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"Quan Xin"Written By: Honor Disclaimers: My toys! I won’t share! Warnings: a little violence, language, twisted
humor, messed up timeline (I’m acting as if the war actually
lasted two years instead of one, and it’s a EWWT—‘Endless
Waltz, what’s that?’) switching point of views (sorry, it’s
necessary) Pairings: 1x5x1, 3x4, 2xH Rating: PG-13 Archived: Gundam Wing Diaries; honordemandoren.livejournal.com
Betas: Velvet and Caitilin Author’s Notes: This was done because…wait,
I will think of a good reason…hm… *emphasized* //vidphone, telephone// "Quan Xin" Chapter Nine: Strategy
When I find her I'm going to stomp on her with Nataku. Relena had reached new heights of stupidity. The day after the Kennel Show fiasco, she had up and run away. Well, actually, there was a ransom note on her bed—but it was written in her handwriting, and we had seen her attempt to sneak out on the cameras, so we knew that she hadn't been kidnapped. This was just another attempt to get Heero's attention. I know that for a fact because it specified that only Heero could come after her in the note. Stupid woman. Heero had gone out on an errand before Relena had pulled her stunt, so he was actually closer to her location than I was at present. I was half way there when there was a call on my cell. I picked it up with a terse, "Chang." <Hey, Wufei. I have her.> "Have you strangled her yet?" I snarled to my boyfriend. <Don't tempt me. We're on our way back. ETA fifteen minutes.> "Acknowledged." One week. We only have to put up with the ridiculous woman for another week, and then Heero and I would be Scott free. Why did that sound like an eternity? + Heero came into the room bone weary and angrier than I've seen him in a while. I took one look at his face and asked, "Did you kill her?" "No." Darn. "So where is she?" "I dropped her off at Une's," Heero answered in clipped tones. "She's being read the riot act right now for pulling such a stupid stunt." "Hn." I would have said more, but my phone chose that moment to ring. I answered it almost absently. "What?" <Hey, Wufei!> Sheer instinct had me stiffening in alarm. Quatre sounded insanely cheerful right now—which meant that he was planning something. The last time that I'd heard him be like this, we'd just come out of a battle with a squadron of Dolls and won. "Hello, Quatre. What are you up to?" <So suspicious,> he tsked cheerfully. <There's a Veteran's Luncheon being held at the Plaza tomorrow afternoon. I think you and Heero should go.> I usually avoided things like that like the plague. What on earth was he planning? "…why?" <All five of us are going to be there,> Quatre continued as if he hadn't heard me. <There will be lots of media coverage since the press is guaranteed to see all five Gundam pilots in one area. Trowa and I were planning on letting our engagement slip.> The light was beginning to dawn. <I thought you and Heero might want to…ah…be caught necking at some point?> I started chuckling evilly. Heero was giving me a worried look, no doubt from the sadistic glee radiating from me. I just grinned at him, not allaying his fears in the slightest. What Quatre was proposing was deviously subtle and beautifully perfect. By letting the press capture Heero and I as a couple, it would completely undermine everything that Relena had been hinting at when it came to Heero being her lover. Not only would it make her look like a complete fool for chasing someone that was obviously not interested, but it would undermine her standpoint on several issues when it came to gay rights. Having four Gundam pilots obviously involved with each other would sway the public opinion. Popularity had its uses sometimes. "Quatre, you're evil and I'm proud to know you." I was grinning and nearly bouncing from anticipation when I said this. <Ten o'clock and don't be late! Good night, Wufei.> "Goodnight, Quatre." Heero was still giving me a worried look. "What are you two planning?" I tugged him down next to me on the bed, explaining it in precise terms. As I laid out the plan, he started smiling too—a tight, fierce smile of anticipation. Poor Relena. She should have known better than to take on a pair of Gundam Pilots. There’s a reason why we won the war, after all. + I entered the huge banquet room and felt my stomach twist a little more. The room was large, crammed with people (or so it seemed to me) and quite a few reporters were already in attendance. The Luncheon was not a formal event, but there were people that were in at least semi-uniforms in attendance. Quatre had called this morning and orchestrated what we should wear. There was one picture of us that had been very popular in the media right after the war ended. Sally had made us sit on Wing’s feet, and all of us were in flight suits, helmets in our hands. Quatre had taken those flight suits and had someone make up uniforms that were very similar in cut and color. I thought it was a little over the top to wear something like that, but knew better than to protest. When Quatre planned something, it was wise to just go with the flow. For a peace-loving Arab he could be scarily vindictive when he wanted to be. Besides, Heero looked yummy in that all-black uniform with the red piping emphasizing his trim form. I was admiring him out of the corner of my eye, and wondering just how affectionate I could get my reserved boyfriend to be out in public. Normally I didn’t mind being reserved in the eye of the public…but that uniform changed things. “Wufei, Heero!” I turned at Quatre’s hail…and felt my jaw drop a little. I know that he said he’d let his engagement to Trowa slip…but I hadn’t envisioned this! Trowa’s arm was around Quatre’s shoulders, Quatre had his arm around Trowa’s waist and it was blatantly obvious that they were together. If there were any doubt whatsoever, the smiles they were giving each other cemented it. Quatre beamed at us, seemingly oblivious to the attention he was getting. “The uniforms look good on you. I’m glad you wore them. Duo just called me, he should be here soon.” “He’s bringing popcorn,” Trowa added in quiet amusement. “He said this will probably be the best entertainment he’ll see all year.” “So glad we could oblige,” I drawled sarcastically. “Have you been approached by reporters yet?” “Not yet,” Quatre denied. “Trowa has a bad habit of shooting cameras, so they’re a little leery of us, but that’ll change soon.” “I don’t shoot cameras,” Trowa denied with an outrageous twinkle in his eyes. “I may threaten to shoot them, but I’ve never pulled the trigger.” Quatre rolled his eyes. He was use to handling the press, being a Winner, but I saw Trowa’s point on this one. If I were in his shoes, I’d be shooting at reporter’s cameras too. That kind of invasion on his private life had to be annoying. Trowa’s head turned toward the entrance. “Here he is. Showtime.” Heero leaned in close to my ear and murmured, “Ready?” “Ready,” I whispered back. We’d already discussed what we would do earlier as we’d dressed for the day. I tangled my fingers with his, a deceptively casual move. We weren’t use to touching each other in public. Usually when we were out of our rooms we were guarding Relena, and we didn’t have the luxury of being together. This time was different, and for some reason butterflies were dancing in my stomach. I’d faced Leos, Aries, mad men waving guns around, and I hadn’t been as nearly as nervous then as I was now. Weird. Heero gave my hand an encouraging squeeze. I glanced up at him, wondering just how much of my anxiety was showing. Before I could ask Duo was with us, holding hands with Hilde. She was in a sleek summer dress that matched with our uniforms—and she was wearing the same anticipatory grin that Duo was. Ancestors help us, I hope they haven’t taken it upon themselves to “embellish” on the plan. “Hey guys.” Duo’s smile widened. “So, we ready to put Relentless in her place?” “Quite ready,” Heero growled. “Good. So go find a nice obvious corner and start making out,” Duo ordered cheerfully. “I’ll shoo a reporter or two in your direction,” Quatre promised brightly. I didn’t particularly find that comforting, but nodded anyway. Heero started towing me away from them, and our linked hands became more obvious. I was keeping track of the people around me, seeing the obvious surprise on their faces. At this rate, Quatre wouldn’t need to encourage any reporter to follow us; we were gathering quite enough attention as it was. Heero stopped in an out of the way corner, one that would let practically anyone see us in the large conference room, but gave us the illusion of having some privacy. I stepped comfortably into his arms, both of my hands at his waist. “Are you really comfortable with this?” I couldn’t help but ask. I saw no unease in his face or body language. I think out of the two of us I was more nervous. Doing something like this went against my culture. “It doesn’t really bother me,” Heero admitted in a low voice. “I could do without all cameras, but just being with you openly…it’s something I want to do.” Ah. “Besides,” he continued with a slight smile tugging at the corners of his eyes, “I like kissing you. I can’t complain about getting to do that in public.” You know, that was an excellent point. Still with that smile, he leaned in and kissed me gently. It was warm and sweet, and so encompassing that for a few moments I forgot where I was, or that there even was a plan at all. I tilted my head, relaxing into his embrace, only wanting more of him—taste, feel, everything. The sound of about a hundred cameras going off completely spoiled the moment. I looked around with a glare, which only heightened when I saw about a dozen reporters surrounding us. “Do you mind?” That pretty much opened the floodgates for questions. “—Preventer Chang, how long have you and Preventer Yuy been involved—” “—Preventer Yuy were you ever involved with Ms. Dorlian-Peacecraft?” “—what is your opinion on the same-sex bill presented by Ms. Dorlian?” Where’s a gun when I need one? Quatre had made me promise to not come in armed. I think he’d had an idea of what would happen. Curses. Heero didn’t need a gun. He has a loaded glare. The tableau fell slowly quiet under his intense stare until you could have heard a pin drop. When he spoke, the words were quiet and with a definite tone of ‘listen, I won’t repeat myself.’ “I am not nor ever have been with Relena Dorlian. Whatever rumors exist are just that…rumors. I do not approve of the bill that she put forth, not only because it reflects on my personal life and choices but that of my friends as well. I just fought a war so that we could retain personal freedom, and I’ll fight again if I need to. That’s all I will say.” That was a pretty hefty statement as it was. One brave soul spoke up. “Preventer Chang, would you care to add anything?” “No,” I denied quietly. “I think Heero said it all. Now if you don’t mind, it’s not often that we can enjoy ourselves in public like this.” My words were polite, but I was thinking Go Away. They got the message. Within moments the reporters dispersed and were scattering in all directions. I let out a sigh of relief and turned back to Heero, letting my head thump against his shoulder and just rest there. “Can we go home yet?” “Quatre would skin us,” Heero said regretfully. “Besides, I’m hungry. Let’s get something to eat.” Dealing with everything on an empty stomach was a bad idea. Food actually sounded good to me. I followed him to the buffet table, keeping one eye peeled for Quatre, Trowa or Duo. I spotted Trowa—the tallest out of us he was the easiest one to spot—standing on the other side of the room. Quatre was still under his arm if the patch of bright blond hair I could see was anything to judge by, and they were being swarmed with reporters. Ah. It seems that the other part of the plan was already in motion. “They’ll be in time for the twelve o’clock news,” Heero observed in sadistic glee. He really was enjoying this, wasn’t he? “Should we call Une and warn her of what we’re doing?” I asked rhetorically. We exchanged glances, and shrugged with twin impish smiles on our faces. If we were nice we’d call and warn our boss that Relena was about to have a conniption. But who said we were nice? + It was three o’clock when we returned to the palace. As soon as we entered the back door, everyone gave us these wide-eyed looks. You almost expected the boogeyman to leap out from thin air and attack them, that’s how anxious they looked. “I think Relena saw the news,” Heero observed blandly. “I think that’s a safe assumption,” I agreed dryly. I was almost curious about what they said on the news—the only thing that Quatre’s secretary had told us (Quatre had called her at the banquet to get an update on the situation) was that there was a picture of both couples being rather intimate, and it was made very obvious about where we stood. In hindsight, that wasn’t really enough information. “Do we visit Une or Relena first?” “Une,” Heero said decisively. “You just don’t want to deal with Relena.” “You don’t either,” he challenged. I really couldn’t argue. He was right, after all. + Une has a loaded glare too, and she certainly knows how to use it. I had to resist the urge to squirm like a guilty school boy caught tracking mud into the house. “Gentlemen, the next time that you feel the urge to put Relena in her place, warn me what the plan is.” The safest thing to do when you’re confronted with an irritated woman known for her ‘mood swings’ is to keep a low profile. “Yes ma’am,” I agreed instantly. Heero was wisely keeping silent as he sat beside me. She didn’t look entirely convinced, but let it drop. I was just grateful that we were in her office and I had a huge desk between me and her. “Now, I assume that you have not seen Relena yet, as neither of you are sporting any blood.” I winced. “That mad?” “Oh yes,” Une replied with a false smile. “As of this moment I’m relieving both of you. I can’t put either of you within a hundred miles of Relena without running some risk of her shooting one of you.” Far from being dismayed, this actually pleased me. Quatre was our strategist in the war for a reason—he really does come up with the best plans. “So where are we being reassigned?” “I’ll figure that out later. For now, grab your gear and get the hell out of the palace before Relena discovers that you’re within firing range.” Heero was up and out of the chair before she had finished the sentence, tugging me along behind him. Really, it was good advice. + In the war all of us had become very good at packing in a hurry. We could clear out a room in under five minutes, completely wiping out any trace of our presence. Even now habits died hard and Heero and I didn’t have many personal items. I think we were actually done packing in about three minutes. “Is that it?” Heero asked as he grabbed both duffle bags. “I think so. Let me do one last sweep.” I didn’t think I had left out anything important, but Murphy dictated that if I didn’t check, I’d discover that I’d left behind something irreplaceable later. I didn’t care to come back here to retrieve anything. “I’ll meet you in the garage.” Scooping up his helmet with his free hand he left the room. I did a quick check under the beds, in the closet, in the bathroom, the small study…nothing. All of our things were out. Good. I started to retreat from the study and back into the bedroom when I heard the snick of the door opening behind me. Sheer instinct had me ducking for cover. A shot rang out in the room, and I almost felt the bullet fly past my right ear. I was behind a huge wing-backed chair in the corner, which meant I was pinned down. And without a weapon, curse it. My Glock was sitting on a table near the door, waiting for me to don it before leaving. "Get out here, Wufei," Relena's voice grated out. Her voice was hoarse in fury. I was doing a quick calculation in my head. I'm sure that someone heard the shot fired, and contacted security—how long until they got here? Two minutes? Three? Surely I could hold out against an armed madwoman that long. I took a stab at diplomacy and kept my voice neutral. "Put the gun down, Relena, and I'll come out." The gun went off again, this time hitting the chair. I was already crouched down as low as I could go, but when I heard the gunfire I dropped down even further. I was a Gundam Pilot, and I wasn't about to stay cowering behind a chair. Charging madly wasn't exactly my style—no matter what complaints Quatre might issue about my habits of charging through landmines—so I wasn't about to just sit there and wait to be rescued. The chair I was using for cover wasn't terribly heavy. With my strength, I could flip it in her direction, which would give me enough of a distraction to hopefully either get my Glock or get the gun away from her— I heard the door crash open. "Relena, put it down." Never have I ever been so grateful to hear Heero's voice. "Or what?" Relena spat back in pure venom. "You'll shoot me?" I heard the gun click back and it wasn't the same sound as Heero's Glock. I rolled out from behind the chair just as two guns went off, one a heartbeat behind the other. When I had scrambled back to my feet, I whirled around to see…great good guardians, he really had shot her! Relena was leaning against the wall, holding a bleeding wrist in one hand and with the most stunned, betrayed expression on her face. Heero still had his gun trained on her, face completely impassive. "You…shot me…" she stuttered out in a rattling voice. "I'll kill to protect what belongs to me," Heero stated in a calm, unhurried tone. "You should know that better than anyone, Relena." I straightened and pulled my phone out, calling Une. She picked up with a snapped out, <What?!> "Commander." I had to clear my throat slightly, buying time to figure out how to tell my boss that my partner had just shot the former Queen of the World. "There's been…a sort of friendly fire incident." There was a pregnant moment of silence on the other end of the phone. <Would it have anything to do with the reports of gunfire coming from Relena's wing of the palace?> "Yes ma'am." As quickly as possible I outlined what had happened. When there was no response I felt some concern. Had she keeled over in shock…? "Commander?" <Well.> A slightly hysterical laugh came from Une before she could squelch it. <At least he didn't hit anywhere vital.> ~*~*~*~*~
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