Cracker Crisis

Quatre had been trying as hard as he could to find information. So had Wufei. He mostly stayed in, claiming sickness so he didn't have to deal with all the unfriendly 'friends' he had.

Dorothy walked by him, adjusting her outfit as she took a seat with her own book. Mei-Lin often preferred to be silent, almost subservient in the corner. It was hard to tell she was in a related sort of clan to Wufei, except when he accidentally angered her.

Then somehow, accidents happen that couldn't be explained, and a passive aggressiveness he couldn't really prove she had would be provoked. She never did anything major in front of others, never risking being found out.

Every time she did that, he swore Wufei had a slight smile on his face.

Today there was no smile. "Every single piece of information is old," Wufei said to Quatre. "There is still nothing."

Nothing. "I've noticed." Quatre was concerned about it too.

"Maybe so," Dorothy answered her.

He just nodded to her too, noticing a slight change in her usually slim body.

"Probably," she said to him.

It was still barely seen, but it meant time was moving farther along. They had been hiding in that disguise nearly four months already. When they first arrived, they had plenty of information to dig up in. So many holes they had mined, but it was like the mine had been sealed up away.

While the women were safe from being found, he couldn't keep up the charade forever with Wufei. They needed some kind of crack.

He noticed Dorothy looked uncomfortable, wiped her brows and stood up. She was getting warm. He noticed her head outside. "AC?"

"Fresh air," she insisted.

Oh.

"She's starting to show," Wufei said to Quatre. "We should have had information dug up by now and had this whole charade ended. RTL went underground, they aren't making any moves. Even STL is being silent."

Yeah. Quatre watched Dorothy come back in. She didn't look so good. As she passed, he touched her hand gently. She didn't comment, just held it back.

It didn't even last ten seconds before they both let go at the same time. Dorothy started to turn the AC on. "Don't know."

"Hope so," he said back to her. Her changing body was making her feel sick and hot. She was trying to be polite for everyone in the room so she wasn't turning the AC too low. She didn't know if it would be low enough to do her good, but hopefully it did.

No, she was going to go back outside again instead. Mei-Lin moved toward Wufei.

"Are we wasting time now?" she asked him.

"Apparently," he admitted. "It's been down too long."

Quatre watched the front door, waiting for Dorothy to come back within it. He put down his information and moved away from his chair.

"Hey!" one of his 'friends' had showed up.

"Where is my chick?" Quatre asked him. "No fooling, Man, you better not be messin'."

"I'm not messin'," his 'friend' said. "Your platinum goodie isn't out here."

What? Quatre looked all around them. "Hell?" He hated to use the vulgarity, but he did when it called for it. "The hell is she?" He started taking down to the corner.

Nothing. "Baby!" Quatre yelled, trying to stay in character. "I didn't mean to mess on you, come back!"

"Dude, I hope you didn't mess on the platinum, she was fine."

Quatre noticed Wufei and Mei-Lin come out to see what was happening. "Hey, you!" He pointed at Wufei. "What do I pay you for?! My girl is missing, find her now!"

Wufei didn't answer or rebel, he played his role well. He started to look in the other direction.

"Maybe she finally got tired of your ass?" His 'friend' added. "I mean a girl that fine isn't going to be with your ass forever. You need serious money to keep her."

"Shut up about how fine my girl is!" Quatre yelled at him. He noticed Wufei. "Well?"

Wufei nodded. "She's regurgitating on the side."

Oh thank goodness. Quatre headed over her way. "Get back inside." Poor Dorothy. "Dorothy, you okay?" She was clinging to the wall.

"It just hit me." She stepped away lightly. "It was so fast."

Pregnant women throw up. It didn't mean anything was wrong.

"Normal," she said to Quatre. "Uncouth but normal."

Right. Good. Except, she bent over again. This time, he tried to help her keep her balance. He stroked her back, trying to comfort her.

"Dude, you're pushing it doing that out here," his 'friend' said from the side. "Killer kudos though."

Quatre didn't care what he said though and continued to stroke her back until she backed up. "Better?"

She didn't answer, and she wasn't. He took her hand and they left the side, with his 'friend' giving him a thumbs up along the way.

"Didn't intrude," he promised Quatre. "Guess you pleased your platinum thing again though."

That's it. "Stuff it. She isn't feeling well because she's pregnant."

"No shit? Oh shit."

Quatre ignored him. "Talk later." He helped Dorothy back inside and to her room. "Do you want something? Medicine? Heat or cold pack?"

"Just my bed, Quatre," she told him. "I'm not feeling myself right now." She touched her head as she lied down on her side.

He stayed beside her. No one wanted to be completely alone when they weren't feeling well. At least, Dorothy didn't. He eventually grabbed a chair and left only long enough to get his information and bring it with him to her room.

He saw Wufei at the door after a couple of minutes. He could see he was still working.

"Privacy?" Wufei asked Quatre. "I swear, Winner, let her sleep. She'll be fine."

"She doesn't want to be alone," Quatre answered him. "I'll leave if she wants me to."

Wufei came in the room and looked at her. "Leave the ill woman, every hole is being filled by RTL. We don't have much left."

"I'm still working," Quatre insisted.

Wufei just shook his head and eventually left them be. Quatre tried to type as quietly as he could so she could rest if she needed to. She looked toward him, it was clear she changed her mind about earlier. He got up and went to get the medicine.

At first, he felt uncomfortable with someone who could read him just as well as he could read others. He was always scared they'd get lost in translation somehow, but after awhile, he dropped that fear.

He got her some medication, glanced back toward her, got her pain reliever and an ice pack out of the small freezer. He looked back toward her again, gave her the medication, and left to the kitchen to wash a washrag and put ice in it instead.

He went back toward her, and she took it as she swallowed her medicine. He gave her a friendly smile and left knowing she wanted to rest now.

He left with his information and sat back down, noticing Wufei's look. "What?"

"You're overreacting to such little things," Wufei criticized him. "She's feeling ill, it's expected. It shouldn't be important enough to distract you."

"I think feeling ill is important enough to warrant some intention," he said back. That and he always worried if she wasn't feeling well. It was normal in pregnancy for it to happen, but a part of him was still worried RTL might have done something to her.

He looked back to her room.

"She's fine, it's normal," Mei-Lin said coming more from her corner. "You're smothering, I don't know how she stands it."

"Exactly," Wufei agreed. "Personal space."

"She's resting now. She wanted me to leave to rest." Quatre obeyed her wishes. "I'm not smothering her, I just helped her."

Both Wufei and Mei-Lin just both bowed their heads and stopped talking.

———————————————

"Hey, Duo?"

Coffee. Early morning. Duo noticed Gin heading his way. He'd already been up for awhile, trying to find RTL again. "Gin. Hey."

"Hey, I wanted to talk to you." He patted his back. "You know, it's been about four months. Have you had Hilde checked out yet?"

Shit. "Naw, but I'm sure she's fine."

"Hey, I get it, Duo," Gin said to him. "It's kind of scary. You don't even have any idea about names even. It's just that? I haven't seen her getting sick or changing in any way. I'm not saying anything's wrong, but if it is? You should get her checked out."

Damn. Time had moved so much with no detection of RTL anywhere. "She's just a late bloomer probably."

"Duo? Look. She might have lost it," he said slowly. "Or, something could be wrong. I'd feel bad if I didn't let you know. If she lost it, it's okay. I get it, you can still stay because RTL might try the same trick again."

Really?

"In fact, it'll be safer if you stay, even if that is the case. Hilde and you are like the best of friends." He shrugged. "I used to have that with Finn. I know you don't know him, and all you do know of him isn't good, but he was just a figurehead. The next in line, following his duty. Deep inside, he was an awesome guy. He was just stuck in this because he was born a minute or two before me."

Duo didn't know what to say about Finn. He sure as hell wasn't going to make Gin upset about that right now. "I'll get Hilde looked at," he promised. Now that Gin knew him well enough, he could continue protecting Hilde there. "Thanks for opening my eyes."

"No problem, Duo," Gin said to him. "You and Heero are always looking real deep into RTL. Not one request about the mission of killing Catalonia ever came in again. Have you heard anything about them or did they disassemble because the heat got too hot on them?"

"Not finding much," Duo answered honestly. "They'll eventually poke their heads out of the ground." He watched Relena dart pass them across the kitchen for the cupboards. "Cravings?"

Relena didn't answer as she got some crackers.

Heero walked up behind her. He still had her daily handcuffs, but he probably got told off to take them off so she could eat. He ignored his and Gin's presence.

"Is this all the crackers?" Relena complained as she took the last four in a package.

"Sorry," Gin apologized. "Looks like someone needs to go shopping. I'll put it on the list and tell one of the goons to get it done."

"I can get it done," Hilde volunteered as she came over. "I need to pick up a few things anyway."

"Okay, we'll get it done." Duo didn't let Hilde move too far away from him. A couple of months later or not, he wouldn't risk it.

—————————————

To the Convenience Store

Hilde almost skipped. It felt nice getting out of the place. Sure, it was huge, but unless Duo went somewhere with her, they really didn't go anywhere. Even now, they'd just walk a couple of blocks to a small convenience store.

"Hey?" Duo said to her as they walked. "Hilde-babe, you don't have to pretend anymore."

"Pretend about the?" She held her hands out from her belly.

"Nah. Gin thinks you might have lost it, and he wasn't suspicious or terrible." Duo put his hands behind his head. "I didn't think he'd be, he's been pretty cool about everything. If it weren't for his crush on One Song, he'd be in a lot better spot."

"Well, I'm glad you are getting along with one of your brothers," she admitted. "I'm glad we can end this charade too. Although? I mean, we shouldn't have to. Didn't you guys even pick up one thing?"

"Nope, forgot to check things out," he said sarcastically. "When something disappears, they cover up anything. There is nothing new, everything practically died for new news since that colony explosion."

Yeah, Hilde knew that too. "Maybe they have to give up for a long time?"

"Yep, they messed up I guess," Duo said as he went into the store.

Hilde went to the side and looked at the ice cream. "Yes."

"Oh, I see, what a sweet considerate friend you are," Duo said as he looked at them too. "You just wanted to have an excuse to drag me out for ice cream."

Pretty much. She would be right back for them. "First, crackers." They moved down a couple of aisles. It was just a small convenience store, there weren't many places to hide it.

"Hands up!"

They both went on alert when they heard that coming from the front by the cashier. They looked out and saw someone trying to rob the place. They immediately got a hundred and some loose bills and took off.

Neither Duo nor Hilde were going to bother that, but the whole place had now been locked down instantly. "One little robbery and the whole place has to lock down." He looked around for maybe a vent system.

"Duo!"

Duo looked and realized they were surrounded. There were five people there, all women, with their guns on them. Not only that, but also the cashier, and someone labeled the manager as well.

"Don't move," the cashier warned him. "Don't move and your Hilde will be fine."

Duo grabbed Hilde's hand. "You aren't taking her again." But? They all moved to putting gas masks on, except for the cashier. She was still keeping her gun on them.

They were going to be gassed. "Hilde. Sorry."

"We both tried," she said back before they both lost conscience.

———————————————

Relena waited for Heero to come back. It didn't take very long to go to a convenience store and he got worried. When he came back, he didn't even bother with the cuffs.

"Gin," Heero warned him. "RTL nabbed your brother."

"Duo?" Gin looked terrified. "No. Not again."

"Relena, we have to go," Heero said to her.

Oh no. "Hilde and Duo?"

"They are on their own," Heero insisted, "for now." He grabbed her hand. "Gin. We can't be in contact with you anymore. If I get news about Middie Une, I will let you know."

They'd been found.

"Take a car." Gin gave Heero a set of keys. "I hope you find my brother later."

Heero took the keys and started to move out. There must have been one small corner of RTL still working. He headed to the car outside and had Relena get in.

The next place to go wouldn't be half as nice. He had no choice but to take her into places unfit for someone like her. He'd warned her it might happen if something went wrong.

It was time to go.