RATING: PG-13
PAIRINGS: R+1, 2+6 developing...
DISCLAIMER: I sadly enough do not own them. Sigh.
NOTES: An undercover mission goes rapidly south as Duo not only finds himself in the enemy's camp, but discovers he might be falling for one of them, as well...
"So... I guess I should have known this was coming."
Three young men looked at each other shamefacedly, but no one said anything, and the fourth continued. "I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean... I can't change who I am, I just wish..." He gave a small laugh. "Heh - what does it matter?" He turned and headed for the door, hoping that no one would see the defeated look in his eyes.
"Duo..."
He didn't turn back around. "Mission accepted. Just... stay in touch, guys, okay?"
He closed the door and ran. He knew they wouldn't.
[One Week Later]
"Come!" Relena Peacecraft looked up from her work with a smile as Pargan showed a young lady into the office. She quickly came around the desk and held out her hand to the girl. "Hello - welcome to the Sanc Kingdom. I am Relena Peacecraft, but you may call me Miss Relena."
The girl gave her had a small shake, almost nervously. "Good afternoon, Your Majesty. I am Diana Murray. Thank you for accepting my application..."
Relena couldn't help her smile. This girl was... well, she wasn't quite sure what it was about the girl, but she liked her immediately. She was slender and of average height, with some of the most beautiful brown hair she had ever seen pulled back into a high ponytail. She had a heart-shaped face and a pleasant smile, and twinkling green eyes, despite her obvious case of nerves. "I was happy to receive it. We have never had an applicant from the United States before; most of your countrymen would think it... anachronistic to associate themselves with my kingdom."
Diana tossed her hair. "My family has not always lived in Boston, my Lady. We were originally from the Old Country, and there are times when it would do us all good to remember our roots are one in the same. After my parents... were taken away from me, I decided to leave the States behind me and start over again."
"Indeed, it would," Relena replied. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but... No matter - she was certain she'd figure it out eventually. "We'll talk later, though. You must be tired from the trip - has Pargan showed you to your rooms yet?"
Diana shook her head. "No. He offered to, but I didn't think it would be polite until I'd met with you."
Relena gave her a smile. She'd always heard that Americans had no manners, but this girl was proving that to be untrue. "Go ahead, please. We take tea at 4:30 in the East Study. I hope you will join us."
"Of course." Diana gave her a small bow. "Thank you again for your hospitality, my Lady."
Relena shook her head. "We go by no titles here, Miss Murray. Like I said, you may call me Miss Relena."
"Thank you, Miss Relena," the girl said, giving her a shy smile before she turned and left.
Relena sank back into her seat, tapping at her chin. She was certain of it - she'd seen that smile before. The question was - where?
Diana Murray sighed with relief and flopped backwards into the bed as soon as the door closed behind Pargan. "Jesus, this has got to be the worst mission ever."
Duo Maxwell - for Duo it was - sat up and rubbed at his eyes. The green lenses in his eyes felt strange, the dress shoes he was wearing pinched, the padded bra was bunching up uncomfortably, and to make matters worse, he was pretty sure the pantyhose that went with the outfit was cutting off circulation to his lower half.
He reached for his braid reflexively, and frowned when his fingers tangled in free moving hair. It was going to be a real bitch to deal with later, he was sure. Still, things could have gone worse. He'd managed to make it past Relena's initial inspection...
He honestly didn't think he could do it, but all those etiquette lessons Sister Helen had insisted on, back at the Church, had come in handy, after all. He'd just have to make her proud.
He stood and walked over to the full-length mirror, looking at his reflection critically. The others has said he was the only one who could have pulled it off... he wasn't so sure of that. Quatre probably would have been capable. And yet...
They had just wanted to get rid of him, and he couldn't really blame them, as much as he'd hoped otherwise. It seemed that people were predictably close-minded, no matter what you'd been through with them.
He turned away before he gave in to the impulse to put his fist through his reflection. He *did* look pretty. Who knows? Maybe the others were right, after all.
He busied himself with unpacking his bags, and then set to hooking up his laptop and beginning his true task.
"Home sweet home," he grumbled, waiting for the machine to boot. He looked out the window at the grey afternoon beyond. "Guys, I'm sorry. I really am."
Not too far away, two officers stood by as a sleek, well-armed military passenger jet taxied to a halt, and the passenger hatch opened. Zechs Marquise and Lucretzia Noin both came to attention and saluted as two people disembarked and came closer.
Zechs smiled at his friend, Treize Khushrenada, as the man returned his salute. "It is good to see you again, Treize."
The OZ General smiled back. "And you, my dear Zechs, especially with everything that has been going on. You were extraordinarily lucky to have escaped, my friend."
Zechs nodded seriously. "I owe it all to Lieutenant Noin, sir... you remember Lucretzia Noin, of course."
Treize returned the salute of the young woman at Zechs' side before lifting her hand to kiss her fingers. "Indeed I do, and I am much indebted, Baroness."
Noin smiled in return. "A pleasure to see you, Your Excellency."
He gave her a dazzling smile. "You remember my aide, Lady Une?"
Both Zechs and Noin saluted sharply, though Zechs, at least, was the woman's equal in rank. Everyone was carefully polite to Colonel Une, Treize's right hand. She returned their salutes perhaps a bit too sharply, eyes glued to Noin's face with a frown. "Always a pleasure."
Treize's genial expression slipped ever so slightly. "Well... shall we head inside? There is much to discuss..."
Zechs turned them all out as he turned and automatically began leading the way towards the rooms prepared for their guests. He truly had been lucky - following his second battle with the pilot of Gundam 01 in Antarctica, he had been prepared for a Court Martial. He had *not* been prepared to see his old school friend Noin, along with a second Gundam pilot, annihilate the forces sent to catch him before they could get a good radio report out.
He had been fully prepared to break free of OZ, but it seemed that even the best laid plans had their weak points. He should have known that Noin would never have let him face such disgrace on his own...
"Colonel Marquise!"
He turned to find Lady Une glaring at him angrily. "I apologise - my mind was elsewhere. What can I do for you, Lady?"
She lifted an eyebrow. "I need to discuss your... activities, and it should be done in private."
He was proud of himself that he did not flinch. No doubt, she had quite a lot to say to him! "Of course, Lady. If you'd care to join me in my office?"
He gave Noin a subtle shake of his head as he turned to lead the other woman away. He was only vaguely aware of Treize engaging Noin in conversation as they turned a corner.
Lady Une stepped up to match his stride. "I should truly kill you, you know. For you to have pulled such a stunt with no regard to how it would reflect on Treize, your mentor and superior officer..."
"But you won't," he replied, cutting her off. "You won't, because he doesn't want you to." Zechs sighed heavily. "We have no affection for one another, Une, but this is not our show. It is Treize's production, and we are but players."
"I'm watching you, Marquise," she replied with a growl. "I will not stand by and watch you destroy him, no matter what he wants. He deserves better from both of us."
"And might we not deserve better of *him?*" Zechs asked, drawing up short. He turned his own glare - hampered as it was by the mask he still wore - on her in turn. "You do not know all that passes through his head, Lady. He uses all of us for his purposes, even you and me. I did not mean to still be here, but I must make the best of it, since I am. I suggest that you do the same."
Her eyes narrowed. "Watch yourself, Colonel." She turned on her heel and marched back in the opposite direction.
Zechs sighed and let his masked face drop into his hands. "I always do, Une. I always do."
Duo was trying hard not to twitch.
Relena wasn't actually all that bad to handle when Heero wasn't around and she was alone. But in a room full of simpering girls who all thought she was the greatest thing since sliced bread...
The blonde - Julia - was by far the worst of them. He snorted into his teacup; if she'd had a single original thought during the whole conversation, then it was her first, ever.
"Did you have something to add, Miss Murray?" Ariane - the friendly redhead with freckles - asked.
'Well, here goes nothing,' he thought to himself. "Ummm... I was just wondering. Many of you have been taking the principle of Pacifism up to the end of the War and stopping there. Achieving peace will not establish Complete Pacifism on its own. What happens then? And how does one convince the outsiders - the ones who don't think pacifism can work - that they are wrong or, in the event you can't convince them, keep them from harming the rest of the public?"
The girls fell silent, staring at him in shock. He blushed and turned away. "Sorry - it was just a thought." He groaned silently, 'There goes my cover story...'
"Miss Murray is right," Relena said after a long pause, surprising him entirely. "People are people, after all, and some people will always want what they can't have, while some will always believe they are better than others."
Duo glanced over at her. "So what do we do about them?"
She shrugged. "Us? Heaven only knows. We cannot do it all, Diana. There comes a time when others must take up the cause, as well. I only ever hope to set an example."
Several of the girls in the room applauded politely, and Duo carefully didn't roll his eyes. Julia smiled adoringly at Relena. "You are an example for all of us, Miss Relena! A perfect example!" Several of the other girls nodded their agreement.
Duo stood, unable to take too much more of it. "I'm sorry - a sudden headache. It really is wonderful to meet all of you, and I hope we can be good friends," he said quickly, needing to cover his escape.
Relena gave him a kind nod. "Of course, Diana. You've only just arrived. Feel free to ring for one of the servants if you need anything."
"Thank you, Miss Relena," he said, giving her a genteel curtsey. He nodded pleasantly to the rest of the room before he walked out.
He headed down to his room as quickly as he could while not attracting too much attention. Back in his temporary sanctuary, he quickly booted up his computer and turned on his email, hoping for a note from one of the guys... Something sane to get him away from all this...
Nothing.
Then again, Trowa was still off on his mission, and the other three... Well, he knew where he stood with them.
He hugged his arms around his chest miserably.
If this was all they could expect from the next generation of leaders...
He was perfectly willing to sacrifice everything he had (which arguably wasn't much) to forge an equitable peace for the Colonies. But he could only do so much before normal civilians would have to take over and do the rest. If this was all there was to Relena's much-vaunted Pacifism...
There was a knock at his door. Sitting back up again, he was surprised to find that it was dark outside. He never napped - what was wrong with him?!
He walked to the door and opened it.
Relena was standing there, with two cups of tea perfectly balanced on a small tray. "You missed supper. I thought it would be nice to check in on you."
He gave her a shaky smile. "I... thanks. I appreciate it." He stepped back and allowed her into the room.
She carried the tray across the room and set it on his small table. Duo joined her, and they both took comfortable seats near the window.
Relena watched him for a long moment before she sighed. "I'm not blind, Diana. I know why you left this afternoon when you did. In fact... I was a bit jealous that you could."
He stared at her, surprised.
Relena gave a small smile. "You must understand, there are some setbacks to the position I currently occupy. Many, if not all, of our contemporaries here at this school are here for one purpose alone, and that has nothing to do with my ideals. They are here to take part in my social circles, with the hopes of making a good marriage, and in as much as that goes they do not much care what I say. I could say that God is dead, and they would applaud as you saw earlier. It's truly... disappointing.
"I thought about what you were saying," she continued shrewdly. "You didn't mean things that *I* personally would have to do. You meant things that society must do in order to achieve true peace. Am I not right?"
Duo nodded, wondering vaguely where the real Relena was, compared to this seeming pod person. "People, being people, have a sad tendency to abandon their ideals when faced with the cold reality that some people have it better than others, or that they cannot have what they want. How does a society combat that, if there is no one to do it?"
She nodded sagely. "Obviously, there must be provisions against such things. But unarmed. Weapons will become a thing of the past."
Duo shook his head. "And what happens when your heroes go up against armed insurgents who don't mind killing a police officer or two to get ahead?"
Relena sighed and looked away. "Diana, I didn't come here to argue with you. I don't expect you to believe what I believe, simply because I do. You showed today... you have your own thoughts. That's a good thing. The last thing I ever wanted for my students was for them to act as they do. I came here... I want you to feel like you can speak up whenever you have something to say. You challenged me today. You're one of the few who do."
"Miss Relena..."
Relena smiled. "I'm glad you're here, Diana. Welcome to my kingdom." She pressed Duo's hand gently and stood to leave. "Sleep well!"
Duo stared after her, vacantly. This mission was just getting stranger and stranger,
She actually seemed to like him! Well, he couldn't *wait* to see how quickly that would change when she figured him out.
Wufei Chang frowned down at the intelligence report in his hands. "I've got confirmation of it - Khushrenada and Lady Une have officially disappeared off the 'Net. They could be anywhere, damn it!"
They all frowned at the news. Quatre's rather considerable contacts had run dry, as well.
Still yawning after his long return trip, Trowa asked, "How about the Sweepers? Have they heard anything?"
The other three shared a furtive look before Quatre responded, "We haven't asked."
The green-eyed teen took another sip of his coffee. "Why not?"
Heero replied gruffly, "Duo's on a mission, and he's their main contact."
"What mission?" Trowa poured milk on his cereal and dug in.
Heero's frown grew even darker. "He's in Sank. Protecting Relena. A real threat to her this time. She doesn't know he's there, though."
"Hm." Trowa chewed thoughtfully. "I suppose he'll let us know if he's contacted, then."
"Of course," Quatre replied, just a little too quickly.
Trowa quirked an eyebrow, but let it slide for now. There was something odd going on, but the others were... unlikely to tell him just yet.
All he hoped was that it wasn't something he'd done, to have them acting so funny around him. Between the five of them, he felt as close to having a family as he ever had before. He'd hate to have screwed that up.
Duo thought he had settled into the Sanc School pretty well. The others were no longer mobbing him with questions whenever they could, and Relena still hadn't found him out. Pargan seemed to know something, but the old guy wasn't talking, and he appreciated that quite a lot. Everyone seemed convinced that he was indeed Diana Murray, previously of Boston, Massachusetts. The mission was going well.
That was, until the fifth day of his stay.
The rest of the girls seemed quite excited about something, but everyone was being highly secretive about it, so he figured it was an inside joke. But then...
Relena called him back into the office and, sighing heavily, he went.
Her cheeks were flushed with excitement as he walked in, and she immediately came around the desk to give 'Diana' that strange little air kiss on either cheek thing that all the girls seemed to do. She took Duo's hand and pulled him towards the sofa, almost bouncing on her feet.
In fact, had she been anyone other than Relena Peacecraft, he might have said she *was* bouncing.
She gave her friend a bright smile. "You showed up a couple days too late to know about this, but since you're here... We're hosting a ball. Tonight. In fact, I've decided to cancel all classes to let everyone prepare themselves properly. Isn't that wonderful?"
Duo's head was spinning. A... ball? Like a dance? He knew he had to look horrified, and tried to fix his facial expressions...
Relena laughed at him, though. "Oh, Diana! I know - it's simply *beastly* of me to spring this on you without any time to truly prepare. Especially since this is your big chance to be presented into polite society. I *do* apologise..."
"Truly, Miss Relena, no need to apologise, I don't..."
Relena waived his words away. "You are too sweet, Diana. What I was going to say is, since your relative unpreparedness really is my fault, I would be happy to lend you a dress and help you with the hairdressers..."
He must have looked truly aghast, since Pargan chose that moment to walk over with a polite nod to his employer. "With your leave, Miss Relena? I took the liberty of contacting your dressmaker. Since this is indeed such an important moment for Miss Murray, Joelle has kindly consented to fix up a gown for tonight. I only need to take Miss Murray to the shop as soon as possible."
Duo frankly stared at the old man. What the hell was going on?!
Relena, however, jumped up from her spot and gave the old man a gentle hug. "You are so considerate, Pargan! Diana, isn't that wonderful?"
"Absolutely. Pargan, I can't thank you enough." Duo prayed that he sounded appropriately excited.
The old man chuckled. "Well, then, let's get going, shall we?" He took Duo's elbow and started escorting the young man out of the room. "I'll have her back to you in no time, my Lady."
Duo gave Relena a small wave before he was whisked out. Pargan pulled him a few steps further down the hallway and drew him into a small alcove. "Look, she would have found you out for certain if I wasn't doing this, young man. So grab your bag and meet me in the entrance hall in five minutes."
Duo looked up into the man's face and was surprised to see a smile there. He slowly answered it with one of his own. "Thanks, Pargan. See you in five."
The car ride was a lesson in humility for Duo Maxwell.
Pargan thankfully didn't take the pink car, at least. He skewered Duo almost immediately, though, with a sharp glance. "So which one are you? Who sent you here, and why?"
Duo took a deep breath. "Look, it's safer for you not to know my real name, okay? It's bad enough that you guessed I'm a Gundam pilot. As to why I'm here... we got a credible threat to Miss Relena's life. I was deemed the most... suitable of us five, for the job of protecting her."
Pargan nodded sagely, his expression severe and worried. He took threats to Relena very seriously. "Did that Mr. Yuy send you here?"
Duo flinched, and tried to cover it up with a shrug. "Sort of. It was a mutual decision, okay?"
Pargan pulled the car over to the side of the road and stopped so he could turn around and look at his passenger. "Young man, if there's something odd going on, I need to know about it. I promised to look after Miss Relena to her parents when they had no one else to turn to, and I will not fail them."
Duo's eyes softened. The old guy looked like such a pushover, but really... He gave the guy a smile. "I had a minor disagreement with some of the other pilots before I came here, but it's nothing that should concern you or Miss Relena. I swear that much to you."
Pargan relaxed slightly, or at least appeared to. "The nature of the threat?"
"We think it's related to OZ's Treize Khushrenada, though there is no way to be sure right now." Duo glanced out the window moodily. "Look, why don't we just tell Relena that I couldn't find anything I liked, hm? I sincerely doubt that your dressmaker can accommodate me and not give anything away..."
"And I know certain things about Joelle's personal life about which she would rather her parents and husband never learn," Pargan interrupted. "It will look very odd if you are not there, especially given your cover story. Don't worry, son. Joelle can work miracles, I promise."
Duo rolled his eyes and frowned. This day was just getting better and better!
Zechs Marquise fidgeted as the limousine drew closer to the Sanc Palace. He hadn't been back in quite a while for a reason, after all. He turned a glare onto his friend, who was preening in the small mirror above the mini bar. "Treize, this is stupid."
"Nonsense, Zechs!" the other replied with a carefree grin. "You know, half the eligible girls on the Continent will be at this Ball. You need to meet a few of them..."
Zechs' expression darkened. "Treize, my feelings are not some silly phase or fascination. You asked me for honesty, and I gave it to you. I like men. You should be glad I'm not after *you*, for heaven's sake!"
Treize shot the junior officer an amused glance. "You would not dare, Zechs. Lady Une would tear your nether regions free from your body for even thinking about it." He turned back to the mirror and pulled one curl free to hang over his forehead, roguishly. "That, and you know my appetite for women." He smiled at his image.
Zechs rolled his eyes. "Treize, these girls are... they're too young! For you, I mean. They're only a few years younger than me."
Treize tsk'ed disapprovingly. "The younger, the better, my dear Zechs. Now lighten up! At least this way, you'll be able to keep watch over your sister with my officers around..."
Zechs' glare turned glacial. "She barely knows who I am, Treize. She already thinks I'm a killer and a monster. Please don't make it worse."
The car pulled up, and a liveried footman opened the door for them. With one final glance in the mirror to ensure that his hair and dress uniform were both spotless, Treize gave Zechs his most dashing smile. "I wouldn't dream of it. Now, come on!"
Duo was ready to run screaming, and the ball had just begun.
In telling him that there would be a ball, both Relena and Pargan had left out a few minor but crucial bits of information. First - the dressmaker would have to know him better than his hypothetical mother to put the stinking gown together. Second - it took a couple hours - literally- to have one's hair done for a ball, and the intervening hours were filled with 'girl talk' and 'manny-peddy's' for all.
Third - their escorts for the evening were all OZ officers.
This was it - one of them was going to look past his disguise and see that he was dancing with the God of Death...
Julia and Ariane were both waiting down the hall for Relena's grand appearance as he stepped out, and they both looked up at him and gasped as he walked in their direction. "Diana, you look positively radiant! Oh, I'm sure all the officers will want to dance with you tonight..."
He was spared any further blathering as Relena stepped out, dressed from head to toe in blue and silver. His eyes went wide - she looked lovely.
All the girls - plus one very fidgety Gundam pilot - linked arms and headed down to meet their escorts.
Zechs knew the moment the ladies joined them - his fellow officers all fell silent and turned, most with silly grins on their faces. He had to remind himself that no one, save Treize, knew of his relationship to Relena, so he truly couldn't beat up every last one of them who looked at her funny...
He turned, and caught his breath, as well.
Relena looked... well, she was obviously no longer the little girl he remembered, since no little girl could look quite so regal and alluring in a blue ballgown! But his true attention was caught by the young woman on her right side...
The girl had long, luxurious brown hair, whose curls and ringlets positively shone a deep mahogany colour as she moved in the light. Her green eyes were highlighted by a sweeping green gown that accentuated her tiny waist and remarkable figure. But the most interesting thing about her was that she didn't look as though she really knew quite how lovely she was; in fact, she looked almost petrified.
With a chuckle, Treize stepped closer to his friend. "Not just a phase, eh? She's quite a looker, that one." He took Zechs arm and pulled him forward. "Come on - I'll introduce you."
Before Zechs even knew what was happening, he was giving his sister and her friend a deep bow, mimicking Treize's actions, and the green-eyed creature was floating towards him, still looking vaguely nervous, though her eyes had narrowed as she looked at him.
Watching as Treize swept forward into the ballroom with Relena on his arm, he finally managed to get his brain working. "Good evening, Miss. Shall we?"
She gave him a hesitant smile. "Thank you, sir. A pleasure to meet you - I... I know who you are."
His smile lost some of its gleam at those words. "I... see. Umm... It you'd prefer to have a different escort, I'm sure..."
Duo's heart was beating about five hundred times a minute. The only way this could have been worse would have been if he'd been swept into the ballroom on Khushrenada's arm! Even so, the Lightning Count was almost as bad.
Though he looked as uncomfortable as Duo felt. That was a good sign.
He hoped.
He was saying hello and bowing to him, and Duo went through the motions, as he'd seen Relena do, hoping he was getting it right.
He was speaking again - he had a great voice, Duo noted absently - and he was required to respond... "Thank you, sir. A pleasure to meet you. I..." He felt he had to be honest about it. "I know who you are."
Zechs' face fell almost immediately, and Duo felt vaguely bad for it. The guy obviously hadn't wanted to be there, and now this! "I... see. Umm... It you'd prefer to have a different escort, I'm sure..."
"Oh, no! I didn't mean..." Duo struggled to think as words just sort of tumbled from his lips. "I didn't mean that negatively, sir. I merely meant... your reputation precedes you." He stepped back a little. "I'm sorry."
The taller man gave him a slightly shaky smile. "No need to apologise, Miss - I usually don't come to these events. You'll have to forgive me. My reputation, as you put it... I just so happen to be good at something that many people hate. I often wish my talents were elsewhere."
Duo shook his head, feeling compelled to say something more. "But surely... not all mobile suits are instruments of destruction. And being able to fly, in control of your own destiny... it's a beautiful feeling."
Zechs shot him a curious look as they swung out onto the ballroom floor for the opening dance. "You have piloted?"
Duo thought quickly, a shiver running down his back at the idea that Zechs could be on to him already! "I have thought about it a lot. I'd love to know what that is like."
Zechs smiled as the waltz began, and Duo took a breath of relief. This was one of the few dances he still remembered. With any luck, he could get away from this man soon...
Zechs was surprised at the girl in his arms. She was... well, he hated to say such things about his little sister, but this girl was much smarter than most of the silly things who normally flocked to Relena's side. And she had a sense of assurance to her that was highly unusual. Perhaps it was her American upbringing? Her accent was certainly American...
He fell silent as they danced. He hadn't wanted to come to the dance, but he supposed he'd lucked out to have a tolerable dance partner for once. He just hoped the enigmatic girl would not insist on another dance. He hated these things for more reasons than one; more often than not, the girls mis-interpreted dancing as a sort of mating ritual, and read all sorts of things into his presence.
The waltz came to an end, and he bowed to her deeply. "Thank you very much for the dance, Miss Murray. I enjoyed it."
Strangely enough, he meant it.
She was looking at him awry, and he couldn't help wondering why. "Would you care for a drink?"
She gave him a smile. "Yes, I'd like that." Diana took his arm as they moved towards the drinks table -
Zechs was aware of the looks they were receiving as they walked across the room, and it made him even more self conscious. It didn't help...
There was something very different about this girl, something interesting.
She fidgeted with her dress, drawing a light smile from his lips. "This is your first major ball in Europe, is it not?"
The girl blushed with a look of... consternation on her face. "Am I so obvious?"
He chuckled. "It's not so difficult. You dress up, dance, laugh, flirt... And by the next morning, you are a success in society. If you're very lucky, some rich man from a good family will take notice of you and speak with your father... and that's it."
Diana snorted into her champagne glass in a most unladylike fashion. "Sounds fascinating. I... I mean, that's what I..."
He titled his head, watching her. "Not your goal in life, Miss Murray?"
"Yes! Well, not completely..."
He steered her towards one of the many tables and helped her to sit before taking his own seat. "Enlighten me."
She sighed and looked away. "I never... Where I come from, everyone has to work for their living. It's the honest way and... and a life of leisure just seems so wrong. Parties, dresses, finding a rich man... It's all very foreign."
Zechs shook his head. "Earn a living - what a concept. Not all society ladies are simply ladies of leisure, you know. Many of them engage in a number of charities and fund raisers."
Diana shook her head. "That may be, but then they go home every night to their manor houses and easy lives while normal people go to bed with empty stomachs. Doesn't that seem at all wrong to you?"
Duo cringed internally. As easy as it had turned out to be to talk with the Lightning Count, he was giving himself away, and he knew it. Hadn't Diana Murray come to Europe to break into the very lifestyle he was talking down? 'Shit - I really need to learn when it's best to just shut up...'
Zechs seemed amused, though. At least, what Duo could see of his face looked amused - the damn mask was making it very hard to read his feelings. "My dear Miss Murray," Zechs replied with a laugh in his rich voice, "Amazing. Are all Americans like you?"
"I beg your pardon?"
The older man was definitely smiling at him now. "Young ladies of your age are seldom so self-assured or socially conscious. You scorn the parties and dresses that most of your peers live for."
Duo let out a small laugh. "If they spent half the amount of time they spend thinking about parties thinking about peace or the societies they claim to represent, this world would be a better place. Don't you agree?"
Zechs laughed out loud. "And yet here you are."
Duo fought not to show his disgust, hiding it with a small toss of his head. "Yes, here I am."
"And I assure you, my dear, we are all very grateful for that."
Duo stood and spun.
Treize Khushrenada was standing at his shoulder, the full power of his smile directed down at him. Duo fought down his first instinct to attack - he looked around for something, anything...
"Diana, how are you enjoying the ball?" Relena asked from her place on Treize's arm.
Duo glanced over at her gratefully. "It is quite an experience, Miss Relena. I'm afraid I was not quite prepared for it all, but Colonel Marquise has been kind enough to fill in the blanks in my knowledge."
He couldn't help noticing that Relena's smile was brittle as she looked up at the tall blond. "How kind of him."
If Treize or Zechs were aware of her tone, they certainly didn't show it. The General shrugged and waved a hand dismissively. "I assure you, my dear Miss Relena, that your young friend could be in no safer hands. Colonel Marquise is my most trusted subordinate and a close personal friend."
"And your other subordinate, Lady Une?"
Treize laughed airily. "Oh, she's here somewhere. I'd arrange for the two of you to meet, but rumour has it your last meeting did not go well."
Zechs watched his sister's face as Treize spoke, seeing dark anger clouding her features, and he felt his stomach dropping out. He'd heard what happened - Noin had been the one to pull Relena's chestnuts out of the fire that time, after all...
"I did not invite that woman to visit my home..."
He was ready to step between Treize and an ever more upset Relena when...
"Oh dear," Diana said quickly.
Zechs was on his feet almost immediately to catch her as she seemed to stumble. "Miss Murray..."
She looked up at him from frightened green eyes. "Colonel, I... Goodness, I think I need some air."
"Diana!" Relena was immediately at the girl's other side to support her, and yet...
Diana was entirely too aware and steady on her feet for that to have been real. But how could she possibly know...
"Colonel Marquise, if you would be so kind as to help us to the balcony..."
He snapped back to the present and complied without another thought.
There was more to Diana Murray than it seemed, but for the moment, he was grateful for it. And he was very intrigued - he would have to find out more about her.
Duo groaned as he finally exited the bathroom and collapsed onto his bed. It had been bad enough that the ball had been filled with OZ officers, but that those officers included both Zechs Marquise and Treize Khushrenada... and then that lovely little scene Treize and Relena caused...
Duo rubbed his eyes tiredly. Lady Une, eh? Fantastic. At least he hadn't run into her!
But he now knew where Khushrenada was - he had to report that in.
He dug out his computer and quickly opened up the scrambled channel.
CENTRAL, 2 REPORTING.
PRIME TARGET FOUND, ALONG WITH SECONDARY AND TERTIARY TARGETS. SUBJECTS ARE UNDER OBSERVATION FOR NOW - NO CHANGES OR LEADS ON PRIMARY MISSION.
AWAITING ORDERS. 2 OUT.
He yawned widely as he shut the computer down and pushed it aside on the desk, reaching for a comb. Between the gel and massive amounts of hairspray used to set his hair, he was surprised it hadn't taken an entire bottle of shampoo to get it clean again.
He was still struggling with knots when the computer beeped at him - he looked up in surprise. Who on Earth would have been manning the communications frequencies at this time of night?
He opened his email and read.
2, 3 SENDS GREETINGS.
OBSERVE TARGETS FOR NOW - DO NOT COMPROMISE PRIMARY MISSION UNTIL YOU RECEIVE NEW ORDERS. ODD TO FIND THEM IN SANC. TRY TO OBSERVE THEM IF POSSIBLE.
1, 4 AND 5 ACTING ODDLY - DID SOMETHING HAPPEN BEFORE YOU LEFT?
STAY ALIVE,
3.
Duo snorted - acting funny were they? At least Trowa didn't seem to be against him yet. He supposed it was only a matter of time, though...
Observe them? Shit. It was the last thing he wanted to do after the dance - he could tell Zechs was intrigued by 'Diana,' and he hadn't been entirely comfortable with the looks Treize had been giving him, either.
He had a feeling observing them was going to be pathetically easy. Diana's presentation to polite society had been entirely too successful.
Still, he hadn't expected Zechs Marquise to be so... He'd enjoyed talking to the man and he'd felt comfortable around him. In fact, he felt ever-so-slightly bad for leading the guy on... He hadn't seemed too comfortable in the situation, but he'd relaxed, as well, and seemed to honestly be interested in Diana.
Oh well. Sometimes life just sucked like that.
Zechs was tossing and turning.
The evening had not been anything close to what he'd expected. Not only in that he was pleasantly surprised to enjoy it, but then to see Relena's reaction to Lady Une...
In retrospect, he was surprised Treize would have allowed her to come with, in the first place. They all knew Relena was going to react badly when she saw her again, and he could not blame the girl. She'd seen her adoptive father practically murdered right before her eyes by none other than the Lady in question.
It had been very sweet of Diana to step in and diffuse the situation, even though she couldn't have known what was happening. And he knew the 'needing air' bit had been an act - it had been a little too well-timed and executed. She'd just acted kindly upon seeing her friend's distress, and it made him admire her more.
Which led to two problems.
One - he liked this Diana. A lot. And he hadn't ever felt attracted to a woman - ever - though he half believed that to be because he'd gotten to know Une back when they were all in school.
Two - Treize was amused. And when Treize was amused by something, everyone knew about it. He'd been teasing Zechs about it during the car ride back to the base, and Une's eyes had been glittering as she took it all in.
That definitely was not a good thing. There were times Zechs swore Lady Une lived to make his life miserable, and he knew she would be more than happy to use this girl in one of her schemes, if given half a chance. He could only hope Diana would be up to it...
Still, there was something odd about her. It was going to continue to bug him, he was sure of it!
Somewhere in Heaven God was sipping champagne and having a good laugh at the expense of one Zechs Marquise.
Duo Maxwell was not a happy camper.
Not that he had anything to complain about, in terms of his cover story. No - he had been quite a hit at the ball, so much so that some of the other girls were glaring at him when they thought he wasn't looking.
He had been well-admired by a bevy of enemies, and he supposed that was some kind of great, karmic knock-knock joke whose punch line was lost in time.
And right on top of the cards left for him stood out the two that any other girl would gladly have sold her soul to find - Colonel Zechs Marquise and General Treize Khushrenada.
If there was a God, he was laughing himself silly!
Still, it had been very nice to hear from Trowa and to know that he, at least, hadn't jumped on the 'We Can't Stand Duo Maxwell' bandwagon, as yet. Even if it was only because the others hadn't explained their behaviour yet, he would take anything he could get.
There was a knock on the door, and he carefully checked his uniform to ensure everything was in place before answering it.
He blinked in surprise as his guest - Pargan - gave him a small smile of encouragement. "Just thought you might like to know, Miss. Lady Relena is expecting visitors within the hour, probably including a few OZ officers."
A stifled giggle from across the corridor drew both men's attention; Julia was fake-swooning back against her doorway. "Back to see you so soon, Diana? You must have made *quite* the first impression."
Fighting down the urge to roll his eyes, Duo turned back to Pargan - the old man's eyes spoke volumes about his concern for his young charge.
The long-haired pilot nodded back to him. "It would be very nice to see some of them again. Should Lady Relena need me, I will be at her disposal."
He got a smile for that. "Thank you, miss."
Shutting the door, Duo was thankful for once for the long skirt he was wearing. He was going to have just enough time to strap on a gun and rip a hole in one of his pockets...
Zechs had seemed very uncomfortable the night before, and besides, this sort of sneaky work really didn't seem to be his style. Duo would not put it past either General Khusrenada or Colonel Une to be up to something, though.
Perhaps his "success" was a good thing, after all, if it meant he was going to have ring-side tickets to the show that was approaching. If that meant he would have to suffer the company of Zechs Marquise, so be it.
Still, he couldn't help wondering... what did the man look like under that mask?
Trowa was frowning over his tea as Quatre walked into the kitchen, yawning.
"Oh - good morning, Trowa. I hope you slept well?"
The taller pilot sighed. "Couldn't sleep, so I was monitoring the 'Net. Duo checked in."
"Oh." Quatre quickly turned away.
Trowa's frown deepened reflexively. "Aren't you curious what he said?"
The blond froze and took a long pause before he spoke. "Just because he said it does not make it true."
"You know he does not lie, Quatre," Trowa replied, putting down his mug. Was this really going to work?
Quatre turned, his wide eyes practically pleading for Trowa to hear him out before passing judgement. "You have to understand, Trowa. Though some societies are quite accepting of it, neither Heero, Wufei, nor I come from those societies. It is... I don't want to alienate someone I called friend, but I cannot accept that Duo might have... that time we were together out in the desert... We *did* want him to leave, but we never expected he'd leave so quickly..."
Trowa's eyebrows flew up into his hairline. "Wait a minute - THAT'S what all this is about? Because Duo's gay? God, I thought it was obvious..."
The blond went a shade paler. "That's not... that's not what he told you, then?"
"No." Trowa stood and glared down at his erstwhile comrade. "Call the others in here. We need to have a talk."
Duo Maxwell was the King of Sneaks. There were very few places on or off the planet that he could not get into with relative ease, usually escaping afterwards with the same brand of ease that was designed to make his quarry look hopelessly stupid.
However, Duo did not factor either a dress or heeled shoes into that equation.
It was therefore a rather embarrassed Duo Maxwell who was now sitting rather primly in Relena's sitting room, making small talk as the visitors were shown through security and into the main building. "I really did not mean to disturb you, Miss Relena. I'm sure you don't need me here..."
"But I'm happy to have you here, Diana," the other girl said with a broad smile.
Also a Master of Misdirection, Duo felt his heart sink as he took in that smile. She really WAS happy he was there with her.
Just great. When everything came out on this mission at its end, she was well and truly going to hate him forever, if she didn't already.
That thought prompted a stifled snort of amusement. Given how Heero reacted to his "outing", Relena need never have worried that Duo was in the running for his former partner's affections!
A knock sounded on the door, and Duo steadied his nerves as Pargan opened it and announced, "General Treize Khushrenada, Colonel Zechs Marquise, and Colonel Une here to see you, my Lady."
Duo's fear the evening before had been completely warranted when he found out Lady Une was in attendance. After all, the last time he'd seen her, she had watched her guards nearly beat him to death, and then signed his execution orders with a flourish and an evil glimmer in her eyes. She was not - nor would she ever be - his favourite person.
He forced himself to remain calm, and focused instead on the tall young man in the silver mask.
Surprisingly enough, Zechs seemed... nervous? Then again, 'Diana' was the only one in this company who didn't know that Zechs Marquise and Milliardo Marquise Peacecraft were actually the same person.
"Lady Relena! And Miss Murray - greetings to you both," Treize gave them a graceful bow and a roguish smile that, Duo could see, set Zechs' teeth on edge. He carefully schooled his features to remain blank. Wasn't this turning out to be interesting?
Relena smiled as graciously as she could with Lady Une in her home and waved the three to seats across from the settee where the two 'girls' were sitting.
Treize was predictably the first one to speak. "Thank you for seeing us, Lady Relena. I wanted to have an opportunity to express my gratitude at your allowing my officers to attend the ball last night. It is rare that they are presented with such a poignant reminder of that which they fight for."
Relena's smile was brittle. "Pity they could not come for a class, instead. Perhaps they would gain an understanding of why they should not be fighting, to begin with."
Lady Une stirred at Treize's side, but the man quickly silenced her with a small hand movement. "I do not expect a pacifist such as yourself to understand and appreciate my methods, my Lady. But I assure you, gaining peace is my goal, as well."
Duo could not help himself after hearing that. "Peace for General Khushrenada, or peace for all people, be they Earth- or Colony-born?"
Zechs smothered a smile behind a pristine white glove, though Lady Une seemed to be quite aware of his amusement, and indeed to get even more upset.
Treize turned the full power of his smile on the supposed Miss Murray. "A good question, Miss Murray. I see Americans have not yet lost sight of their beginnings as Colonists, themselves, though under different circumstances. I have nothing against the Colonies or their people. But they must be made to understand their place in the World Order..."
"Their place being what?" Duo replied, only barely remembering to moderate his tone. "What someone on Earth decided it should be? You may not have anything against them, General, but when you deny the Colonists their right to find their own place and their own chance at prosperity and freedom, you stop treating them like people, at all."
"Well said, Diana," Relena said, squeezing Duo's hand half in a show of support and half as a restraint.
Zechs merely smiled.
Lady Une's eyes flashed. "We treat people like people when they act like people and deserve it. You, Miss Murray, have probably never seen a Colony for yourself. You do not know how those people differ from us, how their civilization has fallen."
Duo saw red, but somehow managed to keep himself from leaping for her throat. "Even so, Colonel, they are just that. People."
Treize lifted a hand and turned his gaze on Relena. "Be that as it may, Lady. We did not come here to argue with you. In fact, I came to offer an invitation."
"Really?" Relena asked, intrigued.
Treize nodded. "It just so happens that I will be spending the remainder of the week at my Villa in the Northlands. I would appreciate an opportunity to speak more with you and perhaps continue our conversation from last night."
At Duo's side, Relena stiffened, and he couldn't help wondering why. He glanced across and was slightly surprised to see that Zechs looked upset, as well.
Treize smiled and turned his eyes on Duo. "I might add - we would be happy to have you for the week as well, Miss Murray. I appreciate your conversation, and I'm sure some of my comrades would be glad for a chance to get to know you better."
Oh shit. It was a perfect opportunity, it really was, but the very idea filled Duo with a sense of despair. How the hell was he going to pull this one off?
Relena returned Treize's smile. "Your offer is very kind, Sir. I would appreciate a chance to reach an understanding. Diana?"
Was he seeing things, or was Relena practically begging with her eyes? God, this was going to end badly...
He plastered a smile on his face. "I would be happy to accompany you, Miss Relena."
Lady Une practically radiated glee at that, and Duo's heart sank.
'You'd better appreciate what I'm doing for you, Princess.'
"Noin, you have a moment?"
The young woman looked up with a smile for her friend, but it died quickly on seeing the various feelings on Zechs' face. Everything from annoyance to fear... "Sure, Zechs. Come on in," she replied, waving him into her office.
The man closed the door behind him and sighed heavily as he yanked off his mask and threw himself into a chair. "God hates me."
She lifted an eyebrow. "Really? Does this have anything to do with what I heard was a very cute brunette last night?"
He shot her a disgusted look. "Very funny. No - Treize is up to something. I don't know - maybe Une is in on it, and that makes me hate it even more. He's invited Relena and Miss Murray for the rest of the week while he's here to join us at the estate... Noin, he's up to no good, and it's my little sister!"
Noin frowned. "It certainly sounds fishy. Who is this Miss Murray, exactly?"
"I don't really know," Zechs replied softly. "She's American - from Boston, I think. Smart, well-spoken, pretty, not afraid to speak her mind... There's something odd about her that I can't quite place." He snorted and rolled his eyes. "Both Treize and Une seem to know I am intrigued, and that can't bode well for her, either."
Noin gave him a reassuring smile. "Well... we'll have to look out for her, as well. I take it I'm invited?"
He smiled over at her. "Of course. I need to have at least one person I can trust there with me."
"So you don't trust Treize anymore?"
His smile faded. "Not where Relena is concerned, I don't. Noin... you don't think... I know Treize is worried. The Gundams have been a bigger thorn in his side than he's willing to admit. And he knows Relena is connected to that one pilot, Heero Yuy. Do you think - would he try and use her to get to him?"
She gave a wry smile. "Depends on how desperate he gets. I would not put it past him. I was not aware the Gundams had made such a dent."
The young man laughed. "Oh, he's good at hiding it, but even today... Diana said something along the lines of Alliance and OZ policies not allowing Colonists their rights as human beings, and the man nearly twitched. More and more people are thinking that way, and it's since the Gundams made the fight a public one."
"Have you heard from any of them since Antarctica?"
Zechs shook his head. "Nothing."
Noin's face dropped into her hands. She knew Zechs stayed on in OZ after Antarctica solely for Treize's sake. The man was one of his oldest friends and, until relatively recently, had been a major force in his life. But as Treize got more desperate...
Zechs knew him too well to expect that Treize would not use him and those important to him for his own purposes. That had a tendency to harm even the best of friendships. Zechs was capable of overlooking quite a lot, but threats to his sister were an entirely different story.
Noin leaned forward to give her friend a smile. "I swear to you - I'll help you protect her. Anything I can do. But when this is all over... Zechs, you can't keep doing this to yourself. Face it - Treize is no longer the man you knew. We all have choices ahead of us."
"I know."
CENTRAL, 2 REPORTING.
MISSIONWILL BE SPENDING REST OF WEEK WITH ALL TARGETS IN THE TARGETS' DEN. THIS COULD BE PRIMARY TARGET'S BIG MOVE. HAVE BEEN INVITED ALONG.
SECONDARY TARGET UNEASY AT SISTER'S INVOLVEMENT. COULD BE AN ANGLE TO PLAY.
WILL STAND BY FOR ADDITIONAL ORDERS. 2 OUT.
Quatre Winner rubbed his eyes as he re-read the message. Duo had to have a special brand of luck - how on Earth did he manage to get invited along?
Staring back at the screen, he couldn't help feeling remorseful. Trowa had reamed them all out in such a spectacular fashion earlier... It had been the most he'd ever heard the quiet young man say. Somehow, the fact that Trowa said it made it even more poignant and humiliating.
He could admit it now - coming down on Duo so hard as he and the others had done was the height of dishonour. Duo was a comrade and a valued, skilled pilot. More than that, he was a friend.
And contrary to what both Heero and Wufei seemed to think, he was about as smart and pragmatic as they came. He was highly unlikely to do something as stupid as jeopardizing their partnership by mixing romance with warfare and hitting on one of them.
He re-read the message. If Duo was going with Relena into OZ's territory, there was probably only a very short window of time to communicate with him before it would put him in grave danger. He quickly typed up a reply and sent it off.
"Good luck, Duo. Come back to us safely - we have an apology to give you."
Duo fought hard to hide his shock as he took in the sheer number of cases and bags Relena had assembled for a simple five-day excursion. How many outfits did one need for something like this?
He looked back over his shoulder at his modest set of four cases and hoped he was not committing a major sin in the eyes of European Aristocracy.
Pargan gave him a warm smile as he stepped closer. "Miss Relena is already in the car. Please feel free to join her while we see to your luggage."
"Thanks, Pargan." He strolled over to the door and let himself in.
Relena, for all she had been excited the night before, looked as though she understood just how odd and potentially bad this invitation was. She shot Duo a look of relief as he climbed in. "Diana - thank goodness you're coming with me. I can't shake the feeling... Well, the General is obviously up to something. But I doubt he would act with you there as a witness."
"And the other two?" Duo asked, wondering just how much Relena was willing to confide in him.
Relena sighed heavily. "The others... Diana, whatever you do, do not trust Lady Une. I cannot tell you why, but don't even allow her to corner you in a room, alone. She's dangerous. And Zechs Marquise... apart from the fact that he obviously fancies you... I'm not sure how far we can trust him, but I know he will not do anything to bring either of us harm. In fact, he will protect us both to the best of his ability."
Duo nodded. "I sort of realized you did not like the Lady from your reaction to hearing her name at the Ball. And Colonel Marquise was extremely kind to me. He seems trustworthy."
"I'd like to think he is."
"Miss Relena?" Duo asked.
The girl gave him a bright smile. "It's nothing. I think we will be okay."
"Miss Noin! Oh, how lovely to see you again," Relena called merrily as they stepped from the limousine. Duo followed the girl with his eyes as she darted across the walkway to do that weird air kiss thing again, this time with a striking young woman in an OZ Specials uniform.
Great. Yet another officer who would be watching him!
"And you must be Miss Murray," Noin said, approaching him with a friendly smile and extending a hand in greeting. "I've heard such nice things about you, I admit I was looking forward to meeting you."
Duo shook her hand gently, barely remembering to use 'girl strength' as he did so. At least Noin's pleasure at seeing him seemed real; Colonel Une was standing back in the doorway, her back rigid and her eyes glinting darkly behind those hideous glasses. "Miss Relena speaks rather highly of you, too. Pleased to meet you."
All the same, Noin's eyes widened slightly as her smile seemed to spread across her face.
There was little to no time to wonder about the smile he was getting, though - Noin had linked arms with both 'girls' and was leading them indoors, successfully skirting around Une, completely. "I was so pleased when Zechs told me you'd be joining us this week. I've missed you, Relena."
"And I you," the blonde replied, still genuinely happy. The two were chattering away at each other; Duo was actually impressed at how easily Noin managed to distract Relena from a possible showdown with Colonel Une on their first day of co-habitation.
The woman was *good* at what she did!
All the same, he could feel those cold eyes on his back as they walked and it was taking everything in him not to turn back around and shoot the bitch!
Trowa was still glaring at the three other pilots as he descended the stairs from the attic room of the safehouse, which he'd taken in an attempt to avoid seriously injuring them. He had a mission pack on his shoulders, and it was enough to make Quatre break the silence. "Going somewhere?"
He simply nodded as he went straight to the cupboard and pulled out a couple boxes of his favourite ration bars. "North. This week-long *holiday* is a bit too convenient. Duo will need back-up."
Wufei lifted an eyebrow. "I imagine he can handle himself, Barton."
Green eyes narrowed angrily. "In enemy territory, surrounded by people who want to kill him, including the woman who nearly had him killed. I had hoped even *you* were not such an asshole." He shoved the boxes into his ruck and hefted it back up onto his shoulders.
He gave them all another long look before he turned for the door without another word.
But just as he was ready to pull the door closed behind him he turned back, hearing Heero call his name.
The Japanese teen met his eyes unflinchingly. "Be safe, and tell him I... apologise. I should not have reacted as I did."
"Tell him yourself," Trowa replied darkly, but the corners of his lips turned up ever so slightly.
Duo Maxwell groaned in relief as he finally made it back to the rooms that had been designated as 'Miss Murray's suite.' He'd had a vague notion Relena would never let him leave, and she was just next door!
Then again, she was not nearly as good at hiding how uncomfortable she was with this situation as he. They had been lucky so far that Colonel Une had stayed away for the most part, but Duo had never been one to put too much faith in something as fickle as luck.
A quick glance at his luggage told him what he already suspected; his things had been well searched while he was out. Only to be expected, of course, but it was bothersome.
If he'd been Colonel Une, he supposed he wouldn't be taking any chances, either.
He'd just pulled off his shoes and settled back on the soft, comfortable bed when a knock sounded at the door. Groaning under his breath, he stood and padded over. "Who is it?"
"Lieutenant Noin."
Oh well - could have been worse.
He opened the door and plastered on a welcoming smile. "Lieutenant - I was not expecting any more visitors tonight. Would you like to come in?"
"Actually," Noin said with a smile, "I was going to ask if you'd care to accompany me on a little stroll. I admit I'm a little curious about the young lady my friend Zechs seems to admire so much."
Duo blushed slightly at that. It was true - the blond man definitely seemed to have a thing for 'Diana,' and had spent a large portion of the evening chatting her up. Duo hadn't minded at the time - it meant he wasn't dealing with the lecherous gleam in Treize's eyes, but it made him rather uncomfortable to admit just how much he'd been enjoying the man's company.
That, and it meant Treize had been free to re-direct his attentions to a Relena who didn't quite seem able to maintain hold of her suspicions of him when the full force of that smile was directed at her.
He looked back at his things, part of him aching to see just what Une might have been looking for in a supposedly innocent American girl's bags. Noin caught his hand in hers, though, and gave it a little squeeze. "Please? I think we have a lot to discuss."
Her grip tightened, and Duo's eyes swung up in alarm. She was still staring at him, but as her grip tightened her smile changed from friendly and warm to challenging and knowing...
Shit.
"Sure. Let me just grab some shoes and I'll be right with you."
His brain was working a mile a minute to come up with everything he knew about this woman. She knew Trowa and Heero and hadn't turned them in, but then again she hadn't been wearing an OZ uniform at the time, either. She seemed to truly care about Relena and Zechs, as well.
In the end, he had no choice. He re-emerged from his room, this time wearing a jacket and a sensible pair of shoes that still managed to cramp his feet horribly. He gave her a smile. "All ready. Where are we going?"
"Outside," Noin replied shortly. "It's such a lovely evening and the gardens are really quite something. His Excellency certainly enjoys his home, as well he should."
They kept up a fairly mundane stream of conversation as they headed down the South Corridor and out a set of French doors to the terrace beyond. Duo caught his breath - Noin hadn't been kidding!
Treize's garden still smelled of roses, though by now the night-blooming jasmine had come out and added a gentle perfume to the mix that Duo found strangely soothing. He followed Noin down along branching pathways lined with sculpted trees.
She finally stopped deep within the greenery and turned back to him, her smile replaced by a far more serious look. "We should be able to talk out here. So spill - I know what you are. Is Relena in danger?"
Duo winced. "I didn't think I was so obvious, Lieutenant."
She snorted. "Obvious? Hell no - and let me tell you it is a great feat to have Zechs so thoroughly confused as he is."
He gave her a small smile. "So how did you guess?"
"I've met Trowa and Heero before," she replied easily, "so I know what to look for."
Duo groaned and dropped his face into his hands. "Wonderful. So what do I do when Colonel Une figures it out next?"
"Now you're just borrowing trouble and trying to get around my questions!" Noin folded her arms. "Talk."
He sighed. "Very well. My name is Duo, and you've guessed I'm a Gundam pilot. I was sent to Sanc because we had strong evidence that Relena's life was in danger. I'm supposed to protect her."
"Nice to meet you, Duo," she said easily, "but that doesn't explain why you're in drag."
"Drag?!" he nearly squeaked, but it would have been most unmanly. "I'm under deep cover is more like it!"
She laughed a little. "Have it your way. I take it you'll be offended if I tell you you're a very convincing girl."
"Very funny."
He sighed heavily. "I didn't ask for this, but someone had to come out here and get close to her. We have reason to believe... Our sources say the threat could be directed by a person staying in this very house."
"Good thing for you that both Zechs and His Excellency seem to have taken an interest in you, then," Noin replied archly, "though if I can offer a word of advice, Colonel Une does not take kindly to females who get too close to His Excellency."
Duo smiled weakly. "Well, I'm not a girl, anyway."
Noin chuckled again, and Duo rolled his eyes. "What's so damn funny?"
She laughed for a good, long minute. "You and Zechs - the man's never been interested in a girl ever before his entire life. So of course the girl he likes is actually a guy in disguise!"
Even Duo had to laugh a little at that. "So he really likes me then?"
"And apparently you don't hate him, either," she replied, watching his face as he blushed again despite himself. "Fascinating. Mind, both Une and His Excellency have probably come up with several ways to use your presence to manipulate him by now."
Duo sighed. "Great. But let's not forget... then there's you."
Noin froze at the tone of that last sentence. Despite the smile on the boy's lips, his voice had gone cold and she suddenly wondered just how well the kid had to be armed. "What about me?"
"You know who and what I am," Duo responded easily. "What do you intend to do with that information?"
Noin slowly lifted her empty hands, maintaining the eye contact between them. "If you're asking if I'm going to turn you in, I would already have done so if I thought you were here to harm either Relena or Zechs. You're here to protect her - I think we have a common purpose there."
He couldn't help believing her, but he still needed to ask, "And what if I mean to harm Treize or his pet pit viper?"
Noin flinched but managed to meet his eyes again. "You would not do so with Relena here unless they were going to harm her."
"Good point." Duo forced himself to relax and to give her a more reassuring smile. "So I guess we're allies for the time being and that means..."
He stiffened and glanced back over his shoulder a moment before he spoke again, his voice now completely different. "What?! No way - I mean, he's so thoughtful, and funny, and smart and..."
"You haven't said hunky yet," Noin said, catching on quickly.
"Hunky - I haven't even seen his whole face yet, but I can believe that completely," Duo said, fluttering his eyelashes and only half faking his embarrassment.
"Hm, it seems I'm interrupting your 'girl talk,'" Colonel's Une's voice interrupted them from back between the bushes. "I feel left out that you didn't invite me."
Duo spun on his heel, and Noin would have sworn he truly had been startled. "Lady Une!"
"Good evening, Miss Murray," Une said dismissively before turning to Noin in turn. "Lieutenant, you are needed back up at the house. Immediately."
"Ma'am." Noin gave her a tight salute and headed off at a brisk pace.
Duo gulped - he was now alone with a woman who had once enjoyed watching her flunkies beat the crap out of him and had pistol whipped him herself in the end when the men could not subdue him.
Bitch.
Still, he forced a smile onto his face. "It was so kind of you to extend your invitation to me, Lady Une. This is a beautiful home and the gardens are truly spectacular."
"Mister Treize owns a number of homes like this one. He is quite a generous man where his friends are concerned," Une replied frostily, pinning him with her gaze. "It seems Colonel Marquise was very impressed with you."
"He was very kind to me; that was my first ball," Duo replied noncommittally.
"Indeed." Colonel Une was thankfully looking less at him and more at what she could do using him, else Duo was sure she would have seen through him immediately. "You should probably come back to the house with me, Miss Murray. It is not too difficult to get lost out here."
And Zechs would undoubtedly have kittens if he saw them walking together, Duo imagined. Oh well - it couldn't be avoided. "I'd be happy to."
TBC...