Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ At Your Side ❯ Chapter 2

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

At Your Side

By Anne Olsen

Rating/warnings this chapter: PG13, angst, romance.

Pairings: 3x4

Author's notes: This fic is part of the 'Outlasting Time' arc, which is obviously being written way out of order *grins. For more information and to read the other stories in the series check out the following

http://www.angelfire.com/ab7/shadesandechoes/outlastingtime.ht ml

Summary: Six months after 'Counterpoint', Quatre and Trowa discover their long distance relationship isn't working.

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai, Sunrise and Sotsu Agency. I promise to return the boys when I'm finished.

Thanks to: Raletha and Bast for beta reading, ideas, and listening to me ramble on. Also to Windsor for her support and comments.

Feedback to: anneo@paradise.net.nz

********

Chapter Two

Cathy followed Trowa from the trailer, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was still light enough outside to see, though barely. Her brother seemed to know exactly where to go, almost as though following some sort of unspoken signal, and she found herself puffing as she attempted to keep up with him.

By the time she reached the outskirts of the circus grounds, Trowa was bending over a still form lying on the grass just outside the perimeter. Looking up as she skidded to a halt, his voice was flat, devoid of any emotion. "Call an ambulance." He was calm, too calm as he examined his lover's injuries.

"Oh my God," she whispered. "Quatre?" The blond boy seemed to be unconscious, his face grazed and bleeding, one leg twisted under him at an odd angle. Moving closer to see if she could do anything to help, bile rose in her throat as she noticed how fast the dark patch was spreading through Quatre's jeans.

"I'll look after him," Trowa's eyes reflected what his expression didn't, the fear of a man about to lose the person who meant everything to him. "Cathy, we need that ambulance now. Please." He pulled his turtle neck off over his head, rolled it into a ball, and applied pressure around the fracture site in an effort to staunch the flow of blood.

Nodding, Cathy turned and ran, praying that Quatre would be all right. What the hell had happened? The car or whatever had hit him was no-where in sight, and … Her thoughts raced as she reached the trailer, her fingers entering the number for the emergency services almost on instinct.

"Ambulance, fire or police?" The voice at the other end of the connection was as calm as Trowa's had been, and spoke slowly as though to an idiot. Cathy felt a sudden urge to hit something, hard.

"Ambulance. There's been an accident at the circus grounds. Please hurry." After giving directions, and then repeating them, Cathy grabbed the blanket she used to cover the worn sofa, and headed back outside to Trowa. He'd need something to keep Quatre warm in case he went into shock.

A crowd had begun to form around the two boys, and she pushed her way through, ignoring their questions. Quatre moved slightly, his eyes fluttered open and he let out a cry of pain. "Trowa?"

"It's okay, Cat, I'm here." Trowa stroked the other boy's hair in a gesture of comfort, bending to whisper something Cathy couldn't quite make out. Quatre gave him a smile, reaching out to caress Trowa's face with his hand, before closing his eyes and slipping back into unconsciousness.

"Trowa?" Cathy dropped to her knees next to him, her eyes drawn to the blood soaked clothing pressed against Quatre's lower leg. "Is he?"

His voice hitching slightly as he turned to face her, Trowa shivered in the warm night air. "I've managed to stop the bleeding but he's still lost a lot of blood, and I think his leg is broken. I caught sight of…I think it's an open fracture." His tone grew hard. "Whatever hit him…he's been thrown quite a distance."

Covering Quatre with the blanket, Cathy gave Trowa's shoulder a squeeze. "He'll be okay, Tro," she tried to reassure him. "You Gundam pilots are made out of strong stuff, remember?" Where the hell was that damn ambulance?

The crowd grew, their concern obvious as they talked amongst themselves. Dolores, the woman who ran the fortune telling booth, shuffled closer, glancing between the two boys before taking Cathy to one side. "Is there anything I can do to help, love?" she asked. "Young Trowa's going to catch his death of cold without his shirt. I'll watch them for a moment, if you want to go fetch one for him." She paused. "Damn car came straight for the poor boy. I saw it all. Hope that driver gets what's coming to him."

"Straight for him?" Trowa's head came up, his eyes cold and reminiscent of the soldier he'd once been. Quatre groaned, and Trowa turned away again, but Cathy had seen the subtle shift in body language, the stiffening of his posture, as he'd absorbed the new information.

"Are you sure?" she asked Dolores.

The other woman nodded. "Saw it with my own eyes. Poor kid didn't stand a chance. If he hadn't moved when he had, he'd probably be dead by now." Dolores shook her head. "Damn fast reactions, whoever he is." She gave Trowa a friendly smile. "Don't think I've seen him around here before. Friend of yours, Trowa?"

"Yes," Cathy answered for him, then glanced at her watch. Where the hell was that ambulance? "Trowa, I'm going to go grab you a shirt. I won't be a minute. Is there anyone I should call? What about Quatre's family?" If she kept busy, it would take her mind off what was happening, stop her worrying as much. Trowa seemed to have everything under control and they'd called the ambulance. There wasn't much else they could do until the paramedics arrived, apart from try to keep Quatre comfortable.

"Trowa?"

"Trowa?" His eyes were closed, his brow furrowed in concentration, and when he finally looked up at her she sensed that he wasn't really aware of anyone else but Quatre.

"What?" Even though his voice was calm, she knew him well enough to know how worried he was.

"I'm going to grab you a shirt," Cathy repeated the words slowly. "Is there anyone I should call, for Quatre?"

Giving her a slight nod, he pulled the blanket further around the blond boy, his actions reminding her yet again what a contradiction her brother was. An experienced soldier, yet only a teenager. A killer, yet someone capable of much compassion. She hoped she'd been right in her assessment of Quatre - that he truly loved Trowa as much as he obviously was loved in return. "Top drawer by my bed. There's an address book. Iria Winner." There was a slight pause, before Trowa shifted his gaze back to his lover. "Duo Maxwell - tell him to contact the others." Another pause, then the next comment was spoken almost as though she hadn't been meant to overhear. "He'd want his family to know. All of them."

"I won't be long," Cathy promised, laying a hand on Dolores' shoulder as she passed the other woman, giving her a nod of thanks. It didn't take her long to reach the trailer - God knows she was wearing a trail between here and there tonight - or to find the t-shirt she'd placed with the other clothes of Trowa's she'd found flung around the small living area earlier.

Entering Trowa's bedroom, Cathy rummaged through his drawer quickly; the slim book was tucked in beside a pile of neatly ironed handkerchiefs. She would have missed it if she hadn't been told it was there. Turning the pages, she found Iria's number at the top of a page headed with Quatre's name. It was written in a flowing script - not Trowa's she realised - as was the number for Duo Maxwell underneath it.

Gripping the book firmly, she seated herself down next to the vid phone and entered the numbers with a shaking hand, unsure of what she would say. Presently a woman's voice answered.

"Iria Winner. How can I help you?"

Clearing her throat nervously, Cathy answered. At least being a cell call, she wouldn't have to see the reaction. "My name is Catherine Bloom…" She paused. "You don't know me, I got this number from my brother, Trowa Barton." Damn, this Iria probably wouldn't know Trowa's name either.

To her surprise, Iria interrupted her. "Trowa? Is this something to do with Quatre?" Her tone changed. "Has something happened? Is he all right?"

The words tumbled over each other, as Cathy tried to keep her voice as calm as possible. "There's been an accident. Trowa thought you should know…"

"What kind of accident?" There was a sound of papers rustling, followed by a curse.

"Hit and run. Quatre's…hurt, but he's…Trowa's with him. We're waiting for the ambulance."

"Where are you?"

"Just outside Bern, in Switzerland."

"Damn. It's going to take me a while to get a flight there from L4." There was a moment's silence before Iria spoke again. "I'll be there as soon as I can - meanwhile I'll contact Alimah, she's closer and will able to get to Quatre sooner. Do you have a contact number?"

Cathy gave Iria the number of the cell phone the circus carried for emergencies, making a mental note to pick it up from the Ringmaster before they headed for the hospital. "I'm sorry to have to…"

Iria's voice hitched slightly. "It's okay. Just tell my little brother to hang in there. And thank you." There was a click as Quatre's sister broke the connection, and Cathy dialled again, noting that this next number seemed to be at least Earthside, judging from the prefix.

The young man in the prerecorded message seemed almost familiar, his eyes sparkling with undisguised mirth. "Hi. You've reached Duo Maxwell. Well actually you haven't cause I'm not here right now. Leave a message after the tone…Or if you really can't live without me, " The image of Duo shrugged and grinned before continuing, " wait a few minutes and your call will be forwarded to someone who might know where to find me."

After a few moments the screen came back to life, and this time she knew the person who answered. "Preventer Headquarters. Sorry, Agent Maxwell isn't here at present. Can I… Catherine?"

"Heero?" What the hell was this Duo's connection to the boy she and Trowa had nursed during the war? "I'm trying to contact a friend of Trowa's - Duo Maxwell."

Heero's brow creased. "Why?" Obviously the past few months hadn't improved his social skills any.

"Quatre Winner. He's been hurt..."

"Quatre's been hurt?" Cathy's mind started working again, as she joined up the pieces. No wonder Duo had seemed familiar, he'd come to the circus during the war, shortly before Quatre had. Was he another Gundam pilot? "Hurt, how?"

A siren sounded outside - the ambulance had taken its sweet time getting there. "A hit and run. Trowa's worried about him, Heero."

Heero gave her a puzzled look, as he ran his hand through his wild mop of hair. "He's with Trowa?" Obviously it wasn't only their families who hadn't been aware of their relationship, although at least Iria had recognised Trowa's name.

Cathy gave Heero her contact number, and then told him the name of the closest hospital. "I need to go, the ambulance is here."

"We'll meet you at the hospital," he told her, before glancing at his watch. "Shouldn't take long to get from Brussels to Bern." The line went dead, as Heero hung up.

Picking up Trowa's shirt, Cathy tucked the address book into her pocket, and slamming the door of the trailer behind her, ran back towards where she'd left the two boys.

A police car and an ambulance were parked side by side, the police officer talking to members of the crowd while two paramedics examined Quatre carefully. One of them moved back to the ambulance, before returning to the injured boy's side with a stretcher and some other equipment.

"Quatre? Can you hear me? I'm just going to slide this board under you to support your back before we move you."

Opening his eyes, Quatre gave the man a small nod, which was quickly followed by a gasp of pain. The older of the paramedics spoke again, his voice calm and reassuring. "The pain relief should start to take affect soon. Hang in there, okay? I know it hurts, but we'll be at the hospital before you know it." The man glanced up as Cathy approached. "Are you family?" he asked.

Cathy shook her head. "I've phoned his sister; she's on her way but it's going to take a while. So in the meantime count us as his family. That okay with you, Quatre?"

Nodding his thanks, Quatre's hand moved to squeeze Trowa's. "Trowa, that car..?" he asked, biting down on his lower lip, his eyes dull with pain.

"Later. We need to get you to hospital first." Trowa paused before fixing his gaze on Cathy. "Did you call Duo?"

"He wasn't there, but I spoke to Heero. They're on their way."

"Which one of you wants to go in the ambulance?" The paramedic looked at Cathy as though expecting her to answer. Quatre still had his hand around Trowa's, although if the paramedics had noticed they weren't indicating they had. In fact Cathy was sure the older one had deliberately looked away, a minute smirk on his face, when he'd glanced over at Trowa before.

"I will," Trowa's tone indicated that his reply wasn't open for debate, as Quatre let go of his hand to let him shrug on the t-shirt Cathy had given him. He rose to his feet while the paramedics lifted the stretcher, and made their way towards the ambulance. Trowa's expression was unreadable; yet following the progress of the paramedics loading Quatre into the ambulance, his eyes grew hard.

"I'll pack you a bag, then follow you," Cathy told Trowa, before he entered the vehicle to sit next to Quatre. "He'll be okay, Tro. I know he will."

The younger paramedic interrupted, his companion having taken the driver's seat. "Sorry, we need to go." He closed the doors - the ambulance slowly pulled away, leaving Cathy to stand and watch it disappear into the distance.

"You okay, love?" Cathy turned to see Dolores standing behind her. "Those two," the older woman said, "will be okay. Their love for each other is strong enough to get them through this." A small knowing smile crossed her face at Cathy's puzzled expression. "By the time you get to my age you can spot these things, you know."

"Hmm," Cathy replied absently, thinking ahead to what she needed to do. Pack an overnight bag for Trowa, collect the cellphone from the Ringmaster…She realised Dolores had an arm around her and was leading her back to the trailer.

"You're going to sit yourself down while I make you a cup of tea." Dorlores tsked tsked at Cathy's protests. "You're no good to either of them if you don't look after yourself first."

"I'll go sort out Trowa's bag, then I'll sit down." Cathy wasn't going to give in that easily. Her boys needed her; she'd keep going until she knew they were both okay. Trowa was going to need support to get him through this, to give him the strength to help Quatre.

Entering Trowa's room, she grabbed the green duffel bag from under the bed and opened his drawers, pulling the clothing he might need and piling it onto the bed to sort it. As she sat down, something hard dug into her side - it was a small tube. Reading the label almost automatically, her eyes grew misty, as she realised what it was. Even though she'd guessed Trowa had been involved with someone these past few months, finding him in bed with Quatre had been a big surprise to say the least.

"You're a difficult person to get to know, Trowa Barton," Cathy mused aloud, her breath catching as she choked back a sob. She'd made a point never to pry, apart from the questions she'd asked in an effort to get him to open up to her. He'd always politely answered her, but never given more information than what was necessary, but she realised, remembering how he'd been when they'd first met, he'd loosened up around her much more than she'd previously thought.

Trowa's words to her echoed through her mind, words he'd found difficult to say but had found the courage to. "And I…I love him too." It wasn't fair. She hadn't even had a chance to get to know this boy who had managed to reach Trowa, the private Trowa she suspected he'd only let his lover see. Surely he…they…couldn't lose Quatre like this.

"He'll be okay, Tro. I know he will." She repeated aloud the reassurance she'd tried to give in an effort to convince herself it was true.

"Cathy, honey, are you okay in there?" Dolores' voice brought her back to reality and she shivered.

"Yes, thanks. I'll be there in a moment." Cathy reached into her pocket and carefully placed Trowa's address book back in his drawer. You'll be looking for that when you get home, she thought. When you both get home.

******

"Trowa Barton?"

Trowa glanced up to see two men approaching; he'd wondered how long it would take the police to start questioning him about Quatre's accident. The medical staff had impressed him with their efficiency when they'd reached the hospital, and the doctor in charge had taken the time to explain the extent of Quatre's injuries to both of them. Trowa had been correct in his assessment of the open fracture; he'd seen a few of them in his time as a mercenary, and once Doctor Kaplan had determined that Quatre was up to surgery, he'd managed to free up an operating theatre fairly quickly.

They'd only had a few moments alone, before Quatre had been wheeled away, but it had been enough for Trowa to reassure his lover that he'd be there waiting when he woke up. Quatre had given him a shaky smile, his words slurred due to the medication he'd been given for the pain. "I'm sorry," he'd said. "Guess I was a bit longer coming back than I thought…" He'd twined his fingers through Trowa's, stroking them with his own. "I can still feel you in here," Quatre had tried to move his other hand towards his heart, but had been stopped by the IV drip.

Nodding, Trowa had bent down to kiss his lover gently on the lips. "I can feel you too, Quatre." Even though he'd momentarily lost that awareness, it had returned, not as strongly as it had been during their lovemaking, but he had a sense of Quatre within him, touching him, a quiet echo of what his lover was feeling. Trowa wasn't sure how to describe it exactly, but it was like what had happened between them today, their acceptance of needing something more permanent had strengthened their empathic connection, fortified it, cemented it in place.

"Trowa Barton?" The tall man repeated his question, bringing Trowa back to the present. "I'm Detective Carter and this is Detective Hogan." He indicated the redheaded man with him. "Sorry, sir, but we need to ask you a few questions regarding your friend's accident." Even though Carter's tone sounded apologetic his expression did not reflect the same sentiment.

Nodding again, Trowa waited for the questions he knew would be coming. Cathy should be back shortly, and Heero and the others would be arriving; it was better to get this out of the way before they did.

"Your friend's name is Quatre Winner?" Carter glanced down at his notebook. "His usual place of residence is L4?" He paused. "I'm sorry for being so direct, sir, but do you know what exactly the CEO of Winner Enterprises was doing in the circus grounds after closing time?"

Answering the question in an even tone, Trowa was careful not to show any reaction. "He was visiting me."

Carter consulted his notebook again. "And the reason for this visit?" He was just covering his bases, Trowa reminded himself, as he would if in the same position.

"We're friends." It was none of the man's business as to what their relationship was, and there was no way Trowa was sharing that information until he'd talked to Quatre. Sharing the details of their relationship with their family and friends was a completely different matter, and he could imagine his lover's reaction if his family found out before he'd had a chance to tell them himself.

Raising an eyebrow at Trowa's answer, Carter continued with his questions. "Do you know if Mr Winner has any enemies, sir?"

"Everyone has enemies, detective." Especially an ex Gundam pilot. Trowa remembered Quatre's comments a few months ago, when a reporter had published a photo of him in the newspapers when he'd officially taken over as CEO of Winner Enterprises. However, few people had seen them outside of their Gundams during the war, and most of those hadn't lived long enough to be of any concern. One day someone would put two and two together regarding who the pilots were but the longer they were into peacetime, the less that threat became. The press had focused on Relena and the part she'd played, and the pilots had been happy to blend into the background and attempt to get on with their lives. For the first time in his life, Trowa had started to relax, to stop looking over his shoulder and look forward to the thought of a long future ahead with Quatre.

Giving a sigh of frustration, Hogan spoke for the first time. "You're not being very helpful, Mr Barton. I don't suppose you'd like to enlighten us further?"

"No, I wouldn't."

"Tro? These people giving you a hard time?" Duo's voice sounded behind him, and Trowa turned to see the ex-Gundam pilot enter the room, followed a more sedate pace by Heero and Wufei.

Giving Duo a polite, yet forced smile, Carter frowned as he noticed the three newcomers were all wearing the uniforms of the recently formed Preventer organisation. "Detective Carter. And you would be?" Trowa noticed he'd ignored Duo's question, and had replied with one of his own.

Returning the smile, Duo's eyes were cold. "Duo Maxwell. And don't you think Mr Barton's had enough for one day. His lo…his friend's in surgery for God's sake. Give him a break. I'm sure the damn questions can wait till later."

His lo...? Duo had been about to say lover, but had stopped himself. Trowa hadn't seen much of the other pilots since they'd gone their separate ways, but he knew Quatre had made a point of keeping in touch. Had Quatre told Duo about their relationship or had Duo guessed?

Pulling his ID out of his pocket, Heero stepped between Duo and the two detectives. "Heero Yuy. This case is now under Preventer jurisdiction."

Hogan snorted. "Since when and by whose orders?" The look on his face gave his reaction away. He wasn't impressed by the idea of a mere teenager taking over his investigation. Underestimating Heero was not a mistake many people survived long enough to regret.

"Lady Une's, and since now." Heero gave Hogan a glare before pointedly ignoring him, focusing his attention instead on Trowa. "How's Quatre?"

"Compound fracture of the tibia, cuts and grazes. He's shaken up." Trowa paused, he'd related the information almost on instinct, and slipped back into the role he'd played in the war with an ease that scared him. "We need to discuss this further, but in private." Hogan and Carter were still hovering in the background - obviously it was going to take a while for them to get the message that their presence was neither required nor wanted.

Giving him a cursory nod, Heero spoke again. "Lady Une has put me in charge of the investigation. I'll get your statement in the morning. " His expression softened momentarily. "You look like hell, Trowa. Did you manage to get a meal before this happened?"

"No." Trowa had promised Quatre he'd be there when he woke; he'd worry about his own needs later.

"Quatre isn't going to be impressed if you end up in the bed next to his, Barton." Wufei entered the conversation, not noticing the smirk on Duo's face after his comment.

"Nah, I guess he wouldn't be," Duo gave Trowa a wink. "Where's the fun in that?" Trowa sighed. Yes, Duo definitely knew about their relationship.

"Trowa, I've got us some coffee," Cathy placed the steaming cups on the table, her entrance saving him from having to listen more innuendos, courtesy of Duo. "Heero, Wufei," She greeted the two ex-pilots; then gave Duo an apologetic look. "I'm Cathy, Trowa's sister. I don't think we were introduced properly the last time we met."

Giving her a friendly grin, Duo took the proffered hand and shook it. "Duo Maxwell, and it's not a problem. Just as long as you're not going throw me out the next time I visit, I'll forgive you this once. " He paused. "You're not going to make a habit of it, right?"

"Not unless you give me good reason to," Cathy returned Duo's grin, before turning serious. "Tro, how's Quatre? Any news yet?"

Shaking his head, Trowa noticed one of the nurses he'd met earlier enter the room, followed by two women and a man. "Mr Barton, these people are here for your friend, Mr Winner."

The nurse left to return to her duties, and Trowa turned towards the newcomers. One of them greeted him with a hug before she spoke. "Trowa, it's been ages." He'd met Alimah Winner briefly six months ago when he'd stayed at Quatre's home shortly after the war. "Glad to see Cat has friends here with him." She gave Duo a nod, and then hugged him in turn. "You still owe me for that round of strip poker we played the last time you visited my brother." It was a shame Quatre wasn't here to see the expression on Heero's face as he glanced between Alimah and Duo; but Trowa wasn't sure he really wanted to know whether the game had just been between the two of them and what sort of payment Alimah had been promised. Alimah paused, giving Heero and Wufei an appreciative look. "And these two good looking gentlemen would be?"

Duo glanced around, a puzzled look on his face. "What good looking gentlemen?" Heero glared at him. "Guess she means you two. Heero Yuy and Chang Wufei, this is Alimah Winner." Cathy nudged Duo, and he hurriedly added, "and Ali, this charming lady is Trowa's sister, Cathy."

The re-introductions over, Alimah got down to business. "I heard some bastard ran my brother over. Any news on how Quatre's doing? All I could get out of the nurses on the front desk was that he was in surgery."

Before he could reply the other blonde woman with Alimah coughed discreetly, before interjecting. "I'm Ghazal," she indicated the dark haired man with her, " and this is my husband, Glen. As my sister said, it's nice that Quatre has friends but we're here now." Ghazal paused. "There's no reason for you to stay if you don't want to."

The silence following her comment was deafening, until Duo put his thoughts into words. "Excuse me, lady," he pointed out. "We have as much right to be here as you do. Where the hell do you get off waltzing in here and…?"

"Quatre wants his friends here, so until he says otherwise they're staying," said Trowa, moving to stand between them. So this was Ghazal? Trowa met Ghazal's glare with a calm look of his own, a slow anger building as he remembered how Quatre upset had been when he'd first arrived at the circus earlier that evening. Meeting her now, he suspected more had happened at her wedding than Quatre had been willing to share. There was no way he would leave his lover alone with this woman in his present state.

"Mr Barton?" Doctor Kaplan entered the visitor's lounge, quite oblivious to what he'd interrupted. He smiled at Trowa. "Mr Winner is out of surgery, and he's doing fine. I'll swing by later and give you both the details of what to expect." Kaplan glanced around the room. "It's nice to see you've got such a good support network in place."

"Can we see my brother yet, Doctor?" Ghazal's tone was very polite, her smile seemingly genuine.

"He'll be awake shortly," Kaplan confirmed," but I'd suggest only one or two visitors this evening." He spoke to Trowa again. "There's a spare bed in his room. Feel free to use it if you want to stay with him tonight. He needs support at the moment."

"Thank you, Doctor." Trowa watched the doctor leave, relief flooding through him. Quatre was going to be all right. He glanced around for the duffel Cathy had brought with her; there was no way he'd been going to leave the hospital tonight anyway, but the offer of a bed was just what he needed. He hadn't realised how tired he was, or how on edge - memories of another vigil by a bedside not so many months ago hadn't been far from his thoughts ever since Quatre had gone into surgery. Trowa had spent a long night watching over Quatre after nearly losing him after Libra - it wasn't something he wanted to ever go through again.

"Do you want company, Tro, or would you prefer some space?" Duo asked, his eyes suspiciously moist. "We can come back in the morning, when he's more up to company if you like." He gave Cathy a cheeky grin. "I'm sure your sister could put up with the three of us for one night. Right, Cathy?"

"We're booked into the local hotel," Alimah told them. "Though I might just poke my head in quickly first." She leaned towards Trowa and whispered, "I know damn well who he really wants to see when he wakes up." Alimah laughed at his puzzled expression. "I spent a week under the same roof as the two of you, remember? I know Cat well enough to put two and two together."

"Give my regards to Quatre," Wufei told him. "He's going to need a friend when he wakes up. I'd offer but someone has to keep these two out of trouble."

Heero raised an eyebrow. "I think I'm missing something here, but..." Duo whispered something, and Heero looked up in surprise. "Since when?"

Duo smirked and winked. "That would be telling. I'll fill you in on the details later." Details? What details? Trowa decided some things were better not knowing. Once Quatre was feeling better he was going to have a long discussion with his lover regarding Duo's visits.

There was a delicate cough, and Ghazal moved to stand in front of Trowa. "Sorry to interrupt this charming conversation, but where the hell do you think you're going? Quatre is my brother, therefore I think I, or Alimah, should be the ones to be with him when he wakes." She paused, seemingly unaware of the change in Trowa's expression as he struggled to maintain his calm. "We're his family, you see. You people, whoever who are, might be his friends, but I'm sure Quatre would prefer to know we are there for him in his hour of need."

"How do you know what Quatre would prefer?" Trowa spoke quietly, but his tone suggested he was less than impressed.

"How do you?" Ghazal's voice was just as quiet, though her pitch was somewhat higher than it had been. "I'm his sister…what did you say your name was?"

"Trowa." Trowa's tone remained calm, but his eyes grew cold.

"I'm his sister…Trowa," she continued. "You, however, are nothing to my brother. We are family and in the end that's what's important." Ghazal paused, " You say you are his friend and yet I've never heard of you. Who the hell do you think you are, trying to tell me what he would prefer?"

Meeting her gaze squarely, Trowa took a deep breath. "I'm his lover, Ghazal. And I have every right to tell you what he would prefer." He paused. "Quatre asked me to call his friends, and to be by his side when he wakes. And that is what I intend to do."

Pushing past his wife, Glen cleared his throat. "I think you've said more than enough, young man. How dare you tarnish the Winner name by implying my brother in law is a…" He spoke the word as though it were something dirty, "homosexual?" Glen continued, ignoring the glances passing between the others in the room. "Ghazal has expressed her wish to be with her brother, and I intend to make sure…" Glen took a step forward, only to find three angry young men blocking his path as they took a protective stance between him and Trowa. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Trowa spoke slowly so that Glen couldn't mistake his meaning. "I love Quatre, Glen. And as I have already stated I promised him I'd be there when he woke. He needs my support and I do not intend to let your prejudices interfere with those needs." He paused. "You really have no idea who you're dealing with, and I suggest you remember that in future."

"Are you threatening me?" This incompetent idiot was married to Quatre's sister, Trowa reminded himself. Quatre had said their relationship was more important than his family's reaction, and Trowa knew if Glen's opinion reflected that of his wife's and other Winner sisters he couldn't protect his lover from those opinions. Trying to do that before had been the wrong decision. Following Quatre's wishes wasn't going to be easy, but Trowa could at least give him time to recover from his accident before he had to deal with the narrow mindedness of people like this.

"If he's not then I'm quite happy to," Cathy broke into the conversation, giving Glen a glare that would rival one of Heero's. "You and your wife might be Quatre's family but from what I can see, his friends are more concerned about his welfare than you seem to be. Quatre's just been through one hell of an experience, and all you're worried about how it's going to look if you're not there when he wakes up." Ghazal opened her mouth to protest, but Cathy ignored her, continuing before she had a chance to state her opinion. "Quatre needs the man he loves by his side, and that's who he's going to have there. Anyone who feels differently is going to have to go through me."

Before Trowa could express his appreciation, he felt a momentary echo of disorientation and confusion; Quatre was waking from his drug induced sleep, and reaching out for him. He felt a momentary pull from his lover, similar to that he'd felt those other times Quatre had needed him, then it faded as the other boy slipped back into unconsciousness.

"Tro, you okay? You looked a bit spaced out there for a moment, buddy." Duo's hand was on his shoulder, his eyes reflecting his concern.

"Quatre's waking up," he said, not prepared to explain any further. This connection between the two of them was something he didn't understand himself, especially with this new development. Maybe the link would go back to what it had been before once things settled down - soft echoes of what Quatre was feeling, gentle touches against his consciousness, the ebb and flow of a sea of shared emotions. If Trowa concentrated he could feel an echo of something intangible reaching out to touch him, but for most of the time it was something he was hardly even aware of.

Duo frowned, but then nodded, his expression one of surprise followed by realisation. How much did he know about Quatre's ability? "You'd better get your butt in there then, Tro." Duo winked. "Don't want to keep your man waiting."

"Give Cat my love, I'll be in shortly," Alimah put a hand on Cathy's shoulder, and addressed her sister. "Ghaz, dear," she said. "Stop being such a pain in the arse. You always were a selfish bitch; don't you think it's time you started thinking about someone else besides yourself?"

Trowa decided not to wait to hear Ghazal's response - he had a fairly good idea what it would be, and he didn't want Quatre to pick up on his reaction. He needed to focus on providing Quatre with the anchor he'd need to get through this; not worry him with his anger over his family's reaction to their relationship. Trowa slipped out of the room quickly, leaving his friends to distract Ghazal and her husband from their mission to impress Quatre with their devotion; a sentiment he knew wouldn't last once they found out that his love for her brother was reciprocated.

Pausing at the door to Quatre's room, Trowa found himself struggling to maintain his inner calm. The doctor had said Quatre was 'doing fine', but was what exactly did that phrase mean? He knew his lover's injuries could have been a lot worse, but there were still complications, which could arise from these types of wounds; he'd seen many of them on the battle fields. Gangrene, tetanus, crush syndrome - many a good soldier had lost their limbs to infection because they hadn't been able to get medical assistance in time. Quatre had gotten the best treatment available, but Trowa was still haunted by the memory of finding him lying limp and hurt, his pale skin marred with gashes, the gravel and grass burns streaking his face signifying the force at which he'd been thrown to the ground.

We're not soldiers anymore, Cat. We can't have survived the war only for this to happen. For one horrible moment the nightmares of losing his lover had returned, the dreams which had plagued him as he'd keep vigil over Quatre after Libra. Was the security of peacetime only an illusion? Was I mistaken in thinking we had forever? Forever is never as long as you need, a small voice reminded him. He'd nearly lost his chance for their future because he'd persuaded himself to wait for the right time, using it as an excuse to procrastinate. In trying to protect Quatre from the outside world he'd only succeeded in hurting him more than what he was trying to protect him from could ever do.

Steeling himself, Trowa entered the room, fixing a smile on his lips as the glazed eyes of his lover's met his as he approached the bed. "I'm sorry," he leaned over to kiss Quatre. "I wanted to be here when you woke up."

"You were," Quatre replied softly. "Don't blame yourself." He returned the kiss, then brought his hand up to caress Trowa's cheek. "I…" Quatre paused, his eyes growing misty. "I didn't see the car until it was too late…and then…before I…" His voice broke. "Trowa…maybe if I hadn't left. But…"

"It's okay, Cat. I knew why." Trowa balanced himself on the edge of the bed, placed an arm around Quatre, and gently stroked his lover's hair. "We'll talk later; I need to explain…to try to explain. But for now I just want to be with you, be here for you."

A tear trickled down Quatre's face, and Trowa brushed it away with one finger. "I'd like to talk, Trowa, and I need to explain why I reacted…" He winced slightly, moving to try and get more comfortable.

"Is the pain relief working all right? Do you want me to call a nurse?"

"No, it's okay." Quatre gave him a strained smile. "It's nothing I can't handle." He brought his hand up over Trowa's, his voice growing wistful. "I'm happy…that you want to talk about things. I've …I've been so lonely these past months when we've been apart."

Oh Cat, I'm so sorry.

"You don't have to be anymore." Trowa realised he was shaking; he'd come so close to losing the one person who meant the most to him. If he and Quatre hadn't fought, his lover would have never been in the vicinity of that car in the first place. "Things are going to be different from now on. When I…when I found you I thought for one horrible moment I'd lost you." He brought his other hand down place a finger on Quatre's lips, motioning him to be silent until he'd finished. "I was wrong to make you hide our relationship. I know how much it's hurt you and I'm sorry." Trowa bit down on his lip before continuing; his vision growing blurred with the tears forming in his eyes. "I want to move forward, Quatre. I just hope I haven't left it too late."

The smile on Quatre's face gave him his answer far better than any words would, as did the gentle reassurance of the kiss on his fingertips. "I would have waited forever if I'd had to…" Quatre's voice broke. "But it was so hard…did you know they kept asking me at the wedding when I was going to start dating? I wanted to tell them I'd already found the person I wanted, that I'd already found you."

"But I'd asked you not to." Trowa voice caught as he realised why Quatre had been so upset when he'd arrived earlier that day. "You said…you…you needed more." Trowa felt a tear fall, as the floodgate of emotion he'd been attempting to hold back ever since the accident refused to stay closed any longer. "I want to give you what you need."

"I need you, Trowa." Quatre's tone reflected that same wistful yearning he'd used earlier, when he'd observed Trowa taking care of the lions. The lions had what you didn't, Trowa realised. I was spending the time with them you wanted to spend with me.

"You don't have to worry about being lonely anymore, Quatre." Trowa's voice grew stronger. "The next time someone asks you about dating, you'll have to tell them you're already spoken for, and introduce me because I'm planning to be there with you."

"I've waited so long to hear that. Thank you." Quatre sighed contentedly, his head falling back on the pillow, before he yawned. "I'd like to…" Quatre yawned again, running his hand through his hair to brush it back off his face. "I'd like to stay in this moment forever, but I…"

"You're tired. I should have thought. I'm sorry…" Quatre needed to get some sleep, to let his body heal from the ordeal he'd been through. They'd finish this later, when they'd both recovered from the events of the day.

"I thought I was the one who was always supposed to be apologising." Quatre's grin was lost in the yawn which came with it. "I don't mind the tiredness. It's worth it." He winced again then frowned, before glancing down the foot of the bed. "How bad is it? I can't see a damn thing from this angle."

"Well…" Trowa pulled a face. "Do you want the good news or the bad news?" He studied the plaster cast encasing Quatre's upper right leg with mock seriousness, then moved his attentions towards his groin area, a slow smirk crossing his lips.

"Trowa!"

"Ssh. I'm trying to work out how much of a problem this cast is going to be when I seduce you in front of the nurses tomorrow."

A giggle came from the direction of the door, and Trowa felt himself blush. "Can I reserve a front seat?" Alimah scooted over and gave them both a grin. "I knew there was a reason you weren't broadcasting the fact you two were an item. Worried I was going to steal him, little brother?" She gave Trowa a friendly peck on the cheek, before winking at Quatre. "He's cute when he's embarrassed. Bet he's even cuter in bed though. You'll have to tell me all about it when you're better. All about it…"

"Ali." Quatre went even redder than Trowa. "Don't tease," he stuck out his tongue. "I'm recovering from surgery and you're supposed to be nice to me."

The grin grew wider. "I'm sure Trowa is a lot nicer to you than I am." Quatre mumbled something under his breath in Arabic, and Alimah giggled. "Oh he'd like that, Cat. Do you want me to translate for him?" A disturbing thought crossed Trowa's mind regarding the strip poker game Alimah had reminded Duo of earlier, and he decided that maybe he wouldn't ask Quatre about it after all.

Opening his mouth to retort with something rude, Quatre yawned instead, and instantly Alimah's tone changed. "You need your sleep, Cat, " she told him, leaning down to kiss him on the cheek. "I'll be back in the morning to check up on you two, so try and behave in the meantime, okay?" Alimah paused. "I just want a quick word with Trowa. And don't worry, we'll just be outside the door."

Glancing from one to the other, Quatre frowned, and Trowa spoke quickly to reassure him. "Doctor Kaplan has said I can spend the night in the other bed - I'm staying with you as long as you need me." An echo of relief washed over him, and he squeezed Quatre's hand quickly before reluctantly pulling away to follow Alimah. "We're in this together, Quatre. I love you, and I don't care who knows it."

The smile Quatre gave him made Trowa forget the effort it had taken him to speak those words. Alimah was still in the room, but he'd known how important it was to his lover that he declare his feelings in front of someone else, to prove that his promises had been more than just words. "Don't be long… muHibb [1]. I…" Quatre yawned again. "I'm so tired…" His eyelids fluttered then opened again. "I love…" Quatre sighed, turning his head towards the other bed in the room as his eyes closed again.

"I won't be," Trowa promised, closing the door quietly behind him.

To his surprise, Alimah seemed almost subdued as she brushed a tear from her eye. "I won't keep you away from him for too long, " she said, "but I need to warn you about my sister and her husband and I didn't want to upset Quatre." The blonde woman pursed her lips together into a thin line. "Ghazal has never liked Quatre, or the fact he's Father's heir. She seems to have gotten the notion into her head that he's too young and inexperienced and will ruin the family business. In fact she's been trying to talk him into bringing Glen into help run WE, but Quatre has refused." Alimah paused. "They're both dangerous in their own way, Trowa, and I suspect they will attempt to use Quatre's accident and his relationship with you to discredit him with the members of the board. Iria and I will support you in any way we can, but Quatre is going to have to be strong to get through this and so are you."

"Quatre is strong, and he's not fighting alone." This had been one of the reasons Trowa had hesitated when Quatre had wanted to tell his family about them; that their relationship could used against him.

Alimah smiled. "I know he's strong. But he needs time to recover from this first, and someone has to watch his back until he does. I'm glad he has you to do that." She gave him a hug. "Welcome to the Winner family, Trowa Barton. I just hope you both survive it."

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End of Chapter Two

TBC

Notes this chapter :

[1] muHibb is Arabian for 'lover'.

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