No Time For Secrets
Part 9
Heero looked utterly lost for a brief moment before the Soldier returned to power.
"Unfortunate. That would have been an acceptable strategy." Heero somehow refused to understand that his lover would never survive
for long if he knew it had cost Heero's life to place his heart into Duo's chest, luckily it was no longer a possible option.
"Check mine," Trowa said flatly, handing his disk to her.
Quatre's eyes flew wide in terror, what did he think he was *doing*? Trowa's long time admiration of Heero could easily explain his
volunteering, but did that mean he cared so little for the one *he* would leave behind? Speechless and once more possessed by dread,
Quatre waited silently praying his lover would not match, yet feeling guilty at the same time.
"Sorry, but again no match." Quatre suddenly released the breath he had not realized he'd been holding and sunk in on himself feeling
horrible for wishing what he had. It was only natural, but still it disturbed him greatly. "Does anyone else wish to offer their lives for him?
A directed donation *is* legal, but I warn you that it is doubtful any of the rest of you will match either."
Heero surprised even himself when he turned to face Trowa, "Arigato, Trowa." This was all he said, but it meant everything to both
young men and Trowa simply nodded in acceptance of his thanks. An outsider to this group would have undoubtedly wondered if they
weren't all insane offering their lives so easily and automatically for this boy. A young man who, throughout the war, had alternately
driven them crazy with his incessant chatter and ridiculous jokes, yet had saved their lives from certain death more times than they
bothered to count. No natural family was ever as close as this one and it is doubtful one ever could be.
"Now, what *is* the next match for Duo according to the records?" The Perfect Soldier was ready to take a new tactical approach.
Frowning, Ms. Suzuka responded, "That's meaningless, Mr. Yuy. You can't supercede the regulations and interfere with the placement
process."
"I disagree," he stated flatly. In a blur of motion, he rose to his feet with a pistol in his hands which no one, including his friends, were
aware he had with him. Pointing the gun squarely at Suzuka, he repeated, "Tell me where the next match is located---now!"
She reassessed the situation, quickly recognizing his single-mindedness and possibly unpredictable behavior could easily turn the
situation into one of horrible consequences. "I'll look in the database."
Before even a single strangled outcry of concern or fear could be uttered, her fingers flew across the computer. "There is a match
identified in Tokyo, Mr. Yuy. It is designated for a twelve year-old girl in Helsinki." She hoped the fact that another child's life hung in
the balance might sway his seemingly unbalanced view of the situation. She was wrong.
"Heero! What on Earth are you doing?!" Sally said trying to rise to her feet, but Wufei firmly held her in place, knowing the psychotic
gleam in Heero's eye meant anything could happen at this point and was not willing to allow Sally to place herself in harm's way because
of it. He signaled her to stay seated regardless of his own actions.
"No, Heero, no, no, no," Quatre sobbed knowing full well it was too late for any words to sway him.
"Quatre," Heero spoke with a voice as cold as an arctic night, "You knew what was happening before this. Now you also know what I
have to do about it. I'm leaving here to save Duo's life."
"No," Quatre begged a bit louder than necessary, "Heero, stealing an organ meant for donation will put you in prison for most of the rest
of your life! This will *not* be good for Duo and you will have effectively killed the girl it is meant for! You've got to stop before you go
through with this, please! Duo can't live with you locked away, this is *not* a viable option!" Even as he spoke, Quatre knew it was
beyond the point of reasoning with the Wing pilot, he had transitioned into a different mind-set and the decision was made. The best any
of them could do now was to try to minimize the damages and casualties.
Silently, during this exchange, Chang Wufei, always ready for the unexpected, had taken the opportunity to slip out unseen and went in
search of help other than the armed guards standing around the emergency room. As he sprinted for the stairs, he ruefully admitted he
had foreseen this but had not thought to make certain Heero was unarmed when he had been unconscious earlier. For once, he cursed
whichever gods watched over that elusive gun of Heero's, wishing they had not allowed him to bring it with him.
"Quatre, is your jet at the airfield near here?" The Perfect Soldier had his mission objective, now all he needed was the means by which
to execute it.
"Yes, but you can't *do* this, Heero!" Quatre knew he was wasting his breath trying to reason with the man in front of him; now beyond
logic or reason and still holding his pistol with every intention of using it, even on his own friends if necessary. He'd do *anything* to
save his lover's life, that was all he cared about now. But, the young heir to the Winner fortune was not lacking in tactical maneuvers
himself. He was deliberately trying to speak loudly enough to get the attention of one of the guards that had been hovering nearby.
Sadly, it didn't happen that way. Instead, the entire thing spun out exactly as the young girl had predicted and now the "scary bad
somethings" she had warned Heero about were coming to pass.
For Heero to save Duo's life, several innocent people were about to pay---in blood.
"So, there's no other way to save Duo's life? Then I'll just have to go *get* that heart for him!" Heero's face remained twisted into the
cold dangerous expression he had always worn during intense firefights during the war.
One of the guards was walking past the office and had heard the steel in the young man's voice as well as the illogic of it. He loosened a
pistol from its holster. With an overwhelming feeling of regret, he released the safety just in case he needed the weapon. It seemed so
wrong to him that he might have to shoot someone right here in a place of healing, but he was an excellent marksman and knew it would
be just enough to stop the boy without killing him.
"Nani?!? Heero, you *can't* do that! It's *illegal*, for crying out loud!" Quatre was panicking, knowing with certainty exactly what his
friend was about to do. "You'll get yourself *killed*, Heero! Then what will happen to Duo?! Are you listening? You can't *do* this!"
Silently, Quatre wondered here the hell those guards were that they couldn't hear this even being as loud as he could be in his seeming
hysteria.
A look of sheer determination crossed Heero's face. "Ninmu ryoukai!" he pronounced grimly.
Once more, the Perfect Soldier reigned supreme; it was as though he was in the grip of some form of insanity, which they all hoped
would drop away and clear his mind to reason once more. This was not to be. Barely taking a moment to insure no one in the room was
going to try to stop him, he emotionlessly turned on a heel and was running out of the office towards the stairs leading outside in a flash.
Earlier, Laurel had called for a nurse already knowing Mitsu would come. When the commotion broke out, the little clairvoyant was
ready, knowing full well what the next brief moments would bring. She knew her own role and what it would cost her personally in pain
for the sake of a man she had only seen in a dream. Yet she was resolved to fulfill her chosen destiny and silently prepared for her cue to
react.
It came right on time. "Ninmu ryoukai!" rang in her ears.
Laurel made sure Mitsu's hand was grasped firmly in hers; not letting the nurse leave. She repeated Heero's words then began quietly
mouthing a countdown from three to one then yanked open the door pushing the stunned nurse backwards so she fell safely onto the
bed and out of harm's way.
Suddenly, a black plush kitten went skittering across the floor.
"Shinigami!" The young girl unexpectedly darted out of her room in the ER stepping directly into the path of an on-coming bullet intended
for Heero. Without even wondering why he did it, Heero had dived for the floor when he heard the signal, then was up and running
again.
"NOO!!!" Screamed a woman's voice as he sped away up the staircase totally unaware of what had happened behind him. The little girl
now lay sprawled upon the floor, blood pooling around her left thigh.
"Wufei! Stop him!" Trowa shouted seeing his two friends on a collision course on the stairs.
"Yuy! You must stop!" Wufei tried to grapple with his crazed friend, but Heero merely tossed him over the railing and Wufei landed with
a sickening snapping sound. All anyone saw of Heero was the backs of his shoes as he ran out of sight.
Sally Po was beside Wufei in seconds, "Wufei? Are you all right?" Worry and fear seemed to vie for control of the Preventer doctor's
eyes.
"Iie, Sally," Wufei sat up slowly, his right arm hanging limply against his side. "It would appear our little soothsayer was indeed correct."
"What are you talking about?" Sally was stunned at Wufei's bland acceptance of the damage Heero had inflicted upon him.
"The girl, Laurel, told me this would happen. She must be an actual clairvoyant; she even said it would be my right arm and she urged
me not to be angry with Heero because he didn't mean to hurt me." He seemed nonplussed by his own injury when he suddenly noticed
the crowd of people gathered outside the girl's doorway.
Sally's eyes followed his then widened. "Laurel!" she shouted, torn between staying with Wufei and going to the child laying bleeding on
the floor.
But Joe was already there, examining the wounded girl. "She's got a hole in her thigh," he told an intern. "The bullet must have gone
straight through cleanly, missing any major arteries or the bone, that's a relief." As he applied a tourniquet, Joe was already torn with
grief on changing the orders to include live ammunition. Guilt assailed him on every level, he hated to see any child hurt, and knowing
she'd been shot in *his* emergency room ate at his very soul.
The guard who had shot the child had dropped his weapon in horror at what he'd inadvertently done.
Trowa and Quatre had automatically rushed to the child's position on the floor. Gently, Trowa held the shorter pilot steady as the young
blond kneeled beside her. "Laurel, honey, can you hear me?" Quatre asked gently, reaching a hand to caress the top of her head as
though it was the most natural thing for him to do.
"Yes, Quatre-daddy." She tried to smile but winced instead. "But I feel awfully sleepy. Did Mr. Heero get away like I told him to?"
"What?!" Quatre didn't even try to disguise the shocked look on his face.
"He was supposed to fall down when I yelled 'Shinigami' then get back up and run. Did he do it? Is he okay?" Laurel looked earnestly
into the baffled Arab's face. He couldn't grasp the fact that while she lay there bleeding, her thoughts were on Heero instead of her own
intense pain.
"Yes, sweetheart, that's exactly what happened. How did you know?"
"Silly Quatre-daddy," she yawned as Joe finished his initial exam and prepared to order the girl returned to her room. "I *told* him to
do it. Otherwise he couldn't go get what he needs to save Mr. Duo. See? Trowa-daddy, can you please hand me
Shinigami? I want to hold her while I sleep for awhile, okay?"
Trowa reached a slightly trembling hand to retrieve the plush toy that had been ignored throughout the bizarre turn of events. Ordinarily
unflappable by the most unusual circumstances, he was shaken to the core by this revelation. "Here, Laurel. Rest now so Dr. Joe can fix
your leg, okay?"
"Sure, Trowa-daddy. Please don't look so worried." Endearingly, she blinked her eyes much like a real kitten would.
"Everything will be all right now that Mr. Heero can make his trip. My leg will be fine, Daddies, I promise." Long
lashes closed over tired eyes as the child was lifted gently by the doctor. She looked so terribly small, injured and fragile, with one arm
in a cast and blood still flowing from both the front and back of one thigh drenching her garments.
"Tr-Tr-Trowa?" His face ashen and covered with a cold sweat, Quatre's voice shook. "I think she *knew* she was going to take the
bullet that was meant for Heero. How can such a young child have such great courage?"
"I don't know, Little One, I just don't know. Shh, quiet now." He hugged his lover's shaking body close to his own, lifting him and
looking for a place to lay Quatre down since he seemed to be showing signs of going into shock. Quatre had still been suffering from the
pain of his uchuu no kokoru indicating Duo's impending death. Then everything that had happened in the office had upset him greatly and
this turn of events was more than he could handle now.
"But if she knew all of that, koi," Trowa smiled gently for him as he laid the boy on a nearby gurney, covering him with a blanket. "Then
perhaps we *are* going to end up her 'daddies' after all."
"Hmmm," Quatre sighed, his aquamarine eyes sliding shut. Then he added wistfully, "I think that would be really very nice, don't you?"
"Of course, my angel," he kissed the blond's forehead. "If that will make you happy, then we shall find a way to make it happen."
"Good. I'm tired, too, all of a sudden. Arigato for agreeing on adopting Laurel, Trowa. You're going to make a *wonderful*
father."
"And so will you, my love, so will you."
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