Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Song of the Phoenix ❯ Sweet and Sour Chicken ( Chapter 7 )

A/N: Here is chapter seven!!!! I hope I didn't take too long in writing it…I tried to be fast, honest I did!!!

Disclaimer: Do I look like I own Gundam Wing?? *crickets chirp* I didn't think so.

"Sweet and Sour Chicken"

Heero stood with his arms folded across his chest, his expression carefully remaining neutral. His calm blue eyes were fixed on a large picture window leading into a small conference room. Inside the room, the murder suspect, Trowa, was having a private conference with his lawyer, Midii Une. While the former appeared to have a stoic exterior, the latter was throwing her hands up in wild gestures, here gray eyes bright. Heero studied the pair, slightly miffed that they had requested a private conference. He didn't like being left out, but he knew it was a necessary occurrence.

"You reading their lips again?" came the cheery voice of Duo Maxwell. Heero grunted, turning from the scene at the window and glaring at the braided officer, who held up his hands in mock innocence against the power of Heero's death glare.

"Isn't that against regulations?" came an inquiring voice from behind them, and the two men turned to see the face of the new intern, Relena Darlian. Duo chuckled lightly, putting a hand on the young woman's shoulder and turning from his stoic partner.

"You make sure you straighten him out, Miss Darlian," he stage-whispered, earning himself another stern look from Heero. The joyful officer grinned cheekily in return, before turning and walking out of the office. He had decided to pay Miss Schbieker a little visit...

Heero turned to the blonde intern, his voice even as he answered, "Yes, it is against regulations to read lips in a private conference." He smirked slightly. "And now that I've told you..."

He stepped up against the anxious woman. His close proximity speeding her heart up, and her cheeks flushed inevitably. He placed his face right next to hers and whispered in her ear...

"I will kill you..."

Relena stared after him in shock as he turned and walked away.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lucrezia had never been more confused in her life. Here she was, working with the man who had made high school hell for her, and he wanted to start over; he wanted to be her friend. Now, Noin had never been one to hold grudges...life was too short for that. However, neither was she naive, and she understood the concept of learning from past mistakes. She wouldn't fall so easily into deception and mistrust. And she most definitely wouldn't make the same mistake again.

So what choice did that leave her with?

With a groan of frustration Noin leaned back into the cushiony office chair, twirling a pencil between her slim fingers. Said pencil abruptly dropped when the door to her office slid open to revel a very masculine body accompanied by a head of flaxen hair. Just like in her high school days, the Italian had to check herself from drooling. That would most certainly look unprofessional.

"Hello," Zechs greeted, shutting the door softly behind him. He took the chair opposite Noin's, his ice blue eyes making contact with hers.

"Hey," she replied, trying to appear nonchalant. She never was one for acting, though.

Noin waited for him to say something-anything-to break the tension. Maybe mention newfound evidence in the homicide case, or perhaps a small misdemeanor Une had assigned the pair because no one else was available. The raven-haired woman was certainly not prepared for what he did say...

With a look of deep remorse, Zechs said, "I understand if you hate me, Lu," he said, slipping into her nickname from high school. She really didn't like the nickname, but she had always let Zechs get away with it. From him Noin supposed it wasn't so bad. "I honestly don't deserve your forgiveness in the first place," he admitted, breaking her gaze to stare at the wall behind her shoulder, a far-away look in his eyes.

The memories from high school invaded her mind, and she couldn't forget the way she was hurt, and the way her heart promptly shattered into irreparable pieces. Her sad contemplations stirred anger, a feeling that flared her heart, and made it seem as if it was together once more. As if some magic super-glue had placed the pieces in perfect working order once more, and not a fault was present.

"I already said I'd give you another chance," she told him shortly, crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive manner, as if she could protect her heart from hurt once more. "Why don't you just let it drop?"

Zechs stood up and walked over to where she was seated, kneeling down on the floor so he was at eye-level with her. His sudden movement stirred something deep within her, and Noin had to will herself not to back away...or throw herself in his arms. Either one seemed a possibility at the moment.

"I want to make sure you are certain," Zechs told her gently, and Lucrezia was amazed at how his voice almost sounded like a caress. Gods, it seemed like she could get drunk off him. He added in the same tone, "Before I-..." His voice was cut-off and her violet eyes caught his in a deep gaze, as if she was trying to reach his soul.

"Before you what?" she inquired, for some reason her voice came out in a breathy whisper, and she couldn't control the slight waver at the end of her statement.

"Lose control," he stated softly, and their breath mingled for several seconds, which felt like an eternity, before Zechs closed the space between their lips.

His warm mouth gently over hers brought memories resurfacing, and Noin found herself reveling in the warm sensations Zechs was creating...just like he had back then. They had held onto each other tightly, sharing in secrets, kisses and caresses, betrayed only by the moonlight they took up refuge under. The gentle breeze had carried their soft sighs, and the lush grass had cushioned their young bodies.

The way he was touching her now reminded Lucrezia of those times, and how happy she had been...until-

Noin pushed Zechs away quickly, and the platinum-haired man quickly broke away, giving the young woman her space.

"Lu..."

"Get. Out," she said softly, accentuating each word. With one last hopeful look, Zechs turned and complied with her wishes.

With the closing of the door Noin allowed her composure to drop, giving into the crystalline tears pooling over her flushed cheeks. Her lips were kiss-swollen, and she ran her tongue over them, unconsciously craving to be kissed again. But she couldn't allow it...it was too much like high school. Gods, she was still living in the past...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sally walked into the police station, closing the door on the crisp springtime air. The usual busy atmosphere greeted her, and she drew comfort from that small symbol of familiarity. She smiled greetings at those who said hello to her, but refrained from speaking. She really didn't want to explain it to anyone.

Wufei...well...he had been the exception. Forces beyond her comprehension had compelled her to blurt out her whole sob story. Of course she really didn't believe that, but it gave her some amount of comfort, psuedo-comfort as it was.

The blonde woman's head snapped up in curiosity as she saw an office door open in front of her. Zechs stepped out of the open doorway, closing it behind him. She studied his face closely, and saw how shaken-up he appeared. His breaths were gasps and he looked upset about something. Deciding against inquiring the platinum-haired man, Sally instead immediately walked into the office, familiarity allowing her to forgo knocking.

Lucrezia Noin's face greeted her as Sally closed the door behind her, and the Chinese woman was shocked to find tears rolling down her friend's pale cheeks.

"Lucrezia, what happened?" Sally asked, walking over to her friend's side and kneeling so they were eye-level. She quickly put two-and-two together, but waited for her friend's answer before jumping to conclusions.

"Zechs..." Noin whispered, trailing off as if searching for words. She opened her mouth to speak, but blonde officer was, instead, greeted with a sob. Sally placed a comforting arm around her friend's shoulder.

"Just because the situation is the same doesn't mean the ending result will be the same," Sally offered, giving her shoulder one last squeeze before releasing it and standing up, brushing imaginary lint off of her pants. The Italian officer was slightly amused at how quickly her friend caught on to the situation.

"You think I'm being foolish then," Noin stated, although Sally supposed she expected an answer. She was no longer crying, though.

"Not foolish," she replied truthfully, "but perhaps you are overreacting. It's a perfectly human quality, ya know." Sally offered her a small smile.

"I guess so..." the raven-haired woman trailed off. "Hey Sal...when did you first start talking again?" Lucrezia had known Sally's inability to talk had not been medical, but she did not know the story behind it.

Sally rubbed the back of her neck almost evasively, taking a small step towards the door. She replied unevenly, "I really don't wanna talk about it...maybe I'll tell you some other time."

Noin nodded, her raven locks moving up and down with the bobbing of her head. She watched curiously as the Chinese woman quickly exited the office. Shrugging, she turned back to her work, trying to forget her quirky friend and her ex-lover from high school.

Outside the office, Sally made a beeline for the restroom located in the police station. She leaned against the sink as she splashed some of the cold water onto her face. The feeling of refreshment washed over her, and she allowed herself to relax. But she couldn't, for the life of her, figure out why she had been unable to tell Lucrezia, her best friend, about her past.

Why had the story so easily poured from her lips last night?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Wufei sat in his office, studying document after document on the Sprague murder case. There must be something he was overlooking...but he could not find it. The only known people present in the hotel at the time of the murder had been Quatre Winner, Hilde Schbeiker, Jason Sprague and Trowa Bloom. The records showed that no one else had gone into or out of the hotel. In fact, the last person to leave was Catherine Bloom, and she was recorded walking out of her room, down the corridor and out the door. The last person to enter was Hilde Schbieker, who found the body. It was highly unlikely she was the murderer. In fact it was downright impossible. Quatre recorded that Schbieker had only been gone for about a minute when she came rushing back out.

That left Trowa Bloom. But his record was practically clean; he had picked up a few misdemeanors for things like theft but all of those crimes occurred before he was employed. His employer had only nice things to say about "the young lad," as did his landlord, Quatre Winner. Even Duo, who had met the guy mere moments before he was arrested, believed they had nabbed the wrong guy.

The evidence appeared to point towards a bad set-up. The real murderer had attempted to frame Bloom, but had done a messy job of it. The knife found in Bloom's apartment was the murder weapon, hands down. It had been wiped clean of fingerprints...but not of blood. Why would someone clean the hilt but not the blade? It seemed awfully sketchy to Wufei, and in his experiences he would definitely rule it as sloppy framing.

There was also the valid point on Bloom's whereabouts when the police arrived. He had been with Duo when the recliner had been shoved, destroying the tapes and almost destroying the Chinese investigator. It seemed the chair and the murderer were linked, and Trowa had an alibi during the sabotage.

So who was the real murderer?

There were two other residents of the apartment complex, and each had left early in the morning. Lester Johnson had left the complex, and didn't return until an hour after the police had arrived. The other resident, a single mother, had also left early in the morning to take her daughter to day-care and to go to work. She had been out all night at a friend's house, and her alibi checks clean.

Riiiinggg

Angry at being broken from his quiet reverie, Wufei grabbed his phone forcefully off the receiver, answering with a gruff "Chang here." Silence greeted him for a few seconds, and he was about to hang up when...

"Are you working on the Sprague murder case?" came a woman's voice, and Wufei's frown deepened. How did this woman get his office number? Why didn't she call the anonymous murder hotline? Or 9-1-1?

"Yes," he answered, glancing up as he heard someone enter his room. It was Sally. He motioned her over to his desk, placing the caller on speakerphone so she could hear as well. He ignored the puzzled look she was sending him.

"Someone for the case..." he mouthed quietly to his partner, who nodded slightly in turn.

"I know who the murderer is..." the woman stated softly, almost nervously. Wufei leaned forward in anticipation, although part of him remained suspicious. Fierce typing was heard, and the Chinese man turned slightly to see that Sally was at his computer, and she had connected it to the phone. She was tracing the call, he noted to himself. Smart move, he thought to himself, before turning back to the speaker. Silence greeted him and he began growing impatient. This had better not be a prank call...

"Well, who is it?" he inquired, ebony eyebrows drawing together. Sally had ceased typing, and whispered softly "We have a location..." Chang nodded in acknowledgement, and the officers strained their ears for any sounds on the other side of the phone line.

"It's-..." the woman's voice was cut-off abruptly with the sound of a large crash. A thump was heard, followed by the clanking of the phone being dropped. Sally and Wufei shared a surprised look, eyes widened in slight astonishment, mingled with horror. What just happened?

"Hello?" Wufei tried, although knowing it was hopeless. A soft click was heard, indicating the phone had been replaced on the receiver, disconnecting them. Sally began walking to the door, and when she turned around Wufei was still seated, staring at the phone and looking slightly perplexed.

"I have the address," the blonde woman told him, holding up a piece of paper she had scribbled the caller's address on. The Chinese man's eyes rose to meet her gaze, and he stood as well.

"Let's go."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I already told you everything I know!" Hilde Schbieker exclaimed softly while trailing behind Duo Maxwell. The former was dressed in a pair of slim jeans and a long blue sweater. The sweater was also slim-fitting, and it went so low as to cover her rump. Some brave souls might even wear it as a dress. Hilde was brave, but not a tramp, as she so lovingly put it.

The latter was garbed in a simple black dress shirt, some of the buttons undone to show off his chest. His jeans were also dark, though not quite black. His hair...well...it was pulled back in his signature braid. Duo Maxwell-style, baby.

"So you say..." the braided officer said mysteriously, grabbing onto the petite woman's hand in an attempt to speed up her walking. He added as an afterthought, "Hurry up! I'm hungry!"

The German woman complied, not putting up as much of a fight as she normally would. Truthfully, she had enjoyed going out to lunch with Duo yesterday, and that had been at a pizza place. Today they were going to a small Chinese restaurant. Duo said he was hungry for some sweet and sour chicken, and for some reason that had mad Hilde laugh. In fact, she seemed to laugh a lot when she was around this cheery man, and he always seemed to make her happy.

With a tug the American pulled her into a cute little restaurant, releasing her hand once assured she wouldn't run away. Duo wasn't certain why he wanted to interrogate her again...after all, when she said she told him everything he believed her. She even mentioned how she had fallen on her butt while trying to open the icemaker…a sight he wished he could have seen.

Maybe he didn't want to question her...maybe he wanted to ask her out for real, rather than hiding behind his police badge.

Maybe he liked her company...a lot...

Or maybe he liked being around her...

Or, hell, maybe he just liked her!!

With a secretive smile, Duo tugged the raven-haired woman to a table.

A/N: Next time: Wufei and Sally find the identity of the mysterious caller. More questions are brought up. And...will Duo ever ask Hilde on a real date? What am I saying...of course he will!!

And will Zechs and Noin ever stop being so darn angst-ridden!? Truthfully, I don't know, I haven't thought that far ahead yet.

Oh yeah, and to clear things up: that little scene with Heero and Relena-well, that was for kicks. I wanted to include Heero's famous quote "I will kill you" (or 'destroy' in the Cartoon Network diluted version). That seemed the best way to incorporate his signature line.

Thanks for reading, please review!!

Luvvies, KaT aka Mistress Shinigami