Eternal Flame

Disclaimer: I don\'t own the G Boys, I just borrow them from time to time and return them a whole lot happier ne? :) I do however own Shane, Paul, Colin, Mickey, Benny, Toby, Fayah and any other unfamiliar characters that crop up. I also own the plot if you can call it that.

Rating: NC 17

Warnings: Sap, angst, OC, Lemon, Lime, abuse, violence, language.

Pairings: 1x2x1, 3x4x3, 5xS, OC x OC and maybe some more... check each part to be sure ;)

Archive: http://gundam-wing-diaries.150m.com
http://sweetlysour.net
http://www.adult-fanfiction.org
http://www.theforsakenwk.com/

Status: Work in progress.

Beta: DBZVelena... *huggles*

Author: ShenLong

Authors notes: *sigh* Well here I am again caving into pressure. I know it has taken a while to get to this and for that I apologize but I could not come up with a plot I deemed worthy enough.... until now. This is yet another sequel... this time to United Hearts. I did promise I would write the wedding for you all and I intend to do that. For those that haven\'t read United or Lost Souls I recommend that you do, otherwise this sequel will not make much sense. All of your favorite characters are back and up to as much mischief as possible.
This is set fourteen mo aft after the end of United and all the children are older now. The Gundam Pilots are all 20yrs, Shane and Fayah are 16, Paul is 15, Colin is 14, Mickey is 12, Benny is 10 1/2 and not forgetting that little rascal Toby who is 10.
Thank you to all those who supported me through the writing of United, I hope you enjoy this just as much.


\"Eternal Flame\"

Started April 2003 ShenLong.


Chapter 36

Quatre stopped for a second outside the medical bay doors and straightened his shirt. He went to run his hands through his hair but the bandage there reminded him that it probably wasn\'t a good idea. He pushed the button and the door opened to admit him to the outer section of the medical bay. The noise inside, whilst not loud, was constant. It reminded Quatre of a beehive in a way. The steady droning and the hustle and bustle as people moved around. He caught a sweeper by the arm. \"I\'m looking for Trowa. Do you know where he is?\"

\"Just go through those doors there, along the corridor to the second door on your right. That\'s where they\'re treating him. Now if you will excuse me I need to finish preparing for the other wounded that are due to arrive in the next few minutes.\"

\"Thank you.\" Quatre released the sweeper and passed thorough the doors the man had indicated. He stopped by the second door on the right. The door was open but Quatre hesitated on the threshold, unsure if he should enter or not.

Trowa spotted him from his position sitting on the examination bed and motioned for him to come in.

Quatre entered and walked calmly to the bedside. \"How are you?\"

\"I\'ll live.\" Trowa gave his lover a soft smile.

Quatre smiled back and looked up as the medic came over from the bench he\'d been working at, carrying a bowl of something which he placed on a small, moveable tray next to the bed. \"What\'s the status?\" he asked.

\"He\'s a lucky man. That wasn\'t exactly the smoothest of landings I\'ve seen,\" the medic replied. \"He has pulled muscles in his back and shoulders, slight concussion and his right knee is strained. There are a few superficial burns to his hands and his left wrist is broken. I\'m going to set that now. Other than that, he\'s in perfect shape.\" The medic flashed a grin at Quatre and then proceeded to dip the bandages in the warm water and smooth them over Trowa\'s wrist, the wrist having already been x-rayed and positioned correctly, held in place with another bandage.

Quatre and Trowa both remained silent while the medic worked and soon the wrist was encased in a nice little white cast. The medic left to dispose of the utensils then returned to see how the cast was setting. He tapped it a few times, satisfied it was hardening properly. \"Is that comfortable?\" he asked Trowa.

\"It\'s fine, thank you.\"

\"It will need to stay on for four to six weeks. When you get back home, have your usual doctor check it out and remove it when it\'s healed.\"

\"Thank you, I will.\"

\"I \'m afraid I will have to ask you if you can vacate the room in the next few minutes. We have a few injured coming in from the rebel ships and we\'re going to need all the space we can get. Your head, sir.\" The medic nodded to Quatre\'s bandaged head. \"If you come back down a little later, we can clean that up properly for you.\"

\"Thanks, I\'ll do that but for now it isn\'t important. Is there anything Trowa should or shouldn\'t be doing?\"

\"He\'s to remain quiet. I would prefer him to lie down in a darkened room for at least twelve hours under observation but somehow I can\'t see him doing that.\" The look on Trowa\'s face confirmed the medic\'s words. \"Just be sure to try and avoid any further excitement, take the pain killers and if the wrist hurts unduly or the headache worsens or doesn\'t improve, then come back immediately.\" The medic then turned and exited the room, leaving the pair alone.

As soon as they were sure they were alone, Quatre placed his arms around Trowa\'s neck and kissed his lover soundly. It was a kiss of affection, adoration, desperation and frustration. \"Don\'t you ever scare me like that again!\" Quatre scolded as he pulled away from his lover\'s lips. \"I thought I\'d lost you, Trowa.\"

\"I\'m sorry,\" Trowa replied and then began to feather kisses all over his lover\'s face by way of apology. \"I scared myself for a moment there when the shuttle wouldn\'t release. I thought we had really bitten the bullet this time.\" Trowa\'s voice was low and hitched, indicating to Quatre just how deeply this had affected him.

\"You should have tried it from my end. It was horrible just sitting there and watching, unable to do anything to help.\" Quatre could feel the adrenaline of the battle starting to leave his system and along with it the shields he wore when fighting, leaving him open, vulnerable and more than a little emotionally exhausted.

They stayed locked in each other\'s arms for a little while longer, drawing comfort and strength from just holding and being held. The sudden increase in activity in the corridor alerted them that the shuttles must have returned and reluctantly they pulled apart. \"We should get out of here and leave the medic\'s to attend to the wounded,\" said Trowa with a sigh.

\"Yes, we should. Howard will be needing me back in the control room,\" replied Quatre.

Trowa slid from the examination table and took a moment to steady himself. Quatre\'s arm went automatically around Trowa\'s waist to support the taller man and the pair of them made their way slowly from the medical bay and back to the control room.

~ * ~

Wufei piloted the small shuttle into the cargo bay of the Zodiac, bringing the craft to a smooth stop. Immediately the cargo bay doors closed and when the pressure was equalized, he popped the hatch and the sweepers escorted their \'prisoners\' from the ship and through to the holding area that Howard had secured and set aside for them. Once Wufei was satisfied that they wouldn\'t be going anywhere, he left two sweepers positioned as guards at the door and headed for the control room to see what the current status was with the remainder of the agents and the operation.

He was greeted by Trowa and Quatre, both looking a little worse for wear but otherwise okay. \"05 reporting that carrier crew are now in secure in sector 4.\"

\"Thanks, Wufei. Did you have any problems?\" Quatre asked.

\"No. They were very amicable once they realized that there was no escape and the dolls were defeated,\" Wufei replied. \"How are you, Barton?\"

\"I\'ll be fine. Just a broken wrist and a few cuts and bruises.\"

\"You look like you could do with visiting the medic yourself, Wufei,\" Howard said as he noted the slightly stiff gait and way the Chinese man held his body.

\"It isn\'t anything much. A few bruised ribs and minor cut to the leg.\"

\"That may well be, but as Captain of this ship it\'s my responsibility to look after the crew and I order you to go and see the medic, then you can report back here and we will tie up the loose ends and notify Preventer of the situation.\" Howard\'s tone told Wufei he wouldn\'t tolerate any insubordination and so the Chinese pilot bowed and then departed.

\"Second shuttle is approaching, Howard,\" Thomas, the sweeper who was monitoring the scanners stated.

\"Thanks. Shuttle Beta, this is Control.\"

\"Beta here, Control. Go ahead.\"

\"Enter through cargo bay doors three. Assistance is awaiting you there.\"

\"Roger that, Control. Beta out.\"

Howard turned to the intercom system and alerted the medics to the impending arrival of the shuttle, then removing his head phones, he ran a weary hand over his head. \"I swear, if I wasn\'t already partly bald I soon would be with the excitement you lot put me through. This isn\'t good for a man of my age.\"

\"Not thinking of retiring are you, Howard?\" Trowa laughed.

\"Somehow I don\'t think I will get that luxury.\"

\"Admit it, Howard. You\'re enjoying this despite what you\'re saying.\" Quatre turned to look at the older man, an amused smile on his face. \"Somehow I can\'t picture you sitting back in one of those old rocking chairs watching the world pass you by.\"

\"No, you\'re right about that. I guess I will still be up here in one of these ships, pounding the corridors with my walking frame.\"

Trowa snorted and Quatre went into a fit of giggles, the mental picture of Howard traversing the corridors of a ship, armed with a walking frame was just too funny for words.

\"As long as he isn\'t in one of those motorized wheelchairs,\" muttered Thomas from his position at the scanner screen.

\"I heard that!\" exclaimed Howard but there was a lightness to his voice. \"Just be thankful I haven\'t got a walking stick.\"

\"Shuttle Beta has entered the cargo bay, Howard,\" Thomas said, changing the subject.

\"Right. Let\'s go on down there and see how Duo and Heero are, shall we?\"

\"We\'re right behind you, Howard.\" Trowa and Quatre followed the older man out of the control room and towards the cargo bay.

~ * ~

Heero piloted the shuttle through the doors and brought the craft to a stop. Moments later he was given the all clear to open the hatch. He flipped the switch to open the hatch as he powered down the shuttle and checked everything was in order. Then he unclipped his seat belt and waited for Duo to join him, the pair moving back through the shuttle to where the sweepers were escorting the prisoners away and the medic crews waited to car care of the injured.

As Bob was unloaded and placed onto a gurney so Heero stepped forward to speak with the man who had regained consciousness. \"You\'re safe now, Martins. You\'re on board the Zodiac, a sweeper ship. She has a fully qualified medic on board and they\'re going to take you through to surgery.\"

Bob nodded weakly and motioned for Heero to lean in closer, which Heero did. \"Can you... If I don\'t make it can you let Leith know that I\'m proudhim him and I love him very much...?\"

\"You can tell him yourself when we arrive back on Earth,\" Heero returned.

Duo intervened. \"What my partner m is, is, he\'ll make sure that Leith gets the message but yer gonna be fine and able ta tell him yerself so don\'t give up now.\"

Bob smiled and then coughed.

\" sor sorry, sirs; I need to get the patient to surgery right now. Please, step aside,\" the medic said as he went to push the gurney away.

Heero and Duo complied, watching as the medic and Bob disappeared through the doors. The rest of the injured were being taken away to be treated so Heero stepped back into the shuttle to fetch Grant. It wasn\'t easy to persuade the man to leave the shuttle. Despite his injury, Grant twisted, fought and struggled every step of the way, the madness in his eyes showing and Heero was expecting him to start foaming at the mouth any minute now. The man\'s complaints and abuse could be heard long before he was even out of the shuttle. Just as Heero got him to the door so Quatre, Trowa and Howard arrived.

\"You mother fucker! I\'ll see you dead for this.\"

\"Nice language,\" commented Quatre drily.

\"You should hear him when he\'s in full rant mode,\" returned Trowa.

\"You\'re nothing but a low down ass licking, mother fucking son of a two bit whore...\"

\"I thought Duo had a rather extensive vocabulary at times but I reckon he could teach Duo a few new words,\" mused Howard.

\"Who could teach me some new words?\" said Duo as he appeared at the side of the three.

\"Him.\" Howard nodded in the direction of Grant.

\"I\'m fucking well injured, you son of a bitch! Fuck off and get me some medical attention before I rip your arms off and shove them so far up your fucking arse you will be able to scratch your tonsils from the inside.\"

Trowa rolled his eyes and walked over to where Heero was holding the prisoner, awaiting the returnone one of the medics. \"I think I\'ve heard enough from your foul mouth.\"

Grant turned and looked at the lanky man. \"Oh, it\'s you, another mother fucking fairy. Anyone ever tell you how ridiculous you look with that mop of hair over your face? You\'re no better than this cock sucking basta....\"

Grant was suddenly silenced as Trowa reached out with his right hand and carefully applied pressure to the man\'s neck area, effectively putting him to sleep. \"I would prefer it if you kept your insults to yourself.\"

\"Thank you, Trowa,\" the blonde said, his cheeks red with embarrassment from the language that had been coming from the prisoner\'s mouth. While Quatre was no prude, he really couldn\'t see why it was necessary to continue to use such language. At that moment the medic returned and stopped in his tracks when he saw the unconscious Grant.

\"We thought we would save yer the trouble of wastin a perfectly good anesthetic on a piece of shit,\" quipped Duo as the medic studied his \'patient\'.

\"Just be careful, he\'s extremely dangerous and madder than a hornet. I wouldn\'t attempt to treat him in any way until he is completely sedated and then make sure he remains restrained,\" Heero informed the medic.

\"Take Anderson with you to assist and act as guard,\" said Howard and the said man walked over. Anderson was a large, burly sweeper. His upper torso bulged with muscle, yet Duo knew him to be one of the gentlest people he\'d ever met. Still, it didn\'t pay to tangle with him.

Anderson picked up Grant as if he were nothing more than a sack of potatoes and tossed him over his shoulder. \"Show me where you want him,\" Anderson said to the medic.

\"Stay and guard him at all times, Anderson,\" Howard shouted aftee ree retreating form. Now that the bay was pretty much empty, Howard turned his attention back to the two pilots who had just returned. \"You both okay?\"

\"Yeah, we\'re just dandy, Howie.\"

\"I\'m perfectly capable of continuing to function,\" replied Heero.

\"We know you\'re both capable of continuing to function as you put it, Heero, but we want to know what damage you have suffered and don\'t tell me none because I can see the blood on the pair of you, not to mention your step isn\'t as fluid as normal, Heero; and Duo, you\'re favoring your one shoulder more than the other.\" Quatre stared at the pair as if defying them to contradict his observations.

\"Neither one of us is seriously hurt but we promise ta be good little Gundam pilots and go see the medic, mother,\" Duo said sarcastically.

\"Good. I suggest you get going now. Once you\'ve been attended to, report back to the control room for a quick debriefing, we need to contact Une and give her a report status,\" Quatre said, ignoring Duo\'s sam.
m.

\"Ohhh..... debriefing eh? I think Heero, not to mention Trowa, would get a little put out if yer tried ta debrief me, Quat, \'sides I don\'t wear briefs... Ow!\" Duo spun around as Heero thwapped him across the backside.

\"Shut up, baka!\" Heero glared at his lover, but there was a softness in his eyes. \"I\'m sure everyone here is not the least bit interested in what you wear for underwear.\"

\"Hey! At least I wear underwear, unlike some other... Errr... I think we should go ta medical now, Hee-chan.\" Duo quickly shut his mouth realizing he was giving away far too much information.

\"Yes, I think you should, and while you\'re there, see if Wufei has finished being treated,\" Trowa stated calmly.

Heero and Duo disappeared off towards the medical bay,; Howard, Trowa and Quatre once more returned to the control room.

~ * ~

The medic had just finished treating Wufei when Heero and Duo arrived. \"I hope there aren\'t too many more of you, I\'m fast running out of supplies,\" he said as he dropped the scissors into a small kidney dish.

\"I\'m pretty sure we\'re the last.\" Heero moved inside the small room. \"Chang,\" he nodded.

\"Yuy. Good to see you\'re still in one piece.\" Wufei stepped down from the examination bed and reached for his shirt and pants. He winced a little as he pulled the shirt back on. Noticing Heero\'s eyebrow quirk, he felt the need to respond. \"Bruised ribs. Cockpit harness.\" Then seeing Duo\'s eyes drift to the top of his leg he quickly added. \"Cut from debris.\"

Duo whistled. \"If it had been much higher I\'d be tellin\' Sally ta ferget all about havin\' kids,\" he quipped, pleased to see the Chinaman blush a little.

\"Quatre wants us all to report to the control room for debriefing and contacting headquarters., once we are given the all clear by the medics,\" Heero stated and began to remove his flight suit for the medic to take a look at his bullet graze.

\"So he said. I will head there now.\" Wufei gave a small bow and left.

Duo watched him go and then strode over to sit in the chair and watch while the medic cleaned up the graze to Heero\'s upper arm. \"How\'s it lookin\'?\"

\"Fortunately it hasn\'t penetrated to the muscle layer, so it is more a skin abrasion than anything. Just a clean up and some antibiotics should see it heal,\" replied the medic.

\"What about the one on his thigh?\"

Heero growled but Duo ignored him.

\"I\'ll look at that one in a moment.\" The medic continued his work and soon Heero\'s wounds were cleaned and bandaged. Once done with the Japanese man he turned to the American. \"Your turn.\"

Duo reluctantly traded places with Heero and let the medic probe his scalp, but drew the line at letting him cut away any of the hair, arguing that he would make sure to keep the wound site clean of his own accord and if he suffered an infection because of his lack of cooperation then it would be his own damn fault and he would suffer the consequences. The medic grit his teeth, knowing to argue would be futile once Duo had set his mind, so instead he set to cleaning the wound site and applying a couple of butterfly stitches to the area. Once Duo\'s head was treated the medic switched to his shoulder, probing and pushing, checking that nothing was broken before giving his diagnosis.

\"You have strained the muscles to this shoulder quite severely. I will need to strap it and you are ordered to rest the shoulder for at leasteek.eek.\" The medic began the task of strapping Duo\'s shoulder, ignoring the mutters from the braided man. \"There, all finished. Here,\" he said, passing Duo a small bottle of pills. \"I want you to take two of these twice a day, they\'re anti-inflammatories,\" he added when he saw Duo\'s frown. \"I know you don\'t like taking drugs of anye ane and normally I wou't i't issue them on that knowledge, but, your shoulder has been severely stressed and these will help it heal a lot quicker.\"

Duo sighed and took the pills. \"Okay, Doc.\" He reached for his shirt and carefully shrugged back into it. \"We free ta go now?\"

\"Yes, in a moment. I need to give you both an antibiotic injection first.\"

Duo sighed. He hated needles but duly rolle his his sleeve, only to have the medic shake his head. \"Huh?\"

\"Drop the pants. This one goes in the rear.\"

\"Fuck!\" Duo rolled his sleeve back down again and then undid his pants, pulling them down just enough for the medic to \'swab and stab\'. \"Shit! Do yer hafta be so damn sadistic?!\" he growled as the medic injected the penicillin.

\"Sorry.\" The medic couldn\'t help the grin though. He turned to Heero. \"You\'re next.\"

Heero turned and dropped his flight suihe mhe medic injected the antibiotic and Heero quickly pulled the suit back on. \"Are we free to leave now?\"

\"Yes.\"

\"Good.\" Duo rubbed his backside. \"Shit, if it ain\'t bad enough that we just got drawn through a meat grinder we gotta be used as pin cushions as well,\" he groused.

\"Never mind, I\'ll kiss it better for you later,\" Heero whispered.

Duo melted. \"I\'ll hold yer ta that, Yuy. Guess we\'d better get goin\' ta report in, don\'t want Q-man sendinut aut a search party fer us.\"

Heero took his partner\'s hand in his own and they left the medical bay, heading back to the control room and the debriefing that awaited.

~ * ~

Bob found himself wandering in and out of consciousness, familiar yet foreign voices washed around him. He tried to speak a couple of times but the pain in his chest was too great and the cotton wool in his mind too thick. He let himself drift instead. He felt the slip of a needle into his arm and the quiet voice of whom he assumed was a medic telling him he was about to go in for surgery, then everything went dark.

As soon as Bob was under the anesthetic, the medic\'s moved quickly. Bob was wheeled into the small operating room and transferred from the gurney to the table. More tubes and wires were attached to his body, monitoring his heart and respiration rates as well as his temperature. He was stripped and covered in a sterile gown, his chest swabbed with Betadine and then the surgeon approached. \"Scalpel...\"

It was peaceful where he was, se eve even. Bob looked around. The landscape was green, dotted here and there with trees and a few flowers, a gentle breeze blew and lazy cotton candy clouds drifted overhead. It was warm and safe and Bob felt a complete inner peace steal through him. Idly he wondered where \'here\' was, that\'s when he noticed a figure in the distance moving slowly towards him. He turned and gasped. \"Irene?\"\"He\"Hello, Bob.\" The woman smiled and reached out, caressing Bob\'s cheek.

\"But? How? You\'re...\"

\"Dead?\" The woman gave a silvery laugh. \"Yes, Bob, I\'m not living anymore, at least not in the sense that you are.\"

\"Then... Where am I? Am I dead too?\"

\"No, Bob. You\'re not dead, not yet anyway. It isn\'t your time.\" The woman gazed fondly at the man before her. \"You\'re in a sort of waiting station.\"

\"Waiting station?\"

\"Let me explain. You have been seriously hurt and currently your body is being operated on. While this is happening you have come here to rest. I pulled a few strings to come and talk to you while you\'re here.\"

\"Aaa...\" Bob thought he understood, but he wasn\'t going to question it, not now, not when he had his wife here with him after so long.

\"I wanted to tell you how proud I am of you, Bob. Of both you LeitLeith.\" Her eyes turned wistful. \"You\'re doing a good job in raising Leith, he\'s turning out to be a fine young man but..…\"

\"But?\" Bob questioned.

\"He needs you, Bob. Don\'t shut him out. I know your work is important to you but so is Leith. Don\'t neglect him for the sake of your job. Right now he\'s hurting and going through a tough time. He wants to talk to you, confide in you but you\'re too wrapped up in your job to see it. Take some time off, spend a little with him and really open your eyes and see what a lovely young man he\'s turning out to be. Advise him and guide him, but more than anything, accept him for who he is.\" Irene smiled again. \"I wish so much that I could be with you both in the mortal world, but alas, that cannot be. But know eve every day I watch over you both, that I still love you even if we are separated by different planes of existence.\"

\"Irene...\" Bob\'s voice cracked as he reached for the woman he loved and drew her into his arms. \"God, how I miss you,\" he murmured against the softness of her neck.

Irene let him hold her and gently soothed him,; then she carefully pullway way and brushed her lips against his. \"It\'s time for me to leave and you must also. Remember though, talk to our son and be there for him.\"

\"Irene...\"

\"I love you, Bob, both you and Leith. I\'m still with you, here in your heart and always will be. Now, return to your life and continue to make me proud of you.\" Irene\'s voice began to fade along with her presence.

\"Bob... Bob... Mr. Martins, can you hear me?\"

Slowly Bob opened his eyes. He was still groggy from the anesthetic and it took a few moments for his eyes to clear and his mind to begin working. A warm, smiling face appeared above him.

\"Can you hear me, Mr. Martins?\"

Bob nodded; his throat was dry and sore so he didn\'t want to risk speaking if he could avoid it.

\"Howyou you feel?\"

Bob carefully moved his limbs and took stock of what his body was telling him. He opened his mouth and his voice came out dry and scratchy. \"I don\'t think I\'m up to running any marathons.\"

The face smiled again. \"At least you\'re lucid. The operation was a success. You had a couple of broken ribs, one of which was pressing against the lung. The bullet had lodged in one of them and pushed the rib into the lung, puncturing it. In one way that was good as it stopped the bullet from going deeper causcausing further damage. We have removed the bullet and taken care of your ribs, also we treated the other wounds you sustained whilst in the enemy\'s control. I won\'t try and explain it all to you now as you probably won\'t remember. You need to rest and heal. I\'m taking you through to the other part of the medical bay now where we will keep a close eye on you. If you need anything, just ask. Doesn\'t mean you\'re going to get it though,\" the medic added with a wink.

Bob relaxed against the bed he was in and let the medic wheel him along a couple of corridors and into another room. He was exhausted, tired and yet happy. As the medic adjusted the drip to his arm so Bob drifted back off to sleep, dreaming of his wife and son.

~ * ~

tbc....