Hold Her Down

Part 3

by Ri-chan

A story inspired by the songs "Hold Her Down" by Toad the Wet Sprocket and "Angel" by Sarah McLachlin, but not a songfic. This story takes place a year after the battle with Dekim Barton and Mariemaia, AC 197.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not the boys, not the gundams. None of the songs included. Not even twelve cents. Just an original Nintendo gamepak. Sue and you can't have that, but you can have my sister's dog.

Warnings: Violence, lots of language, original characters, LEMON warning, AU. If I give the pairings here, it would spoil the story. You can't make me tell. >.<

Spoilers: Takes place after Endless Waltz.

******

Duo wandered down the hallway. When they had finally gotten home last night, he had gone outside. He didn't want to talk to anybody, still feeling a little unstable. The image of Alex standing before him burned across his eyes whenever he closed them. He had seen Heero's concerned looks directed at him, but he was locked in a mental struggle.

He had been so afraid that either of the people he loved would get hurt. And they had, only by him and not somebody else. They had stopped by Alex's rooms and found she hadn't been there. The room she shared with Anju at Quatre's had also been untouched. Worried, Duo had finally come inside.

As he passed by the front door, the bell rang. Opening it, a delivery man stood with a large box in his hands.

"I'm looking for Fianna Kelly. I have a delivery for her." The delivery man set the package down and didn't notice the startled look on Duo's face. "I was supposed to deliver this yesterday, but I was told to bring it here when I went to drop it off at the Preventers. Sorry it's late."

"Um, no problem," Duo stuttered as he signed for the package. Closing the door, he took the package into the study. He wondered if he should open it or wait to see if Alex came back. He had recognized her real name when the guy had said it. 'I guess Une knew her name, too,' he thought.

Looking over it, he realized that one of the ends was starting to come open. Curious, he looked inside and saw packing peanuts and a note tucked on top. Reaching a couple of fingers in, he pulled out the piece of paper and started reading. His eyes widened.

<Dear Fianna,> the note read.

<I am sorry I can't be here for your seventeenth birthday like I promised you I would be. I know that you miss me, but remember that we will be able to be together again someday. I wanted you to have this for your birthday. There are some things in life that aren't meant to have an answer. Don't look too hard for those, or you will miss out on what's happening all around you.

I love you, granddaughter,

Alexander Kelly, III>

'Oh Alex,' Duo thought. 'I'm sorry, too. I didn't know.' Caught up in the note, he didn't hear Heero come into the room.

Duo had tears in his eyes as he stood in front of the large package. Walking over to him, Heero was concerned. The American had never come to bed. Was he still mad at him for acting the way he had last night?

Realizing that somebody was next to him, Duo pulled his attention from the note. Heero. He wanted to apologize, but didn't want to hurt him. Instead, he held out the note to the Japanese boy.

Heero was stunned. Alex had a birthday yesterday? 'Why didn't she tell us?' He was worried about her. She hadn't been anywhere they looked, and hadn't come back to Quatre's house. He was also worried about Duo as he now watched the American open the box fully.

Inside was a small wall portrait of Alex and an older man. The man was seated, with Alex standing beside him. Turning the picture over, they found a date from four years ago on the back.

Looking back at the front, Heero found the old man had the same gold eyes Alex did. 'That's where she got her name,' he thought sadly. He let a small sound escape when he saw Duo pull something else out of the box. In his hands he held a small instrument case. Opening it, they saw a violin, the soft amber wood gleaming in the morning light that came through the windows.

Both of them turned their heads to the doorway when they heard a gasp. Quatre came into the room and looked at the violin. He gazed at it lovingly and reverently held it up.

"Wow. A Stradivarius." He flipped it over and nearly dropped it in shock when he saw the date etched into the body of the violin. "1711."

"Is that good?" Duo wanted to know.

"One of three left in the world. I'd say the value of this instrument is what Winner Industries makes in a year."

Duo's eyes widened. That was a lot of money. Who had this man in the picture been? He saw Quatre looking at the picture.

"I know him," he said excitedly.

Heero looked at him. "Explain."

"He was the conductor of the London Orchestra for I don't know how many years. No wonder Alex knows so much music." He stroked the violin in awe. Even his own wasn't this old. It was obvious that someone had taken very good care of the instrument, or it wouldn't have survived this long.

As they looked at the instrument, Duo wondered how they had known to deliver the package to the Preventers in the first place.

******

Harting surveyed the crop of soldiers in front of him. He was impressed by their physical strength. They might be needed in case some people resisted what was coming. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a young boy standing by the door. The boy had asked if he could work at the base in return for food. Willing to do back-breaking labor some of the men refused to do, Harting had been impressed by him as well. The boy always showed up at dawn and worked until noon, when he would disappear for two hours before returning to work until dusk. He had sent several people after the boy when he left the base, but all had returned after becoming confused and losing the boy.

If the boy had been older, Harting would have had him train with the others. However, he could only be 11, and he didn't want another Gundam pilot on his hands. When he was still in the Sanq Kingdom, he had seen two pilots talking with Relena and knew the two were trained to kill. Smart, they had been able to fight better than everybody in the kingdom had. No, he didn't need that. Better to leave the boy as he was and train him later.

Gordon came into the courtyard, signaling that he needed to talk to Harting. The plan was about to go into action. The band they had chosen were young, but already had one album released. Almost rising from the ashes of Matthew's Academy as if a phoenix, Tenshi had returned with a vengeance. The band seemed different from before. The only girl was less sure of herself than she had been, and the lead male singer had a lot more hair than one would think that hair could grow in a year, but their fans didn't seem to care.

Lining up for their first concert in a year, the unsuspecting fans would get their first taste of the Overmind System. So would the band for that matter. Gordon had convinced him that the band didn't need to be controlled until then, but needed a little artistic creativity.

As the two men talked, they never noticed the boy listening from outside the window as he raked the ground in front of him.

******

Anju was feeling grumpy. The contacts she wore made her eyes hurt and the wig she was wearing was hot. She was mad at Alex for not being there. 'I miss her,' she thought. The other girl hadn't come back in the two weeks since she had left. 'Even if I have to sing her parts, I don't care what happens as long as she comes back.'

She looked over at the others. The hole that Alex left behind couldn't be filled. Quatre and Trowa went on much as before, but were concerned for their friends. It was written on both of their faces, but they didn't know what to do about the situation.

Last night she had talked with Wufei in the library. Although he didn't want to admit it, Anju knew that he, too, was missing Alex. He also hated the fact that Duo moped around when they weren't doing anything not related to the case.

The most changed was the American. Duo's eyes were dull, no longer the vibrant, violet eyes that he let the world see. Heero had reverted to some of his sullen personality to hide the hurt he felt at her disappearance. He didn't know how to reach out to the American either.

'Come back, Alex.' Anju turned her head, not wanting the others to see the tears in her eyes.

Iria sat in the audience, waiting for the band to go on. The oppressing feeling she had all day was getting worse. She was worried. Standing up, she and Marius went backstage to find Quatre and the others.

"Quatre?"

He lifted his head at his sister's voice. "Yes?"

"Don't go out there," Iria said. There was a pleading look on her face.

"What? Don't go out on stage?"

She nodded her head as the others gathered around the two siblings. "It doesn't feel right. Like something is about to happen."

Quatre understood. He knew that his sister could foresee some things if the feelings were strong enough. She usually kept it hidden, afraid of what others might think. He believed that only he knew out of the rest of their family.

There was a knock on the door. Pieter stood in the doorway when Trowa opened it. He had a dazed look on his face and was sporting a black eye. He held out his hand. In his open palm were earplugs.

"Wear these all night," he said as he passed them out to everybody. "They're starting it tonight. They will block the frequency they're sending it on." Everybody in the room held their breath for a second. It was time to implement the plan they had come up with.

Harting was up in a private box in the concert. The speakers along the wall had been fitted with a special filter that stop the waves of the system from coming over them. They were sending the system through a low frequency, low enough that it was hard to detect. Ready for the show, he calmly sat in a plush chair, a drink in one hand.

He wanted to personally see the system at work. The soldiers they had put through it had done fairly well. Some of them had been unable to stand it as they tried to hurt themselves in an effort to stop the pain. As hard as it was to lessen the number in his army, Harting had been forced to leave them behind in the training. Unhappy as he was about it, he was ready to get his revenge. It had been reported to him recently that Milliardo Peacecraft had survived the explosion that he had been believed to be killed in. The man had not been able to find the name he had assumed, but they were working on it.

Now he only needed to find Relena Peacecraft. The hospital that she was supposedly healing from her injuries hadn't given out any information. When he had gotten to the room she was in, he had found nothing. The girl had been released that morning, with no indication of what residence she had gone to. 'Damn the girl.'

He looked up as the door opened and Gordon walked into the room. "The show's about to start."

"Good."

******

Une was worried. The report she had gotten from Alex was vague. She had tried unsuccessfully in tracking down the girl, but had gotten small reports on things. Alex had been able to tell her that tonight was the night the system would be put into action, and to expect something strange to happen.

She had stopped by the house the night she disappeared, acting her usual cheery self and wanting to talk to Mariemaia. When Une talked to Treize's daughter about Alex the next day, the girl had been unable to offer any information other than Alex wanting to borrow a few clothes and some credits.

{"She winked in that way she has and said it was going to be a surprise," Mariemaia said. "I thought that she was going to play a trick like she did on Pieter and Dae a couple of months ago." Shrugging her shoulders, she told Une that Alex had taken an old t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and a baseball cap with a faint stylized M on it. On a side note, Mariemaia said she couldn't find a picture that she had wanted to put in a frame.}

Tracking down Pieter, she had warned the Preventer's agent of what was happening and to give everybody ear protection.

Sitting in her chair, she decided to look for something. Pulling up old news reports, she again read the obituary that had been given when Alex's grandfather had died. She had found it when the former pilots had brought the painting, violin, and note in the day it had arrived.

It stated that he and his granddaughter had been boating on the lake behind their house when a freak storm had risen. They had found his body, but his granddaughter was feared lost. Conductor of the London Orchestra, his family had slowly dwindled to him and his granddaughter. His wife had died the previous year, and his younger son had murdered his wife shortly after their daughter was born in a murder-suicide. His eldest son had died soon after his own son had been lost in a mining accident on one of the colonies. The only daughter had roamed over the world, a con artist who kidnapped her own niece, before dying of a drug overdose.

Pulling up another article, the headline read, "Granddaughter found last night, only Kelly survivor." Fianna had been found the day after Alexander Kelly's funeral. Weakened by dehydration on the other side of the lake, she had been in a gully that had been hard to spot by the air-search rescue team. A hiking expedition found her and took her to a nearby hospital with five broken ribs and a punctured lung, broken leg, and two broken lumbar vertebrae. The last article that Une had found was more disturbing. The girl left the hospital the day she was released and hadn't been seen again. Five months later, Tenshi released their album and went on tour, with Alex at the front of the stage.

Une went back to the first article. There had been a lake mentioned. Thinking about it, the base for the revolutionary group was near a lake. About an hour's drive from the city, there had been reports of people living there. The base had been abandoned when the Eve Wars had ended. That might just be the place where Alex was. Grabbing her jacket, she headed out the door.

It was the middle of the night when she arrived. The pilots had let her know they were okay after the show ended. Directing them to follow her in the morning, Une had breathed a sigh of relief. If those boys had been caught in the control of the system, it would have meant a delay. Even thought they were mentally strong, the system had probably been modified enough that it would have caused problems for them. She felt sorry for the people at the concert, but it was up to the small band she had gathered to help them return to normal. When the pilots looked over the speaker system quickly, they had been unable to find where the signal was being broadcast. Numerous instruments had later been unable to detect anything.

Turning at the road indicated on the map, she pulled up in front of a large house. In a state of disrepair, it stood in the moonlight, windows reflecting the soft glow. No lights were on, but that was to be expected by a house that nobody had lived at in almost three years. Driving around to the back, she saw a small garden that somebody had been taking care of. A jaunty scarecrow waved in the slight night air, the clothes familiar looking, protecting the small crop of food in their dirt bed.

Une went up to the door and knocked softly. Receiving no answer, she turned the knob and found it unlocked. Walking quietly in, she made her way through the dark house.

There was a creak above her to the right. "Guten Abend, Frau."

"Alex," Une said softly. She could barely make out a shadow at the top of the stairs. She gasped when the girl walked down the stairs. Alex had cut her hair short, almost as short as Mariemaia's. Dressed in boy's clothes, she looked like a 12 year old boy.

"Don't worry about it," Alex said. She motioned for Une to follow her upstairs. At the end of the hallway, they stopped at a narrow staircase and went up into the attic. There was a modern office up there, a cot off to one side for sleeping.

Sitting down in front of the computer on the desk, Alex zipped through a couple of things to bring up a screen. It was random numbers and letters, and Une had no clue as to what it was.

"This is the OverMind System at its core," Alex stated.

This was the system?! She didn't know how this girl had gotten a hold of it, but she had been able to break it down into the simplest code.

Alex continued in a business-like voice. "I was able to modify it somewhat before they sent it out this evening. It took me three nights to figure out the right amount of rewriting it took to make it look like it was working."

The two spent the rest of the nights making more modifications as Une wondered what the hell was going on.

******

The car stopped in front of a large, ramshackle house. Une had wanted them to meet here? Quatre looked over at Trowa before getting out of the car. Walking up to the front door, he found it opened as he went to ring the doorbell. A young boy greeted him, oddly familiar. Behind him, he heard a swift, sharp breath before the boy walked outside.

'Omigod,' Duo thought. 'Alex?!' He looked at the boy again. Yes, that was her, but her hair was very short, looking a little unnatural, and the way she was dressed was even more boy-like than she had worn before.

Heero saw her and understood why she hadn't come back. He had hacked into Une's files a couple of times and found coded reports from someone he hadn't been able to figure out. By the location of this house, it was close enough to the base that Alex would be able to infiltrate it. He saw Duo standing stiffly by the car, unable to move an inch. He hadn't been able to tell Duo his findings, unsure as to what they even meant.

Even though he was mad at her not letting them know she was safe, Heero was glad to see her. Walking over to her, he smiled softly at the look of expected rejection in her eyes. It was so much like the expression on her face after they had kissed that first time. "I missed you," he whispered into her ear and he bent down slightly. "We missed you." There was a choked sob in his ear. Pulling back a little, Heero saw tears in the golden eyes that fascinated him. "Will you come back with us?" he asked.

Alex looked up at Heero. He wanted her to come back? She had been so hurt after hearing Duo yell at her, and when she had stayed here, she had been afraid to get in touch again for fear that they wouldn't want to be with her anymore. Seeing the smile in Heero's eyes helped her make a decision. Nodding once, she wrapped her arms around his neck and just hugged him, breathing in his scent. "Arigato. I will."

Duo watched the two embrace. If Heero was willing to let the past drift behind him, he was, too. Ever since Alex had left, life hadn't just seemed the same. Heero had slowly locked himself up again, and he had to sit by helpless as it happened. Taking destiny back into his own hands, he followed Heero over to Alex.

"I'm sorry," a soft voice said behind Alex before she was engulfed. Smelling the sandalwood soap that he always used, she knew it was Duo. She was home again. Even the house behind her hadn't felt like home when she had gotten to it.

The three other pilots were confused. Who was that boy and why were they hugging him? Lady Une came out onto the porch. "Let's go inside and leave them for a little bit. They need to catch up."

Anju walked over. "Who is that?"

"Alex."

"Alex?!" She looked over at her friend. Alex had changed so much in appearance, she hadn't been able to recognize her. Feeling dismayed at her own ability to spot her friend, Anju walked into the house.

Quatre and Trowa followed the two. Inside, the foyer was still impressive through its neglect. The walls covered in a light oak, the wood gleamed dully under a thick layer of dust. A house for entertaining in the off-season, it had been built to wine and dine orchestra sponsors. Moving to the back of the house, the four were joined by Wufei. Walking by a picture window, they had a view of the huge lake in back of the house. They were unable to see the other side as a mist rose over the water. The sun had yet to burn off the morning fog as it rose slowly in the late summer sky.

"It's beautiful," Anju breathed.

"I agree," Quatre said. Lifting a dust cover, he found an inlaid mahogany table beneath it.

Outside, the three finally parted. Smiling sheepishly, Alex led them into the house. "My grandfather probably would have loved to meet you."

"He sent you something," Duo said.

"What?"

"He sent a birthday gift," Heero explained. "It was delivered the day after you left, for your birthday."

She closed her eyes briefly. "Oh," she said, opening them again. They stopped in the foyer for a second before heading up the stairs. Going into a room, Alex showed them the life-size portrait that hung over the fireplace.

Covered in the fine slayer of dust that was all over the house, the portrait showed Alex's family. She was the youngest in the picture, being an infant. Holding her in his lap was a young boy around the age of five.

"My cousin Xander." Alex pointed to the boy. "My mother, Marie, and father, Douglas. My uncle, Alexander IV. My grandmother, Katarina."

Duo noticed that she didn't point out her aunt. It was probably a sore spot for her.

"This was finished a couple of days before my father killed my mother," she stated baldly. "I don't think she got to see it. I didn't see this house again until I was nine."

All three stopped talking when they heard the others coming up the stairs. The group together again, they headed up to the attic and sat around the computer.

"I found this yesterday," Alex said as she pointed to a box on the screen. It was a map of the base a couple of miles away. One of the buildings had an antenna on it. "This is where they're sending out the signal until the school is rebuilt. I was able to modify the signal, so you really didn't need the ear plugs Lady Une said you used."

Heero watched as she pulled up another screen. The code written there was simple, yet as he read it, he realized there was nothing simple about it. "This is the system?" he asked.

Alex nodded as the others looked on in interest. "Yes. I spent the last three nights working on it. In fact," she looked at her watch before continuing, "Harting is probably looking for his little servant boy right about now." She let a little smile cross her face. "Damn. I'm going to miss seeing his face when he finds my present."

******

There was a loud, unmanly scream across the base in the early morning air.

Harting looked in his mirror. He was blue. Hair. Skin. Everything was blue. He turned on the shower again and saw blue water coming from the showerhead. Damnit. Whoever did this was going to pay[1]. Scrubbing at his skin, he soon discovered that it wasn't coming off. This was already too much on top of the hangover he had gotten last night after the concert.

There was a laugh in the doorway to his office an hour later. Gordon stood there with red hair and skin. "Got you too, huh?"

"I don't see what's so funny about it," Harting growled.

"I didn't see your boy around here this morning," Gordon noted. "Did you scare him off?"

Harting humphed. He didn't need this at such an early hour. "Just go call the troops."

Gordon's laughter stayed with him long after the man left.

******

Anju watched Alex as she sat outside. Dusk was falling after a busy day of rewriting the OverMind System. Those truly computer literate had been glued to the computer screen for most of the day. In the meantime, Anju had explored the house with Quatre. He knew where some of the pieces in the rooms had come from, pointing out this and that. In the middle of the tour, he had been called away by Trowa and she had continued on her own for awhile.

Stopping in front of a door on the second floor, she opened it. Decorated in abstract paintings, the walls were a soft peach. A bedroom, Anju figured that it must have been Alex's. She went over to the first bed and sat on it. On the small nightstand next to it, there was a small photograph of Alex and two elderly people. All three had bright smiles on their faces as they posed in silly ways. Another picture drew her attention. In it, Alex and an older boy that looked like her were standing in front of a concert hall, dressed up for the occasion. They stood stiffly, as if the clothes were uncomfortable.

She had been looking at it when Wufei walked in. Smiling at him, she rose and together they went through the rest of the house. After Alex had left, Anju found herself turning more and more to the Chinese boy. A friendship springing up between the two, they found many things they both liked.

Even though she had been remembering more bits and pieces of her life, she didn't want to go back to it. She had surprised Heero one day by apologizing to him. Not understanding what the pilot had to do, her old self had latched onto him when her world collapsed with the death of her adopted father. The need for somebody strong in her life had been great, and rather relying on herself, she had turned to the other strong person she had known.

What had surprised her the most was her refusal to really depend on somebody when she had no memories. She had stayed close to Alex because she didn't know how to do certain things. She had no recollection of some things, and had had to relearn them. The first couple of days had been a little scary, but she had gotten through them for the most part on her own. Going to Quatre's house had been even better. There she had help from other people, helping her to not latch on to just one person. She felt more comfortable with Alex and Wufei, but she got along well with the others.

Now, as she watched the other girl swim in the lake as night approached, Anju wondered where she would be without her and the others. If Alex hadn't come across her, she probably would be dead. A depressing thought.

"Don't think so much," Wufei said as he sat next to her on the soft sand of the small beach. He handed her a bottle of water and opened a can of soda for himself. "It's too nice a night to think deep thoughts."

"And you aren't thinking such deep thoughts?" Anju had fun bantering with the Chinese boy. He set her free, and she liked the feeling.

Quatre sat slightly behind the two. 'They don't even know they're flirting with each other,' he thought. Both of them were good for each other. Wufei had softened a bit, and Anju was becoming more confident in herself. Trowa sat down beside him to watch the sunset. Sitting close to each other, they became closed off in their own little world.

In the water, Alex was trying to swim, but Duo was feeling playful for the first time in a long while. Which meant that he was trying to instigate a water fight. Exasperated, the girl turned to Heero and the two bombarded the American with mass quantities of water. Needless to say, he got what was coming to him. The three soon declared a small truce and played nicely as the sun sank further in the sky.

Settling down, the house was soon asleep. Only one occupant was awake, and was having a hard time getting to sleep.

It felt weird to have the house filled again. Alex looked up at the ceiling of the attic. She had decided to stay up here, even though there were two beds in her old bedroom downstairs. Giving up on sleep for a while, she crept down the stairs and headed for the kitchen. In the middle of making a sandwich, a loud yawn came from the doorway.

Duo stretched his arms. "Read my mind, did you?" He walked over to her and stood behind her, sneaking a grape tomato and popping it into his mouth.

"Stop that," Alex commanded as she moved the food further back on the counter. "It's my food. Make your own."

Duo didn't answer. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck. He felt her stiffen at the unexpected gesture before relaxing again. He inhaled the sweet scent of her skin and noticed something different. She wasn't using the peach shampoo she had. "Alex?"

"Mm?" She continued making her sandwich, slicing it in two.

"Why the wig?"

"I didn't think that you would believe I cut my hair," Alex said as she gathered the small tomatoes in a small bowl. "I didn't think I looked young enough with my ponytail."

"'k." Duo ran his fingers through it. "I do kinda like this, but it's better longer." He ran his hands through the wig, pulling it off and releasing the dark red hair beneath. Finger combing it, he let the strands flow through his fingers. The smell of peaches rose up in the air, having been hidden by the weight of the heavy wig.

Alex handed him half of her sandwich, grabbing the bowl of fruit before heading over to the table.

"Duo?"

"Mns?" Duo swallowed the bite he had been chewing before trying again. "What?"

"What did you mean when you said those things?" Alex picked at her sandwich.

"I-I didn't want you hurt in the fighting." Duo looked over at her and smiled. "I didn't mean to yell at you. I was actually glad to see that you were alright."

"I...I'm sorry I didn't get in touch with you," she stammered before taking a bite.

"I know. Une told me this afternoon that even she didn't really get anything from you either."

Alex watched Duo take another bite. Once she had gotten here, she had discovered the base practically next door. A perfect opportunity to help while her feelings still hurt, she had soon found herself firmly ensconced in Harting's confidence.

"You know, the guy has a really deep hatred of Relena," Alex said.

"That Harting guy?" Duo knew she didn't want to talk anymore about what had happened that night.

"Yeah. He's also got a thing about you guys as Gundam pilots. I guess he saw Heero and Quatre in action, and it didn't exactly improve his mood." Popping the last small tomato into her mouth, she rose and put the fruit bowl in the sink.

Duo followed her over, putting the plate in as well. "He never recognized you from that night?"

Shaking her head, Alex rinsed their dishes. "No. I would have seen something if he had." Turning around, she nodded towards the door. "Bedtime again."

Duo grabbed her hand and led her to his bedroom. "You're not going up there to sleep." Pulling her onto the bed as he laid down, the two soon settled into a comfortable mess of tangled limbs and hair.

"Do you forgive me for leaving?" Alex whispered, not sure if he was still awake.

"Yes," came the sleepy reply. "Now go to sleep." He murmured indistinctly when he felt a sweet little kiss on his cheek before drifting off. Alex listened to him breathe, the soft cadence sending her into Morpheus' arms.

Heero stood in the doorway. He had heard movement next door and wanted to know who it was. Seeing the two on the bed calmed him down. He had been worried that Duo might not be able to tell Alex what he had meant to say, but the two had sorted out their differences. Unable to help himself, he quietly climbed into the bed opposite of Alex. Gently putting his head on Duo's chest, he could hear his heart beating in a reassuring rhythm. Gripping Alex's small hand resting on the other boy's chest in his own, he listened to the heartbeat for awhile before falling asleep once more.

He woke up when a soft shimmer of early morning sunshine fell across his eyes. A soft breath moving on his neck enticed him to open his eyes. Alex. The shower running next door was a good indication of where Duo was. Heero ran his hands up Alex's sides, unable to believe he was able to touch her. He stopped when he felt bindings wrapped around her chest. "Alex?"

"Mm?" One sleepy golden eye crept open. "Huh?"

"What is this?" He let his fingers run over the soft cloth across her back. A soft blush ran over her face.

"My bindings. To.... So I look like a boy," Alex sputtered, her eyes opening wide.

Heero's eyes lit up. Some impulse flashed across his brain, and following it ran his hands beneath her shirt. Leaning over, he kissed her lips softly before moving over to her ear. Biting gently, he soothed it with a swipe of his tongue. "Then let's get rid of them, ne?"

"S-sure," Alex said. She had missed this, the sweet kisses that Heero gave.

Tugging the shirt she wore off after they both sat up, Heero stared at the bindings. They were wrapped tightly in what must be a painful grip. He sought the end and started pulling, soothing the skin as he took the bindings off in a loving gesture, running soft brushes of his fingertips up and down her sides. She shivered under the light caress, but continued to sit through the ministrations.

Heero unwrapped the final loop of bindings. Running his hands over the soft skin that had been beneath them, he brought his hands to her chest and cupped the soft yet firm breasts he found. He looked up at her face and found a small, shy smile in her eyes above faintly pink cheeks. Moving his head closer, he captured her lips again.

Alex felt his warm hands on her skin and was mesmerized. Opening her mouth, her tongue sought out his. The kiss quickly escalated into something fierce, as if each wanted to devour the other in hunger. The long days and nights of the past weeks had caught up to them and they wanted to make up for it.

Duo stopped in the doorway from the bathroom, the towel he had used to dry his hair dropping from his hands. He watched the two on the bed before walking over and brushed aside her hair, lightly kissing Alex's nape. The other two looked up as Alex flinched at the unexpected caress and found Duo looking at them with burning purple eyes.

Reaching over, Alex brushed her hand along his cheek. Duo put his hand over it, trapping it against still-damp skin. With his other hand, he raised one of Heero's hands to his mouth and kissed the open palm. Smiling against his after the kiss finished, he let go of both hands and reached for Heero's shirt, pulling it off.

All three tangled together as Heero pulled Duo's mouth to his and Alex pressed a heated kiss along Heero's neck. The room seemed to get hotter as the three moved against each other. Duo's other towel slipped from around his waist as Alex's tongue shimmered along his shoulder.

Taking advantage, Heero smoothed his hand down Duo's stomach, stopping just before the throbbing flesh that waited to be touched. The moans that came from Duo's mouth enflamed the other two.

Alex moved her mouth down the American's chest. She placed open mouth kisses along the sleek muscles before moving up to his mouth. She swallowed the moan that escaped his lips as Heero's hands touched Duo's thighs. Twisting her tongue around his, she drew another moan as she devoured his mouth as if at a feast.

Heero heard the sounds, but was fascinated by what was before him. Slowly moving his hands closer to Duo's erection, he teased and caressed the creamy flesh that surrounded it. At last he drew one hand around the stiff flesh, a whimper caught in the other boy's throat.

Duo was in heaven, but wanted to give pleasure also. He rubbed his hands lightly over Alex's shoulders before moving them down to her chest. Ghosting over hardened nipples, he trailed the backs of his fingers around to her side. Pleased with the small whimper that vibrated across his lips, he slid his hands under Alex's breasts, cupping them before rubbing the nipples with his thumbs. Alex kissed him deeper in return, her lips almost bruising his.

Finally tearing her lips from Duo's, Alex nibbled her way down his neck. She could still feel his hands caressing her. Softly biting the juncture of his neck and shoulder, she soothed the small mark with a sweet kiss. Moving her hands over him, they soon found their way down Duo's body to meet up with Heero's.

Tugging on the hands, Alex pulled Heero up to kiss him. Duo watched for a second before clamping his mouth on Heero's neck. Making his way down the smooth chest, he found a nipple standing at attention. Swirling his tongue around it, he bit it before sucking hard.

Heero groaned into Alex's mouth at the sensual touch. Making a small whimper when the lips on his moved away, he pulled Alex to kneel on the bed, putting her chest at the level he wanted. He caressed her breasts with one hand, his tongue beading a wet trail down her cleavage. Fleeting fingers ran through his hair as Heero moved his mouth to one breast, nipping his way to the nipple.

Alex softly moaned. She bent over Heero's head and planted a soft kiss in the hair on top of it and ran her hands along his shoulders. Finding she had to brace herself, she closed her eyes as Heero moved to the other nipple. She reached down with her other hand and laid it on top of Duo's head before it moved down Heero's body.

Duo couldn't get enough of the taste of the slightly salty skin under his lips. The light sheen of sweat on Heero's body let him know that the other boy was getting hot and bothered by the attention. He nibbled his way down the taut stomach down to the juncture of strong thighs, stopped by the fabric of the shorts he wore. Lightly touching the shaft through the cloth, Duo teased Heero as he continued down his legs, giving him a taste of his own medicine. He felt the muscles under his hands flex with the feather-light touches he was giving.

Opening her eyes, Alex pulled slightly away from the wonderful feeling Heero was giving her. Looking into his eyes, she gave him a soft kiss on his nose. With a twinkle in her eye, she moved her head slightly in Duo's direction. Reading her intentions, Heero nodded.

Duo found himself grabbed by loving hands as they tossed him into the bed. Flat on his back, he found himself looking into darkened blue eyes. There was a lusty glint in them as they lowered down to his. Heero's lips moved softly across his own before leaving. A soft touch on his erection drew his attention from the lost kiss. Heero wrapped his hand around Alex's and together they moved them along Duo's shaft. The American closed his eyes at the sensation. The feelings were unbelievably good. There was another touch added, sending sparks behind his eyelids.

Heero leant in and kissed the tip before kissing Alex briefly. He pressed butterfly kisses over Duo's stomach before going back to his erection, joining with Alex. Even though both really had no clue as to what was happening, some instinct was driving them. The salty taste of Duo's skin mingled with the cries coming from his mouth.

Leaving Heero to his work, Alex shifted up the bed. Wiggling close to Duo, she laid her hands on his cheeks.

Opening his eyes, Duo saw the smile on her face. He reached up and pulled her mouth to his, all the while moving his hand down her body and caressing her buttocks. Impatient at the feel of the cloth still covering her, Duo broke the kiss briefly to smile wickedly as he pulled at the waistband of her pajama bottoms. Slipping his hands under the fabric of her pants and underwear, he squeezed lightly, pausing as Heero did something wonderful with his tongue.

Cupping Duo's sack in his free hand, Heero looked up at him as he kissed Alex. Both had their eyes closed as they explored the magic of the other's mouth. Deciding to let himself be known, he ran his teeth over the head of Duo's shaft. A gasp exploded from the other boy's mouth as he broke the kiss to look at him. Glowing eyes dark as midnight watched him as Heero ran his tongue up the flesh, following with his hand. Stopping his pleasurable work, he rose and crawled his way up the bed to kiss Duo.

Alex caught her breath as she watched the two kiss. She ran her hands lightly down each of their chests, avoiding sensitive areas. Her attention on the skin beneath her fingertips, she didn't notice when the two boys stopped kissing. She looked up to find two intense sets of eyes watching her.

Heero moved up and kissed Alex across her cheeks, feeling her soft lashes flutter against his cheeks as her eyes closed. He brushed his lips against her eyelids before they whispered against her temple, "Ai shiteru."

"Heero, is brea liom tu. Duo, mo brea buachaill[2]," Alex whispered in return.

Duo ran his fingers through her hair, slowly tugging her back down next to him. Heero followed, not wanting to break the kiss he had started just yet. The two lay across the American's chest, their hot skin moving against his in delightful friction. In a rational moment, he realized that both of them still had clothing on.

"Koi," he said softly, breaking the kiss over his chest. "You are wearing too many clothes."

Heero looked into Alex's eyes before he tugged her pants lower than they already were. Duo joined in as they pulled them off, leaving her in blue panties with polka dots. She laughed as Duo hit the bottom of her foot, giving him an idea. Running his hands up her legs, he stopped in the hollow in the back of one knee.

A burst of laughter exploded from Alex as Duo teased the skin there. "Stop!" She laughed even harder as Heero joined in, reaching over the other boy. Finding they wouldn't let up on tickling her, she reached over and snapped the waist of Heero's shorts, getting his attention. Calloused hands left their torment to travel up her legs, pulling down the panties. Alex's hair formed a curtain around her, offering tantalizing glimpses of creamy skin.

Alex's fingers still in Heero's shorts, they crept lower, brushing against his lower abs. The muscles beneath flexed at the soft caress before relaxing. Duo's hand joined in the shorts, rubbing the back along the smooth skin. Together they slid the shorts down to mid-thigh before sliding up to the erection they uncovered.

Duo's fingers played lightly across the shaft as Alex moved her hand up Heero's chest. The sensation intensified as a soft kiss was placed on the tip of his erection. Groaning, Heero almost lost control as Duo lightly ran his tongue up the sensitive flesh. Hands reaching for something to steady him, they ran into soft, hot flesh. He watched as golden eyes widened at the touch. Moving his hand through the downy hair at the apex of her thighs, her hips bucked as he touched the flesh beneath.

Moaning softly, Alex fell onto Heero's chest as they both kneeled on the bed. She placed wet, open mouth kisses across his shoulder as he continued to move his hand against her. Lifting her head, Alex kissed his mouth, her tongue dueling with his. The kiss broke off as Heero groaned again, Duo wanting his presence to be known, gave a hard suck to the other boy's erection before leaving the hard flesh to stand on its own.

Duo sat up on his knees and bent his head in, giving Heero a quick kiss. Pulling away, he fell back on to the bed, tugging the other two on top of him. Skin brushed against hot skin, eliciting moans from all three.

Heero and Alex shifted down Duo's body, stopping at the throbbing flesh between his thighs. Alex ran her tongue along one side, Heero doing the same to the other. Duo watched them both look at him, lids heavy with desire. In their eyes shone a mixture of love and lust, making him think that this was the right thing to do. Then he stopped thinking all together as pleasure took over.

Moving down Duo's body even further, Heero left Alex where she was. Running his hands down Duo's legs and mouth along Alex's back, he arrived at what he was seeking. He softly touched the skin in the hollow of Alex's back, and felt several small scars. Kissing them gently, he ran his hands over her buttocks. Nudging her legs to open slightly, he again ran his hand over the flesh between.

Alex growled. That was the only word that Duo could think of to describe the sound she made. His breath caught as she swirled her tongue over the head of his erection. Her movements were growing more confident, and he was really liking it. Her small hands wrapped around him, slowly moving up and down, bringing him ever closer to the edge. Tearing his eyes away from hers for a second, he saw Heero behind her. Now he knew why she growled.

She saw Duo look behind her, and Alex found she missed his eyes watching her. Deciding to bring his attention back to her, she bit the base of his erection softly. Just then, Heero's breath moved across the skin on the back of her thighs and she forgot what she was doing for the moment.

Duo looked down again as Alex rested her head on his thigh before moving on his erection once more. Her soft hair brushed against his skin as she moved her head slightly. His head dropped back at the moan that vibrated across his skin, the sound sending shivers of anticipation and pleasure down his spine.

Heero could smell a soft, musky scent, different from Duo's. Intrigued, he wondered if she tasted different than the other boy as well. Smoothing his tongue over the soft folds, he found a small nub hidden within. Alex whimpered softly, indicating that was the right spot to hit. As he went on, he found that he was right, they did taste different, and he couldn't get enough of either of them.

Biting her lip, Alex was awash in a sea of feelings. She could feel Duo's heartbeat fast and furious under the flesh in her hand, and Heero was doing something absolutely wonderful. She didn't know how much more she could stand, but wanted to ride on the waves some more. The intense feelings building, she bucked her hips again as Heero's tongue found its way inside her, tasting her even deeper than before.

Running his tongue across the nub over and over again, Heero danced his finger across Alex's soft folds. He could feel the muscles in her legs clench so often, and he knew that she liked this. Doubling his efforts, he was finally rewarded with a small cry from Alex.

Stars bursting within tightly shut eyelids, Alex didn't want to move. What Heero had been doing felt wonderful. In the back of her mind a little voice let her know her that there was even more waiting to happen. Only that made her open her eyes as Heero made his way up the bed.

Duo had been surprised by the emotion written on her face. Then he wondered when he could try that. Heero crept up to give him a kiss and all thought stopped once again. On the boy's lips he could taste something else, and realized it was Alex. Licking his lips, he saw Heero make his way back down the bed to kiss Alex. Together, they caressed Duo as they kissed, making the American groan in pleasure, his head too heavy for his neck to support.

One of the hands on his shaft left, weaving a trail downward before drifting off. Wiggling his hips, just barely moving them in protest. A wet tongue on him made him forget, a soft sound coming from that mouth as he opened his eyes. They widened a little as he saw Heero's hand stopping between his legs. He felt a feathery brush against him before moving away. Whimpering, Duo wanted more as the hand brushed against him again, this time a finger entering slightly.

In the dim recesses of his mind, Duo wondered where he had gotten lube. The sound he had heard now made sense. Heero's finger pressed deeper and time stopped for a second, all focus on the spot that had just been touched. When the world restarted, he felt a second finger stretching him carefully, all the while a soft hand rubbed up and down on his erection, a counterpoint to what Heero was giving him.

Alex rose on her knees further and kissed Heero on the cheek. What he was doing to Duo was making her feel even hotter than she already was. He turned his lips to hers, and she eagerly took what was offered, giving all she could in return. In the middle of a kiss, Alex started when Heero picked her up and sat her on Duo's stomach. Reaching back into his shorts, he grabbed something and sat back up on the bed.

Heero saw a confused look on both their faces before he moved between Duo's legs. He saw understanding light their eyes as they saw what he had in his hand. Even though they really weren't at risk of disease, there was still a risk of pregnancy involved. Together, he and Alex rolled the condom onto Duo. When they were done with the pleasurable task, she leaned her back against his chest. A silent plea in her eyes, he helped her up.

Duo felt a tight heat surrounding him as he watched Alex lower herself on him. He started to buck his hips when he felt something blocking him. Struggling to hold back, he waited for her to continue. He understood, they were all new to this stuff. His body was telling him one thing, his instinct telling him another.

Alex sat for a couple of seconds, willing the pain to recede. Her wish was swiftly granted and she reached behind her, holding onto Heero's neck. Understanding her signal, she watched Duo's face as Heero pushed in.

Waiting for Duo to adjust, Heero took a couple of deep breaths. Kissing Alex's shoulder, he tasted the sheen of sweat on her skin. Looking over it, he saw Duo's face, watching for any sign of pain. A small impatient growl came from the other boy, letting him know that he wanted to start, now. Sliding out a little, he carefully slid in again. His hands on Alex's hips, he guided her up as he pushed in. Setting a rhythm, Heero sped up.

Bending her head to the side, Heero gave her a deep kiss before moving his hands down to cup her breasts. Duo's hands fluttered, never staying in once place for very long as he touched Heero and Alex. Heero ran his hands over Alex, slowly pushing her to bend over Duo. He bent over as well to give the other boy a soft kiss before moving up, his hips driving harder and faster than before.

The final act of passion rapidly building, each pushed a little bit harder. Alex covered Duo's lips with kisses, overwhelmed by the sensations running through her. She could feel Duo's hands running over her back, drifting down her now sensitive sides.

Duo gasped into her mouth as Heero hit that something wonderful inside him again. Above him, Alex stroked his flesh with hers, somehow moving in time with each move of Heero's hips. His hands met Heero's on Alex's back. Twining with the fingers he found there, he looked in both his and her eyes before closing his own in ecstasy. He felt Alex's hands run up his sides to grasp his shoulders as she moved even faster, setting a new pace for Heero to follow.

One of Heero's hands moved in front of her, seeking out that small nub of flesh that was her pleasure center. The pressure stimulated to the point of no return, she gasped, her inner muscles grabbing Duo's. Her orgasm set off Duo's as he swallowed the gasp she made with his mouth as they kissed. Duo's muscles clenching around his shaft ran Heero off the edge as he, too, teetered into orgasm.

Exhausted, the three collapsed on the bed, each drifting off to sleep as they tangled against each other. The bed-side alarm chirped softly, alerting the occupants it was 8 a.m. Heero reached over and shut it off blindly, pulling the sheet over their cooling bodies before dozing off once more.

******

Lady Une studied the picture above the mantel. There was something about these people that looked familiar. She knew that she had seen the old man before, having been to many concerts when she was younger. For some reason, though, the young woman that Alex's mother had been strummed through her mind. The smile upon her face was much like Alex's when she was genuinely happy, since it was in her eyes. In the picture, she was glancing down at the two children, her gamine face filled with joy at the lives she beheld. For some reason, she thought that she knew this woman.

Shaking her head, she strode from the room, heading off to the kitchen. When she arrived, she found Anju sitting alone at the table, a glass of water in front of her. There was an odd noise coming from outside the open window as it let the cool, late summer morning breeze blow in. She looked out, but couldn't tell what was making the noise. Une heard a soft snicker behind her and she turned to find Anju laughing softly.

"It's Wufei," she said in between giggles.

Wufei was making that odd noise? She didn't understand until she saw him come in through the back door, a bunch of vegetables in a basket freshly cleaned. He was humming. "The Marriage of Figaro." Somewhere in the back of her mind, Une was making odd noises herself as the thought of Wufei singing opera in some weird costume flitted through her brain.

Looking over at the tall woman who stood frozen, Wufei didn't waste much thought on why. He had rinsed off some vegetables, and was ready to make some breakfast. Still, making it for three wasn't bad, and if he hurried, that was all he would have to make food for. Making food for one's self in the presence of others is not honorable.

Anju was trying to stop herself from laughing. Wufei didn't have a clue as to how he was acting, and it was cute. He had switched from opera to the song that he always had to sing on stage, a word slipping in every so often through the main melody. She watched as he swung his body slightly in tune with the music in his head, brandishing a wicked-looking knife with relative ease in chopping vegetables.

As the food began to cook, her nose twitched at the delicious aroma. Getting up from her chair, Anju went over to see what he was fixing. Bending over it, she heard a noise to her left and looked up to find Wufei watching her with a scowl on his face.

"It's not done yet," he said as he shooed her away from the stove.

Anju laughed again, laughing even harder when she saw the clueless look on his face as she saw him try to figure out why she was in stitches. Sitting back down at the table, she found Une watching both of them with a strange look on her face.

An awkward silence formed in the kitchen, broken when Wufei set the food on the table. On each of their plates was a perfect farmer's omelet. Filled with fresh vegetables, the fluffy egg concoction melted on Anju's tongue when she took a bite.

"This is very good, Wufei," she praised.

He was very lucky that nobody saw the blush.

******

Trowa relaxed in bed. For some reason, he didn't want to get up. Oh, being awake was fine, but moving, that was another story. For moving would mean that he would have to wake up Quatre, who was currently sprawled on top of the silent boy.

Stroking the soft blond hair, Trowa thought about what might have happened if he had missed this chance. He would still be with Catherine, at the circus, yet alone at the same time. Not seeing Quatre's face in the morning would hurt, now that he was able to do so.

A soft noise next door brought him to think about why Quatre was still asleep so late in the morning. Normally one up with the birds, the blond had gone on an excursion with Heero before supper. Telling no one what they had gotten, the two had disappeared for an hour before showing up, acting as if they had been there all along. He had been puzzled by the behavior, and he was curious to know why Quatre was acting that way.

When everybody had gone to bed, he discovered why Quatre had gone out. On the bed lay a symphony of chocolate. He had once told the Arabian that he loved the way the dark rich chocolate blended on his tongue, and Quatre had gotten an idea. Last night they had explored both the chocolate and each other, tasting the rich flavor of everything they tried as it melted on their tongues.

Quatre had told him that Heero had needed to get something. When Trowa had asked what he needed, all the blond boy would say was that it was sometimes necessary to be cautious. In the middle of the night, Trowa had quietly gotten out of bed. Peeking through the small bag that Quatre had brought the treats back in, he had seen a small box. Obviously, Quatre had picked up something necessary in order to be cautious.

His thoughts were brought to the present by a shift of the body on top of him. A soft noise floated up to his ears, indicating that his lover had finally woken up. He looked down to see sleepy light-aqua eyes peering through thick blond lashes.

"Ohayo," Quatre whispered. Not quite fully awake, he blinked his eyes when the sunshine hit them. He rolled off Trowa and sat up slightly. Kissing the silent boy good morning, he stretched as he got out of bed.

Trowa watched the show. Somehow the blond boy could make getting out of bed look seductive. He saw Quatre wink at him before he walked into the bathroom. Rising, he slowly followed him with a wicked little gleam in his green eyes.

"Who are those for," he said as he leaned against the doorjam of the bathroom.

Quatre looked at him as he stepped in the shower. "What?" The innocent look on his face wasn't as real looking as he wanted it to be. Seeing Trowa's face, he hurriedly plunged in the water. Reaching for the shampoo, he stretched out the silence as best he could.

"Quatre," Trowa said, very close behind him.

He watched as the silent boy joined him in the shower. Trowa's hands stilled his own as he held the bottle. Still not answering, he sighed as the other boy poured some shampoo and started to lather his hair.

The hands on his head stopped, indicating that an answer was still expected. Sighing, Quatre turned to face Trowa.

"They.... Wufei might...." He didn't quite finish what he was saying as his lover started to laugh quietly. Staring at Trowa, Quatre watched as the other boy tried to contain his enjoyment of those three little words.

Struggling to control himself, Trowa watched as Quatre's eyes got larger the more he laughed. It felt so good to let loose every once in a while. Who better than with his beloved. Finally calming down, he gently led the blond boy under the water to rinse to finish the job that he had taken upon himself to do.

"Why do you think he needs them?"

"Um," Quatre stammered. It had been bad enough buying them yesterday. He hadn't let Heero know why he was getting them. He had only gotten the idea when he saw the other boy picking them up. When he saw that the Japanese boy wasn't embarrassed about them, he figured that he could do it as well. Besides, it was better to have them just in case, no matter who used them. "Well, the way he looks at Anju when he thinks nobody is looking."

Trowa raised an eyebrow. "I don't think Wufei is the type to jump into things like this. He won't need them for some time."

Shrugging his shoulders, the blond boy wrapped his arms around his lover's waist. "Aa. But in the meantime, there's nothing stopping others from enjoying them, ne?"

Chuckling softly, the silent boy nodded.

******

Heero looked across the table at the others. They were finalizing the plan to infiltrate the base and 'return' the OverMind System, and were now splitting into groups. He saw Trowa looking at him with a strange twinkle in his eyes, and didn't know what to think. Then he saw the silent boy glance over at Duo and Alex before looking at him, a smile in his eyes but not on his mouth. 'Did Quatre tell him?' Embarrassed by the thought, he desperately tried not to blush. It had been hard enough to ask Quatre about getting what he needed yesterday without showing his nervousness. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Alex subtly winking at him. The results of the trip into town had been worth it, though. Wufei asked a question, turning his attention back to the plan at hand.

Quatre took his hand off Trowa's thigh to point something out on the map. Missing the warmth, Trowa looked across the table at Heero again. For some reason, he was having fun teasing the other boy. Maybe there had been something in the chocolate last night.

It probably was seeing the Japanese boy look so relaxed. He was still alert as ever, but his body posture was the loosest he could ever remember seeing. When he was taking care of Heero after he self-destructed Wing, the other boy had never really relaxed. Judging by the way he was not looking at him, Trowa knew that he had embarrassed him. It seemed the pilot that he looked up to was also human.

He saw a slight frown form in the Japanese boy's eyes. Realizing that he had missed something, he returned his slacking attention to what Une was saying.

"Duo, Wufei, Trowa, you'll need to get into the base. Harting hasn't seen your faces before, so you will be the best to get inside. Once there, you will need to upload the system into the computer that generates the signal." Turning to Alex, she continued, "Alex, you will need to go as yourself. The best way to snoop is to say you're looking for your little brother, who ran off two days ago and you're out looking for him."

She turned to Quatre, then to Heero, missing the looks on Alex's face.

Alex wasn't so sure that this was going to work. Harting had seen all of their faces, the night that Iria and Marius had been attacked by the man. Une had missed something else, but she wasn't sure what it was.

Next to her, she could feel Duo fidgeting. He probably didn't like this either. Reaching down with one hand, she grabbed his and held it tight. Giving an encouraging squeeze, she lightly rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand.

"Excuse me, Une-sama," Quatre said. "He has seen our faces. About a month ago."

Une stopped. "You didn't tell me about this." She looked at the pilots. "Then that shoots down the plan I had worked out. Other suggestions?"

"What if Tenshi gave a personal concert?" Alex said. "Gaining access to the compound would be no problem, since they are essentially the first tool Harting and Gordon want to use."

Everybody thought this over. With the clothes they wore on stage, they weren't as recognizable.

"Only if you start singing again," Anju spoke up. She had been silent throughout the planning, watching everything and not knowing just how she could help. All she knew was that she didn't want to get up and sing in front of everybody anymore. She didn't like it at all. She felt Wufei shift next to her. Apparently the Chinese boy didn't like doing this either.

Alex winked at her, making her blush faintly. Glancing at the boy sitting next to her, Anju found a frown on his face.

"After getting in," Wufei asked, "how would we go about getting the system in place? Harting isn't going to let us roam around the compound."

Quatre pointed to the large yard in the middle of the map. "Well, if we get to play such a concert, we could do it to the entire place. That will pretty much immobilize most of the people, leaving just a few to patrol the base. Those few that are left we'll be able to avoid to get it in place."

Heero nodded. This sounded even better. He touched the building where they would need to go. "This is how we'll get there...."

******

Duo looked over at Quatre and Trowa. The two of them were laughing about something, and he wasn't sure what it was. Acting rather odd, the two had been keeping to themselves for the rest of the day. Shaking his head, he went back to the music he had been listening to on his headphones. Across the room, Heero was studying some book, while Alex had taken Anju up to the attic to show her something.

Une had gone back into the city to talk with some people. She wanted Pieter to set up an appointment with Harting to arrange the concert on the base, posing as their new manager for the band. Now it was just the seven of them, and the five pilots down in the large study on the first floor.

He saw Wufei wander around the room and suddenly understood why Quatre and Trowa were so entertained. The Chinese boy couldn't settle down. Ever since the two girls had left the room, he had been silently stalking the room, spending five minutes here, five minutes there. So, even he had been struck by love.

Duo mentally laughed. Love certainly seemed to have gotten him. Having two people to love was even better than loving just one. He had woken up this morning to find two bodies pressed against his. Twice. And had to take two showers this morning as well, although the second had been a lot more enjoyable than the first.

He stopped the music when he saw Anju drift into the room, grabbing Wufei's attention quickly. She looked over at him and then Heero. "She wants you to go up there." With a smile, she turned to Wufei, and Duo was surprised to see a smile on the boy's face.

Rising from his seat, he joined Heero on the way out of the room. Going up to the second floor, the two boys looked at each other for a second before continuing to rise.

"So, do you think Wufei and Anju...." The question hung in the air unfinished as Duo found that he couldn't speak with another set of lips on his. Forgetting what he had to say, he returned the kiss with a sharp nip of his teeth, soothing the mark with a gentle brush of his lips.

"Hey," a muffled shout came from up the stairs. "Quit smooching and get up here!"

The two on the second floor pulled away. Duo thought about how Alex knew what they were doing, then figured that she would have done the same. Grabbing Heero's hand, the two went up into the attic. Passing the makeshift office, they walked to the far side of the attic and entered a room. Inside, Alex was surrounded by a horde of clothes.

"What is this?" Heero looked around.

"This was Xander's room," Alex said. She shrugged her shoulders before sneezing. "And apparently he never dusted. Anyway, I thought that some of his clothes would be useful for the concert at the base. The clothes we all wore before was not what the guys in the band wore, so I figured that these would be useful."

Duo pulled up a t-shirt. It read 'I Just Did Your Boyfriend.'

"That one he wore just to embarrass Kitty-mama." Alex dove into a pile to her left.

"Kitty-mama?" Duo held onto the shirt. He liked it.

"Our grandmother." Pulling out a shirt, she held it high. "He wanted me to wear this one, but she wouldn't let me since I was only twelve." The black shirt read 'I Just Did Your Girlfriend.'

"I wonder why."

Heero crossed the room. A bookcase full of books and action figures competed for space with collections of music. He picked up a small figure that looked remarkably like Zero. "When did he die?" The question was softly spoken as he looked at other figurines that looked like other mobile suits.

"Four years ago. Why?" Alex got off the floor and went over to Heero.

"Then how did he get this?" He held the figure up to the light.

"He made that. I don't remember what he called it, but he wouldn't let anybody touch it," Alex said. "All he would say was that it was special."

"That's Wing Zero," Duo said. "That thing wasn't even built when he made that."

"How did he know about it then?" Heero wanted to know.

"Did you read anything else on that disk?"

The two boys thought that Alex was changing the subject. "What...?" Duo asked.

"Well, did you?" When both shook their heads, she continued. "He got glimpses of the future sometimes. Obviously not enough to see when he'd die." She drifted around the room, touching things. "You know what's funny? He always said that he could see his grandchildren, that he couldn't wait to play with them the way Grandfather would with us. God I miss him."

Alex looked out the window for a minute before she turned back to them, a seductive smile on her face. "Well, you want to pick out some clothes?"

Duo went over to her. "Only if you help take them off," he said with a suggestive leer on his face.

Standing on her toes, she gave him a quick kiss. "Maybe," she teased, one eyebrow raised coyly at the braided boy.

Heero put the figure down and followed the other two to the middle of the room. Together, they sorted through the pile on the floor. Among other things.

Quatre looked at the doorway as he heard somebody come in. He forgot to take a breath when he saw what the three were wearing. Duo was wearing a cut off t-shirt that said 'Who's Your Daddy' with a pair of skintight black, leather pants. The outfit was completed with a pair of black military-style boots. His hair was loose from his braid and it shimmered as it caught the light.

Alex was wearing leather pants as well. The brown, hip-hugging pants hung low on her hips, leaving a large area of bare skin beneath the bottom of her sky-blue tank top, which read 'Diva.' Her hair loose as well, blond and blue streaks wove through it.

Heero was the most changed. His hair stuck up more, and had an even more tousled look than usual. He wore tight black jeans with a black t-shirt with the phrase 'Practice Safe Sex--Go Screw Yourself' written across it.

Anju burst out laughing as the three pilots in the room stared, open-jawed at the sight of the three of them.

"This is how we're supposed to look," Duo said in a cheerful voice. "I even feel like a rock-star now. Whoo-hoo!" He grabbed Alex around her waist and twirled her, their hair flying out from them.

Anju got out of her chair and went over to Wufei. "It's your turn."

Wufei broke his trance at seeing the stoic wing pilot wearing a suggestive t-shirt and looked down at the girl standing in front of him. "What?"

"It's your turn to look like a rock-star." Anju turned to Alex. "This is gonna take some work."

Duo set Alex down and she walked over to Wufei. Nodding her head, she sized him up. "Looks like it. We'd better get to work."

Heero and Duo laughed at Wufei's expression as the two girls dragged in out of the room.

"Will you two onnas let me go!"

"Leanbh!" Alex got the last word in as they went up the stairs.

"Oi, Q-man," Duo said. "I wouldn't laugh too hard. You two are up next."

Quatre stopped laughing and looked at Trowa. He was thinking that his lover wouldn't like it, but was surprised by the gleam in the green eyes that looked down at him. 'This could be interesting,' he thought.

The four pilots sat in the room half an hour before they heard laughter floating down the hall and the sound of running.

"Wufei, I didn't mean it that way," Anju's voice drifted down the hallway and into the room as the Chinese boy opened the door forcibly.

Four jaws dropped when they beheld the black-haired man. His hair floated around his shoulders and he wore a tank top. This one was nothing like what he usually had on, but was black mesh, allowing glimpses of golden skin beneath. Loose black cargo pants and black boots completed the outfit.

"It's not permanent, Wufei," Alex said as she and Anju followed him through the door. "It washes right off."

"I am not sticking that stuff on my skin, onna," Wufei snarled.

"Its just glitter," Anju conceded.

"NO!"

"Leanbh," Alex said as she went over to sit by Heero on the couch.

"What is that word?" Wufei demanded. "You've been calling me that for the last 30 minutes."

"Baby."

"What!"

Duo burst out laughing, as everybody else struggled to hold it in at the shocked expression on Wufei's face. "Go, Wu-bear! Can you do horrified?"

Wufei gave the American a death glare before leaving in a huff.

"I guess he didn't like it," Anju said. "Alex...."

There was no answer from the other girl, who was busy whispering something into the Japanese boy's ear. Whatever it was, he was trying not to laugh out loud.

"Alex!"

"Huh?" Alex's head turned in her direction.

"We have two more to go," Anju said, pointing at Quatre and Trowa.

Those two pilots looked at each other before they walked towards the door. Both acted as if they going to be tortured. Anju left behind them, leaving Alex with Heero and Duo for a moment.

Sighing, she rose from her comfy seat. Leaning over, she gave Heero a quick kiss before walking over and doing the same to Duo. "An artiste's work is never done," she said dramatically. Laughing, she went out of the room and up the stairs.

Catching up to the two pilots and the other girl, she led them up to the attic. "Don't act so depressed." Alex pointed to the clothes.

"All we have to do is pick something to wear, and we'll see if it works. Remember, you're rock stars!" Anju picked up a shirt and showed it to Alex, who nodded.

"Perfect!"

Trowa was not sure he was ready for *this.*

******

Une watched the man in front of her, but really wasn't seeing him. Instead, she was mentally planning the next step to take. On the way back to the office, she had heard the song that they had decided to release. She had felt strange, but was able to overcome the odd feelings the song had given her. They had to set the plan in motion before any more time passed.

She sighed as the man finally left. Being gone for two days had not been one of wisest things that had happened in last two months. With Relena no longer in the spotlight, the people were starting to become restless, no strong leader uniting in peace.

Packing up her desk, she looked up as Sally walked in. Sighing in relief that it wasn't somebody who had a problem, she walked in front of her desk to sit in one of the plush chairs. Biding the other woman to join her, Une sat for a couple of moments. Finding that Sally was watching her, she brought her mind to the present.

"I'm sorry. It's been a long day."

"No problem," Sally replied. "I understand that you've found that something is about to happen."

Une nodded. "Yes, but we haven't been able to put anything into action." She ran a hand over her tired eyes before looking at the other woman. "How is your new partner working out? Causing any trouble?"

Sally laughed. "He might be worse than Wufei in being stubborn, but he's a little more polite. He also reminds me of somebody, but I can't place them."

"Don't get too attached to him. He is only a temporary replacement. I have plans for him after this is over. I think that he would be a good asset to the Preventers in another sector."

"Wherever Noin and Zechs found him, I would like to know if there are any more like him," Sally said. "He's very good in finding clues." She rose and slowly walked to the door. "You should get some rest tonight. Oh, a girl showed up looking for Duo today. You might want to talk to her."

Une closed her eyes after Sally left. She really needed to sleep, but there were still some things to do. About to leave, she noticed a young woman sitting in her secretary's office. Half asleep, the girl didn't notice her approach. "Excuse me. May I help you?"

Jumping several inches off the seat, the girl looked up at Une under black bangs. "I was wondering if you knew Duo Maxwell. I-I'm hoping to find out if he's okay," she said. Holding out her hand, she introduced herself. "I'm his friend, Hirde Schbeiker."

******

Anju watched the group gather in the living room, Alex having deemed it the right type of room to rehearse in. Relieved at not having to sing, her gaze wandered over everybody. Other than Heero and Duo, the other pilots looked a little uncomfortable in their new looks. She mentally laughed at their discomfort. She thought that Quatre was secretly pleased with how he looked, because he was acting like what his shirt said--Flirt. Maybe that had been a mistake.

The doorbell rang and she went to get it. On the other side of the door stood Une and a strange girl. "Hi! They're busy right now." She ushered them into the house, holding the door as Pieter came up from the car, hauling in a couple of suitcases. "Hi!" she said again, this time a little breathlessly.

Hirde watched Anju. Une had told her about what had happened to Relena, but it was still a little strange to see what the result was. She had the feeling that this wasn't the only strange thing about to happen. Following the sounds of voices, she went down the hallway and stopped in front of an open door. She was right about something happening.

In front of her, Duo was kissing some girl. Well, this would make it easier to tell Duo that they would be better off as friends.

Heero heard footsteps and looked up. Hirde was still standing in the door, watching Duo. What was she doing here? He went over to Duo and Alex, tapping on the boy's shoulder. He gestured at the girl in the doorway.

Duo's eyes opened wide when he saw Hirde. Was she here because she wanted to date him still? He crossed over to her, leaving Heero and Alex behind.

Turning to Heero, Alex put a hand on his arm. "Who is she?"

Wrapping an arm around her waist, he answered. "That is Hirde."

"Oh." Alex scrutinized the girl for a moment. "She looks nice."

Heero looked down at her. She wasn't worried about the other girl? He knew that he wasn't, but only because he had known Hirde from before. "What if she's here for Duo?"

"I don't think she is," Alex answered. "Something tells me that she's here for something else." She crooked her head to look up at him. "She's looking for something else." About to say something more, the two watched as Duo came over to them, a huge smile on his face.

Hugging them, the American didn't say anything.

"Why was she here?" Heero looked at the boy who held him and Alex.

"Business. And to kind of break up with me." Duo grinned at the two in his arms.

Hirde watched the three embrace. She could tell that the other two made Duo happy. It had been written in his eyes when he had looked at them when they had been talking. She was glad for him, but also a little saddened by it. Her close friendship had changed, and even though she knew they would always be friends, they would never be as close as Duo was with the two he held at the moment.

She turned around and went back to the hallway to find Une talking with Anju. Pieter stood in the background, looking as if all he wanted was a cold beer and a relaxing chair to sit in. Clearing her throat, she gained everybody's attention. "Well, where should I put my things?"

Une turned around to face Hirde. "You should room with Anju. There's two beds in that room. Pieter, the only room left is one up in the attic."

"No," Alex said from the doorway. "There is another room where he can sleep." She saw the violin case and came racing over. "Bronwyn!" She hugged the case for a second before rushing it over to a table to open it. "This is what my grandfather sent me? It has to be!" She reverently took the violin out of its case and softly drew the bow across the strings. Adjusting the tension a couple of times, she launched into "Flight of the Bumblebee," the bow dancing across the strings as well as her fingers.

Duo heard the music coming from the front room and wanted to know who was playing it. As he and the others gathered in the foyer, they saw Alex weaving an intricate melody on the violin. As the song finished, she slowly let the instrument fall from her shoulder.

"What did you call that?" Anju looked at her strange.

"This is Bronwyn," Alex replied. "I didn't name it, so don't look at me weird. She's been in my family since it was made. I guess somebody really liked the name because it stuck." Carefully storing the violin and bow away, she closed the case. She turned and saw everybody looking at her. "What?"

"You played that by memory?" Quatre didn't know what to make of her.

"My grandfather said that only serious musicians memorized their music, and only after mastering that song. It didn't matter what instrument you played, just that you had to do it. He required it of anybody who wanted to play in his orchestra." She shrugged her shoulders and patted the case a couple of times before crossing over to Hirde. "Come on, I'll show you and Pieter where you can sleep."

The others drifted back into the other room now that Alex had stopped playing. Picking up a suitcase, she led the other two up the stairs. Stopping at the door to Heero's old room, she left Pieter to unpack. Making her way down the hall to her old room, and Anju's current room, she didn't notice the strange looks that Hirde was giving her.

Opening the door, Alex let the other girl through. Setting the suitcase down by the second twin bed, she turned to ask if she needed anything else. "Is there something the matter?"

Hirde shook her head. "Do you love him?" She was surprised by the smile on Alex's face. "Both of them?" she went on to ask. She didn't need a verbal answer when the other girl's smile grew even wider than before, her eyes glowing in the soft light the lone lamp cast in the room. She shook her head. "You don't have to answer. I shouldn't have even asked the question."

Alex went over to her. "Yes you did. You care for Duo, and don't want him to be hurt. I understand." She laid a soft hand on the other girl's shoulder for a second in reassurance before turning toward the door. "Did you want to come back down with me?"

Hirde thought about it before nodding her head. She was curious about what was happening.

******

Harting surveyed the troops. Even with the OverMind System, some of them were still excited to see the band. The call he had received two days ago had intrigued him. It seemed that the manager of the band had resisted that first signal sent out, and apparently the band members as well. He wanted to see them personally to see if they could resist it again. The curtain of the stage blew in the slight breeze, hiding from his sight the band as they set up their instruments.

A sweet note crept into the air, stilling all movement on this side of the curtain. Soft, it grew louder as the noise in the crowd died down. It stopped and a girl stuck her head through the curtain. Winking, she said, "Just making sure you were paying attention!"

"Alex!" There was a combined shout from behind the curtain.

Winking again at the crowd, she stepped out from behind the curtain. "Who needs those guys, when I can have my pick right here?" She flirted with the men close to the stage as Harting watched.

Gordon sat down next to him. "Maybe she'll come back here. I got a good look at her, and I think I'm in love," he said in dramatic tones.

"This is not the place, nor the time for that," Harting shot back. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Tenshi's manager stood patiently to the side.

"They're ready now, sir," he said before returning to behind the stage.

On the stage, the girl finally pulled back from talking to the guys as her name was shouted again from behind the curtain. "Oops. I guess it's time to sing," she said in a soft, teasing voice.

As she disappeared behind the fabric, Harting started. He had heard that voice before. Not sure where he had heard, he thought about it, almost missing the first chords of music as the curtain opened.

Anju and Hirde watched from the side. Halfway through the set, they were supposed to start wandering around in a seemingly aimless pattern. What they were actually going to do was scope out the patterns of the few remaining guards. With that information, the plan would be ready to be put into action.

Hirde stared out at the stage. She was amazed by the energy flowing between the pilots and Alex. She had never seen them act like this, figuring that they were more reserved. Well, Duo was never reserved, but she couldn't reconcile the Duo she knew with the one currently belting out a song, a heavy beat driving the rhythm.

Wishing that she knew all of what was going on, she turned her attention to the girl beside her. The former queen of the world was different, both physically and mentally. She had only met her once, but before the other girl had been clingy, needing attention. Now she was content to watch others without having the need to be beside them. Une and the others had told Hirde that Anju was slowly regaining some memories, but it had been two months, and Sally had told them that there was a good chance that she would never get them back.

'Maybe the world is changing once again,' Hirde thought as the song ended. 'And I have the feeling that this girl next to me will play a large part in it.' All thought stopped when a haunting melody began to play.

Hirde looked up to find Quatre playing a violin, the only sound in the entire yard. The music became strained, a darkness creeping into the notes as it dwindled into nothing. A note struck on the piano, soon adding more as the pace picked up. Alex's fingers began to fly over the keyboard, soon becoming the same melody that Quatre had played as she began to sing.

"I will give the secrets you request

And you will be the one to sacrifice

So lay your olive arms upon my breast

Sing the poems, free the butterflies."

The rest of the band joined in as Alex continued to sing, the sound harsh compared to the almost sweet tones before.

"Pray your gods who ask you for your blood

For they are strong and angry jealous ones

Or lay upon my altar now your love

I fear my time is short

There are armies moving close

Be quick, my love"

The piano once again played by itself, playing the original melody and adding more to it.

"I feel my body weakened by the years

As people turn to gods of cruel design

Is it that they fear the pain of death

Or could it be they fear the joy of life?

The angry notes picked up again, emphasizing the words Alex sang.

"Pray your gods who hold you by your fear

For they are quick and ruthless punishers

Or lay upon my altar now your love

I fear my day is done

There are armies moving on

Be quick, my love[3]."

Alex played once more, Quatre joining in. Heero and Trowa began to sing, repeating the same words in a rhyming fashion. Duo joined in, adding harmony as he sang different notes. Alex soon added another layer of notes, all three blending into a melody that sent goose bumps down Hirde's skin. The emotion that was poured into the song was unbelievable.

She stood, stunned, as she heard the troops began to clap, becoming thunderous. There was a soft touch on her arm, and she turned to find Anju looking at her.

"It's time."

Harting was starting to enjoy the concert. The girl could really sing, and both she and the lead male flirted with the audience. As they introduced the next song, he glanced over at Gordon. The last song had obviously gotten to the man. He himself had been startled by the song, but was unwilling to let it show.

"You know," Alex said as she went to the front of the stage. "I was asked by somebody a couple of nights ago why we don't sing love songs." She stopped for a couple of seconds as one of the men shouted to her. "Well, thanks, but I already've got love in my life." She turned to blow a kiss back at the band. Harting had to laugh as he saw the drummer blush furiously while the others laughed.

"The question got me to thinking. Maybe, just maybe...a love song might just find its way into our play list. I'm thinking that tonight's the night for it, don't you think?"

Harting watched as the girl riled up the troops. This girl could be an asset to his training corp. She was a natural up on the stage. This was something to look into. Sitting back in his chair, he listened to the song as the band played it. He, and most likely the rest of the audience, was stunned as she held a note for half a minute. The high, clear tones sent shivers down his spine.

Alex stood just off the stage. She was going to play the last song by herself while the others went to upload the new system. Waiting for the grand piano to get set up by Wufei and Pieter, she greedily swallowed some water that Anju had given her. 'One song left, and just maybe this will be over,' she thought.

Duo came up to her. "You all right?"

She nodded. "You really want me to sing this song?"

Hugging her, Duo nodded. "Yeah. You sing like the angel that the song talks about. Everybody will be as captivated by you as I am."

"Oh, you," she said as she turned around in his arms. Laying her arms atop his, she looked over at the others as they got ready. Tilting her head, she asked, "don't you have something to do?"

"I sure do," Duo answered. Giving her neck a small peck, he winked lazily at her before joining the others.

Blowing a kiss at Heero, Alex walked across the stage to sit on the bench. The haunting notes that Duo had heard when she first sang all those months ago rang out over the hushed audience. Backstage, all of them paused for a couple of seconds before returning to their mission, wanting it to be complete by the time Alex was done. Now that night had completely fallen, the perfect opportunity had arisen.

Hirde watched her sing as the pilots left. They had found out what was needed, and she hoped that everything would go as planned. Next to her stood Anju and Pieter, the two also waiting for the others to come back as soon as possible.

As the last of the notes sounded, there was a shout behind the stage area, gunshots following soon after. 'This is not good,' Hirde thought.

Heero looked over at Quatre. The blond boy was holding his shoulder as his shirt slowly turned red. One of the patrols had been early, throwing everything off. Trowa lay on the ground, holding his leg, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Shimatta." Heero tried to raise Duo and Wufei with the signal they had worked out.

Nothing.

Over to the left there were more shots heard, soon muffled by the sounds of mass panic by the troops who had been watching the concert.

Alex looked out at the crowd before hurrying over to the wings of the stage. She gathered the three that waited there and pushed them under the stage, closing the hidden door behind her. Her fingers scrambled on the ground, searching for something as the others watched. Finding the trap she was looking for, she opened it, and went in. Motioning the three to follow her, the door closed just as the troops overtook the stage.

"Shimatta. Fuck. Damnit! Verpiβ dich[4]!" Alex swore as she led the others through the dark.

"Alex," Pieter started.

"I know! I gotta learn to swear more in languages nobody understands," Alex replied in a 'don't fuck with me' voice. "God, I hope they're ok."

The four continued down the dark tunnel, muffled noises coming from overhead. Her fingers hitting the ladder she knew to be down here, she started to climb. This led into one of the offices that weren't being used. Crouching low, she left the others to climb out of the hole in the floor as she watched through the window of the door. Signaling them to stay put, she carefully opened the door and left the building.

Running to the building where the system came from, she hid behind a truck parked nearby. No one was there. 'Fuck! Something is wrong!'

"Halt!" A voice behind her sounded as something hard pushed into her back.

'Double fuck!' Closing her eyes, she slowly stood up as the man told her to, turning around to stare at the man. Winking, she threw herself at him, feeling the gun going off along her side. The heat from the barrel singed through her shirt and along her skin, but the bullet lodged into the panel of the truck. Quickly disarming the soldier, she kicked him in the groin before hitting him in the head with the butt of a rifle. "Halt, yourself!" The sarcastic whisper was the last thing the soldier heard as Alex ran off once more and he fell into darkness. Coming up at Harting's office, she stopped. She could hear voices that she knew. Duo and Wufei. Harting and Gordon.

"Why were you over there?" Harting was shouting at the two boys. He stared at them, waiting for some reaction. He didn't get any. The two in front of him stood impassively still, neither one saying anything. Both former pilots had been trained well.

Alex crouched outside the door, wracking her brains for anything. Her side was killing her, but if the one she loved inside the room got hurt, there was no telling what would happen. A sharp report came from inside the room, blasting through the glass above her head, the shattered pieces falling like rain. Letting the glass shower on her with no sound, she waited, for what she didn't know.

Duo stared at Harting. He could faintly smell peaches. What was Alex doing? Where was Heero and the others? At the edge of his sight he could see Wufei start to sag. The Chinese boy had been hit hard in the head by one of the guards that had found them. The shot meant to scare them hadn't helped. Not letting Harting know that he was worried, he shifted his hands the tiniest bit, reaching for the knife he had put in his waistband. The action pulled on his arm, tugging on torn muscle. Wufei hadn't been the only one to get hit.

Alex winced as she pulled a piece of glass out of her arm. Sleeves would have been good to wear tonight. Quietly putting the piece on the floor, she hugged the wall closer as she heard steps nearby. A familiar scent tickled her nose. Heero.

Heero stopped. Alex was against the wall, covered in glass and blood as she held up two fingers and pointed it at the room behind her. Shifting his angle a little, he saw Duo standing in the room next to Wufei. In front of them stood two men, both packing heat.

The busted glass was not good. The open window didn't give him enough cover to get over to Alex or the door next to her. He saw Duo subtly move his hands. His worry lessening a fraction, he scanned the hallway for anything that would help. Ignoring the blood that flowed down the side of his face from a punch from a now unconscious soldier, his eyes searched for an opening.

"General Harting!" A man's panicked voice drifted down the hallway in the opposite direction from Heero. He looked up and didn't find anybody coming from there as Gordon stepped out the door. Seeing Alex wink at him as she tripped the tall man, he sprang into action, leaping into the room.

Duo freed his hands as he saw Heero come in through the broken window. Pushing Wufei to the side as he finally fell to the floor from his injuries, he went after Harting. Together, he and Heero wrestled the man's guns away from him. A shot from outside the room drew their attention away from the man. Pushing the boys aside, he ran out the door to stop on the other side.

Gordon lay on the ground, a bullet two centimeters from his forehead spinning. He could feel the heat burning on it as he stared at it. Pinned to the ground, he was afraid to move. One second he had gotten the gun away from the girl and pointed at her, the next the bullet was pointed at him.

Harting got a good look at the girl. The golden eyes in her face taunted him. This was the boy that had been hanging around, the voice from before suddenly ringing in his ears. Behind him he felt the others. One of them he recognized as a former gundam pilot, the other two probably were as well. A plan forming in his head, he shot an arm out at the girl. Suddenly the bullet was in front of his hand.

He would get his revenge. He pushed his hand into the bullet and felt it rip through muscles and tendon. Bloody hand and all, he grabbed the girl's shirt and pulled her in front of him as a shield.

Duo swore. Harting had Alex positioned in front of him. There was no way they could effectively hit the man without hitting her as well. He saw her eyes watching them, tears in the corners. 'Shit,' he thought as he saw the gold eyes turn black as midnight. "DON'T!" He stepped forward, hand reaching out towards her as Harting dragged her off into the darkness.

Harting hauled the girl in his arms around the corner. She had gone limp as the boy with the long braid had shouted. He would teach this girl a lesson she would never forget. All of a sudden he couldn't move, the body in his hands slipping from them.

Alex watched the terror in his eyes. She looked at the building they were in front of. Perfect. Concentrating, she was able to pull Harting in through the doorway behind her. A headache pounded through her brain, warning her that she couldn't keep this up much longer.

Setting him down, she found some rope to tie him up with. Walking over to the computer, she booted it up and found that the new system had been uploaded. 'They must have been caught just after getting this done,' she thought. Pulling up the main screen, she looked over at Harting.

Harting looked at the screen, then back at the girl. Her eyes were black now, and their intense gaze sent shivers across his skin. The hair on the back of his neck rose.

Alex pulled up a chair and sat in front of him. She heard the door open behind her and reached out for them. Sitting forward, she leaned over, her hands casually between her knees as Duo and Heero stood behind the chair.

"Do you know how the OverMind System works, Harting?"

"W-what? How did you know?" He looked at the girl, then at the two boys behind her.

"Do you know how the system works?" Duo asked, his voice harsh. "Answer her now."

"N-no."

"It creeps into your mind and finds your deepest fear. From there, it breathes life into that fear, making it grow and seethe in the darkest recesses of your brain. Building on that, it shifts your thinking as it reaches out for any sanity to grab onto. At that point, the system is given a feeder, a person who whispers 'sweet little nothings' into your head, telling you that everything's all right. You know about that little part in the scheme of things, don't you?

"Once those little 'comforting' works start, you drift into a lull, sure that the world is fine. But, there's a little seed of doubt that grows, and the fear feeds on it."

Alex stood up and walked over to Harting, stopped just in front of him.

"Now, you have two choices once that fear grows to monumental proportions. One, death. Mind you this isn't pretty. Your fear has pretty much taken over your mind, and all you want is the pain to stop. The second choice is even worse, for you have no control over yourself without the help of others. You've seen both choices from the side that you're sitting on."

Harting watched as the girl walked over to one of the computers and touching it lightly. His eyes widened in terror as he saw her walk over to the one that ran the system. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the two boys watching her as well. They, unlike him, were amused by the show Alex was putting on.

"I've always been taught that one can never truly call themselves the master of something until they have perfected it themselves." Alex took a sharp breath. She didn't know how much longer she could do this without bursting into tears. She wanted to tell this man what would happen, but even she could never make another person sit through the horrors of the system. She just wanted to scare him and make him realize what the plan would really do.

Heero was worried. Her voice was strained and heavy with emotion. He saw the slight hitch in her back. Walking over to stand beside her, he continued for her, "Can you say the same thing?"

Duo joined them. "If you truly want to master the world, then you must master the system."

"That is what you've always wanted, isn't it?" Alex asked. Strong once again in spirit, she turned to cross to the computer again. "Is your mind strong enough to withstand the tremendous fear the system generates? After all, look at me. I barely got out with my sanity intact." She turned back to Harting and pinned him with her still black eyes. "Maybe I didn't." She pushed the button on the console, winking at Duo and Heero.

The soft strains of Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" poured through the speakers, joined by Harting's screams.

Outside the building, everybody stopped at the music flowing over the loudspeakers. Quatre breathed a sigh of relief as he sat next to Trowa in the small room he had been able to find. The system had been fixed. He felt warm arms gently wrap around him and pull him into a comforting chest. "Yokatta."

The song ended as Harting found his ropes loosened. The distant sounds of sirens were heard as he stood up. He held his head in his hands, sure that he no longer had any sanity. He looked up as a loud crack sounded through the room.

Duo and Heero watched as Alex clenched her fists. Tears poured out of her eyes as the computer behind her sparked. 'Shimatta!' Heero burst into action. Grabbing Alex, he shook her lightly. "Alex! Don't do it!"

"Please," she cried brokenly. "Just let me get rid of it. To destroy it. Please." She sank to her knees as the glass of the computer screen shattered and the sound of something crashing on the roof shot through the room. "Please...."

"NO!" Duo came running over, leaving Harting to stand in a daze. "Let Une take care of it. You know she'll do the right thing." He wrapped his arms around her, uncaring that it opened his wounded forearm. "Come on."

Alex took a deep breath. The need to bury the system still burned in her, but not as fierce as it had. The pain in her head grew intense, but she nodded, and got to her feet with Duo. Holding onto him, they and Heero left the building. Outside they waited for Une to arrive.

Harting stood in the middle of broken dreams wondering if he *had* gone mad after all.

******

Sally was not having a good day. It seemed like none of the former gundam pilots were good patients. Added to that was a hysterical Pieter at the violence that had happened, Anju crying over Wufei (that in itself was strange) and Alex saying nothing.

She looked over at the girl on the bed. It had taken over an hour to clean up the numerous cuts from the glass on her arms and shoulders. A plaster clung to one of her sides, the cooling burn medicine on it healing it slowly. The pain medication started to kick in, as Sally watched Alex's eyes grow heavy. Well, at least she didn't have to treat the others' injuries. One look at the pilots' faces and she had left that up to others.

Her new partner came out of the room that Wufei had been treated in. Pulling the latex gloves off, he sat down on the vinyl cushions in the staff lounge of the Preventers clinic. "And I thought I was stubborn," he said.

Sally laughed tiredly. "Don't I know it." She turned to look at him. Once again she thought he looked familiar. Deciding it was her imagination, she found the energy to get off the couch and pour a cup of coffee.

Duo was not a happy camper. Sally had told him and Heero that Alex needed to sleep and they couldn't see her until morning. Added to that, she had posted a guard by her door to keep them out. She meant business this time.

He opened his eyes when he heard the door open. Anju quietly shut the door of the lounge for visitors they were in. "Anju," he said softly, not willing to wake up Heero, who was sleeping next to him on the couch.

"If you want, you can call me Relena," she answered. "I like Anju though."

"What?" Duo was shocked. "You got your memory back?"

Anju nodded. "Most of it. There's still some missing, though. Sally said it might never come back, but I'm not worried."

"Good."

"Zechs is coming to pick me up in the morning, and I'm going to stay with him and Lucrezia for a month or so," Anju said in a quiet voice as she sat down. "I don't know if I want to go back into the spotlight again. Maybe this time, it will be more behind the scenes."

Duo nodded. "What about Wufei?"

She blushed. "I.... What are you talking about?"

Letting the subject drop, the two sat in silence for a few minutes. It was broken as Wufei came in the door, Sally right behind him.

Sally pointed at Duo and Anju. "You two need sleep. Wufei, you need to stay awake another three hours."

Duo snickered at the face Wufei made.

"A concussion is serious, and I expect you to take care of yourself." Sally glared at the Chinese boy before leaving the lounge.

"Hn."

******

Une looked at the two in the lounge before heading towards the rooms. Quickly heading over to the nurses station, she went over to Sally, who was talking to one of the nurses. "They can go home this morning?"

Sally nodded. "Yes. Those two just needed to be observed overnight to make sure nothing serious was wrong."

"And Alex?"

"She already left with Duo and Heero." Sally picked up a chart to sign it, ending the conversation.

Une sighed, exasperated. She had wanted to talk to the three about what had happened last night. When they had questioned Harting, he had started to scream in terror about the system, to not put him through it again. Only after sedating him had they been able to get him to understand that nothing had happened. In fact, all but a few faint traces of the system would be gone after the program they uploaded had run its course.

When they had arrived at the base, the small group had been sitting together. Gordon was tied up behind them and Harting still in the small building he had been left in. She hadn't been able to talk to any of the pilots, since Sally had ordered them back to the clinic to check on them.

Frustrated, Une went back up to her office. In her secretary's office, she could hear faint sounds drifting through her office. Wondering if Mariemaia had left the television on in her room, she slowly opened the door to find Treize's daughter and Alex looking at something on her computer.

"Hi!" Alex greeted Une cheerfully. Her arms were covered in a series of bandages as they danced across her skin in a haphazard fashion. "I wanted to talk to you before we left."

"Left?" Une crossed the floor to stand behind her desk with the two girls.

"To go home," Duo said as he came out of the small bathroom of Une's office.

"To stay," Alex added. She stiffly stood up. "Ite...."

"A report is already typed up," Heero's voice came from behind Une. She turned to find the Japanese boy leaning near a window, looking out over the city.

Arching an eyebrow, Une looked at Alex again.

The girl didn't answer the unspoken question for a couple of seconds as she stretched lightly. "Frau. There are some things in life that aren't meant to have an answer. Don't look too hard for those, or you will miss out on what's happening all around you." Winking, she turned and walked to the door. Heero and Duo recognized the hint the girl gave them, and all three left the room.

Une heard Alex laugh softly. "I feel like Frankenstein's monster with these things on. Can I take them off?"

"NO!" Came the stereo reply as the elevator door shut behind the three.

Une sat down as Mariemaia looked at her questioningly. Sighing, the head of Preventers shook her head. "I don't think I'll ever understand that girl."

"What did she mean, Une-san?" Mariemaia looked at the door again.

"One day, I hope to find out."

******

Quatre watched as the taxi pulled away from the house, Wufei in the back seat. Now, only he and Trowa were left in his house, the others scattered like leaves in the wind. Nothing had been heard from Heero, Duo, or Alex since they had left Une's office at Preventers Headquarters. He knew that they had stopped by the house, since their things were gone.

He had sent one of his men to look at Alex's house, but they hadn't been there, either. The plane Heero had arrived in had disappeared from the airport close by. The three had vanished, leaving no clue as to where they had gone.

Walking back into the house, he went over to where Trowa lay on the couch. They had come home yesterday, still stiff and sore, and Trowa found the crutches he had been given tiring.

Watching the taller boy's even breaths as he slept, Quatre found the chorus to a song wandering through his brain. 'Some of Alex's personality has rubbed off on me,' he told himself, a thoughtful smile on his face.

"Drink with me to days gone by

To the life that used to be

Let the wine of friendship

Never run dry.

Here's to you

And here's to me[5]."

A small sound brought him out of his thoughts. Looking down, he found green eyes looking at him carefully. Shaking his head, Quatre took hold of Trowa's hand in a gentle grip. "Just thinking about how all of us go our own ways," he said in a sad voice.

"Not all of us," the silent boy reminded him.

"Aa."

******

Alex looked out over the mountains, awed at the view before her. She stood there for a few minutes before turning back to help unpack. Reaching up to grab a case from Heero, she went around the plane towards the small house that sat higher up on the hill.

Inside, Duo had the radio going full-blast as he danced through the house. Catching sight of Alex, he grabbed her waist, set the case down for her, and did a twisted sort of tango to the heavy rock music that came through the speakers. Together, they danced out of the house towards the plane. Duo leered at Heero, who stood under the wing, hands on hips.

The Japanese boy stalked towards the dancing pair. His eyes were hidden by his wild bangs, the other two unable to read the glint that shone in them. Glomping onto them, he embraced the other two as the sun began to set in the sky.

Later that night, they watched a news conference on television. Relena Dorlian announced that she was leaving the political arena for a while. As the reporters began to ask her questions, she held up her hand to silence them. Smiling softly at the world, all she would say was that it was time for her to find out what peace meant for her.

As she stepped down from the podium, Alex cheered her on softly. Duo unwound his arms from around Heero to clap softly as the other boy sat on the couch, still. Only his eyes gave his feelings away. In the cobalt depths was a little pride that the former queen of the world had finally been able to see that she was a human as the rest of them. As human as he was.

Leaning forward, he pushed the 'off' button on the remote. Reaching up to turn off the lamp, the last thing Duo and Alex saw was the grin on his lips as the room plunged into darkness.

******

OWARI

Phew! Finished with it at last! Parts of this story have been swimming around in my brain for two months now. Everybody in here is insisting that they have more to say, but at this point, my fingers are tired from typing (especially after working for 9 hours a day, five days a week in front of a computer! The hours suck, but the overtime is sometimes worth it.).

Please let me know if you liked this! Or if you didn't, give it to me nice, 'k? That way, I know how to make what's coming next better (when I get to it).

Ri-chan ^_^

[1] I loved the scene in "Private Benjamin" (the movie version) where Goldie Hawn and the rest of her troop take revenge on their captain with the bluing in the shower. (A warning for anybody who gets on my bad side. >.<)

[2] "Heero, I love you. Duo, my lover." Rough translation from Irish (not Gaelic, although it is in the same language family).

[3] "Pray Your Gods" by Toad the Wet Sprocket.

[4] "Fuck off" in German. Just think of it as well-rounded swearing. After all, I try to learn those first in any language ^_^;

[5] "Drink With Me" off Les Miserables Broadway Cast Recording

Here's the tune that got this story started in my head.

"Take her arms and hold her down,

and hold her down, and hold her down,

and hold her down

Until she stops kicking

Take her arms and hold her down,

and hold her down, and hold her down,

and hold her down

Until she stops moving

They don't know her

But what the fuck

They've got nothing else they can do

And they've no reason

But still they come

And I

Would have a hard time facing you

This crime

The shame of what a man can do

Take her arms and hold her down,

and hold her down, and hold her down,

and hold her down

Until she stops screaming

Take her arms and hold her down,

and hold her down, and hold her down,

and hold her down

Until she stops breathing

They don't know her

But what the fuck

They've got nothing else they can do

And they've no reason

But still they come

And I

Would have a hard time facing you

This crime

The shame of what a man can do

I would've died

From all the hell that you've been through

Take the night back

All they've stolen

All we took from you