Author's Note: I'm going to say this at the beginning of the next few chapters, and then not repeat it again, okay? Just for the record, I DON'T do death fics. Please keep that in mind. Um, and for those who don't hate Relena, I'm very sorry--but I needed her for a certain role here--and so, forgive her OOC bigotry, please!

Witness Protection Part 55
Making an Entrance

We were making our way down the hall towards the stairway, when I noticed a couple of suit-clad men watching us a bit too intently, and realized Agent Alexander might have alerted his men to our presence in the courthouse.

Or they were just ogling my lover with thoughts of asking him out. I didn't like either scenario.

"Fuck," I muttered, looking over at Wufei, who had a death grip on Catherine's arm and a tense look on his face. "Where's Winner?"

As if on cue, the blonde appeared from the hallway leading to the video monitor rooms. He had a bundle tucked under one arm, and his eyes lit with relief upon seeing us. "Heero! Wufei!"

I hastily shushed him, glancing over my shoulder to see if we were being watched. "Why don't you just hold up a sign?" I asked scathingly.

"Oh--sorry." He blushed slightly and his gaze slid over to Duo, eyes widening in realization. "Wow! That's just--impressive. I'd never have picked you out of a crowd."

"That was the idea," Duo chided, reaching for the bundle. "Gimme my clothes."

"Don't be in such a hurry," teased the lawyer. "You look really nice."

Indigo eyes flashed fire at the attorney. "Look--I'm tired, stressed, my feet are killing me, and these fuckin' pantyhose are cutting off my goddamned circulation. Give me something else to wear, or I'll just strip down right here in the hallway. And you know I'll do it--!"

His voice rose just a little in volume, and when I glanced around again, I realized we'd drawn the attention of at least one uniformed officer. So I grabbed the clothing from Winner, and caught Duo's arm in a firm grip. "Keep your voice down and come with me!"

I half-dragged him to the nearest bathroom and shoved him in ahead of me, realizing only after I heard a scandalized gasp from a passing woman that I'd shoved him into a men's room. In drag.

Fuck!

Ignoring the woman, who was covering her kid's eyes and hauling him away, I followed Duo inside, to find him already unbuttoning the blouse and kicking off the shoes.

"In a stall, please!" I snapped, afraid someone would walk in at any moment.

Hell--if the woman with the kid fetched a security officer and told him she'd seen a deranged Japanese man dragging a woman into a men's room, there'd be no graceful way out.

"We're alone in here," Duo told me matter-of-factly, stripping off the stockings so fast I didn't even get to enjoy the view.

"That doesn't mean we'll stay that way. The outer door doesn't lock."

"Oh." He scurried into the nearest stall, shaking the wrinkles out of a pair of dress slacks from Winner's bundle. "Fuck. No underwear," he lamented from behind the closed door.

"You could leave the pantyhose on," I taunted. "I hear they feel good next to your skin."

"They fuckin' bind in all the wrong places!" insisted my lover. "No fuckin' way am I putting them back on. Not even on a dare!" I heard the rustle of fabric. "I'll just go commando."

Oh, the images that conjured.

I really didn't have time to be getting aroused when there were enemies all around us and an irate D.A. waiting upstairs.

"Just hurry it up!" I urged. Then a thought struck me. "Didn't Catherine let you wear your own briefs under the hose?"

"No--some bullshit about 'panty lines.' For Christ's sake, I'm glad I'm not female."

"So am I."

He stepped out of the stall, tucking in a tailored shirt and trailing a tie over one shoulder. "You any good with nooses, love?"

I sighed, grabbing the tie and looping it around his neck. "I can manage. You'd think you never went to a five-star restaurant with Merquise--"

"The rules didn't apply to him. We were never turned away for not wearin' the required black tie."

Duo's wild curls kept getting in the way, tangling in the knot as I worked to straighten and smooth it.

"How are we supposed to tame that mop of yours?" I asked sourly.

"Water, Yuy. A little bit of water will make the curls droop enough so I can comb and braid it."

"I haven't got a comb."

He gestured to the purse he'd thrown on the counter--just one more part of his well-crafted disguise. "Cathy packed me one."

"Maybe I should have picked the feisty girl," I teased, taking out the comb and starting to run the water in one of the sinks.

Duo pushed past me with a muttered "Fuck you," and dunked both hands in the water, before running the wet fingers through his hair.

After a few moments of that, he'd dampened the locks enough so we could comb them back into his customary braid.

Then he washed his face, drying it on the skirt he'd discarded, and turned to face me, looking much more like himself. "Better?"

"Perfect," I assured him, stealing a quick kiss. "Let's go put a murderer behind bars, shall we?"

"Let's."

He helped me gather his scattered clothing and stuff it into the tote that had held his suit. Then he pulled on the suit coat, black socks and sensible male dress shoes Quatre had provided, and nodded towards the door. "Shall we?"

"I'll go first--in case of trouble."

"You mean in case Quatre or Chang couldn't explain to the security guys why you hauled a woman into a men's room?"

I opened the door a crack and saw Wufei in earnest conversation with a couple of those very guards, saying something about a "pregnant woman" and "morning sickness."

"Holy fuck," Duo whispered at my side. "Is he telling them what I think he is? I'll fuckin' kill him!"

I pressed my lips together to keep from smirking, and turned to look at him. "I'll walk out by myself and go join Wufei--corroborate his story. You slip out a few seconds later, and unobtrusively join Winner in the hallway. Keep your braid over your shoulder and tucked close to blend with the jacket as much as possible, and don't look directly at the officers.

"I know how to blend in, Yuy. I was a pickpocket once."

"Right. Just--be subtle."

"You got it."

I stepped out of the men's room and headed straight over to Chang, keeping up the façade he'd begun. "She's much better!" I said with a sheepish smile. "We almost didn't make it--"

The guard--one I'd never seen before--eyed me up and down. "Is your wife okay, sir?"

"Fine. She's just taking a few minutes to freshen up."

"Morning sickness," Wufei said with a firm nod and a wise tone of voice.

"Sorry we went into the wrong room," I apologized, stepping to the side away from the men's room so that the guards' eyes would follow me and they'd miss the motion as Duo slipped out and made his way to Quatre. "She felt ill, and I'm afraid I sort of panicked."

"First pregnancy," Chang added helpfully, clapping me on the shoulder. "He hasn't been himself since he found out."

The guard smiled understandingly. "I know the feeling. When Bessie had our first, I just about wrapped the car around a telephone pole trying to back out of the driveway to take her to the hospital--"

I managed an insincere chuckle. "I'm sure I'll do worse, when the time comes." I put a hand on Wufei's shoulder in a companionable gesture. "Did you say there was a vending machine in the hallway? I think she might like some crackers or something."

"Oh, yes--why don't we go get them for when she comes out?" He led the way, giving the two officers a polite nod before ushering me around the corner where our friends were waiting.

But we found only Quatre and Catherine, the former holding a tote bag full of women's clothing.

"Where's Duo?" I snapped without preamble.

"Relax, Yuy," Winner said soothingly. "He was thirsty and went to the water fountain in the hall."

Wufei looked around the corner. "Then why is he down by the security stations?"

"What?!" I followed his gaze, and saw the slim figure of my lover moving gracefully through the crowd--towards the metal detectors and security guards. "Oh fuck!"

Duo reached the end of the line he'd come through, and politely tapped the officer on the shoulder, waiting until the man turned, and then decking him with a swift, smooth right cross.

There was an immediate murmur from the crowd, and a small yelp from a startled woman--and then as other officers began to converge on the scene of the disturbance, Duo slipped between a couple of portly men and ducked behind a woman with bleached hair, before making his way around the edges of the throng and back towards our position.

He hardly caused a ripple as he moved casually between milling people, and had I not known who I was watching and why, I'd have lost sight of him as quickly as the security people did.

The next thing I knew, he disappeared between two stone columns, and a few seconds later appeared at my side, straightening his cuffs and smoothing his tie. "Miss me?" he teased.

"What the fuck was that?" I hissed, quickly ushering him down the hallway, our companions close behind to camouflage our exit.

"The fucker groped me, Yuy. I owed him one."

"This is not the time!" I snarled, feeling my gut clench with worry. "If you'd been spotted down there--detained by security--"

"But I wasn't. I told you I'm good at blending."

"You don't have the luxury of playing games right now."

"It wasn't a game. It was--" Duo darted me a look that was half-petulant and half-anxious. "I needed to let out a little frustration, Yuy. I hadda vent something. Right now I'm wound so tight I'm gonna explode--"

"If you think the pressure's bad now--wait five minutes!"

"That's the point. If I did wait, I'd have blown a gasket. This way--it took the edge off. A little."

I couldn't argue with him--not when my heart was still in my throat at the risk he'd taken. I wanted to beat him--and I wanted to hug him. Part of me was still screaming to grab him and run. I was so muddled and conflicted it's a wonder I could even walk straight.

But walk I did.

Chang and I walked him right to the limited access door, before bidding farewell to Quatre and Catherine, who planned to go watch the trial proceedings in one of the monitor rooms.

"You'll be fine," Winner told his client. "Just follow Noventa's instructions and he'll walk you right through it."

Duo nodded, looking unconvinced.

Then Catherine stepped up to give him a hug. "Tro' and I will be pulling for you, Duo. He's got seats saved for Quatre and me in the gallery--so we'll be watching every minute."

"Yeah, thanks. And tell Trowa thanks, too--for everything." He let go of her and squared his shoulders, giving me a quick nod. "Let's get up there and fuck with Khushrenada's head, eh?"

I managed a tense smile. "You've got it."

And then Chang ran his security badge through the slot, and the door opened to grant us access to the upper floors.

~*~

We climbed the two flights of stairs in record time. Hell, with the adrenaline rushing through our systems, we probably could've flown.

And when we came out into the hallway by the courtroom, I resisted the urge to throw myself in front of Duo, and instead took up a position close to his side as we approached the bailiff at the door.

Chang flipped out his badge for inspection, and my mind took an eerie little side trip to my first sight of Duo backstage at Sanc. I remembered my partner hauling out that damned thing and sending our potential witness running for the hills.

It fortunately didn't have that effect this time. But it also didn't impress the bailiff very much.

"I'm sorry," he said in a tone that was anything but. "Court's in session--no one's allowed in."

"Trust me," Wufei said with a rather condescending smile. "We're allowed."

"Not by me, you aren't."

Chang's hackles rose at that, and I could almost smell the testosterone level in that hallway increase exponentially. "If you'd be so kind as to tell the D.A. we're here--I'm quite sure he'll want us inside that courtroom."

"And I'm quite sure I'm not gonna piss the judge off by opening that door and interrupting her session."

"Tell her Detectives Yuy and Chang have arrived with Maxwell," came my partner's icy reply. "And you might just save your job!"

"I also might lose it, an' I'm not takin' the chance. You can wait for a recess and then go in."

"Do you even know what's going on in that courtroom?" Chang snarled. "They're trying Treize Khushrenada for murder, you twit!"

"Oh really? Well, I don't care if they're trying the goddamned Pope! My job is to keep order in the courtroom--and that means not allowing folks in and out while there's a case going on."

"You are a blithering idiot!" shouted Wufei. "Without Maxwell there is no case, and if you don't let us in this moment, I'll rip your fucking head off and shit down your throat!"

The bailiff was reaching for a gun with one hand, and his walkie-talkie with the other, when a door at the end of the hall opened and I saw Captain Po heading our way, her eyes widening and mouth dropping open when she saw the three of us standing there.

At almost the same instant, Agent Alexander came from the opposite direction, and his gaze flicked over Chang and me, coming to rest on Maxwell, before his eyes widened in recognition.

"No time for niceties, Chang," I said curtly, shoving past the bailiff and flinging open the doors to the courtroom--pushing Duo ahead of me into the aisle.

He stumbled his way in, and then stopped and straightened his tie and faced the front of the room.

You could have heard a pin drop in the sudden silence that fell over that court.

Noventa and Septum had been standing directly in front of the judge, apparently arguing between dismissing the case and gaining a continuance. But they fell silent with the rest of the people in the room, slowly turning to face Duo, Chang and me, as well as the bailiff tugging frantically at my partner's sleeve.

Wufei shook off the offending arm, and glared back over his shoulder, and even the bailiff quieted down.

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded the judge. She stood from her seat, glaring down over the imposing desk. "How dare you come bursting into my courtroom? Who are you people?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but just then caught sight of Khushrenada. He'd turned with the rest of his defense team, and the aristocratic face was drained of all color--his steely eyes wide with horror at the sight of Maxwell, alive and well in the courtroom.

It was--a lovely moment.

And then I heard a throat clear, and my lover took a tentative step towards the bench, bringing my gaze back to him. "Uhmm--Your Honor? M-my name's Duo Maxwell, and I--witnessed Zechs Merquise's murder. I'm here to testify for the prosecution."

There was an instant of breathless disbelief, and then the courtroom erupted in noise, spectators and staff babbling in excitement and shock.

Khushrenada's eyes narrowed viciously, directing a perfectly deadly glare at my lover, and I instinctively stepped between them, glaring back. There'd be no harm done to Duo as long as I was there to protect him!

The grey eyes met mine, and I swear, an instant of perfect understanding passed between us. Treize knew if he lifted a finger towards Duo, I'd happily kill him.

Instead, he smiled a bit too smugly for my liking, and very deliberately turned away, leaning in to whisper to Dorothy Catalonia.

I felt a tug at my sleeve, and looked back to meet Duo's anxious gaze. "What's next--?" he asked in a rather small, frightened voice.

"Just--stay put," I whispered back, keeping my body as a shield in front of his, knowing full well my partner had his back. "Noventa?" I called in a stern tone.

The D.A. gestured me to wait, still facing the judge. "But, Your Honor--if I could have twenty-four hours to prepare this witness--"

"It's already been twenty-four days!" argued Septum. "We've been ready to proceed with the defense for weeks--and the prosecution's put us off with promises that their alleged witness would show up in time. And he didn't! The jury has already been selected and the trial's under way!"

"We've barely begun opening arguments. There's no reason we can't--"

"Shut up!" snapped the judge, banging her gavel for order. "I want silence!"

She banged it a few more times, and finally the excited murmurs died down to hushed whispers and then silence.

"Mister Noventa--your witness is here, and appears to be dressed for court and ready to proceed. You should not need twenty-four hours to start presenting your case. I'll give you two."

"But Judge--!" Septum and Noventa blurted in unison.

"This court is in recess!" announced Judge Lake, banging the gavel one more time. "We'll resume in two hours."

~*~

Noventa was down the aisle like a shot, not even bothering with a handshake before grabbing Duo's arm and spinning him around to head out the door.

I caught Noventa's arm in a bruising grip--my other hand starting to reach to check him for a gun. "Let him go--!"

"Yuy!" Chang hissed urgently. He caught my eye and nodded to the D.A. who was now looking perplexedly at me. "He's not armed. He just wants to interview Maxwell."

"I--uh--sorry," I fumbled, releasing him reluctantly. "Just--don't move so fast?"

He gave a short nod, and turned his attention back to Duo. "Mister Maxwell--I've got an office just down the hall. We can go over your testimony and prepare you for the stand."

Duo nodded, glancing back as the man led him into the hallway and Chang and I tagged along, still unwilling to let him out of our sight.

But Captain Po met us just outside the door, Agent Alexander right beside her. "Yuy! Chang! I want an explanation."

Wufei caught my sleeve. "I'll deal with them. You stay with Duo."

As if anyone could have pried me away at that point?

"Thanks," I said simply, speeding up my steps to overtake the D.A. and my lover, while my partner turned back to face our irate boss.

Did I ever mention what a selfless partner Wufei was?

We took a left turn down another hallway, and I found myself scanning the area for threats, as if gunmen might jump out of some shadowy alcove even at this late date.

Instead, something even worse happened. Relena came out of one of the offices, and when she saw me, she dropped the files she was carrying and literally ran to throw herself into my arms.

"Heero!" Her grip around my neck was nearly strangling me. "Oh thank God you're here!" she whispered fervently in my ear. "I need your help. I'm in big, big trouble."

I looked over her shoulder at Duo and Noventa, who were standing at the door to the D.A.'s office. My lover's face was a cross between shock and outrage, and then suddenly he was jerking free of Noventa's grasp and striding back towards me.

"What the fuck is your problem, lady?" he demanded of Relena.

She turned a startled look to him, and his eyes widened. "You!" he spat.

Relena backed up into me, cringing from his furious glare, and her hand sought mine. I was too busy wondering how the fuck Duo knew her to shake it off.

"You have got to stop fucking stealing my boyfriends!" Duo ranted, starting to reach for her shirt front.

She ducked behind me, letting out a little shriek of fright, and then Noventa overtook Duo and caught hold of his arm.

"Maxwell--now! We only have a couple of hours, and you and I have a lot of ground to cover."

Duo let himself be dragged away, glaring back over his shoulder at me and the girl cowering behind me.

Only after the door slammed behind him and Noventa did I shake off my confusion and turn to face Relena.

"How the hell do you know Duo Maxwell?" I demanded.

Her blue eyes widened, and she paled noticeably. "Just--I--saw him once--" she stammered.

"Saw him where?"

"At--at my brother's penthouse--"

"Your brother?" I said with dawning realization. "You mean Zechs Merquise?"

"Shhh!" She grabbed my hand and tugged me back towards the office she'd just come out of. "Not out here! Anyone might hear you!"

I let her pull me into the office and slam the door, and then I slammed her up against the door. "Talk to me, Relena. I want to know why Duo Maxwell recognized you just now, and if it has anything to do with the information you've been leaking to Khushrenada's people."

"You--know about that--?"

I slammed a fist into the door next to her head. "Now I do!" I shouted. "You nearly got us fucking killed Relena!"

"You weren't supposed to get hurt!" she wailed. "Only him."

"Him?" I asked dangerously. "You mean Duo?"

"I mean the slut my idiot of a brother was sleeping with when he was killed!"

I gaped at her for a second, too stunned to react.

"You don't understand!" she rushed on. "I only found out about Zechs--Milliardo--a few months ago. My mother told me, when I turned eighteen. I wanted to meet him; I was curious. So I contacted him and we met for lunch. He had some pictures back at his penthouse--of my mother and his father--and I wanted to see them. So we went back there. Only that--Maxwell fellow showed up as I was leaving, when I was hugging Milliardo goodbye. And he threw a fit. He said some awful things and then took off. And my brother just shoved me into the nearest cab and went after him." She wiped at her eyes with the back of a hand. "I didn't even know Milliardo was gay until then, Heero. Let alone that the man he was dating was a stripper. But after the murder, it ended up all over the papers."

I backed away from her, certain that the fury of my glare would keep her in place. "So you tampered with the DNA evidence--"

"Yes! If my hairs were found at the penthouse, I'd have had to explain why I was there."

"And you told Khushrenada that Winner was helping hide Duo."

"No! It was that woman who approached me."

"Une?"

"The one with glasses--I think she called herself that."

"Don't play dumb with me, Relena. You know who Treize Khushrenada's assistant is."

"Heero--I had no choice. She said that if I didn't help them--if the case went to trial and Khushrenada was convicted--she'd make sure everyone found out that Zechs Merquise was my brother. And that he was related to the Chief of Police. It would ruin my father's career!"

I blinked in surprise. "They were blackmailing you?"

"Yes!" She took a step towards me. "You see how it is? I couldn't let them ruin my father. And the scandal--"

"The scandal would have been nothing!" I snarled, making her step back again. "You were willing to sacrifice Duo's life--and mine--and Chang's--for your fucking reputation?"

"I told you--she said you and Wufei wouldn't be harmed. It was only the stripper they were after."

"His name is Duo!"

Her blue eyes narrowed, and a coy gleam entered them, in spite of the paleness of her face. "Since when have you called hookers by their first names?"

"He's not a hooker!" I snapped defensively. "He was your brother's lover--and his friend. Someone who planned to spend a lifetime with him!" The pieces were falling into place all at once, and I knew, suddenly, why Merquise had died. It was Relena's fault.

"When you insinuated yourself into Zechs' life by having lunch with him," I said coldly. "Someone from Khushrenada's organization spotted you together, and thought he was turning State's evidence. You signed your own brother's goddamned death warrant, Relena!"

She gasped in shock, a hand going over her mouth. "I didn't know!" she blurted. "How could I know that would happen?"

"He was a fucking crime lord. You knew that much."

She nodded hesitantly.

"And yet you wanted to meet him? Why?"

"He was family."

"Yes--family you tried to disown the moment he wound up dead!" I reminded her. "If you were so eager to bring him into the fold, why not tell the world about your relationship?"

"Because he was gay, Heero!" she stormed. "He was gay and a drug lord. I went to find my brother, and instead found a man who sickened me. I never wanted to see him again, after that one meeting. And when I heard about the murder, I had to make sure there was no way he could be connected to me--to my family, and my father." She raised her chin stubbornly. "If people found out that Chief Darlian was related to someone as vile as Zechs Merquise, it would ruin him! And since I was the link between them, I had to keep my DNA out of the case completely. I had to hide the files--don't you see?"

"And you had to give information to Une to help her send assassins after my partner and me, and the man we were assigned to protect?"

"I told you--"

"--I wasn't supposed to get hurt," I finished scornfully. "Yes, you keep saying that. But I fucking got shot, Relena. I almost died! And so did Wufei--several times. And Duo--and an innocent girl you never even met! You nearly got us all killed, because your father's goddamned reputation was more important to you than our lives."

"Than his life!" she hissed angrily, scowling up at me. "Damn it, Heero--what's the life of one drugged-up stripper compared to my father's career?"

I slapped her so hard across the face it drew blood from her lips. "His life is everything!" I growled back.

She put a hand to her bruised lips, tears spilling over from the blue eyes onto her cheeks. "Then what he said in the hall--it was true? You--you're--?"

"Gay? Yes, Relena, I am. And I'm Duo's boyfriend--just like he said." I took great satisfaction at seeing her horrified expression.

"That's why you never would go out with me--"

I rolled my eyes. "No shit," I drawled, in a fair imitation of my lover. "But right now, Relena, this isn't about your love life--or the lack of one. You are an accessory to attempted murder, witness tampering, obstruction of justice, withholding evidence--" I shook my head. "You're going to jail for nearly as long as Khushrenada will."

She twisted away from me, her face a study in revulsion, anger and fear. "But surely a jury would understand--I had no choice! I was being blackmailed--threatened! I'm as much a victim as you--as that--that freak with the braid!"

I lunged for her, and she squealed in fear, yanking open the door and dashing down the hallway, while I stepped out and paused, debating whether to go after her, or stand guard at Noventa's door.

In the end, my devotion to Duo settled the issue for me. Safeguarding his life was more important than playing tag with a spoiled girl who'd let her prejudices and fears make her endanger not just the case against Khushrenada, but people's lives as well.

Besides, I knew she wouldn't go far. She was, after all, the Chief of Police's daughter. And if I was any judge of character, she'd run straight to him and try to hide behind her daddy's rank.

Not that she could. Not from this.

But I quickly pulled out the cell phone I still had tucked in my pocket and punched in the number for Captain Po--getting her voice mail, since she was apparently still too busy grilling Wufei to answer. "Captain--it's Yuy. I need you to issue an arrest warrant for Relena Darlian. She admitted to tampering with evidence and leaking information on our whereabouts while we were hiding Maxwell. But she took off, and I'm still on guard outside Noventa's office. If you alert security right away, maybe they can stop her."

I clicked the phone shut, shaking my head. Relena was probably already speeding out of the parking lot in her daddy's Mercedes. But seriously, she wasn't a particularly circumspect criminal, or she'd never have blurted out so much to me so quickly. I didn't think she'd stay at large for long.

I parked myself on the bench in the hallway, unable to hear even the murmur of voices behind the thick oak door on Noventa's office, and waited for a chance to smooth things over with my lover.

Yes, now that I had time to catch my breath--I recalled the stricken look on his face when Relena was in my arms. I expected him to be angry, and hurt, and maybe even accusing, when next we talked. But I was willing to brave all that, and reassure him that what he'd seen was not what it looked like at all.

No matter what, we were still engaged. And I wasn't about to let a little thing like Relena Darlian mess that up.

TBC...

 

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