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Author: Mel and Christy
(responsible for more cliffhangers per annum than a major soap opera)
Category: AU, Drama, Romance
Pairings: 5x2, 1xR, 3x4
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Yaoi, language, angst
Disclaimer: Regrettably GW and its characters are not ours. We'll just
have to settle for playing with them.
Feedback: Yes, please.
Key:
minor scene change (from person to person at the same place, etc): ----------
major scene change (at another place, some time later, etc): * * * * *
flashback or dream starting or ending: ~*~*~*~
thoughts (and the occasional sound effect): *Tadah!*
some more sound effects (little ones!): -tadah!-
electronics (phone, TV, intercom etc): <<Tadah!>>
Rebuilding
+ Chapter 11
Lady Une reached out without
looking and hit the 'accept call' button as her vidphone chimed. "Une
speaking."
< < I'm wasting my time here, > > Wufei's voice snapped.
"Chang?" She glanced up at the screen, startled by the angry
expression on his face. Ribbons of multi-coloured static scrolled slowly
up the picture. "I take it the negotiations are not going well?"
< < These people couldn't organise a free fuck in an L2 brothel!
> > he spat, running one hand over his hair while he loosened his
collar with the other, yanking the knot in his tie down. < < I'm
amazed this stupid satellite didn't crash and burn a week after they bought
it! > >
Une's eyes went wide for a moment, then narrowed. He's acting out of
character-- way out of character! -- and those gestures... that's
two of the warning signs that mean 'I'm being monitored'.
"I'd advise you to moderate your language," she said coldly,
dropping her pen and steepling her fingers in front of her mouth. [Monitoring
acknowledged.] "What exactly seems to be the problem?"
< < The problem is that all three managers have objections
to different parts of the agreement, and they can't discuss possible compromises
without turning it into a violent argument, complete with personal insults
and references to things that happened years ago, > > he snorted,
throwing himself back in his chair and rubbing at his nose. [Not true.]
< < I'm supposed to be here as a negotiator, not a relationship
counsellor. > >
"Are you certain the negotiations are beyond hope?" she asked,
dropping one hand to her jacket cuff and adjusting the button. [More data
available?] "Perhaps if you stayed longer --"
< < No! > > he insisted, throwing up his hands, then
tugging at his collar again. [Overlay transmission.] < < This looks
like a very long- standing behaviour pattern. I may be qualified to negotiate
with rational people, but I can not deal with people like this!
> >
"If you're sure..." She leaned over to her computer and typed
in a quick command, telling it to scan the vidphone call for an encrypted
message, then pretended to check schedules while it worked and she thought.
"I can reroute a shuttle... I've got one coming back from L1 empty...
the day after tomorrow, I think. Will that do?" 'DOWNLOAD COMPLETE',
her computer flashed.
< < It will have to, > > he sighed, still looking annoyed.
< < Honestly, I can't leave fast enough to suit me! > >
"Live with it for another day or so," she told him dryly, and
cut the connection.
----------
Well, that part worked, Wufei thought, disconnecting the
cables that had plugged his laptop in between the vidphone and the wall
connection, allowing it to insert the coded message disguised as transmission
static. Now, if the rest of the plan will just go off as well...
----------
In the satellite's communication centre, Jeff Garner was leaning over
one of the consoles, watching a small screen.
"Looks like he bought it, sir," the technician sitting next
to him said despondently. "Dunno whether that's a good thing, though."
"It's all we can do at the moment," Jeff told him, surreptitiously
turning a dial to return the transmitters to their 'normal' inefficient
settings. "Maybe later we'll be able to come up with a plan that
doesn't risk the kids, but for now..." He shrugged.
Well, that was the clearest connection I could get him, he thought,
walking away. Hope it was good enough!
----------
"They're keeping up their side of the bargain, boss," a man
grinned, flicking off the screen that he'd used to tap Wufei's call. "Preventers
haven't got a clue."
----------
"Something from Wufei?" Sally asked, closing Une's office door
behind her.
"Yes," Une said grimly, "and it looks like the situation
isn't as simple as we believed."
"Oh?"
"He called in, told me the negotiations had fallen through --"
"What?!"
" -- used hand signals to tell me that he was being monitored
and lying through his teeth, and sent a data file through encrypted into
the static. Does that sound like a simple diplomatic mission to you?"
Une smiled humourlessly at her friend and fiddled with a pen, tapping
it on the desk in a rhythm that translated to [This agent is in danger].
"No, it sounds more like we really need to read that file,"
Sally retorted, pushing the visitor's chair around the desk so they could
both see the computer screen at once.
Less than a minute after they began reading Wufei's explanation of the
situation, Sally leaned across to the vidphone and typed in a number.
"I'll call Trowa and Quatre," she explained when Une shot her
a questioning glance. "You call Heero. We're going to need them in
on this."
"I agree," Une said wryly, quickly scrolling down past a few
screens of text, raising an eyebrow at the next section of the file..
"At least Chang has been good enough to come up with a plan..."
* * * * *
"...Yes, thank you, Karl," Relena smiled, holding her mobile
to her ear with one hand while she made a note with the other. "I
hope he wasn't too put out at having the appointment rescheduled... Really?
That's a relief, actually; the discussion is probably going to be unpleasant
enough without him feeling insulted before he even walks in the door...
I realise that, Karl, but if you ever think up a way to politely
tell someone 'stop trying to bribe government officials', I do hope you'll
let me know."
"'Please stop trying to bribe government officials'?"
Duo suggested under his breath, lowering his book just far enough to raise
an eyebrow at her.
Relena stuck her tongue out at him. "Again, thank you, Karl,"
she said, stifling a giggle. "I'll talk to you tomorrow. Goodbye!"
"If you bat your eyelashes when you say it, it should soften the
blow," Duo told her in the most serious voice he could manage, mouth
twitching. Relena made as if to snatch up a cushion to threaten him with,
then blinked and looked at her phone as it beeped.
"Saved by the voicemail," she told him sternly, pushing the
appropriate buttons.
Duo turned his attention back to his book, but he'd read only two paragraphs
when Relena interrupted him again. "Duo?" she said quietly,
all laughter gone from her voice. "You need to hear this..."
"What?" He looked up at her, feeling a cold, sinking sensation
as he saw the concerned look on her face. "Is it Wufei? Has something
happened to Wufei?"
"He's all right!" she insisted, sitting down next to him and
taking his hand. "He's all right, I promise, but... here, listen."
She switched her mobile over to its 'speaker phone' setting, then brought
up her voicemail again.
< < This message was recorded at four... twenty-six... P.M., >
> a recorded voice said stiffly; then there was a beep, and Heero's
voice came on.
< < Relena... hi. I'd call back and talk to you direct if I had
time, but I'm sitting on a shuttle that's due to take off in three minutes,
so... > > He cleared his throat. < < Something's come up with
Wufei's mission, he's called in for backup and Une's sending Trowa and
I out to head up the reinforcements. Tell Duo... Make sure you tell him
Wufei is fine. The situation there is a lot more complicated than
Une had anticipated when she gave him the mission, but I've seen his report
and he's on top of things. He's not in... damn, > > he sighed. <
< I can't tell you to say that Wufei's not in any danger, because Duo
would know it was bullshit. He's not in any immediate danger, though.
The opposition is concentrating on remaining covert, they have no reason
to believe he's on to them, and taking action against him would be counterproductive.
All he has to do is sit tight and act oblivious until we get there. He
-- what? > >
Another voice murmured something, but it was too distant to be understandable,
then Heero's voice returned.
< < I've got to go, we're about to take off. Quatre's on his way
over to give you both the full story. Just make sure you tell Duo first
that Wufei is fine! Love you. Bye. > >
< < If you wish to save this message, press-- > >
Relena pushed three buttons in quick succession, cutting off the recorded
voice and shutting down her phone. A quick glance sideways showed that
Duo was staring straight ahead, face blank, and she winced inwardly. "Duo,"
she said gently, squeezing his hand, "I--" She wasn't
actually sure what she was going to say, beyond 'Don't worry' or something
like it-- and doesn't that sound stupid, she scolded
herself-- but as it turned out, she never completed the sentence.
Duo stood up, tugging his hand out of her grasp, and walked towards the
door without saying a word.
"Duo, wait!" She jumped up and ran after him, clutching
at his arm. "Duo, they've already left! You just have to trust that
Wufei will be all right!"
"Of course 'Fei's going to be all right," he said in a cold,
expressionless voice, still walking. "I'm going to back him up."
"No!" She dug in her heels and managed to drag him to
a halt. "You're still not well, you can't just charge off--
how do you think you're going to get there?!"
"I'll get there," he said flatly, turning his head to look at
her out of glittering, deadly eyes. And if I have to punch you off
my arm to get out the door, I will, that look proclaimed.
Relena let go.
"Please, at least wait until Quatre gets here," she begged,
watching as Duo pulled on his boots and yanked his coat out of the closet
by the front door. "He knows what's going on, he has information
you might need!" And he might be able to talk you out of this,
she thought miserably. Or else stop you if you won't listen-- oh please
let Duo listen to Quatre! If Quatre has to stop him physically, he'll
have to fight him. They could both be hurt, and Duo would be that
much further from reconciling with Quatre...
Wufei wouldn't exactly be happy, either. How would I explain this
to him? 'Sorry Wufei, I let Duo just walk out the door and try to get
himself killed'?
Totally ignoring her, Duo tugged his coat straight and opened the door--
--revealing Quatre on the mat, hand raised to knock.
"Oh! Hello, Duo, what's-- ah. You know already," he observed,
recovering from the surprise.
"Move," Duo said curtly, glaring, and took a step forward.
Relena was expecting Quatre's normal sweet, reasonable tone, or perhaps
the calm, logical voice she'd seen him use on politicians and bureaucrats.
She was not expecting what he actually did.
"Maxwell, this is not the time to go Shinigami on us," he snapped,
eyes narrowing as his face abruptly hardened. "Your one objective
at this point should be to remain in a place of safety and continue your
recovery, so that Chang is not distracted and endangered by worrying about
you!"
Duo jerked and stepped back, mouth twitching as his expressionless mask
cracked, and Quatre followed him inside, closing the door behind him.
"There is nobody Wufei would rather have backing him up than
you, if you were mission ready," he continued a little less
harshly. "You're not. You know that."
They stared at each other for a long moment, fists clenched, neither backing
down; then Duo seemed to crumple in on himself, sagging, and Quatre relaxed.
"I'm sorry, Duo," he said sincerely, taking a slow half-step
forwards and reaching out, ready to pull back if Duo pushed him away.
"Truly, I'm sorry, and if I thought it would work I'd fly you there
myself..."
"I want to be with him," Duo whispered, wiping at the tears
beginning to form in his eyes. "I don't want to lose him again...
I can't..."
"I know. I know," Quatre whispered, hugging the braided teen
carefully and gently steering him away from the door. "Come and sit
down, all right? I'll explain the plan so you can see for yourself how
it's going to work. It's Wufei's plan, anyway, so you know it's
good!" he added wryly.
"'Fei always puts himself in the most danger, you know that!"
Duo nearly wailed.
"You might be surprised," Quatre told him, managing a small,
but genuine smile. "He knows he has you waiting for him, after all.
Besides," he added, "Une and I made a couple of... modifications
he doesn't know about yet. Just in case..."
* * * * *
That night, Relena slept with Duo again, with Quatre tucked up on the
spare futon on the bedroom floor next to them.
Duo lay awake all night, staring out the window between the half-open
curtains. He could pick out orbiting satellites as they sailed past, moving
against the backdrop of stars, and he followed each one with his eyes
until it passed out of view, wondering if that one had Wufei on
board.
* * * * *
"How's it going?"
"Master Trowa!" Rashid turned away from the half-gutted toilet
cubicle and pushed his protective glasses up onto his forehead. "The
work is going well. We'll be finished well before turnover, and there'll
be no way for anyone to tell that this is anything other than what we
say it is."
"Excellent." Trowa took a couple of steps away from the cubicle
as a shower of sparks from the cutting gear skittered out into the corridor,
and lifted a small, short-range com to his mouth. "Tariq, this is
Barton. How's it going in there?"
< < Very well, Master Trowa, > > a cheerful voice came back.
< < We're not even bored yet. Faheed owes me thirty-seven thousand
matches and a rock, though. > >
"...A rock?"
< < We got a little creative with our bets, about an hour ago. He
won back the twenty-six dancing girls and fifteen tons of sand, but I've
still got the rock. > > Tariq's voice was perfectly serious, except
for what could have been either a faint chuckle or interference from the
cutting gear.
"I hope it's a good rock, then," Trowa smiled. "Barton
out."
Winner Enterprises Heavy Cargo Shuttle JVX-7930 continued on at maximum
acceleration, racing out well past its intended target. Far behind, an
official Preventers shuttle was heading for L1 at a more sedate pace.
Both had the same final destination in mind, but it was essential to make
sure that nobody would connect one craft with the other, and so they would
arrive at satellite B-7699 from two widely different directions.
* * * * *
The next day seemed to crawl by.
This would be a lot easier to take if I had something to do, Duo
thought miserably, curled up in a corner of the sofa staring out the window.
The weather outside matched his mood; grey and dreary, with dirty-looking
clouds hanging low over the city. Relena and Quatre both have work
to take care of, stuff to talk to their offices about... stuff to distract
them, though I know they're worried, too. I could do some housework, I
guess, but that would just mean I was moving around while worrying instead
of sitting still and worrying. I can't even hope 'Fei will get a call
through; he can't take the chance in case we gave something away to the
jerks listening in. Besides, it'd feel awful, talking to him, but not
being able to be truthful and knowing he couldn't be truthful,
either.
Duo had never been particularly religious or devout. He'd seen too many
things happen to good people, too young, to really believe in the loving,
gentle God that Father Maxwell and Sister Helen had tried to teach him
about. When he needed 'spiritual' comfort, he talked to them, not
to the God he felt had failed them. And yet... for the first time in years,
he found himself praying.
* * * * *
[cont]
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