Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Family Ties ❯ Chapter 24 ( Chapter 24 )

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 24

 

Pulling into the garage back at the mansion, Duo noticed that Nurse Brown's car was missing. Grabbing his jacket from the seat, he didn't think too much on it as he recalled the nurse saying at breakfast that morning that she intended to do some shopping that day and would obviously be taking Keitaro with her. Locking the car, Duo headed for the house.

 

Once inside he was greeted by an ecstatic Miracle. The dog whined and wriggled around Duo's legs, Duo bent to fondle the dog's ears. “What's up, Miracle?”

 

The dog whimpered some more.

 

“Gone shopping, gone shopping,” Barney screeched from his perch in his cage.

 

“Afternoon to you too, Barney,” Duo said as he walked into the kitchen and hung his jacket over the back of a chair. “That's old news, I already know where the nurse is,” he added as he opened the 'fridge and grabbed the orange juice from inside. He opened the bottle and took a swig.

 

“Use a glass, use a glass,” Barney chirped.

 

“Who are you?” Duo asked with a raised eyebrow, “My mother?”

 

“Fuck off,” Barney replied and ruffled his feathers.

 

Duo nearly choked on his orange juice.

 

Barney turned his beady eyes towards the dog. “Walkies,” he sang out.

 

Miracle whined and ran to the back door, her tail wagging furiously.

 

Giving the bird a glare that Heero would have been proud of, Duo walked over and opened the back door for the dog. “Sorry, Miracle, you'll have to play by yourself for a bit, I've got some important work to do. I'll take you for a walk later.”

 

Miracle didn't look too happy, but went outside anyway to play with her ball.

 

“I have two words for you, Barney,” Duo growled as he approached the bird. “Weiro pie.”

 

“Ohhh, tetchy,” Barney chirruped and cocked his head.

 

With a roll of his eyes, Duo grabbed his briefcase from where he'd dumped it on the floor and headed for their study where he booted up the computer. While the computer loaded up, Duo went up the stairs to his and Heero's bedroom to change his clothes. Slipping out of his uniform and into a comfortable pair of jeans and a T-shirt, he returned to the study and slipped the disc that he'd downloaded all his information onto, into the machine.

 

With a notebook by his side and pencil tucked behind his ear, he rechecked his figures from earlier. He brought up the previous programs, checking again the invoices, shuttle loads and inventories against the information he'd been given. His sixth sense still told him this was connected to the murder at the ESUN.

 

Saving all the information to a folder for the moment, Duo cleared the screen and paused. He cracked his knuckles as a feral grin lit up his face.

 

“Time to see what secrets we can find,” he muttered gleefully and brought up the ESUN webpage. Blocking everything else from his mind, Duo began the arduous task of hacking into the database.

 

* * *

 

Heero paid the cabbie and walked back into the Preventer building deep in thought. He flashed his ID and went through security on autopilot, heading for his office, determined to discover exactly what it was Cropp was after in the ESUN database that caused him to be killed.

 

“Duo?” he called as he opened the office door and stepped inside. Silence greeted him. With a frown he looked around. There was no sign of his husband and partner. With a shrug, Heero walked over to his desk and spotted the note. Picking it up, his face remained neutral as he read the words.

 

“Heero,

Have found something that might be a lead. Just a hunch right now but need to check it out. Will see you back at home.

Love

D.”

 

“Baka, you probably took the car too which means I need to get a lift or another cab,” Heero muttered, but there was amusement in his eyes. With a grunt he sat down in his chair and booted up the computer. Grabbing the folder with the police report and a fresh notepad, Heero began to jot down all the discrepancies they had found thus far between the police report and the Preventer findings.

 

* * *

 

“I must say, this is quite a bit of information, Agent Fire. Are you certain of your facts?” Une knew Chang wouldn't have approached her with the findings unless he was sure in his own mind that he would be able to back up the claims with evidence of some sort; but she had to ask.

 

“Agents Night, Day and myself have performed reenactments and tested out a couple of theories. The reenactment and the theories are supportive of our suspicions. If you need concrete proof, I can arrange for it,” Chang replied.

 

“Proof you will need, should this case go further, and I suggest you start to compile that proof now in readiness. For the moment though, elaborate a little on your findings and tell me what it is you don't know and how you propose to fill in those blanks.”

 

“We staged the reenactment and timed it, twice just to be sure. The time frame fits with the blank space on the surveillance tape, give or take a couple of seconds. This seems to confirm our belief that there was a third person involved. Agent Night also demonstrated a theory that would back up the third person. It relates to the position of the deceased in the mainframe room considering it was an alleged suicide.”

 

“Alleged?” Une questioned.

 

“Yes. Maxwell insisted that the positioning of the body was inconsistent with a suicide of that nature.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Agent Night has had some experience in the past with murder and suicide, as you well know.”

 

“Continue.”

 

“Agent Night demonstrated how the body would have fallen if the person had shot themselves. He then had Agent Day 'shoot' him and note the difference in the positioning of the body. Although it was a staged demonstration, Agent Night raised a valid point. The differences in how the body would have landed, whilst small, are significant if one knows what they're looking for. Obviously to test this theory out completely, we would need to run it through the computer program in forensics.” Wufei leaned back a little to allow the Commander a moment to digest the information.

 

Frowning, Une thought about Wufei's words. “And if all you've discovered so far does support a third person intervention, then we are looking for a double murderer?”

 

“Yes. I'd say the security guard happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

 

“Unfortunate. Chang, just how do you propose finding this third person?”

 

Wufei shifted a little in his seat and lowered his eyes, not wanting to meet those of his Commander. “Ummm... That's where it gets a little tricky.”

 

“Why do I have the feeling I'm not going to like what you're about to say?” Une sighed.

 

“Probably because it's not the usual protocol?” Wufei suggested.

 

“Thank you for that enlightenment, Agent Fire.” Une's voice was loaded with sarcasm.

 

“My apologies, Commander.”

 

“Chang, get to the point.”

 

“The point, ah, yes. Both Agents Night, Day and myself are of the opinion that the link between the deceased and the murderer lies within the ESUN database. If we can determine what exactly it was the deceased was doing in the database, then we will have our lead as to who would have wanted him dead and hopefully the murderer themselves.”

 

Une chewed on that for a moment. “Putting that aside for the moment, I have another question. Why didn't the police pick up on all this?”

 

“That's what we would like to know too,” Wufei replied. “I have a couple of ideas, but I'd rather not voice them for the moment, not until I have a little more to go on.”

 

“Understood. Now, the database itself.”

 

“Yes?” Wufei knew what was coming and he really didn't want to be answering the question.

 

“You said that you and the other agents believe the key is in the database?”

 

“Correct.”

 

“Then how do you propose to get that information? The ESUN has already said they will not allow anyone outside the ESUN to access the database, even Preventer.”

 

“Ah, we weren't exactly going to ask permission.”

 

“Agent Fire, you're not thinking of doing what I think you're thinking?”

 

Wufei blinked, there seemed to be a few too many 'thinks' in there. “Please tell me you're not going to try and hack into the ESUN database.”

 

“Yuy has exceptional computer skills.”

 

“I'm fully aware of Agent Day's computer skills, and Agent Night's for that matter, I had first hand experience several times during the war,” Une said dryly.

 

“If anyone can hack in, it will be Yuy.”

 

“The security will have been upgraded significantly,” countered Une.

 

“There hasn't been a system yet he can't hack given enough time,” Wufei went on.

 

“It won't take them long to know their database has been infiltrated.”

 

“Yuy can get in and out without them knowing and cover all his tracks.”

 

“If he's caught, heads will roll.”

 

“He's never failed yet, or been caught.”

 

“Then I suggest he'd better continue with that clean record.”

 

“I take it that's an okay to go ahead?”

 

“Chang, in this instance, I know nothing.”

 

“Right, Commander. I'll report again when I have something new to add.”

 

“Thank you, and good luck.”

 

Wufei stood and gave a slight bow before turning and leaving the Commander's office. Closing the door behind him he walked towards the elevator, intent on getting to Yuy's office and seeing if the other agent had any further updates for him.

 

Sighing, Une cradled her head in her hands. This was all getting very deep. She had no doubts at all about Heero's hacking skills, Duo's either. All she could do was pray and hope they knew what they were doing and could do it well enough not to be detected and wipe all traces of their ever having been inside the database.

 

* * *

 

Duo was carefully navigating around the many traps and security measures set up in the ESUN database. He'd managed to infiltrate through the first two levels of security and was now approaching the hardest part. Getting into the files section.

 

Taking a break for a moment, He stretched, feeling his spine pop as he eased the kinks from his shoulders and lower back. He rolled his head from side to side and picked up his coffee mug. Frowning he looked into the empty depths. “Better get another one,” he muttered to himself and stood. Scraping the chair back, he carried the empty mug through to the kitchen to make himself a fresh cup.

 

With a steaming mug of coffee in his hand, Duo returned to the study and computer. Placing the mug down, he reached for the keyboard, at the same time, the vid phone began to ring.

 

* * *

 

Sitting in the back of the car, Nurse Brown did her best to try and figure out where her kidnapper was taking her and Keitaro - and more to the point, what did he want with them? From the position of the sun, she knew they were heading east, but that was all. Familiar landmarks had long since disappeared as they continued to drive. She calculated they must have been on the road for at least an hour, without a watch, she couldn't be completely sure. She decided to try questioning her abductor again.

 

“Where are you taking us?”

 

A grunt.

 

“What do you want?”

 

“Shut up.”

 

“I will do no such thing, and I suggest you mind your manners,” the nurse chided.

 

“Look, lady, just keep quiet.”

 

“Seeing as how you've taken both myself and an innocent baby hostage, I think you could at least have the decency to tell me why.”

 

“You'll find out soon enough.”

 

Keitaro whimpered quietly then began to screw up his little face and turn slightly red. The nurse noticed and gave a wry grin.

 

“If you're not going to tell me anything, could you at least pull over for a toilet break?” the nurse asked, not really expecting the man to take much notice.

 

“Hold it. Won't be long and we'll be at our destination, then you can have your toilet break,” Murphy muttered.

 

“Fine. Don't say I didn't ask.” Nurse Brown looked back to the child in her arms and gave a smile. Keitaro continued to scrunch his face as he wrestled internally.

 

Gradually, the baby relaxed again, eyes watching what was going on around him. A pungent odor began to make its way through the car.

 

“What the fuck is that stink?” Murphy spluttered and rapidly wound the window down, drawing in fresh breaths of air.

 

“I did ask you to stop for a toilet break,” the nurse replied smugly.

 

“You said you wanted the loo, not the kid.”

 

“I said no such thing. If I remember correctly, my exact words were; 'Could you at least pull over for a toilet break'. I didn't say who the toilet was for.”

 

“Phew! That's ripe,” Murphy growled. “Can't you do something?”

 

“And how, pray tell, am I supposed to change a dirty diaper with my hands bound, in a moving vehicle and no baby wipes or clean diaper? I'm a nanny, not a miracle worker.” Nurse Brown felt the guy deserved to suffer for his rudeness.

 

Keitaro seemed to agree. He didn't like sitting in a dirty diaper any more than the nurse liked leaving him in one. He was used to being changed as soon as he was wet or dirty and let his discomfort be known in the only way he knew how.

 

He began to cry.

 

“Can't you shut him up?” Murphy snarled as he fumbled in his pocket for his handkerchief and promptly put it over his nose to try and breathe a little easier.

 

“The only way to stop him from crying is to change him,” huffed the nurse. “You want peace, I suggest you find somewhere to stop, untie me and find the things I will need.”

 

Knowing he couldn't stop the car, Murphy resigned himself to having to drive with his eardrums being battered and his nose unlikely to recover. Fortunately for Murphy, his destination was only another ten minutes away. Never was he so glad to see the warehouse doors looming in the distance. Having to let go of the handkerchief to pull the communicator from his pocket, Murphy did his best to keep his lunch in his stomach as he pressed the button.

 

“Duric.”

 

“Duric, it's Murphy. Coming in with package as requested.”

 

“Good. Will be ready for you. Duric out.”

 

Murphy tossed the communicator to the passenger seat and grabbed his handkerchief again. Up ahead the warehouse doors began to open and Murphy drove straight in. Traveling slowly, he drove the car deep into the bowels of the warehouse before cutting the engine and jumping out of the car.

 

“What the hell?” Duric approached from the shadows to the sounds of wailing and a rather green partner. “What's going on? I thought I told you to be careful, not to damage the merchandise.”

 

“I didn't touch the merchandise. Damn kid shit his diaper and won't stop screaming,” Murphy growled in response. “Geeze, I don't get paid enough to do this,” he muttered under his breath as an afterthought.

 

Duric shook his head. “A little stink and noise won't hurt you,” he snickered and approached the car where the wails were getting louder. Opening the back door, he almost reeled himself when the smell of the diaper hit him with full force. “Ah, crap.”

 

“Precisely,” said the nurse. “And it will only get worse until this baby is changed. Now, as I suggested to your colleague earlier, please untie me and give me the baby bag so I can change this little fellow's bottom before he reaches the next octave.”

 

“Next octave?”

 

“Trust me, with his parents, he can really scream and I'm sure you don't want all the glass breaking.” As if to emphasize the nurse's point, Keitaro began to increase in volume and pitch.

 

Duric only hoped that Nolen knew exactly what he was getting into.

 

* * *

 

With the baby finally changed and settled, Murphy retied the nurse's hands, setting her on a seat and then placing Keitaro in her arms. Margaret balanced the child as best she could whilst trying to take stock of where they were now. Keitaro blinked at the nurse, he could sense all was not right, but instinct told him his nanny would take care of him.

 

Murphy had been sent to dispose of the soiled diaper, much to his disgust. Even though it was wrapped up, the smell was still lingering and Murphy couldn't find a dumpster quick enough. While Murphy was disposing of the trash, Duric called his boss.

 

“Nolen here. What news have you for me?”

 

“Phase one has been completed and the egg is safely in the basket,” Duric said in a low tone, well aware that the nanny might be listening in.

 

“Good. Please bring the egg to the nest. It's time to call the bird home to roost.”

 

“On our way. ETA,” Duric glanced at his watch, “one hour.”

 

“Will expect you in one hour. I will contact the bird. Nolen, out.”

 

Duric turned the communicator off and slipped it back into his pocket. Murphy had returned and looked at him expectantly.

 

“Time to move out,” Duric stated and then turned to the nanny and child. “You need to do anything before we get moving? Toilet, drink of water?”

 

Nurse Brown shook her head. “I'm fine, but the child will need feeding soon,” she replied.

 

“Then best we get moving.” Duric turned to Murphy. “You take the child, I'll take the nanny.”

 

“Why do I have to take the kid?” Murphy whined, but the look on his boss's face told him he'd better shut up. With a sigh, Murphy gingerly took Keitaro from the nurse. Immediately, Keitaro scrunched up his nose, balled his fists and started screaming.

 

Duric hauled Margaret to her feet and showing her the gun he held, escorted her through the warehouse to the back and into a waiting van. Murphy followed behind, glad that they were so isolated. With the racket the kid was making had there been anyone in the area they would have come running to see what murder was taking place!

 

Once Nurse Brown was settled into her seat and strapped in, Murphy placed the child back in her arms. Instantly, Keitaro stopped his screaming.

 

“Shit. I wish I could have found his off switch like that. I think I've got permanent hearing damage.”

 

Duric snickered. “Get in the van, the boss is waiting.”

 

With all four inside and strapped in their seats, Duric drove out of the warehouse and into the late afternoon.

 

* * *

 

Duo got up and went to answer the vid phone, frowning at the screen that told him it was a private number calling. “If this is another of those telemarketers wanting to give me a free holiday, or upgrade my 'phone, I swear I'm gonna blow them up,” he muttered. Pressing the accept button, he answered. “Yuy-Maxwell residence.”

 

The screen fuzzed for a moment then cleared to show a man Duo didn't recognize. “Mr Yuy-Maxwell, or may I call you, Duo?”

 

“Who are you and what do you want? I'm a very busy man,” Duo said, not attempting to hide the annoyance in his voice.

 

“Who am I? My name is Nolen. As for what I want... Actually, I think it's more along the lines of what do I have that you want.”

 

“Look, man. I don't give a shit who you are, I don't want whatever it is you're selling...” Duo's voice suddenly stopped as the picture on the screen shifted from the man to show what was beside him. “Fuck!” he whispered as his blood turned to ice in his veins.

 

~ * ~

 

tbc...