[Every time you hear the rolling thunder
You turn around before the lightning strikes
And doest it ever make you stop and wonder
If all your good times passed you by?]
--- Lyrics from 'Good Is Good' Performed by Cheryl Crow
A Silver Lining Part 30
At the early rays of light peeking through the cracks at the edge of the drawn shade, Duo's nose wrinkled as he stirred from his deep slumber. The heaviness of his eyelids at his first attempt to open them tempted him to just fall back into the great oblivion of sleep once more. He was just tired. He ached all over.
With a deep sigh, Duo buried the side of his face closer into the familiar firm chest beneath him. In suddenly finding that his head was not on a soft pillow, the sensation of the strong arms wrapped around him registered.
That was when the events of the previous night came rushing back in an overwhelming flash of memories. Duo's last conscious thought was seeing Heero just as he could feel his resolve crashing around him. Vaguely, he remembered falling into his partner's strong arms before sweet slumber took him at last.
Heero.
Finding the motivation to face the world in knowing where he was, the braided pilot's violet eyes blinked open as he looked up. The warm, relieved smile that greeted him left him breathless. Without a word, Heero leaned down to press their lips together. Returning the gentle kiss, Duo moaned quietly as his eyes drifted back closed.
When he pulled back, the ex-Wing pilot's eyes slid open as he smiled and whispered, "Good morning." Humming softly, Duo mumbled the same as he snuggled closer in his embrace with a content smile on his own face.
After a lingering, companionable silence, Heero gently ran a hand over the other pilot's braided head. Opening his eye into a thin slit, the American peered up to find his partner watching him. Finally opening his eyes fully, he sat up and asked, "How long have you been awake watching me sleep?"
The small smile on the Japanese Preventer's face grew a bit as he shrugged, "I haven't really kept track." Reaching up, he brushed the back of his fingers along his love's cheek. "Zechs and Noin told me how you handled yourself last night," he whispered.
Just as Duo opened his mouth to object, only to be stopped when Heero placed a gentle finger over his lips. "Don't belittle it," the ex-Wing pilot frowned. "I know you." Reluctantly, the smaller teenager nodded with a deep sigh as he lowered his head back down onto his best friend's chest.
Gently kissing the braided pilot's forehead, Heero held him closer. "I'm so damned proud of you and how you handled yourself," he breathed.
"Even with my falling apart when it was over," Duo asked in a broken voice, the memories of that horrific experience returning.
His smile returning, the Japanese Preventer whispered back brokenly, "Even with that." With a deep sigh, Heero closed his cobalt eyes to enjoy simply holding his partner in his arms. The night before had been a trial for him, having to sit and wait for any word on how the mission went and if Duo was alright.
When he felt confident enough in his voice again after clearing the knot in his throat, Heero commented, "Hopefully with that data card that we have now, we can finally put all of this behind us."
Nodding against his love's firm shoulder, the braided Preventer replied with a deep sigh, "One can only hope." He chuckled, "Nobody wants to have this case of the White Out Organization closed more than I do."
At that, Heero gently lifted the other young man's face with a finger under his chin so that their eyes met. "That wasn't all I was referring to," he stated quietly. "I want to resign from the Preventers after this."
His violet eyes widening, Duo's breath hitched in his throat. "I thought that you wanted to take time to consider that when this is all over," he managed to whisper. As badly as he wanted to leave their life of fighting behind, he would never force his own wishes on his partner. If Heero wanted to stay with the Preventers, then so would he.
With their eyes still locked, the Japanese pilot frowned, "I had all the time that I needed to think last night while I was here, waiting for word on how you were. It's different when I'm the one who's away, but now I know what it's like for you when you're the one left behind."
Turning away for a second, Heero swallowed hard past the lump in his throat as small tears filled his eyes when their gazes locked again. His voice cracking, he stated, "I don't ever want to have to go through that again. God, Duo, you have no idea how scared I was for you while you were on that mission."
In finding the intensity in those cobalt eyes and in that voice, Duo to his own battle against an onslaught of tears as he breathed, "Heero..." Unable to find any words that would serve any justice in that moment, the braided Preventer leaned in to kiss him fiercely. With a whimper, the ex-Wing pilot returned the gesture as he tightened his hold.
Breaking finally for air, the two young men just clung onto each other as they panted to catch their breaths. "I'm tired of fighting," Heero confided at last. "I'm so damn tired of allowing myself to fight for a peace that I never had the chance to enjoy, myself."
With a shuddering breath, he continued, "Until recently, I was content with having life pass around me because I didn't have a reason to care." Running a hand down the length of the braid that had fallen and curled over the other pilot's shoulder, he smiled warmly, "But I do now."
Duo felt a warming grin tug his own lips as he replied softly, "That is the damned most romantic thing that anyone has ever said to me." At that, he took his partner's smiling lips again in a chaste kiss. "I love you," he whispered as his breath tinged the swollen mouth beneath his own.
His smile growing, Heero answered in kind, "Love you." Looking to the closed off windows, he sighed deeply, "I suppose that we best go and check-"
"You son of a bitch!" a voice squealed from downstairs, cutting off Heero's thoughts. Before either of them could reach, they heard the loud barking from Yuuki. Their eyes widened, the two ex-Gundam pilots sprung from their bed and ran from their bedroom to the source of the cry and their pup's excited barking.
Out in the hallway, Relena stepped from the room she and Quatre were sharing. Looking to Heero and Duo as they ran in her direction, she frowned deeply in concern, "That sounded like Angie." With nods of confirmation, the young men sprinted past her, their eyes narrowed in preparation for whatever caused the young woman to scream as she had.
Behind his lover, Quatre finished throwing on a simple, deep orange T-shirt over his black boxers before leaving the room with a kiss of reassurance on Relena's cheek. "Stay up here until we know what's going on," he called over his shoulder as he darted after his friends, joining Trowa and Wufei as they also rushed into the hallway.
The first to reach the living room, Heero and Duo nearly froze at the sight that awaited them. Backed into a corned, his hands over his head as Angie rained down a relentless siege of kicks and punches on him. From a few feet back, Yuuki barked and whined at the two Preventers as if asking them to stop.
Getting his bearings first, the ex-Wing pilot ran into the room to wrap his arms around Angie's waist from behind. As he pulled her away from her prone target, the young woman cried out in rage, trying desperately to break free as she squirmed.
"Angie, stop it!" Heero growled through gritted teeth at her as he continued to pull her back. Before any further strain was put on his recovering shoulder, Wufei rushed into the room to assist restraining the frantic agent.
Trowa and Quatre moved in to inspect Scott as the stunned, white-haired pilot staggered to his feet again. Raising his head, he revealed a large cut on his bottom lip that had split open with blood running down his chin. Along with other cuts and bruises that he sported on his face and exposed arms, the young man had his arms wrapped around his abdomen as signs of further injuries that were inflicted upon him.
Despite his haggard look, Scott glared at his restrained attacker and yelled, "Get that bitch the fuck out of this house! I won't stand for this sort of treatment!"
Slacking in her attempts to get away from Heero and Wufei, Angie snarled back him, "You don't have any right to be here, you bastard! How dare you hide here while the others risked their lives last night!"
Tears filled her brown eyes as she shouted, "Three good agents were killed while you stayed locked away here!" Her determination renewed, the dark-haired young woman began to try to struggle free again, only to have Trowa assist his two friends in holding her.
In their having to move at a less speedy pace, Relena and Anna finally reached the living room doorway, where Duo was sitting to calm the pup that had rushed to his lap. "What the hell happened here?" the redheaded agent blinked in shock.
"Looks as though Angie was just giving Scott a proper 'Good morning,'" Duo smirked up to the stunned young women. The collie in his lap stretched up to lick the side of his face in her relief of having him home again. With a deep chuckle, the braided pilot continued to pet the little ball of fur.
With a sigh of relief, Relena commented, "She wouldn't have known that Scott was here until this morning. When she came to the safe house, she went back into shock and not very aware of what was going on around her." The politician smirked, "She must be doing better if she's giving three ex-Gundam pilots a time of holding her back." Beside her, Anna snorted in amusement.
Slowly approaching the young woman as she began to calm again, much to the relief of the three young men holding her back, Relena smiled warmly to her. "Angie, why don't you come with me to the kitchen?" she spoke soothingly. "You look as though you could use a nice cup of tea, and I could use the company."
Finally having caught her breath, Angie's shoulders slumped in defeat. With a small nod of gratitude, she replied to the politician, "I suppose I could use something to settle my stomach." Relena's smile grew as she ushered the agent from the room with Quatre at her side. All the while as they walked, the dark-haired Preventer glared heatedly at Scott, receiving the same treatment from him without flinching.
The moment his attacker had disappeared, the white-haired pilot wiped the blood from his chin and hissed, "I want her out of here."
Folding his arms, Trowa's emerald eyes narrowed on him as he stated, "Like you, she is in danger of being a target for White Out. She's not going anywhere, so you best get used to the idea of sharing this estate with her."
"Quite frankly, you're lucky we decided to keep her back," Wufei sneered. "The next time that Angie decides to take out her aggression on you, we may not be so quick to come to your assistance."
Duo had to bite his lip to refrain from laughing at the wide-eyed, stunned look on the injured pilot's face at that last comment. Anything that Scott might have had planned to say was lost in the realization that he truly did not have any allies in their safe house.
The front door opened to Sally, Zechs and Noin returning from their briefing with Lady Une. In entering the living room, they froze with wide eyes in finding Scott's state and turned with questioning looks to the other pilots. "What did we miss?" Noin was the first to ask as her eyes narrowed on the white-haired Preventer.
Gesturing to the three newcomers, Wufei answered, "Everything's been handled. I'll fill you in over breakfast." As they left the room with the Chinese pilot leading the pack, the three agents each gave a last glance to the injured pilot to satisfy themselves that whatever had taken place was indeed taken care of.
With a deep sigh, Anna unfolded her arms and pushed off from the wall that her back was leaning against. "I better go check on Angie," she announced to her friends. "I'm sure when Quatre and Relena fill her in on why Agent Rain is here she won't exactly be thrilled to here that he kept information on White Out from us and that he'll be staying."
The metal brace around the red-haired agent's leg creaked and clicked as its sockets flexed with every step of the red-haired pilot's left leg. Chuckling deeply from where he sat with Yuuki, Duo smirked up at her, "You sound like the Tin Man from OZ."
Her head falling back, Anna laughed, "No shit. How the hell will I be able to sneak up on anyone with this damn hunk of metal on?" She continued to move from the room as her brace hinges continued to squeak and moan. "Oil can. Oil can," the young woman mumbled like the famed character from the said film as she headed for the door with Trowa following. Shaking their heads, her friends laughed at the impression.
As he ran a hand through his unruly hair, the ex-Wing pilot sighed deeply, "Seeing how all is in order, I'm going to start my morning exercises before breakfast."
With one last squeeze to their puppy, Duo rose to his feet and replied, "I'll join you. I could use something to get out some aggression after last night."
Just before the four pilots stepped out of the room, Scott's quiet voice asked them, "Who were they?" Their eyes wide, Heero, Duo, Trowa and Anna looked up to the white-haired agent. Clearing his throat as he raised his head to meet their gazes, the young man questioned with a deep frown, "Who were the three Preventers that were killed last night?"
Trowa did his best to detach himself from the emotion in losing three of their own. However, he was unable to hide the grief in his voice as he answered, "Agent Bolt, Agent Night and Agent Torrent... Brian, Samantha and Robert. They were taken out while they were securing the area before we arrived. We found them dead during the mission. A recovery team was sent in a few hours ago to gather their bodies."
In hearing the names of the fallen pilots, Scott seemed to sadden, his head lowering again. Nodding slightly, he ran a hand through his spiky hair and replied, "Thanks." The other four gave small nods of acknowledgement of their own, each still taken aback by his sudden interest shown in knowing about his comrades.
As they stepped into the hall, Duo commented quietly, "Well that was unexpected."
"I guess there are some things that he cares about other than himself, after all," Trowa said as he looked back to the living room entrance. From there, the four agents parted ways to start the day on a better foot.
* * * * * *
Later that morning, everyone had had their breakfasts and went about their daily activities. Angie remained in the enclosed deck at the back of the large estate with Relena. In her learning of Scott's reason for staying at the safe house, she proved to be less than happy with the notion but she did reserve herself and promised that there would not be another outburst on her part.
Gazing out one of the large glass windows to the forest around them, the dark-haired Preventer frowned deeply, "I never should have allowed myself to become involved with someone I hardly knew. My foolishness could have cost the investigation everything."
From where she sat across from the young woman, Relena leaned forward as much as her swollen belly would allow. "But you did the right thing in the end, Angie," she reassured her. "You came forward when you realized what Kent was."
Quatre returned from the kitchen with a tray of three teacups as the end of his lover's comment. "What's more than that," he added as he set the tray down on the table between the three of them, "Had it not been for you, we wouldn't have that data disk to help our search." At the sound of the teakettle whistling, the Arabian quickly stepped from the room again.
Angie turned to face the young woman that she had confided her experience to. Biting her lip, she asked brokenly, "And you don't think little of me for what I did? You don't think of me as some kind of slut?"
Giving her a warm smile, Relena shook her head, "Of course not. Your choices are your own to live with. The only thing that I would say you were guilty of was not thinking through your emotions and letting them run away with you." Her smile grew as she shrugged, "But that is something that I had been guilty of, myself."
At that, Angie's brown eyes widened as she stammered, "R-really, Miss Peacecraft?"
With a deep chuckle, the young Vice-Foreign Minister shook her head, "Please, just call me Relena, as all of my friends do. I feel old whenever I am referred to by any other title." As Angie eased in her seat in now feeling more at ease in that announcement, Relena smiled, "I once thought that I was madly in love with someone who was terribly wrong for me."
In hearing such a startling thing, Angie's mouth fell open and the blonde young woman just laughed. Sighing deeply, Relena shrugged, "I was young and foolish. Teenage crushes are very to confuse with being something more."
Biting her lip, the dark-haired Preventer inquired, "How did you know that what you felt for Quatre was any different than just a crush?" Before stepping into the room with the ceramic teakettle, the Arab young man paused in the doorway. Leaning his ear towards the entrance, he bit his own lip in anticipation.
Relena seriously considered the question as she sat back in her seat. Finally, a grin tugged at her lips and she answered, "It's like an old saying that is so well known now. I wasn't willing to let go of this first young man that I thought I was in love with... because I knew that if I did, he would never come back to me. Even in knowing that, I held on to an idea that I was in love with and not the person."
Taking a deep breath, the blonde politician smirked, "When Quatre and I became reacquainted after the war, I wasn't looking for anything more than just a friendship because I was still holding onto that idea. But then, I found that the times I spent apart from him, I just looked forward to seeing him again. Without even trying, Quatre managed to replace the idea that I had with something real.
"Suddenly, the idea of what I thought I wanted paled in comparison to what he had to offer," Relena concluded. "That's the difference." Blinking as she took in the blonde young woman's words, Angie smirked and gave a grateful nod.
From where he waited listening, Quatre smiled to himself before stepping into the room again. Before setting the kettle down, he bent down to kiss his lover's cheek and was rewarded by her glowing smile in response. After filling their three cups, the ex Gundam took his seat.
Once her cup of tea was finished, Angie removed the small data disk from her pocket. Turning the simple chip in her fingers, she smirked, "If anything, I can put my anger to use in getting the information off of this." With a renewed sense of purpose, the dark-haired young woman rose from her seat. Calling back over her shoulder, she winked to the young couple, "Thank you, both, for everything."
When Angie stepped out of the room, Relena raised an eyebrow and smirked over to her lover, "You were listening in on me, weren't you?"
Knowing that he could never lie to her without making it obvious that he was doing so, Quatre grinned and shrugged, "Just for a little while." He laughed Relena playfully jabbed him in the ribs. Moving to sit beside her on the sofa, the blonde pilot kissed her soundly and whispered, "You know I love you, right."
"Of course," Relena smiled. Settling beside each other on the couch and enjoyed a rare moment of peace and quiet in the safe house.
* * * * * *
The hours bled into days as Angie worked diligently in breaking through the security locks on the data card. Finally, after nearly a week, her red-rimmed eyes widened at the scanned transactions that appeared on her laptop's monitor. "That's it," she whispered to herself in disbelief.
Her hands flying over the keyboard to confirm what she had found, Angie smiled in elation, "That's it!" With a sharp gasp, she quickly turned to the vid phone on the other side of the desk that she had been working at.
In hearing the line pick up in mid-ring, the dark-haired agent didn't even wait for a greeting and announced excitedly, "Lady Une, I found Kent's hideout!"
* * * * * *
The team was assembled within the same hour upon word of Angie's findings. On the secluded colony where the hideout was stationed, several Preventers were wrapping up another mission that they had been assigned to. Mobilized and off to the location, the five agents armed themselves in preparation for retaliation.
While the young men and women that had been given this assignment were given little background on their task at hand, they were also quite used to working under such circumstances. Whatever their Commander wanted, their Commander got. This would be no exception to their rule.
"Our orders are to bring our man into custody alive," the head of operations for the pick-up called back to his team as he drove their military vehicle through the rugged terrain of deserted wasteland. "If you have to shoot, shoot to wound."
From the back of the truck as they loaded their weapons, his ensemble of four replied with affirmatives. His eyes narrowing, the driver of the camouflaged transport picked up on an approaching rise. "Looks like we've found our asshole," the young man sneered.
His brown eyes widening, the young man at the wheel hissed, "What the hell..." Several yards from the remains of what looked to have been a single-layered building, the military truck came to a stop.
Slowly, the shock clear on all of their faces, the five Preventers stepped from the vehicle and approached the hideout. As they examined the concaved center of the stone building, the agents had to step over the large chunks of stone and other debris that had been blown out of the center of the residence.
The furthest sides of the building remained standing, untouched by the blast. The center of the hideout from front to back, however, was covered with rubble.
One of the young women on the team sighed deeply, "As far out from the nearest society as this place is, it's no wonder no one would have heard the explosion." Carefully brandishing their weapons, the agents moved around to assess the area.
"Everything has been charred to hell in here," one of the younger men called from where he examined inside what must have been the living room. Kicking some of the blackened debris around him, he gasped sharply in revealing the blackened, skeletal remains of what looked to be an arm. "Shit!" he cried out, holding out his semi-automatic riffle to the gruesome things that looked to be grasping upward from the pile of stone.
Running into the scene, the commander of the recovery team placed a hand on the younger soldier's shoulder. "Easy there, Agent Thorn," he reassured. Along with three of his other teammates, he bent at the knees to brush away the pile of rubble around the gruesome, exposed hand.
Before long, the remainder of the charred body was revealed. The skin had been melted off from more than half of the corpse, leaving the bone that was exposed broken and blackened. The smell drove some of those pilots closest to the body to their feet instantly as they covered their mouths and noses. "Damn it," the head agent hissed.
Looking up to his team, the young man ordered, "Contact Commander Une. Tell her that we were too late."
TBC...
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