Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Survival ❯ Golden ( Chapter 19 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Golden

June 22nd 197 - Thursday - Amsterdam

Luc jostled the little girl gently, making her smile and gurgle happily, staring at him. A quiet baby, really, but always happy…

She was perfect.

“Careful, you stare at her long enough she'll up and disappear.”

“Uh huh,” he returned to Chaos' quip, deciding not to pay him any mind.

“No, really, I'll grab her just to get that stupid look off your face.”

Karina smacked at their friend, grinning. “Don't be an ass, he's just saying bye before he heads to work.”

“I thought that was what he was doing ten minutes ago.”

“No, I just decided I wanted her then,” Luc explained, not looking away from his daughter.

His wife sniggered, and from the corner of his eye he could see her elbowing Kay conspiratorially, his friend leaning down so she could whisper in his ear. He finally looked over at them with raised brows, and Chaos pretended not to notice, frowning in an over exaggerated way and muttering, “But Shov's bike is so smoky…”

“Don't you even think of it,” he snapped, pointing a finger at them… to which they fell all over themselves laughing. He eyed them for a moment; he was fairly sure they were joking, but…

No, Kay's not that reckless… It was the kind of shit that Sin might have really considered, but she had only said it to get a rise out of him, and Kay was only playing along for the same reason. At this point, they played at being siblings so well that most would be inclined to believe it.

Rina held out her arms, and he gently passed Renee over to her, because he really did need to head to work, and the baby was probably hungry. He kissed Sin and didn't end it until she started to giggle, shoving at him with her free hand, and winked at her before ducking out the door of their room, heading down the hall and up the stairs into the main.

A few people waved and he waved back, finding his coat among all the ones hung up by the door and pulling it on as he walked out the door, pulling the zipper up to his neck as he trotted up the stairs, and realizing with delight that he didn't need to actually wind the scarf he had hanging around his neck. Actually, he could unzip his coat a little… It still wasn't at all what the end of June was supposed to feel like, but it was a definite improvement on last summer.

The past two weeks seemed to have passed in a golden haze… bringing Karina and Renee home in the Father's van, holding his daughter while she slept… He knew he should worry about the fact that he hadn't been called in to work as much lately, it was a foreboding sign, but he had had more time to take care of Renee so Rina could sleep more… she had been so tired after the baby came, but she was starting to really do better now, and it wasn't like they were wanting for help, but… she was his daughter, he should be the one to take care of her the most outside of Karina. He was going to be a good father.

He couldn't help but smile at the Polaroid pictures of his baby up on the bulletin board at work. It didn't matter what happened… it was going to be a good day.

***

Minsk, Belarus

Adam took in a deep breath of the crisp morning air, feeling more hopeful than he had in a while. It was one thing to know your own plans and how they would forward the world situation, another entirely to know someone else was actually covering a problem area you couldn't touch. Relena Peacecraft had negotiated a deal with China and the first heat amplifiers were being put together that very morning… It would be a while before they got enough to install them in the cities, because crops were a priority, but if Europe could feed itself, so much stress on the global scale would just vanish.

They were far enough away from Treize's men that he felt safe outside in the morning murk, at least from the rooftop he was on. Soon he'd feel safe enough to break away from Chang again and let the man make his own way to the rebel headquarters. He hadn't lied when he said he respected Po's space… hopefully she would respect his in return. Before he parted ways with the Chinese youth, he would exchange contact info with him, and then he would have a foothold in there, albeit a small one. He didn't think he would be able to get more than a closed-mouthed contact within her faction, though he might be able to get more inside Treize's with some further effort…

He liked both groups, in all honesty, and could easily see himself actually joining one of them eventually. At the moment, however, it seemed… ill-advised… to choose. Both leaders were careful, but thus far oblivious of each other's actions, and that had a rather strong likelihood of leading to trouble in the near future; he had no faith in either leader to keep their heads above water.

For now, his current allegiance simply to the cause itself was sufficient, and indeed, far more useful.

Barton was moving… he had found a wireless connection to the net for his laptop an hour ago and seen the information from the sinkhole he had long taken advantage of in the Peacecraft Regime's security. The weak point had neatly flowered into existence after some careful pressing, enough that he was sure he was not the first to use that back door. It was beautifully hidden, however, practically a work of art, enough so that he was genuinely curious to know who had done it. He had never been terribly affluent in that particular world, unfortunately, so he had little chance of finding out, but what were wishes for, anyway?

But Barton… what could Dekim Barton want? Operation Meteor was as good as complete, with the fallout from Libra; it didn't matter that it hadn't been a colony dropped. Of course, it was the Peacecrafts in charge, but the old Lightning Count was nearly buckling under the strain of trying to keep the planet alive, so if Dekim really wanted dominance over Earth why didn't he wait until the crisis period was over? Surely he had the funding… Didn't he? How much money was Zechs choking out of the colonies? That was worth looking into…

Maybe it was time to go back out to space and take a look.

“I found some coffee.”

Adam jumped hard, narrowing his eyes at his companion. He had this smirk that was almost nonexistent, but there nonetheless.

He actually snuck up on me… It had been a while since that had happened. Really, though, he should have expected it. Rolling his eyes in a sort of defeat, he took the offered cup and sipped. It was an awful brew, but it was impossible to find any other kind, these days. It helped with the cold, though, and this far north and inland it really was miserable. They had been traveling together long enough that he knew Chang would have gotten hot cocoa for him if he had been able to find it, but most of the chocolate production in the universe had been based out of South America, which Milliardo Peacecraft had been so kind as to remove from the map.

Was it bad that he was more annoyed by that than he actually was about the world situation? Not in any realistic way, but in the manner of how much it affected him, he certainly missed real chocolate more than he did the Alliance. It was the simple pleasures of life that he enjoyed, not overreaching goals. His self-assigned mission to overthrow Zechs Marquise was really a break in the mold.

“We should take the train to Moscow,” he decided, looking to his watch; it was due to leave in a little over two hours, and they were close. He was fairly sure he'd shaken their tail, but it would be best if they went east and laid low for a couple weeks to make sure their scent had gone as cold as the weather. He could get enough money to keep them fed there while they huddled in the group homes, wearing layer upon layer of clothes so they weren't recognizable. “Stay there long enough for my hair to grow out some and I can color it… Do something about yours.”

“I would look retarded with it anything but black,” he returned acerbically, gulping his own coffee with a grimace. It really was nasty. “And we already cut it.”

That was true, on both counts; his Asian appearance would make any other color obviously unnatural, and it was in a more common male cut now instead of the ponytail. Still, Adam didn't like how stable his looks were… hiding was much harder when you couldn't play chameleon. He had never really had to change his appearance before Libra crashed, but he had known how, if the need had risen.

“I'll stand out even more that far north,” he added.

“And it will stay in everyone's mind that we wanted to go where it's colder,” Adam finished. He really had to be tired to not have considered that one. On the other hand… “We should say we're looking for family up there to bring down, then mix in with the refugees getting on, so they're looking for us up there.”

“Then head west fast.”

“Not too fast,” Adam argued. “We don't want Peacecraft spotting you either.”

The other man just snorted into his coffee as he began chugging it… and Adam frowned before doing the same. Getting it over with was probably a good idea.

***

Brussels

“I can't believe it went through so fast,” Relena murmured for what felt like the millionth time.

Dorothy chuckled; she had come into the princess's office to see if she had had lunch yet, to find her going through the actual materials of what they needed in order to push through the militia. The approval for the proposal had come back two days after it had been sent, though with a request for more detail. Considering how the amplifier project had just truly begun today, they were going to put off releasing the news until it was ready to be started; it would reinforce the fact that action was being taken, not just talk. “You were selected remember?” she reminded. “You're the only one with an active project too; the fund has money going elsewhere, but nothing else that it's directing itself. Whenever a manager or project is selected, all resources go to it; Peacemillion only took two months to build once it was approved.”

The other girl bit her lip. “I remember my father saying it was unique, but this is almost surreal… Nothing moves this fast, it has to be approved by too many people…”

The responses were coming at lightning speed, when you were talking politics, anyhow. “You didn't research it?”

“There's nothing to research,” she returned, chewing on the end of her pen. “It's young to start with, and management has always been outsourced to those closer to the problem being addressed. There's no names listed as belonging to it anywhere…”

“Mm, some old miser decided he wanted to do some good in the world after years of not paying his taxes and doesn't want to have to face the hypocrisy,” Dorothy decided. “You remind him of your mother, who he had a crush on when she was a young debutant before she married King Peacecraft, and he's looking for an heir to leave his fortune to.”

“Do you believe any of that or do you really waste that much effort conjuring up dramatic stories?” asked Relena dryly.

“It's feasible,” Dorothy defended, offering her friend a hurt look. Sniffing, she added, “And that didn't take any effort, I just made it up now.”

Relena rolled her eyes, though she was smirking slightly. “Of course, I'm sorry, my mistake.”

Dorothy grinned back at her, moving to half sit on one some desk space to the side of the area Relena was actually working at. “What does RLTT stand for again?”

“The R.L. Tomorrow Today Fund, officially. I asked what the R.L. stood for, and he said it was `Rhea Lowe', but he doesn't care to elaborate more than that.”

The lieutenant colonel shrugged, considering. “Maybe he is really a she, and it's her name, and she's trying to look modest.” When Relena gave her a level look, she smiled sweetly and added, “And she's a major fan of yours and wants to have your babies.” When she only continued to receive a level look, she decided, “Three boys and a girl.”

“You do realize that you did grow up and are a key member in a major political party, representing this regime with your every word and action?”

Instead of gracing that with a response, she protested, “I thought you liked children!”

Relena stared at her a moment longer, then shook her head, turning back to her paperwork. “Fine, but you're raising them.”

She laughed delightedly; she really hadn't expected to have her play along. “Marvelous, the oldest has to be named Heero.”

“Sure,” the princess retorted blandly, scribbling away at her notes. “Make sure they eat their vegetables.” She pursed her lips. “I think we should include some healthcare benefits… and I need to go ask Jason what jobs we really need people to fill, maybe we can spin it for free training for contracted work down the line.”

“That should be in a separate proposal, shouldn't it?”

“Yes, but I want it to be able to interlock with this… it's going to be the foundation of any other social reform I try.”

That sounded like a very good idea, yet incredibly daunting; overall, it was very much not her kind of thing, and she knew it. “I'm hungry,” she noted instead.

“You eat like a boy,” Relena tossed back, not looking up from her papers.

“A healthy boy,” Dorothy agreed. “We should go get food.” The last thing they needed was the people thinking they didn't have enough food to keep their own princess from fainting on the runway…

Well, stage, rather.

Podium?

Throne.

...In public, anyway.

Her friend sighed and stood. “I suppose you'll do something drastic if I don't come with you.” A smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth removed any barb the statement might have had.

Shrugging, Dorothy just said, “You need a break.”

Shaking her head a little, Relena gestured toward the door. “You worry too much. Lead the way.”

***

Babruysk, Belarus

Ivan smiled a little to himself, sipping at his tea. On the big public screens for the square hung an image of Relena Peacecraft, explaining the details of the amplifier project… He had had a shitty day so far, his mark had managed to vanish again and he wasn't sure why… but this was good news. He was standing in a crowd of people pushing and jostling at each other but all staring avidly up at the screen…

So strange, really, that a little girl had all their attention… Relena was far more than just a little girl, though, she had been through the thick of the wars, but still hadn't gone and given up on mankind. He knew for a fact that she had been out of contact with the world purely on Milliardo Peacecraft's orders,and had only come back six months ago… yet she was already making this much progress. There was one question that he knew had to be running through the mind of almost everyone watching, though:

Did that say how exceptional she was, or how inept the government?

He was inclined to believe the former, but couldn't exactly disagree with the latter, either… a mixture of the two seemed more likely. It could also be that the timing had just worked out to be as it was, and nothing more. There had only been ghosts of rumors about a way to heat the crops, at least as far east as he worked. China was… really far away. The idea had seemed surreal that a place closer to ground zero would be better off than them.

He was just waiting for reports back from his men, right now… he wasn't really expecting anything, though, if he was going to be honest with himself. Time was almost up anyhow, and he'd be heading home with or without the prize he'd come hunting for. Treize wouldn't be pleased, but he understood the circumstances. Just a few more days, and he'd be heading home…

Deciding that he had learned all he was going to from the vid, he turned and started working his way through the crowd. He had managed to lose the damn gizmo Kris had slipped in his bag, so he needed to find another one just like it before he headed back. Stupid thing, he hadn't bothered to figure out what it was beyond having more than one function before it had friggin' disappeared. Some kid had probably found it and it was now a prized possession, so it was okay, but his wife would be upset that he hadn't appreciated the thought she put into it… Though really, if she'd put a lot of thought into it, she would have gotten something his tech-savvy twelve-year-old wouldn't have to write a tutorial for him on. She really wouldn't appreciate that thought process, however, so it was better to just go with it… maybe he'd even read the instruction manual before he got back so she thought he'd actually played with it before deciding he didn't want it.

Mm, that looks promising… Some teenager was shelling the packaging on a handheld game in front of the electronics store that had caught his attention. He shook his head a little. Kids… he should be watching the screen in the square, not some game. He'd catch on to the real world soon enough, though… everyone took their own time. He muttered a greeting at the boy as he opened the door, but the punk didn't even acknowledge him.

Ivan rolled his eyes, heading over to where cameras were set up. Doesn't it figure? One kid was warming the world back up, another couldn't care less… And he knew it was unreasonable, but on some level he was glad that it was the girl who had her priorities straight; he had three little girls. Maybe they would turn out a little like Relena Peacecraft.

***

Heero had to force himself not to stiffen when his mark actually talked to him, and he pretended not to hear… He was fairly sure his face hadn't been seen…

Is it normal to greet a complete stranger? That was just weird, but it was something to keep in mind… Why hadn't he noticed it before? It was fine if there was some sort of business involved, but saying `good morning' to someone who might not even speak the language was… invasive.

He pulled his PlayPaq out and put the game that was in it in the new casing, put the new game in. He hadn't been planning on starting it yet, but he was curious as to what Treize's man wanted in the store, and since he had been seen opening it, it seemed as good a tactic as any. He could still hear Relena's speech just fine, though the door's electronic bleat that was meant to notify the owner of a customer had thrown his hearing off…

Actually, he was curious… He switched the function on the little machine over to pick up the broadcast and smiled. Tucked away in this little alcove with a clear view was so much better than being in a crowd that made him feel like a sardine stacked in a tin. He used crowds for many things, but enjoyment was not one of them.

She's beautiful…

She had always been pretty, but when he had met her it had seemed like it was almost in an overtried sort of way, stiff… then when she had been made queen, it had been overdone in a different way, she had been too… fantastic, as if she belonged in a storybook. Her face had been too young for the finery to look serious, and now…

Her hair was up in some kind of twist, her make-up minimal, simple diamond studs in her ears… He couldn't see past her clavicles because of how the camera was positioned, but she looked to be wearing some kind of suit, like any businesswoman might have on. By her face alone one might guess her to be nineteen or twenty instead of seventeen, and she had certainly hadn't looked any older than her age during the war. There was a sort of weight in her eyes that was new… the determination, stubbornness, that he had admired before had transformed into more of a wisdom. The fortitude was still there, but there was something more…

And she was radiant, proud in a way that he hadn't really ever seen her before. She knew she deserved her position now, while before she had always had that shadow of doubt she had hidden so well… If her ideals hadn't contrasted so sharply to what she was capable of, no one would have ever known before, but this almost golden haze that seemed to shimmer off of her now, he hadn't known that that was what was missing…

Relena… He felt himself smile a little sadly. It just had to be the way of things that the moment he started to understand what it was about her that he wanted for himself, she skipped ahead of him again. Now he had to understand how to find this kind of happiness… Only now, when he thought he might be able to ask her what it was, she was entirely out of reach.

Mm, that's the kind of thought that would have made Quatre stare at me. They had talked about a great number of things during those months they traveled together, but their conversations often had a tendency to end with the blonde giving him a surprised and sad sort of look. He understood that the other pilot had been convinced that he was missing out on some vital component of life, but pursuing the subject had seemed a likely way to lead the blonde into deeper depression. He had learned what sort of thought processing led to that mood in his friend, and had kept avoided voicing it… but really had not been able to make much progress on them himself until after the other pilot had vanished.

Hopefully the lack of progress until after they were separated wouldn't depress Quatre, should they ever meet again. That… well, it certainly wouldn't be fair to him, considering the fact that it had been Heero's own choice, but he knew him well enough to realize that Quatre would take it personally. It was sad, really… Less sad than the other pilot never finding out that he had begun to unravel the mystery, but still upsetting, in a way.

This also seemed to be the kind of processing that upset his friend, however, so that hardly got him anywhere. It would probably be better to wonder about it another time.

Relena… Would she be the same? He frowned. She probably wouldn't worry so much as Quatre. But… Essentially the same. It didn't really bother him, but it just seemed odd, somehow, in much the same way Silvia Noventa's calling him a coward for offering her his gun had been.

…Silvia and Relena probably would have gotten along. The revelation surprised him on some level, but not in the sense that it was true…. More that it had not occurred to him how similar of an upbringing the two girls must have had. Then again, Dorothy Catalonia was decidedly just as odd, was nothing at all like the other two, and yet word was that she was Relena's constant companion now. Not that he and Quatre hadn't made an odd pair, but there were far more commonalities between them than the women, or at least so he had thought. Of course, it could also be a lack of options, but that hardly seemed like something Relena would consent to. He would readily admit to hardly knowing her now, but he doubted that her personality had changed so much as that.

He just couldn't see Relena Darlian choosing insubstantial pleasure over what she considered her duty. Or even extreme pleasure… but that was for behind closed doors, and hardly consequential to the matter at hand in any case.

He shut the Paq and slipped it into his bag, moving back into the crowd; it wouldn't do to still be in the same spot when Treize's man exited. There was a certain schedule to things, however, so he took out his recorder and unraveled his headphones; the update would come in soon, and they were close enough that he wanted the feed live. Overall, today was looking to be good… he might even catch up before night fell. His mark was apparently bored, to be heading into that kind of store, which suggested complacency…

Heero focused on the man as he exited, looking for the label on the box he was opening… and felt himself go cold. It was the same device his ear buds were currently plugged into.

He had already gone over the recordings from the time he had spent with Dasha, it was regular, nothing extra and it was unlikely that anything had been omitted… He quickly checked through the rest of its audio functions; no new files downloaded, so perhaps he hadn't discovered that aspect of the contraption.

Surely he would be taking more precautions if he had realized I was here? It seemed bizarre, however, that he could notice his toy without following the fact of its presence to the logical conclusion that something, at least, was wrong. If he had found something foreign in his own pack, Heero would have discarded everything that might be traceable and started over from scratch. He frowned as he checked the other functions.

…He took pictures? It was stupid sightseeing things too, monuments and skylines, even a couple that he must have had someone take of himself in front of something. Heero stared in consternation. Why would you do that? The man was strange, giving away his position every place, what if the device had actually been his and he'd been pick-pocketed, someone would be able to trace his entire route! It was simply careless, not even factoring in the fact that he had never packed his new camera, and-

…He can't be that absent-minded. Did he really think he might have actually packed it? Did I put something in his bag that he has at home? That would be strangely coincidental, but not impossible, it was a popular machine. Does he think he lost it? It was still careless enough that Heero would immediately fire the man if he had been under his employ, but he supposed the situation was conceivable.

If his enemy really was that incompetent, than this really was going to be a good day.

***

L3-X18999

I fingered the collar of the uniform, biting the inside of my cheek. It was amazingly cool, in an exciting sort of way. It was a little simple, I would have gone for something more elegant, but my grandfather had a point in noting that the majority of our army was male. Despite how odd it looked on me, it was grandiose, powerful…

I frowned, moving over to the chair to take up the coat and hat I had also been offered. They certainly made up for the lack of beauty in the military uniform, and I smirked self assuredly at myself in the mirror, crossing my arms and shifting so that the cape swayed. This could work…

…At the same time, though, Grandfather hadn't said anything about my mother yet. I wasn't sure exactly how lightly I had to step with the man who had only started to want me for the first time in my life just a few days ago; his subordinates seemed to upset him quickly, without much provocation. Sure, he was doting on me for everyone to see, but… I looked back into the mirror and into the desperate expression I already knew was there. He's parading me around. Maybe it helps make up for everything but… It seemed more like when my would-be rival back at school got a new pin or barrette that had been expensive, and she wore it around for a couple weeks, boasting, before the thing was never seen again. Of course, Amelia was shallow, but…

Why couldn't he have let Meagan come with me? I was alone here… And it was awesome, and Grandfather had the right idea, the Peacecrafts ought to keep to their own damn business and out of ours, but…

They had covered in school how bad off Earth was… Crap, I had been the one to organize the boxes we had kept in every classroom for canned goods to send down; there had been a couple shipments already. I had lectured the household for days until I had them buying a couple things to send every time they ran out to the store.

But then I'd been too wrapped up in kitten persuasion and Grandfather to remember the can of whole kernel corn in the bottom of my knapsack that I had gotten when we ran into Keagan's for candy after school, while waiting for Kaitlyn's mom to get there and help pick out one of the cats. It was staring at me through the fabric of my bed's underskirt, its home for the past few days. Grandfather might think me silly and decidedly odd if I kept it in a more prominent place like my nightstand, but keeping it out of sight just made me feel worse.

Mom had been so proud when she heard about the cans… and really, I knew she would hardly be upset with me for one can I had forgotten about when I got caught up in excitement, but…

It just…

I fingered the fabric of my cloak, not really sure what else to do, but the fabric felt so nice, you just wanted to pet it…

…I really wanted to call my mom. I'd settle happily for Meagan, the woman really was a mom in a lot of ways, but it had always been that she took care of me, and Mom that gave me advice. Meagan made sure I ate right and got to bed on time, and I just played and talked with my mother… in the past few years we had gotten in the habit of calling and talking for over an hour every couple days, or at least once a week. It had become more sparse just after the war ended, when Libra crashed and Mom got really depressed because someone had died… My mother had never seemed to care too much about a whole lot of people in specific, so I wondered if maybe it had been my father, but I hadn't wanted to ask when she already looked so sad.

I half wondered whether Grandfather was interested in me because my father was dead, but didn't my mother having been not quite fifteen when I was born still stand? Uncle Trowa had never seemed upset with my mother and had always adored me as far back as my memory went, but Grandfather hadn't wanted anything to do with us. He hadn't let us live in the same city while Mom went to school, even, because she had wanted to keep the Barton name and I was an embarrassment; he didn't want my existence to be public, he had never wanted me… So why?

Obviously he had changed his mind… But as much as I wanted it to be because he had realized he made a mistake in never wanting to see me… he didn't seem to see me even though I was almost constantly with him, this past week. He didn't do anything but patronize me… and that hurt.

I really wanted to call Mom. The number had always just been programmed into the phone, though, so I didn't know it… and a sick feeling in my stomach told me that Grandfather didn't have my mother on speed dial.

I sighed, biting back the sudden urge to cry, and stripped out of the uniform, laying out the outfit for tomorrow on the chair in my room. I had been given the new clothes just today, and tomorrow would be the first day I wore them, I had just wanted to see how it looked before I slept… Pulling my pajamas back on, I washed my face and brushed my teeth even though I hadn't been told to. That would have excited me a year ago, that I was trusted to take good care of myself without reminders, but really…

Nobody here cares, do they?

No, that's not true, I'm just being stupid… I smiled into the mirror after I spit out the toothpaste, then scowled when it looked weak. I closed my eyes and tried again, opening them a moment later.

Better, but still no good. I stood there, trying until I got it right, because I was happy, I was just tired and homesick, and I didn't want Grandfather to think I didn't appreciate everything he was doing for me. Even if he wasn't impressed with me yet, I was going to make him realize I was worth ten of my Uncle Trowa, that I wasn't just what was left over that something had to be done with. I was going to do better than he thought I might in his wildest dreams, and he was going to wait to let me see my mother until I made her so proud she just cried and hugged me tight, and we'd all live together and everything would be alright…

As I crawled into bed, though, I couldn't quite quash the little voice that said Grandfather wouldn't notice if my smile was fake. I knew it was true… but it was okay. I smiled fiercely as I reached out and turned off the lamp by my bed that had been casting a dim yellow glow around the suite; I was going to make him care.

***

June 23rd 197 - Friday - Amsterdam

Chaos noted Melissa stepping back into the kitchen as he came in the door and smiled slightly, moving up to an empty spot at the bar. Relena was on the TV… She'd been on the TV all day, so it wasn't exactly news, but…

Well, the little princess just looked so… grown up. He smirked. Wonder what Heero'd say… The other pilot had long been obsessed with Relena, though the guy would probably never admit it.

Melissa gave him an arch look as she flipped to a new sheet on her pad. “Can I get you anything?”

He grinned. “Cider? When are you off?”

“Trying to pick me up?” she returned playfully, tapping his nose with her pen. “You're going to have to try harder than that.”

Duo felt his smirk widen as he leaned forward with what he hoped was at least a vaguely seductive look, getting her to grin back raucously and also lean forward so he could whisper… “…I want an order of fries, too.”

She made an amused sort of noise, thwapping him with her notepad, before rolling her eyes and writing down the cider and fries. “You're annoying.”

He sniggered as she sauntered back to the kitchen, looking back to the screen and making a face. Relena was one thing, but Dorothy? Ugh, the eyebrows actually looked like they were under control, she'd either grown into them like Treize, or had managed to stop emphasizing them somehow, but still; Dorothy was a whack job. She was right up there with Mr. Let's-drop-a-battleship-on-Earth.

Well, no, she wasn't quite the same brand of crazy, she was more in line with Treize, which made sense with them being related and all. He certainly felt no need to ever go near the blonde again, but she wasn't so bad that she couldn't pass for normal. Someone who seriously considered mass murder, though, outright genocide… that was beyond reproach.

He was really going to laugh if Relena fixed a leash around the two of them as good as she had Heero, though.

“What're you thinking about?” Melissa asked curiously, handing him his cider and setting the fries down on the bar, taking one for herself. She wasn't wearing her apron anymore, and she was on his side, so presumably she was off.

“Blondes are crazy,” he adlibbed, grinning at her amused expression. “Well,” he gestured at the screen; he hadn't meant Relena. “Real blondes, not the half brown kind.”

“I think the term is `honey blonde,' for her,” Melissa noted.

He gave her a dubious look. “Honey? What, are you part of her fanclub?”

She tsked at him. “That's the term, Kay. Hailey's a honey blonde too.”

Hailey was the name of one of the other waitresses… and come to think of it, she and Relena did have about the same hair color. Giving her a confounded sort of look as he picked up his drink, he asked, “Do girls have a name for everything?”

She giggled cutely and smacked at his arm, and he grinned back at her. Melissa in general was just cute… Karina was absolutely gorgeous, every man's fantasy kind of thing, and there was no holding a candle up to that flame, but `Liss was the sweet girl next door, she just made you feel comfortable… and seemingly everything about her was soft and darling, somehow without seeming childish.

And despite that, she could kick all the boys' asses. Not his specifically, but they hadn't been stupid the night he met them, they had expected a fight in that park, and Melissa had pointedly been in the group sent out. Hilde had beat her without any problems when they tussled for fun while his old girlfriend stayed in Amsterdam, but Hilde had risen up to close to his own level of training, somehow; the next time he saw the dark-haired girl, she might actually be able to take him down.

He hadn't asked who had been teaching her, it wasn't his business anymore. On some level, though, he had to admit some curiosity. There weren't too many people with that much skill and time… and he knew for a fact that the five who had been responsible for he and the other gundam pilots' training was dead.

At least someone of that skill level was with Po's people, he supposed, and not Zechs'.

“Are you part of her fanclub?” Melissa asked teasingly, waving a hand in front of his eyes; he'd been staring at the screen while lost in his thoughts.

Duo laughed at that, turning to face his friend properly. “No, Shov's the fanboy, remember?”

“He's very specifically Hilde Schbeiker's fanboy,” Melissa corrected mock primly, reaching over and tugging at his ponytail in something akin to a tweak. “You're allowed to be sweet on a princess if you want, don't be shy.”

He really did laugh at that one. Relena? Hell no! “She's a little too proper, if it's all the same.” And annoying, for all that she means well. He tilted his head at her curiously. “You're off now, right?”

“Mmhmm,” she agreed happily, taking the cider from him to drink from the cup herself. “I was just about to head out, and there you showed up; why'd you come here?”

Saying that he was worried about her walking alone, despite Luc having suggested he go for that reason, would make her mad; she was capable of taking care of herself. On the other hand, he'd been half considering the idea since she mentioned she was going to be switching to swing shifts a few weeks back, and she probably suspected why he was there already. She could handle herself, but it wasn't fair for anyone to have to walk in the dark alone… and she'd done that yesterday anyhow. She hadn't been alone when they found him back at the end of September…

“I like the service,” he told her, grinning broadly as he took his drink back.

“Do you really?” she asked sweetly, smirking at him. “Or is Lucas pretending I'm his little sister again?”

He blinked at that. “What?”

She sighed. “He sent Shov out here last night, you realize.”

Well… that made him feel marginally better about forgetting what day she was starting this shift. “I didn't know that… I thought you said you got off at nine, so I figured I'd catch a bite before work.” She eyed him in a lazily suspicious way, eating another fry as if attempting to wait him out. “Well, I already ate dinner, but seriously, I know the fries here are good, you've brought me some before.”

She rolled her eyes and turned to lean against the bar, though that touch of amusement that had yet to completely fade away became stronger. “Uh-huh.”

He rolled his eyes right back and leaned against the bar like she was. “You're being obstinate.”

“I suppose you won't mind if I stay here until you head out to your shift, then?” She laughed delightedly when he whipped around to glare at her before realizing it. Damnit… She rested her weight against him, still laughing slightly, and patted at his arm to reassure him. “I'm teasing, come on…” She winked up at him. “I'll let you walk me home if you really want to that bad.”

He growled and dug for his wallet. “It's not a crime to worry, you know.”

She snorted and shoved his wallet back. “I get as much as you ordered for free.” Her eyes sparkled. “And that depends on the brand of feminist you talk to.”

He sniggered at that one as she danced ahead of him, smacking at her ass. “Oh yeah, huh?”

She laughed naughtily and he ducked away as she darted back to smack at his ass, then laughed a little more and moved quickly over to where her coat was; their actions had not gone entirely unnoticed, and this really wasn't the place to horse around. He shook his head a little in amusement to avoid the people looking at him, waiting for her to wind her scarf and come back towards him before he started heading in the direction of the door.

“It's getting warmer,” she told him excitedly as she pulled her stocking cap on.

“Ha ha,” he returned in a monotone. Everyone had been saying as much for the past week, but somehow he just couldn't make himself believe them.

That was apparently just as amusing as he'd meant it to be… but after a moment she sighed and held onto his arm. “I really am glad you're walking me home, for the record.”

Duo blinked, noting that for future reference… he should always be able to walk her home, as long as he worked for Tate. But… she seemed almost upset. “Why?”

“Just…” She bit one lip, then shook her head a little, smiling up at him. “It's nothing.” She bumped her hip against his. “Thanks, though.”

He considered that for a moment… then decided to let it lie and bumped her back, smiling. “No problem.”

***

Brussels

Exactly why it was a yellow button, he wasn't sure.

Really, wasn't it universal panic button law that it was supposed to be red?

Then again, it was probably bad that after a couple months of guard duty, he still found the color choice amusing. Rolling his eyes at his own oddities, Hayden Polanski picked up his book again and put his feet on the console… being very careful to not hit that yellow button.

It was comically set away from the rest… though really it made sense, considering how obnoxious it would be if hit on accident. Logic would say that that should mean it was set higher on the board than on the part that could be counted as a desk, but at the same time, you wanted to be able to reach it if injured… It might be smart to set it under the counter like they did at banks for the silent alarms that tellers could hit… but since this was somewhere people sat at, then he might be liable to kick it.

Maybe it's supposed to make it less tempting to just push it… He grinned at that idea. Setting the entire compound on code red… yellow… would be an incredibly psychotic event, especially seeing as their princess was now in residence. He would also be incredibly fired, and he had good pay, away from all the action. Sure, guard duty was boring…

But that was why he brought a book to work.