Witness Protection Part 21
Hazardous Duty

Chang caught up to me as the afternoon dragged on, falling into step with my steady, but painful strides.

"We need to eat, Yuy."

"We need to reach shelter."

"And we will. My best guess is that we're within ten or fifteen miles of our destination," he pointed out. "Resting and eating a quick lunch won't prevent us from arriving there by nightfall."

I slowed and stopped, allowing myself to lean against a tree and catch my breath as he passed me a water bottle.

"You're pushing very hard," he noted, his concerned gaze resting on my bandaged leg.

"With good reason."

"Aye, but Maxwell's starting to lag behind. And protecting him is the point of this little exercise."

"Since when did you give a shit?" I asked snidely.

"Since our visitors the other night convinced me of how much he needs our protection."

He gave a slight shrug. "I may not like him, or what he is and what he represents, but in all honesty, he did react well under pressure. I'm beginning to think he might actually hold his own on the witness stand--at least long enough to put Khushrenada away."

He sighed, scowling faintly. "If he'd just learn to behave, he might not be completely intolerable."

"Seriously?" I know I sounded shocked, but then I'd never have expected a mellowing of Chang's attitude towards Maxwell. And it sure sounded like he was mellowing.

At that point Maxwell limped up to where we were, and dropped the stuff he'd been carrying, sinking to the ground with a groan. "Could one of you just shoot me now and get this over with?" he begged.

I put my hand over Chang's as he reached for his gun. "The job, Chang! The job," I reminded him, managing a wry smile.

"Ah yes. I knew there was a reason," joked my partner. He turned a lofty glare on our witness. "We'll rest exactly half an hour, Maxwell. You can have a protein bar and some water."

Maxwell groaned, shaking his head. "Fuck that--I just want these boots off." He tugged at his still-damp laces, and worked the wet boots off his feet.

"You put the wet boots back on after the river?" I asked with a sigh, knowing he had to be sporting blisters by now.

"My other boots aren't exactly good for hiking," he said wearily, brushing damp bangs back from his sweaty forehead. "But then, apparently these aren't, either."

Wufei startled me once again by kneeling beside the braided man and examining one of his feet. "You've done a fine job of abusing your feet, Maxwell. You should have spoken up if you were in pain."

"Would either of you have listened to me?" came the sullen response.

"No," admitted my partner. "Probably not. But now--if you keep on with your feet in this condition, you'll be bleeding before we reach our destination." He straightened, his gaze traveling to my leg. "Yuy--break out meals for yourself and Maxwell. I'm going to find a stream, get some cold water, and see if I can track down some arnica or other herbs that Maxwell could soak his feet in for awhile."

"We don't have the time--," I began.

"It won't take me more than twenty or thirty minutes to find what I need," he assured me. "By the time I get back you will have eaten, and both of you can rest for a time, while I eat. Then we'll all be in better shape to press on to our destination before dark."

"I could get the water," I offered, not wanting to be left alone with Maxwell again.

"And are you familiar with herbs?" came the too-practical reply. "No, Yuy. Stay here and rest. Your leg needs the break as much as Maxwell's feet do." He shook his head. "Two cripples," he chided.

Maxwell had leaned his back against a duffel bag, and had his eyes closed...I almost thought he was falling asleep.

"Be careful, Wufei," I sighed. "And if you aren't back in exactly fifteen minutes, we're coming after you."

"Give me thirty, Yuy. I'll have to do some searching for the right herbs--but I promise when I get to fifteen minutes, I'll start back for this spot whether I've found them or not."

"Thirty then--and not a second more."

With a brief nod, he grabbed a protein bar and a canteen, and headed off into the woods.

I looked dubiously at Maxwell as I broke out more food and some foil juice packets. He hadn't moved since he'd taken off his boots and nestled up against the duffel bag. And when I nudged him with a foot to get his attention, he didn't even open his eyes.

"Maxwell?"

My only answer was a quiet snore, and I realized that considering the time of day and our level of sleep-deprivation, he'd simply crashed and fallen deeply asleep.

It was okay by me; if he slept until Chang got back, he could eat with my partner while his feet were soaking. That meant I didn't have to worry about him picking up the thread of our earlier conversation, which was a huge relief. I set his food down on a flat rock near him and settled in to eat mine.

When I'd finished my impromptu meal, reflecting that when we got to the next safe house I was damn well going to make real food for a change, I glanced at my watch and noticed it had been twenty minutes since Wufei left. And once I noticed the time, I settled in and ended up pretty much staring at the watch as each minute ticked past. When it got to thirty, I looked up and around, even calling out a tentative "Chang?" But there was no answer.

Shit.

I got up slowly, wincing at the ache in my wounded leg, and hobbled over to Maxwell. "Wake up!" I ordered firmly, staying out of range of his switchblade just in case.

He moaned, slapping at my foot without opening his eyes. "G'way. Wanna sleep."

"You have to get up, Maxwell. We're in the middle of the wilderness and Chang's overdue to come back."

He blinked sleepily up at me, pushing himself upright, and looking around in confusion. "What do you mean? Back from where?"

"He went off to find some herbs for you to soak your feet in," I explained. "He said thirty minutes, and it's going on thirty-five."

"Fuck." He picked his socks up off the rock he'd draped them on, and gingerly began to pull them back onto his raw-looking feet. "You really mean it? Wuffers went to get something for my feet?"

"Yes."

"He doesn't even like me."

"Maybe not," I said noncommittally. "But keeping you functional is part of his job, and he takes it very seriously."

"That's right. I'm not a person--I'm a job," muttered Maxwell. "For both of you."

"We don't have time for this," I said curtly, not wanting to get into it with him. "We need to track my partner down and get back on our way."

"Where d'you think he is?"

"Could've fallen, taken a bad step and twisted an ankle, gotten lost..." Frankly I couldn't picture Chang doing any of those things--but I didn't know what else to say.

Maxwell had pulled his boots back on and laced them while I bundled up our stuff, taking out a coil of rope and a rifle to bring on our search.

"You don't want me to stay here and guard our stuff?" Maxwell asked, picking up the food I'd left out for him and wrinkling his nose as he nibbled at the edge of the protein bar.

"I won't leave you alone. You know better."

"I won't run again. I promise."

"It's not about that," I assured him, finally looking him squarely in the eyes. "It's about your safety--and out here, there's safety in numbers." Case in point--Chang had gone off alone, and now was missing. "Let's get moving."

He stuffed his half-eaten snack in his shirt pocket and we set off on Wufei's trail. My partner hadn't been trying to hide his tracks, so they were easy to follow in the loamy soil. They led down a game trail to a trickle of a stream, where there were clear signs he'd knelt to fill the canteen. Then, a few minutes later, we came upon a wider stream and Chang's tracks, mingled with those of an animal...a very large animal...with claws.

Maxwell stared fixedly at the tracks, and then an anxious pair of indigo eyes sought mine. "Are those other tracks what I think they are?"

I nodded.

"Bears?"

"Yes," I bit out sharply.

"Fucking hell." Maxwell edged closer to me, looking around at the trees and underbrush. "I thought you guys were just screwing with my head before. You didn't hear anything? Shots maybe? Blood-curdling shrieks?"

"Chang wouldn't have fired a gun and risked alerting pursuers unless there was no other option," I shrugged, ignoring the rest of Maxwell's questions. "He's got to be somewhere around. Maybe cornered--trapped."

"Eaten," Maxwell supplied helpfully. "And I don't mean in a good way--."

"Jesus, Maxwell! This isn't the time for jokes!" I snarled, my fear for my partner lending anger to my tone.

"Look, Yuy, that's how I deal with stress, okay? I try to laugh it off," Maxwell said earnestly. "If I don't make jokes, I might start to think of all the awful shit that could've happened to Wufei--and I don't want to."

Had he actually said Chang's name right? And of course my partner wasn't there to hear it. "Just--stay close to me Maxwell. And if we spot a bear, get yourself behind me."

"I was thinking more along the lines of running," he said rather faintly. "I don't care how much my feet hurt--I'm not ending up as bear chow."

We followed the tracks across the trickle of stream, and onto a sandy beach, where there were more animal tracks--smaller than the others. I wanted to slap a palm onto my face. Chang must have disturbed a mother and cubs.

"Chang?" I called out, hoping to at least let my partner know help was on the way.

From somewhere in the forest, I heard an answering call. "Over here!"

Maxwell and I headed towards the sound of the voice, and I held the rifle at the ready, scanning the underbrush for signs of movement, or the dark fur of a bear.

We emerged into a small clearing, and saw two very little cubs engrossed in trying to stick their noses into a hollow log to get something inside. For a moment I had the wild notion Chang had taken refuge there, but a short whistle drew my gaze up into the nearby trees.

"Wufei?"

He was clinging to the tree about twenty feet off the ground, his hair a mess, and his eyes a little wild. "Careful Yuy! The mother's close by!"

Sure enough at the sound of his voice, there came a quiet huff and a huge black bear came stalking out of the woods and went straight to the base of the tree.

"Shit," Maxwell hissed in my ear, and I realized distractedly that he was pressed up against my back, one hand clinging to a belt loop as if to a security blanket.

"Shh," I cautioned, not wanting to draw the bear's attention.

Fortunately, she seemed singularly fixated on Wufei, and stood up to place her front paws on the tree trunk, as if thinking of climbing after him.

"Yuy--!" my partner growled in a slightly panicky voice.

I moved very slowly to raise the rifle, knowing I'd only get one shot. If I missed, the animal would probably turn on Maxwell and me.

"If I miss," I whispered to him, turning my face so that we were almost nose to nose. "Run like hell."

"Wait!" he whispered back. "What're you gonna do?"

"What does it look like?"

"You can't!" he said more urgently. "The babies--."

Jesus Christ! What was it with Maxwell and kids?

"It's her or Chang," I retorted, keeping an eye on the bear, who was now starting to pull herself up to climb.

I raised the rifle, and suddenly Maxwell moved around me into the line of fire. "No!" he said sharply. "There's got to be a way to scare them off!"

"Maxwell!" Chang yelled angrily, seeing our witness stepping into a dangerous situation. "Get the fuck out of his way!"

"No!" Maxwell backed a few steps so he was even more at risk, and I glared furiously at him. "C'mon, Yuy. You're cops. Figure something else out!"

"No time," I insisted.

"Watch her!" Chang called, as the mother bear dropped back to the ground and looked over at Maxwell and me.

"What the fuck do you expect to do?" I demanded of the braided man.

"I don't know...but I was an orphan, Yuy. I'm not gonna let you do that to those little guys." He turned towards the cubs, who had pulled away from their log and were looking curiously at him. "Hey there," he said brightly.

"If you get between them and the mother, she will attack you," I told him. "For fuck's sake, Maxwell, get out of the way!"

The two cubs had other ideas, and began to amble towards Maxwell, who looked both fascinated and alarmed.

"Jesus Christ!" I heard Chang blurt in horror. "Is that a protein bar in your pocket? Maxwell, that's what got me into trouble! Get rid of it!"

Oh, it all made sense now. The cubs must have smelled the chocolate on the bar, and headed for Wufei, only to land him in a heap of trouble as the mother took note of her babies' danger.

"Ditch it, Maxwell!" I ordered.

He pulled the bar out of his pocket, holding it out to the cubs. "Hey, little guys, you hungry?" All the while he was backing out of the clearing, away from both me and Chang--and the two furry demons happily pursued.

The mother took notice as well, letting out a low, distressed call and starting to follow her babies.

"Time to move, Chang!" I said urgently, keeping the gun trained on the bear. I didn't dare shoot, for fear of wounding her while she was facing Maxwell. The last thing he needed was an enraged bear charging at him.

Wufei was already clambering down the tree, his gaze riveted on the bear. I was sure he'd planned an escape route in the time he'd been treed, and so I kept my attention on Maxwell.

The cubs were now within a few feet of the braided man, who still held the snack bar out as some sort of lure, and who had finally reached the edge of the clearing. He made sure both babies were fixated on the sweet food, and then tossed it away from himself, and Chang and me.

The cubs started after it, and the mother started after them, and then Maxwell ducked behind the cover of some trees and sprinted back towards Chang and me.

We wasted no time; all three of us took to our heels, heading towards our rest area at a dead run.

"Maxwell, I don't believe you pulled a fucking stupid stunt like that!" I snarled as we ran.

He drew even with me, apparently able to ignore the pain in his feet while he had so much adrenaline pumping through his system. "Sorry, Yuy," he panted back. "Couldn't let you make orphans out of those two babies."

"Fucking idealistic asshole!" I retorted, feeling a strange mixture of irritation and respect. As much as I disagreed with his reckless tactics, they'd gotten us out of the situation without firing a shot.

"And proud of it," he replied.

We got back to the gear in record time, and began hastily loading ourselves up, wanting to get as far from the mother bear's territory as possible.

Wufei took a moment to gather his wits, leaning against a tree as Maxwell and I raked branches over our camp site to erase tracks.

"Thank you for coming after me so promptly," he said in a very serious voice.

I glanced up and shook my head. "I knew you wouldn't be late on purpose."

I heard a chuckle from our witness as he slipped his backpack on and started picking up gear. "Man, I just wish we could've seen you climb that tree, Wuffers. You must've set some kind of record."

My partner blushed and scowled. "So would you, if there was a perturbed mother bear on your heels."

"Yeah, I sure would," admitted Maxwell. He gave Wufei a puckish grin. "Won't be teasing me about bears any more, now will ya?"

"Fuck you," Chang muttered, grabbing a duffel bag and backpack and heading off down the trail.

Maxwell looked over at me with a perfectly devilish smirk. "And you said he was straight," he teased. "But he wants to fuck me."

"Figure of speech!" Chang called over his shoulder. "Seriously, Maxwell! You need to face reality."

I shook my head, thinking that Wufei was taking the whole incident pretty well, all things considered. I'd have expected him to be more embarrassed, or defensive. But his close call had shaken us all just enough that we hadn't belabored the issue. And he seemed quite content to let it go.

~*~

We didn't stop again. By unspoken mutual consent, we kept a steady pace, none of us eager to sleep out where we now knew for sure there were bears living. And by late afternoon, we were climbing a killer of a slope, but one which appeared to be the last before our destination.

I had the map out, and estimated that the path we were on would bring us to a ridge just above the house and the lake. From there, we could follow the cliff until it led to a logging road, which was the only way in or out of the secluded valley. It was even more remote than the last place, and for that reason, I hoped it would prove more secure.

When we crested the ridge, sure enough, there was a gorgeous lake nestled between wooded hills. And on the slope above and overlooking the lake was a chalet-style home, with vaulted ceilings, a wrap-around porch, and tall windows.

I winced at the thought of all that glass--but I hoped the remoteness would offset the lack of fortification. I rather wistfully thought of the log cabin, knowing that had it been any less solid, we'd have been swiss cheese right along with the SUV.

Maxwell staggered up beside me, drawing a sleeve across his sweaty brow and taking a deep breath of the cool breeze that wafted up from the lake.

"Home sweet home, Maxwell." I gestured to the scenic view.

"Wow."

"That's it?" Chang asked, joining us at the edge of the ridge. "All you can say is 'wow'?"

Maxwell shrugged. "Too busy trying to catch my breath to say how quaint it is, and ask if there's a jacuzzi."

"Yes, there is," I said, carefully restraining a smirk. When we'd made our plans the night before leaving, Quatre had gone on at some length about the hot tub out on the deck. I'd scoffed at the time, but now I had a feeling after our strenuous trek, we might need a long soak.

Of course, thinking about that brought a rush of panic as I imagined Maxwell lounging in it, steam rising around him and droplets of moisture trickling down his chest. Fuck it anyway! You'd think hiking thirty miles through rough country would wear me out enough that I didn't get an immediate erection at the thought of Maxwell in a hot tub. It didn't.

"Seriously?" he asked me, turning a hopeful look my way. "There really is one?"

"Yes," I admitted. "But don't get any ideas. We can't have you out in the open like that." It was a complete line of bullshit--but I delivered it with a straight face--and he almost fell for it. But he must have seen the glimmer of amusement in my eyes.

"Oh, fuck that!" he growled. "Open, schmopen. I've got dibs on the hot tub."

"Do you honestly want to die in a--?" Chang stopped in mid-sentence at the wide grin on Duo's face. "Never mind."

"The only thing better than lounging in a hot tub for my last moments on Earth would be having hot, wild sex in a hot tub for my last moments on Earth," Maxwell asserted, giving both of us a lascivious look "Any takers?"

Oh God, yes...

I fixed him with a deadly glare, though I was secretly glad he'd shaken off his somber mood from the previous night. "If you want to get your rocks off in the hot tub, Maxwell, you are definitely going last," I snarled, grabbing my backpack and gear and heading down the hill.

"--and alone!" Wufei added firmly, close on my heels.

"Spoilsports," muttered our oversexed witness, stomping along behind us.

It took us another half hour to trudge down the rugged path and make our way up the logging road to the house, but finally, just as the sun was setting over the hills surrounding the lake, we reached our safe haven.

I went up the walkway and deactivated the alarm system with the codes Winner had provided me before our departure, and I held the door as Chang and Maxwell struggled to haul our belongings inside.

Then I re-activated the security system, breathing a sigh of relief. Not exactly "safe at last," but we were far better off than we'd been out in the forest.

"Oh God, a couch," Maxwell sighed, dropping his backpack and the two bags he'd been lugging, and stumbling over to drop face down on the chintz fabric.

"Don't get comfortable, Maxwell. You're going to help us get set up--even if you just unpack supplies."

Maxwell raised his head, glaring. "You gonna be screwing windows shut?"

Oh--wrong thing to say! Chang turned like a startled snake, coiling in anger. "If I have to resort to that to keep you in, I'll just handcuff you to a solid object and have done with it!"

Maxwell gave a sly smirk at that. "So you are into handcuffs, eh? How d'you feel about leather?"

But Wufei ignored the baiting and remained focused on his topic. "The only relevant topic is whether you're prepared to cooperate with Yuy and me. If you aren't..."

"I already promised your fuckin' partner I won't run off again!" Maxwell shot back coolly. "Do you honestly think I want to run into your pal Yogi Bear again?"

Wufei flushed at that, still a bit embarrassed by the treeing incident. "I just want to know I don't have to waste time keeping you in, and that I can focus on keeping the ones who want you dead out."

"Yes, you can," came the scowling response. "I like breathing, Chang. And I know how serious Khushrenada is now. I won't do anything reckless again--not like last time."

I frowned. Now that I had a bit of time to think about it, I was back to wondering how they'd found the previous safe house in the first place. "Chang--we need to consider the possibility of a leak in the department," I told my partner. "I know for a fact that I wasn't followed when I brought Maxwell back from the bar. And I don't even need to ask you to know you weren't either. So that means they located us some other way--and that worries me."

"It must be time to check in with the Captain," Chang acknowledged. "You should pass along our concerns on the subject."

"Mine too," Maxwell chimed in, burying his face in the throw pillows on the couch. "Fuckin' cops--all on the take, y'know."

Wufei glared hotly. "If we were all on the take, you'd be dead by now."

"Okay--so I got the only two honest cops in the world watchin' my back," admitted our witness. "You're in a minority, boys. Face it."

"What is it with you and cops?" I growled.

He rolled onto his back, looking squarely at me. "Ya wanna know? Really?" He sat up, his legs dangling over the arm of the couch, and his elbows resting on his knees. "The day before the Reapers got wasted, I was picked up for B and E in a grocery store. I was getting some food for a bunch of street kids who were half-starved. But the cops who arrested me tried to get me to trade a quick fuck for bail money...said they'd even cut me loose for a blowjob. I told them to fuck themselves, and they threw me in lockup. Wouldn't get me a lawyer...wouldn't give me a phone call."

"Legally, they have to--," I began.

"Well they didn't!" he snapped bitterly. "I'd heard there was something going down the next day--that someone had planned a serious move on my gang--and I needed to warn them--to get word to them. But your pals in blue wouldn't even let me have my goddamned phone call." He lowered his gaze to the floor, his face taut with anger. "I even agreed to their stupid offer--but they said it was too late. Since we were already back at the precinct, instead of in the squad car, they couldn't get away with fucking me. By the time morning rolled around and the day crew came on, I got my phone call and passed the word to a friend to warn the gang--but it was already too late. Before he got there, the place was on fire." He looked up with a scowl. "I didn't even get released until after noon--by then there wasn't a chance in Hell."

I'd known the cops Maxwell was talking about--and I was stunned at the revelation that they'd tried to coerce sex out of a suspect. Burns and Jones had always seemed like decent, conscientious cops. I just couldn't picture them demanding sex from an under age suspect, let alone offering to let him go if he complied.

"Maybe you misunderstood," I hazarded.

The indigo eyes shot me a perfectly scathing look. "Give me just a little credit here, Yuy. They caught me dead to rights in the grocery store, slapped the cuffs on, and then before they put me in the squad car said if I let them each 'have a turn' fucking me, I could walk. What was there to misunderstand?"

"I--I don't know," I admitted. It sounded pretty bad for the two cops, and I decided I'd be checking into the matter if and when we ever got out of the situation we were in.

"Two bad cops shouldn't represent the entire profession," Wufei said loftily.

Maxwell just gave a wry snort. "Y'know how many times I was arrested, Chang? And how many cops made the same offer?" He shook his head. "None of it matters--except that those two low-life assholes cost me every friend I had in the world that day." The wide, too-pretty eyes narrowed menacingly. "And none of you fuckers ever investigated it at all."

"We did," I assured him. "But no one would talk to us. No one would even help us identify the bodies. If even one of you had come forward and cooperated, we might've been able to make some progress in the case."

"You want progress? I can tell you exactly who killed the Reapers. It was the Rebels--another gang who wanted in on our territory."

"And you know this how?" asked Chang.

"Everyone knew it. Just--no one actually saw it--not and lived to tell."

"We can't arrest people just because popular opinion says they're guilty," I pointed out. "We need evidence."

"Yeah--doesn't that just cover your asses nicely?" he muttered, flopping back onto the couch. "And yeah, Chang, I'm back on the subject of asses again."

I shook my head, meeting my partner's gaze. "Let's get settled in here, Wufei. We can dig up old dirt another time." I headed for the kitchen, deciding to take a quick inventory of our supplies. Back in the living room, I heard Chang growling at Maxwell to get his ass up off the couch and help him carry our stuff upstairs. I couldn't help smiling ruefully. On the one hand, my partner was loosening up a bit--and on the other, he was starting to sound like Maxwell. What a mixed blessing that was.

I quickly discovered there was plenty of food in the pantry. Quatre had mentioned his sister's place was used extensively in the summer months, and that it was so remote they kept a lot of canned goods in storage. He hadn't exaggerated.

Leaving the cozy little kitchen, I grabbed the last of the luggage from the doorway and headed up the stairs to join the others.

Maxwell had selected a room to call his own, and was sprawled on the mattress busily taking off his boots, and chattering away about how he'd never again treat his feet so poorly.

Wufei was leaning in the doorway, his dark gaze studying the layout of the room, and the position of the single window. He glanced over his shoulder at me. "Looks like a safe enough setup," he told me. "One window, second floor...and it faces the lake. If you stuck a motion sensor just outside it, no one would be able to get in undetected."

"Or out?" suggested Maxwell.

"You promised not to," I reminded him.

"I won't. Not with bears and hit men out there somewhere," he said with a shiver.

Finally, he'd learned his lesson, and it was about time.

"We won't need the sensors on the window," I told Chang. "The security setup on the house itself will sound an alarm if a window is opened while it's activated. Besides, without the laptop, I couldn't monitor motion sensors. All I could do is set them to emit a high-frequency beep. It wouldn't provide any advance warning."

"Well then the house security will have to suffice," shrugged my partner.

"For now. Maybe I can arrange to pick up a laptop on our next supply run." I looked out the window at the darkening landscape. "I think I'll take a walk around the exterior of the house," I told my partner. "Just to look for weaknesses. Can you take care of checking all the windows to be sure they're locked and the shades are drawn?"

"Consider it done."

"I'll just lie here and rest then," Maxwell said cockily.

"You'll go down into the cellar and check the freezer for provisions," I told him firmly. "Winner said there's a year's supply of vacuum-packed meats and frozen entrees down there. Try to find something edible."

He sat up with a pout. "But my feet hurt."

"I got some herbs before my encounter with Mother Nature," Wufei told him with a hint of smugness. "If you take care of the food inventory, I'll brew them into a soak for your feet as soon as I'm done with the windows."

Maxwell brightened perceptibly. "Maybe you could throw 'em into the hot tub--along with me."

"Not tonight!" I said firmly. "We need to know our surroundings better before you venture outside." I gave him a steady look, not trying to hide my very real concern. "Right now you're safe, protected, and secure. Let us keep you that way?"

He blinked at me, and then looked down at the floor, a reluctant smile touching his lips. "Yeah--okay. But once you have your perimeter all squared away, I'm so having a turn in the jacuzzi."

"Agreed." I turned and headed back downstairs, feeling like I'd made a little progress towards gaining Maxwell's cooperation.

Knowing why he disliked cops so much, it was a bit easier to understand his reluctance to help us on the Merquise case. But we were all in it deep enough by then, that we had to achieve some sort of working relationship. And I honestly thought we could; especially if I could keep that physical relationship in the past and stay focused on my job.

That task was easier said than done. But I didn't want to be like the cops who'd propositioned him three years earlier; I never wanted to be like them. And I hoped my lapse in judgment didn't give Duo the impression I was.

~*~

The lake was gorgeous. It stretched out in three directions, placing a wide water barrier between us and potential threats, and I was grateful for it. If anyone wanted to approach across it, we'd be able to see them long before they got near us. And the mountains and cliffs behind the house provided protection on that side. In many ways it was better than the log cabin. It was much less approachable...more remote. Its only shortcoming was that the first floor side facing the water had expansive glass windows and doors onto a deck. If I'd had my laptop and software, I could have literally covered that weakness in surveillance. Instead, we'd just have to be vigilant.

As I made my way down to the water, watching the deep purples and blues of the sky fading into the black of night, I heard a loon call from somewhere across the lake, and a smile found its way to my face. If Maxwell was fascinated by mountain sunrises and the scent of pine trees, I could only imagine what he'd make of twilight on the lake. I sort of wished I'd brought him out with me--but it wasn't worth the risk yet. Maybe the next night I could share the excitement of hearing the loon's eerie cry; I could almost picture the rapt expression that would be on Maxwell's face, and it was more enticing than the serene landscape by far.

I felt an immediate rush of frustration that once again I couldn't keep him from intruding on my thoughts. And as usual, that made me think about what happened on the floor of the cabin, and how much I'd fucked up my objectivity and my job. For someone who prided himself on his professionalism, that was a hard pill to swallow--and I tried to concentrate on studying my surroundings to keep those wayward thoughts and their accompanying guilt at bay.

I don't know how long I spent on my perimeter check. It was so peaceful out there that I probably lingered longer than I should, and only a grumble from my neglected stomach finally yanked me from my musings. I decided when I got inside, I'd try to scrape together a supper for us and let Chang and Maxwell rest a bit.

But when I let myself in and locked up behind me, I immediately smelled the mouthwatering odor of food cooking.

God Bless Chang...he cooked.

It even smelled like real food. Not that I was any expert, after all the time we'd been living on ration bars and fast food.

"Smells great, Chang!" I called as I hit the code to reactivate the alarms. I walked into the kitchen and stopped in my tracks, seeing Maxwell at the stove stirring something in a big pot. "Oh."

He gave me a smirk over his shoulder. "Told you I wasn't without skills, Yuy."

"You cook?"

"Zechs taught me." He pulled the spoon from the bubbling mixture and held it out. "C'mon--taste."

I shook my head. "I can wait until it's done." And maybe until Chang tasted it first so I could be sure it was safe. My stomach growled loudly in protest.

"Humor me. Taste it," Maxwell urged, walking towards me, blowing lightly on the contents of the spoon to cool it.

I glanced down to avoid watching those too-tempting lips, and blinked in surprise. "Is that an apron?"

It was...and it was flowered...with a ruffled edge. I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling as I looked back up at Maxwell.

His face colored slightly, and he glared up at me from under his bangs. "Look, I didn't want to get spaghetti sauce on my jeans, okay? I found the apron in the closet." At that point he looked so defiant--like a kid trying to face down a bully--that I laughed aloud, and promptly had a spoonful of hot spaghetti sauce shoved into my mouth.

I gulped, sputtered a bit, and hastily swallowed some surprisingly delicious sauce.

Maxwell watched my face as if trying to read the expressions flitting across it. "Good?" he asked finally, brandishing the spoon almost threateningly.

"Very good," I admitted, licking a stray drop from the corner of my mouth.

The braided man followed the gesture, drew a quick hissing breath, and turned sharply away. He cleared his throat, sounding rather uncomfortable. "Dinner will be ready in about five minutes."

I had a sudden wayward urge to walk up behind him and slip my arms around his waist--to bury my face in the loose wisps of hair that had escaped his braid. It just felt very--domestic, for a moment--the two of us there in that kitchen. Duo was barefoot, wearing a loose tee shirt over his snug jeans, and looking more delicious than the concoction he was stirring, and I had a flash of a daydream in which we lived in a lakeside cottage and I came home to wonderful meals and incredible sex every night.

Fuck! I needed to get a grip on myself--and fast.

But first, I wanted to give Maxwell a taste of his own medicine. So I walked up beside him, pushing his personal space boundary the way he liked to push mine. And I reached past him to dip a finger into the sauce, intending to lick it off right there in front of him.

But before I could, he caught my wrist and pulled my finger into his mouth, sucking the sauce off it.

Oh. My. God.

I almost came right then and there. Fuck! His tongue curled around my finger as he drew it deeper into his hot, moist mouth. And my knees nearly turned to water.

"Yuy? Was that your voice?" came Chang's call, sounding like he was about to turn the corner into the kitchen.

I jerked away in a panic, stumbling backwards to put some distance between myself and Maxwell.

"Uh--yeah," I rasped hoarsely, wiping my hand on the leg of my pants, unable to take my eyes off Maxwell's smug, teasing smirk.

He licked his lips, smiling sensuously, and winked one sparkling indigo eye. "Later," he whispered, turning back to the stove.

Jesus fucking Christ! What was he doing to me? And why couldn't I resist?

Wufei walked in, toweling off his hair. "How'd the perimeter look?" he asked me, peering over Maxwell's shoulder at the bubbling sauce.

"F-fine," I managed, hiding the shaking of my hands by stuffing them into my pockets. "Very defensible."

"Excellent."

He started to reach for the spoon, and Maxwell whacked his hand sharply. "Back off, Wuffers. It'll be just a few more minutes--and you will wait."

Giving a frustrated sigh, my partner glanced over at me. "You could take a quick shower, if you like. I had mine, and Maxwell's going after dinner."

While a cold shower might have eased the ache of a Maxwell-induced erection, I decided I'd be damned if I missed our first hot meal in days. "I'll take one after Maxwell. That way I won't pass out from hunger and drown in there."

Maxwell cast a sly glance over his shoulder. "Starving, eh? Well, why don't you boys set the table? And, sweetie, wash those dirty hands!"

How did he always manage to get the last word in?

TBC...

 

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