11-Jun-2000
Category: Adventure, Angst, Romance, Friendship.
Time: After the events in OCT
Pairings: 3+4, 1+2 and numerous friendships
Disclaimer: Not mine, just having fun in the sandbox. No money being sought.
Notes: Again, Wufei and Duo's voices and presentation come from Bonne. All
positive comments about them should be addressed to her.
Trowa and Wufei returned to the study to find Quatre giving Duo a hard time about his addiction to french fries.
"But you're not answering my question Duo. Do you know what they cook those things in?"
"Quatre, I don't know, and I don't wanna know... and if you want to keep me as a friend, you'll never ever tell me!" Duo announced. His eyes flickered to the two coming in, noting the calm expressions. 'Well, well, Wufei...' the braided boy smirked.
Quatre also looked up quickly towards the entering pair. Reading his lover's relaxed body posture and calm expression, a certain level of tension ran out of his small body. One of his beaming smiles broke out over his features. Then he turned his blue eyes back on Duo and seemed to ponder further mischief.
Trowa quirked up an eyebrow. "Whatever he's after you about Duo, ignore him. The doctors have radically restricted his diet and he's intent upon killing the fun for the rest of us."
Heero looked over at Trowa with a surprised expression. It was the first time he'd heard Trowa make a joke about anything to do with Quatre's recovery.
"The way all of you eat, it's a miracle any of you are alive," Wufei said dryly. "I prefer a macrobiotic diet. Perhaps, Quatre, you should consider one, to go with your training."
Quatre pulled a face and grumbled under his breath. Trowa bounced a little on the balls of his feet, his green eyes glowing with a touch of glee.
"What's that little one? You miss your salt?"
Quatre sniffed and cleared his throat. "Don't we have a universe to defend?"
Trowa lifted his brows and shrugged. "Just because you're restricted from caffeine.. which of course means no tea.. " explaining this to the others. "Doesn't mean you can torment Duo."
Quatre muttered. "Why not, everybody else gets to."
Duo just smirked. "No wonder he's a bit testy today..."
Trowa leaned against a bookcase, one ankle crossed over the other. "You should have seen his reaction when they handed him the restricted list. Caffeine, Salt, spicy food, anything that would cause heartburn."
Quatre mutters, "In short anything with taste."
Duo shivered in mock fear. "Man, that's rough. If that ever happens to me, Heero... shoot me, okay?"
Quatre just looked at Duo. "That's it. I know you're hoarding french fries in your room." Straightening from his desk the small blonde moved quickly. Duo always had an endless supply of salt covered junk food.
Trowa watched for a moment as if he didn't believe Quatre actually meant what he said. So it wasn't until the smaller boy had disappeared out the door that he blinked.
"I think he's serious."
Duo chuckled. "Heh heh... he's also in for a disappointment. I just finished my stash before you guys got here..."
"Well, I suppose no one is interested in working any more," Wufei muttered, going to a small table where he opened the spare laptop Quatre kept there for visitors. He sat down and began quickly typing a report. "If we want to keep tabs on the Paul, we'll need Sally to approve it."
Trowa walked over to the small table and leaned behind Wufei. "I don't think she'll have any trouble with approving it. Unless Yurst decides to stick his nose in the matter." Trowa nearly growled the man's name.
Wufei looked up from his typing. "We seem to be encountering all our difficulties from a certain age bracket. Is this simply coincidence?"
"I think it's coincidence, Wufei. Ralph was our age." Trowa tapped his lip as he pondered. "However, it would be difficult for young people to be able to move as much liquid capital as we've seen shifting hands. I think you may be on to something Wufei. Is there any way we can track Paul's movements? Get a feel for who he is contemporaries with?"
"It should be fairly simple," Wufei remarked, glancing at Heero. "Relena might be able to help. She is on good terms with a number of people in the older, wealthy crowd."
Heero's eyes flickered, his version of a wince. "Mission accepted." Trowa turned his head to the side and coughed a couple of times. Coughs were useful for covering up smirks.
"This Paul said he was on friendly terms with WEI's security chief," Wufei said, looking at Trowa.
Trowa frowned, turning away to sit in the large leather chair that always seemed to engulf Quatre. "Her name is Margie. She was brought on in Master Winner's time, much like Paul. I think she's a couple years younger then Paul. Very quiet woman."
"Why would she give this man access to Quatre, after the shooting?" Wufei asked.
Trowa looked at Wufei with a touch of confusion. "Give him access? Wufei.. remember the Winner family has always been pacifists. The idea of "personal" security is alien to them. WEI security is just that. Security for the buildings, holdings, computer systems and the like for WEI. Not Quatre himself."
"Has anyone in the Winner family ever been shot in public?" Wufei asked pointedly.
Trowa shook his head. "No, though Master Winner was overthrown quite publicly but... well we all know how that went down. Still, I think that if you talked to Margie the idea of keeping people away from the family is rather foreign. I don't think Quatre or his father ever wanted people screened before seeing them."
Heero nodded a little. "The Winner family has been known for their accessibility. Quatre made an attack upon himself quite easy." Heero didn't flinch from Trowa's hard glare. The taller boy relented after a moment with a nod.
Wufei rolled his eyes. "Stupid," he said shortly. "It changes now. Relena Dorlan is a pacifist but even she recognizes the need for personal protection," Wufei added. "Any public figure can attract the disaffected."
Trowa shrugged. "Quatre has always believed in the best in people Wufei. You know that. "
"He was also realist enough to fight," Wufei answered, not backing down.
"Yes, but he fought for people, because he believed in them. He never destroyed an enemy who didn't give him another alternative... well forgetting that whole Zero System situation." Trowa returned.
"But he is not the hunter now," Wufei said.
"I'm not?" Came a quiet inquisitive voice from the doorway.
"No," Wufei said. "You are a public target."
tbc
Hey all. Sorry about it being a few days in between parts. Real life snuck up and really tossed me around like a rat at a terrier convention. I'm hoping to have more of this out tonight, plot happens. :D
Laekin
Please send comments to: seregill@aol.com