Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Family Ties ❯ Chapter 17 ( Chapter 17 )

Disclaimer: I don't own the G Boys, I just borrow them from time to time and return them a whole lot happier. I do own the plot line and any other characters that appear here that are not in the Gundam Wing Universe; please do not take them without permission. Written for pleasure not profit.

 

Warnings: Angst, sap, fluff, violence, Mpreg.

 

Rating: NC 17

 

Pairings: 1x2x1, 3x4x3, 5xS, HxOC

 

Summary: Sequel to Chimaera. Life in the Maxwell -Yuy household has undergone some big changes when Duo brings Keitaro home from the hospital. Hilde's wedding is approaching and the guys find there's more to this baby business than they thought. Struggling to raise a child, work at Preventer and keep the home happy is certainly a trial for both guys. Add an assassin's threats to prominent government officials' lives and both men find their lives are suddenly changed. Just how far will one go to protect the ones he loves?

 

Dedication: to all my lovely readers out there who enjoyed Chimaera and have since begged, threatened, pleaded, bribed and blackmailed me for a sequel. ^_^

 

 

 

 

"Family Ties"

 

January. 2007 ShenLong

 

 

Chapter 17

 

Heero checked on the program while Duo was shaving. As he'd thought, there wasn't anything yet. Hopefully by that evening they would have something. Leaving the computer to continue in its search and cross checking, Heero went through to the kitchen where Nurse Brown was feeding Keitaro.

 

The baby was sitting up in his high chair and gurgling away. Heero dropped a kiss to the baby's head as he walked past. Reaching for the coffee machine, he lifted out the pot and poured two cups. “Sleep well?” he asked the nurse.

 

“Fine, thank you. And you?” replied the nurse as she spooned a little more cereal into the baby's mouth.

 

"Very well," Heero replied and then placed a couple of slices of bread in the toaster. While the bread toasted, Heero fetched the spreads from the fridge and set them on the table with the butter, plates and a couple of knives. The toast popped up, Heero removed it and put it on one of the plates, then set another couple of slices in the machine.

 

"Morning all," Duo said as he entered the kitchen, making a beeline for Keitaro. "How's my baby this morning?"

 

"Fine, thanks for asking," Heero said. He currently had his back to the table and the rest of the room occupants.

 

Nurse Brown snickered softly. Duo had a pole axed expression on his face.

 

"I was talking to Keitaro, Heero."

 

Heero turned around slowly and realized his mistake. He blushed to the roots of his hair. "Oh. Sorry."

 

Duo laughed and sat down. Keitaro gurgled and stuck his fingers in his mouth, then proceeded to wipe the cereal all around his face and high chair. "Charming," said Duo as he picked up the knife and began to slather butter on his toast. Heero joined them a moment later.

 

"He gets his eating habits from you," Heero deadpanned.

 

"I'll remember that. The next time you want..." Duo quickly shut up, realizing Nurse Brown was there and listening in. Somehow he didn't think the nurse would be particularly happy if he were to continue with his words, especially when they were about to refer to oral sex. He changed the subject instead. "Any luck with the program?"

 

"Nothing so far. I checked earlier and no abnormalities have been detected at this stage. There's still almost two thirds of the records to check though." Heero spread a thin layer of honey on his toast and began to eat.

 

With Keitaro having finished his breakfast, the fact that he was enjoying spreading the stuff everywhere instead of eating it a clear indication of such, Nurse Brown got up and removed the cereal bowl. She returned with a wash cloth and wiped the child's face and hands. "Okay, little man. It's time for a diaper change, then you can go into your playpen for a bit." The nurse departed with the infant, leaving the couple to finish eating their breakfast.

 

Heero read some of the paper whilst finishing his toast. Duo pinched the sports section and was busy perusing it. "We'd better get moving," Heero said as he folded the paper and went to wash his used dishes.

 

Duo followed suit, washing his own dishes then grabbing their lunches from the 'fridge. With their lunches in one hand, jackets in the other, the pair went through to the lounge room where Nurse Brown had set up the playpen. Keitaro was lying in the middle on a soft blanket with toys all around him. He was getting to the stage of rolling himself over. He wasn't quite sure of it yet and it usually took him several attempts before he made it, but he wasn't one to give up easily.

 

Reaching in, Duo picked up his son and cuddled him close. "You be a good boy for Nurse Brown today. Otousan and I will be back home from work before you know it." Duo placed a tender kiss to the child's forehead then passed the babe over to Heero.

 

Taking his child gently, Heero also pressed a kiss to the baby's forehead. "See you soon, Keitaro." He put the child back in the playpen and called out to Nurse Brown who was sorting through the baby's laundry. "We're off. Call if there's any problem."

 

"Okay," came the voice. "Have a good day."

 

With one last, lingering look at their child, Duo and Heero left for work.

 

* * *

 

"Senator Richards is on the line for you, ma'am." Relena's secretary informed her boss.

 

"Thank you, Francine." Relena picked up the phone. "Senator Richards?"

 

"Good morning, Senator. I have the files for the colony rebuilding scheme all ready for you. Would you like me to drop over a hard copy or should I send them through by disc?"

 

"Disc would be fine, thank you."

 

"Okay. I'll have the disc couriered over right away."

 

"Thank you."

 

"Anything else I can help you with?"

 

"No, just the disc will be fine," replied Relena.

 

"Have a good day, Senator."

 

"I will. You too, Richards." Relena hung up the phone and thought for a moment, then she buzzed her secretary. "Francine, there will be a courier arriving with a disc shortly. Please advise me when it arrives and bring it straight in."

 

"Will do, Miss Peacecraft."

 

"Thank you." Sitting back and gazing out the window, Relena wondered just what would be on that disc.

 

An hour later, Francine alerted Relena that the disc had arrived and brought it through to the senator's office. Relena took it and slipped it into her computer. The program began to run, the screen changing and then listing several files. Rubbing her chin in thought, Relena decided to open the one labeled L3. The folder opened and a list of facts, figures, materials, dates and times all appeared. Relena shook her head.

 

This could take quite some time.

 

* * *

 

Cropp listened carefully to the recording. He'd placed bugs and phone taps in several senators' offices. He skimmed through the mundane things, then jerked in his seat when a particular recording came on. He hit rewind and paid a lot more attention to the voices. Taking notes, he then continued to listen to the remainder of the tape, noting where on the tape the particular interesting recording was. Once finished, he rewound to the part that had caught his attention and made a copy.

 

Once he'd finished and reset the tape to continue to monitor and record, he shifted to where his laptop was set up. Grabbing the machine, he stuffed it into a bag along with several other items he might need and left the small, disused store room. No one paid him any attention as he walked through the halls of the ESUN headquarters. He wore his fake ID, identifying him as one of the computer techs and carried a valid pass card. The past twelve months of undercover work had paid off.

 

Entering the elevator, Cropp hit the button that would take him to the basement. Once there, he transferred to another elevator, this one requiring him to use his pass card to access it. Inside, he pressed the button for the underground fifth floor. The elevator began to rumble and move. The doors opened, Cropp stepped out and approached the sealed door that would let him into the control room and mainframe computer.

 

He swiped his pass card and then waited for the computer to check it and ask for the secure code. He keyed in the code and the doors slid open. He walked inside the smaller room and greeted the officer there. "Hi, Johnston," Cropp said as he dropped his bag to the floor.

 

The officer grunted and turned away from the television screen. "What you doing down here? Not often we get visitors here."

 

The control room which housed the mainframe computer was set deep in the bowels of the ESUN building and only a small number of people had access to it.

 

"Someone said they had a glitch in their programming. I can't fix it through the usual methods, I need to access the mainframe to do it."

 

Johnston swallowed the lie. "Fine. Go ahead. Give me a call when you're done." He hit the button to open the door and let Cropp in. Once the tech was inside, Johnston closed the door and returned to watching the portable television set on his desk.

 

Checking the line of sight from Johnston's desk to where he needed to work, Cropp was pleased to note it was out of sight. Good. He located the terminal he needed and opened up his bag. Slipping several cables into various USB ports, Cropp flipped open his laptop and began to type.

 

It took him a few attempts, but finally he managed to hack into the computers and their databases for the two senators he'd been watching. He scanned through the files, sweat trickling down his back. Time was of the essence here. He needed to hack in, get the information he needed and get out quickly, covering his tracks as he went. "Ah, there you are," he whispered when he found what he was looking for.

 

Sliding a disc into the laptop, he began the download, searching for other relevant information at the same time. Suddenly he froze. "Fucking hell," he said under his breath as the facts and figures swept across the screen. His eyes scanned rapidly, trying to keep up with the information overload.

 

"This isn't pay dirt, this is the fucking jackpot!" he muttered as fingers flew over the keyboard, commands shooting through wires and circuits. A feral grin lit his face. "I always knew there was something, now we have the proof. Fuck, is Nolen gonna be both pissed and happy when he gets a load of this." The smile never leaving his face, Cropp began to send off a message to his boss.

 

Cropp was so involved in his findings he failed to notice the door opening.

 

* * *

 

Wainright looked up at his computer screen "Fuck!" He grabbed the keyboard and began to type. A large, red message flashed on and off the screen.

 

<ALERT! SECURITY BREECH! ALERT!>

 

Hastily typing away, Wainright began to sweat. "Shit, shit, shit! Who are you, you fucker?"

 

Fingers flew over the keyboard as Wainright desperately tried to find who and where the hacker was that had broken into his system. The computer flashed, beeped and then displayed what Wainright wanted.

 

"Got you, you bastard." He grabbed his cell phone from his pocket and punched in a number. The call connected.

 

"Zaheer, we have a rat. I need you to exterminate immediately." There was a reply from the other end, then Wainright gave the location. "You know how to handle this, right?" More words came down the line. "Good. Let me know when you're finished." He closed the cell and sat back for a moment. Then he picked up the phone and called Richards.

 

"Richards."

 

"Richards, we have a problem. Someone has hacked the database. I don't know what information they have found, or what they're doing with it, but they won't get far."

 

"Shit! You sure?" came Richards' reply.

 

"Of course I'm sure," snarled Wainright.

 

"Okay, okay, calm down. Zaheer?"

 

"Dispatched to exterminate."

 

"Let me know what happens."

 

"I will. For now, sit tight." Wainright hung up. Leaning back in his chair, Wainright contemplated just what the hacker was up to and what he hoped to gain. How someone had managed to get into his database with all the security he had in place was another question. Looked like he would have to upgrade - and fast.

 

* * *

 

Zaheer moved silently through the building. As personal bodyguard to Wainright, no one questioned his presence. He entered the elevator, rode to the basement and then continued on to the sub levels. He found the floor where the mainframe was situated and stepped out. He'd carefully planned what he would do as soon as he got the call from his boss.

 

"Hey! You can't..." Johnston didn't have a chance to finish his sentence, the bullet pierced his heart, causing instant death.

 

Zaheer checked the man was dead, then pushed the button to the control room. He stepped inside and located his target. Stealthily, he approached, the tapping of keys disguising any noise he may have made.

 

Cropp felt the hackles on the back of his neck stand up and turning around, he realized too late, he'd been caught.

 

Zaheer grabbed the hacker and shoved the gun under Cropp's jaw then pulled the trigger. The silencer did its job well.

 

Cropp slumped to the floor.

 

Zaheer stepped over the body and looked at the laptop and console. He surmised exactly what was going on and quickly pulled the plug. The cables were removed, the laptop and all other gear put back into the bag. He typed a few commands into the console, leaving a false trail for whoever would discover the bodies. With that part taken care of, Zaheer positioned a gun in Cropp's hand, making the scene look like a suicide.

 

Stepping back out to the main area, Zaheer brought up the security surveillance tapes and quickly erased any evidence of his being there. He fiddled with the program, causing a malfunction to the cameras and tape and covering his tracks. With all done, Zaheer took one last look around. The scene now looked like a murder - suicide, exactly what he wanted. Grabbing the bag in his gloved hand, he left the scene of the crime.

 

* * *

 

Frowning, Nolen checked the message again.

 

~Have hit the jackpot. Downloading now. Time to start the harvest. All information is what we tho...~

 

The message ended abruptly. Nolen frowned again and scratched his chin. He reached for his cell and punched in a series of numbers. "Farrow? Yes. You got anything coming through from Cropp?" Nolen began to drum his fingers on the desk top. "I see. Okay. I'll be right there." Closing the cell, Nolen put it back in his pocket, shut the computer down and left his office.

 

"What did you get?" Nolen asked as he strode into the room where Farrow sat, headphones on and staring at the screen.

 

Pulling the headphones off, Farrow looked at his boss. "There's not a lot, but enough that I think I can see what Cropp was trying to send."

 

"What happened?"

 

"I don't know. I'm assuming he was interrupted before he could finish."

 

"Hmm." Nolen didn't like the sound of that. "I'll get Murphy onto it, see if we can make contact with Cropp. If he's been compromised, we need to extract him." Nolen shifted to stand behind Farrow. "Show me what you got before transmission was shut down."

 

Farrow called up the files and began to open them. "There's not a lot, but from what I can see here, there's a bit of money laundering going on. What for, I don't know, we really need the rest of the files to be certain."

 

Nolen scanned the limited information. "Nothing else at all?"

 

"No. I'd say he was trying to send through what he could and downloading to disc as well. If we can get hold of him, the rest of the information should be on a disc."

 

"I don't like the look of this. I had a message from Cropp, but it was cut short."

 

"Leave this with me and I'll see if I can't get more," Farrow replied.

 

"Good. Keep me updated." Nolen left the computer nerd to do his thing and went back to his office. He summoned Murphy. The lanky man appeared and Nolen filled him in. "Something's happened and I want to know what. I need you to locate Cropp and get him out. The information he has is going to be vital for our cause."

 

"Consider it done, boss." Murphy nodded and left.

 

"Time to start the harvest," Nolen mused. It was obvious that whatever Cropp had found was very important. Now all Nolen needed was to have access to that information, but until they found Cropp and got him back, there wasn't much more he could do.

 

* * *

 

Relena rubbed her tired eyes and reached for the cup of coffee sitting at her elbow. There was by far too much information on the disc for her to analyze and what she had scanned over seemed perfectly fine and all in order. She decided she'd had enough of looking through files and picked up the phone.

 

"Francine, can you put me through to the Preventer office, please?"

 

Moments later she was connected and speaking with Duo. After explaining to him the reason for her call, she agreed to have the disc copied and that copy made available to him for further analysis. Duo thanked her for all she'd done thus far and arranged to pick up the disc on their way home from work.

 

Hanging up the phone, Duo stared at his computer screen.

 

"Was that Relena?" Heero asked from across the room.

 

"Yeah. She's got a copy of the colony rebuilding portfolio and it seems there's a lot of files to it. She's not sure exactly what it is I'm looking for so she's going to copy the disc for me to look at. I said we'd stop by the ESUN offices on the way home and pick it up. That okay?"

 

"Sure." Heero glanced at his watch. "It's almost pack up time now."

 

Duo whistled through his teeth. "Time flies when you're having fun," he commented and proceeded to finish off what he was doing and get ready to leave.

 

They punched out and drove to the ESUN building to fetch the disc Relena had promised to have ready for them.

 

Pulling up, they were suddenly very aware of a multitude of police and security guards.

 

"Something's going on," muttered Heero and checked his gun holster.

 

"Right with you, buddy," Duo said, checking his holster.

 

"I'm sorry, gentlemen, you can't proceed past this point," said a security guard and stopped the pair. Heero fished his ID out and showed it to the guard, Duo mimicking his actions.

 

"Preventer Agents Day and Night," Heero said. "We need to speak with Senator Peacecraft."

 

The guard studied the ID cards and then allowed them to pass.

 

"Wonder what's happened?" Duo commented as they made their way into the building and reception area. Police were everywhere, interviewing people and generally looking busy.

 

Heero spotted Relena off to one side and grabbing Duo by his jacket sleeve, pulled his partner with him through the crowd. "Relena?"

 

Hearing her name, Relena looked up and then excused herself from the guard she was talking to. "Heero, Duo."

 

"Relena, what's going on?"

 

* * *

 

Underwood hummed softly to himself as he rode the elevator down to the fifth floor sub level. His dinner was in the paper sack in one hand and he was looking forward to a quiet evening in the control room. It was a boring job, just sitting there as not many people ventured down to the control room and mainframe area. It suited Underwood just fine. He could watch television, play some games on his computer and generally get paid for just sitting around.

 

The doors to the elevator opened and Underwood stepped out. "Okay, Johnston, I'm here to relieve you. Time to go home to the missus and... Oh fuck!" Underwood felt his last meal rising in his gut and grabbed the waste paper basket. In between heaving, he managed to hit the emergency communications button.

 

"Emergency room. Who is this and what's the emergency?"

 

"Underwood, computer control room level five. I.. we... "

 

"Sir, can you please tell me what's wrong?"

 

"My partner, someone's shot him. He's dead."

 

"Stay right where you are sir and don't touch a thing. Security is on its way."

 

Right now, Underwood wasn't going anywhere or about to touch anything. He was too busy filling the waste basket.

 

~ * ~

 

tbc...