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Born Again	By : Naomi Category: Gundam Wing/AC > General Views: 713 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing/AC, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
Born Again

AUTHOR�S NOTE: Hey. This is
the SECOND part of CHAPTER NINE. The third part is still in progress. I hope
you�re still able to enjoy the fic with all that�s going on here...

Naomi

BORN
AGAIN

CHAPTER
NINE-

ETERNAL
FLAME

(PART
TWO)

*
*   *

�God damn it, did you see that? The clerk thought I was
your friggin� whore!� Meiran fumed as she helped her drunken uncle step into
the small motel room she rented for the night. On Duo�s expense, of course.

Settling heavily into the queen size bed in the middle of
the room, Duo chuckled. �Consider it as a sign to... change your ways...� He
mumbled, collapsing onto the bed in a heavy heap of limbs, hair and leather. He
didn�t even bother to take his wet jacket off. �Maybe I should advise Fei on
sending you to Catholic Schoolsomesometin�...� He mumbled against the pillow,
already half asleep.

Meiran rolled her eyes. �Don�t even JOKE about it, uncle
Duo...� She muttered, shrug heg her coat off and throwing herself into a small
wooden chair so she could take her boots off and free her aching feet.

�Mummm...� Duo slurred into the pillow, having no more
strength to move his lips and form words. He was already slipping into slumber.

Realizing that she was speaking to a sleeping person,
Meiran looked up towards the bed, and smiled. She studied Duo�s form, sprawled
over the bed like fallen timber. He was lying on his stomach, his face turned
towards her. His lips pouted in sleep, his hair all over the place, tangled
around him and obscuring his face. Like this, he looked like a child. He
reminded her of her little brother Lynn, sleeping peacefully in his bed,
carefree as a ten-year-old should be.

�But you�re not half as annoying as Lynn, I assure you that
uncle Duo...� She muttered, walking tiredly towards the bed and slumping next
to him. �You should have at least saved me some room, you know?� She
complained, shoving his heavy form aside so she could lie down comfortably.
�You know what Heero would say to this-� She grunted, poking him sharply with
her elbow. �Takou!�

*
*   *

A man in his late forties, dressed in a designer�s
business suit, stood by a large wall-to-wall window, his arms crossed behind
his back as he overlooked the scenery. He was standing in the Arrival�s
Terminal in the local spaceport, watching the shuttles and planes as they
skidded across the runways, some landing and some taking off. The morning sun
washed the runways with a blinding light, the shuttles glittering in the sun. Some
resembled a falling star as they cut through the atmosphere, leaving a trail of
gold in the morning sky. The man hummed silently to himself as he rocked on his
heels, waiting impatiently.

�Sir, I�ve just been informed that the L4-XE101 shuttle
has landed.� A young voice came from behind him, and the businessman nodded.

�Why won�t you go wait for our visitor and escort him
here?� He suggested, though the suggestion was more of an order.
�There�s no need.� The man by the window answered his
secretary. �I will find a substitute for the Professor.�

�Yes sir.� The younger man nodded in understanding and
hurried down the terminal in order to find their guest.

By the window, his boss sighed and pulled out his cell
phone. Muttering something about �nutty� and �professors�, he dialed.

*
*   *

Playing �Commandos� was one of Eric�s favorite games.
Sneaking around the house with his toy gun and his other accessories (which all
looked pretty real, much to his pride and joy), Eric was the master of stealth
and the champion of each game he played. Of course, it was not so hard to play
when there were no enemies around. MJ was not interested in his games, just in
his books, Aya-chan was too little and mom was always busy. Still, it was fun
and thrilling for the little boy to just pretend that the other occupants of
the house were all soldiers on patrol, and he had to sneak unnoticed between
them until he reached his goal. Today�s goal was to get into his parents
bedroom, in a sneak attack on his father.

It was ten AM and his daddy was still sleeping. His mommy
had woken up hours ago, but daddy was still sleeping like a slob. Eric was
planning on pouncing on his prey, aiming his plastic pistol to his head and
then hug him to death. It seemed like a good plan to get his attention.

Unfortunately for him, the enemy�s commanding officer and
second Lt. of this base was patrolling the hallway with a dangerous amount of
charges in her hands- dippers. When he tried to sneak past her, the alarms went
off. Well, more accurately the phone rang and his mother had to go into the
target area- her bedroom. He missed his chance! It was time to retreat and
rethink his moves!

The little boy ran back into his bedroom.

Smirking, Sarah walked into the large bedroom, amused by
her son�s game. She placed the dippers aside and reached for the phone on the
side of the bed; careful not to wake her husband in the process, for the phone
was on his side of the bed.

�Hello?�

�Yes, hello. May I speak with Mr. Yuy please?� A man�s
voice, probably forty plus, kindly requested.

�Sure. Just a minute.� She answered, putting the phone
back on the nightstand for a second. She bent carefully over Heero�s slumbering
form, wincing in sympathy as she shook him gently awake. Heero had been out all
night, searching, and only came back about three hours ago. He was exhausted
and it pained her to wake him so early.

�Heero, darling, wake up. Your boss is on the phone.�

Moaning in annoyance, Heero cracked half an eye open,
looking up at her with sleepy eyes. �Tell him I�ll call later...� He slurred,
closing his eyes again and turning to face away from the phone.

�I don�t think it�s such a good idea.� She said, picking
the receiver up again. She placed it gently in his limp hands. �Just answer him
and then go back to sleep.� She whispered, bending down to kiss his unshaved
cheek.

Sighing deeply, Heero raised the phone, and with his eyes
still closed, he answered. �Yes Mr. Axline,� He said in a rasping, hoarse
voice, �What can I do for you?�

�Yuy, I apologize for waking you up on a Sunday, but I
need you here as soon as possible.�

�Here? At the office?� Heero asked, turning heavily to lie
on his back while rubbing his tired eyes. They refused to come to focus, and he
stared up at a blurry ceiling.

�No. Actually not. How soon can you be at the Spaceport?�

�The Spaceport?!� Heero exclaimed, now fully awake. �What
for?�

�I cannot discuss this over the phone, Yuy. I need you
here. How soon can you arrive?�

�Uh...� Heero let out dumbly, trying to make his sleepy
mind work and think. �An hour, I suppose.�

�Good. You have thirty minutes.�

*
*   *

He arrived after forty-five minutes and thirty two
seconds, panting as he ran into the main terminal. He asked around in order to
find the VIP room, where he knew he was expected. Morning traffic had been a
bitch and combined with the fact that he was tired and still worried over Duo�s
whereabouts, Heero was not in a good mood. He was cranky and impatient,
brooding over the fact that his boss called him in on a Sunday.

He entered the VIP�s room with a heavy sigh, reaching up a
hand to adjust his tie. He had been in such a rush to get ready, that he felt a
little sloppy. Although, and this he knew well, Sarah wouldn�t have let him
leave without making sure his appearance was tidy. His boss, Mr. Axline, was
very strict about small things like that. Especially while meeting one of the
company�s customers, which is what Heero assumed he was doing right now.

�Ah, Yuy. You made it.� Axline greeted, sounding almost
relieved as he rose out of his armchair and approached Heero. The two shook
hands and Heero nodded in acknowledgment. However his eyes were set on the back
of one of the other cushioned armchairs, which had its back facing him. Behind
it, peeked a small blond head. Heero frowned and turned back to his boss.

�Sir? I assume that this has something to do with the
project?� He tried to confirm, noting the movement of the blond head from the
corner of his eyes.

�Yes, it does.� Axline confirmed with a nod, turning
around and gesturing at the man who was elegantly getting up from his seat.
�Yuy, I�d like you to meet our sponsor, and co-director of the project, Mr.��

�Quatre Winner.� Heero completed the introduction for him,
looking up at the thirty-four year old blond standing before him with wide and
stunned eyes.

�Hello Heero.� Quatre replied with an amused smile,
reaching to shake his hand. �It�s nice to see you again.�

Still quite stunned, Heero nodded stiffly, his mind
reeling with thoughts. �Quatre, I�� He began in confusion, meaning to ask
something work-related, but then he thought better of it, shaking his head. He
looked back at the blond man, and smiled. �It�s great to see you!� He called
out happily, pulling the man into a tight hug.

Surprised, Axline took a small step backwards, staring at
the two in awe. He was about to reprimand his worker for such a blunt display
of disrespect, but then his face paled even more when he saw Mr. Winner return
the embrace.

�I gather you know each other?� He asked, raising an
eyebrow at Yuy.

Heero nodded and Quatre smiled, nodding as well. His face
was slightly blushed, giving his mature appearance some hint of the boyish
looks he had years ago. Although there was no mistaking, Quatre was no longer a
short teen with a childish face. He�d grown taller, thinner and his features
were one of a sharp, witty and sophisticated businessman. Heero had to admit
that time had been kind to Quatre. He looked not much older than twenty-five,
though they were the same age, and it was only his short, elegant haircut that
gave him a more mature facade.

�I had no idea that Winner Inc were involved in the
Project.� Heero finally said, turning to his boss.

�Well, Heero,� Quatre answered, �Everything that has to do
with this project is kept mostly in the dark. Everything is on a need to know
s. Ts. There was not much need for you to know this, I�m afraid.�

�Also,� Axline interrupted, �There are some great concerns
regarding industrial espionage. We had to be careful and control who knows what
and why. Today�s meeting is also top secret. It is the first time all of the
joint executives will be meeting.�

�Espionage?� Heero let out, baffled. He turned back to
Quatre, his gaze questioning. �By whom?�

�We�re not completely sure, but there�s been quite a lot
of trouble around the Middle East area. Some companies were giving us quite a
lot of trouble. I came to Earth to look it over, though it was Preventer who
kept an eye on them for me.�

Heero�s face paled. He felt confused. �The Middle East you
say..?�

�Yes.� Quatre confirmed with a nod. He frowned as he saw
Heero�s pale and stunned expression. �Heero? Is there something wrong?� He
asked in worry.

�No... no. I�m fine.� He breathed, his head spinning.
�Just... tired.�

�Well, if that�s the case,� His boss begun, �Lets get
going shall we? We�ve got a limo waiting and a meeting to attend.� He picked up
his coat from the hanger by the door and the door opened, his young secretary
waiting for them to exit.

�Excuse me, sir,� Heero spoke as they made their way
through the terminal, �But if I may ask, why did you call me here today? I
believe that Professor Ulrich is much more capable of providing answers to the
execut.� Axline sighed in annoyance. �Unfortunately, I cannot get
in touch with the professor. You�re his right hand man; I believe you�ll be
able to provide enough answers. Besides,� He added with a snort, �Those people
really don�t care for the terminology. They just want to hear that everything
is going according to plans.�

Quatre giggled silently at the remark, covering it up as a
cough. But Heero saw past that act, knowing the man as he did, and his eyes
twinkled with a smile. Businessman or no businessman, joint executive or not
joint executive, Quatre was still that little boy he was ten, twelve, and maybe
even fifteen years ago. It made Heero smile.

�How about we�ll leave the work related issues for the
meeting, gentlemen?� The blond man offered with a kind smile, looking at Heero
with a pair of shining aquamarine eyes. �I have much of catching up to do,
don�t I, Heero?� He winked and Heero felt himself blush. �The last I�ve seen
you was at your son�s birth... I apologize for not remembering the name...�

�Eric.� Heero informed him, the warm look in his eyes
telling the blond that he shouldn�t feel sorry for forgetting. �That was six
years ago.�

Quatre smiled sheepishly. �Eric. Right. I apologize; there
are many names a man in my position must try to remember... It�s a shame that I
keep forgetting all the important ones, though...�

�Don�t worry about it. It�s perfectly understandable.�
Heero soothed with a kind smile. �And your husband? How is he? I haven�t seen
Trowa in such a long time.�

Quatre smiled lovingly at the mentioning of his husband�s
name. �He�s fine. He�s very busy, but otherwise fine. It�s a shame he couldn�t�
join me on this trip, but I assure you that we will try to find the time to
come and see you all. We miss you.�

Heero nodded, a hint of sadness in his eyes. �It�s
unfortunate how we drew apart over the years.�

Quatre sighed, nodding his head in agreement. �I agree.
Perhaps it is time to try and fix it.� He turned to Heero with a bright smile.
�For starters, I would like to see your family. I�m looking forward to it,
actually.� he continued with a wide smile, �It�s been a while since we spoke,
but Duo tells me that you have a newborn daughter. Aya-chan, was it?�

Heero nodded, his smile faltering despite the fact that
his baby girl was just mentioned. His features turned thoughtful and his gaze
distant. He turned to look out the terminal�s large windows, his gaze worried.
Duo was still out there somewhere...

�How is Duo by the way?� Quatre inquired casually. �I was
unable to catch him on the phone lately. Is everything all right?�

Heero sighed heavily, turning back to face Quatre. �Not
quite.� He answered solemnly, his expression miserable.

*
**   *

The view from the Preventer�s building 37^th
floor was outstanding. The whole city spread at the feet of the tall
skyscraper, like a forest of mirror glass covered buildings. Preventer HQ was
the guard tower watching over this forest, rising high above any other
building. It rose 87 floors high above the ground, and on a winter day like
today, clouds could be seen traveling by the top floors.

Standing by the large panorama window that allowed the
hallways to be washed by the soft light of the winter sun, was First Assistant
Director Chang Wufei, pacing the hallway as he spoke into his cell phone. He
was standing outside the main meeting room, the fanciest meeting room the
Preventer building had to offer, ignoring the crowd of businessmen walking
about the place. He paid them no mind as they slowly walked into the large
meeting-hall, like water draining into a pipe. His attention was set solely on
his wife�s voice that came from the other side of the line.

�What do you mean she�s not home yet?!� He whispered
harshly, thought his black eyes shone with worry. �She was supposed to be home
this morning!� He growled, already thinking of the proper lecture to give his
stray teenage daughter.

�Chang, relax.� Sally soothed, her voice amused. �I�m sure
she just went out with Casey... it�s Sunday after all. They probably just went
out to have fun. She�ll be home soon, I assure you.�

Wufei sighed, sending a quick glance towards the meeting
room. It was mostly full; the meeting was about to begin. He turned back to the
phone, his eyes glaring at the floor as he spoke. �Fine. Let me know the minute
she gets home, all right?�

From the other side of the line, Sally chuckled. �Oh
Chang! Stop being such an overprotective father... she�s not a little girl
anymore.�

�No, but she�s still my daughter and I don�t enjoy the
thought of her walking around the city all day long. Try to reach her on the
mobile phone and keep me posted. I have to go into a meeting now, so I�ll speak
with you later.�

�All right, all right. I�ll try to call her.� Sally
promised. �Just don�t worry too much, that�s all.� She muttered, and he could
tell that she was shaking her head.

He relaxed a bit, and smiled. �I�ll try.� He spoke softly,
looking up at pushing his glasses up his nose in a sheepish manner. �I love you.
Bye.� He hung up quickly and hurried into the meeting room.

*
*   *

�What are you doing?� MJ�s quiet and indifferent voice
spoke up as he walked into his and Eric�s room, seeing his little brother
sitting on the floor with a phonebook and a wireless phone in his hand.

�Nothing!� The six-year-old hurried to say, hiding the
phone behind his back.

MJ snorted and walked deeper into the room, snatching the
phonebook from his little brother�s hands.

�Hey! Give it back!� The little boy whined. His hair
bounced up and down as he jumped up to his feet, glaring at his brother. �MJ!
Give! It! Back!� He called angrily as MJ raised the little notepad high above
them, beyond the little boy�s reach. Although MJ was only three years older
than his younger sibling, he was nearly a head taller than the little
longhaired boy. He used it as an advantage at each chance he got. He might have
looked like an indifferent and cold little boy, much too serious and mature for
his age, but truth was that he enjoyed playing much as any other kid his age
did. Teasing his little brother was definitely one of his favorites.

�Hey! C�mon! Come! Oooon!� Eric whined when MJ
jumped on the bed so he was even TALLER now. �Stop being a baka! C�mon! Give it
back! Na... MJ! Give it back!!!!� The little boy jumped on the bed as well,
trying to reach the phonebook.

�Not until you�ll tell me what you�re up to!� MJ answered
with a smirk, looking down at his brother with amused bluish-green eyes. Seeing
the little brat struggle futilely was quite enjoyable. Eric�s frustration was
turning into tears, his blue eyes shimmering with both anger and frustration.
He glared at his brother through a messy mop of long hair, sticking out his
tongue at the meanie.

�I don�t have to tell you anything! Just give it back!� He
grunted, crossing his arms over his chest, still glaring.

The two brothers were still standing on the bed, which
shifted and moved under their weight like ocean waves. There was a match of
wills between them, a duel of glares, until MJ finally tired of this game and
lowered the book with a sigh. �Fine, baka. Have the stupid book.� He muttered,
shoving the notepad into his brother�s arms.

�Ch.� He snorted, jumping of the bed and trying to pretend
that he was not interested in what Eric was up to. But he couldn�t help it. He
was curious. Turning on his heels, he went back to Eric, coming to sit next to
the little boy. Eric was back on the floor, leafing through the small,
handwritten, phonebook. Their quarrel was forgotten already, and they were on
friendly terms again by the time MJ leaned closer to his brother and wrapped
his arms over his small shoulders.

�Need any help?� He offered, for he knew, as did Eric,
that the little boy did not know to read well. He just started first grade this
winter, and only a few days ago he came home grinning and telling his family
how his class was the first to finish learning all the ABC! Their father smiled
proudly at him and promised to take him out for ice-cream later, despite the
fact that it was winter. For some reason, their father was especially happy to
see his sons learning to read. He was ecstatic when MJ had first started
reading books, and he was joyous at every word Eric learned to spell. MJ didn�t
get why, though. They were just stupid letters, it�s not like they were
learning how to solve the problems of the universe using advanced analytic
mathematics.

�I�m looking for Mei-chan�s cell phone.� Eric explained.
�I don�t remember it by heart.� He turned another page in the phonebook, turning
to the section marked with the letter �M�.

MJ nodded in understanding and took the phonebook gently
out of his brother�s grasp. This time Eric didn�t protest, he knew that MJ�s
intentions were good this time. They might have quarreled a lot, but they were
still good friends. MJ reasoned that Eric was just too damn cute for him not
to love and play with, despite the fact that he was annoying as hell sometimes.

�There it is.� He said, pointing at the desired phone
number. He turned to Eric with a questioning look. �Why do you want to call
Mei-chan?� He asked, watching Eric dial.

The little boy shrugged. �I wanna ask her sometin�.� He
said, biting his lower lip as he waited for her to answer. �I want her to help
me look for uncle Duo.�

MJ frowned, having nothing to say to that. He understood
why Eric worried so much, the little boy was very close to their beloved uncle,
but still, he didn�t see any good reason in trying to search for him. Things
will work out like they always do in the adult world. MJ was always certain of
that.

*
*   *

Meiran was a little freaked out as first, when she woke up
to see a grown man lying on the bed next to her, drooling over his pillow. It
took her a few seconds to recognize the mass of hair and leather as her uncle,
and she smiled gently at his sleeping form.

�You really are an idiot, you know that?� She whispered to
him, brushing a few bangs out of his closed eyes. She smiled as she uncovered
his handsome features, petting his cheek gently.

Duo moaned and twitched his nose, as if having an itch.
She chuckled playfully and left him be, withdrawing her hand. �But you can�t
keep running forever, even I know that.� She told him as she got up,
throwing her legs to the floor. She turned around to look at him, her brown
eyes compassionate. �It sucks being an adult, doesn�t it?�

Sighing heavily, she rose off the bed and walked to the
bathroom, closing the door behind her. The sound of running water soon filled
the small room, like a silent lullaby to sooth Duo�s sleep. His aching head was
trying to sleep the pain away, however nothing but awful dreams, filled with
hopelessness and desperation haunted his sleep. He was just caught inside a
dream of his own funeral, one which no one has attended and he was left
standing by the alter, looking down into his own coffin while a large, empty
church stretched into forever behind him. In his dream, there was a sudden
scream, loud and so full of dread, that it was almost inhuman. It rung loudly
in his ears, shaking the church and breaking the color-glass windows. It also
served to jerk him awake, for his mind soon realized that it was no scream, but
the sharp ringing of a phone.

The world was spinning when he opened his eyes. His shirt
was soaked with sweat and he felt terribly hot in his leather jacket. He was
also panting from the impact the dream had on him. The fear of living and dying
alone was far too great. There were tears lingering to the corner of his eyes,
but there weren�t enough to be shed. He was done crying over his misfortune long
ago.

Sighing heavily, Duo turned to face the source of ringing,
and the world blurred into a colorful smudge of colors. He closed his eyes and
reached blindly for the phone, unable to see that it was actually a small,
silver, cell phone.

�Hello..?� He slurred tiredly, his voice heavy and hoarse.
He ran a numb hand through his messy long bangs, sighing.

�Uncle Duo?!� A surprised voice shouted from the other
side of the line, and Duo jumped up in surprise.

Suddenly, his headache grew by tenfold. �Huh?!� He blurted
stupidly, opening his glazed eyes. �Eric? Is that you?� He turned to look
around, trying to recall where the hell was he and how the fuck did he get
there. He was certain that he was home, but now he saw that he was lying on a
small bed in some stinky motel room. What the hell happened to him last night?!

�Uncle Duo... is that really you?� Eric�s small voice
sounded hopeful but yet uncertain. But Duo was too busy to answer. His mind was
filled with flashy images of a pretty Asian girl, memories flickering through
his mind but providing no answers. What the hell did he do last night!? There
was no way he�he�

�Oh God...� Duo whispered, covering his face with his
hand.

�Uncle Duo?� Eric�s voice was now frightened and worried.
�Uncle Duo? It�s me, Eric. Are you okay?�

�Where am I..?� Duo asked himself, still holding the phone
but paying it no mind. He�d completely forgot about his worried nephew. The
only thing he wanted to know was where was he and how did he get there. He
turned over to look at the nightstand by the bed, his weary eyes scanning it
carefully. There was a small matchbox lying on the night table. He clumsily
reached for it, narrowing his eyes in concentration as he read the stylish
letters.

�Little Miss Daisy Motel..?� He mumbled in confusion, his
brows furrowing. �Where the..?�

�Uncle Duo? Is everything all right?� Eric�s worried
little voice came to his ears, reminding him that he was still on the phone.
How the hell would Eric know the phone number to this place? Was this a... a
dream?

�Uh...� Duo moaned miserably, closing his eyes. His head
hurt too much for him to think. His eyelids felt heavy even when they were
closed. His hand was numb and heavy as well. He wasn�t even sure if he was
holding the phone anymore...

His arm fell limply on the bed, dropping the stylish cell
phone. More images flickered through his fading consciousness, more flashy
pictures of that pretty Asian whore and the worriedly look in her pretty
eyes... She was familiar somehow, he thought, drifting back to sleep. She
reminded him of an angry Wufei... why was she angry at him..? It�s not his
fault he was gay...

With fresh tears lingering to his eyelashes, Duo fell
asleep once again, unaware of the worried little voice calling for him or the
sound of the water running in the shower.

*
*   *

Back in his and MJ�s joint room, Eric�s face paled
dramatically as he slowly lowered the phone. �He... hung up...� He mumbled in a
numb voice, turning to look at his older brother with dull and confused eyes.
�He... he sounded... bad.� The little boy murmured, the look in his eyes
showing what awful and dreadful thoughts were running through his head. Tears
began to fill his big blue eyes. He looked up at his brother, sniffling like a
wounded puppy.

�MJ... something�s wrong with uncle Duo!� He cried, his
little heart pounding painfully in his chest. �He didn�t even know who I was!�

The nine-year-old boy, who usually showed little emotion
on his little face, was looking pale and dreadful as well. It took him a few
seconds to compose himself and gather his little brother into his arms. �Don�t
worry...� He mumbled into Eric�s soft chocolate brown hair. He rubbed his small
back soothingly, all the while gathering his wits together, making room for
logical thoughts. �If he answered Mei-chan�s cell phone, it means that he�s
with her.� MJ rationalized.

Beneath him, Eric sniffled and nodded his head. �Right.
And he also said something about a motel...� The little boy mumbled into MJ�s
chest, refusing to pull out of the hug just yet. �He said... he said something
about Miss Daisy...� He sniffled, turning to look up at his brother with sad
blue puppy eyes. �I think... I think... I think something is really wrong,
MJ... He didn�t sound like uncle Duo at all...�

�C�mon, Eric,� MJ soothed, �It�s not like you to cry like
that...�

�But what if... what if... what if something REALLY bad
happened and... and...�

�Shh...� MJ hushed him, petting his head affectionately,
something he rarely did. MJ was not a child who displayed his emotions so freely,
he was very closed off and introvert, but even an indifferent nine-year-old was
all in all, still a nine-year-old boy. A boy who, despite frequent quarrels,
loved his brother dearly. He did not appreciate seeing his kid brother cry.

�The first thing we have to do,� MJ continued, his tone
confident, �Is to find out the motel�s name and its location.�

Eric sniffled, turning to look up at his brother.
�We�re... we�re going to look for him?�

MJ nodded determinedly. �Of course.� He stated and then
carefully pulled away from Eric. �C�mon, we�ll use daddy�s computer.�

*
*   *

Heero looked up from the table in front of him as the
doors to the meeting room closed. He was still a bit stunned from the fact that
the meeting was taking place at the Preventer building, Duo�s former place of
work, and he wasn even more stunned to see Chang Wufei walk into the room,
closing the doors behind him. The Chinese man nodded towards Heero once, as a
greeting, and he didn�t seem so surprise to see Quatre was also there. He greeted
the man with a small smile and took a seat near the end of the table, where Une
was sitting. Opposite to Wufei, sat Heero�s boss. The rest of the joint
executives, from many companies and regions of the world, sat around the table.
Heero sat at the very edge, away from all the so-called VIPs. His job was to be
quiet until he was asked something. He was just there for technical support.

Sighing heavily, Heero leaned back into his comfortable
seat and turned to look out the window. His cobalt eyes scanned the city
wearily as his fingers began tapping silently on the table. He needed to find
Duo.

�Well,� Une began, �Why won�t we start with the
surveillance report? Agent Horkenz, why won�t you go first?�

Heero listened with half an ear as each agent gave his
report regarding the possibilities of espionage. He then tuned the conversation
out completely as each company executives voiced his concerns about the matter.
That was until the mentioning of those words again. The Middle East affair
everyone seemed to be so worried about. Even Une tensed at the mentioning of
the matter. It seemed that something dangerous and illegal was going on down
there, and the technology Heero was helping to develop had something major to
do with it all. He listened carefully as the conversation took an interesting
turn, and Wufei reminded everyone that what was being said was �for your ears
only�. Top secret matters that do not leave this room.

�Otherwise, it will endanger our undercover agents.� He
concluded, narrowing his eyes dangerously as a warning. It gave the right
affect; Heero could see that on the faces of the room�s occupants.

It was in that moment that Heero felt his cell phone began
to vibrate in his back pocket. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, knowing
well enough that he should have turned his phone off when he entered the
building. That was one of the strictest Preventer regulations, oe wae was well
aware of. Instead of turning his mobile off, he just put it on �silent mode�.
It was a silly thing to do because now the annoying device was dancing and
vibrating in his pocket and he was not allowed to pull it out and turn it off.
He tried to ignore the soft buzzing of the phone and concentrated on what was
being said.

�After successfully infiltrating Abu Amir El Habib�s main
factory, our agents have managed to put their hands on some valuable
information.� Wufei informed the group of agents and Businessmen. The lights in
the room were turned off and a projector was turned on, displaying a certain
picture on the wall.

The cell phone stopped dancing in his pocket and Heero
gave out a silent sigh of relief. He settled more comfortably in his seat and
looked up at what was being displayed on the wall in front of him. It was an
extremely high angle view of a building in the middle of the desert.

Using a laser-pen, Wufei pointed the little red dot at the
picture and continued his explanation. �This satellite photo was taken three
weeks ago...�

Again the devious cell phone began to silently buzz and
shudder in his pocket. Heero grunted in annoyance and wiggled awkwardly in his
chair. Who was the stubborn asshole!?

�It took a lot of effort for our agent to escape the
country. His mission ended abruptly four months before schedule, and thus he
could not manage to get close enough to Abu Amir. From what he did
gather, Habib�s men had already copied most of the basic technology to build
the main processor.�

Heero winced at this piece of information. It took the
professor and he about four years to complete the perfect design for the
super-computer�s Central Processing Unit. And in short six months those damn
fools copied all of their work! His fists clenched and his jaw tensed. And the
vibrating cell phone in his back pocket was not helping him to relax at all!

Heero turned his attention back to the meeting, where
Wufei was taking a seat and another agent, a female one, rose to speak. She
changed the picture in the projector and turned back to the meeting table. The
picture on the wall displayed a group of people, most of them wearing either
long black robes, fancy black suits and a keffiyeh (an Arabic head cover). They
were all standing together smiling, while in the background some great event, a
ball or a party, was taking place.

Heero�s cell phone stopped shaking and suddenly he felt as
if the room was very, VERY, silent. A heavy silence that drowned even the sound
of his own breathing. He looked at the picture on the wall, horrified. Among
all of the rich sheiks standing tall, proud and smiling in the picture, was
another strangely familiar face. Heero�s eyes widened slowly, his mouth agape.
Next to the person whom the female agent pointed to be Sheik Abu Amir El Habib,
stood a young man in a black suit and a keffiyeh. Despite the fact that he was
wearing a pair of very thick, black framed, glasses and most of his face was
hidden by the long head cover, his identity did not escape Heero�s mind.

The cell phone in his pocket returned to buzzing and
vibrating with a vengeance, causing Heero to gasp and jump up a little.

A few heads tuned his way in question. Quatre was looking
at him worriedly and Wufei raised an eyebrow.

But couldn�t he see it?! Couldn�t Wufei see it? He
couldn�t expect Quatre to notice, he�d been out of touch for so long, but
Wufei! How could he be so blind?! That man in the picture... that dark skinned,
smiling man who was standing by the Sheik�s side... he was... he was... he was
no other than Ran himself! A spy! He was their spy! It all made sense now!
Perfect, clear and twisted sense! His heart clenched painfully at the
revelation. His blood boiled with anger. How could this be happening? How could
this be happening to Duo? Hasn�t he been through enough!? Why must he lose
another love? Why was fate abusing him so?! What had he done wrong? Duo... he
hadn�t done anything wrong! Why must he suffer like this?! Why!?

All the occupants of the room gasped loudly as Heero
slammed both his hands on the table. The Japanese man jumped up to his feet, a
look of determination and anger on his face. Head Director Une looked up from
her notes in bafflement, and then turned to look at Wufei worriedly. The
Chinese agent nodded his head slightly. He turned back to Heero.

�Yuy, please sit down.� He spoke calmly, but his words
only served to ignite more of the angry blue fire in Heero�s eyes. The blue
orbs were ablaze with anger and frustration. He was torn between pointing out
what he�d just discovered, which will lead to Duo�s unhappiness, or keep his
mouth shut and sit back down. The dilemma was not as easy to solve as it may
seem. He might be a law-keeping citizen, a man who cared for his country and
the company he worked for, but he cared for Duo even more. He was willing to
watch the project go down the drain if Duo will receive his happiness in
return. Then again, his rational mind interfered, Duo could never be happy
spending his time with a spy. Sooner or later, the fantasy will dissolve into a
bitter, black, tragic ending.

The cell phone in his pocket stopped again. His heart was
beating frantically.

�Heero, please.� Wufei tried again, rising slowly from his
seat. �I understand the reason for you being so upset, but I assure you that I
had no other choice. This had to be kept a secret.�

Heero blinked, confused. Slowly, he turned to look at
Wufei. �A... secret?�

�We were keeping a close eye on Ran and Duo,� Une
interjected, �Through A.D Wufei, and I ordered him not to tell anyone of this.
It would have risked the mission, and our agent�s life.�

This was too much to absorb. He turned stiffly to look at
Une. �Your... agent?� He swallowed, trying to process all of this new
information. �Ran is your agent? I thought... I thought he was a... He�s...
not... he�s not a spy?�

In his seat, Quatre giggled silently and tried to cover it
up as a cough. �Heero, don�t be silly.� He spoke softly, looking up at his
former comrade with amused eyes. �Don�t you think we would have known if Ran
was working against us? Wufei had been close enough to both parties in order to
know.�

Embarrassed, Heero smiled sheepishly and nodded his head.
�Yeah, I... I suppose so.�

His cell phone was buzzing again. He really wanted to be
out of this place already. All the gazes were locked on him, he was afraid that
they�ll discover that his mobile was still on. He turned back to Wufei.

�And knowing this, you let those two come together?� Heero
asked, his voice harsh and his eyes burning fiercely. �Knowing what it will do
to Duo when Ran leaves him?�

Wufei sighed and lowered his head in shame. �I had no
choice. I didn�t want this to happen, I warned Ran, but... they were happy
together. I didn�t want to take that from Duo.�

�Gentlemen,� Une spoke up again, her tone harsh but her
gaze soft. �I understand your need to discuss this, but this is not the time or
place. Please, let us continue with the meeting.�

�Yes Ma�am.� Wufei muttered and took his seat. Heero
remained standing a while longer, noting that the vibration of his cell phone
was shorter this time, indicating and arriving text message. He decided that
whoever was desperate to contact him had something important to say. Perhaps it
was Duo who was trying to call him. He couldn�t wait any longer. As the meeting
recommenced and the gazes were averted from him to the screen, Heero pulled out
his phone. There was a message there from Sarah. His eyes widened as he read
over the short SMS message:

�HEERO- THE KIDS ARE MISSING!!!!!!!!�

He gasped, nearly dropping the phone. His heart missed a
beat and a slight dizziness attacked him. He wobbled a little in his spot,
nearly falling. He couldn�t� stay here a minute longer! He... he had to find
Duo and tell him... he... he had to find him... he had to... he had to find his
kids!

Wasting no more time Heero rushed out of the room,
bursting out the doors and making a racket as he left. Quatre looked after him
stunned, and then turned to look at Wufei. The Chinese Preventer was looking
worried as well. There was also regret in his eyes, the honest remorse for
lying to both Heero and Duo. However, he will have to apologize for it later.
Right now, the meeting was more important. He was sure that Heero would be able
to solve things between Duo and Ran. For now, he will leave it all to him.
Making short eye contact with Quatre, Wufei cold tell that the blond
businessman had understood his thoughts and for now, agreed with them. The two
returned their attention the meeting, all the while worrying for their two
close friends.

*
*   *

�Are you sure that this is the right place?� Eric asked
uncertainly as he clung to his brother�s Jacket. The two just stepped out of
the bus and were now standing in one of the more questionable parts of town.
The neighborhood looked like all those places the TV showed late at night, when
their parents did not allow them to watch television. The buildings were shabby
looking, the streets dirty, the cars old and the people uncaring or even
hostile. It was nothing like the quiet suburb they lived in their entire young
life. The big city was a scary place for the two youngsters, though MJ did his
best not to show it. He glared at anyone who looked at him too lengthily for
his liking, his cold expression and cool composer suggesting that the little
boy, despite his age, was not to be messed with.

There was a certain air of supremacy and strength around
the silent boy, his solemn looks and calculated features showing wisdom beyond
his age. His icy greenish-blue eyes scanned the streets carefully, always on
the lookout for something dangerous. He�d read enough newspapers and seen
enough movies to know that he and Eric had no business to be in such a place.
Nevertheless, their mission was too important to let this little fact interfere
and become a weakness. They had to find Duo, and that�s all that mattered.

Eric for his part did not display such courage and
determination as his older brother. The six year old was frightened and
insecure, clinging to his brother�s small jacket like a frightened puppy.
Usually MJ would have rebuked him for such behavior, calling him a
�scaredy-cat� and such, but right now he didn�t. Eric was thankful for that. He
liked MJ when he was like this, a pillar of strength and comfort. He felt safe
when he was with him, just like he did when he was around his mommy or daddy.
He refused to let go of MJ, his blue eyes looking around fearfully as they
walked the streets and narrow allies, searching for the place that was marked
on the map MJ was holding.

�It should be around here.� MJ�s quiet, apathetic, voice
spoke up, as the black-haired boy looked down at the map he was holding, and
then back at the street. He used his index finger to push his glasses up the
bridge of his nose, his fierce green/blue eyes scanning their environment
closely. He settled his gaze on one of the street signs that displayed the name
of the street, nodded a slight affirmative to himself and returned to the map.
�The motel is just a block ahead. C�mon, lets go.�

Swallowing hard, Eric arranged his small backpack and
hurried to catch up with his brother�s footsteps. For some reason, he got the
feeling that they�re going to get into a hell of a lot trouble for this...

*   *   *

�Would you like some breakfast? I�m starving!� Meiran
asked as she flopped herself into the small armchair facing the bed. She was
dressed in the same evening attire she wore the night before, only this time
there was a towel wrapped and twisted up on her head. On the bed, Duo was lying
as limp as a log, his arm tossed casually over his eyes.

�Uh... wha.. what?� He mumbled, peeking behind a small
crack between his arm and face.

Meiran chuckled. �Maybe you should go to shower first.
I�ll see if I can fetch you a cup of STRONG coffee...�

Duo blinked, surprised. �Meiran?!� He called out, as if
seeing her for the first time.

The girl snorted and rolled her eyes. �Ok, make that TWO
cups...� She shook her head in amusement. �Did you hit your head last night or
something?�

Duo frowned, slowly getting up. He groaned at the effort
and reached up to hold his head as if it would fall. �I, uh... no. I just... I
thought... well... forget it...� He slurred and blinked to arrange his vision.
The room was spinning in slow motion. He carefully placed his legs on the
floor, taking a deep breath before trying to get up. �How did you find me
here?� He asked hoarsely, stumbling towards the bathroom.

�Don�t you remember?� The teenage girl asked, surprised.
�I bumped into you in an alley.�

�Oh.� Duo let out, trying to coordinate his movements in
order to properly reach for a clean towel hanging on the shower�s door. �So it
was you...�

Meiran rolled her eyes. �Who else would it be!? Gosh, just
pull yourself together so we can get outta here. I promised dad I�ll be home by
noon. He�s gonna KILL me if I�ll be late... He hates it when he doesn�t know
where I am...�

She wasn�t sure if her uncle heard her or not, because
usually he would reply humorously to such a comment, but this time he just
entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him. It was so odd to see him
silent. Too odd. Unnerving. She longed for him to smile again. Things were just
not right when her uncle was acting so depressed.

Instead of brooding over her uncle�s misfortune, she set
herself on the task of getting him some coffee. She hurried to dry her hair;
slip into her high-heeled boots and then stepped outside. She made her way to
the small lobby, looking for the vending machines. It was in that moment, when
she was making her way towards the hot beverages machine in the corner of the
lobby, that two little kids entered the motel.

The taller of the two marched determinedly towards the
service counter, followed by a smaller, frightened looking boy. The smaller boy
was clinging to his brother�s jacket, refusing to let go even when the other
tried to brush him off.

�Eric, let go for a second!� MJ snapped, whirling around
to glare at his little brother. His answer was a pair of large tearful eyes and
trembling lips.

�But...� Eric mumbled, so scared he was about to cry. He�d
seen on the TV how many psycho murderers roamed such shabby looking motels. He
wasn�t stupid; he knew that there was some masked, black clad murder with an ax
waiting to chop him to pieces. �But...� He whimpered again, looking up at his
brother with large blue puppy eyes.

MJ rolled his eyes. �Fine. You can hold my hand.� He
grumbled and snatched Eric�s hand. He then turned back to the counter, and
while standing on his tiptoes, he peeked beyond the counter.

In the corner of the lobby, Meiran picked up two paper
cups of steaming coffee and turned around carefully. She only took two steps
forward when she finally noticed the two. One cup slipped from her fingers and
fell to the floor. Her eyes widened impossibly and her jaw fell open. It was
just NOT possible that such a thing will happen TWICE in less than twenty-four
hours! First Duo... then her two cousins..? What was going on?!

*
*   *

Heero had started with only one clue as for the
whereabouts of his kids. Sarah told him that she found her private hand-written
phonebook in the kids� bedroom, and from what she could gather they were
calling Meiran. When the two tried to call the girl, there was no answer. They
hurried to call Sally and ask her if she�d seen the kids and if they were with
Meiran. Sally�s answer was that Meiran went to sleep over at a friend�s house.
The girl was still not answering the phone when her mother tried to call her.

Now it was Sally�s turn to be worried. She tried
contacting her husband, but his cell phone was closed. She didn�t think twice
and joined Heero and Sarah in their search. They headed to Meiran�s friend
house. To their surprise, and Sally�s shock, Meiran wasn�t there. Her friend confessed,
after a lot of persuading from Heero�s part, that Meiran and she went
out clubbing last night. Meiran disappeared sometimes during the night. She
hasn�t seen her since.

Sally was about to faint and Sarah was on the verge of
crying. Heero was both angry and confused, trying to remain calm and reasonable
in this time of crisis. He told Sally and Sarah to make their way quickly to
Preventer HQ. In the meantime, he will go and search the area Meiran had
disappeared in. Maybe there was a connection between her disappearance and the
kids� whereabouts. They could only hope for the best.

He kissed his wife goodbye and did his best to soothe her,
promising that everything will be all right. Sarah was holding Aya protectively
in her arms, holding onto her so hard as if she was afraid that the baby would
disappear as well. With tearful green eyes and trembling lips she nodded her
head and tried to smile at him, giving him some sort of reassurance that it�s
all right to leave her for the time being. Taking a deep breath, Heero nodded
in response and bent to kiss Aya�s little head. He then ran back to the car,
slamming the door behind him. Rocking Aya in her arms, Sarah watched the 4x4
drive off quickly.

Sally wrapped a warm arm around Sarah�s shoulders and carefully
guided her away. �Come on, I called a cab.� She said soothingly, though her own
voice was also shaking. �We�ll call him when we get to Preventer.�

In a matter of minutes, Heero was in the center of town.
He broke almost every traffic law there was while driving there. When he
arrived at the main entertainment area, he parked his jeep on the sidewalk and
jumped out of it quickly. He began scanning the area by foot, looking in ever
alley, every bar or club, just like he did the previous night while looking for
Duo. He was too tired from last night�s search, but he was not willing to rest
until he had his kids safe in his arms. The thought that something bad had
happened to them was just too much. He would rather go through the Hell he�d
been in fifteen years ago than to see any harm come to his children.

*
*   *

After spending nearly an hour under the hot current in the
shower, Duo was ready to step out. His body was still numb and clammy from the
shower but his mind was more or less awake. He longed for that cup of coffee
Mei-chan had mentioned. He toweled and dressed quickly and then proceeded to
drying his shoulder length hair with the towel. The bathroom was very silent
and therefore he was surprised when suddenly a very out-of-place sound hit his ears.

�COOL!� A few childish giggles and the clapping of hands
followed the cheerful call. The laughter was not hard to recognize. With a
gasp, Duo burst out of the shower.

�Eric?!� He called, his violet eyes wide and stunned as
they locked onto the small figure jumping up and down on the bed. �What the
hell are you doing here?!� He blurted in confusion, his eyes darting to where
Meiran was standing by the bed, smiling at her little cousin. She turned to her
uncle with a smile.

�They were looking for you.� She explained with an amused
gaze.

Duo turned to scan the room and all color drained from his
face as he saw MJ standing there too, waving a small hello and smirking to his
face.

�I think I should sit down...� Duo mumbled, walking
awkwardly towards the bed. Eric, who was still bouncing on the bed, hurried to
jump at his uncle the minute the man sat down at the edge of the bed. He
grinned from ear to ear and launched at him from behind, giving him a big hug.

�Uncle Duo! Uncle Duo! I got you!� The boy chanted happily,
continuing to bounce even as he hugged Duo, which only caused the tow to bounce
together. Duo was about to throw up and his headache was not getting any
better. He let himself fall back on the bed, collapsing onto the mattress just
when Eric finally let go of him. He closed his eyes and threw an arm over them,
sighing deeply. The bed was moving as Eric continued to jump and the room was
too loud for him all of a sudden.

Sighing deeply, he let his hand drop limply to the bed and
looked up at the ceiling with dull violet eyes.

�Heero is going to KILL me...�

The
last part will be here shortly (I hope). Are you still with me here or am I
writing to myself? ^^;;

Naomi

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