Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Let Slip the Gods of War ❯ Part Five: Noon ( Chapter 5 )

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

The group of six were exhausted by the time they reached the safe house, which was actually a fairly large log cabin located in a heavily wooded area outside of Manassas. Hiiro and Duo spent the remainder of the trip alternating between passenger and driver. Trowa had been oddly quiet since the discovery of the tracking device, all of his energy focused on Quatre. Wu Fei moved into the back seat with his wife, the revelation that she was infected with the nanites weighing heavily on his mind.
Wu Fei and Sally left the van to check out the house. Guns drawn, they slowly made their way through the single story home. When they finished a visual check from front to back, they took out Hiiro and Duo's hand held scanners and swept for bugs. Once it was deemed safe, they returned to the van to help bring in their supplies while Trowa carried Quatre inside.
"God, I could sleep for a week," Duo murmured as he turned off the engine.
"Sally and I will take first watch," said Wu Fei, taking a look at the motley group he called family before him. "Duo, Hiiro, you guys wanna help me with setting up the perimeter?"
The cobalt-eyed man nodded while taking in the serious look between 05 and his wife. The glance conveyed the true depth of his concern while being stripped of their usual snark and sarcasm. It was a full twenty minute conversation wrapped into one three second glance.
"Trowa," said Sally, "why don't you make some dinner while I check on Quatre again. Once the two of you finish eating, you're both going to get some sleep."
"Okay," the dejected Trowa replied softly, moving towards the door with Quatre in his arms.
"Just giving you fair warning," replied Sally seriously as they made their way into the house.
As soon as they got Quatre settled on the couch, Trowa headed for the kitchen. Two pairs of blue eyes watched in concern over his silence. Once the Heavyarms Bombardier pilot was quietly working away at the stove, Sally turned her attention back to Quatre and, to her relief, the Sandrock Thunder pilot was looking better than he had a while ago. With the help of the nanites, his bruises were fading and his stamina was rapidly returning to that of a normal man his age. It wasn't up to his usual standards, but it was far better than she'd expected.
"Don't be too hard on him, Sally," Quatre implored softly as she examined his eyes with a pen light. "He's being hard enough on himself for missing that damned tracker."
"I know, and he shouldn't be, because I missed it, too," she sighed. "He's been more subdued than usual since we found it... I'm worried about him, Quatre. He's put himself under so much stress since they took you. I'm almost positive he hasn't been sleeping well."
"He'll endure," answered Quatre with a conviction that surprised her. "Trowa's always been able to endure. It doesn't surprise me that he hasn't been sleeping. We've been chasing away each other's nightmares since the first war. Don't underestimate him, Sally."
"Okay, you're cleared to move around the house, and I want you to continue taking in as much protein as your body demands. Nothing too strenuous for now, give yourself enough time to heal. Because of the situation, I'm clearing you for a weapon," Sally sighed. Loud enough to carry into the kitchen, she called, "Trowa, I'll finish dinner. You go help your husband get cleaned up. Six weeks without a shower is too long."
"I wasn't going to say anything, but a bath will make sleeping with him a little more pleasant," Trowa joked, walking in with a towel in his hands. "I've started a big pot of lamb stew; just tell Fei to add some salt to taste and stir it well. Oh, and I've only got cheap pots and pans here, so don't let it stick to the bottom. There are some frozen rolls in the freezer. Give us about half an hour before you put them in the oven, which I thoughtfully set to preheat for you."
"I guess Wu Fei's told you of my infamous lack of cooking skills," Sally said with a laugh. A moment later, Quatre tugged on Trowa's shirt to get his attention.
"You ready, Cat?" he asked with a chuckle.
"I've been ready since the moment you found me," came the tow-headed man's reply.
"So these are the latest design, huh? Nice," Wu Fei quipped admiringly as he double checked and activated the pre-installed system.
"Yeah," replied Hiiro from his position, using his tablet to sync the devices. "I'm pretty sure this is Trowa's regular escape. I got worried once and tracked him down electronically. The deed to this house is in the names of Nathan and Margaritka Bloom, and has been since before we were born. I hate to admit it, but I've underestimated him several times during the war. His network of contacts and safe houses is almost as extensive as my own."
"I think he prefers not to use his contacts unless he absolutely has to, though he keeps in touch with them," Wu Fei added as he turned on the last sensor before climbing down and rejoining the other two. "He's always been true to his motto."
"I still think, after all these years, it's amazing how close the two of you have become," Hiiro said softly.
"For one thing, Trowa looks for people he can call family," explained Duo. "His need for people he can protect led 'im to Cathy, Cat, you and Fei, though I don't think he realized it, or that he and Cathy have that in common. The two of you are the most obviously protective of the ones closest to you. I doubt he'll ever admit it, but I think Tro wanted to protect Cat from the first moment they met, even though Cat can take care of himself."
"What about you?" Wu Fei asked his best friend.
Duo smirked, his cobalt blue eyes twinkling. "He told me once, just after the war, that he didn't know what to make outta me. You and Hiiro could be studied and your reactions predicted. Cat, though he's deceptively innocent in appearance, can be predicted just as easily. He couldn't find any way to piss me off so he could learn my reactions. The fact that Hii-kun here can read me better than he could unnerved Tro, but in the end, it was Cat's faith in me and love for him that let him accept me."
They were all left to think about Duo's words as Hiiro rummaged through the bag for the first wristwatch. He pointed it at the sensors to create an uplink and set it to the system before tossing it to Wu Fei. Once all six were set, they returned to the house where they were greeted by the savory scent of cooking food.
"Sally, babe, please tell me you haven't been trying to cook again," Wu Fei quipped in mock dismay as he stepped into the kitchen. Sally grinned before responding to her dark eyed man.
"Nope, Trowa put it together while I checked Quatre. He's got a lot of pre-made and frozen foods in the freezer. He must've spent days here, just cooking."
Hiiro handed Sally her wristwatch. "You're right. He has spent a lot of time up here. Where'd they go?"
"Quatre needed a bath, so Trowa's helping him with that," Sally answered while she examined the watch. "Are these connected to the perimeter alarms?"
"Yeah, Wu Fei can show you how they work," Hiiro replied, turning towards the interior of the house. "I'm gonna leave these for them and then check out the sleeping arrangements."
As Hiiro left, Sally tried her best to suppress a yawn and failed. Taking the big spoon from her hand, Wu Fei kissed his wife on the cheek and said "Sal, why don't you go in the other room, lay down and take a nap for a while. I'll finish fixing the food."
Trudging her weary way into the living room, Sally made a beeline for the sofa recently vacated by Quatre and sat down. It was every bit as soft and comfortable as it looked. To Wu Fei's amusement, she bounced on the seat to settle herself in, stretched out fully and fell asleep as soon as her head hit a pile of well-stuffed throw pillows.
Cool tile lined the bathroom in a gentle blue, the accents all the warm, golden hue of polished brass. The tub was a large, sunken pool the likes of which Quatre had seen only in his father's mansions in the L4 cluster. On a nearby shelf, large, fluffy blue towels and bath sheets waited for their use. Quatre sat on the closed lid of the toilet while Trowa filled the tub with warm water and something faintly sweet smelling. Quatre looked at the bottle being set down and chuckled; the scent was Mr. Bubble.
"How are you feeling?" Trowa asked softly, still much more subdued than usual.
"Human again," replied Quatre, just as softly. While they waited for the tub to fill, he snagged one of Trowa's belt loops and tugged the verdant-eyed man towards him. "Trowa…"
Deep green eyes stayed trained stubbornly on the floor. "I screwed up, Cat. I should have done a more thorough scan at that rest stop. I'm sorry..."
Quatre sighed and tilted Trowa's chin down until their eyes met. "A couple of years ago, it might have been an issue. We haven't really needed our war skills in ages. It was a mistake, Trowa, and one I know you won't make again. We're all struggling to remember our old skills. Besides, this is part of "03's oh, shit plan," right?" Quatre said, giving him a quirky smirk. "Where would we be without it?"
"Probably stuck in the stupid van till who knows when, listening to Duo's bad jokes and singing "One Hundred Bottles of Beer On the Wall" 'til our heads exploded," answered Trowa, giving him a small smile in return.
"You joining me?" asked Quatre, tugging on Trowa's hand.
"If you want me to," replied Trowa, almost shyly.
Oh, that's not good, Quatre thought, his brow furrowed in concern at Trowa's behavior before a knock at the door disturbed them. Trowa turned the knob and opened the door, giving him a view of Hiiro.
"I just wanted to give you your alarms," Hiiro gave Trowa a smile. "Thanks for sharing your sanctuary, Trowa."
"Thanks, Hiiro," said Trowa, taking the wristwatches. "I would've shared this place, eventually."
"If it was ever needed, and we all understand that," responded Hiiro. "Go help Katoru."
"Thanks again, Hiiro," replied Trowa, giving the Wing Seraphim pilot a slight smile before closing the door. As soon as the latch caught, Trowa locked it, then slowly stripped out of his clothes, giving his husband and lover a brief show.
"I'll have to remember this is where you go when you take off on your own, just so I don't worry so much," Quatre sighed before spinning him around and wrapping his arms around him.
"God, I've missed you, Cat," Trowa groaned, letting his arms wrap around Quatre's waist.
"Me, too, love you," murmured Quatre against Trowa's shoulder. "Come on, before the water gets cold and we lose all the bubbles."
He couldn't help but oblige as he turned his attention to Quatre. Once they were comfortably seated in the tub, Trowa worked a soft face cloth over Quatre's skin. A soft murmur prompted the Sandrock Thunder pilot to duck his head before nimble fingers worked shampoo into the grease-matted pale blond fuzz that was now his hair.
"It's gonna take two washings to get your scalp completely clean," said Trowa practically. "It'll grow back, love; you know that."
Quatre nodded and moaned as Trowa gently scrubbed his scalp. Ducking again to rinse, they quickly repeated the process before working in a little conditioner. At Trowa's order, Quatre left the conditioner to soak in while the taller man washed his own hair, and when he heard it was time to rinse, he was feeling sleepy again.
"Hey, stay awake long enough to eat," Trowa ordered as he got them out of the tub, dried off and in clean t-shirts and sweat pants. He'd also found two pairs of oversized flip-flops for their feet.
"Mmmph," Quatre replied softly, and heard his husband chuckle in response.
"You're only getting away with that answer because you're so tired."
"Want me to help comb the knots out your hair now?" questioned Quatre sleepily. Even though Trowa had long ago lost the full frontal cowlick, as Catherine had called it, his hair still snarled up after washing.
"Nah, it should dry a little, first," replied Trowa softly. "Besides, it's just the guys and Sally."
Quatre gave him a small, encouraging smile as he slid a comb into Trowa's pocket. "Let's go get something to eat before I doze off again."
Trowa led the way from the bathroom, his calloused hand clasped around the comb as he tried to get the tangles out of his wet hair. He took them through the living room and into the dining room where they found Hiiro and Duo setting the table. The smells of stew and warm bread filled the air, causing several stomachs to growl loudly and Sally to wake up. When the pair entered the dining room, they noticed that Duo had his hair unbraided.
"I can't remember the last time I've seen you with your hair down," Quatre exclaimed as the Deathscythe Hell pilot entered with the bread in a tea towel-lined basket.
"Only a small handful of people have seen it down since Sister Helen started braiding it for me," Duo replied with a shrug.
"What he's not saying," Hiiro supplied, "is that, with Sally here, the number's just risen to nine."
"Sit down, everyone," Wu Fei ordered as he brought in the stew. His eyes widened at the sight of Duo. "Duo?"
"It's nothing, Fei; it just needs combed out. I'll rebraid it later," sighed Duo, taking a seat next to Hiiro. "I know this is usually Cat's line, but I think we need a plan."
"I've been thinking about that, too," Quatre admitted, taking the seat Trowa pulled out for him. "We're very vulnerable against someone who knows our collective weakness, and hiding from him isn't going to solve anything. I think it's time we call in the people we trust and make a stand."
"Zechs, Noin and Nichol are gathered with Lady Une as we speak," Hiiro said. "Relena and Hilde are there, too, so that makes six more."
"Quatre and Hiiro are right," Trowa conceded, accepting a bowl of stew from Hiiro with a nod of thanks. "We need people who aren't going to be susceptible to an EM pulse, and Zechs, Noin and Nichol are good, good enough to help us. The next question is: do we stay here tonight and try to get some rest, or do we leave right after dinner and show up at headquarters later tonight?"
"How far are we from headquarters?" Sally asked, accepting a bowl of stew from her husband with a murmur of thanks. "You managed to lose me while I was sleeping."
"About an hour and a half away," Trowa replied. "If we're going, it'll have to be right after we finish eating. I recommend giving Lady Une a call when we're less than a mile away from headquarters."
"That's a good idea," Wu Fei quipped as he dunked some of his bread in the stew's thick gravy. "We've been running for six weeks without end, so it'll also give us a chance to rest. Even during the war, we had plenty of time to do that."
"If you count all the times we slept in our Gundams," Duo grumbled playfully around a mouthful of food.
"At least we had time to sleep, back then," Wu Fei chuckled.
Hiiro ran a tired hand through his hair and sighed, "Katoru, what'll our chances for survival be without any help?"
"Truth?" Quatre replied, anger creeping into the blond-haired man's voice. "About a hundred times worse than we had during the war. Just having Zechs or Miss Noin there to back us up will more than double our chances of survival. We can't do this alone, simply because Kronus knows about the nanites. I say we go tonight."
"Sounds like we're all agreed, then," said Sally. "We're going to headquarters once we've finished eating."
Author's Notes: And so, another chapter is done. It's not as long as some of the others, but Sally and the boys needed a breather from the action.
Progress on my other stories: I'm a bit blocked on Chapter Six of Finding Triton, but Chapters Two of Guardian and Three of Boy are coming along and should be posted within the next week to ten days. The first two chapters of my GW rewrite are almost done enough to be posted, and everything else is pending until I can get a few of these others done.
Next Chapter: At Preventer HQ, Lady Une, Nichol, Zechs and Noin are still busy looking for the leak when Sally calls. When she and the Gundam pilots arrive at headquarters, some of Kronus' men attack, knocking them unconscious even as the men are arrested. While they recuperate in a conference room, Quatre and the others share what they know.
Next, on Gundam Wing: Let Slip the Gods of War - Day Terrors.