Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Cult Characteristic ❯ Chapter 10

TEN

Wufei glared at his reflection in the mirror. He looked good. No, not good. As Sally had so eloquently put it, he looked `divine'. And that was the problem. Wufei didn't want to look `divine', not for Relena Peacecraft. Still, it suited his purpose, and it was too late to back out. Not that he would. Not now. Not while Devourjac was on Zechs's list.

Tucking a small camera in his breast pocket, Wufei left the walk in robe and presented himself. Sally and Fiona both gaped. Wufei sighed. He didn't look that bad on an everyday basis, did he? Not in his opinion, but women were funny about that sort of thing he knew, and he did look rather…'divine'. The word was growing on Wufei.

"Perfect…" Sally whispered, awed. Fiona just nodded.

"I thought I was going so Mr. Perfect didn't have to?" Wufei raised his brows in mock surprise. He was rewarded with a snort from Sally and giggles from Fiona. Wufei was amazed to realize he liked both sounds equally, but he did not have time to consider the thought further as Sally pushed him from their bedroom and down the central hallway of `little china'.

Quatre rushed out of his wing to the central foyer just as Wufei emerged with his two ladies on his heels. Quatre smiled, hugged Wufei and stepped back, admiring the view.

"I suppose you'll do…" he said skeptically, looking over at Trowa who had just emerged from his wing. From the flushed look on both men's faces Wufei imagine their wings of the house actually met somewhere. It would explain a lot of flushes Wufei had noticed lately.

"What do you think?" Quatre asked Trowa, still sounding skeptical.

Trowa's eyes raked over Wufei's form, forcing him to blush. Trowa then stepped forward and from nowhere a white rose appeared in his hand. When Wufei looked closer he realised the veins of the petals were stained dark blue. He raised a questioning brow as Trowa pinned the rose to the front of his blazer.

"White is for purity, and for rebirth after death," Trowa said softly. "Blue is for friendship. Everlasting."

Wufei felt something stick in his throat as he met Trowa's steady green gaze. Wufei would not be able to look at the rose that night without remembering exactly why he was there, in more ways than one. Une must have called Quatre. Wufei was not sorry she had done so. Not with that rose on his chest.

A soft noise from behind bought his attention to Heero's wing. Wufei turned to find Heero in the white doorway, Duo at his side, firmly entwined in his arms and legs alike. They almost looked like one person…

Wufei met Duo's gaze. It was not as hard as he had thought it would be. Not when Duo smiled like that…

"Thank you," Duo whispered, blinking back watery tears as he strained to see under the strain of the bright foyer light. "I know it's not enough, but thank you…"

Wufei was moving forward before the words finished leaving Duo's mouth. He swept the small man up in his arms and held on tight, assuring himself the wraith like pale figure was real, tangible and not ethereal.

"It will always be enough," Wufei whispered fiercely. "More than enough so long as you always mean it, and even when you don't."

He held on a little longer before placing Duo back into Heero's firm embrace, sharing a knowing look with the once was perfect soldier who had shared more of his life in the past year than Wufei cared to recall, and turned to the door.

It was more difficult than he had thought to place his hand on the door handle, knowing what his next stop was. One glance over his shoulder, however, at his `family' and Wufei was smiling as he stepped onto the front balcony and made his way around the side of the `house' to the garage and his waiting car.

*

Heero settled Duo on the bed and made sure he was comfortable before hurrying back to the kitchen to get some hot chocolate and a book to read to Duo. He liked reading to Duo while he slept and it seemed to keep Duo's nightmares at bay…

Fiona waited until she could hear the kettle before entering the huge bedroom. She caught sight of movement on the bed and hurried over to find Duo, staring straight at her. Fiona wasn't sure she liked having the full force of that gaze on her small form.

"Hello Shinigami…" She spoke softly, uncertain of her welcome. She was a memory, and a bad one. What did Duo really think of having her around?

A hand snaked out, twisted through one fat golden ringlet. The other hand, heavy in plaster, brushed smooth fingertips across her jaw, down her nose…Learning, recalling, seeing…what? Fiona needed to know. Needed to know she was welcome.

"Hello Firefly," Duo whispered just as softly and Fiona beamed, throwing her arms around his neck. She felt…accepted…again.

"You remember!" She gasped through her tears.

"Of course."

Fiona pulled back and looked into eyes that had seen the same things, and shuddered.

"So do I."

*

Wufei parked the car on the long drive and marched to the front door, shoulders square but body perfectly relaxed. Too relaxed. He was in the center of a raging storm of emotions that would not break. It never broke. Wufei was meditating, on his feet, much as he had done during the war, to stay calm. It was an old habit, one he had not used in a while, but he felt justified in doing so now. He needed all the help he could get.

Knocking firmly on the door, Wufei was met with Pargon's amused smile. Wufei nodded to the man before entering the mansion to find himself in a large foyer. It was pink. Horrendous, pastel pink. It made Wufei shudder as he stared at the massive staircase against the back wall…the pink one…and waited.

He did not have to wait long. Relena appeared at the top of the stairs and a crestfallen look flitted across her face. Wufei guessed, correctly, that she had still, for some deranged reason, been expecting Heero. Wufei was more than happy to disappoint.

"Wufei," Relena nodded in his general direction as she stormed down the stairs, out the door and waited by his car, expecting him to be there already to open the door.

Wufei looked at Pargon, who gave him a sympathetic smile before shooing him out the door. Taking his time, Wufei eventually made it to the car door, opening it allow Relena to enter, safe within his calm center. He whistled as he walked around the car and got in the driver's seat.

They drove off in silence.

"Can you tell me about the Devourjac's. I am afriad my knowledge of their family is rather sketchy and I would not want to make a fool of you with my lack of knowledge.

Relena seemed a little surprised at his `desire' to be a decent date and acquiesced.

"They're a relatively new family in the political system, but they have been a great help to me in initiating new peace-orientated policies on the more `troubled' colonies. They are based on L2, but the manor house here on earth is spectacular and the oldest member of the family, Senator Devourjac, is here for a business meeting and was kind enough o host a gathering tonight. His two sons and daughter will also be present."

No names. Wufei frowned. Did Relena even know their names? And what was the deal with them being a `new' political family. It was not uncommon for unknown persons to be appearing in places of power now the colonies had democratic systems, but for an entire family to suddenly enter the arena was suspsicious, especially when they now occupied L2. Wufei now understood why the Devoujac's were on Zechs's list.

The rest of the car trip was spent listening to Relena talk about her most recent political endeavors, which while wonderful ideas to further the spread and scope of her ideals, was not exactly the kind of thing Wufei liked to listen to while he was driving. He entrenched himself deeper in his quagmire of calm.

The Devourjac manor was…huge. It made some of Quatre's estates look like cottages. It made their current `house' look…almost normal. Wufei dutifully handed over his keys to the valet and marched Relena up to the front door. The man took their invitation from Relena and a footman showed them to the ballroom.

Internally, Wufei groaned. He hated dancing. But he hated ballroom dancing the most. He just hoped Relena didn't expect him to spend every dance with her. He was not, despite all attempts tonight to be so, Heero Yuy.

Relena made her way through the crowds of people, stopping every now and then to talk to recognizable political figures, finally alighting before a man who appeared to be in his seventies. He had silver hair and a bald spot on the back of his head, but his brows were full and hung over his sunken, dark chocolate eyes. His mouth was thin, set in a smile that only made Wufei shudder. The nose was long, hooked and flared wide at the nostrils.

Wrong. Wufei wanted to run but his calm let none of his panic show. Something about this man was not right. He was familiar somehow, and yet Wufei knew he would remember that face if he had ever seen it before. It was something else. Something about the strange light in his eyes that made shivers ran up and down the spine in continuous successions. It was wrong.

"Senator," Relena bowed to the man, a delighted smile on her face. Wufei wondered how she could smile. Couldn't she see it? Didn't she know this man was…wrong?

"Relena, please, call me Randolf, we're all old friends here!" The man spoke in soft, cultured tones, but there was a roughness to the edge of it that was all too recognizable, despite the man's attempts to hide it. It was that slight twang that only those who had lived among the lower side of L2 life acquired. It was reasonable to assume the man had picked it up during his time working on the colony, but Wufei couldn't bring himself to believe that.

Randolf. The name was filed away. Senator Randolf Devourjac.

"If you insist, Relena was saying politely, moving to take a chair at the Devourjac table, right between two faces Wufei certainly did recognize. And he realized why Randolf's face looked so familiar. The two Devourjac sons engaged Relena in conversation instantly. Wufei was relieved beyond belief when Relena waved a dismissive hadn inhis general direction.

He went to find drinks, to regain control of his calm center, and to figure out what the hell he should do.

The two sons were on the video tape. They had names, though Wufei doubted they were their real names. No, they were the names they used in the Cult; pet names to hide the true identity. But Wufei had seen them, known them, and now…Now he wanted to kill them.

Not now, a strong voice whispered through his mind and the calm settled once more. Wufei walked to the drinks table, poured himself a glass and wandered off to `mingle'. Relena would be busy for at least an hour. That gave him some time to learn more names, among other things, before he would have to dance.

He caught a glimpse of black on the far side of the room, but when he turned to get a better look it was gone. Blinking, Wufei headed for a cluster of people he already knew; Senator Garmen, Une's superior and his wife, among others.

Garmen smiled genuinely when he met the ebony gaze.

"Agent Chang, what a delight!" And to Garmen it was. One of the few men who knew Wufei had once piloted the Gundam Shenlong, Wufei had the dubious honour of at some point unknowingly saving Garmen's wife's life. Not that he was sorry he had done so, as Garmen tended to reward good deeds and while Wufei had refused all offers of assistance in the past, he still had a powerful favour up his sleeve if he needed it. He had a feeling he just might.

"Senator Garmen, Melissa," he bowed formally to the pair and kissed Melissa Garmen's hand. She laughed as he rose and the sound was beautiful. He was not sorry he had saved this precious being at all. She slaved to maintain peace, and she gave all she earnt to charity. She had once been Duo's favorite person, though Wufei imagined Heero now held that place, for better or worse.

"We heard about your case. How is he?"

Wufei nodded very slowly knowing they would understand. Duo would be alright, eventually, and he didn't want to talk about it. They got the message and immediately changed the subject. Sort of.

"It is an interesting environment, don't you agree. And the young waiters are a delightful addition!"

Wufei laughed along with the jokes that followed, replied when it was required and was generally a pleasant addition to the discussion. His eyes, however, trailed along the walls, watched small people in dracula-like costumes that everyone was calling `waiter's.

Wufei would have thought nothing more of it, considering the gothique style of the house itself it was rather fitting. But his attention meter was on full alert and he couldn't help but notice that while the young waiters were doing an excellent job they never went near Senator Devourjac's table. Not a single on of them.

Relena came, as he had known she would, to force him to dance. Wufei bowed low to the Garmen's and locked gazes once more.

"It was a pleasure to see you again, Senator. I hope our next meeting is soon and that we are granted more time together to liaise through our current paths."

"I think that is a given, Agent Chang."

Relena was indifferent to what passed between them, dragging Wufei away from the slightly amused couple to the dance floor. Wufei steeled himself to what would happen next. It was just dancing, after all. Wufei almost wished the war hadn't ended and that he was off in his Gundam, battling Treize…Some dreams are better left in the past.

"It's just dancing…" Wufei mumbled to himself. But it's not just another Senator.