Mission Accepted: Laying Low
Relative disclaimers apply.

They came off on the fifth floor, which was full of stores, booths, stands and displays of food and of clothing.

"WOW," Duo said.

Quatre nodded.

"Not very many people that don't work here in some capacity know about this place. Or, they're keeping their mouths shut."

Relena nodded.

"I only know about this place because I happened to overhear two workers bragging about it some years ago."

Heero quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh? Where was this?"

Neither Duo nor I knew this place existed.

Duo adjusted his baseball cap.

"Probably at some function. Right?"

Relena thought about this, frowned, then nodded.

"I was walking by and overheard it. I asked my father if it was true and he said no. So I forgot about it."

"But now that you see that it's here..."

She smiled.

"I'm overwhelmed."

Trowa hunched his shoulders for a second, then relaxed them.

"Let's find something interesting, then."

Duo winked at him.

"Remember, you promised to treat me to lunch."

Trowa glared at him.

"No I didn't. And it's past lunchtime anyhow."

Quatre chuckled.

"Come on. I'm sure that we look silly just gawking at everything."

Duo nodded.

"Yeah. The point of being a good visitor is not to look like a visitor."

They began to walk and browse, stopping at displays one or a few of them found interesting but not buying anything.

"So...who do you think will win?" Duo asked Trowa, who rolled his eyes.

"Win what? There aren't any games being played today."

Duo shrugged.

"Well, then, our game. Didja bring the ball?"

Who's that guy trying to look casual over there, by that food place? He's been watching us ever since we got here. Is he one of them? I can't raise the alarm until I'm sure.

Trowa faked a sigh.

"Oh gosh. I left it at home."

Duo exhaled sharply.

"Well, then, what good are you?"

Quatre frowned.

"Now, now, play nice, you two."

Relena put a hand over her mouth and giggled.

It feels so good, being with them like this.

She saw some particularly delicious-looking red apples out of the corner of one eye and turned her head slightly to glimpse at them.

Hmmm. Nice...

She smiled gently and looked straight ahead again.

The proprietor of the store that had the display sensed her little wish and stepped forward, but she and the others had already passed.

Heero, who had been the only one in the group to notice this little activity, glanced at her, then dug into a pocket.

The proprietor waited.

Heero's hand came back out, closed around something small. He turned and flung what turned out to be a coin at the proprietor, who caught it and then flung one of the apples at Heero.

Heero caught the apple neatly in one hand, thanked the proprietor with a nod, then turned back around.

Quatre watched him fondly as he took a paring knife out of his other pocket, sliced the apple in two, slid the knife back into his pocket and gave one half of the apple to the surprised Relena.

He can't say it yet. Treasure this moment, Miss Relena.

Relena thanked Heero with a brief, almost casual nod and then returned her attention to Duo and Trowa, who were disagreeing about the weather.

But her thoughts were far from casual.

What does this mean? I've always known that you have a good, kind heart. Did you feel the need to remind me? Or do you want me to know that you can be caring and considerate as well, but I shouldn't expect to see that side of you often? Tell me, Heero! You know I can keep a secret. Have you stopped trusting me? Please, no...the past two years haven't made any difference. In anything...

She slid the apple half into a pocket.

"...I'm telling you that it will rain, man," Duo insisted.

"And I'm telling you that it'll be cool tonight," Trowa said with a sigh.

Heero stared at his apple half for a few seconds, then frowned and gave it to the not-surprised Quatre.

You're not fooling me, Heero. And you know it.

"What do you think, Quatre? Should I buy that scarf?"

Duo pointed to a burgundy red silk scarf on display in a store window.

Quatre chuckled.

"It doesn't match anything in your wardrobe, I'll bet."

"Buy it for Hilde," Heero suggested, and ignored the surprised looks he got from the others.

Duo blushed.

Relena cleared her throat.

"Well, how about it, Duo?"

Duo cleared his throat.

"I was actually thinking of wrapping it around my braid."

"Why?" Quatre and Trowa asked as one.

Duo shrugged.

"To dress it up. You know, give me a whole new look."

Quatre and Trowa looked at each other.

"Naaaaaah," they said as one.

Heero grinned.

"Stick to black."

Duo pouted.

"It's not available in black."

Relena raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? We'll just see about that."

"No!"

Quatre and Duo grabbed her arms as she strode off towards the store.

"Let me go!" she protested, unsuccessfully trying to free herself. "It's a matter of principle. Everything is supposed to be available in black. It's an unwritten clothing rule!"

Heero shook his head slowly, and in the process noticed a booth selling a variety of roses.

"Duo." He pointed. "Stick one of those in your braid."

Duo looked at him to see if he was joking.

"You're not serious..."

Heero didn't look as though he was joking, so Duo released Relena's arm and walked over.

The beaming female proprietor hurried to serve him.

As the others approached, she was securing ten red, one gold and one black rose into a neat pile with some baby's breath and a handful of small plastic-wrapped all-chocolate lollypops.

Duo stopped her with a gesture.

"Keep the gold and black ones separate, please."

The proprietor blinked rapidly.

"But, sir..."

Duo put a thumb and forefinger around the gold rose, lifted it out of the pile, then bowed and presented it to Quatre, who bowed and graciously accepted it.

Next, Duo slipped the black rose out of the pile and stuck in in the top part of his braid, near his head.

Heero shook his head slowly again.

"I didn't think you would take me seriously."

Duo waved this aside.

"Ahhhh, I knew you were daring me to do it. And what's life without a challenge or few?"

Relena giggled.

"He looks cute. You really do, Duo."

He bowed and presented her with the now-secured pile.

"Thanks. These are for you, because we owe you so much."

She blushed and shook her head.

"Oh no. I couldn't..."

He winked at her.

"Oh, I see. Your secret boyfriend's filled your house with roses, right?"

That guy is keeping up with us.

Her eyes widened and her blush deepened.

Heero tensed up, then scowled and relaxed.

He would know, Duo thought.

Relena was struggling to speak. After hitting Duo on the forearm - "Ow!" he protested - she seemed to find her voice.

"No. I mean, I don't have a boyfriend. I don't have the time for one, and besides, who wants a girl that's always behind a podium or a desk?"

Duo shook his head slowly.

"Any guy that doesn't take the time to know you isn't worth it - aww, man...."

She kissed his cheek.

He bowed his head and went as red as the roses he was still holding.

"You're welcome," he muttered.

She gave him a smile that was simply beautiful.

"I owe you. All of you..."

She took the pile from the still-recovering Duo.

"...and that being so, I accept these. And..."

She shifted the pile, dug into a pocket, retrieved a small penknife, ignored the shocked stares from the others, loosened the pile, put the penknife back into the pocket, and slid four roses out of the pile.

"...I want all of you to know that I really, really appreciate what you have done."

She handed each of the young men a rose.

Duo grinned and stuck his next to the black one.

Quatre held on to his.

Trowa slid his behind one ear.

Heero looked at her, unsure of what to do with his. Finally, he shrugged and stuck it in a pocket.

Duo glared at him, but he ignored it.

Quatre sighed.

"Let's go."

Duo pointed.

"Hey - that guy there, do you see him? He's been following us."

Heero cursed mildly.

"Why didn't you say anything before?" Trowa demanded.

"Because I wanted to be sure," Duo retorted. "You want to get an innocent person in trouble?"

"We're all in trouble, if we don't move it," Quatre said. "But how do we get out of here?"

All of them looked around, Relena with panic in her eyes.

Where are they, where are they?

Duo pointed again, to his left.

"There. That looks like—"

"Yes!" Relena exclaimed, then briefly bowed her head. "The elevators. In the corner. There are three of them and the stairs. They're over there. At the end of the hallway Duo's pointing to."

"Let's go then. Slowly," Quatre said.

They made their exit as casually as possible, hoping that no one paid more than casual attention to a young woman walking with five young men.

The man Duo had pointed out moved towards them, at one point tapping his right earlobe.

"He's talking to someone," Duo said. "Home base, perhaps. Faster, guys. Faster."

But they couldn't run. There were too many people around and it would arouse suspicion. They could only power-walk until they reached the last store, a candy shop.

The hallway and elevator bank seemed to be miles away.

"To hell with it. Let's run."

Duo took off.

"Split up," Heero said.

Relena suddenly found herself surrounded by the four young men. Then she was pushed, hard, towards the elevator on the right.

"See you there," Quatre said as he opened the door that led to the staircase.

"Sure thing," Duo said, and summoned the elevator in the middle.

"Let's hurry, Trowa said, and joined Heero and Relena in the right-hand side elevator.

"This is crazy," Relena said. "They could destroy the entire elevator shaft and be able to excuse it."

She looked all around the elevator.

"Of course they're watching us."

Heero was studying the control panel, which was nothing out of the ordinary, just the standard floor buttons, digital display, emergency call buttons (he doubted those would work now, if they ever had at all) and a relatively large STOP button (which they could engage if they chose, he was certain)

"They're not stupid."

He glanced at the elevator's roof.

Just panels.

"Killing you would cause too much trouble for them."

Trowa nodded.

"They're more likely to wait until we're on the road. With all the traffic it'd be easy to cause an accident, then casually walk away."

Relena shuddered, then nodded.

"I know that. I'm just...nervous."

"Don't be," Heero said. "It might cause claustrophobia."

"What a comfort," Relena muttered.

Ten......nine......eight....seven...six...

Heero pushed the STOP button.

"Heero, why—" Relena gasped rather than asked.

The elevator shuddered to a halt.

Trowa nodded.

"It works."

As the doors opened Relena felt herself be pushed again.

"We're taking the stairs," Heero said.

Relena exhaled.

"Sure. You know what's best."

"I try to."

She didn't ask for an elaboration. There wasn't time for that. But she certainly did want to know what he had meant by that.

"YOU LET THEM ESCAPE!"

"No, sir! We were right on them but then—"

"No BUTS! YOU LET THEM ESCAPE!"

"But sir—"

A gunshot rang out and the conversation was over.

"Ha ha hahahahahaaaaaa.....but that's all right. It's far too late for them to stop my plans now. I will own them! They will bow to me! It's just a matter of time. I shall have my revenge, Master Winner."

The five young people met at the back entrance of the building and immediately noticed that the van was missing.

"CRAP!" Duo spat out. "They found us! We're done for now."

"Wait a minute!" Quatre clapped him on the back. "Don't you see that limousine right there....one of my limousines?"

"Oh. Heh...."

The young people waited and watched with anticipation as one of the passenger doors of the sleek, long-nosed silver vehicle opened.

Their eyes widened as a familiar person emerged.

"What took you so long?" Wufei demanded, with a smile.

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