, "Thanks, you, guys... for everything these last couple of days." Looking down to the wiggling ball of fur in his lap, he laughed quietly, "I know I would have lost my mind long before now if you two weren't here." His friends chuckled deeply and Relena placed a gently kiss atop his braided head.
* * * * * *
Slowly lowering her gun while Zechs kept his own trained on the young man across what was once the living quarters for Jessica Adams aboard Quasar. Words angrily engraved in the walls around them reading 'SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS' seemed to come to life, adding to the tension in the room like a breathing, threatening animal watching them and waiting to strike.
"You were to be the sixth leak within the Preventers?" Noin asked, almost uncertain that she had misheard the white, spike-haired young man.
With a solemn nod, the agent's deep blue eyes held no fear. "Yes. My name is Scott Dailey, otherwise known as Agent Rain. Jessica and I had once been... very close," he began. "She had approached me about the White Out organization almost four years ago. Jessica had been very bitter following the war. That bitterness was just one of the many things that we did not hold in common."
His eyes still narrowed, Zechs gritted through his teeth, "Any why are you now coming forward with this information? Why are you so willing to work with us?"
The young man that they now knew as Scott took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "Because someone is trying to kill me," he stated flatly.
* * * * * *
Weary from the mission and the events following, Trowa made his way back to the room that he and Anna shared. The red-headed pilot was sitting on the edge of their large bed with a worried expression on her face. Quickly rising at the sight of her partner, Anna quickly rose and walked towards him. "How is Heero?" she asked quietly, her arms wrapped around her thin waist.
"He pulled through the surgery," Trowa answered. "Sally said that he'll make a full recovery." With a deep sigh of relief, Anna's tense shoulders sagged and her arms fell to her sides. Taking his lover in his arms, he slowed his eyes when she returned the tight embrace. It was another close call for them. Had the shuttle not left the transport ship when it had...
For a long moment, the young couple just held each other in their silent need for reassurance and comfort. Trowa pulled back enough to kiss the other Preventer soundly. When the kiss ended and the embrace parted, he removed his flight suit with great relief and pulled on a pair of mesh shorts as he said, "I called Duo to let him know what happened."
Biting her lip, Anna frowned, "How is he holding up?"
"Quatre and Relena are staying with him, so he's better than he would have been had he been on his own," the tall pilot answered. With a deep sigh, he fell into their large bed. Chuckling deeply, Anna crawled under the covers as they held each other.
Thinking back to the mission, Trowa thought of the child that he had found on the transport ship. She had saved his life, and the lives of everyone aboard that shuttle. He lifted his head a bit and asked, "How is that little girl?" He knew that he would not need to elaborate on whom he was referring.
He felt a shudder run through his partner's body and she sighed deeply. Propping herself up to meet Trowa's gaze, Anna frowned, "Physically, she's going to be fine. As for her mental state..." Her voice broke and she shook her head.
With a deep breath, she continued. "She won't talk to anyone, so I had to learn some things from one of the other prisoners that had been rescued. She had advised me that the girl's name is Rachel. Her mother had been killed in front of her. There is no word on who her father is, or where he can be found, if he is even alive for that matter."
Her blue eyes narrowed and she growled deeply, "I don't even want to get into some of the things that the nurse found had happened to her from some of the tests that she ran." Her hands balled into fists and she shivered again in recalling the results of the examination.
Reaching up to wipe at the tears that suddenly sprang in her eyes, Anna swallowed hard. "God, Trowa, she's only six years old and she shouldn't have to be dealing with any of this," she choked out quietly.
With a hand running through his partner's hair, Trowa fought his own building rage in being able to imagine some of the things that happened to that little girl. "We should go see her tomorrow," he suggested. "I still have to thank her for saving all of us on that ship."
At that, Anna gave a small smile and nodded, "I'm sure that she'd like that." There was a long pause of companionable silence as the two pilots lied back down, wrapping their arms around each other tightly.
"I just don't see how anyone can do these things to anther person... especially a child like that. The whole world just seems to be going mad right now," Anna frowned deeply, staring off out the large windows across the room to the thousands stars.
Trowa nodded and whispered, "I know." Drying the last tear from his partner's cheek with a thumb, he smiled lovingly, "At least what we have is something that we can come back to. It's the only thing that's holding me together."
A warm smile fell on Anna's lips and she leaned in to kiss him soundly. As the kissed intensified, hands roamed and clothes were reverently removed in a desperate need to feel something right as the world around seemed to be falling apart.
* * * * * *
With a deep groan, Heero could feel himself coming out of the dark void that he found himself lost within. His eyelids felt like heavy bags when he found the strength to finally open them. Blinking against the bright light shining down on him from the ceiling, he moaned again. Thankfully, someone dimmed the light enough that he was able to fully open his eyes.
A face watching him filled his vision when he turned his head to the side. Sally. "Welcome back," she whispered with a warm, relieved smile.
Wufei returned from the light control panel to sit beside his fiancée. Taking her hand in his and placing it on his leg, the Chinese pilot smirked to his friend, "You gave us a hell of a scare back there, Yuy."
The Japanese pilot licked his dry lips and Sally was quick to carefully place a cup filled with cool water to them. After taking a long drink, Heero laid his head back down and asked in a thick voice, "What happened?"
Both Sally and Wufei shared a brief exchange in glances before the braided woman grinned, "No need to burden you with the details now, Heero. The mission was a success and you're going to be fine."
"Duo?" Heero's voice croaked out. Even as tired as he was, there was no way of hiding the concern from his cobalt eyes. All of his recollection was in disarray on account of the pain medication that was being dripped into him through his IV.
With a smirk, Wufei chuckled deeply, "You're the one who's a little worse for wear there, my friend."
Gently running a hand through the injured pilot's bangs, Sally spoke in a quiet and reassuring voice, "Duo's back at your home, remember? Quatre and Relena are taking care of him while you're away. He's safe."
Slowly, images and memories began becoming a bit clearer and with a deep sigh of relief, Heero sagged deeper into his bed. His eyes drifted closed again and his right hand tightened around something in his palm. Not having the strength to lift his head again, he somehow took comfort in whatever he was holding and squeezed his hand again.
A couple of hands worked to gingerly tuck the blankets around him and Sally's voice said quietly, "Just get some rest, Heero. We'll be back regularly to check up on you." With a small grunt of acknowledgement, the ex-Wing pilot drifted off again.
With a deep sigh, Sally brushed back some wisps of hair that came loose from her braids. "He's through the worst of it," she smiled tiredly. A yawn wide escaped her and she stretched her aching limbs.
Tightly wrapping his arms around the other pilot's waist to hold her close, Wufei told her quietly, "You did an excellent job back there." He kissed her neck and sigh deeply, closing his eyes. I'm sorry that we had to postpone the wedding on account of all of this," he whispered sincerely.
Sally gave a light snort and replied, "No need to be sorry for that, Wufei. With everything that's taken place these last six moths, a wedding is the last thing that we needed to concern ourselves with." She smirked and lightly nudged her lover in the ribs. "I'll make an honest man of you yet, when the time is right."
Wufei felt a swell of pride in knowing that he had found someone that he could honestly call his equal to share the rest of his life with. Sally understood that little came in the way of duty when it called. Over the course of the last couple years, Sally had been his strength when he had none of his own. She was the one person that he could confide in. When all of this madness was over, he vowed to make her his wife.
Kissing the braided woman soundly, Wufei gestured to the door. "Come to bed?" he asked with a playful grin on his face. Sally chuckled deeply and nodded, allowing herself to be led by the hand from the room.
* * * * * *
Zechs ran a hand through his long bangs and sighed deeply as he paced before the young man now sitting on the edge of the bed. Noin was standing in a far corner, her back leaning against the wall and her arms folded as she took in everything that they had learned. Their exhaustion following the mission long forgotten in light of the realization of what they now had for knowledge, yearned for everything that they could gather.
Sitting on the table that had been pulled beside the bed was an opened vid phone. Lady Une's image on the monitor watched Agent Rain closely, her hands folded and propped beneath her chin. When Zechs and Noin had called her saying they had an urgent matter, she never thought that she would be initializing an interrogation as she was now.
"You say that you want our protection from those wishing to silence you," Lady Une began, lowering her hands and glaring at the white-haired agent. "Why should we provide such protection considering how long you held out on this information? Why is your life so much more important than the lives of those lost thanks to your choice to refrain from coming forward sooner?"
Turing his head to face the monitor, Scott answered, "Commander, despite the fact that the war was long over when we joined the Preventers, there is an unspoken bond between those of us who fought together. I was approached by Jessica and Brian to join them in what they thought would be what they called 'the absolute resolution'."
Noin's eyes narrowed and she repeated, "'The absolute resolution'? Resolution to what?"
Scott turned his head to Agent Fire's direction and replied, "The resolution to their own personal rage revolved around the Gundam pilots. Jessica and the others didn't care what the organization did or the means they used, they only cared that they now knew someone with the power to help them destroy the people that they felt destroyed them and their cause."
Lowering his head, Agent Rain continued, "I disassociated myself with Jessica and Brian after they propositioned me. They could have killed me for what I knew back then, but they didn't because we had something in common that was embedded in us from the war. They vowed that if I ever brought the White Out Organization to light, they would have no choice but to kill me. I stayed silent to protect myself then and I am coming forward now to do what I can to help."
Still keeping his eyes trained on the floor, the white-haired pilot swallowed hard. "When I was on this mission and I saw what is being done to those people, I..." His voice fell away with a hitch in his throat. He shook his head and said firmly at last, "I want to help stop them."
Taking a deep breath, Lady Une sighed deeply and sat back in her seat. Given the situation, she had little choice in the matter. By now, someone from the White Out Organization would have known that Scott had information. They would be foolish not to try and silence him permanently. And with what little they had to go on in their investigation, this was their best chance at finally getting the people responsible for all of this.
Pursing her lips, she spoke at last, "I am left with little choice in this matter. While I do not atone your decision to value your life over those we are trying to defend as Preventers, you come to us in a time when we have few options ourselves." Agent Rain's blue eyes met hers and she nodded firmly, "You will have our protection, if you agree to cooperate with us throughout our investigation in ending the organization."
Her brown eyes narrowed threateningly and she warned, "So help me, you'll live to regret the day you were born if you steer us wrong. If there is any doubt in your 'assistance', all bets will be off and you will be arrested for treason in withholding information."
Nodding vehemently, Scott vowed, "I understand and I will do everything in my power to help, Commander." His voice softened a bit and he breathed in relief, "Thank you."
"You swear that you know nothing of the man in charge of the White Out Organization?" Zechs asked, coming to a halt before the young agent. "Of the things that Jessica shared with you, she never gave you that piece of information?"
Frowning deeply, Scott answered, "She never knew. Brian, Sara, no one knew. I only know a few names of the people that acted as liaisons between the leaks and the man calling the shots. As for the man himself, all I know is that he only wanted six agents because it would be enough bodies within the Preventers without drawing attention or alarm that something was wrong."
"Six?" Noin asked suddenly, the alarm dripping from her voice and present in her widened eyes. "I thought that you told us earlier that you were to be the fifth and final leak within the Preventers."
With a nervous smile, Scott stated, "That was before I remembered Andrew Dobson. He was the first of the group to disappear in the weeks before this mission. But yes, there were to be six leaks."
Andrew Dobson. The first leak to be discovered. The agent who took his own life when he had been discovered. Zechs's mind was a whirl of thoughts and he quickly grabbed Scott's shoulders, shouting, "Then there's another agent that they would have recruited in your place?"
His ocean blue eyes widening in realization of the time they had lost during this interrogation, Scott suddenly asked, "Where is Agent Maxwell? I thought that he was going to be stationed on this mission." Zechs and Noin's eyes widened in terror and their faces paled.
"My God!" Lady Une cried before launching from her seat within her offices. Quickly grabbing her cell phone, she dialed and placed the received to her ear. As the phone rang, sweat ran down the Commander's face as she whispered frantically, "Pick up. Pick up. Pick up."
Finally, Duo's voice answered, "Hello?"
With her brown eyes widening, Lady Une shouted, "Duo, get everyone out of that house now! You're in danger!"
Dropping the telephone receiver, Duo ran from the kitchen into the living room with wide violet eyes. Finding his friends sitting on the soft, he yelled, "We have to go! Now! Get outside!"
The startled couple decided to act rather than ask and quickly, they rose from the couch to flee the house. As his friends quickly escaped through the front door, Duo grabbed the car keys hanging in the entrance way and called for Yuuki. The pup quickly ran through the door along with her owner at his cry.
From where they watched on a tall cliff that overlooked the beach, the dark clad figure was waiting for their glorious moment. The beach house was miles off now, just near enough to be able to witness the spectacle about to unfold.
Suddenly, the motion detector at their belt began to go off. No. Not now. "They know," they hissed darkly. Before they could get too far, the figure took hold of the detonator and triggered the explosives.
The silence of the night was devastated by a massive explosion and the night suddenly imploded with burning light.
TBC...
Back to SkyLark's Fanfictions Page