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"Alternative Directions: Options "Written By: Karina Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the lovely
boys and their girls in the series. Wish I did. Please don't sue me.
I haven't even got a brass razoo to give you. Rating: Deffinately PG in Australia, at the moment,
but probably safer to say R for later chapters. Not sure about international
ratings Warnings: It will be 6x2, even though it does
not start out that way. After all, Zechs and Duo never met in Gundam
Wing and only spoke briefly over a com line in Endless Waltz. I've
tried to keep them in character as I saw them in the series. A bit
of language creeping in under stressful conditions. Pairings: eventual 6x2, past 2xH, 2+H,6x9, 1+R
Summary: Directions is set post Endless Waltz
and roughly 2 years have passed. Zechs and Noin are on Mars and Duo,
after spending some time with Hilde in a relationship leaves L2 to
join Preventers. Hilde was not happy about his decision. I guess enough
said. Here t'is, and I hope you like it. This is also AU for the standard
setting, as well as the series and Endless Waltz. Spoilers: Gundam Wing Series and Endless Waltz Many thanks to Dulin for volunteering to beta this. //... // thoughts
"Alternative Directions: Options"
Chapter 23 Mars Colony Base Dome Date: 1st March AC 198 Time: 10:49 MST [Mars Standard Time] Base Dome Control Center Noin scowled at the readouts on the consol. The approach vector for the arriving inter-planetary shuttle was off from the standard allocated lane that would see it dock at Base Dome, yet no alarm had sounded. Her scowl deepened when she checked the flight path of the ship through the computer controlled link and noted it was being guided not by the Base Dome shuttle control, but by the newly completed Alpha Dome shuttle control. The computers were in control of the shuttle, as was normal for any landing that took place on Mars. All readouts showed the systems scanned as fully operational, yet the trajectory was wrong. "The flight path is correct." At the low comment from behind her she turned, her scowl easing. Zechs stood in the doorway, watching as a grid displayed the broad laneway in which the shuttle glided toward the planet. "You altered the flight path?" She was shocked, that he would have the audacity to alter the protocols by which they lived. When you were part of a project as large and as inherently dangerous as this, everyone had to live by the rules. The conditions on Mars were not ideally human friendly, so certain standards and protocols were rigidly adhered to. "The shuttle will land at the Alpha Dome, as all other flights will, now that the dome is completed and ready for habitation. The port facilities are prepared and the crews in place to handle this and all other traffic we receive. Only planetary traffic will now be handled from Base Dome." He moved to study the screen and the blinking light with the three numbers that denoted the identity of the incoming shuttle. "You missed the memo sent out this morning?" Noin frowned at the screen. She had been too upset to check the mail, an unforgivable error on her part. Alterations in scheduling and the day to day running of the complex were important to everyone's safety. She had not even thought to check the in box before she had taken the children to their carer. Their fight had upset her too much. "It won't hold them for long. They will not be deterred by this." She suspected he had had something to do with the transfer of shuttle facilities. It seemed an odd coincidence that today of all days saw Alpha Dome's shuttle port initiated. Still, it did place a little welcome distance between her and the ESUN agents. "Long enough. Have you made up your mind, yet?" Intense blue eyes locked with violet as Noin spun in her chair to face him. She felt the power of that gaze. He was focused, determined. All morning he had been at her to stay out of what ever happened. How could she? How could he expect her to stay out of the conflict? Her children were involved. More, her man was threatened. There was no way she would stand aside and let either be threatened by the lackeys of politicians from Earth. She had made the decision to make Mars her home when she had chosen to go with him into his exile. She had claimed her man. Even if things were far from settled between them, a fact she could not deny after the fiasco this morning. She had succeeded this morning in placing a gap between them. She had given birth here and made Mars her home and she would not be dictated to by distant morons who scrambled however they could for power at the cost of her family. "I don't intend to stay out of what is to happen. Nothing you could say will affect my decision." A low sigh answered her. "They will come. They will come for the children and they will expect trouble from you. If you don't do anything they will leave you alone. Restrained yes, but alive, Lu." Blue eyes flicked to the time display counting down the shuttles arrival. The shuttle had entered the safety zone he had designated and his time grew shorter. She was so stubborn, though. So obstinate. How was he to protect her if she insisted on becoming involved? When had she stopped trusting him? When he had gone over to White Fang? He had thought she was over that, after she had trusted him before he had blown the core. Or was that why she was so stubborn now, because he had blown the core, and she feared he was going to turn self sacrificing again? "How many do you think there will be?" "Lady Une says that there are ten security guards on the shuttle, all ESUN Security. I would imagine that at least that many are also hidden amid the specialists on the shuttle. There are also the agents here, at the Base Dome to consider." "How many do you think are in Base Dome? Someone has been feeding information back to Earth on a regular basis. Someone tattled about the twins. Someone tattled months ago that I was pregnant. This shuttle has been in transit for three months. How long do you think they knew before they made this decision? Or is it only convenient coincidence that they sent these agents here?" Zechs moved to the monitor station, watching the trajectory of the shuttle. He studied the readouts on the engines, noting their power output for the second stage of the approach flight, shuttle speed dropping to safety regulations. Noting that there was another thirty minutes until it would be secured in the main bay at the Alpha Dome. Just a few more minutes remained to convince her to act as he wished so that he could get her safely away with the children. Only a few minutes left. He could not just knock her out and throw her on the shuttle, which he only wished he could do. She was needed to fly the damn thing. With a low sigh he lightly touched Noin's cheek. "There are five Sleepers here, who are ESUN agents that I have positively identified. I have known about them for a long time. I am certain that there are others I have not identified as yet. I believe there are more who work not for the ESUN but for the mining consortiums, checking out the potential richness of the Mars resources. Who can say how they will react when the trouble starts? Likely they will not stay out of this mess if it becomes violent, Noin. Will you stay out of this? Will you protect yourself, so that the twins will at least have a mother when this is all done?" he cupped his hand over her cheek, turning her head to meet his eyes. Noin lightly cupped her hand over his, holding his touch to her cheek, surprised by the supremely gentle touch. Surprised to see longing and grief in those intense blue eyes. For a timeless moment she allowed herself to lose all thought and intent, just to enjoy the beauty of those eyes. Timeless. Did she... did she actually see... love? Did he love her? Was that passion? Did she see love and passion in those eyes that for so long had mirrored depression? "Zechs." a whisper. Breathless. Hopeful. He had never actually told her he loved her. He had never admitted to any emotion of a personal, intimate nature. He only had said she was his friend. "Please stay out of it." a low, husky voiced plea. "I love you." a whisper. She turned her head to touch her lips to his palm. To taste him and drink in the scent of him. "There is no way I can stand aside and see this happen. Not for anything would I let those bastards come here and disrupt our lives. We have the right to live in peace, Zechs. We fought for that right. We won that right. In the One Year War and again during the Barton Incursion. We won the right to live in peace. Not just for the people of the Earth and the Colonies. Not just for them, but for you. Me. Our children. They have the right to live in peace. We gave them that right when we brought them into this world. Our children are no different from any other children in the ESUN. I have fought for those rights before. I'll fight for them again. I fought for others to have the fundamental rights to live and love in peace. No one can tell me that our children do not have those same rights. You have those rights too." Stubborn, foolish woman. Why did she not understand? He was trying to give her the chance to watch her children grow up. Why was it when these instances happened no one understood what he was trying to do? Did no one ever try to see things beyond their own noses? He was so tired of never being credited with perhaps having a brain and the ability to reason a course of action that might be to the benefit of others. No one ever understood that he sought the best solution to hurt the least number of people possible. "I knew when I agreed to command the White Fang, that if I survived the war I would be an outcast, Lu. I would have no rights." he sighed. There was not enough time for this. Why did she argue? "I knew that there would be no where for me to go. I knew that, and I was willing to pay that price. There is no need for you to involve yourself in this on my account. There will never be a place for me in the ESUN. Not even Mars can become a home to such as Milliardo Peacecraft, the Terror of Earth. That is who I am, as far as they are concerned. I will forever be hunted by those who are afraid that I will come back to finish what they presume I started. Relena will never be safe while I am alive, Lu. In the hands of the ESUN I am a pawn. A bargaining chip. Our children will become the same. A means to an end for those who have the power to claim them. If you don't listen and do as I ask, they will have no chance against the politicians who hunt us." Lightly he took her head between his hands. Kissed her gently and looked into wide violet eyes. Why did she resist him? Was it because he could not love her as she so desperately wanted him to? He could not love her. He could not love anyone. It was not safe for anyone to love him. It was not safe for him to love, unfair to anyone he might love. Even his children whom he did desperately love, were in danger from him. He had been told long ago that he would bring ruin to anyone he dared to love. So true. Even when he held those who tried to love him at arms reach it hurt them. A lesser pain, he hoped, than if he allowed himself to answer that love. No one deserved to be touched by the terror he was hopeless to control. He was so tired of trying to control it. So tired. "Lucrezia Noin, take the twins and run." he spoke slowly, clearly. She must understand him. "Take our children and the shuttle docked in Base Dome's terminal three. It's a short range scout shuttle, but it has enough fuel to get you into the flight lane of the mining ships. There are four mining freighters due to pass Mars in the next three hours. One of them will take you onboard. Get our children out of here." "And where to then?" he had never held her like this. Her arms slipped around his waist and she drew him closer. His eyes held her. Begged her. She could see so much passion in their icy depths. He had always held himself so aloof. Separated from her and everyone else around him. Now she could see the passion he was capable of. She need only convince him to spend that passion physically, with her. To give all of himself and hold nothing back. She could see so much potential for love in his eyes. "Go to ground. Contact Howard. The Sweepers would help hide the children, for his friendship and respect for you. Quatre would help you. You were close to him. For you and your children he would help you to hide. Help you to start again. If you could get word to Lady Une she would arrange a place for you to disappear. Sally would give you every assistance to vanish with the twins. There are options for you, Lucrezia. Take them." "You would not be on the shuttle, would you?" a whisper. "No. No I would not be on the shuttle. I have to remain here. To give you the time to get away. To distract the security agents I have to be here." "No." simple. Direct. Denial. "No?" a sigh. Tired. Resigned. Lucrezia shook her head, standing to lean against him, to feel the hardness of his tall form. To feel the heat of that magnificent fool she loved so well. "Zechs, we have known each other for a long time. I know you. I know you better than anyone now alive." // You think you do, Noin. You only think you do.// Noin lightly caressed the flowing hair, wrapping her fingers in the white glory of that silk. "You are not sacrificing yourself for us. I want my children to be safe. I want you to be safe. I want us to be together as a family. As a family, Zechs. That means together. All of us. For that I will fight and not even you will stop me. I am no simpering, weak female who has to run and hide at the first hint of trouble. I am a trained soldier, boy'o. Don't you forget that. I fight for what I want. If that means I get hurt, well, shit happens. The ESUN has declared war, Zechs. You didn't. I didn't. If they come here and demand my children, then it is on their heads what happens. They will have cast the first stone." "What good will it do the twins if you die?" blue eyes flared with intensity as he crushed her against him. "Lucrezia, don't be a fool. You have the chance to get away. You have the opportunity to take the children away from this. Do it, for them. Get the twins out of this mess and get them to safety." "No." She returned the hug, luxuriating in the feel of him, the solid warmth and strength of him. "I have my family to think of. All of them, Zechs Marquise. Lucian, Katerina and you. If I can keep you safe, then it is worth any price I might have to pay. Even my life." //You've never been like this before and I am damned if I will lose this chance. I will win. I'll finally have you.// "Its not necessary. Not if you leave now." Desperate. The clock was ticking. "Take the children and run. They come before anything else." "No. No, Zechs. I am not leaving. I am not going on that shuttle without ALL of my family. If you will not be on it, then I will not be on it. I suppose I will just have to compromise with you. I can ask Shanna if she would act as Nanny and take the twins on the shuttle to safety. It makes no difference if it is me or her, so long as someone gets the babies out of harms way. I stay here, with you." He sighed. Why? Why did she argue with him? "Shanna is ESUN security." Her eyes widened in disbelief and she shook her head slightly. Shanna? ESUN Security? Shanna had held her hand through the labor before Zechs had arrived. Shanna had befriended her from day one they had met. Shanna had been kindness itself to her and adored the twins. "No. No, you must be mistaken. Shanna can't be security. I'd know if she was. She would have had to make mistakes. Being so close to me, I would have tagged her." "She is good. I will admit that. She is very good at what she does, and the deception was helped because she genuinely likes you. Lu, time in running out. There are only ten people capable of piloting that shuttle and two of them are in this room. Shanna, your best friend is a plant by the ESUN. A Sleeper agent. I know who some of them are, remember? You can believe me or not, your choice, but it makes no difference, unless you want it to. The facts still stand. There is a window of opportunity for you to take a shuttle off this planet and get the twins to safety. What are you going to do?" He would not like her choice but how could she choose otherwise? He had displayed more emotion, more fire, more passion in these last few minutes that in the last months. Which likely did not say much for how well he had accepted her presence in his bed, but it was grounds for her to work on him. To get him fired and honestly wanting her. "I stay with you. What ever it takes. I want to be with you. I want us to be a family together. They will not hurt the twins. They want them too much to hurt them. I'll take my chances." //There is no way I am letting them interfere when I am so close to winning you. They are pushing you into my arms and I suppose I should thank them for that. I can see that you do love me. Even if you haven't admitted it to yourself. I will have you. I will marry you. I can see it. Those bastards will not interfere with that.// "It does not have to be that way." "Yes, Zechs, it does. I have no intention of handing my children over to others. I will protect them with everything I have, including my life. You obviously do not agree, but there is nothing I can do to change that. I may not be the worlds greatest mother, or have the instincts of a mother you seem to think I should have, but I know what is mine and I know how to defend it. We made Mars our home. You may not have wished to be here, but you were realist enough to know it was your only option. Well, I am realist enough to know it too. This is OUR home and I will not be chased out of here by mealy mouthed, power hungry politicians, frightened that their asses will burn if someone starts an investigation into their activities during the wars. Ultimately that is what this is about. Mars is our home. Mine. Yours. The twins. Home, Zechs. I will defend my home. I will defend my family." // Home, Noin? I always thought home was where the heart was. My heart is not here, not on Mars. It's with the children, wherever they may be. The only one's I dare to love and look what having me for a father has earned them? // Zechs released her and sighed. The clock on the wall relentlessly ticked on. The window of opportunity was closed. The slight safety margin was gone. Even if she had agreed in time, in just minutes there would be no escape. By the time they took the twins to the shuttle bay it would be too late. The shuttle would have been found before they reached it and be sabotaged by the under cover ESUN agents on the base and there would be no escape that way. If she had not fought him on this she could have safely escaped with the children. Now there was no option. "So be it. Will you at least listen to what I have to say?" The computer control consol chimed, the third stage of the shuttle entry to the Martian atmosphere having been entered. Only a short time now until it started. "I have listened, Zechs. No more listening. Now I act. Before they get here." She kissed him fiercely, almost brutally, asserting her determination not to step aside. She was in this fight and she was intent on winning it, not just surviving it. Whether he liked it or not. "Noin. If you go out there without knowing what I have to tell you, you will pay the price. You need to be briefed." "On what? Those bastards from ESUN are almost here. There are moles in the Base Dome, so I can't trust anyone. I know all that. What more is there to know?" she turned and began to walk away. "Lucrezia Noin, you are a fool! Have you forgotten everything you were ever taught as a Soldier?" He grasped her shoulders, shook her, the snap of command he had learned in his years as an Officer of Oz was unmistakable. She hissed a breath, startled. "Zechs, what do you think you are doing?" "What am I doing? I am trying to get you to stop
making a mistake. A stupid mistake. Where is the Oz officer, Noin?
Where is the instructor? Have you forgotten so much? Standing here
arguing is working to the advantage of those agents. You have closed
one window of opportunity already by refusing to take the shuttle.
Thanks to you and your obstinacy I can't get the twins off Mars now.
They have to remain here. Any shuttle that leaves now will be shot
down. The last shuttle I had secured from prying eyes has been found
and sabotaged. There is no escape from Mars for anyone. Will you go
off on your own and get yourself hurt, or killed? Or will you act
like the officer you were trained to be and listen to commands that
are designed to keep as many people alive as possible?" ~ * ~
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