By: Spooks
~ ~ ~ ~
Noin shut the bedroom door soundly, then turned to her husband. She crossed her arm over her chest.
“What’s wrong, why are you letting him walk off with our baby!?” Zechs asked, his brow coming together in an angry line. “I don’t care if he’s taking her to Relena, he has my child in his care!”
“Zechs,” Noin began, her voice soft. “I realize that you and Wufei do not get along.”
Zechs’ frown deepened. “I think that’s a fairly accurate assessment,” he replied dryly.
“I know,” she nodded. “But I get along with Wufei perfectly well. He’s my friend. I trust him with Tredici. We’ve discussed this before.”
“Yes, I trust your judgment, if that’s what you’re getting at,” Zechs crossed his arms as well, mimicking Noin’s posture. “But you should trust mine.”
Noin raised her eyebrows. “As far as anyone can tell, the conflict between you two is mostly one-sided. Why? Is it because of what happened in the war, when he killed Trieze Khushrenada in that last battle? Or is because he’s dating your sister, whom you’re insanely protective of?” She paused, laying her hands on top of Zech’s folded arms. She squeezed lightly. “You tell me to trust your judgment, so give me a reason why you’re so antagonistic to Wufei. Why do you think I shouldn’t trust him?”
Zechs’ shoulders slumped slightly. “It’s neither of those reasons, although I am utterly uncomfortable with him dating my sister...I want to protect her from him, but I feel as though I should let her make her own decisions. I’m going to warn her, though, before things between them go too far.”
“Warn her?” Noin asked. “Are you going to tell her why you dislike him?”
“Yes,” he uncrossed his arms and cupped the side of Noin’s face for a brief moment. “I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you why earlier. I didn’t realize you wanted to know, actually.”
Noin smiled crookedly. “Well, I didn’t care too much before. I just thought it was a mutual dislike...but I’m worried about you, Zechs. You’re harboring such hatred, and it might help you to vent, in the very least. I know you, and you must have a good reason for this. I may not agree, but I can try to understand.”
“I worry about you too, Luce...Especially when you’re speaking with him,” Zechs replied, spitting out the pronoun distastefully.
“So tell me why, Zechs.”
He did.
When he finished, Noin chewed her lower lip for a moment before speaking. “Are you sure? I had heard...but I didn’t...well...Did you ask Wufei about this? I doubt he’d lie, even though you two don’t get along. It’s not that I don’t believe you, or that I don’t think you’ve already investigated this, but I’m having a hard time here.”
“I know what I heard, and I know what evidence was presented to me at the time. I’ve thought about it, and I’ve had very little, if any, evidence presented to the contrary. You realize...” He gave Noin a long look. “You realize why that would bother me so much, don’t you?”
She sighed and nodded. “Yes. Of course I realize why.”
He took her hand. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
They smiled at each other, closed-mouth expressions of melancholy. Noin cleared her throat, then laughed suddenly. “You realize that this is the first bit of time we’ve had alone since last week. Without Tredici, I mean...”
Zechs raised his eyebrows and laughed quietly. “So you want to...?”
Noin grinned deviously. “Yeah, a nap would be great.”
“We’re so exciting now that we’re parents,” he groaned, flopping back on the bed and pulling Noin with him. She rested her head on his chest and he threw an arm around her.
“So very exciting,” Noin agreed, pulling at a strand of his long hair, curling it around her finger.
“Luce?”
“Mmm?”
“Thank you...”
“Love you, too.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Wufei walked along the hallways, carefully keeping the baby carrier balanced as he made his way from Noin’s room to find Relena. Supposedly, she was changing out of her swimsuit.
“Oh, wow! Is that Mr. and Mrs. Marquise’s baby girl?” A feminine voice piped from a side corridor.
Wufei paused, looking at the smiling maid. It took him a moment, but he finally recognized the black haired staffer that had brought Duo and Heero one of their many-forwarded bits of mail. She looked less timid than before, since her attention was focused on the baby, but Wufei noticed that she kept her head slightly bowed. A look of utter adoration was plastered to her face.
“Yes, this is their baby. Her name is Tredici,” Wufei supplied.
He turned the carrier slightly so the maid could get a better look at the child. His eyes darted around the immediate vicinity, trying to see if the maid was alone. As far as he could remember, she was on the temporary staff. He thought that they weren’t allowed in the guest areas on their own. Further down the corridor, Wufei spied a small laundry bin on wheels, filled with white towels. But...paranoid thoughts were hard to dismiss.
“Oh, she’s gorgeous!” The maid cooed, waving at Tredici.
Wufei just nodded slightly, unsure of what to say. Fortunately another maid, the one who May had made friends with, came out of a side room, a bundle of towels in her arms. He breathed a silent sigh of relief; Jenny was a permanent staff member.
“Hello, sorry to bother you,” she nodded at Wufei before turning to the other maid. “Stop gawking at the incredibly cute baby. We have too much work to do. I know you’re just a temp right now, but if you work really hard maybe you can get to stay on, Sam!”
“Hey, don’t boss me around, little sister!” Sam protested. She grinned slightly as she took the towels from Jenny’s arms.
Wufei raised an eyebrow.
“But right now I’m the full time maid and you’re just a temp,” the other girl retorted, her voice wavering as she glanced at Wufei. “I am your supervisor. I got you this job, even. And if we both want to keep our jobs, we have to attend to our duties, not bother and/or stare at the guests. Otherwise we’re cheating Mr. Winner by not doing what we’re paid to do.”
“Okay, jeez, I get the point, we have more things to do,” the maid rolled her eyes. She turned to Wufei. “I’m sorry if we’ve bothered you at all.”
“Yes, please excuse us,” Jenny added, her voice utterly business-like, but a bit shaky.
Wufei shook his head. “I’m not bothered.”
With polite nods the two maids bustled down the hallway. He felt a bit foolish for being so paranoid. The last thing anyone needed was for people, including himself, to start jumping to conclusions. If Heero and Duo could pick apart their acquaintances and still remain logical, then surely he could go about his daily business and not start jumping at random shadows.
He supposed he was still a little bit jagged on adrenaline after he and Zechs’ recent confrontation. Still, that was no excuse.
Wufei knocked on the closed bedroom door, setting the baby carrier carefully down at his feet. Tredici cooed quietly at him, small arms waving. He looked down at the baby and raised an eyebrow. “Just wait, your aunt will be here in a minute and talk to you in a high-pitched voice,” he said, keeping his tone quiet.
Gurgle.
Wufei shook his head, a small smile on his face. In front of him, the door opened while he was still looking down at Tredici.
Relena giggled. “Do you think she can understand you? She just reacts to the pitch of your voice.”
Wufei picked up the baby carrier. “I’ve been sent to deliver this to you.”
“Okay then, should I start calling you the stork?” Relena adjust the towel on her head and opened the door wider. “Just bring her in, okay? I just took a shower and got dressed.”
“Sure,” he replied, entering the room. He dropped the small baby bag Noin had handed him beside the door. “I’m not going to comment on that stork part.”
“You just did.”
“Declining comment is not the same thing as making a comment,” Wufei clarified, sitting down on the edge of the bed. He placed the carrier down beside him, making sure it was away from the edge of the mattress and balanced before letting go completely.
“But, Wufei, you did bring a baby to me...” Relena started, toweling at her hair and raising her eyebrows at him.
Wufei snorted, his face warming.
She paused, her face becoming serious. She walked over and sat on the other side of the baby’s carrier. Dropping the towel on the bed beside her, she let Tredici grab one of her fingers.
“Do you ever think about it?” Relena finally asked, her gaze staying on the baby. Her voice was quiet, utterly serious.
Wufei swallowed. “About what?”
“About having kids...” Relena looked up then, her eyes pinching at the corners. She bit her lip. “I realize that we’ve never talked about a future or anything...but...I, ah...well. Have you ever thought about it?”
He shrugged awkwardly, his mind racing. He felt as though he were leaning over the edge of a high cliff. Dizzy? “I know that we haven’t talked about this kind of thing...maybe we should.”
Relena inhaled sharply, her gaze dropping back down to the baby. “You mean about having one...a future, I mean...or not having one?”
“I don’t like hiding what we have,” Wufei stated. He watched her reaction. She bit her lip, a smile and a slight blush at his words, but her eyebrows were still together in a tense line.
“Neither do I, but--God, what the media’s done to you before!” She replied, her face twisting in worry. “I don’t want to bring attention to that inadvertently. And being who we both are now...What will they say?”
“Does it matter?”
“Not to me, but...”
“You don’t think we’re strong enough for it yet?” Wufei asked, turning sideways on the edge of the bed to face her.
“No! I mean, yes! Oh, hell,” She whispered the last word, glancing down at Tredici, who was apparently falling asleep. “You know I love you, right? And you say you love me, so where’s the problem?”
Wufei let out a breath, his shoulders relaxing. “No problem.”
“Then it’s settled? No more media hiding?” Relena looked up from the baby, withdrawing her finger from the child’s relaxed hand. A shaky smile grew on the blonde woman’s face, her eyes shining with what looked to Wufei like tears. Relief, happiness, or something else? He wasn’t sure.
“No more hiding,” he smiled back, reaching a hand up to finger a bit of her damp hair. “You want me to dry your hair for you?”
“No thanks, it would probably wake Tredici,” Relena shook her head, reaching up to take the hand that was still flipping at her hair. “I think I’ll just comb through it...but some other time?”
“All right...I have to pay you back somehow for all those braids you forced my hair into, after all,” he raised an eyebrow.
Relena laughed quietly, threading their fingers together. “I look forward to it,” she winked.
Wufei felt his face grow warm again.
~ ~ ~ ~
Quatre sat down on the bed with a bounce. “Any luck?”
Trowa turned away from the computer for a moment. “Yes, actually. I went to the history items and used the same site that Heero did last night.”
“So, what does a carnation mean?” The blond asked, flopping back on the bed. He stared up at the ceiling and sighed. A moment later he felt the mattress dip as Trowa sat beside him.
“Admiration.”
Quatre propped himself up on his elbows. “Huh? That doesn’t make any sense.”
Trowa shrugged. “I know.”
“Great.”
“Indeed.”
“Why don’t we set up that camera outside of Duo and Heero’s door?” Trowa suggested, poking Quatre lightly in the side.
“...Yeah, if one of us does it, then not as many people will know it’s there,” Quatre nodded, sitting up.
“That’s the idea,” Trowa agreed.
“I don’t like this, Trowa, not at all. Surveillance of the fences and mailbox are one thing, but putting cameras up inside my own home...that’s an entirely different situation. Are we even safe here?” He paused, shaking his head. “The fact that the staff knew about this stupid flower thing while we were trying to keep it quiet disturbs me. How long would this little camera go undetected? And what then? If someone in the house is selling information, then they’d most likely know that the surveillance control center is right here in our bedroom.”
“Which means they could tamper with it,” Trowa nodded. “I understand what you mean, but perhaps we should take this one step at a time. Even if someone did get tipped off on the camera, and if they tampered with the footage, we’d still be able to tell. Therefore, we’d know something. I think it would be better to go ahead and place the camera and see what happens.”
“Of course we’ll still put the camera up,” Quatre frowned. “I’m just thinking out loud, I guess.”
“You know I’ll listen,” Trowa said, his lips curling into a small smile.
“You realize that I’ll listen to you, too,” Quatre replied. He sighed. “I suppose we should take care of this camera now. Lunch should be ready in less than an hour and I’d rather get this done quickly,” he paused, shaking his head. “Considering all of this mess, I think that I’ll have to call off the entertainment personnel we had hired for tomorrow night’s dinner. Maybe we should call off the other peripheral stuff, too. Anything involving outside people just doesn’t seem like a good idea.”
“I sincerely doubt anyone will mind. Everyone seems to be satisfied visiting together and relaxing,” Trowa shrugged. “It’s almost a full house now, I’m sure we can all make our own entertainment.”
Quatre laughed. “Make our own entertainment? You realize what you just said, right? What about everyone who’s single?”
Trowa’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I know,” Quatre continued to grin as Trowa started snickering quietly. “At any rate, you’re right, it’s only almost a full house. Your sister shows up tomorrow night.”
“We should tell her about the engagement when she gets here, otherwise she’ll get...angry...later,” Trowa mused, “Of course, that doesn’t mean we have to tell everyone else yet. I just know that Cathy will attempt to kill one or both of us if we keep her in the dark.”
“That’s fine, whatever makes you happy,” Quatre stood up. “She’s your family, after all. If I were close to any of my relatives, I wouldn’t want to hide it from them, either.”
Trowa frowned slightly, noticing the lines of tension forming on Quatre’s forehead. Distraction? Yes. “I’m just glad she finally told me about the scar and her fuzzy memories. The DNA testing was odd, though. It’s one thing to suspect something like that, another thing to test it. I’m glad you were there with me.”
The lines of tension disappeared as Quatre smiled minutely. “Yeah, well, I’m glad I was there too...But I was more glad that I didn’t have to help you deal with crippling disappointment.”
“She’s still after me to change my name, you know,” Trowa rolled his eyes and stood up as well. “I wouldn’t mind the ‘Bloom,’ but I’m not too fond of ‘Triton.’”
Quatre laughed. “Yeah, makes me think of Poseidon and Greek mythology. I start to picture you throwing lightning bolts.”
“That’s Zeus,” Trowa smirked.
“I know, that’s why it’s weird.”
“What are we going to do about our names?” Trowa asked.
They moved to the computer area. Quatre picked up a tiny surveillance camera and inspected it. The device seemed to consist of nothing more than a small lens, approximately three millimeters in diameter. “I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about it,” he handed the small camera to Trowa. “Here, let’s go ahead and set up the computer to receive the encoded information. It’s motion sensitive to twenty meters, see the little dent here?”
“We’re using this thing?” Trowa took the tiny camera. “Digital recording, bounced to a satellite and back just so it can be high tech.”
“Seems like a long way for the information to travel just to get from one side of the house to the other,” Quatre nodded. “But I figured we could hide this better. With the encoding, it should be safe. Unless someone has specialized scrambling equipment near the transmitter or the receiver, it should be fine.”
“Why do you have this, by the way?” Trowa swiveled the computer chair to face Quatre.
“You never know when you’re going to need something like this,” Quatre crossed his arms.
“And you’ve had this for how long? Have you used it before?” Trowa pressed.
“Well...” The blond laughed nervously. “I’ve had it for a few months. I thought it was just too potentially interesting to pass up.”
“Impulse buy,” Trowa said, turning back to the computer.
“Yeah,” Quatre took the small camera back. “I guess we can put it somewhere inconspicuous. Maybe we’ll need double-sided tape to hold it in place.”
“Do you have...” Trowa trailed off as Quatre opened the bottom drawer of their dresser and pulled out a roll. “Never mind.”
“Are you done with the camera setup on the computer?” Quatre just asked, smirking.
“Almost. So what do you want to do about our names? What about the ceremony, when and where and how are we going to go about all this?” Trowa asked, not looking away from the monitor.
“I don’t know,” Quatre shrugged, fiddling with the camera and a piece of the double-sided tape. “There, it’s ready. We could keep our own names...or hyphenate...or heck, combine them. How’s ‘Binner’ sound to you?”
Trowa stopped typing. He stared at the screen deliberately.
“I’m kidding,” Quatre said after a moment’s silence.
Trowa started typing again. “What about one of us taking the other’s name?”
“Which one would be which?” Quatre asked. “I don’t mean any offense...but I’d like to keep my name.”
“That’s fine. But what if I went ahead and changed my last name to Bloom?” Trowa asked. He finished setting up the camera information and stood up.
Quatre considered. “Quatre Raberba Bloom would sound weird.”
“And Trowa Winner sounds any better? Say it fast and it sounds like, ‘Throw a winner.’”
“...You have a point,” Quatre frowned. “I’m not sure I want to lose my family name. I didn’t even think about this. Why does this have to be so complicated?”
“It’s not complicated, not if we don’t let it be. We’ll think of something later. We have plenty of time, after all,” Trowa said carefully.
Quatre’s forehead was wrinkling again. He had another piece of tape, which he was repeatedly sticking it to the back of his hand and tearing off. “Yes, we do have plenty of time,” he replied firmly, not flinching as he tore the tape off his hand again. He stuck it back on. “Plenty of time. We’re going to be fine.”
“Of course we are. Let’s go take care of this camera,” Trowa said. He took the piece of tape away from Quatre and threw it away before they left the bedroom.
They walked quickly to the guest area without talking. When they reached the hallway where Heero and Duo’s room door was located, they split apart to check the side corridors. After determining that there was no one else around, Quatre fixed the tiny camera to a table that stood at the end of the hallway, putting the lens underneath the overhanging lip of the tabletop.
Taking a step back, Quatre waved his hand in front of it, then took another step back. Trowa joined him, leaning down slightly to whisper. “It’s not noticeable. It looks like another knot in the wood unless you’re looking for it.”
“Good,” Quatre nodded. He walked to stand in front of the bedroom doorway and made a motion as though he were going to open the door. Apparently satisfied, he stepped away from the door again.
He and Trowa left the corridor, heading back to their own bedroom. “I want to check and see if it’s recording correctly.”
“That’s what I thought,” Trowa replied. He watched Quatre rub the back of his neck. “Are you feeling all right?”
Quatre opened their bedroom door. He didn’t make eye contact. “I’m fine.”
“Like hell.”
“I know.”
Trowa shook his head as Quatre walked purposefully to the computer desk and checked the new camera’s setup. “Does this name thing have anything to do with it?”
“I suppose.”
“Either it does or it doesn’t.”
Quatre watched the playback on the computer screen. His voice was tense. “It does...I know it’s kind of stupid. It’s just a name. Letters strung together. The camera’s fine, by the way.”
“It’s not stupid,” Trowa crossed his arms and clenched his jaw briefly. “Name isn’t that important to me, hell, I don’t even go by my real name--”
“But you didn’t have a name for most of your life,” Quatre replied quietly. His head bowed and his shoulders sagged. “Now that you know...”
“Now that I know I still don’t go by it,” Trowa cut in. “Don’t feel guilty for wanting to keep your name.”
Quatre’s head shot up and he looked at Trowa. “How did you know I felt...never mind, I already know the answer to that,” he smiled ruefully. “I don’t know why I’m so suddenly...bothered...by something so inconsequential. It’s so hard to know the difference between what matters and what doesn’t.”
“It’s not inconsequential if it’s this important to you,” Trowa responded. “A name is a very personal thing. Besides, you’ve got other worries on your mind right now, it’s natural to feel as though things are piling up.”
“Natural for me. You seem to be dealing with everything and are being utterly patient with your idiot fiancé,” Quatre replied, tugging the sleeves of his shirt absently. “I’m sorry, I’m forcing my stupid problems on you again. I know you’re just as worried as I am.”
“Don’t be sorry. And you’re not an idiot,” Trowa stated. “We can deal with all this name stuff later. One step at a time.”
“...And we have bigger things to worry about, huh?” Quatre frowned. “I’d better deal with these entertainment changes.”
"No, we’ll get Mrs. Jessam to do that. She’s the head of the staff and probably knows the details as well as you do,” Trowa replied firmly.
“If not better,” Quatre admitted. “Fine, I don’t feel like arguing over this. I’ll just go tell her,” he crossed his arms tightly over his stomach, his shoulders frozen in a stiff square as he started for the door.
Trowa pulled Quatre to him in a fierce hug before the other man had taken three steps. A moment passed before Quatre uncrossed his arms and returned the embrace.
“It’s almost time to eat. It can wait,” Trowa finally said.
Quatre nodded, his hair tickling the side of the taller man’s neck. “You’re right.”
Trowa decided not to ask what he was right about.
~ ~ ~ ~
“Well, there went Sylvia and Gregory,” Duo commented, his gaze still fixed on the open doorway of the rec room. “They’re apparently oblivious to the world, chatting to each other like the semi-sappy love birds they are.”
Heero shrugged one shoulder and opened his eyes to stare up at the ceiling. He had his head tilted back and resting against the top of the coach. “And you’re apparently bored.”
“Well, most of my headache is gone, and we haven’t done anything but sit here for about an hour. It’s almost time for lunch,” Duo checked his watch, then nudged Heero with his elbow. “In fact I’ll bet that’s where Syl and Greg are headed.”
“And you’re also apparently hungry?” Heero asked.
“Not really, but Rashid’s supposed to be getting back soon, remember?” Duo replied. He frowned. “Do you still have your headache?”
“It’s faded down to a dull ache. I think it’s from tension, so at this point it’s my own fault,” Heero straightened up and rubbed his temples. “So you want to go wandering around, I take it?”
“Yeah, sure,” Duo stood up, snagging one of Heero’s hands as he went, tugging the other man to his feet.
After stepping out into the hallway, Duo stopped and abruptly stepped back, colliding with Heero.
“What?” Heero asked quietly. He made sure Duo was steady on his feet, but didn’t quite let the American move out of his arms.
“Look out the doorway to the right, carefully,” Duo whispered in response.
Heero could almost hear the smile in Duo’s voice. He maneuvered around the longhaired man and peeked out the doorway to the right, as instructed.
At the end of the hallway stood May and Hakim. Hakim had both his hands curled around the girl’s face and was laying a careful kiss on her lips. For her part, Mariemeia’s hands rested on the boy’s sides, and she had her head tilted up to meet the kiss. A clear space was visible between their bodies.
Slowly, Heero leaned back into the room. He raised an eyebrow at Duo, “Wufei may not like that.”
“Who cares?” Duo shrugged. “Besides, I get the impression he’s getting over that overly-protective streak. Well, at least with this particular situation. Don’t ask me why I’ve got that idea in my head.”
“I won’t,” Heero returned. “Are they still out there?”
Duo leaned out and looked. “Naw, I guess they moved somewhere else. I hope they work out. I mean, damn, they’re just kids, now they might be starting the beginning of a long distance relationship. That would suck.”
“Just kids,” Heero shook his head. Times had changed.
“Shut up and don’t point out the irony,” Duo rolled his eyes and poked Heero in the chest. “Anyway, they were with Rashid in town this morning. If they were just making out in the hallway, then they had to get back to the house in order to do this...er...What a horribly obvious statement.”
“In other words, we just got a confirmation that Rashid’s back, perhaps with information,” Heero smirked.
“I thought I told you to shut up,” Duo scowled. He winked and headed out the doorway. Heero shook his head and followed a moment later.
~ ~ ~ ~
“...So we’ve got ‘danger,’ ‘loss of innocence,’ and a couple of phrases,” Duo mused. He looked down at the flower box Rashid had just handed to him. They had found the tall Arabian rather quickly, since he had also been looking for them.
“’Am I forgotten’ and ’justice shall be done to you,’” Heero supplied, quickly glancing around the hallway to make sure no one was around to overhear. He stepped an inch closer to his partner even as Duo stepped closer to him.
“Sounds like something Wufei would have said way back when,” Duo quipped automatically.
Heero raised his eyebrows. “Slight exaggeration?”
“Yeah, I know.”
Rashid cleared his throat. “The florists even thought it was strange. Unfortunately, the person who ordered it was untraceable since it came in from a middleman sort of hotline for ordering flowers. And it was delivered to a woman in a phone booth. Evidently she was dressed in such a way as to disguise her distinguishing features. The florist who delivered the box couldn’t really remember anything about her, not even her hair color.”
“That’s not too encouraging, but at least someone’s been seen,” Duo replied. “I was almost starting to think this was the work of some vengeful ghost or random asshole phantom-thing. I wonder if the woman at the phone booth was paid, or if it was the stalker herself.”
“There’s no telling until someone is caught,” Heero scowled. He shook his head and seemed to force the expression away. “Thank you, Rashid, for going to so much trouble for us, first with the package to the Geneva labs and now with this. We appreciate it more than you can probably realize.”
“Any time, and I do mean that,” Rashid replied solemnly.
“Thanks,” Duo replied quietly. Heero shot a glance over at him, but Duo was looking down, his brow furrowed together.
“I’ll see you two later, I suppose?” Rashid asked, speaking mostly to Heero.
The Japanese man nodded, “All right.”
“Yeah,” Duo echoed, looking up at the big man briefly.
Rashid smiled uncertainly and left in the direction of the Manguanacs’ grouping of rooms.
Heero looked around again, then grabbed both of Duo’s shoulders and steered him into an empty room. “What is it?”
“Nothing, I’m just grateful we’ve got people we can count on,” Duo replied, not making eye contact. “And we’re kind of putting them in danger.”
Heero waited.
“Okay, well, I was also hoping that the flowers would be the clue we needed to figure this shit out--kind of like a ‘Get out of Stalker Free’ card--but it seems as though we’ve hit another dead end,” Duo shrugged awkwardly.
“I can understand that,” Heero said, closing his eyes briefly. “One thing at a time. I also feel as though we might be endangering other people by being around them...But you were right before, it doesn’t matter where we are if the stalker wants to use those we care about against us. She possibly--remember, we don’t even know if the two things are related--blew our apartment building when we weren’t even there. She also had the chance, albeit a difficult one, to hurt Rashid, Mariemeia, or even Hakim while they were in town this morning.”
“True,” Duo nodded. “At least now we know more than we did, even if we can’t find out much more with those stupid flowers. I’m almost hoping the bitch sends something today to see if we can find a clue in it.”
“The carnation--"
“Well, yeah, the carnation, but that could be anything...and by now Quatre’s probably got a tiny little camera watching our door as we speak,” Duo smirked. “So bring it on, right?”
“Right,” Heero crossed his arms. “We’re ready, and we’re going to figure this out. It’s only a matter of time before Sally and her team crack the bombing case.”
“Indeed,” Duo grinned. “After all, we’ve got a date to race wheelchairs with the other guys when we hit eighty.”
Heero rolled his eyes and chuckled. “That’s right.”
“But first,” Duo stepped closer suddenly and kissed Heero, hard.
“First...?” Heero asked huskily.
“We need to go eat lunch.”
“You’re awful.”
“I know.”
By the time they arrived in the dining room, almost everyone was there, the exception of Zechs and Noin. Several conversations were already going, and people were eating.
“What, couldn’t wait for us?” Duo asked, plopping down beside Quatre. Heero took the chair on Duo’s other side.
Quatre frowned. “I’m sorry. It’s rude, even though we’re being informal. I believe Zechs and Noin are skipping, and we thought you to might be as well because of your headaches. But still, I should have checked.”
Trowa paused in what he was telling Wufei and looked over at Quatre. Duo could tell the blond hadn’t noticed.
“Don’t sweat it, I was just kidding,” Duo replied.
Quatre laughed nervously. “Oh. Sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing?” Duo shot back good-naturedly.
“I don’t really know,” Quatre shrugged, taking a sip of his drink. “How do you guys feel? Have your heads stopped hurting? Did you speak with Rashid yet?”
Trowa turned back to his own conversation.
“We’re fine, and yes, we spoke with Rashid,” Duo lowered his voice and filled Quatre in.
When Duo finished, Quatre just shook his head. “That’s so strange. Maybe we were all wrong about the flower meanings. What if this was all a colossal waste of time?”
Duo shrugged. “Who knows. I’d like to think it wasn’t...but it probably was. Or not. It’s complicated.”
“Just so you know, Trowa and I found out the meaning behind a carnation,” Quatre said.
“Holy hell, I didn’t even think about that,” Duo commented.
“Neither did we, until Trowa overheard some of the staff gossip and got the idea.”
“Staff gossip?”
“Big house, big staff, probably saw the flower before the rest of us did. They already know about the extra security measures and we haven’t been secretive about what’s been going on,” Quatre said. “Can you blame them for talking?”
“That’s not what I meant...I guess I just hadn’t realized,” Duo remarked after he swallowed a bite. “So what’s it mean?”
“What’s what mean?”
“The carnation,” Duo rolled his eyes.
Quatre sighed and just shook his head. “Admiration.”
“Really?” Duo wiped his mouth and paused. “Give me a second, I’m going to tell Heero.”
“Tell me what?” Heero asked.
Duo leaned back in his seat slightly, “Carnations mean admiration.”
Heero’s brow furrowed for a moment, then he nodded. “Okay. Why didn’t we think about that?”
“That’s what I said!” Duo chuckled. His expression turned serious. “Maybe we were wrong about the flower thing. It doesn’t make much sense.”
“Maybe we were, but we can’t be sure of that right now,” Heero replied.
“What’s that smell?” Duo asked suddenly, wrinkling his nose.
A very foul scent had invaded the room.
Further down the table, Relena was fussing over her niece. She had pushed slightly away from the table and had the baby’s carrier seat in her lap. “Uh, I think she...well...who knows how to change a diaper?”
“Lovely,” Dorothy remarked.
“Are you volunteering?” Relena snapped frantically, her face turning an interesting color as she looked down at Tredici. The baby was fidgeting and looked as though she were about to burst into a very loud fit of tears.
“I do,” Sylvia sighed, standing up. She folded her napkin and laid it beside her plate. “Come on, I’ll show you how.”
“Great, let’s go,” Relena replied, picking up the carrier and carefully holding it away from her. The two women rushed out.
“Babies are only cute until they poop or puke,” May stated, going back to her food.
Dorothy laughed. “How true.”
“I think that changes when you actually get one of your own,” Hilde added, her hand patting her stomach.
“You hope,” Dorothy replied.
“I guess I’ll find out, huh?” Hilde shot back, grinning. “Think I should tell Larry tomorrow night, or just accept that some dates are for fun and not much else?”
“Who’s Larry?” May asked.
“The mailman. Remember when I said I got his number? He asked me out when I called him,” Hilde grinned. “Just for fun. I don’t think it’s technically a date. We’re going tomorrow night.”
“Wow, go you!” Mariemeia grinned back. She shot a glance at the other end of the table, where Heero and Duo were talking to Quatre again. She lowered her voice. “It’s nobody’s fault, but I’m getting sick of being cooped up here, no matter how nice a place this is. Hakim and I managed to get away from Mr. Rashid this morning. It was cool.”
“I’ll bet,” Hilde replied, leaning forward to look at Hakim, who sat on May’s other side. He was stoically not participating in the conversation, but obviously listening. Hilde continued, “You two are cute together.”
May giggled. “Thanks.”
Hakim ducked his head and didn’t say anything.
Across the table, Ophelia watched the conversation and laughed. “Don’t worry, Hakim, when Sylvia comes back, I’m going to embarrass her by asking just what she and my brother were doing this morning. I mean, it’s not as though...er...never mind.”
“Er, um, what?” Hakim asked, sputtering.
“Shut up, dear sister of mine,” Gregory said in a singsong voice. His face started to tint red. “We were...occupied. Yes.”
“I’ll bet,” Dorothy said smoothly, raising her eyebrows. She chuckled. “And because of your stuttering and blushing, I think we all know what you two were doing.”
“Kill me now,” Gregory lamented quietly, much to the entertainment of the ladies around him.
“But that wouldn’t be any fun!” Ophelia replied with a sunny smile.
“Maybe for you,” he replied, sneaking a glance at Hakim’s relieved face. Subject successfully changed.
~ ~ ~ ~
Outside the kitchen, the staff bustled about in a flurry of activity.
“Hey, Jenny? Mail’s in and those two guys have another package. I know you’re buddies with some of the guests, so do you want to be the one to take it in?” A dark haired staffer asked the maid, looking helplessly down at the package held in his hands. “Mrs. Jessam grabbed me because I was the first permanent she saw. She said it would prudent to deliver it as soon as possible with the way things have been escalating and...”
“Mike, you’re babbling,” Jenny cut him off. “And no, I can’t, I’m doing something.”
“What? Why? You don’t look like you’re doing anything.”
“Technically I’m not,” she retorted. “I happen to be on a short break, and since I already took my lunch earlier this morning, I can’t stretch it out. And I know that I would if I took that in there.”
“Oh. But still, you could--"
“Mike! Do you think they’re going to bite you or something?”
“Um...no?”
“So go, take it, and scoot the hell out,” Jenny glanced down at her watch.
The man shook his head. “You drive a hard bargain.”
"And you’re stalling...”
“Point. Later, Jen,” Mike walked as quickly as he could to the dining room, paused at the entrance, then hurried in to stand behind his boss’s chair.
“Yes?” Quatre asked, turning to look at him.
“Package. Sorry. Mrs. Jessam thought it should be dealt with,” he said in a rush, setting the box down.
“Thank you,” Quatre replied. The table had quieted down and now everyone was staring at the package.
“Sure,” he replied, leaving quickly.
In one swift motion Duo had snatched the package from the table and had it in his hands. It was small, like a jewelry box, and the postage was same day delivery. It had been sent that morning, just as the flowers had been.
“Hey, why’s everyone so quiet” A voice cut through the silence. Relena strolled through the doorway without Tredici’s baby carrier. She stopped abruptly when noticed everyone’s attention turned towards Duo and what was in his hand. Sylvia moved into the room behind her, face already clouded in concern.
“Is that...” Relena finally started to ask.
Heero nodded curtly, not moving his gaze from the package.
“Go on,” Sylvia whispered, pushing Relena’s back lightly. The two women retook their seats.
“Where’s the baby?” Mariemeia asked quietly.
“With Luce. She and Milliardo are on their way,” Relena whispered back.
Wufei frowned.
Duo still stared at the box as though he was willing it to burst into flames. Heero reached for the box, but Duo snatched it away.
“Maybe we should write ‘return to sender’ on it,” he finally said, his voice savagely quiet.
“What good would that do?” Heero asked, reaching for the box again. This time Duo handed it over.
The room was so quiet that the sound of Heero’s knife slicing the packing tape was enough to cause a few people to jump. The noise of the house seemed far away and removed, like a soundtrack with the volume turned down.
Heero used the point of his knife to ease the snug lid off of the package. It fell to the table’s edge, teetered, then toppled to the floor. Carefully, he peeled back the layers of tissue paper that lined the small box. His eyes widened slightly and his mouth formed a thin line.
Heero dropped the box.
A second later, he was out the door.
“What the fuck?” Duo stood up, started towards the doorway, then turned back and grabbed up the offending package. He gasped, then reached in and pulled the contents out, placing them on his palm and showing the rest of the table.
Two small, square objects.
“What...?” Quatre grabbed Duo’s wrist and pulled the man’s hand down to see. “Keyboard keys. From a laptop, evidently.”
“The 1 key and the 2 key,” Duo toned flatly. “They’re the same color as the ones on Heero’s laptop.”
That said, he curled the hand holding the keys into a tight fist and sprinted out the room.
~ ~ ~ ~
Duo ran full out, his face set in a blank mask. Turning the last corner to their bedroom, he almost ran straight into Zechs and Noin. Dodging to the right easily, he was almost past them when he felt his arm being grabbed. He had to force himself from returning the grapple with a counter move, skidding to a halt instead.
“Let go, will you?” He asked calmly, his mouth twitching. He suddenly wanted to grin fiercely, his adrenaline levels were peeking and he suddenly felt like killing something.
Zechs let go immediately. “You almost ran into us, and Lucrezia has our child in her arms.”
“I’m sorry. But I have somewhere I have to be,” Duo replied quickly, then was moving again. A second later and he flung open the bedroom door.
Just as Duo had thought, Heero had his laptop out of its case and was hunched over the computer. He sat on the floor, his back to the wall, and didn’t look up when Duo dropped down in front of him.
Heero turned the laptop to the side so that the keyboard was visible.
The 1 and 2 keys were missing.
Duo wasn’t surprised. But he suddenly felt like throwing up. How? When? Did someone take the keys? Were these even the same ones, or had someone just removed the ones from the laptop and sent replicas? What if...? Duo closed his eyes and forced away the lightheaded nausea that rocked through him.
He took the two keys he still held and carefully put them into the empty spaces, snapping them back down deliberately.
They fit perfectly. For a long moment he just stared at the keyboard.
Duo took the laptop out of Heero’s hands and put it to the side. A second later he found himself wrapped in an almost painful embrace.
“It’s going to be okay,” Duo whispered. “Fucking bitch can’t scare us.”
They both knew he was lying.
~ ~ ~ ~