Call Close

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is not owned by me, it is owned by Sotsuo, Bandai, and various other companies. This work of fiction is meant for entertainment only, no profit is made.

Note: I'm all about criticism. If I've typoed or something just looks dumb, feel free to drop me a line.
Call Close
Shai PeriHawk


Duo was pretty sure the last attempt was the sixth on Relena's life in the last two weeks. He felt stretched thin, like a rubber band about to break. He rubbed his face wearily and studied Relena across the small expanse of the limo. She appeared to be completely absorbed in her notes.

"I called Heero."

Paper flew in all directions, most of it crumpled in her fists. "Why?" she hissed. Her eyes were narrow with rage, but behind that he thought he saw-

Duo shook his head, sure he was mistaken. "Look at me, Princess." Duo gestured to his face. "I'm slowing down. This guy is really out to get you, and I just can't keep up by myself." And how it burned to say that. The limo pulled to a stop, they'd arrived. "He's meeting me here during your session. We can talk about it after," he said firmly.

He was out the door in seconds, eyes peeled. Pagan stepped passed at his at his signal to help Relena out of the car.

Most would swear there was nothing to tip him off, but the blur of motion was impossible to sort out on security cameras even days later. Duo tackled Relena back into the car. Pagan hit the asphalt, blood pouring from a mangled shoulder. Duo fumbled with the opposite door handle, but it was yanked from his fingers and there was Heero.

Together, they tucked a struggling Relena between them and rushed to the nearest door in a half-crouch.

"Pagan!" Relena shrieked, fighting the men trying to get her to safety.

They made it through the door and out of immediate danger. Duo hauled the still-struggling Relena over one shoulder. "Now what?" he asked Heero.

"Now you put me down!"

Duo smacked her square on the butt. "Remember the terms," he said sharply. She subsided abruptly, earning a curious glance from Heero.

“There's an underground tunnel to the garage below here. My car is there,” he said instead of asking questions.

Duo nodded in acceptance and followed Heero through the tunnels beneath the political complex. Amazingly, Relena kept silent through the entire trip, though he could feel the tension radiating from her body in waves. Heero led them to a black sedan with windows so dark they couldn't be legal.

He let Relena slide to the ground as the other man checked the vehicle for traps and bombs. She stared at him with a tight jaw, as if to say “this isn't over.” Duo smiled, because he knew it was far from over.

Heero slapped the key into Duo's hand and ushered Relena into the back seat. Just like that, her back was up again. The long-haired pilot/bodyguard smiled and slimbed into the driver's seat. It really was a beautiful car.

Relena glared at Duo. “Take me home.”

Duo glanced in the rear view mirror at Relena's frigid posture and Heero's impa- Wait.

Was that the smallest hint of a smile on Heero's face?

"Not yet. We need to discuss some things first," Heero said. Again, Duo was shocked. Heero had unbent slightly over the years, but a whole conversation?

"What could we possibly have to talk about?" Relena asked stiffly.

"Someone is trying very hard to kill you," he said shortly. "Given this-" he squeezed her healing arm until she winced. "Today was not the first attempt. Nor does the assassin care where he gets to you. Whatever you're doing is not enough."

Duo cringed. As much as it stung, Heero was right. He kept his lips sealed in a tight line and let Heero take the show.

Relena's posture grew implausibly stiffer. "The ministry has people looking into it." Duo was rather surprised anything could get passed those tense lips.

"If they were doing their jobs, your friend would not be in the hospital," Heero said coldly. He pulled a mobile phone from his pocket and hit a speed dial. When the other side picked up, Duo could hear Wufei's shout from his spot in the driver's seat. He repressed the urge to cower. No one did flamingly furious quite like Wufei. Heero had no qualms about interrupting his partner mid-tirade. "Did you see the news?" Pause. "I'm with her and Duo right now...She says the Ministry is on it." Wufei's derisive snort had no trouble crossing the cellular waves. "Exactly. Will you look into it?" At Wufei's curt reply, Heero hung up.

"Man, I almost feel bad for the assassin," Duo commented with a long whistle. He smirked at Heero's sharp look. "Hey, I said almost."

"Eyes on the road, baka,"  was Heero's only comment.

"Does this mean you've joined Team Keep-Relena-Alive-Through-The-Mars-Mission?" Duo asked nonchalantly.

"Keep Relena alive, period."

The woman in question gasped at that, eyes wide with confusion. Duo was sure his grin would split his face, any moment, he could see her thoughts flit across her face. It was a big change from the chronic death threats then silent indifference of the last ten years. Then her face hardened. "We are managing just fine, thank you."

Heero ignored her and reached for the buttons on her blouse. "Let me see your wound."

Even the unflappable perfect solder was unprepared for Relena's violence at that demand. Duo nearly swerved off the road. By the time he looked back again, Heero straddled Relena, her hands pinned under his knees. He was still careful as he slid the blue silk down her arms and peeled back the large white bandage. Duo saw the moment he froze His stomach dropped to his knees. Had she hid an infection from him?"

"How long since you were shot?"

"Two days before I called Duo." Her words were hard, almost challenging.

"And the knife wounds?"

That brought the car to a screeching halt on the shoulder of the country road. Duo was out of the drive door and in the back seat before either of his passengers could recover. He studied the angle and awkward inconsistent depths of the slices angling down from the mostly healed crease in her arm.

"You did this yourself." He didn't pose it as a question, but- He brushed his fingers close to the oldest wound, close enough to touch the hair on her arm. “When was this one?” he asked quietly.

Relena swallowed and looked determinedly not at Duo. “The day after I was shot.”

His fist hit the roof of Heero's car. Relena flinched, but didn't move her gaze. He visibly swallowed his rage, at himself, at her, he didn't know. “When was the last time?" And how had he not noticed?

Relena held herself erect, staring straight into Heero's chest. "The day before the ear plugs."

Duo really didn't know what to do with that. He returned to the driver's seat and started back to the estate.