Chapter 14: A Trap is Set

Polka looked around the room apprehensively. She had never met any of her brother's friends before. They were proving to be a rather intimidating bunch. Duo fiddled impatiently with a pen, stopping only to throw embarrassed glances back at a glaring Hilde. Sally and Wufei looked like they were coiled snakes ready to strike. Dorothy grinned like fat cat who had just killed a mouse for sport instead of dinner. Heero did nothing, said nothing, he barely blinked. Releif washed over Polka when Lady Une and Zechs entered the room with Sheena. Surprisingly Rasheed accompanied them as well.

"Well now that we are all here, let's hear this announcement Dorothy has for us."

Sheena jumped in after Lady Une. "Oh sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to apologize to everyone for being late. Quincy has had trouble sleeping since his uncle's death and I had a terrible time getting him to lay down for a nap."

"It's quite alright. This won't take long, will it Dorothy?"

"Hey Zechs you mean you know what the big annoucement is already?" Hilde asked.

"Aw well yes Hilde, some of us were told earlier. Dorothy if you please..."

Hilde looked at the faces around her and noticed that Duo looked bored. "Did you know Duo?" She asked suspiciously.

"Huh? Aww well aw yeah I guess you could say that I was there for the aw meeting..."

"Duo!" Wufei snapped at him.

"What meeting?!"

"No meeting, I didn't mean to say meeting, did I say that, cause it was really more of a group discussion at the coffee pot, you know?" Duo leaned over and whispered into Hilde's ear. "Not now babe, you're gonna blow our surprise."

"What sur...?" Hilde knew that she was out of the loop and it was pissing her off, but the look on Duo's face quieted her. She could see that something big was about to go down.

"It think that it's best if I just tell everyone the good news, obviously some of us have been kept waiting too long." Dorothy smiled and glanced around the room. She made certain to make eye contact with Polka, Sheena and Rasheed. Heero stood behind her carefully scrutinizing the Winner sisters and the leader of the Maguanacs.

"That sounds like a good idea, we're all a little overdue for some good news."

"Polka's right, what do you have to tell us Dorothy?" Lady Une asked.

"I'm pregnant."

"What?!" Hilde looked at Duo whose eyes were fixed on Rasheed.

"That's wonderful news, congradualations." Sheena said politely.

"I too extend my best wishes to you, but I really don't see why you're telling all of us."

"Well Rasheed, I'm telling you because my baby is going to be the new Winner heir. Quatre and I agreed to raise the child together, before his heart attack."

"But that can't be Quatre's child!" Sheena interrupted.

"A Winner heir, hmm? Do you know the sex of the baby?" Polka asked.

"Yes, we had the child DNA tested and it is going to be a boy. Of course you're right Sheena, it's not Quatre's child. I would give anything to have his baby, but as you well know that isn't possible."

"How do we know that Master Quatre really accepted this baby of yours as his own? You could be lying to get your hands on the Winner fortune."

"Now Rasheed you know that I am related to both the Kushrenda and Dermail families. I don't need the Winner fortune. I am merely fulfilling Quatre's final wishes. He wanted to have an heir, but with Relena's death, he felt that that was not going to happen any time soon. After Trowa's death, Quatre and I resumed our relationship, as the media has so brazenly pointed out. When I told him of my predicament he overjoyed at the possibility of becoming a father so soon. Sadly he is gone now, but I believe he'd be happy knowing that the Winner name will continue on."

"Yes I think he would." Polka agreed.

"Are you kidding? This child is not a Winner and he doesn't deserve to have our name. I don't beleive that Quatre agreed to this and won't allow you to pass this child off as the Winner heir!" Sheena yelled.

"I too am skeptical of your claims Miss Dorothy. Master Quatre was not pleased with your decision to start Neo Fang. He didn't want the Winner name assiociated with a terrorist organization. The Winner heir must be taught to support and work towards pacifism. I don't believe a child in your care would be raised in the manner necessary to ensure this."

"Rasheed makes a good point Dorothy. If Quatre had lived to raise the child then I know he would've taught him to embrace pacifism, but now that he's gone there's no guarantee you'll raise him to properly represent the Winner family."

"Polka if Dorothy agrees to have her child attend the Academy for Pacifism and Political Awareness that my sister was the director of before the Cinq Kingdom fell to Oz, would you allow the child to be raised as the Winner heir?" Zechs asked.

Polka frowned. "Well I think that would be okay, of course you have to run it past my other 28 sisters."

"Then why'd you send the Preventors that tape of Heero and Relena?" Duo asked.

"Duo you idiot!" Wufei shot him a dirty look and then turned to see if Lady Une had figured out what they were talking about. He didn't want to be demoted again or else he'd be working graveyard shifts with the rookies.

"You broke into my room, didn't you? I knew it!"

Lady Une sighed and looked at Duo. "Well?"

"Yeah I broke into her room and I found the original tape of Heero and Relena which is actually quite sweet." Duo blinked and batted his eyeslashes. "Plus a mondo pile of photographs of the pair. So what gives Polka, are you some pervert or were you trying to set Heero up for Relena's murder?"

"Neither. I was going to show Quatre that Relena was in love with Heero and that he shouldn't marry her, because if he did he would be taking himself off of the market and destroying his own chances for finding a woman who would love him and make him happy. I just didn't want to see Quatre give up." Polka looked across the room at Dorothy. "I'd even be happy if he you two got back together. You certainly weren't my first pick for Quatre, but at least you never cheated on him."

"Well thank you Polka for that ringing endorsement. Well Sheena, how about you are you willing to let this child be raised as the Winner heir?"

"Hell no! There already is a Winner heir, my son Quincy and he's a hell of a better choice than any child that you could spawn!"

Rasheed laid a hand on Sheena's shoulder. She was obviously upset. "Now Miss Sheena please calm down. Miss Dorothy may I ask who the father of your child is?"

"Well I suppose you'd want to know. I don't know his name though. It was one of the guards who watched over me while Neo Fang was being held prisoner."

"You mean you were taken advantage of?" Rasheed asked in obvious horror.

"Oh no nothing like that. I was just trying to get him to set me free, but it didn't work."

"Well that's just great. There's no way you'll be able to pass this child off as the Winner heir. No one's going to believe it's Quatre's child."

"Actually considering some of the photos that ran in the less reputable newspapers it won't be difficult at all. Unless of course you're going to let the world know about Quatre's infertility."

"If that's what it takes."

"No Miss Sheena you can't!"

"Oh Sheena I don't think that's such a good idea." Polka shook her head and looked at Rasheed whose face was so horror stricken that it would be funny, if the situation wasn't so serious.

"Why not!? So the public finds out that Quatre can't have kids, what's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that it could lead to the media finding out the true Winner family secret. That is totally unacceptable."

"Miss Polka is right, we're going to have to accept Miss Dorothy's child as the new Winner heir." Rasheed said sadly.

"You can't! You pledged your loyalty to my son!"

A quick smile flashed across Heero's face and the other occupants in the room stiffened. Duo smiled happily and let out a hushed, "busted."

Chapter 15: A Farewell to Arms

"So it's true. You betrayed me, both of you did."

"Master Quatre!"

"Quatre, you're alive!" Polka ran across the room to hug her brother. "You know I wanted to come to the funeral, but they wouldn't let me." She turned and gave Lady Une a nasty look.

"Quatre's alive?! Did you know about this too?" Hilde asked as she turned to a smirking Duo. When he turned away from her questioning eyes, she batted him in the head.

"Forgive me Master Quatre. I only wanted to do what was best for the Winner family." Rasheed hung his head in shame.

"You shouldn't be sorry Rasheed and neither should I. I'm glad you're alive Quatre. I never wanted you to be hurt, but you've betrayed our family honor. Quincy should be the rightful Winner heir."

"I agree, I'll happily turn the Winner fortune and the family business over to Quincy when he turns 18, but that doesn't mean I will forgive you for what you've done. You've hleped to commit murder, you've betrayed our family ideals worse than I ever could. Relena was the Dove of Peace. You put the entire Earth Sphere Unified Nation at risk for your own gain. I believed in you all and you conspired against me. I'm afraid I'm going to have to release the entire Maguanac corps from its service."

A brief look of pain passed over Rasheed's face. "I am thankful for your well being Master Quatre. But I am ashamed of my actions. I accept any punishment you will put to me. I can only beg for you to be merciful to the rest of the Maguanacs. When we heard of your death it was a great blow to all of our hearts."

Quatre nodded. "I will be as merciful as I can, but those who killed Trowa and Relena, those who harmed Dorothy do not know my heart at all and I can show no mercy to them."

"So this was all a setup? But what proof do you have that we have done anything wrong? You have no evidence against me." Sheena looked around the room. She was surrounded by angry, threatening faces that promised justice.

"We don't have any evidence Sheena, and we aren't going to arrest you. I don't want to take Quincy's mother taken away from him, but know this: You've made some powerful enemies today and you had better watch your step from here on out. I don't think that I could protect you if I wanted to." Quatre's eyes slid over to Heero whose cold look was centered on Sheena.

"Well I'll consider myself warned." Sheena left the room followed by Lady Une who was watching Zechs closely.

"Wow I can't believe you guys did this and that you kept it from me, you jerk!" Hilde swatted Duo again, who winced at the growing sore spot on his head. "So does this mean you aren't really pregnant Dorothy?"

"Oh I am pregnant and Quatre is going to help me raise the baby, but she won't be the Winner heir."

"She? I thought it was a boy."

"Well it could be, we don't know yet, we want to wait." Quatre smiled at Dorothy as he answered Duo's question.

"So it's over. It doesn't feel like I thought it would." Duo noted.

"Justice wasn't served."

"Oh I don't know Wufei. With the Maguanac corps disbanded and the disapproval of the rest of my family to look forward to, I think that Sheena is going to regret her actions, and although that may not seem like much of a punishment, she didn't make my men commit those actions. Farshid, Jai and the others responsible will be punished."

"But wouldn't it be a greater punishment to make Dorothy's child the Winner heir and leave Quincy and his mother cut off from the family fortune?"

"Yes, but Quincy did nothing wrong and he does carry the Winner blood. I can't hold him responsible for his mother's actions. Furthermore I don't want him to grow up hating me. I will have to be his teacher in the future, so I will have to learn to make peace with Sheena for the family's sake. I'm sorry Heero, Zechs, I know you wanted more."

"It's alright Quatre, you need to do what you think is best for your family and its future. I understand that. I know Relena would be happy for you and Dorothy, so I want to wish you both the best."

"Thank you Heero." Quatre's eyes were full of love and sympathy for his friend. He knew what a difficult path Heero had ahead of him.

"I don't know if I can be as forgiving as Heero. I still had a lot of unresolved issues with Relena. I always put things off thinking there would be another chance and now...Well it's my own fault. Heero's right, Relena would be happy for you both and she'd want you two to make it this time. Dorothy what about Neo Fang? Can you truly raise a pacifist child?"

"A little revolution is necessary every now and then, to remind people of just how fortunate they are to live in this peaceful world that Relena created, but I don't want to see it go beyond that. The Neo Fang doesn't understand this and so my split with them is definitely permanent. I'll be content to take a passive role in the changing times ahead."

The room slowly emptied out, leaving a pouting Hilde and nervous Duo behind. "So come on babe, you aren't really that mad at me are you?"

"Of course I am! You totally kept me in the dark. You let me think that Quatre was dead! You even got comfort sex out of me. Pig!"

Duo blushed, "Oh come on babe, you know we probably would've done it anyway and it's not like you didn't enjoy it." Duo decided to change the subject. "It sucks that Sheena's getting off and Rasheed only loses his job, but Quatre seems happy and considering all he's been through, that's pretty nice. I worry about him though. I find it hard to believe that Dorothy's turned over a new leaf."

"Yeah and now she's gonna have a kid. Scary."

"Speaking of which just when are you going to be providing me with an heir?"

"Excuse Me!"

"You know someone to carry on the Maxwell name."

"But that isn't even your real name!"

"Oh come on Hilde babe, don't you want a little version of me running around the house? Think of how cute he'd be."

Hilde closed her eyes and slumped down in the chair. "Relena take me with you." She whispered.

Epilogue

Katherine threw the ball at her cousin Katrina much harder than necessary. Her cousin was two years younger and easy to pick on. Katrina started to cry and Quincy rushed over to her.

"Katie you're such a bully. How would you like it if I threw the ball at you?"

"You do and I'll tell Aunt Sheena. You're always taking her side."

"I'm not, you're always picking on her."

"Are too!"

"Stop it! You're the one who made Katrina cry."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Children stop it! I don't care who did what, you're louder than a bunch of animals." The nanny reached down and picked up Katrina. "Katie you had better not be picking on your cousin again and Quincy, you should be studying your french anyway. What a fine group of future pacifists you are!" Katie and Quincy went inside followed by the Nanny and Katrina. They never noticed that figure that watched over them from behind the trees.

Rasheed just smiled at the retreating group. Kids will be kids and despite their many mini-disputes, the were all good kids. Quincy had taken on Quatre's protective instincts. He was a gentle boy though. A lot like Katrina who resembled her mother physically, but was quiet and a bit of a loner. Dorothy had never revealed who Katrina's real father was, not that it mattered. She was Quatre's daughter, but she reminded him of someone long dead.

Rasheed stayed outside the Winner mansion for a couple of more hours, leaving long after nightfall when the kids were all tucked away and mansion security was fully activated. These days Quatre trusted computers more than people.

Walking into his small apartment, he checked his messages before sitting down to a late supper of leftovers. Three more former Maguanacs were dead. They had all sworn loyalty to Quincy. He knew who was responsible and wondered why he was still alive. Probably out of respect to Master Quatre, but that would only keep him alive for so long. None of the Maguanacs had ties to their former Master anymore. He personnally hadn't spoken to the former Winner heir since that day nearly four years ago, when Sheena had unwittingly admitted their betrayal.

He checked up on Sheena every now and then when he was following Quincy around. She seemed well, but she was lonely and sad. The rest of the family were told the entire story when it was revealed that Quatre was still alive. As expected she was pretty much cast out of everyone's good graces. Although they were all polite to Sheena, it was that formal politeness that made her always aware of their disapproval. She didn't hang around with any of the Winners more than she had to, but Quincy was being taught by Quatre and therefore she couldn't escape meeting with them every once in a while.

Rasheed finished the last of his dinner and threw the plate in the dishwasher. He looked around his small apartment and sighed with discontent. He missed the other Maguanacs. It was so quiet. He had never really lived alone until a couple of years ago when Heero started killing off those members that he felt were responsible for Relena's death. It was decided that they should all go their separate ways. They knew it wouldn't save them, but it would at least prolong their lives a little if Heero had to seek them all out.

In a way he would welcome Heero on the day the young man came for him. He didn't date or become close to anyone because he knew his days were numbered. Although he felt some sort of joy from watching over Quincy, he knew he'd never be welcome in the boy's life and that in truth his oath of fealty wasn't binding anymore. It was a promise he was keeping to himself now.

He walked into his bedroom and prepared for bed. When he laid down to sleep he spoke a quiet prayer to Allah. He asked for Allah to look over Quatre and Dorothy, their daughter Katrina and the new Winner heir, Quincy. He didn't ask for forgiveness. He had no right to ask for that. A thought popped into his head and he asked for one more thing. He asked Allah for guidance, not for himself but for Heero.

"Allah please let him find some hope, some reason to live other than for vengance. I know that Heero Yuy can be a good man once again. Thank you Allah."

Rasheed stood up and looked into the shadows of his room. "Thank you for your patience."

Heero didn't respond. He simply fired his gun and left the apartment as quietly as he came.

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