Mission Accepted: Behind Door Number Two
Relative disclaimers apply.

Thomas hated to distract Miss Relena when she was in the garden.

It was her place for reflection and meditation. Amongst the trees, grass and blooms, she would wrangle with an issue, problem or situation until she was at peace with it.

It was also a good place to have clandestine meetings, but she hadn't had any of those, as far as Thomas knew — and he liked to think that he knew quite a lot about how Relena lived her life.

The scruffy one — Thomas refused to call him by his name —hadn't snuck by lately.

Why? Did he know that the staff knew who he was, and was afraid to show his face now?

Thomas shook his head.

That's not it. He's not like that. I don't think he's afraid of anything. There's a reason that he doesn't come around here anymore.

He put a hand on the glass-panelled door that led into the garden.

Did you finally tell him to leave you alone, Miss Relena?

But how would she have told him, unless they had met somewhere in secret?

Thomas shook his head again.

He's not stupid. He wouldn't risk that. He wouldn't let anything happen to her. No. He's found something out, and he thinks he'll serve her better there. Hmph. Must be nice, eh, Miss Relena? Just what is going on between you two!

Thomas opened the door and took a deep sniff, letting the garden's atmosphere surround him.

Peaceful and verdant....

Relena was sitting on the grass near a rose bush, arms hugging her knees, looking into the sky.

Thomas froze where he was.

Which one is more beautiful?

"What is it, Thomas?" she asked, and he regretted breaking the spell.

He bowed, then presented her with the plain #10 envelope that had come with the day's mail.

Her eyebrows seemed to come to a point a few inches above her nose.

"It's still sealed. What makes you think that it's for me?"

He rolled his eyes.

"Oh please."

She let that go.

"I can't imagine what he has to say to me....Thank you, Thomas."

He caught the hint.

"Damn scruffy fool...."

He bowed and left her.

Relena half-smiled and opened the envelope.

Did I hear a touch of respect there, Thomas?

"All right, Heero, what do you have to say — huh?"

Her jaw dropped.

It was a date, an address and a time, and it wasn't in Heero's handwriting.

Thomas came running.

"Miss Relena! What is it?"

She handed him the note.

"He didn't write this, Thomas."

His eyes narrowed.

"But he's the reason behind it."

"What do you mean?"

He scrunched up the note and shoved in into a pants pocket.

"I don't want you to become any more involved with him, or whatever's he's doing."

Her eyes blazed. She practically bounced to her feet and waved the envelope at him.

"Excuse me? Whatever he's doing here—" she waved the envelope some more "— it's out of concern for my future. How dare you interrupt that!"

Surprised at her intensity, he blinked a few times.

"What am I interrupting?"

She exhaled.

"I want to know what he's found out. I'll bet it's about them. You understand me? I am going."

She whirled on a low heel and stormed back towards the house.

Thomas tensed up, then exhaled.

"You're in love with him, aren't you? Whatever else is going on, that's more prominent!"

She didn't answer him.

He muttered a curse.

"He must love you, too, or at least give one hell of a damn about you. I am telling you, this concern for your future isn't completely peace-related! But he's still scruffy, Miss Relena, and don't you ever forget it!"

Heero scowled.

The little door had been replaced with a panel.

We are being watched.

But the closer he came to the panel, the more he noticed that its grain was slightly different from the ones surrounding it - as though someone was insultingly testing his intelligence.

Maybe it's someone who works for Booth's. Is this the same person who's let me come this far?

And did Trowa know anything about this? He certainly had his suspicions....but that was a question for another moment.

Is this a trick? A trap? A distraction? No. That's what they want me to think —

His eyes narrowed as he suddenly looked at the podium, not knowing why, but since his instincts never failed him...

He vaulted onto the stage, placed a hand on either side of the podium and moved it a few inches to his right.

Then he looked down and nodded.

The podium had been resting on a two foot by three foot section cut into the stage.

Who would suspect?

He kneeled before the section and pressed a forefinger into it.

It wiggled a little, then sank about half an inch.

Heero nearly laughed out loud.

Instead, he continued to press down, and was rewarded seconds later when the rest of the section began to rise above the stage enough for him to grab it with his other hand.

His amusement turned to annoyance when he saw what the section had been hiding: about twenty rolled-up blueprints of various heights and widths, each secured with a one-inch thick rubber band.

He put the section down and used a forefinger to push them about.

"Fake."

Is this a test? How long has this hideaway been here, anyway? What's usually in it?

The last thought led to another: Not all of them are fake.

There wasn't enough time or privacy to read all of them. Cursing under his breath, and moving quickly, he lifted one blueprint, looked it over, and then dropped it back down with the rest.

"Dammit..."

He repeated the process with fifteen blueprints, getting more and more frustrated but knowing that he would find the real blueprint eventually.

The next blueprint that he grabbed made him alternately smile and grimace. Not only did its map-like scales look accurate, but Hathway was scribbled near the bottom of it.

His eyes blazed as he tucked this blueprint under an arm before replacing the section and moving the podium back to where it had been.

Now there's going to be trouble.

"You let him find it!" a muted panicky man's voice screeched.

"Calm yourself, or I'll have to hang up on you. It is far too late for any of them to do anything about it now," replied a confident baritone voice.

"But—"

"Didn't you hear me, you fool?" The baritone was annoyed now. "Your investment is SAFE! Don't make me lose confidence in our...partnership."

"You went too far with this!" The other man apparently didn't appreciate being called a fool. "If he found that, what else could he discover?! I didn't agree to such risk-taking!"

The baritone exhaled.

"You don't trust me," he said dangerously calmly.

The young man gasped.

"Waiiit! I didn't say that!"

"You've said far too much."

"Waiiiiiit—"

A phone receiver slammed down.

"Take care of him," the baritone voice commanded. "The partnership has ended. And as per the terms of our deal, the funds are to remain in my account."

"Yes, sir," obediently replied a man in clipped tones.

The baritone laughed out loud and heartily.

"I didn't lie, you know. There's nothing that any of you can do. It is far too late! My plans will not be stopped."

Again, Trowa was waiting for Heero outside of the men's bathroom.

But this time, he was visibly distracted.

"What is it?" Heero asked, as he zipped up his bag to better hide the blueprint.

Trowa cursed mildly.

"One of the top executives of the Howman Corporation was murdered about ten minutes ago."

Heero's eyebrows went up.

"What?"

Trowa exhaled.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Heero nodded.

"We don't have much time. Hey, what are you doing later on?"

Trowa smiled.

"Meeting with you guys. Right?"

Heero frowned.

Trowa scowled.

"No. Not her, too."

Heero grimaced.

"She needs to be there."

"This affects her too?"

Heero nodded.

"Walker. Among other reasons."

Trowa nodded.

"I don't like it, but I understand. I'll be there. See you then."

"See you."

They waved to each other and then walked in opposite directions.

Duo was waiting for Heero in an unmarked black van.

"Well?" he demanded of Heero as the latter put on his seatbelt.

"Walker," Heero replied.

Duo pursed his lips and then started the ignition.

"Big trouble, here we come."

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