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"The Best Laid Plans"Written By: Honor Disclaimer: Disclaimers: Not only do I own Gundam
Wing, I own beach front property in Arizona. I even own everything
Lois McMaster Bujold wrote. Rating: R Warnings: AU, sci-fi, language, violence, lemon,
death (bad guys, don’t spaz), crossover Pairings: 1x4 (maybe 4x1), 2+5 (implied) maybe
others, don’t know they haven’t told me yet Author’s Notes: The idea for this (and the
world it is set in) comes from Lois McMaster Bujold’s “Borders
of Infinity”. I can take no credit for it. And I probably wouldn’t
have written this if Quatre hadn’t popped up in my dreams and
plagued me until daybreak. Have you noticed that it’s always
Quatre who picks on me with new ideas? Why *is* that? Anyway…um…oh
yeah. I remember now. Dedicated to my kitten, Helen, who helpfully
thumped her tail against my keyboard whenever I got stuck. Sometimes
even when I wasn’t stuck. And to my two wonderful betas, Velvet
and Lucy. They did a really quick turnaround on this, and I appreciate
their patience with my impatience. *emphasized* //com or vidphone// /thought/ Summary: Admiral Quatre Winner of the Maguanac
Fleet has only one mission on Jackson's Hole. Go in, get a scientist
named Dr. G, and get out. So how does he wind up in a basement with
a sixteen-year-old supersoldier? Well, it all started when Lady Une
sent him an invitation to a private tête-à-tête... "The Best Laid Plans "
Quatre aborted his move to follow them as his eyes lit on G, hovering just outside the hatch. His mounting frustration of the past three days sharpened and homed in on the one man that could, in all fairness, be blamed for everything. “*YOU*,” Quatre snarled darkly. G visibly blanched and scrambled back a pace. “Quatre?” /Damn. I forgot Heero was still here./ Masking his anger for a moment, he turned to him and caught his hand and Trowa’s eye. “Trowa, show Heero to the mess hall and get him all he can eat, and I do mean *all*. Then let him get a shower, a clean uniform and orient him with the ship.” Trowa arched a single eyebrow, which was his way of saying ‘do you know what you’re doing?’ “So he *is* a new recruit.” “Ah…” Actually that was what he had told Heero, but thinking about it now made the admiral realize that there would be complications if Quatre followed through with that plan. There was the little matter of a fraternization protocol to consider, after all. “Heero and I can discuss that later.” Shooting a smile up at his lover he whispered, “Privately. Is that okay?” Heero nodded, relaxing a little. Quatre felt that he was tense, and couldn’t blame him. He was feeling a little tense too. “Okay. I’ll see you in about an hour. Maybe an hour in a half.” Quatre waited until they were gone before turning back to the doctor. “You bastard!” Quatre snarled, pinning the older man to the wall with a glare. “You sent me to kill a sixteen year old innocent!” G’s eyes widened, shrinking a little against the wall. Unfortunately for him, he was not able to sink in the metal as he wished. “It was…was for his own good. He wouldn’t be able to deal with the real world. He has too many violent triggers built into him to be around normal people—” “Did it occur to you, DOCTOR, that he would fit perfectly into something that he was genetically built for?!” A red haze filtered over his vision, and Quatre had to throttle the urge to put his hands around the doctor’s throat and start squeezing. “Ah…what?” “In case it has escaped your attention, doctor, you are on a mercenary ship! Everyone man and woman on board has ‘violent triggers’ built into them! They wouldn’t have survived this long without them! I can assure you, he’ll fit right in. He is, after all, a born soldier,” Quatre spat. Then he realized what he was saying, and to who he was saying it to. Wearily he passed a hand over his eyes as his anger drained out of him. “Did it not occur to you to ask me to rescue him?” “Why? You’re a mercenary, you wouldn’t care. It was hardly in your job description.” “You’re right. It wasn’t. But it could have been. Didn’t you consider just bringing him with you?” “I couldn’t take him with me, considering where I am going. The Sanc kingdom is a pacifist nation. 01 would never be able to conform to their way of living—” “Heero,” Quatre snapped. “…I don’t understand.” “His name is Heero. And you’re quite right, doctor, he would never fit in with Sanc and their views. I fully intend to keep him with me.” With a deep breath he regained his equilibrium. “And perhaps I wouldn’t have rescued him if you had asked me.” His voice was troubled and quiet. “And perhaps I would. In all honor and decency, you should have at least *asked*.” /I don’t have time for this. I need to get to Nav and Com./ G swallowed hard and looked down at his feet. “Now. I’m going to find out what is going on out there. I strongly recommend that you disappear while I am busy and stay out of my sight until we reach Sanc.” Without waiting for a response he pivoted on a heel and strode away. Right at that moment he didn’t have the luxury to be boiling mad. He shouldn’t have even confronted G right at that moment. His people took precedence over scientists with little ethics. + The command deck was a hum of quiet efficiency as Quatre strode in. There were the low murmurings of orders being exchanged, computers whirring and air conditioning through the vents. Wufei looked up sharply at his entrance, waving his Exec into motion as he moved toward Quatre. “Merquise is on the line.” “Ah. How long has he been waiting?” “A little over a minute.” Wufei’s mouth was twitching. Quatre grinned in response. He could just imagine how the crime lord was reacting right now. Such a reaction would brighten his captain’s day, he knew. Wufei was a closet sadist, after all. “Let him wait, then. Is there any pursuit being launched?” “Negative.” Quatre’s brows shot up. Well, that was a surprise. A pleasant one, definitely, but still unexpected. Hm. “Have we got everyone?” “Yes. We called them in when you got caught.” And he had managed to leave with all of his troops. Good. /Wish I could say the same for my cargo…ah well./ “Hm. Very well. Plot a course for Sanc.” “Yes, Admiral.” Quatre tugged at his (highly wrinkled) black shirt, wished briefly that he could take the time to shower and change before talking to Zechs just for the psychological edge, then sat down before the com and keyed it on. One look at the perfect face in front of him confirmed his suspicions. Merquise was most definitely aware that his Perfect Soldier was no longer in the building. “Good evening, Merquise.” Quatre nodded in perfect cordiality. “What can I do for you?” //Die, you little bastard!// Merquise spat. //I’m going to put a price on your head that will have every bounty hunter in the galaxy after you! You won’t eat, sleep or even *breathe* without looking over your shoulder!// Quatre was a little surprised by the vehemence. He had cost Merquise quite a bit in property damage over the past twenty-four hours, that was true. But it was nothing that a crime lord like he couldn’t swallow. What on earth was going here? And why hadn’t he launched pursuit ships? Merquise didn’t own a fleet fast enough to chase them, true. But Kushrenada did. So did Septum. Couldn’t he borrow a few from them? /Something else is definitely going on here…/ //Who put you up to it? Kushrenada? Septum? Which one?// Quatre’s smile twisted into something drier. Great gods, the man thought he was hired to do this? Well, he could hardly expect him to believe that a mercenary went out of the way to rescue dams—er, people in distress. “Hired? An erroneous conclusion, Merquise. Can you not believe that I did this deed in honor of my one and only?” The reference to Heero went in one ear and straight out the other. Merquise had his idea-fixee now and would hear nothing to contradict it. An almost insane light entered the man’s eyes. //Which one? Kushrenada or Septum? Well?!// /What the hell have I stumbled into?/ Nothing in his briefing for this mission had indicated that there was an in-house war going on between Kushrenada, Septum, and Merquise. /I’m going to have a long talk with Relena once I get back into Sanc./ Still, the longer that Merquise was confused about who was doing what, the better for Quatre. //Do you think to conceal your theft for Septum with that kind of destruction?!// A light dawned in the back of Quatre’s mind. He started to suppress his evil smirk…then deliberately let it play over his lips. “Why, Merquise. Haven’t you figured it out yet? You sabotaged your sister-in-law’s attempt at extending her life, giving her the motive. And you demanded too much from Septum, forcing him to place an operative into your House. All I had to do was sneak in and rendezvous with him. The final plan was of course,” Quatre buffed his nails smugly on his shirt, “mine.” Words absolutely failed the platinum blond. Sputtering indignantly, his face turned several shades of purple before he hit the end button with ferocious force. Blackout. Humming happily, Quatre went for a shower. + He barely had put a shirt on, still drying his hair with a towel when his com in his personal quarters beeped. Walking over he hit the accept button. “Yes?” //Admiral.// Wufei nodded to him. //There’s a call for you from Lady Une.// “Ah. Patch it—no wait. Give me a moment, I’ll be straight up.” Tossing the towel casually aside, he sprinted out of the room, attempting to give his hair some semblance of order with his fingers as he went. He tossed Wufei a smile as he entered the command center again, sinking in front of the com and hitting ‘accept’. “Winner, speaking.” //Admiral Winner. It appears that you are carting something off that does not belong to you.// Two somethings to be precise. Quatre shrugged, palms out as if to say ‘I have no idea how that happened’. //And there is a small matter of a price to be paid.// Oh yes. That. Quatre had almost forgotten about that. He shot Duo a look from the corner of his eye. The braided man winced theatrically and pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket to wave above his head in surrender. “Yes, I quite understand. Lady, I am afraid that I cannot tell you.” //I see.// Turning aside she calmly announced //Launch pursuit ships--// “Wait!” //You reconsider? Good.// “It’s not that I *won’t* tell you.” Quatre continued desperately. “It’s that it would be of no use to you. At all. I can offer something else in exchange, however.” The lady did not appear pleased by this. She frowned darkly. //It had best be worthwhile.// /It is. I hope./ “You have suspected your brother-in-law Merquise [of] destroying your new body, correct?” He waited for her nod before continuing. “The reason why you could never prove anything was because it wasn’t Merquise that did it. It was Septum.” Une traced her upper lip thoughtfully. //They killed their own product?// “In-house,” Quatre confirmed, nodding. “Who better to do it quietly?” Une smiled, the expression wintry. //I am still not completely appeased, Admiral.// “You have our full cred chit, lady,” Quatre pointed out. “And we only have about half our cargo. Can’t we call it even?” //Very well. But I would not venture near this area of space again, Admiral.// “Believe me, lady, I have no intentions of coming anywhere *near* this planet again,” Quatre assured her fervently. //Good.// “Lady Une,” Quatre said impulsively before she could disconnect. “For what it is worth—there is no Arabic Rejuvenation Treatment. It does not exist. Do not be taken in again. I look the age I do, because it is the age I am. Make of it what you will.” She paused, a new light of curiosity and interest in her brown eyes. //I see. Thank you, Admiral.// He gave her a smooth half bow from his seat as she ended the call. Slumping in his chair, he looked up at the ceiling. “Now. Only one thing more to do.” + Quatre was waiting in the sickbay, absently toying with a hyprospray in one hand. He was extremely pissed at G for having put a false note between himself and Heero. He only prayed that he could get rid of it without causing a rift between them. The door hissed open, and he looked up…jaw dropping in delighted surprise. Trowa had managed to get Heero cleaned up and outfitted in a Maguanac combat uniform. The haunted look was gone, now replaced with curiosity and intelligence in brilliant blue eyes. His hair was still damp, and it was obviously combed, but already falling into the familiar messy lines. Quatre was rather glad. Heero wouldn’t look right if he looked all polished and tame. Trowa caught his stare and smirked. “That what you had in mind?” “Yes, it was,” Quatre agreed slowly, not wanting to tear his attention away from Heero. The object of his perusal was beginning to blush under his eyes, so Quatre made himself look at Trowa instead. “Perfect, thank you. What did my page interrupt?” “Dessert. I’ll let you handle that. Admiral.” With a nod, Trowa dismissed himself and walked back out. /You’re one sharp cookie, Trowa Barton. Noticed something already, have you?/ Well, the man wasn’t his commander of the marines for nothing. Quatre drew Heero down to sit on a chair near the door, setting the hyprospray aside. “Heero, how do you like it here? First impressions.” “The wormhole jump felt…odd.” Heero’s face twisted a little in remembrance. “Ah, good. I hope you wouldn’t have an adverse reaction to it. You know…” Quatre bit his lip, hesitating. He hated to say this, but in all fairness he needed to at least make the offer. “You don’t have to stay with us. With your abilities, you can do more than this life. I can get you a start downside somewhere if you want—” He cut himself off when he felt Heero panic. “No! Don’t get me wrong!” He caught Heero’s hands without thinking about it. “I don’t want you to go. I want you to stay. But the choice *is* there, if you want to take it.” Heero shook his head firmly. “I’ll stay. Is…is it because I eat so much?” “Hell no. You fight like four men, I can bloody well afford to feed you like three. It’s just…I didn’t want to limit you. You’ve been limited enough.” Heero smiled once he finally realized the blond was serious. “I’ll stay.” “Okay.” Quatre grinned back in relief before sobering. “Second thing. Do you remember when G inserted something into your left calf? With a needle, not a hyprospray.” “Yes. An immunization.” “No. Not an immunization.” Quatre’s hands clenched in his lap before he forcefully smoothed them against his thighs. “What he put into you was his life’s work. I wasn’t sent to save you Heero; I was sent to kill you.” Heero’s eyes went wide in his face. “He didn’t tell me everything, obviously. He didn’t tell me that you were a sixteen-year-old innocent that should have been rescued instead of sentenced. He didn’t tell me,” Quatre’s thumb brushed over Heero’s cheekbone[,] “how beautiful you are.” “So the recruitment…is a lie?” “It was,” Quatre admitted, flushing a little in shame. “Now that I’ve seen you in action, I would like to make it a truth. All I need from you is to get G’s tissues out of your body. Then neither of us have to deal with him again.” Heero looked at the waiting berth and frowned. “Will it take long?” “No. Ten minutes, or so I’m told.” “And afterwards…” Quatre knelt down at Heero’s feet, both hands in the other’s. “I want to make you a consultant. There’s a fraternization protocol with the Maguanacs, you see, and if I truly recruit you as a common soldier then we can’t…be more than friends.” “I want to be more than friends,” Heero dared to whisper, eyes locked with the admiral’s. “So do I,” Quatre murmured back. “After this,” Heero’s hand vaguely gestured to his calf, “is gone, can we…” A blush ended the sentence adequately enough. A true smile crossed over Quatre’s face for the first time that evening. “Can we do it properly this time? A little wine, some music, maybe dinner and a rich dessert?” A thought occurred and Quatre added firmly, “And lube. Lots of lube.” Heero nodded, an answering smile tugging at his mouth. Quatre couldn’t help but lean up and steal a soft kiss, wanting to taste the smile. “I think I’m falling in love with you, Quatre.” A radiant smile broke over Quatre’s face. “That’s okay. I’ll love you back.” Heero bent to press his cheek against the blond’s for a long moment, gathering his courage. Then he stood, face resolved. “Let’s get this over with.” “Yes.” /So you can face your new life, without any tethers./ As Quatre settled down to wait, he couldn’t help but think of the sequence of events that led him here. A satisfied buzz filled him as he thought it through. Perhaps nothing had gone as planned…but looking back at it, he wouldn’t have it any other way. ~*~*~*~ Shigeki: *watching safely from the sidelines* She’s
doing her happy dance again.
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