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"The Miracle Maker"Written By: t-shirt Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are
copyright to Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties.
I make no money with this fic. Rating: R Warnings: Fluff, angst, mention of lemon, mild
alcohol abuse (not alcoholism), prissy Relena Pairings: 3x4, eventual 1x2, Rx1 (unrequited) Summary: The discovery of a deep space refugee sets the universe abuzz with whispers of angels but for the people closest to him the truth is much more divine. "The Miracle Maker" Part 3
“It’s so good to have you home,” she enthused trying to kiss his cheek while she took his arm but she missed when he glanced up the stairs. Trowa’s brow had creased with her familiarity but there was no time for explanations. “Is this it?” she asked causing the crease on Trowa’s brow to deepen angrily. “He,” Trowa growled openly affronted by her choice of words, “has been dragged all over creation and would like a moments peace.” “There is no reason for animosity,” she countered haughtily. “We can all see it’s male.” “Is there somewhere we can rest?” Hiiro interjected before Trowa could explode. “Of course,” she smiled glancing critically at the others when they followed along. “This is a most fortunate state of affairs,” she was saying. “It’s been far too long since you’ve been home.” “His home is on Earth,” Duo mumbled causing her to glare at him curiously as if she hadn’t quite heard what he said. “I’ve arranged a special dinner for us,” she told Hiiro giggling cutely. “I must remain by his side,” Hiiro informed her. “Oh, come now,” she dismissed him. “He’ll be alright for one evening while we…” “That won’t be possible,” he told her shaking her off while he opened the office door. “It is imperative that we remain with him,” he told her offering her the way which she accepted huffily. “Good evening,” Ambassador Quinze greeted rigidly. “Please, come in.” “Hello, Ambassador,” Relena smiled. “You see? Hiiro’s brought us this young ‘angel’, as it were, just as…oh my!” she gasped stepping aside when Quatre lifted off the ground and moved forward. Quinze watched wondrously for a moment while Quatre fiddled with the things on his desk then shook himself and informed them, “You’re arrival appears to have gone unnoticed.” “Which means you can relax and enjoy a simple dinner with your fiancé,” Relena informed Hiiro. “Fiancé?” Trowa gasped glancing hard at Duo but he was steadfastly looking away. “This is not a recreational visit,” Hiiro stated bringing a cross crease to her brow. “Have you made the arrangements?” “Yes,” Qunize replied. “You’re quarters in the east wing just as you requested though it’s a tight squeeze with four beds in one room.” “Four?!” Relena exclaimed. “Why, whatever for? Hiiro will be staying with…” “Three will suffice,” Hiiro cut in bringing a satisfactory smile to her lips until he explained, “Trowa and Quatre will share accommodations.” “What?!” Relena gaped. “As you wish,” Quinze agreed ignoring the girls red face in favor of watching Quatre float his name plate between his hands. “If there’s nothing more,” Trowa interjected taking the name plate to sit back on the desk. “It’s been a very long day,” he reminded them while Quatre settled in his arms. Relena eyed them critically while they left but the room they were given was comfortable and had an adjoining bathroom that made Duo unreasonably happy. “Will he be long?” Trowa wondered. Hiiro strolled over to have a peek and chuckled while he replied, “There’s a Jacuzzi tub, we may never see him again.” “Hey!” Trowa grumbled. “Let us use it first.” “Get your own!” Duo groused while Quatre giggled and lighted on one of the beds that had been brought in for their use. It was crowded but once the extra bed was removed it would suit them alright so Hiiro set about taking it apart and putting it in the hall while Trowa argued with Duo over who got the bathroom first. Trowa won by bargaining that he would be finished in ten minutes leaving Duo the rest of the night to piddle about so he caved and helped Hiiro while Quatre flitted from here to there playing with everything from the chandelier to the light switch. “Sometimes he’s just like a child,” Duo observed while they watched him giggle at the way the curtains moved in the breeze from the air conditioner. “A child with a great deal of power,” Hiiro reminded him where he stood behind him in the door. Duo cocked his head and glanced back at him over his shoulder while he asked, “What if he’s really the one?” “The one what?” Hiiro inquired though the thickness in his tone suggested his thoughts were somewhere else. “The one who can save us all,” Duo softly intoned as he turned to face him and Hiiro’s eyes suddenly sparkled like sapphire embers. “All your’s,” Trowa sang out breaking the odd moment without knowing it as his head was under a towel but when Duo turned quickly to make his way to the bathroom his face flushed bright red in response to the smile on Quatre’s lips. The following morning they were awakened and asked to prepare as they would be receiving a special visitor but no one was quite prepared when he was presented to them. “Welcome, Your Grace,” Relena smiled curtsying prettily while Cardinal Euel made himself comfortable on one of the couches in an embassy lounge. “Would you care for some tea?” she asked indicating to one of the house staff to fetch some. “Thank you,” Cardinal Euel offered before turning to the young blond in the frilly white clothes. He considered him skeptically for a moment then explained, “It has come to our attention that many of Earth’s children believe this young mans deeds to be of some divine nature.” “He’s only a man,” Trowa insisted. “That is what I am here to ascertain,” the cardinal informed him dismissively. “Will he be named a saint?” Relena asked excitedly. “Think of it!” she exclaimed going dreamy eyed. “You’d be worshiped by the people and set on a pedestal high above the masses.” “He’s a free man,” Trowa snipped stepping to Quatre’s side. “What happens to him is his own choice.” Cardinal Euel sniffed indignantly then addressed Quatre directly. “We have been told that you were responsible for saving the deep space station Orion. Can you confirm this event?” But Quatre merely smiled at him in his quiet way. “Do you claim responsibility for this event?” the cardinal pressed on in open irritation but he received nothing more for his effort. “Is he daft?” he asked after a moment’s silence. “He can fly!” Relena enthused. “Go on,” she insisted pulling him from his chair. “Show him!” But Quatre’s feet remained firmly planted on the ground while Relena glanced nervously at their guest. “We saw him,” she maintained. “All of us, right Hiiro?” “What is the purpose of this?” Hiiro asked instead of answering her question. “We are here to assess if these…miracles,” he stated gazing at Quatre skeptically, “are real and determine a proper course of action should they prove valid.” “You mean to claim him as your own!” Trowa spat stepping in front of his lover. The cardinal glared at him disapprovingly then explained, “There hasn’t been a saint named in over a thousand years. However, should these deeds prove to be of a divine nature he will need special care and protection.” “And what if his will?” Hiiro asked sternly. “He’s nothing but a boy,” the cardinal laughed. “And all children require guidance.” “You will not imprison him,” Trowa promised prompting Relena to scoff. “He’ll be treated like a king,” she insisted. “You shouldn’t let your personal feelings interfere with what’s best for him.” “Excuse me?” the cardinal inquired. Relena’s lips curled while she stepped forward and explained, “Mr. Barton appears to have developed a strong attachment to our angelic friend.” “He’s the only one who understands him,” Duo interjected. “They have a special bond that allows Trowa to interpret certain things about him,” he explained hoping to derail any attempt to separate them. “I see,” the cardinal commented then told Trowa, “I understand he cannot speak.” “He doesn’t speak English,” Trowa clarified. “If the audio files I received are real he can’t even make sounds that resemble human speech,” Cardinal Euel countered. “Can you ask him to demonstrate?” “He understands what we say,” Trowa snipped. “He’ll speak when he wants to.” “Well, then?” Quatre smiled and stepped to Trowa’s side where his hand slipped into his lovers and he laid his golden head on his shoulder with a happy sigh. “What’s this?” the cardinal inquired curiously. “You see?” Relena interjected. “They’re very fond of one another.” “He doesn’t appear to want to talk to you,” Duo chuckled. “We only wish to discover the truth,” the cardinal assured Quatre but all he offered was a happy sigh while he curled under Trowa’s arm. “I’m afraid you’re out of luck,” Duo snickered. “It looks like he’s not in the mood for miracles today.” “Don’t be absurd,” Cardinal Euel snipped. “If there is any truth to these claims it must be documented and studied. Now,” he said standing in his imposing red robes. “If you can, indeed, perform any sort of divine manifestation show us some proof!” But Quatre merely smiled at him. “Even a small occurrence will do,” he insisted but still there was no other response. “I guess the Vatican will have to wait for some other saint to come along,” Duo chuckled following when Trowa lead Quatre from the room. “We have seen the recording of his deed!” the cardinal growled. “And we will see proof of his divinity!” “He’s not a messenger of God,” Hiiro told them as he tagged along. “He’s just a human being who stepped off the evolutionary ladder. You’ll find no evidence of godly influence here.” “We shall see,” Cardinal Euel promised before they left. “What a nut ball,” Duo grumbled when they piled in one of the embassy’s recreation rooms. “If he finds a way to claim Quatre is a saint he’ll spend the rest of his life in a tower somewhere being worshiped and studied while they sell his power to the highest bidder.” “Or maybe he could just turn them all into church mice and walk away,” Duo chuckled but the comment made Quatre sulk. “Ok,” he sighed. “I know you couldn’t harm anyone even if you wanted to but we still can’t let them shove you in a cage and hand feed you.” ‘It’ll be alright,” Trowa monotoned but Duo cut him off before he could finish. “Thou art with me, yeah, I know,” he grumbled ignoring the strange expression in Hiiro’s eyes while he went to get the darts out of the dart board on the wall. They turned, each sighing in their own way when Relena entered and smiled. “There you are.” She made a wide sweep around Trowa when he glared at her but made it to Hiiro’s side in record time. “I thought we could spend the afternoon together.” “I told you,” Hiiro replied. “I cannot leave Quatre.” “He has two other bodyguards,” she argued. “He’ll be fine,” she insisted trying to tug on his arm but he refused to move. “It isn’t debatable,” he told her firmly. Her brow fell crossly while she stood back and folded her arms then her eyes went wide and she grabbed his arm and gasped, “Is he forcing you to stay?!” Duo rolled his eyes and sent a dart into the bull’s eye while Hiiro explained, “No. I made a promise…” “You made a promise to me first!” she snapped. “And you’ll honor it or I’ll call this whole thing off!” Hiiro sighed while he surveyed the room but when his eyes sought Duo’s he was studying the dartboard intently. “Quatre…” He could say nothing more before he floated up and kissed him right between the eyes leaving a blank expression on his face and an indignant scowl on Relena’s. “Come on,” she insisted dragging him out by the arm but he appeared to be having some trouble focusing then they were gone and Duo threw all the darts at the board at once. “What is with that anyway?” Trowa asked accepting Quatre into his lap where he curled up happily. “Don’t go there,” Duo grumbled heading for the bar. “Don’t even try to deny it,” Trowa countered. “I’ve known you guys long enough to see how much you care for him.” “Just…leave it alone,” Duo sighed throwing back a shot of rum. “You should tell him.” Duo was quiet long enough to pour himself another shot then confessed sadly, “He knows,” before he hit it and set the empty glass back on the bar. “Then…why?” Trowa wondered somewhat stunned. “He’s known all along,” Duo explained taking another shot to a chair. “It’s how we met actually.” “You confessed,” Trowa surmised. “Yeah,” Duo chuckled wryly. “But…he’s het so…” “Is that why he agreed to marry Relena?” “No,” Duo snorted. “He can’t stand her but…she has a great deal of influence with her father who just happens to be the guy supplying us with the ships and equipment that allow us to do our job.” “Patrolling the frontier,” Trowa recalled. “The frontier, space in general,” Duo shrugged hitting his drink hard. “It’s all we ever wanted, you know? To make a difference. When he turned me down I just couldn’t stay away and we found out we had a lot in common so we eventually became friends. But our dreams aren’t of the garden variety so when the opportunity to acquire the means necessary to make them real came along, we took it.” “Maybe things will change.” “Oh, they’ll change,” Duo chuckled. “We’ve been looking for other means but haven’t found it yet. We will though, because there’s no way he’s going to marry that woman,” he declared with absolute finality. Trowa looked to Quatre but he seemed oblivious to the conversation as he was fascinated by the buttons on his shirt. “Go take a nap or something,” Duo suggested heading for the dart board and Trowa’s left brow rose before he carried his little angel away. Duo was on his seventh shot and his third game of ‘round the clock’ before Hiiro showed back up looking haired and cross. “Escaped?” he chuckled while he threw his next dart. “If only,” Hiiro grumbled falling into a chair. “With your virginity intact?” Duo chuckled tossing another dart. “Barely,” Hiiro snorted raising a brow when Duo missed the board altogether. “Where’s Quatre and Trowa?” “Spending some quality time,” Duo replied going to refill his glass. Hiiro watched him until after he’d hit the shot then sighed and closed his eyes. “We should stay close to him.” “They hardly have any privacy at all,” Duo reminded him. “Let them be.” “I thought you were against their relationship?” Hiiro asked joining him at the bar where he searched out a shot glass and poured them another drink. “Naw,” Duo sighed accepting his glass. “It just freaked me out that he was essentially banging an angel.” “He’s not an angel in the biblical sense,” Hiiro reminded him. “No,” Duo agreed while his eyes glazed over. “But he’s the most beautiful soul I’ve seen since...” but he stopped before the thought could come clear. “Who’s winning?” Hiiro chuckled turning toward the dart board evasively but when Duo called his name he turned back and gasped when he was soundly kissed. “Sorry,” Duo apologized almost before he drew away and darted out leaving Hiiro sitting at the bar short of breath and in need of another drink. ** “Good afternoon,” Cardinal Euel smiled when the group entered an office that had been set up for his use. After his failure to entice Quatre into some show of miraculous power he decided to stay on and work on the matter personally but in the week he had been with them nothing he did so much as inspired Quatre to lift off the ground. However, there was a young boy in his company this day that made the group of young men nervous as they seated themselves. “Who’s this?” Duo wondered smiling reassuringly at the frightened child. “Due to the fact that you refuse to cooperate with our reasonable requests,” the cardinal told Quatre. “We have decided to appeal to your good nature. This is Timothy Brian,” he introduced the boy. “He has recently been diagnosed with a terminal illness that will take his life by the end of the month.” “How about you shut the hell up?” Duo growled so vehemently the cardinal was inspired to step back while he approached the boy. “Hey,” he smiled much more kindly. “It’s ok,” he told him easing the fear in his eyes. “No ones going to hurt you.” “He’s scared,” Hiiro commented in a tone that drained the color from the cardinal’s face. “Hey,” Duo grinned. “How about we get some ice cream?” “Now, just a min…” the cardinal began but fell silent when Hiiro glared damnation at him. However, once he had been removed he was inspired to explain, “We brought him here with the hope of a cure.” “You brought him here to force Quatre’s hand and gain yourself a miracle worker,” Hiiro growled. “Regardless of your interpretation that child needs help,” the cardinal stated. “However, if you would allow him to leave this house without…” but he stalled when Quatre rose and walked out of the room. “Where is he going?” he asked joining Hiiro and Trowa when they followed. He went down the hall and through a door where Duo was serving their young guest a bowl of chocolate ice cream but stilled upon their arrival. Each watched and nurtured their own thoughts while Quatre walked over and offered his hand to the child who took one look at his smiling face and jumped into his arms where he hugged him tight. Hiiro stepped out of the way when Quatre turned with him in his arms and walked up to the cardinal where he prompted the boy to shift his desperate hug to his thick neck which put an astonished expression on his rounded face. Then, a moment later Cardinal Euel’s face went pale and he rushed from the house with the boy still clutched tightly in his arms. “What happened?” Duo wondered. “He transferred the boy’s illness to the man,” Trowa explained shocking Hiiro and Duo into drop jawed expressions. “Will he die?” Duo wondered clearly astounded that Quatre would do such a thing but Trowa’s only response was… “Trust him.” Three days later the embassy was besieged by reporters and salvation seekers the numbers of which seemed to grow by the hour. It was decided that trying to move Quatre again would be a futile effort since there appeared to be no way to hide his deeds from the public for long. It was hard enough to get people in more or less out so it was a bit of a surprise when Cardinal Euel showed up late on the fourth day. “What’re you doing here?” Duo asked sternly staying close to Quatre’s side when they saw him. “Don’t be so rude,” Relena snipped as her temper had soured with the chaos since Hiiro flat out refused to leave Quatre’s side once it started. “Obviously he’s come to help.” “How?” Hiiro asked evenly also staying close to Quatre’s side. “By taking him away from here, of course,” Relena sighed somewhat taken aback when Hiiro and Duo stood in front of their charge and Trowa protectively. “Relena,” Quinze scolded gently. “I believe Cardinal Euel has something he would like to say.” She fell silent but was clearly unhappy about it while the cardinal took the floor. “May I start,” he began looking very tired, “by offering an apology.” Hiiro and Duo eased off their guard somewhat when Quatre pushed forward to face the man. “I think I understand,” he told him looking on him with open awe while he offered a heartfelt, “I’m so sorry.” Relena looked affronted while Quinze sat patiently behind his desk and observed. “You declared him a saint didn’t you?” Duo asked angrily. “No,” Euel chuckled. “But when the Pope learned of my…situation,” he said tactfully, “he questioned me and announced in closed forum that Quatre was the miracle maker the people believe him to be.” “And someone leaked it to the press,” Hiiro surmised cursing when Euel nodded. “What about the boy?” Duo wanted to know. “He’s fine,” the cardinal laughed seeming content with the fact. “He’ll live a good, long life,” he smiled at Quatre who astonished him by lifting off the ground as he moved forward. “By all that’s holy,” he exclaimed while his face shone with joy. “We believe he is descended from an ancient ancestor of human who possessed special skills,” Duo explained while Quatre laid his hands on either side of his face. “A group who left Earth in search of a peaceful existence and inadvertently inspired the manifestation of angels in our cultures,” Hiiro elaborated. “But he is human,” Trowa stated firmly. “That may be so,” Cardinal Euel smiled as his face lightened considerably with the easing of the pain. “But the fact remains that he will be the deliverer of Earth’s children.” “He’s only a man,” Trowa insisted coming to take his lover in hand but the cardinal merely smiled and replied… “You know better than anyone he is much more than that.” “What do you mean?” Hiiro demanded. “What is he saying?” Duo echoed his concern but Trowa stood silently staring into the cardinal’s eyes. “Thank you,” Euel enthused taking Quatre’s hands to kiss much to Trowa’s dissatisfaction. “And I’m sorry for all this,” he offered the others indicating the mayhem outside. “If he’s so wonderful why doesn’t he just give them what they want and be done with it?” Relena grumbled. “An intelligent question,” Quinze interjected making everyone stop and stare. “It has been publicly accepted that he can perform miraculous deeds. Why not allow him to do what he does best?” “If you intend to charge…” Duo began in a voice devoid of human compassion but Quinze cut him off with… “Oh, my, no. Of course not. But regardless of the compensation his gift should be shared. There are people in need of his unique capabilities and we have the means to see that they get it.” “He’ll not be turned into some sort of freaky sideshow,” Trowa stated but stalled when Quatre bounced on his heels excitedly “I believe he likes the idea,” Quinze laughed. “You’ll turn the embassy into a circus if you let those people in here,” Relena grumbled. “Quite right,” Quinze agreed. “We’ll have to find somewhere else to set up. Somewhere that will provide the proper security yet allow the people to approach.” “The old Altron theater,” Hiiro suggested. “It’s abandoned, has ample room and is set up to accommodate crowds.” “We’ll contact the owner immediately,” Quinze grinned then laughed when Quatre suddenly started bouncing four feet in the air.
~ * ~ tbc... |
