21-Jun-2000
Title: Breaking Predestination 9/?
Author: TB
Archive: yes please GW Addiction
Category: AU, some yaoi
Pairing(s): R+1, 2x1, 5xSally, 4x3, etc
Rating: R
Warnings: angsty
Spoilers: yes
Notes: thank you to everyone who has replied so far,
it's heartwarming ^_^ Also thanks to Marsh, my muse
extrordinaire. This takes place in AC 202, the series
and EW are considered cannon.
Feedback: please and thanks in advance
Disclaimers: (sob) I don't have any rights to GW (sob)
"I never lie!" Maxwell hissed. "I never lie and I damn sure didn't lie about losing the only person I've ever loved so fucking much that it twisted my heart to see you lying in your own blood--you--" He shuddered violently, and shook his head. "You bastard. Let me go. Let me or--"
"Or what?" Heero was breathing hard, his face inches from Maxwell's, his hands trembling with the force of his... his emotion. The feelings that he'd tried to bury and burn from existence for three miserable years.
Maxwell lifted his head. "Or kiss me."
That was all the encouragement Heero needed. He crushed Maxwell's mouth beneath his, brutally, hungrily. But it wasn't all him--they were moving together, and the unfamiliar weight of someone taller and heavier, the roughness of wrestling with someone of equal strength, was both frightening and arousing. Maxwell was in control at first, but he was losing himself, Heero could feel it, taste the salt burning his lips and recognising it as tears. So he tried to fill the emptiness he sensed, pushing harder, deeper, trying to pour life and love into that void that was somehow his fault. And Maxwell... and Duo...
Pulled away with a harsh gasp.
Breathing heavily, Heero stared at him. He was frozen, he couldn't move, though all he wanted was to reach out and hold his lover close again.
It might have been a minute, might have been an eternity, before Maxwell slowly took his hands, gazing down at the trembling callused palms as though he'd never seen anything like before. Then he squeezed sharply, painfully, and pressed a kiss in each roughened pad. He left.
Heero was right behind him, flinging wide the door and intending to give chase. He'd taken only a few steps before he collided with someone turning the corner, and he stumbled back, opening his mouth to snarl a warning, an accusation, anything.
A bright-eyed, grinning young man of about twenty or so years balanced himself against the wall, then flung his disheveled, thigh-length braid over his shoulder. "Nice to see you too, Yuy," he quipped.
Duo. *His* Duo, not Captain Maxwell.
All thought fled in that instant. In the next, Heero had caught Duo in his arms and pinned him, forcing open his mouth and thrusting his tongue deep inside. He thought he felt capitulation from that warm lithe body pressed against his--but it didn't last. He was shoved away with surprising strength, and then a furious slap rocked his head back and drew blood as he accidentally bit his lip.
"Son of bitch!" Duo cursed at him. "You--" He backed off, shaking his head, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "What the fuck *was* that?"
"Gomen, Duo," he whispered. But Duo was already running away from him, disappearing the way he'd come, fleeing silent as the wind, leaving only the blood in Heero's mouth to prove he'd been there at all.
"I invited him," Relena repeated, a little pale in the face of Heero's anger. "He's attended my birthdays since 196 and I didn't see any reason not to invite him again!"
The old butler, Pargan, was the only person present in Relena's private study, and his presence was all that was keeping Heero from lashing out at the young woman. As it was, he was exerting most of his considerable control on keeping his voice low and level.
"You know how I feel about him," he said, almost evenly. "You know I don't want to be anywhere near him." *Not to mention,* he thought viciously, but could not say, *he's not supposed to know what's going on. That's part of the deal with Maxwell!*
"He's come to every other party," Relena said, her expression hardening. She placed her delicate hands flat on the desk and leaned forward slightly. "He has saved my life more than once. He has worked for the peace and played a large role on his own colony sorting out the corruption of the government. Whatever his history with you, Heero, he has more than earned a place in my affections and I will not conveniently forget him merely to please you!"
"'Whatever his history with me'?" Heero folded his arms. "If you knew our 'history', you'd think twice. If you knew what we were to each other before I came here--"
"Do you think I'm blind?" Relena's calm surprised him--and then her words sunk in, and he stared at her. "Heero, I know it all."
He could think of nothing to say.
After a long time, Relena sighed. "I'm sorry if his presence here disturbs you. You needn't be anywhere near him, if it will keep you happy. You didn't even notice him last year--he avoids you, too." She came around the desk, and laid one of those white slender hands on his arm. "Go back to your party," she urged gently. "Relax--well, try to. If not for yourself, then for me, and for your other friends, who will be unhappy if you are. Make the best of this."
In the end, he obeyed. There was nothing else he could do, short of chaining Duo to the wall and locking him in his room--which, knowing Duo, would likely be an ineffective barrier anyway. Even a strip search would fail to reveal all of Duo's carefully hidden lockpicks and innocuous weapons--Heero remembered the time Duo had pulled a spoon out of his boot, twisted off the wooden handle, and revealed a clever, four-and-a-half inch long poignard. Somehow he had to keep Duo away from their plans for the party, though. Maxwell had been insistent. Seeing his future self would have unknown, and therefore extremely dangerous, consequences. There was too much at stake.
Time to go warn the Preventers about the latest wrench in the works--and try to harden his heart one more time.
Wufei, the official timer, snapped his fingers. The distinct retort echoed through the huge ballroom. All over the place, Preventers froze, letting loose strings of curses.
Captain Maxwell leaned over the edge of his balcony and yelled down into the largely empty room. "Too slow, people! We have *ten minutes* from the time those doors close to the time Relena gets up to the podium, and we're two minutes too late. She's dead by now! Quatre, Trowa, why the hell didn't you manage to close all the doors? You get lost? And Dorothy, if that elevator is too much trouble, we'll put you in the crowd."
Weary, uneasy silence reigned from the Preventers at their various posts. Maxwell sighed, and scrubbed a hand through his hair. "That's enough for today," he decided abruptly, softening his tone. "Front and centre, guys." He jogged around the upper level until he found Dorothy, and together they took the elevator to the lower floor, and headed for the stage where the others had gathered. Tired faces surrounded him, downcast eyes stared at the floor, tempers felt ready to snap.
"You're going to get this," he said, sliding his arms around Hirde's waist as she appeared at his side. He pulled her in front of him and rested his chin on her shoulder as he spoke; his less rigid posture and the casual gesture slowly relaxed the group. Here and there, someone reached for a partner's hand, or laid their head against a strong shoulder. The tension eased from their faces, and Maxwell smiled.
"You're going to get this," he repeated. "We've improved astronomically since the first time, haven't we? Even just today, we've cut off nearly sixty seconds. And we've still got nine days. We know the routine. It'll iron out. You're the best on the planet--and the stars--and with a courtesy nod to my own crew, you're the finest group I've ever had the honour of working with. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather have at my back."
The pep talk fulfilled its purpose. A few small smiles greeted the praise, and the dark mood was lifting a little.
"So go home," Maxwell grinned. "Eat something healthy and sleep it off. Take a jacuzzi bath." Mild laughter made him pause, and his smile widened. "But meet me here tomorrow, bright and early. Try not to be terribly hung over."
No one really milled around after the short speeches Maxwell gave after their day-long practises anymore. Most of them would probably shudder at the mere thought of returning to this ballroom after the crisis was over. Only Maxwell and his Commander stayed behind, lingering to talk to each other.
Quatre had paused in the corridor outside to talk to Sally. "Have you started thinking about names?" he asked, the old smile that had become rare in the past few days lighting up his face.
Sally laughed as Wufei appeared beside her and planted a kiss on her jaw. It hadn't escaped anyone's notice how openly tender the Chinese pilot had become since the revelation of his wife's pregnancy. "We talked a bit about it," he replied. "Apparently, our tastes run in different directions." He grinned. "Except when it comes to each other."
Trowa, standing patiently at a distance waiting for his lover, saw a full head of chestnut-coloured hair headed his way, coming in from the depths of the mansion, and frowned. Wasn't Maxwell in the ballroom? Then he remembered what Heero had said, about Duo, *their* Duo, showing up in Sank, and his pulse jumped as he gestured for his friends to take note. They had to be careful not to drop any clues--and to make sure neither Maxwell nor Hirde left the ballroom before Duo was gone.
Quatre, always a step ahead in such matters, proved his skill instantly. He made a delighted little noise and swept Duo up in an enthusiastic embrace. "It's been too long!" he smiled. "You're here for the party?"
Duo hugged back hard, grinning widely. "Yeah, you too, huh? Looks to be a big deal this year!" He saw the others, and bounded over to greet them each with kisses and hugs. They began to carefully maneuver him away from the ballroom.
"Trowa and I are going to go find something to eat," Quatre said, putting an arm around the L2 pilot's shoulders and gently drawing him along. "Why don't you eat with us?"
Trowa silently sighed. He'd had little enough time alone with his lover, between the Shai Winner problem, and the Relena Peacecraft one. On the other hand, Quatre probably had the right idea--if Duo was with *them*, he wasn't wandering around running into his older double.
"Sure, I guess," Duo was saying dubiously. "You sure you guys don't have plans? I was still exploring. It's a damn huge palace."
"Not at all. Sally, Wufei, tell Duo your news!"
The lovely woman smiled at him, and laid a hand on her slim stomach. "We're pregnant," she revealed.
Duo's eyes widened. "Oh Jesus," he whispered. Then he laughed and gathered her into a ferocious embrace. "Oh, congratulations! That's terrific! I'm so happy for you--Wu-meister, you old goat, you must be thrilled--oh, that's just insanely amazing! The first father in the bunch!"
When they finally had Duo headed upstairs with Quatre and a trailing Trowa, Wufei shook his head and exhaled sharply with relief. "Is it just me, or did your heart beat about three times too fast when he showed up like that?" he asked.
Wufei snapped his fingers. "Time!" he shouted.
Maxwell checked his own timer. "Damn," he said, rather more loudly in his amazement than he'd meant to. Across the room on the opposite balcony, Dorothy laughed at him.
He sneered elegantly, and leaned over the railing to call out into the thirty foot drop. "We did it! That was ten flat, people."
Cheers and grins greeted this. They turned into groans when Maxwell waved his hands warningly.
"Now we're going to do it in nine!"
Zechs leaned against the wall and watched his sister brush her long hair. "Wear it up," he suggested.
"Up? Do you know how much work that is?"
"No... I saw it in London. It's popular there." He crossed the room to where she sat in front of her ornate little dressing mirror and gently took hold of the thick dark blonde tresses. "Like this." He piled carefully, leaving a strand loose here and there, artfully arranging and twisting painlessly where it suited. He took the clips she held up for him, and inserted them as best he could. "There," he announced.
Relena stared at her reflection doubtfully. "It *is* pretty," she said reluctantly.
"Very chic."
"I don't know, Milli... "
He stoically ignored the use of the ridiculous nickname, and took her dress down from where it hung in the closet, bringing it back into the light to hold it up to her shoulders. "Perfect. With those bare shoulders, maybe a simple necklace, nothing too fancy--in fact, I know just the thing." He waited until he was sure she had the dress firmly in hand and then opened her jewelry box. He picked up a slender chain positively littered with tiny chips of ruby, and turned to his sister holding it out.
She stared. "Milli, it's gorgeous, but that isn't mine!"
"It is now. Happy birthday." He clasped it around her slender neck, and kissed her cheek. She embraced him impulsively, crushing the dress between them, then ran to the mirror to inspect her present.
Zechs felt a little worn by her innocent enthusiasm. Of course she was excited by her upcoming birthday... the first in a long time that wouldn't be eclipsed by world crises. He disliked planning a disruption for an event she was obviously looking forward to. It was too much to hope for that they could subdue the assassin without her knowledge. However, Zechs was disinclined to ruin her good mood, and Maxwell had repeated his warning about telling her nothing so many times that Zechs was sick of hearing it. Ergo, he now stood in the middle of Relena's distinctly female, relatively luxurious, and pleasantly lighted bedroom--pretending nothing was out of the ordinary.
"Brother?"
He looked up.
Relena smiled at him. "Thank you. I'm so glad you came. It wouldn't have been the same without you, and the others as well."
He smiled almost easily. "Of course, dear."
Maxwell sank onto the couch and gulped his coffee before snagging the nearest snapshot of the ballroom. "Here's where we stand," he said slowly. "We know the plan. We're down to eight and a half minutes--which gives us just enough time to handle anything that goes wrong, and in a moment I'll lead you all in a prayer against unintentional jinxing." That earned half-hearted chuckles. "However, it is one thing to practise in an empty room--it's going to be a hell of a lot different when that place is full of noise and drunk celebrants. I could stand in the middle of the room banging a copper pot with an spoon and make some racket for one more trial run, but it's not the same and we're dead tired as it is. My point is, you'll *be* disoriented, you'll *be* confused or panicked, or some fat git will get in your way and you'll only just stop yourself from threatening him with bodily harm. It's textbook. There's no question, it's just *going* to happen.
"But after a second, you'll calm down. You'll find your focus, you'll look across the room and catch someone's eye--and you'll be past the moment. You'll do your job. The Queen is standing on a stage in the front of the room and her life is in our hands--and we aren't going to fail her. You all hear me? We can do this. We will do this. Tomorrow night, you're going to save your future."
A small chill ran up the spine of every person in that room listening to those quiet words. Maxwell was right. It felt real, it *was* real, it was going to happen. Sudden energy straightened slumped shoulders and stiffened aching backs.
Maxwell's hand shook slightly with tension as he laid the snapshot down. "Wear your best, but make sure you can move in it. If you're going to be carrying a weapon, and I highly suggest you do, make sure it's completely concealed, but quickly accessible. Wear comfortable shoes. And for Heaven's sake make sure you take a piss before the party starts."
Sally grinned, and sweetly mocked, "Yes, Daddy. Would you like to tell us anything else we already know?"
He shook his head, a small smile stealing over his lined face. "Sorry. I've been a Captain for too long. Military types like explicit instruction."
Dorothy eased to her feet, leaning heavily on the cane she'd had to use since her automobile accident four months earlier. "We'll be there," she said. "Don't worry."
"Agreed." Quatre rose. "There isn't anything more to do but stand around reassuring ourselves. Personally, I want to try and force myself to sleep, so I'm turning in. Good night, everyone."
That simple statement prompted movement around the room. A round of "sleep wells" and "you toos" followed, and then everyone filed out.
Maxwell looked at Hirde, the room's only other occupant. "Tomorrow," he said expressionlessly.
She came to him, and gently embraced him by the shoulders, cradling his head against her chest and rocking him slightly. "Let's call the ship tonight, instead. I think you need it, and I want to see everyone's faces."
"Yeah. Yeah, let's do that." Maxwell stood, and together they headed for the comm console set back in the wall of the board room, next to the coffee maker. The Captain entered the frequency, and politely requested the on-duty officer to connect him with his crew on the Reubena.
"Get the group where they can hear this," Maxwell instructed to the woman who answered.
/"Yes, Captain. And Captain? Good to hear from you again."/
He smiled, and Hirde slipped an arm around his waist.
/"Captain,"/ Shai Winner greeted him a few minutes later. /"We're all here."/ He widened the view of the screen, and soon as much of the crew as possible was standing before the two on Earth. /"What's up, sir?"/
Maxwell exhaled slowly. "I'd like to say something inspirational and profound," he managed. "To tell you the truth, it's putting a lump in my throat the size of Jupiter just looking at all of you."
Smiles crossed those battle-worn faces.
Hirde, realising that her Captain truly couldn't speak, finished for him. "We love each and every one of you," she said. "This would not have been possible without your sacrifice. When this works tomorrow night, everything we've known will change--vanish. All of you. Everything we told you before we made the jump is true. And you still followed us back in time. No crew has been braver. When I look at your faces, I see the best."
Maxwell wiped at his eyes fiercely. "Yes," he nodded. "And I'm recording this message. Proof that all of you lived, and that you--you existed and gave up that existence for the good of the universe. That's as much as I can do for you."
Shai spoke quietly. /"Thank you, Captain. But it was enough to be a part of this."/
/"Aye,"/ a woman seconded. The cheer passed through to the dozens of others.
Shai smiled at them and spoke over the noise of the ragged shouting. /"So is this the official good-bye?"/
Maxwell nodded.
/"Then, good-bye. It's been a pleasure serving with you, Captain, Commander."/ The young man's lovely blue eyes were dry and clear. /"Same for all of them. Angel-5 has never been prouder."/
End Part 9
(:./erin/break9)
