"Restricted Airspace"

Written By: Artemis

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are copyright to Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties. I make no money with this fic.

Rating: NC 17

Warnings: Preventers, Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Pairings: 1x2

Summary: Will an escaped convict ruin Duo's Christmas or bring him and Heero closer than ever?

" Restricted Airspace"

After Colony 205

Hilde hooked arms with Duo as they left the restaurant. "Want to get a drink?"

"We just had a bottle of wine with dinner."

"Yeah, but it doesn't seem to have loosened you up much," she said, bumping him with her hip.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I dunno." She shrugged.

Duo had been back on L2 for a little over a year, having transferred from Bremen to this Preventers' field office. It was no mystery to Hilde or the agents he worked alongside that the motivating factor behind the move was his former partner, Heero Yuy.

To shake off the demise of their relationship, Duo focused 110% on the present, working ridiculously long hours.

"Want to head over to the club district?" Hilde asked.

"Won't your baker-boyfriend want you home tonight?"

"Jaycee knows I'm out with you."

"And he's not worried about that?" Duo waggled his eyebrows.

"Oh, Duo," Hilde said laughing. "Speaking of boyfriends... You're bringing a date to our tree trimming party, right?"

"No," he said, flatly.

"Why not?"

"Because no one wants to hear about the war," he said.

"Then don't talk about it, silly."

"Well, maybe I like being single."

Hilde stopped walking and turned to him. "You are so full of crap tonight, Duo Maxwell."

"Huh?"

"If we weren't in a public place I'd clobber you!" She held her fist up in a mock threat, shaking it comically at him. "Can you promise me one thing?"

Duo cringed. Promises could be tricky. "I suppose, but what's in it for me?"

"I'll promise something in return." She smiled, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "If you bring a date to my Christmas Eve soiree, I won't pester you about not having a boyfriend."

"That's a tall order."

"He doesn't have to be tall," she said, snickering.

As tiresome as it would be, he knew her advice was well meaning.

"You provide the mistletoe and spiked eggnog and you've got yourself a deal." He held out his hand and she grinned brightly, but as they shook on it, he knew there was no way in Hell he'd be bringing a date.

~ ~ ~

By the time he took Hilde home and chatted with Jaycee, it was nearly ten o'clock when he got to his apartment. He shrugged out of his leather jacket and closed the door behind him, looking forward to plopping on the couch and watching TV until he fell asleep.

As he headed for the couch the vid phone's blinking message light caught his attention. He checked the call number. It was from Preventers' Headquarters on Earth.

"That's odd," he said, scratching his head. Calls were rarely routed to agents' residences.

He pressed play, and the image that appeared on the screen made his breath catch in his throat.

"Before you delete this, hear me out," Heero said. "I wouldn't contact you unless-"

Duo hit pause and sank into the desk chair as he stared at the frozen image of his former lover.

The day Duo had left Bremen, he and Heero had agreed not to contact one another directly. It seemed best until things cooled down. Now Heero had broken that pact. Par for the course from the guy who thought he knew best.

But man, Heero was looking good in his Preventers' uniform, his dark hair was disheveled like he'd run his hands through it a dozen times. But this unexpected-and unwelcome-contact flustered Duo, making him breathless and warm. This was why he didn't have a new boyfriend, not some stupid crap about the war. He hadn't gotten over Heero.

Slowly, Duo reached over to start the message again. The call was important, since it had come through an official Preventers' channel. He just wished Wufei or any agent besides Heero was staring at him right now.

Heero's message continued: "... unless it was important. Lars Jensen has escaped from Mars penitentiary. You're in danger."

The hair on the back of Duo's neck bristled, remembering that particularly nasty crime boss. The man had monopolized a multi-colony network of arms smuggling, illegal gambling, prostitution and drugs. Duo had led the investigation and mission that brought him down, and Jensen knew it.

"All Preventers precincts have been notified, but for you to receive personal protection you have to request it from Bremen." Heero's jaw tensed noticeably. "Damn it, Duo, I know you won't ask for help. Consider this threat imminent and contact Bremen immediately."

There was a long pause as Heero looked at the camera, knowing Duo would be staring back at him. Duo swallowed hard to squash the power of Heero's virtual presence in his living room.

"Heero out."

The monitor went black, and Duo inhaled deeply. As if it wasn't enough to have Lars Jensen on the loose, Heero had to be the one to break the news.

A second message began to play automatically. It was from Commander Cisco, Duo's commanding officer on L2.

"Agent Maxwell, by now you've received word of Lars Jensen's escape. You know what he is capable of better than anyone. Take any necessary precaution, and we'll discuss a plan of action bright and early."

Cmdr. Cisco was always this succinct. More importantly, he respected Duo's abilities and history as a Gundam pilot. He had confidence in Duo looking after himself. Though Duo took the escape seriously, Heero's suggestion that he call Bremen for back-up didn't sit well. It was Heero's over-protectiveness that had pushed Duo all the way to L2.

Until he and his fellow agents could form a plan, Duo would go on the defensive. He went into his bedroom and packed his duffel bag with his uniform, a change of clothes, shaving kit, and the paperback he was reading. Back in the kitchen, he threw some granola bars and a bottle of water in the bag, grabbed his gun and mobile, and turned out the lights as he headed out the door.

He'd sleep on the couch in the Preventers' break room until things blew over and Jensen was back where he belonged on Mars.

~ ~ ~

The next morning, Duo lay staring at the ceiling tiles in the break room. He hadn't gotten much sleep, but it had less to do with an escaped psycho than the night shift's comings and goings. Everyone wanted to get Duo's take on the news.

At eight o'clock, Commander Cisco, Duo, and several other agents gathered in the mission room. They reviewed the report on Jensen's escape along with details of the two years he'd been on Mars.

"He was maintaining contact with the outside," Cisco said. "Each time the prison shut down the line of communication, a new one opened."

"Tenacious bastard," Duo said.

"That's exactly why Headquarters sent out a high alert. Until Jensen's whereabouts are confirmed, we need to monitor all cyber chatter, space traffic and passenger lists."

"He wouldn't go around using his real name?" Agent Abbott asked.

"Expect the unexpected with this one," the commander said. "Any questions?"

The team shook their heads and went back to their desks or out on patrol. Except for Duo, who hung back to speak to the commander.

"Agent Yuy contacted me and suggested I ask Bremen for personal protection," Duo said.

"How do you feel about that?"

"It's unnecessary. No direct threat was made on me."

Cisco nodded thoughtfully. "You should take extra precaution, but then you always do."

"Thanks, Commander," Duo said.

"If things change, we can contact Bremen."

"Right," Duo said with a nod.

The atmosphere in the precinct was slightly tense, since they were more on edge than usual. Duo had one of the rookie agents monitor the space port, while he sent in a request to Bremen-not for back-up-but for his mission notes from when he'd captured Jensen. It was a good idea to refresh his memory in case the guy showed up at his front door.

Several hours later, Duo had enough with analyzing cyber communications and decided to get lunch. As he made his way through the large shared office, several agents asked him to get them lunch, too.

"I'm going to the Barbeque Shack. That okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, bring back the works!" the agents agreed.

"Okay, okay."

The barbeque restaurant was five blocks from the precinct, but you could smell it a couple blocks away. The owners were always getting complaints about the haze of smoke that hovered above the restaurant from its signature wood smoke ovens. The uncommon smell of wood burning warmed Duo's insides. It reminded him of being on Earth during the first war.

On occasion he had hidden in the mountains, deep within a forest, and built a fire to keep warm and cook a meal. He enjoyed the sensory experience of a fire-the snap and crackle of wood, the scent of pine logs burning, and the way the shadows from the flames had danced on Heero's face, shifting the color of his eyes. Back then, they were too young and too absorbed in their fight for the colonies for anything to happen between them, but it was across the flames of an open fire that Duo had realized his feelings for Heero.

Ten years later, the scent of wood smoke still brought thoughts of him.

Duo stepped into the small restaurant, and though he was wearing his uniform, he didn't expect special treatment. Sometimes the uniform had the opposite effect. There were plenty of people on L2 who resented authority, including the colony government and the Preventers.

A couple of government inspectors were sitting in a booth near the door. He gave them a little wave and went up to the counter to order.

"Five pulled pork sandwich meals," he said to the cashier. "Four to go, one to eat here."

"Care for any drinks?"

"Yeah, gimme a large Cosmic energy drink."

Within minutes, he had his order and headed to the booth with the two inspectors. "Mind if I join you?"

"Sure Duo. Haven't seen you in a while," Daisy said.

"Been packing a lunch most days." Duo sat down and spread his lunch in front of him, squirting a puddle of barbeque sauce on the paper for his fries.

"You sure are hungry!" Oscar said.

Duo lifted the to-go bags. "Nah, I'm bringing some lunches back to the office."

They chatted for a bit, but of course this meant Daisy did most of the talking. She went on about the temporary rolling blackouts that were happening across the city.

"I saw a report about that," Duo said as he ate his sandwich.

"We tracked the cause to power surges in the Sinclair Building."

"In Uptown?" Duo asked.

"Right," Oscar said. "The building's new tenant will need to install a special generator to run the amount of tech he's setting up."

Duo glanced at the clock on the wall, and realized he'd been gone for half an hour. "I'd better get back. It was good to see you."

"You, too!" Daisy smiled.

"Good luck with the power outages," he said as he headed out the door.

When Duo reached the Preventers' building, he went in through the front door to give Maddie her lunch. She wasn't at her post to greet citizens who came in with questions or to file a report. He left the bag on her chair and headed down the corridor.

The ceiling lights were off, making the corridor oddly dark for the middle of the day. He opened the door to the main office where the majority of agents worked, and found the lights off there, too. If it was his birthday he'd suspect a surprise party, but it wasn't.

"Where is everyone?"

He supposed they were in meetings or on breaks, and decided to head straight to the break room with the rest of the lunches.

He had barely taken half a dozen steps when a bad feeling crept up his spine. He turned toward Agent Hall's desk and saw the chair knocked on its side. He went over to the desk and there, lying face down on the floor, was Agent Hall.

"No," he said, dropping the bags.

He rushed to the agent's side, but as soon as he knelt, he saw the blood. He checked for her pulse as his own throbbed in his ears. She was dead.

"No..."

He withdrew his firearm from its holster and slowly raised his head to scan the room. It was completely quiet, so quiet he could hear his own breathing. He realized that was because the computers were off, too. The lights, the computers-the power had been cut, making them sitting ducks.

Staying low, Duo moved from desk to desk and found several more agents. Dead.

A hundred things went through his head. Who did this? Were they still in the building? How had the agents been caught by surprise?

Only a few had drawn their weapons, and no one had activated the alarm protocol. If they had, Duo's mobile would have warned him. The name Lars Jensen flashed across Duo's mind. A wave of rage and guilt hit him, but he had to keep his wits.

He made his way to the commander's office and found Cmdr. Cisco face down over a map on a table. The commander's arm was outstretched and one finger pointed toward the wall. Duo followed its line to the board where they posted details of open cases. The only item on the board was a photo of Lars Jensen.

"You looking for revenge?" Duo asked Jensen's mug shot. "Wait 'til you get a load of mine."

He needed to get out of here and make contact with the agents in the field. They had to be warned, but without powering up the emergency generators he couldn't send a general alarm. He also hesitated to use his mobile not wanting his position tracked in the building. How had Jensen pulled off a massacre of so many trained agents?

Duo slipped down the corridor to the weapons room, but found it empty like a swarm of ants had picked it clean. He rushed back to the commander's lifeless body and took the pistol from his holster.

"I'll be sure to shoot him between the eyes, sir," Duo said with a respectful salute to his senior officer. He would take time to mourn later.

He grabbed his duffel out of his locker, slung it over his shoulder and took the stairs to sublevel 1, the location of their training facility. He ran down the corridor planning his next moves. Once he was clear of the building he would send an encrypted warning on his mobile to the other agents, and head for Jaycee's bakery where Hilde was apprenticing as the pastry chef. He had to insure her safety.

The sublevel was the length of two city blocks. He surfaced, undetected, 2/10ths of a mile from the precinct. He jogged the rest of the way to Jaycee's bakery.

As he came into the alley behind the bakery his heart sank. The building was shrouded in a white fog. Was he too late?

Gasping for breath, Duo made his way to the back door and was nearly trampled by the stream of employees rushing out.

"What's going on?" Duo asked the first person he could nab.

"Jaycee thinks something is wrong with the oven's exhaust fans."

If only that were true, Duo thought."Where's Hilde?"

"She's with Jaycee, I think."

"Did someone call Emergency Services?" Duo asked.

"Aren't you them?" they asked, pointing to his uniform.

"No, call E.S. now."

Just then shots rang out from above. Everyone screamed and scrambled for cover. Duo pulled his gun and peered up at the roof, but was unable to get a sightline through the haze to take a shot. More shots fired, but they were hitting all over the place-the dumpster, a couple of parked cars, and the building next door.

Duo got the feeling that the shooter was a distraction. He'd deal with him as soon as he knew that everyone was safe.

He went inside, gun still drawn, stopping the last of the employees from exiting the building. "Wait here. There's a shooter on the roof."

He made his way toward the kitchen where the white smoke was dissipating. Jaycee was there with a large, noisy fan pointed at the back door.

"Hey, Duo," Jaycee said. "Smoke is pouring in through the vents... What's with the gun?"

"Where's Hilde?"

"The shop door chimed, so she went-"

"Shit." Duo dropped his duffel and darted towards the shop.

Just then he heard a woman's scream. He turned the corner into the shop and saw Hilde standing behind the glass display case with her hands in the air. Duo looked further into the shop where a lone man in a black suit stood pointing a gun at her.

Duo rushed for Hilde, leaping across the space to grab her around the waist. As he did, the man fired, and a sharp pain spread across Duo's left arm. He and Hilde hit the tiled floor behind the counter. She was screaming in his arms and more shots rang out followed by the glass cases shattering over them. Duo tried to protect her from the glass shards while another spray of bullets tore up the walls behind them.

Jaycee dove onto the floor with the first shot. He crawled over broken glass to get to them, and Duo signaled for him to take Hilde out of there. His friends were reluctant to leave, but fighting the bad guys was his area of expertise.

Duo braced himself against the back of the counter. When the shots ceased, he knew he had one chance to respond. He tossed a tile fragment towards the corner and sprang to his feet. The diversion worked, the gunman's attention was temporarily misdirected. Duo took aim and fired. The shot hit the gunman's right shoulder.

"Who the hell are you, asshole?" Duo asked.

The gunman took a step back and with a cocky grin turned slowly toward Duo. "A messenger."

In the next instant, the shop's door shattered and a bullet ripped through the assailant's forehead, dropping him like a lead balloon.

"What the fuck?" Duo yelled. Who just shot his target?

Duo turned his aim on the front door, not moving from his position behind the counter. He watched as a male figure came through the dense fog, silhouetted by the daylight behind him. The glass shards crunched under the newcomer's boots as he came to stand inside the shop's entrance.

It was Heero.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Duo didn't care how ungrateful he sounded. "I didn't call for backup."

Heero was all in black-typical Preventers operations gear-black combat pants tucked into black laced boots, black bullet proof vest over a black shirt, a rifle slung over his back and a pistol in his right hand. Just as sexy as the last day Duo had set eyes on him. Damn.

"Heero!" Hilde called out as she came back into the shop. "Thank goodness!"

"Don't be thanking him," Duo said. He caught her by the arm before she could go around and greet his former partner.

"What's wrong, Duo?" Hilde asked.

"He doesn't like my help," Heero said.

"Are you two still fighting?" she asked.

Heero went over to the gunman, kicking the weapon from his hand. "I also neutralized the rooftop shooter."

"The what?" Jaycee asked, coming to stand next to Hilde. "Who would attack a bakery?"

"You weren't the target," Heero said, his eyes settling on Duo. "He was."

"Duo?" Hilde put her hand on Duo's arm. Her eyes widened. "Oh, no, you're bleeding!"

Duo glanced at the wound. "Never mind that. We need to board up the door, since Heero decided to shoot his way through it."

"I'll check for something in back," Jaycee said, looking tentative before retreating.

Duo took a breath and walked around the counter to check the gunman for himself. He ignored Heero as he knelt down and rolled the man over. He took a good look at his face, now covered in blood, but couldn't identify him as anyone on a wanted list.

"Another of Jensen's thugs," Heero said.

Duo stood, again ignoring Heero, and turned to Hilde. "You should send your employees home, and I want you and Jaycee to find somewhere to stay for the next couple of days until this blows over."

"Until what blows over, Duo?" Hilde asked.

"An escaped convict is gunning for me. It's nothing I can't handle."

"Especially with Heero at your side," she said, brightly.

"Well, Heero just shot my best chance of getting information." Duo finally looked at Heero, their eyes locking. "That's not the kind of help I need."

Heero didn't respond, which Duo thought was remarkably restrained of him.

Jaycee returned with one of his employees and some large sheets of plywood. As they got busy boarding up the entrance, the emergency responders arrived. Duo spoke with them, and thanks to his position in Preventers got things sorted quickly. He was most concerned about getting everyone away from here.

Before Hilde left with Jaycee, she gave Duo a kiss on the cheek. "Be careful."

"Of course."

"And don't be so hard on Heero."

He knew his chances of survival were greater with a partner, but did it have to be Heero? This wasn't the time to sort out his feelings. When things had ended over a year ago, they hadn't solved anything. If they had, they might still be together.

He stepped back from the car and watched his friends drive away.

"It's past time we got moving," Heero said from behind him. It was the first he'd spoken in the last twenty minutes.

"Right," Duo said, making an effort to be civil. "But let's get something straight. You're taking orders from me."

"Fine, I'll follow your lead."

Duo barked a laugh. "You expect me to believe that?"

Heero shrugged and pulled a set of keys from his pocket, tossing them to Duo. "You're the boss, you can drive."

Duo huffed and his braid whipped behind him as he got into the driver's seat of the car. There wasn't much he could do about this situation, but see it through. Heero was here and it'd be best to work together, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

On route to Duo's safe house, Heero made contact with Bremen over an encrypted channel on his mobile. It was apparent from the conversation that this wasn't his first contact since arriving on L2. When the call ended, Duo spoke up.

"When did you get here?"

"Shortly before you first saw me," Heero said.

"How did you know where to find me?"

"I knew you'd want to protect Hilde."

Duo's gaze stayed firmly on the road. It was easy enough for Heero to check where Hilde lived and worked. "Did Une send you?"

"I requested to be sent and she authorized it."

"Before I called for back-up."

"There was concern that Jensen had feelers out-"

Duo slammed on the car's brakes, coming to a skidding stop on the side of the road. He put the car into park.

"You suspected he had feelers out and you didn't tell me in that vid message?" Duo turned a hard gaze on Heero, the first he'd looked directly at him in minutes. "You didn't share that with anyone. Not even Commander Cisco. We could've used that information! It might have saved..."

"It wouldn't have."

"How do you know?" Duo asked.

"I went to the precinct looking for you and saw what happened. Even if you'd been on lock down it wouldn't have stopped him."

He was probably right, but the guilt still weighed on Duo's shoulders. "I'm going to kill that bastard myself."

"Une's given orders to capture him alive."

"Fuck that!" Duo said, putting the car in drive and taking off again for the safe house.

One of the first things Duo had done when he'd transferred to L2 was to find himself a safe house. He had no reason to believe he'd need it, but it was hard to shake habits. He'd set it up months ago in a rundown section of the industrial district, and hadn't been back until now.

They parked in an unused loading bay next to an abandoned warehouse. Heero grabbed a large military-style duffel out of the trunk.

Up a set of metal stairs to the second floor, they came into a large open room with busted out windows. At the end of the room was a false wall with a camouflaged entrance to the safe room. Duo ran his fingers down the wall to find the seam and then fit his fingertips into it and yanked. The hidden door moved only a fraction. The metal hinges had probably rusted from disuse.

"Got anything in your bag of tricks for leverage?" Duo asked Heero.

Heero nodded and reached to his belt for a knife. He pulled it from its sheath and gave it to Duo, handle first. Duo pried the door open and a rush of dusty air filled his nostrils.

The room was darkened by blackout curtains, but Heero shined a flashlight to reveal one mattress, one wooden chair, two crates and a generator. Neither said a word as they went to work setting up communications and removing some of the supplies from the storage crates.

It was disconcerting to Duo how easily they reverted to their routine without being asked, just like when they had been partners. It seemed old habits were hard to break.

"Let me have a look at your arm," Heero said, turning from his laptop.

"Don't worry about it. It stopped bleeding."

Heero grabbed the medical kit and stared at Duo, who was sitting on the mattress.

"Fine," Duo said with a sigh.

Heero sat next to him, opening the kit while Duo removed his uniform jacket. As soon as he stretched his arm the wound stung painfully and he cringed.

Heero glanced at him, but Duo didn't make eye contact. It was just so damn hard. He hadn't realized how difficult it would be to see Heero again. As if it wasn't enough to get that recorded message last night, now Heero was here in the flesh, smelling every bit the way that Duo remembered, like smoky nights and autumn leaves.

"Shirt," Heero said.

"Yeah, yeah." Duo unbuttoned his gray uniform shirt with as much indifference as he could muster. "Bullet grazed me," he said, setting the torn shirt aside.

Heero cleaned the wound with antibacterial spray and then packed it with sterile gauze. The last step was to secure the gauze with first aid tape.

"Is it that painful to look at me?" Heero asked, getting the tape from the kit.

"Huh?" Duo asked.

"You think I haven't noticed?" Heero asked, now looking directly at him. "You can barely meet my eyes. It's been over a year. Are you still that angry?"

"Well, nothing's changed has it?" Duo asked, his blood pressure rising.

Heero focused on wrapping the tape around Duo's arm. The feel of Heero's fingers grazing across Duo's skin as Heero pulled the roll of tape around his arm sent tendrils of warmth spreading over Duo's chest.

Heero tore off the end of the tape and tossed the roll back in the kit. "There."

When he leaned forward to close the kit, shifting his body weight to get up, Duo put his hand on Heero's knee. It suddenly felt wrong for Heero to move even an inch away.

"I... " Duo hesitated. It was intoxicating to be this close again, but what was he doing?

The sharpness in Heero's eyes softened. "I missed you, too, Duo."

"We haven't resolved anything."

Heero seemed to consider this. "Then let me say that I know I messed up."

"You're admitting it now?"

"I thought I was protecting you." Heero didn't need to elaborate.

"Like now... showing up uninvited?"

Even in the darkened room with only the glow of the computer screen to brighten it, Heero's eyes were as penetrating as ever.

"Is my presence that unwelcome?" Heero asked.

Duo's defenses were slipping. He was afraid to encourage Heero when he didn't believe their relationship could be salvaged. "I'm doing well," he said, trying to regroup. "I think this is where I belong."

"You do?" Heero's hand slid up Duo's arm to caress his shoulder. "There's been no one else for me."

"Why are you telling me that?" Duo asked, swallowing hard.

"Because I want you, and thought you should know."

"Damn it, Heero."

With that, Duo grabbed Heero by his shirt collar and pulled him in. Their lips met in a kiss filled with raw emotion and desire, searing and fierce, fanning the embers that had never died out. They fell onto the mattress, their bodies coming alive with each other's touch.

Duo had forgotten the sweetness of Heero's kisses and the sureness of his hands as they stripped him of his clothes. It tugged at his heart to remember their nights together-their playful explorations and passionate lovemaking-and to think that neither had found another lover.

It didn't matter if this was makeup sex or just a good old-fashioned fuck. He wanted and needed Heero in the worst way. They could figure it all out later.

~ ~ ~

Duo woke with a jolt. He had been dreaming about dead bodies and smoke. Even in his sleep, there was no peace to be found until he caught that bastard, Jensen.

He looked at Heero, who was asleep wrapped around him, his naked body melded along Duo's side. They'd fallen asleep in each other's arms after a round of hot, sweaty sex. It had been an amazing release of months of sexual frustration and tension. But had it been a good idea?

Duo sighed and nudged Heero awake.

"Wh-what is it?" Heero asked in a groggy voice.

"Gotta think," Duo said, sitting up.

"What time is it?"

"After midnight," Duo said, glancing at his watch. "Fuck, we slept a long time."

They both got up and pulled on their pants.

Heero went to his laptop and tapped on a few keys. "Visual imaging hasn't turned up Jensen's whereabouts."

"How can he just disappear?"

Heero scrolled through the data stream coming from Headquarters. "Bremen positively ID'd him as present when the precinct was attacked. No internal cameras were recording because of the power loss, but the security cameras across the street picked him up as he entered the building."

"You have footage?" Duo asked, crouching next to Heero on the floor.

Heero glanced at him. "There's no use in seeing it."

"Just play it."

Heero played the recording of Jensen entering through the front entrance. "His accomplices were on the roof."

"That was only minutes after I'd gone," Duo said, noting the time stamp on the recording. "If they were watching the building..."

"You think he saw you leave?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't make sense," Duo said.

"It does if he's trying to hurt you in the worst way."

Duo sat down fully on the floor, feeling a little numb. "I've got to get the jump on this guy."

He realized now that he'd been preoccupied when he should've been focusing on the investigation. His colleagues' deaths, Hilde's safety, and Heero's arrival had put him off his game. He needed to concentrate in order to find this guy or it would be too late.

Duo grabbed his mobile lying in his pile of clothes. He inserted the encryption device and dialed Daisy's number. It didn't matter that it was the middle of the night, government inspector Daisy Strauss took her job very seriously.

In moments, she answered the call. "Duo! I heard what happened and thought you-"

"I'm okay. It happened when I was with you."

Heero gave Duo an inquisitive look and turned back to his computer.

"Listen, something you said yesterday stuck with me. The bit about the rolling blackouts." It had to be connected to the power outage at the precinct.

"Yes, I traced the problem to the Sinclair Building. I made an appointment to discuss it with the new tenant, but he stood me up."

"If I sent you a picture, could you tell me if it's the same guy?"

"Sure, but I only saw him from a distance the one time I was up there."

Duo sent the image of Jensen's mugshot directly to Daisy's phone.

"Yeah, that's the guy. Stuart's his name. Richard Stuart."

"That's an alias. His real name is Lars Jensen and he's extremely dangerous. Can you send me your file and the building schematics?"

"I'll do it right now. It may take a few minutes."

"Thanks, Daisy. I owe you."

The files came through and Duo downloaded them to Heero's computer so they could look at them on a bigger screen.

"Looks like he's been planning this for months. Daisy's been dealing with the rolling blackouts for about that long and traced them here."

"Are you and Daisy... close?" Heero asked.

Duo laughed, but realized Heero needed some reassurance. "Not in that way."

Together, Heero and Duo devised a plan to infiltrate the building, assess the operation and take Jensen down in the process. They made contact with the agents on the ground, which had grown from the four in the field at the time of the attack to fifteen additional agents who had arrived on L2 in the last several hours.

The team of 21 agents assembled at 2 a.m., one block from the Sinclair Building. Gathering this crack team was the first constructive thing that had happened since this nightmare began. Everyone was ready to follow Duo. They knew the routine, had the game plan, and were connected via ear comm.

Jensen and his operation had to be taken down quickly.

The team headed out with new intelligence from Bremen that positively identified Lars Jensen entering the Sinclair Building less than an hour ago. Obviously, he wasn't trying to hide. That could also mean he was luring them into a trap, but Duo and Heero had never missed a chance to tangle with a spider in its own web.

The team split up before reaching the building, each group having their own assignment.

Heero and Duo along with three other agents went in through the lobby, knocking the guard unconscious before he could react.

Next, Heero disabled the security cameras. "He just lost his eyes and ears."

Heero inserted a decoder into the computer system to access the database, looking for Jensen's whereabouts and any information on his plans.

"Penthouse," Heero said, noting the comfort level settings and the amount of data going to and from that location.

Then the computer went dead.

"He knows we're here," Duo said.

The elevator dinged and its doors opened.

"Looks like we've got an invitation," Heero said.

"We wouldn't want to disappoint," Duo said. He turned to the other agents, directing them to remain on watch in the lobby.

"Yes, sir," Agent Ross said.

Heero and Duo got on the elevator, which took them all the way up to the penthouse. A couple of times, Duo thought to say something to Heero. He wanted to tell him that he was glad to have him at his side and that maybe when this was all over-if they survived-they could talk, really talk.

But before he got the nerve to say anything, the elevator stopped and the doors opened onto Jensen's lair. Duo glanced at Heero, whose eyes were fixed firmly ahead. They drew their guns and exited the elevator.

The penthouse was curiously empty, except for a large desk placed in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. Jensen sat at the desk with a drink in his hand, and the lighted cityscape behind him.

"Cocky shit," Duo said under his breath.

Jensen swiveled in his chair. "It only took you 18 hours to track me down. I expected better."

"Cut the crap," Duo said, coming to stand twenty paces from him. "We're here to take you into custody."

"No, you're not," Jensen said, getting up from the chair. The man was tall and slender with long black hair worn in a ponytail. He was dressed modestly in a dark gray suit, and white pressed shirt buttoned to the collar. "I invited you here to die," he said, grinning.

Duo didn't like the sound of that, but hadn't expected any less. "It wouldn't be the first time we disagreed."

"True," Jensen said, finishing his drink and setting the empty glass down. He sat on the edge of the desk, crossing his arms over his chest, making a show of being unconcerned and unarmed. "Aren't you going to try to kill me?"

"It has crossed my mind once or twice, but I think I'd rather watch you rot in Hell."

Duo's ear comm crackled, and he listened confidentially: "Agent Crest here, sir. We found a schematic that shows he's planning some kind of massive power surge in this building." Duo pressed the comm with his finger, sending a silent acknowledgment.

A surge could compromise the building's infrastructure, Duo thought.

"And your silent partner. What does he think?" Jensen nodded to Heero who stood a step behind Duo.

"If he's got something to say, he'll say it," Duo said.

"There isn't much time left for chit-chat," Jensen said. "Maybe you should say your goodbyes."

Heero and Duo glanced at one another.

"We're good," Duo said. "You on the other hand are in for a world of pain."

"Something like the pain you suffered when you found your colleagues?"

"Son of a bitch." Duo was ready to spring towards the man, but Heero grabbed him by the arm.

"Forget it," Heero said. He kept a grip on Duo's arm. "Stick to the plan."

Jensen leaned forward slightly, narrowing his eyes on them. "This is even more perfect. You brought your lover with you to confront me."

Duo shrugged off Heero's hand. "You don't know anything."

"I know enough that you'll be spending eternity together," Jensen said getting to his feet.

Duo raised his gun, taking aim. "Don't move!"

"My only regret is not being here to watch you torn to pieces," Jensen said.

He held his arms out at his side and instantaneously the bank of windows blew out behind him. Duo covered his eyes with his arm from the blast of glass and air, and watched Jensen fall backwards out of the opening.

"No!" Duo rushed forward, firing several shots at Jensen's disappearing form.

He quickly realized the suction coming from the hole had the potential to drag him out as well, and stopped several feet from the edge. They were on the 30th floor and air pressure at this height, even in the controlled environment of a space colony, could be enough to whoosh you off your feet.

He turned to Heero, who was picking up a device from the floor.

"It's a counter," Heero said. The red digital numbers on the handheld device were ticking backwards from 60.

"He's planning to overload the circuitry," Duo said. His heart pounded as he got on the comm. "All agents evacuate the building! The power is set to overload in 60 seconds. Evacuate!"

Jensen's plan was to kill them all!

Heero took a zipline from his belt and hammered the anchor into the marble wall behind them. He inserted the other end of the line into the nozzle of his gun. Standing five feet from the opening that Jensen had fallen through, he aimed and fired at the shorter building across the street. The zipline pierced the gap between the buildings, anchoring itself on the roof.

Heero tugged on the line. "Secured." He gave Duo the hand strap.

"No, you don't," Duo said. "You're going first."

"There's only one strap."

"I know."

"Duo..."

"Don't argue, Heero. This is my mission to lead."

Heero shook his head. "This isn't the time to be making a point."

"I'm not planning on dying here. Give me your gloves."

Heero pulled the fingerless gloves from his vest pocket. "I don't like this."

"Tough."

The digital counter read 45 seconds. There was no time to argue. They had to act.

Heero looped the strap around his wrist and slapped the hook onto the line. "If you don't make it..."

"I'll make it. Now go." It was bullshit, but they had no choice. The line couldn't hold both of them at once.

Heero turned to the opening and jumped, speeding on the line towards the building. Seconds ticked by-40, 35, 28... There, he'd made it.

Duo got into position. He wasn't a praying man, but he sent out a plea to the universe. Just get me to the other side... He looked at the time ticking down-22 seconds.

He grasped the line with both hands and leapt into the air, throwing caution and every last ounce of fear to wind. Seconds into the descent, the friction of the line on the gloves began to burn. He cringed against the increasing discomfort, knowing he only needed a few more seconds-150 feet, 100 feet, 50 feet.

Heero was standing there, watching and waiting.

Duo cleared the edge of the roof and let go of the line, dropping and rolling onto the black tar paper-covered surface. Damn that hurt, but pain was better than nothingness. He got to his feet just as the Sinclair building shook and exploded in a blue electric blaze. They ducked against the roof wall as the building sizzled like a lightning storm and sent off flying debris. The sound of metal and glass popping and breaking was nearly deafening.

"Is everyone clear?" Duo called to his team on the comm. He could barely hear their replies: "Ross clear." "Crest clear." "All clear, sir."

"Thank God," Duo said.

Duo was still trying to catch his breath, but they had to get out of here and track Jensen.

They made a run for the stairwell, Duo throwing the door open. As he stepped inside, Heero grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him around, shoving Duo against the wall. His hands pinned Duo's shoulders against the cold steel.

Heero's eyes shown with fury. "Are you satisfied now?"

"What?"

Heero gripped Duo's shoulders tighter, his jaw clenching and grinding like a tiger ready to tear Duo apart. He leaned in, just inches from Duo's face. "You had to be the last man out."

Duo furrowed his brow. "We made it, right?" He had seen this look on Heero's face before, but never directed at him. "Let's get back to the team and then we can talk."

Heero gave him a shove and released him, heading down the stairs without another word. Duo was stunned, but he didn't have a second to consider the root of Heero's anger. They were on the move.

By the time they got to street level, the block was swarming with emergency vehicles and personnel. All Preventers agents were accounted for and assisting where needed.

It was three o'clock in the morning, and as much as Duo needed to get his hands treated and would have loved to sit down with a good cup of coffee, there was one question weighing on his mind. What had happened to Lars Jensen when he'd leapt off the 30th floor?

Suddenly, Duo's ear comm was crackling with chatter.

"They found Jensen," Duo said to those standing around him. "He's dead."

He and Heero jogged down the street to see firsthand. Jensen's body was splattered on top of a garbage truck that had been making a routine stop in an alleyway.

"If he had a plan of escape, something went wrong," the agent that had found the body said.

"It's a fitting death," Duo said, though Jensen hadn't suffered enough as far as he was concerned. "Check for bullet wounds. I got off a couple of rounds when he jumped from the window."

"Yes, sir."

Agent Ross came up to Duo. "Temporary command has been set-up at the spaceport. I can take you there if you like."

Duo nodded. "Yeah."

Heero had turned away and was speaking to another agent. It was evident that he wouldn't be accompanying Duo. That was fine for now. Duo was already coping with stress, fatigue and grief and the annoying glare of the emergency vehicle lights. He didn't have the wherewithal to deal with Heero, too.

~ ~ ~

Two days later, a memorial service was held for the nine agents killed in the line of duty. The service took place on the street in front of the precinct building with over one thousand present, including the agents' families, colony officials, Preventers, and the public. Commander Une had flown in for the service and to begin the process of rebuilding the L2 precinct.

When Duo arrived, he spotted Heero speaking with Une on the VIP platform. Heero looked smart in his Preventers uniform, but tired. This was the first Duo had seen Heero since they'd escaped the explosion. Heero had remained at the Sinclair Building directing the on-site investigation and clean-up, and was able to confirm that Lars Jensen was not only dead, but that Duo's shots had hit their mark.

The service was about to begin, and Duo took his seat in the front row. He was wearing a new uniform, and his bullet wound and the blisters on his palms from the zipline were treated.

Commander Une's eulogy spoke of the dedication, devotion and courage of Commander Fredrick Cisco and his team. Une asked Duo to come forward and assist her in laying a wreath at the door of the precinct. It was an emotional moment, but Duo was grateful for the chance to mourn and honor his colleagues.

After the service, Duo spoke with his comrades' families, expressing his sorrow and guilt. To his relief, he learned that they didn't blame him for what happened. He hugged each and every one. The healing could now begin.

With the crowd dispersing, Duo knew it was high time to talk to Heero. He scanned the faces around him, but Heero was gone. Before he could think to call him on his mobile, he spotted Hilde cutting across the street toward him.

"I didn't know you were coming," Duo said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"It was last minute, but I made it." She looked him over, and pulled him into a quick hug. "You look tired and distracted."

"Right on both counts. This hasn't been the best few days."

"Have you gotten any rest?"

"Just a couple of hours here and there. I'm still cleaning up this Jensen mess. I've got Une barking orders at me, and Heero won't talk to me."

"You know he's still in love with you."

"Actually, I don't know that," Duo said, taken aback by the surety of her words. "He's gone, so... whatever."

"Oh, Duo, don't say that. I'm sure-"

"Hilde, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but you have no idea how infuriating it is to work with that guy. It's better this way."

She frowned and gave him her best puppy-dog eyes.

"Don't give me that look," Duo said, pinching her arm. "I'll be fine like always. And I'll be at your party tomorrow night, but I'm gonna have to break that promise."

"Well," she said, mustering a tiny smile, "that means I get to keep pestering you!"

"Yeah, yeah." Duo laughed.

~ ~ ~

Early the next evening, Duo dressed in blue jeans, a black t-shirt, gray cardigan, black jacket, and black hiking boots. He was headed to Jaycee's Bakery instead of Hilde's and Jaycee's home. At the last minute, they'd called to say the party had been moved to the bakery.

It was a strange and unsettling choice, considering the death and destruction that had taken place there only days before.

Duo half-considered not going, but was very glad he did when he got his first glimpse of the bakery's transformation. The front window display was decorated with Christmas lights and a gingerbread village inhabited by tiny cupcake snowmen.

He entered the shop through its new front door, and was greeted by the sounds of laughter, Christmas music, and the smell of cinnamon and freshly baked pastries. The shop was bursting with good cheer.

Hilde rushed to greet him. "Isn't it lovely?" She twirled around, lifting her skirt halfway up her thighs.

Duo noted the new tile floors and display cases, gleaming brightly in the holiday lights. "It's amazing."

Jaycee walked over and shook Duo's hand. "It's good to see you."

"Hey, I'm really sorry about what happened that day."

Jaycee shook his head. "Don't even think about it."

"I did manage to do one thing right." He held up the small bag he was carrying. "I brought an ornament for the tree."

Hilde reached inside the bag and withdrew a glass icicle. "Oh, you're so sweet to remember. Come on, let's hang it on the tree."

The eight feet tall holiday tree stood in a corner of the shop. It was strung with white lights and a couple dozen ornaments. Hilde let Duo choose a spot for his ornament and clapped her hands together. "It's perfect!" she said.

Duo turned to her with a heavy heart. "I'm sorry I couldn't help with the cleanup. I'm sure it was a lot of work after-"

"Nonsense," she said, poking him in the side with her finger. "You needed to do your job. Besides..." She grinned broadly. "We had plenty of help." She nodded toward the door.

Just then Duo heard the door's bell chime. He turned and his breath caught. "Heero?"

Heero stepped inside dressed for a night on the town in a navy suit-perfectly tailored to define his athletic physique-white shirt, a simple red scarf, and dress shoes.

"I thought you'd gone back to Earth," Duo said.

"That was the plan, but I bumped into Hilde at the memorial and offered to help with the bakery."

Duo blinked. "That was generous of you."

"It was the least I could do. After all, I broke their front door," Heero said with a grin.

The ease of that grin and the casual confidence Heero exuded made Duo itch to be near him. Damn, his heart always beat faster with Heero around.

"We were already having a new door installed," Hilde said. "But he came anyways. He did the heavy lifting." Hilde gave Heero's biceps an appreciative squeeze. "And now that he's here, you don't have to break that promise to me, Duo."

"I don't know about that," Duo said, scratching his head. "We're not back together."

Hilde sighed and took hold of Duo's hand, laying it over Heero's hand. "It's time you fixed this." She winked and then turned on her heels to mingle with other guests.

Uncomfortable, Duo put his hand in his pocket. He was still unsure the relationship could be fixed.

"We should talk," Heero said. "How about outside?"

Duo nodded and led the way out to a narrow walkway between the bakery and the book shop next door. The sounds of the party were muted here and only a sliver of light from the street illuminated them. It was the privacy they needed.

"When you pulled rank," Heero began, "and made me jump off the building first, it was one of the hardest things I'd ever done."

Duo remembered when they'd cleared the building and were heading out that Heero's rage had been barely contained. "You were upset, but it was hard for me, too."

"It was?"

"Hell yeah, but I had to think of the mission and my team first."

"You sound like me now," Heero said.

"Is that a compliment?" Duo leaned against the brick wall. "I'm glad you came. I wasn't at first, because I thought it was the old controlling Heero showing up to rescue me."

"It was the old me, but I've made some discoveries in the last few days. I think I understand now why you were angry and left."

"Yeah?" Duo heard the sincerity in Heero's voice, and looked him straight in the eyes. "But did you figure out that I never wanted to leave you?"

Heero furrowed his brow. "No, I thought you'd cool off and be back in a few weeks."

"And I thought you'd get your head out of your ass sooner."

Heero nodded in understanding. "Did I tell you I messed up?"

"A couple of days ago."

"But I never told you that I'm sorry. And I am sorry, Duo, for a lot of things."

Duo pushed away from the wall to stand closer to him. "It's been Hell without you. Without your touch-"

His words were snatched from his lips as Heero pulled him into an embrace and a kiss. Duo wrapped his arms around Heero, holding him tight.

"Don't let go this time. No matter how much I complain," Duo said.

Heero breathed into Duo's ear. "I won't let go... ever."

He closed his eyes, focusing on the warmth of Heero in his arms and in his heart. It was suddenly unimaginable that they could be apart. How had they survived all these months?

"I love you, Heero," he said, grasping him tighter.

"And I love you." Heero kissed his ear, his cheek and his lips. "We've got a lot of catching up on this."

Duo's body tingled in anticipation. "You, in my bed all night... mmm... Oh, fuck!" Duo pulled back slightly from the embrace. "Hilde's party! We have to make an appearance as a couple."

Heero smiled. "I'd like that."

They went back inside, hand-in-hand. It didn't take Hilde more than ten seconds to notice a change in the electricity of the room. She came skidding into the shop, her eyes bright and her smile like the sun.

"You're back together!"

Everyone's conversations stopped as they watched their host give Heero and Duo a big hug. When she finally stepped back, Heero coughed nervously and let go of Duo's hand.

"You embarrassed?" Duo asked, chuckling.

Heero got down on one knee in front of him-and all the guests-and pulled a small box from his pocket. "Duo," he said, looking up with love-filled blue eyes as he opened the box to reveal a ring. "Will you marry me?"

Duo's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. Never in a thousand years did he expect this. "Y-yes," he said, and then with more gusto, "Yes!" He leaned down and kissed Heero, and everyone cheered and whistled with excitement.

Heero took the ring from the box and slipped it on Duo's finger. The cool titanium metal band gleamed in silver and gray, and sent a delicious shiver up his hand.

"It's beautiful," Duo said, admiring the ring.

"I'd like us to choose matching rings for the wedding, but this is my promise to you."

"Wow." Duo's face was warm and blushing. "When did you...?"

"After the memorial and working on the renovations in the shop. I couldn't stop thinking about you and how I had to do better by you."

"We both could do better," Duo said and kissed Heero again.

Hilde brought over two cups of hot chocolate, because this was a bakery and cocoa went best with pastries and parties.

"To our boys!" she said, smiling like a loon.

"May you be happy always," Jaycee said, putting his arm around Hilde.

Duo blinked back tears as he and Heero tapped their mugs together and sipped the rich, foamy chocolate in celebration.

They couldn't take their eyes or hands off each other as the supportive cheers gave way to everyone singing Christmas carols.

"Oh, my golly, have a holly jolly Christmas this year!"

With the festive music, lights and laughter swirling around them, Heero and Duo embraced and kissed. They were back together and better together, and no matter where life took them, they would always remember this night and never lose sight of each other again.




The End.

 

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