Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Devil's Due ❯ - 28 - ( Chapter 28 )

— 28 —

December 28, A.C. 204. Base. 10am

"This is in damn good shape," Chance muttered, moving around the transform unit with interest. "Where did they get it?"

"Do you mind?" Wufei asked dryly.

"No, look," Chance protested, starting to lower his hand toward it. "The magnetic field is even in close..."

The E.K.G. machine made a funny beeping noise and Wufei focused back on what he was doing.

"Why is this in here of all places?" Chance added, looking back to Calvin, who was laying back with his eyes closed.

"I don't know," Wufei replied irritably. "Moving it would take a good hour and tomorrow we have to go back to nights. I don't want to mess with it...but we might have to...this isn't normal," he pointed at something on the screen.

"Crap!" Chance muttered as his wedding band was sucked against the magnet of the heart.

Calvin sat up sharply, looking around in disbelief. "What the hell is that?"

"Chance!" Wufei protested in annoyance as the reading on the machine changed dramatically.

Chance started laughing, yanking at his arm. "I'm...I'm stuck...oh my god...Trowa!"

Wufei groaned to himself and moved from the machine, grabbing Chance's wrist and pulling it away...or trying to. "Holy crap...what is that made out of..."

Chance started laughing even harder, shaking his head.

"Wufei, what is that?" Calvin asked, looking a little wild-eyed.

"What?" Wufei focused back on him, then back to the machine. He stopped, staring at that before looking back to the empath.

He looked a damn lot like Quatre had when Chai had first started doing her thing without warning him.

Morgan moved into the room with Mikel on his heels. As Mikel moved through the door he stopped, his own eyes going wide.

"What's going on?" Morgan asked blankly.

"It's gone," Calvin said in a slightly panicked tone, starting to scramble from his hook-ups.

"I'm so stuck..." Chance muttered, still trying to pry his ring from the magnet.

He was not leaving that ring behind.

Trowa moved into the room, blinking at Chance as Morgan and Wufei exchanged disbelieving looks.

"Trowa...help?" Chance asked, resting against the heart since he'd used up most of his energy.

"How can you be that stuck?" Trowa demanded, moving forward to slide the ring up the magnet, then leaned in to study the place where the two met.

"Its gundanium," Chance admitted, starting to laugh weakly again. "That's how I'm so damn stuck."

"Your wedding band is made of gundanium?" Trowa asked him almost in disbelief.

Chance started laughing harder, pulling helplessly at the ring.

"You are so damn special," he noted...and climbed up onto the heart to get a good grip on Chance's wrist. "Ready?"

Chance nodded.

"Pull!"

The pair put a serious effort into it, and after a moment they came free of the magnet...which sent Trowa flying backwards and caused the machine to start beeping erratically. Chance also flew backwards, but that was more because Trowa had shoved him as he fell than anything.

It also calmed Mikel and Calvin.

Morgan was staring with his mouth agape at the machine's read-out...and Wufei had a hand to his forehead.

"What?" Trowa asked, realizing that everything had stopped.

"It's...normal again," Mikel whispered in response, looking around to Chance.

"What do you mean?" Chance asked, studying his wedding band.

"When I came in...it all stopped."

Chance blinked up at him.

"Calvin?" Wufei asked quietly.

"Everything was normal, you were annoyed with him," he gestured at Chance, "then he was consternated...and then it was gone..." he looked back to Chance as well. "Just...gone."

"What was gone?" Trowa asked, wanting to hear it.

"I...couldn't feel anyone else," Calvin said quietly, looking back to Trowa. "And you were all reacting, I could see you all reacting...but I didn't feel any of it."

"Holy shit," Morgan whispered, looking back to Chance as well.

Chance laughed nervously, cupping his hand around his ring. "Not my ring."

"But we need to try..." Wufei started.

Trowa raised a hand, stopping Wufei from speaking. "There are parts in the mecha made of gundanium."

Wufei blinked at him.

"It's his wedding-band," Trowa reminded Wufei pointedly. "Give me an hour and I can have you a few scraps..."

"He's here though," Wufei protested, gesturing at Chance.

"It's his wedding band," Trowa repeated pointedly. "Besides, we were damn lucky to get the thing off it at all."

Wufei looked back to Morgan, his eyes too bright.

"I'll get them," Morgan agreed...and disappeared from the room. It took him seconds to reach the entrance.

"Get...what?" Trowa asked blankly.

"Go!" Wufei half shouted, shoving at him. "Go!"

"Great," Trowa noted over his shoulder to Chance. "Now he's lost his mind."

- -

December 29, A.C. 204. Base. 3pm

The base was buzzing and there was a queue of media vans parked outside the entrance where Jordan could see the local reporter standing and talking to camera.

"I can't believe we really did it," Wufei whispered to Morgan as they leaned against the guard-hut.

"Who didn't think you'd do it?" Chance asked happily.

In the grand scheme of things, as far as Chance could figure, Wufei and Morgan deserved that glory. It might have been his own stupid mistake, but Chance wouldn't have been in the building to get stuck to the giant magnet if he hadn't been intending to help Wufei out with the research part of it all.

Personally, he felt that backing up the logic even further meant that it was Trowa's doing, but that didn't really count either.

"All of that research," Wufei added, looking to the sky, "and it was just a stupid accident...but we did it..." he looked from the sky to Morgan. "I can't wait for Quatre to get home."

"You ready to be heroes?" Jordan asked curiously, still watching the reporter, then grinning slightly as the cameraman actually spotted him and focused on him. The reporter turned to look as well, and then stood very still, expectantly still.

"I'll take the glory if you want me to," Chance noted happily.

"No, it's fine," Wufei noted, composing himself.

Evidently he wasn't in the state to note the joke.

"Maybe next time," Morgan noted, looking to Chance.

"How do I look?" Wufei muttered, straightening his jacket.

"A little mad," Trowa returned happily.

Wufei gave him a look, then looked to Jordan.

"You look fine," Jordan reassured him, then nodded slightly at Chance and Trowa.

"Yeah," Chance agreed quietly.

The group of them followed Wufei when he started to move, and the gathered reporters and people standing in the grass–they'd been informed that they'd be arrested if they blocked the road-way–started cheering.

Wufei smiled as he moved beyond the gate, stopping a ways away from the local reporter and looking everyone over...and they all pounced.

Jordan, Chance, and Trowa moved out to keep them a steady distance away, holding up their hands and standing straight like soldiers should.

"Good afternoon," Wufei said loudly. His voice definitely carried across the entire area. "I apologize for making you all wait, but I'm sure you can understand that we've been busy."

Questions started one after the other, turning into an excited cacophony.

Wufei raised his hand to quiet them, looking from camera to camera for a long moment before smiling again and readying himself. "As you all may have heard," he noted loudly, "for the last several months, Morgan Roberts and myself have been working on a method to interrupt the ability of the empaths. Our research has covered many angles, and..."

- -

December 29, A.C. 204. L-4. 3:05pm

Quatre stood in front of the huge screen of the wall-tv in the ballroom, absolutely riveted to his spot as the camera focused on Wufei. They had Wufei's full rank listed with his name, and underneath that a caption.

Successful research to further help the empath phenomenon found on the Inado California Earth Sphere Base.

The scrolling words across the bottom of the screen–which stood to Quatre's knees–was proclaiming that two researchers claimed to have found a way to interrupt the empath ability.

Quatre couldn't move.

"Quatre," Karen called irritably from behind somewhere. "What?"

"You're so stupid," Kendra called from across the room. "Do you not recognize that man?"

There was a murmur, but Quatre's eyes and mind were focused on Wufei's mouth.

"...and through a series of tests, we seem to have successfully interrupted the power of one low powered empath, one moderately powered empath, and the highest level empath on this base."

Paris.

Quatre's heart beat faster.

"I have contacted multiple research agencies to independently verify our findings, and as soon as three or more have successfully done so, the method will be passed into the health research phase..." he stopped and wiped his eyes, smiling largely at the camera before turning away.

"The health research," Morgan spoke up, though he had to make more an effort to be heard, "should take approximately six months, though we will be studying the long-term effects."

"And just think," Quatre muttered quietly as Morgan went on. "I never used to be able to stand him."

"What?" Margrite asked blankly, moving up beside him.

"He hated me for my money and I hated him because I could," Quatre returned as Jordan finished reassuring Wufei. He turned to look at his sister. "I need to go home."

She blinked at him. "You...are home," she noted, gesturing to the throng behind him.

Quatre looked to his sisters, brothers-in-laws, nieces, and nephews, then looked back to the screen. It had moved on from their interview and the news reporter was talking excitedly about what that meant for empaths throughout the world and the colonies.

"No," Quatre said finally, using the remote to start the movie. "I need to go back to Inado."

"You heard him," she protested. "He said..."

"Margrite," Quatre cut her off gently, "Wufei started that research to help me."

She settled back.

"He was one of the ones in the house," Quatre added, running a hand through his hair as the movie stopped at the play-screen. "Everyone?"

They all fell quiet, looking to him quietly.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking them all over. "I really have enjoyed this visit, but...I'm afraid I need to go home now."

Ainslie stood, her expression highly offended.

"I don't know how many of you followed that," he added, gesturing back at the screen, "but that Asian man it was showing is one of my best friends...I know some of you know that," he noted pointedly as Enica started to protest, "but not all of you understand what that story just said. If what that story said was true...fully detailed and true...then...it's a monumental event. I need to go back to Inado...I need to go back to earth."

"You can't just leave!" Ainslie protested, her voice rising higher. "This was supposed to be our holiday!"

"And every time we're in the same damn room together we ruin it for everyone!" Quatre shot back at her. "I'm not good enough for you and you just piss me off."

"Quatre," Margrite reprimanded him. "There are children present."

"Sorry," he apologized, more to her than anyone else, hugging her briefly and passing her the remote as he started to walk away.

"If you walk out that door," Ainslie started, her voice rising.

"You'll what Ainslie?" Quatre demanded, stopping to look at her. "You'll disinherit me? Didn't you already try that?"

She stood there, glaring at him.

"News flash, sister mine," he said fiercely, "the fact is that pacifism won't work until order stands. Until then, until we can..."

"It goes against everything father stood for!" she shouted back at him. "Everything he did...and he didn't even approve of your nonsense!"

Quatre flinched inwardly at the words, remembering how sad his father had sounded so many times. "If you don't like it," he shouted back at her, turning that pain into volume, "then have me killed and make another son!"

Ainslie stared at him in disbelief.

"I'm sure they still have Mom's eggs on ice and Dad's sperm in cubes...go make another round of babies, add to the family legacy! Until I'm laid out in a puddle of blood, I am the family patriarch. Until I'm burned to ashes, there's nothing you can do! I'm tired of coming to visit my family and spending the time arguing with you! You're no better than the rest of us! You hold no sway! Just stop hounding me and maybe some time I'll live up to your expectations!"

She stared at him in disbelief.

He smirked slightly at her, realizing vaguely these were the things that made him seem mean. "I'll even authorize the payment for the creation," he hissed.

"Stop, now," Margarite ordered in a pained tone of voice. "Just stop."

Quatre settled back where he stood, looking to her, then looked to the ceiling a moment and swallowed. After he'd composed himself again, he smiled at the children who were all staring at him. "I enjoyed spending time with all of you," he noted. "Hopefully we can do it again soon...I hope my presents were all right...and I do love you all. I'm sorry if I seem mean, I mean nothing against any of you."

Richard and Devon exchanged looks as Coy looked away.

"You should all have my cell number or my vid number," he added, looking back to his sisters. "Call me some time. Ainslie and my shit made these visits unpleasant for me, but it's not like I don't want anything to do with you all...or most of you. Some of you who still try to preach pacifism to me make me sad, but...if we get along when we see each other, feel free to call me...I need to go home, though." He stood uncertainly for a moment, then turned on his heel and started for the door again.

"Uncle Quatre!"

Quatre turned back to Autumn, who was sprinting across the room to him...he kneeled down to accept her hug...and suddenly he was surrounded by the younger children, who were all running to hug him. He smiled reassuringly at them as they cried–they were all very upset that he was leaving, but none of them were trying to make him stay.

That meant more to him than if Ainslie had up and apologized for her stupidity. The fact that he'd managed to gain the affection of the little children made him feel definitely more at ease with his family standing.

"Okay, okay, little ones..." Avalon muttered in a sweet voice–she was the youngest of Margarite's group. "Come along little ones," she encouraged. "Uncle Quatre needs to go...we'll see him again soon, huh?"

They started pulling away with tearful eyes.

"Let's watch the movie, huh, babies?" Avalon encouraged, starting to shoo them back toward the seating area. "We got this movie early and special and no one else gets to see it yet but us..."

Quatre smiled as Autumn gave him a very sad look, then turned and started after the rest of the children...but, of course, many of his sisters and brother-in-laws were moving to hug him and wish him well.

Evidently, his taking time to talk to them all singly had worked after all.

He smiled slightly at Margrite, who hadn't left her spot in front of the screen, then turned and started for the hall.

"Uncle Quatre!"

He turned to see Richard and Devon coming out the door. After a moment, Hadley followed...and Coy, Ember...Brooklyn, and finally Colton. Coy and Ember were sixteen, and Quatre was pretty sure the rest were older.

"What does that mean?" Richard asked, encouraging the group to move. "Does that mean that Coy will be okay?"

"They have to do the research for it," Quatre agreed, starting up the stairs. "That means testing it on all sorts of people. It depends on what he found to interrupt it."

"You mean fix it?" Ember asked curiously.

"It's not exactly something to be fixed, honey," he said seriously, studying her eyes. "It won't ever go away...but next time I come here, I'll be in this group and only have your body language to go off of."

She gave him a confused look.

"You know what empaths are, stupid," Brooklyn muttered to her. "They feel emotions."

"Don't call names," Quatre reprimanded him.

"You all but called my mom a bitch," Colton retorted.

"That's because your mom is a bitch," Quatre countered...in Italian, sure, but he said it.

"Uncle," Richard protested, giving him a partially scandalized look.

"You don't speak Italian," Quatre retorted happily.

Richard flashed him a grin and shook his head.

"What did he say?" Colton demanded.

"He's being stupid," Richard returned, holding his uncle's eyes the entire time. "Sort of like his comments about the family legacy."

"Hey, we all have our bitter moments," Quatre retorted, moving into his suite. "If you lot are all going to follow me around in here, make yourselves useful and get my personal stuff."

"Why do you have to just go like this, though?" Hadley asked. They'd all stopped to look the main room over.

"Because I want this to go away," Quatre admitted quietly. "It's hard...you all saw me Christmas morning. I couldn't even stay in that room when it was supposed to be a happy family time."

They all nodded sadly at that.

"So if this works," he added, "it won't be so hard for me to come here."

"Let's get his stuff," Richard suggested to the rest, gesturing him toward his room. "Get your clothes...and you saying this to us is a promise."

"Yes, teens are annoying like that," Quatre teased.

Richard flashed him a grin, then followed Hadley toward the computer area.

Quatre rubbed the back of his neck, wondering if telling them all to call him sometime hadn't been a mistake.

It didn't matter now, anyway, so there was no reason to worry.

- -

December 29, A.C. 204. Base. 9pm

The amount of cars lined along the street, along with the lights in the house, suggested what Quatre had already assumed.

They were partying.

He grinned, readying himself to enter, then shoved the door opened.

Everything stopped as they all turned to look at him.

"Damn, took you long enough!" Trowa informed him happily, starting to laugh.

The house seemed to have all the members of all the teams...

Wufei stood somewhat unsteadily, turning to Quatre expectantly. "I did it," he said, his words slightly slurred. "I...I did it."

Quatre smiled at him, moving forward to hug him. After his friend was sober again he'd realize that Quatre wasn't supposed to be home for another few days.

"I was on tv, huh?" Wufei asked, blinking somewhat. He smiled at Quatre with that true sort of smile that made his eyes glow. "I'm a little drunk."

"I noticed, actually," Quatre returned in amusement.

"You're not nearly drunk enough," Jordan announced happily, moving from the kitchen with a bottle of amber. "Let's remedy that, huh, blondie?"

Quatre caught the bottle and grinned at him, snapping it open before moving to throw his bedroom door open...and start laughing hard.

"Quatre!" Paris was startled as he jumped up from the bed...where he had the girl Doe from Chance's team shirt-less. "What are you doing back?"

"I'm getting drunk," Quatre returned as he noted his friend had on a very odd necklace...or at least, the necklace had a magnet stuck to it.

"Paris!" Chance called complainingly. "You told us you were going to stop that!"

Paris started laughing himself as the woman pulled her shirt back on. "I did stop!"

"What the hell?" Jordan asked, gesturing around the room, though his eyes were sparkling, too.

"She...she did it," Paris retorted, then started laughing again. It was his wicked laugh, which meant he was feeling damn good.

"You are not having a hook up in my room," Quatre informed his friend, tossing his duffel on the floor. "Out...you can stay," he added to Doe.

She laughed wickedly, but slid off the bed anyway.

"Aww...come on..." Quatre protested, feeling a strange wave of something pass over him when Paris neared him. He stopped the guy by the arm, focusing on the sensation.

"Yeah," Paris whispered, leaning in to hug him. "Yeah...it's gone."

"We did it, huh rich boy?" Morgan muttered, moving from the kitchen to study Quatre. "Reason to party, huh?"

"It'd be happier for me if I...had a little bit of proof."

Morgan laughed at that, starting to pat down his pockets.

"I have another necklace," Jordan declared...and disappeared.

"What?" Quatre asked, blinking around the room.

Wufei laughed a bit, moving around to grab the magnet on Paris' necklace. "Gundanium."

Quatre stared at that, then looked back to the Chinese man.

Wufei grinned even more, studying Quatre's face. He wanted something, but he was too inebriated for it to communicate clearly through his emotions, so Quatre just looked back at him. That seemed to suffice well enough, because he wasn't getting upset.

"Here," Jordan muttered, draping a necklace around Quatre's throat. "Someone else do the honors!"

Morgan offered a small magnet to Wufei, who took it from him and studied it before meeting Quatre's eyes...and applying it to the metal.

. . . and everything disappeared. The feelings of everyone else in the room vanished as they all watched him with smiles on their faces, waiting–probably for his freak-out, actually, but he had Chai's influence enough that the muting of everyone else wasn't scary.

"So simple," Wufei muttered, running his fingers over the back of the magnet, dried glue. "So simple...but so complicated..."

Quatre caught his hand, then grinned at him and kissed his palm.

Wufei's eyes flashed to that simple happiness again, and he grabbed the necklace to pull Quatre from the bedroom. "Simone? Where you at, girl?"

Quatre focused on him sharply.

"What?" she asked, moving from the kitchen, then stopping as she saw Quatre.

"Dance with this man," Wufei ordered, using the necklace to fling the blond...at the other blond.

"Hi, Quatre," she greeted him with a shy smile.

"Hi, Simone," Quatre returned, studying her eyes before looking up and around at everyone, who was watching him. "What? Okay...I'll drink! If I drink this will you all stop watching me?"

Wufei patted Quatre's back once, firmly, then moved after Doe.

Chance shook his head, moving up beside Quatre to pat his back as well. "Excuse me, I have to go warn a certain Chinese man that a certain pretty female is not to be used as a toy...welcome home, huh?"

Home...

Quatre flashed him a grin, then turned to tug Simone with him toward the area where Riley and Danielle were dancing with Raul and Trowa.

For all that this visit with his family hadn't been a never-ending nightmare, it was damn good to be home.