Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Devil's Due ❯ - 21 - ( Chapter 21 )

— 21 —

December 3, A.C. 204. Sion, Switzerland. 12pm

"You're there? All right," Chai muttered, resting back on the stool. "Be careful, all right?"

"I know," Jordan reassured her quietly as he followed Judas back toward a waiting car. "I just feel the need to make sure everything is working...I'll talk to you later, all right?"

"All right," she agreed tiredly. "Jordan...be safe."

"I know," he reassured her, then closed his phone. He was glad he had as he neared the machine, because there were two guys sitting in it giving him weird looks.

"What?" Judas asked unceremoniously, kicking the driver's door.

"I didn't say anything, fucker," the guy returned, though he did pop the trunk.

"Hey, I'm Aleksander," the guy added, offering his hand through the window.

"Mark," Jordan returned, sliding in as Judas slammed the trunk closed. The second guy was sitting fully back against his seat as he stared at Jordan with very interested eyes. He also had his head tilted so it was around the edge of the headrest, but he wasn't quite facing the former pilot. Jor considered his face a moment, then raised an eyebrow.

"You straight?" the guy asked curiously.

Judas smacked him upside the head...which made him start laughing and sit forward, rubbing at the spot as he turned to face Jordan better.

"Let's just say you're barkin' up the wrong tree, huh?" Jordan returned happily.

Both Aleksander and Judas died laughing evilly at that.

"I'm straight!" the guy retorted, looking a little embarrassed. "You're sleepin' in his room!"

"From what I understood," Jordan returned easily, "you were sleeping on his bed, so..."

That made Aleksander laugh even harder as the car spluttered into life.

"This is Mark," Judas added happily. "That's Kiel and Alek...I'm not sure why Kiel had to come, but there we go all the same."

Alek turned to look Judas up and down, then focused back on driving. "So what brings you here of all places?" he added after a moment as he pulled into traffic.

"They have these bank accounts," Jordan explained, nonplussed. "They're lovely little things, really."

Aleksander started laughing again.

- -

December 3, A.C. 204. Airport. 1pm

Raul sighed as Trowa moved around behind him. The guard they'd accosted to return the suitcase the previous week was standing not far away.

"You know what I like about you?" Trowa asked quietly, almost in his ear.

"I don't care, but you're going to tell me anyway," Raul returned easily. He actually didn't mind the guy too much. He rather appreciated the guy's humor, even if he was usually the butt of every joke.

He wasn't sure how, exactly, but he was pretty sure that was the case.

"You're so damn easy going," Trowa returned, stopping comfortably on his far side to meet his eyes. "I've been trying and trying to get under your skin, and it just doesn't work...like last time we were here, you didn't balk that I was making him think we were lovers...you played into it."

"I'm here to support my superiors," Raul returned, giving him another look.

"I suppose," Trowa agreed, relaxing his stance. "I'm still gonna fuck with you, though."

"I'd assumed as much," Raul reassured him. "I don't have much faith in the idea of you suddenly growing up."

"I've heard that before, I think," he noted, looking curiously to the guy. "I just don't remember where."

Raul grinned at that.

"Raul!"

The guy's attention was instantly turned to Danielle, who went flying through the crowd to jump in his arms and cling to him hard.

"Hi, Raul," Riley muttered, moving up behind. "Barton, sir."

Trowa nodded respectfully at her. "How was the flight?"

"Long, but I made myself stay away," she returned. She smiled slightly at Raul. "No matter what story she spins, it wasn't all that bad."

"Jor's chauvinistic," Trowa reassured her. "He doesn't mean any wrong, but he would have let Raul or Mouthy come in on their own instead of flying over there."

Considering that Riley had been thinking similar thoughts herself, she smiled in return.

"Come on," he added, stepping back. "Let's get your shit and head back to base. Don't be too alarmed when Yuy shows up, though. He got shot yesterday, because he's damn talented. He's on Remalene, so don't let him fool you. His injury wasn't fatal or even serious, just an annoyance. He's in a pissy mood, though."

They both blinked at him...and Trowa led them toward the baggage claim.

- -

December 3, A.C. 204. Base. 4pm

"Let me check it," Simone whined at Chance from where she was sitting by his leg. "Come on, I just want to make sure it's..."

"I can take care of my own wound, thank you," Chance retorted irritably, rolling his pant-leg back down.

"I'm supposed to be your assistant!" she protested.

"Yes, assistant, not nurse-maid," Chance agreed. "Get off the floor like that before someone decides I'm being immoral."

"Yuy," she whined, moving a little closer to him.

Chance gave her a very tired look, then turned to look at Chai. "Make her stop that," he whined.

Chai returned a somewhat whimsical grin and went back to folding her laundry.

Simone started to roll the pant-leg up again.

"Stop that!" Chance protested, brushing her hands away again. "It's fine."

A shrill beeping tore through the air and made both he and Chai jump as Simone looked to her watch. "Ooh, time for your meds," she noted, reaching into her pocket.

Chance stared at her in horror.

Chai started laughing, because the expression seemed so comically sincere.

"Here," Simone noted, placing the pills in his palm and rising to her feet. "I'll get you water."

"Get me a pop," he retorted.

"Dr. Morris said you should take it with water," Simone retorted...and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Chai," Chance appealed to her almost desperately.

"What do you want me to do?" Chai retorted, grinning unabashedly back at him.

"Make her stop," Chance repeated, staring at her in amazement. "My leg doesn't even hurt and look at this!" he extended his palm again to show her the pills. "She had them in her pocket!"

"Yes, she's a good assistant," Chai returned happily, going back to her folding.

Chance stared at her in horror.

Quatre started laughing from where he was laying on his mattress, sitting up and moving to the door to look out at the pair as Simone came back into the room. She had a can of soda in one hand...and a cup of water in the other.

The blond laughed even harder, preparing himself for the inevitable chagrin Chance would offer as soon as he noticed the smaller details.

"You are an ass," Chance noted, turning to look at him. "When is everyone else going to show up and save me?" He noticed the can and reacted with pleasure as he reached for it...and then Simone shoved the cup in his hand.

Quatre laughed even harder at that, bending over forward as his assumption proved correct.

"You're horrible," Chai chided him gently. "Go back in your room before he has another fit."

"I'm not throwing fits!" Chance retorted instantly, distracted from taking his medicine.

Quatre laughed even harder, moving to the back of the couch to look at him.

Chance glared back.

"Hey, pussycat," Wufei muttered as he moved into the house without knocking, then looked to Quatre, blinking.

"He thinks it's funny that my wet-nurse here won't leave me be," Chance explained, gesturing irritably at Simone.

"I am not a wet-nurse!" Simone protested.

Quatre laughed even harder.

"Quatre!" Chai hissed at him, though she wasn't angry or even annoyed. She was very complacent, like she was seriously enjoying her simple task.

"Oh, here, let me," Wufei muttered, moving to take the towels from her.

"Thank you," she replied, smiling that pleased smile at him.

He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but that smile was worth an entire house full of work. He darted to finish his little mission, glad that Quatre wasn't ass enough to point the little exchange out.

"Don't mind him, Simone," Chai added, starting on some jeans. "You mean well, he's just not used to help when he's done something stupid, let alone sympathy."

"I didn't do anything stupid!" Chance attacked that one instantly...which started Quatre sniggering again since he'd almost calmed himself.

The door opened again and Riley moved into the house with Danielle in tow...which did stop Quatre's laughter, if only because he realized that in about two seconds Wufei was going to come back for more little pleasing bits of attention from Chai and see the female.

"Mae! Duvall!" Simone bounced on her spot. "Hi!"

"Hi, Simone," Danielle returned, looking to Chance curiously. "Haven't you shook her yet? I thought you were bound and determined to lose her."

Simone's expression instantly went pained and embarrassed as she shrank back where she stood.

"Great, Danielle," Riley chided. "Now you've gone and hurt her feelings...watch how you phrase things before she gets to know you..."

"I'm a nuisance, aren't I?" Simone asked, her normal good spirits gone.

"No!" Quatre said quickly, moving around the couch to rest his hands on her shoulders. "No...you're not," he gave Chance a death-look before the girl could notice. "You've been helpful, but his wound care is his own problem...he sets his own bones, come on..."

She looked up to him, a slight glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"My only problem is that you keep trying to check it," Chance said in a deep and reassuring voice. "I've gotten these kind of wounds before, and they're best left alone until they need cleaned...once a day, huh? Don't mind my fussing...I just feel stupid because I let myself get distracted."

She looked to him, her eyes hopeful again.

Chance wanted to snort, but took his pills with the water she'd offered, being sure to finish off the cup. He didn't want the water, but he didn't want her to feel useless. She didn't know much yet, but she was trying.

"There, see?" Quatre said gently, indicating the cup. "He wouldn't have conceded if he didn't mean it." ...which was beyond a lie, but entirely beside the point.

She gave the guy a slightly hopeful smile.

"Can you put this in the sink for me?" he asked, offering her back the cup as he took the can from her. "I'd appreciate it."

She nodded, smiling at him again before turning to bounce into the kitchen.

Chance glared at Danielle.

Danielle returned a nervous look.

"How do you make them all fit?" Wufei demanded as he moved back into the kitchen. "I got most of...them..." he stopped, focusing on the new arrivals.

"The black ones go in their bathroom," Quatre noted in amusement. "Something about Jor not wanting to stain whatever colors she picked with blood."

"Oh...oops," Wufei blinked at him, then looked back to the females.

"Hi, Wufei," Riley greeted him with a smile, moving around toward the kitchen. "Do you mind if I get something to drink, Chai?"

"That's fine," Chai returned, moving the pile of pants away from herself some.

"Uh...here," Wufei said, instead of looking at Danielle. "Let me get that."

Chai smiled at him again, but he didn't meet her eyes as he turned and moved toward her and Jordan's bedroom.

"What are you up to?" Chance asked Danielle curiously. "I thought you'd be all down and hiding here today."

"I tried that, but it's not the same without Jor coming in to pick at me," she noted almost sadly, moving to sit at the end of the couch. "Hi, Chai."

"Hello," Chai returned, smiling at her.

"Can I help?" Danielle asked quietly, looking the pile over.

"Mate socks?" Chai asked. "They're Jor's and it's a nuisance, but he likes the toes to be mated."

"The toes?" Danielle asked in confusion as she slid onto the floor.

"You know," Chance muttered, moving his left foot. "The big toe always leaves an impression, and if you switch it back and forth the end of the sock gets all stretched out...I do it, too...it's not really annoying, is it?" he added, looking back to Chai. "I don't want to annoy Shin."

Chai smiled at that and shoved the pile of socks at Danielle. "I doubt you could do anything to really annoy her for another six months. I've been doing Jordan's laundry for about six years, though."

"Oh," Chance frowned at that, thinking.

Wufei moved back into the room with Quatre behind him, though they hadn't noticed Quatre leaving the room. A moment later, Simone followed Riley back into the main area herself.

"So," Riley asked happily, moving to sit by the far end of Chai's pile. "What news?"

"He called me when he got there...that was four this morning," Chai repeated the information as she carefully spread out one of his undershirts. "He's not going to call me unless something happens. In this situation, no news is good news."

"Ah, the wife of a spy," Quatre muttered almost nostalgically. "Logic that makes no sense to any other."

Chai flashed him a grin, focusing back on the shirt.

"You're really enjoying yourself, aren't you?" Chance almost accused her.

"What?" Chai asked blankly.

"You're all happy to be a domestic goddess..."

"My husband's a god?" she asked curiously.

Chance grinned at that.

"What?" Simone asked, moving away slowly from Quatre's side.

"Ooh, she hasn't heard any of it yet," Riley noted to Danielle happily. "She doesn't realize that the only sane one around is Trowa."

Quatre and Chance both choked on that one, though Chance's was a bit more literal. He spluttered a moment, his eyes watering as he stared at the girl. "What?" he asked in a way only someone who'd breathed in a soda could.

"Chance," Chai said sincerely, looking up to him until he met her eyes. "You're not supposed to smoke it."

He started laughing on top of his coughs, wiping at his eyes.

Wufei moved hesitantly to sit in the armchair, not looking at Danielle as he did it.

"That's gonna get damn annoying," Quatre noted to no one in particular.

"What?" Simone asked, looking to him. "I'm lost."

Quatre shrugged slightly at her, but Chai had taken his hint and focused on her power for him. He sighed almost reverently, then smiled even more at the girl, moving to stand closer to her.

"What are you doing?" Wufei asked him skeptically in French.

"Am I doing something?" Quatre returned.

"Ooh, you speak French?" Simone asked them both eagerly...in French. "I didn't know you did!"

They stared at her in horror.

"Ha!" Chance muttered, feeling better somehow about his entire day.

"Hello!" Trowa sang out as he bounced into the house with Raul and Max behind him. "We're here! No need for alarm!"

"Who was alarmed?" Wufei returned happily.

"The ladies," Trowa said quite calmly. "Without my presence they wither and die."

Simone blinked at him in complete confusion as Riley let out a guffaw of laughter.

Trowa started laughing, then focused on Chai. "Hello, pussycat."

"Hello, Trowa," she returned smiling at him. "Come in, you're letting the heat out."

Max shut the door quickly, looking embarrassed.

"What languages do you speak?" Wufei half accused him instantly.

"What?" he asked, blinking at the man in amazement.

"What languages do you speak?" Wufei repeated, glancing back at Simone. "Both of you."

"I know...Chinese and Japanese," Max returned, looking lost. "I know a bit of Vietnamese, too...but not much."

"And?"

"English?" the guy asked in confusion.

"No French?"

He shook his head and pointed at Simone. "She speaks French, though."

"He and Winner just found out the hard way," Chance noted happily.

Max blinked at him.

"I know French...and proper Spanish," Simone noted, frowning at him. "Why?"

"Because when we want to say something that no one else needs to understand, he and I use French," Wufei returned, pointing at Quatre. "I was being properly schooled, so I didn't get to learn that many languages...and I haven't bothered to learn anymore." He frowned, looking to Chance. "What one should I learn? One we all can know."

"Italian...but they know it," Chance mused, looking to Riley and Danielle. "Huh...I think Jordan just screwed us."

"Or you'll just have to get clever," Chai retorted happily. She frowned, though, because Riley was casting her almost nervous looks. "What?"

"Why do you let them call you that?" Riley asked quickly, glancing at the guys.

"What?" Chai asked blankly. "Call me what?"

"Pussycat!" she said it almost like it was a bad word.

Chance, Quatre, Wufei, and Trowa stared at her in amazement.

"Pussycat?" Chai repeated. "They've always called me that."

Riley looked almost horrified.

"What's wrong with pussycat?" Chai protested, looking around to the others. "Is something wrong with it?"

"It's so...demeaning!" Riley protested, looking embarrassed and not looking to the men. Her cheeks were very lightly flushed.

"How is pussycat demeaning?" Chai asked in confusion.

"I think it has something to do with the makeup of the word...not the cat part," Danielle noted, grinning very slightly.

And because they were all guys, and because they were all obnoxious guys...they all started laughing wickedly.

Chai rolled her eyes ceiling-ward as Riley gave them all challenging looks.

"I told her not to ask," Raul noted happily to Max, gesturing for him to follow. "Come on, let's get drinks...and you can explain to me why Trent hasn't shown up yet."