Woke Up One Morning... Part 50
"Man, this is nice," I sigh deeply as I rest my head back against Heero's shoulder. Humming an affirmative, he stretches back and lets out a sigh of his own with the tub warm water sloshing around us.
When I had mentioned earlier how badly I wanted a bath after being out for a few days, I was more than thrilled when my husband asked if he could join me. So, I gladly stripped, let my hair out of its braid and ran into our private bathroom to start the water.
Though the tub is a little tight with the two of us in it- Heero sitting behind me while I lay back between his spread legs- I really couldn't be more content right now.
Besides the fact that this is easily one of the most intimate things we've ever done, it's only all the more romantic with the view and glow of the moon and stars past the large, round window beside us.
Reaching with his right hand, my partner takes mine and holds them up while resting our elbows against the edge of the tub, running his thumb over my fingers. A smile on my face, I let my eyes drift closed to just take the moment in, locking it away with so many other memories we've made these last few months together. [1]
It'll be more than nice when we have more moments like this when we retire from the 'saving the peace' business.
After a long, companionable silence between us, Heero comments out of the blue, "When we have our own place, we'll have to have a large tub in our bathroom with a whirlpool option." Grinning, I crack an eye open to see that my partner has his eyes closed and a small smile on his face as he adds, "And maybe an outdoor hot tub, too."
I close my eye again and chuckle, "Twist my arm on that idea." I bend our arms back down to kiss the back of his hand. Just then, a topic that I had meant to bring up hits me and I turn my head back to stare at my husband's moon-lit face lit for a moment.
"Thank you for not giving up on me," I breathe, surprised how quickly my throat is thickening with the emotions that are building up to the point of nearly choking me.
His eyes blinking open and locking on my gaze, I can tell 'Ro doesn't need me to elaborate, that I'm referring to the search that he and our friends were on when they searched for me and any other possible survivors after the attack on Ivanov's lab.
Since Sally told me he was the one who insisted they continue looking when the others were about to give up, I've been meaning to address it with him.
I can only imagine how difficult a time he had to endure that night.
Swallowing roughly, he takes a deep breath and whispers back, "I couldn't give up... not when leaving meant I had to accept that you were gone. It... just was not an option." I bite my lip and smile warmly at him before leaning in to kiss him soundly, hoping that I'm getting across just how damned appreciative I am.
When we pull back for air, I decide against dwelling on that rough time for the both of us and smirk, "Okay, so we have to make sure those hot tubs get added to our house plans. Anything else that we may have forgotten out of the other details that we've worked out so far?"
As he opens his mouth to answer, Heero is stopped when Une's voice comes over the com in our quarters, "Agent Wing and Agent Scythe, please report to my office right away. There has been a new development in the investigation that I wish to discuss as soon as possible with you and your team."
I sag heavily against my husband and sigh, "Great." Carefully, I get to my feet and step out of the tub with 'Ro right behind me.
Reaching for one of the nearby towels, I begin to pat my damp hair down when he surprises me with a sudden kiss. By the time he pulls back, he's managed to grab another towel and wraps it around his waist with a small grin on his face.
"We'll continue this later," he promises, winking as he grabs a third towel to help me dry the rest of myself. I open my mouth, but he already guesses what I'm about to say before it even comes out of me and snickers, "Yes, you can hold me to that."
Marveling at the accuracy at which he read me, I shake my head and laugh, "We're already one of those sickening married couples, you realize? What with our knowing what the other person is thinking and feeling, and all. We've also started finishing each other's sentences when we're around our friends, too, I've noticed."
Shrugging, Heero just smiles, "Yea." Quickly placing a kiss on my temple, he comments, "And I really wouldn't have it any other way." Taken aback by that, I blink and grin widely at him.
The moment is broken when my lover suddenly smacks my rear with the towel that he's been rolling up without my catching it. "Come on," he chuckles at my surprised yelp. "We better get a move on so the others don't have to wait on us for too long."
Practically running before I can return his little surprise, he disappears into the living quarters. Snorting, I roll my eyes and make quick work to finish drying.
On my way into the other room, I rub my tender cheek with an amused grin that is plastered on my face.
No, I wouldn't have our relationship any other way, either.
* * * * * *
Heather is practically bouncing in her seat when Heero and I step into Lady Une's office as the last to arrive. Everybody in the room turns back to smile in greeting at us while we take our seats in the front row alongside Trowa, Quatre, Wufei Zechs and Noin.
Seated behind her desk, the Commander grins to the whole group, "Thank you all for coming in on such short notice. As we all know, time is of the essence whenever we have new information regarding Ivanov." Her lips curls up more as she announces, "And as luck would have it, we have that new knowledge."
Unable to contain herself, Heather cries out, "We know where Ivanov's hideouts are!" Gasping, she covers her mouth with a slap of her hand, wide-eyed as we all spin to look at her in shock and disbelief that we heard her right.
Slowly lowering her head, she blushes, smiles sheepishly and giggles, "Um... sorry, Commander." A round of chuckling goes around, but it's almost nervous as though we're all careful to believe we heard her right.
Laughing, Une shakes her head and reassures, "Perfectly alright, Agent Storm. Considering all of the work that you and your team have put in to get this news, it's only right that you be the one to make the announcement." She clears her throat and addresses the whole group and nods, "Yes, we have the locations to Ivanov's hideouts."
Well, now I'm all ears. And so is everyone else as we all intently focus on the Commander.
"Of course, we would have to hit them all at the same time as to not risk missing his actually being at one of them," she informs. "Between the information that Storm and her team have obtained, the information via the lab's database as well as from interrogations orchestrated by Zechs and Noin..."
The couple smiles smugly and a chill runs up my spine, not wanting to imaging how those two handle a less than cooperative prisoner.
Lady Une smirks, "We now have six bases from which Ivanov has contacted his scientists. They're spread far and wide between the Earth and the Colonies, so the teams sent to take the locations out will have little to no communication and will have to rely on a set time of attack at which they will move in."
Focusing on the back row, she states, "Agent Talon, you will be in charge of getting those teams together and Agent Hawk, you will designate the pilots that will see them to their destination. Agent Arrow, I expect that you will have those teams briefed on how to handle the environments and societies that they will be dealing with. I want them together and prepared to head out within the next twenty-four hours."
Tyce, Danielle and Daniel all pause in their jotting notes to nod firmly in unison.
Her hands folding on her desk, the Commander grins, "Our war is just about over, ladies and gentlemen. If our luck continues, we will have Ivanov at one of these hideouts and we will finally be able to have him brought into custody. Let's just keep our heads straight for what we need to do now."
Taking a deep breath, she concludes, "With the exception of Agents Wing and Scythe, you are all dismissed."
'Oh, what the fuck now?!' is my first thought and I resist the urge to throw my arms up in the air in frustration. This is becoming a pretty bad habit, feeling like the bad kid asked to stay after class to meet with the principal. Only I have absolutely no idea what I did and why I may be able to be punished for.
It then hits me that maybe this is regarding our conditions and whether or not we are up to being sent to take our one of the Ivanov's bases.
Man, it would suck beyond belief if we were held back now that we're this close to wrapping the case up! Bad enough one of us had to sit out on the last attack, but now for us to be at the finish line and have to get pulled from the race...
Heero's own jaw is clenched a bit as I think he is thinking along the same lines I am while our teammates all rise and step from the room. I can only imagine what they're all whispering about us behind our backs for our constantly having to meet with Une personally.
But, we'll know soon enough now that the door is closing behind them to leave me and my partner alone with Une.
I swallow roughly when she smirks at us.
Raising a finger, the Commander warns, "Do. Not. Make me regret this... but you both will be going on one of these missions as well."
My jaw drops and spreads into a wide smile as I shout, "Could you be any more fucking amazing?!" 'Ro laughs beside me, but the grin on his face says that he was thinking a lot along those lines as that sentiment.
Une snickers and shakes her head in amusement, "Language, Yuy-Maxwell. Language." Sighing, her smile saddens as she shrugs, "It would be a travesty to not have you be there for the possible end to this investigation."
Her finger is raised again and she comments, "Now, as I said, do not make me regret this decision. You're both mending well from your injuries, but I do not want you pushing yourselves too hard or Sally would never let me hear the end of it."
Nodding enthusiastically, I hold my hand up and vow, "We'll be good. No risk-taking or showboating, just a simple catch the bastard if he's home, blow the shit out of everything and get the hell out of there to bring our asses back to the Mother Ship." Heero smiles and nods to second the promise.
"That will do, then," the Commander laughs. "You're dismissed until you will be called up with the location that you will be sent to."
As quickly as I can with my bad, tender leg, I get up and round the desk to kiss her cheek. "Thank you, 'Ma," I tell her as she blinks in surprise at me. Moving back around the desk, I follow my snickering husband out of the room with a wave back to the woman grinning behind her desk.
Once her door closes behind us when we step out into the hallway, I throw my arms around Heero and whisper excitedly, "This is going to be it, baby, I can feel it!"
Wrapping me up in his own arms, he kisses my temple and replies just as quietly, "I have same feeling." Gently pulling back, he states, "We should still be careful not to get our hopes up too high just yet. We've been led down wrong paths in this case before."
The corner of his mouth lifts a bit as he adds, "But I admit that this is a very exciting prospect for our search."
"Yes, it is," I reply with a smile that turns mischievous when I grab his hand. "Well, let's get going, husband mine." Wiggling my eyebrows, I remind him, "We haven't finished washing each other's backs yet."
Those cobalt eyes of his flash with anticipation as he smirks, "Lead the way."
* * * * * *
Later that night...
"Ecuador."
Hm. Well, that was not exactly the first place where I would have believed Ivanov to have where Heather believes his prime hideout to be. Of course, that's exactly what the guy would have wanted.
Tilting my head, I frown, "And you really think that he may be there even now?"
Seated in the chair across from me, Agent Storm nods and leans forward over the break room table. "Adam was close to finishing a breakthrough in tracking Ivanov's calls," she explains without the need to whisper since it is only the two of us and Heero in the room.
With a sad smile, she shrugs, "I just finished the code a couple of days ago, but he did the bulk of the work."
Folding his arms on the table, Heero asks, "When exactly was the last call made from his line in that area?"
"Only fifteen minutes ago," Heather smirks. "That's why I was running to find the two of you. I have a feeling that the Commander is going to be sending you both there to be part of the team that brings him in."
Well, if that isn't the best news I've had in ages...
'Ro meets my eyes when I turn my head towards him and we share a wicked pair of smiles. If she's right, it will be more than our pleasure to be the first ones to handle the man responsible for all of the shit that he's has happened recently.
Focusing back on our friend, I inquire, "Not that I'm not grateful for the heads up on all of this, but why did you come to tell us before Lady Une?"
With a deep breath, Heather lowers her eyes from ours and replies quietly, "For selfish reason, actually. I won't be able to go on the mission to bring him in."
Glancing back up, she states, "And I know that you both would understand my request to really make that son of a bitch suffer when you do catch him. For Janelle, me and everyone who's been hurt by him in any way."
The corner of my mouth goes up as I vow in a low growl, "Consider it done." His hands tightening into fists, 'Ro gives a firm nod in his own showing of acceptance of this particular mission.
* * * * * *
It came as absolutely no surprise to Heero and I that we were called to the Commander's office just over an hour after our talk with Heather. The both of us putting on our best faces to not let on that we know anything, we head for the meeting.
Not long after entering the office, we're joined by Trowa, Wufei, Zechs, Noin and Tyce. There are no chairs for anyone to sit in, adding to the anticipation floating in the room. Rising from behind her desk when we are all gathered, Une rises to her feet behind her desk with several envelopes in her hand.
"Inside each of these envelopes are the coordinates to the target that you will be hitting," she announces. "Some of you will be going to the same destination and the names of your other teammates will be provided along with all you need to know about the environments and surroundings of your destinations."
Rounding the desk, Une continues, "Everyone that will be going out into the field will be given their directions in the same manner and you will be joining with your teams in the order of your scheduled departure."
Slowly making her way around us, she hands each of us our sealed envelope. "Your times of flying out have been timed so that you will be able to coordinate taking out all of the hideouts at the same time. We need to have surprise on our side if we plan on bringing Ivanov in should he be at any one of these spots."
When I am given my envelope, I hold my breath and watch as Heero accepts his.
Once all of the instructions have been passed out, the Commander faces all of us and says, "You are all my most experienced agents, so there is no need for there to be any further preparation briefings."
A sad smile tugging her lips, she concludes, "The best of luck to all of you for a successful mission and safe return."
That said, we all take that as our cue to open our envelopes and remove the papers inside. My eyes go right away to the first page where the name of my destination is written out in a neat script.
Heero peers over my shoulder for a peek and smirks while showing that he has the same designated target.
Salinas, Ecuador.
TBC...
[1] Scene inspired by this beautiful pic T-Shirt drew for KwyckSylver's birthday. Thank you so much for letting me use this pic, KS!!!! *hugs tight*
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