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AC 199 (Wednesday Afternoon Mid Summer)
Sally looked down at the stop watch in her hand marking the time as Wufei finished his task, ignoring her as usual. "Six point Eight seconds. Not too shabby." Sally said and Wufei glared at her "Woman, what the hell are you talking about?" He asked looking up from his task of assembling his firearm. "That's the time it took you to put that piece together." Sally said and Wufei shot her an incredulous look. "You were timing me? What on earth for?" He asked as he bent back to work. "Well, I've entered us as a team for Saturday's games." Sally said grinning down at her partner. "YOU DID WHAT!?" Wufei yelled infuriated. "I am not going to prance about like a weakling needing to prove himself! Are you daft woman!? Why on earth would you think I would want to participate in such foolish sport?" Wufei asked and Sally just smiled. "Because it's fun! It's a game Wufei, you know friendly competition between friends and co-workers! It's called socializing, look it up." Sally said fixing Wufei with a stare that dared him to argue with her. "I see those imbeciles five days a week 12 hours a day. Why would I want to spend my day off with them?" Wufei said never flinching under Sally's gaze. "So you can do to them, what you want to during those five days Wufei. It's war games, you can shoot them!" She said a wicked grin crossing her features. "I can shoot them when ever a feel like it Woman. You need a better excuse than that to get me to go with you." He said crossing his arms across his chest. "Duo's coming." Sally said and Wufei grinned. "Shooting Duo does have a certain appeal, I'll grant you that. Too bad they won't be usinc Live ammunition." Wufei snorted looking back to his gun. "All right Sally, I'll play your little game if it makes you happy. But I do it under protest." He said his tone condescending. "Why thank you my emperor. Get bent Wufei. I'll find another partner." Sally said standing up "I only thought you'd have a little fun. Forgive me for caring." Sally said storming out of Wufei's office. Infuriated at him yet again, Sally stormed down the hall. She brushed past Noin in a huff. "Sally? What the hell did Wufei do now?" Lucrezia Noin asked, knowing the reason behind Sally's black mood. "He an arrogant, condescending, egotistical, CREEP!" Sally said red in the face. "I don't know why I bother!" She said leaning up against the wall angrily. "You're the only one who does Sally. Count yourself lucky, at least he will call you by your name occasionally. The rest of us vermin are just nameless females." Noin said leaning up next to her friend. "It's just so damn frustrating. One minute he's actually sweet and polite. The next he's the biggest Asshole I ever met! I don't whether to love him or kill him half the time." Sally said with a sigh. "If you kill him, can I watch?" Noin asked and Sally laughed. "THAT'S IT!" Sally cried. "What is?" Noin asked. "I'll kill him. I'll kill him on Saturday! I'll show that shithead Not to underestimate Sally Po!" Sally said a wicked grim look of evil satisfaction on her lips. "Oh, I wanna watch!" Noin said laughing. "I have an even better Idea. Let's show ALL those boys what we girls can do." Sally said taking Noin's arm. "Let's team up Lu. Me, you and Hilde can wipe them all out." Sally said laughing. "What the three of us against?" Noin asked and Sally grinned. "All of them. We can do it. They'll be too confident, I know for sure Wufei will be way too cocky and sure of himself against poor helpless little girls." Sally said and Noin laughed. "Yes, but what about the rest. Zechs knows what we can do. He won't underestimate us. Neither will Heero. I don't like our odds Sally." Noin said her facial expression grim. "We can do this." Sally said and Noin shook her head. "All right, I just hope we're not humiliated. Wufei will be impossible to be around if we lose." Noin said and Sally looked deadly determined. "We Can and will succeed."
Wufei looked up from his desk to see a certain 19 year old, long haired former pilot come sauntering into his office. "What the hell do you want grease monkey?" Wufei asked. Unfazed by the rude remark Duo flopped down in the chair and propped his feet on the edge of the desk. "You've done it now." Duo said fixing his ever smiling face upon the black gaze of the Chinese man sitting across from him. "Enlighten me." Wufei said not really caring what Duo had to say. The American said far too much to begin with. "I lost my girlfriend for Saturday's games because of you, and you've put yours on the War path." Duo said leaning back into his chair. "As a matter of fact, every woman in this entire building come to think of it, has it out for you. I am here to issue you a challenge buddy." Duo said, his smirk wicked and his eyes dancing with mirth. Wufei snorted in response. "Nice attitude. Geez, Wuffie Buddy, If I shoved a lump of coal up your ass, in two weeks I'd have a fucking Diamond! Lighten' up tight ass." Duo said earning a death scowl from Wufei. "The challenge?" Wufei asked with a razor's edge. "Just this. You are hereby challenged by the girls to a duel Saturday. It's a battle of the sexes now thanks to you. You will show up, if I have to drag your short Chinese ass there myself. Got it!" Duo said standing up. His tall six foot, two inch frame towering over the seated Wufei. "Idle threats. You may have grown taller, but you haven't grown up. You don't scare me Duo Maxwell." Wufei said unmoved. Duo leaned over planting his hand on the desk and looking Wufei square in the eye. "What are you afraid of Wuffie? Afraid a GIRL is gonna kick your ass?" Duo taunted, knowing full well Wufei would take the bait. "Never! Fine, I'll play her little game. She learn, foolish headstrong woman!" Wufei said almost pouting in his seat. "Hook, line and sinker. You're too easy Wuffie. See ya on Saturday team-mate." Duo said turning to leave. "WHAT?!" Wufei spouted. "Team-mate. It's the Five of us against Noin, Sally, and Hilde. Zechs is gonna play sniper, against both teams. We're having our own little War apart from the Preventer's games. We'll be using Paint Balls. Don't wear white." Duo said chuckling as he sauntered out of Wufei's office. "I'll murder that Woman. Sally you will pay for this." Wufei said throwing his pen across the room. Apart from weaklings and injustice, Wufei hated to get dirty.
(Saturday Morning 0600 hours)
Zechs stood with his friends in his and Lucrezia's back yard. They lived in a beautiful estate not far from the Preventer's headquarters. Even though many still referred to her as Noin, she technically no longer held that surname. It had become more of a nickname than anything. She and Zechs had been married nearly three years. They had wed almost immediately after the whole mess with Dekim Barton was over. Noin was no fool, she was not about to let that handsome idiot out of her grasp again. Zechs had been the one to propose however. Behind their home they had acres of woodland property, perfect terrain for what things lay in store for the day. On top of Zechs' broad shoulders sat a toddler barely two, and bearing the exact image of his sire. He bounced the toddler around the yard as they waited for everyone to arrive. "Zechs, he just ate. You'll make Jude puke." Noin cautioned her husband as she sat in a white wrought iron chair, coffee in hand. "Like he hasn't puked on me before and worse. I know what it's like to be a latrine. I swear, I think I have an adverse affect on the boy. Every time I come near him, he let's fly. I'm immune to it now." Zechs said grinning but heeding his wife's advise and setting the toddler down to play. Heero and Relena were both already there the tike scampered up into his aunt's lap. "Thanks for being on baby-sitting detail today Sis." Zechs said leaning over to kiss her cheek. "If I can handle a parliament conference on an hour's notice. I can handle a two year old." Relena said smiling at Jude. "Especially you Cutie!" She said kissing his round cheeks playfully. "Ha! You say that now Relena. I'd rather wrestle a mobile suit than chase after that monster. I'd be less tired. Two year olds are full of never ending energy. I wish I had such bountiful resources." Zechs said ruffling his son's platinum locks affectionately. Noin smiled "And don't forget, you promised to watch Duo's rugrat too." Noin reminded, just as Duo and Hilde walked out into the garden. Their baby chewing on Duo's crucifix as he carried his son into the backyard. "Goodness sakes, he's gotten so big!" Relena cried as she got a look at the near toddler on Duo's lap. "He is almost a year old now Relena. You don't get out to L2 much." Duo said bouncing the gurgling boy on his knee. "So, when are you two getting married?" Heero asked jibing his friend slightly. "When are you?" Duo fired back causing Heero to clear his throat. Relena looked expectant and Duo just looked smug. Hilde's smack to the back of his head soon wiped the smirk from his face. "Heeey!? What did I do?" Duo said rubbing the back of his head. Hilde just rolled her eyes at her Boyfriend/Fiancée' She knew Duo wasn't going anywhere, there was no rush to the alter in her mind. She knew he loved her, and a big wedding just wasn't Duo's style. A trip to the Drive thru chapel and Elvis shrine in Las Vegas was more likely to happen in the long run. Whenever it happened, it would happen. She was happy, he was happy. That's all that mattered. Not to mention their son was just about the best thing that had ever happened to either them. Duo adored his son, he took him everywhere. Little Travis Maxwell favored Duo in every aspect save one. His Jet black hair was inherited from his mother. Mixed with those violet eyes from his father, it was a pre-ordained fact when Travis hit puberty, he'd be a lady killer. Then again, he already had women fawning over him.
Quatre and Trowa arrived and Quatre immediately brought out presents for the children. He gave Jude a stuffed camel to play with and to Travis he handed a large plastic bright blue ring that rattled. Travis dropped Duo's braid in favor of the ring to chew on. Trowa just nodded and smiled at everyone silently in greeting. As opposed to Quatre's more enthusiastic salutations. Everyone was dressed in similar fashion. All were in some sort of camouflaged attire. Save for Relena and Duo. Relena was just dressed in a casual summer frock and Duo was in his characteristic all black. Black being just as good for hiding in shadows in Duo's opinion. Sally arrived by herself on the heels of Trowa and Quatre. "He's not here yet? The coward!" Sally spat when she didn't see Wufei. "Speak for yourself Woman, I'm Here!" Wufei said from behind her. "Let's get this over with." Wufei said looking perturbed as always. "Good Morning Sunshine!" Duo said smiling at Wufei. "Don't start. I really do not want to have to deal with your never ending cheerfulness today." Wufei said scowling at Duo. Then lifting his eyebrows at what Duo held in his lap. "That's not yours! When the Hell Did you breed?" Wufei asked shocked. "Where the hell have you been? Under a Rock? You knew I had a kid." Duo said looking at Wufei and grinning. "I didn't. You never told me." Wufei said and Duo nodded. "I did! Damn Wufei, I sent a picture to everyone at Christmas. Tell me you opened the frickin' card!" Duo said and Wufei shrugged. "What do I care about Christmas!? I'm a Buddhist!" Wufei countered. "You still could have opened your mail! Geez!" Duo said rolling his eyes. "Travis, your uncle Wuffie's one of a kind." Duo said making a face at his son, causing the baby to laugh instantly. "The heaven's preserve us, he's as inanely cheerful as you are. Reason number one in favor of future precautions." Wufei said and Sally's jaw dropped. "Oh, you're in rare form this morning. I think he's absolutely precious!" Sally said pinching the babies cheeks. "You would." Wufei said standing arms crossed. "What does that mean?" Sally asked scornfully. "'Cause you're a Woman! All women gush and prattle over drooling bits of sour milk smelling blobs." Wufei said and Sally fumed. "You'll pay for that Wufei! I am sick of your superior bullshit! You will eat those words one day. I'll remind you of that statement when you're a father fussing over your child. You can be so insensitive!" Sally hollered at him. "Mine, will be perfect." Wufei said matter of factly. Duo guffawed. "You'll soon learn Wufei. It only takes one shitty diaper for you to realize even perfection has it's weak points. Right Zechs?" Duo said and Zechs nodded, stifling a smile. He cleared his throat. "He's right Wufei. Children in general are never perfect. They are after all, made up of their parents." Zechs said landing a subtle blow of his own against Wufei's arrogance. It went unnoticed by it's target. But it wasn't wasted on Duo who chuckled inwardly.
Wufei ignored them both. "Just what are the rules so we can get this futile battle over with." He said looking at Zechs. "Simple, there are no rules. This we well know when it comes to war. To make it fair number wise however, Heero and I will be making up a third team. We are your friendly neighborhood snipers. All of you are targets." Zechs said grinning at his wife. She stuck her tongue out at him. "No mercy for you this time around Zechs. We're not in the academy anymore." she said crossing her arms. He just smiled at her. Heero looked over to Duo and level him in a glare of doom. Duo laughed "Uh-oh. Something tells me I'm in deep shit here." Duo said adjusting his baseball cap. "I just half to wait, you have a tendency to botch missions." Heero said and Duo frowned. "HEEEY! What is this, pick on Duo day? I say again, What the hell did I do? " He said affronted. Hilde patted his shoulder. "What you always do. Don't worry. I still love you, even if I kick your ass today." She said kissing his cheek. "Not likely." He grinned and Quatre laughed "I don't know Duo, I wouldn't underestimate her if I were you. I know I'm certainly going to be on my toes today." He said giving Hilde a wink. "Duo, just better keep his mouth shut. If he can do that, I think we may succeed." Trowa said and Duo looked at the normally silent pilot and furrowed his eyebrows. "Not you too. Man, this is not my day." He said flopping onto the damp grass. "Just stay out of my way weakling." Wufei said stepping over Duo and heading out into the woods paint gun in hand. "On second thought!" Wufei said whirling around and firing. Duo never stood a chance. A huge purple stain covered his chest. "Oi! Oi! Oi! What the hell?!" Duo cried standing. "I am a team unto myself. I don't need you getting in my way. You're dead." Wufei said grinning. "There are no rules, I am insuring my victory at all costs." He added as he turned and disappeared into the trees. Duo looked crushed. "Sally, please kick his ass." He said pulling his hat over his face and falling into a dead position on the ground. It truly wasn't his day, for the next thing Duo knew his son crawled over and jabbed his new toy right into his groin. "Ah, man I should have never got out of bed!" Duo groaned in pain as everyone else laughed at his misfortune. Duo looked at his son as they both lay sprawled in the grass. "Looks like it's you and me bud!" Duo said as the rest of the adults, save Relena vanished into the trees. The games had begun. Duo really didn't mind, as he began playing with Travis and Jude like the big kid he was.
They could hear the occasion sound of gun fire coming from the forest cover, the first person to emerge from the forest cover 'dead' and covered in green paint, was the last person he expected to lose. "Heero? What the hell happened." Duo asked trying to keep a straight face at the state of his friend. Green paint running out of his hair and down his face. "Quatre happened. The little shit." Heero said running a towel over his face that Relena handed him. "He and Trowa actually. Trowa drew my attention, I was aiming when wham! Right in the back of the head. They baited me. I kill them." Heero said grinning wickedly. "That's an Idle threat." Relena mumbled as she took the soiled towel from her boyfriend. Heero glared at her but couldn't help chuckle. "Ouch." Was all he said. Heero however felt vindicated, close behind his 'death', Quatre came skipping out of the woods. His chest splattered with blue paint. "Ha! Hilde gotcha!" Duo grinned recognizing the tell tale color of paint. "We look like Michaelangelo puked on us." Duo said eliciting laughter from his fallen comrades. "We are dreadful eye sores." Quatre agreed, feeling chagrin for the state of his fatigues. The sound of gunfire was heard again followed by a rather loud "SHIT! DAMN YOU ZECHS!" came the infuriated sound of Noin's voice. She stomped out into the open blasted with red paint. She flopped into a deck chair her face nearly as red as the paint across her breast. Duo tossed her a towel. "He was gunning for you." Duo said and Noin nodded. "I know. He thinks he has something to prove I guess. To this day he swears I held back in the academy. I didn't I really truly didn't. But he thinks I did. Oh, well. He got me, I'm dead. Anyone, except Duo hungry? I know you are, you always are." Noin asked getting up to go into the kitchen. Duo grinned innocently Noin chuckled and went to fix some lunch for the 'ghosts' on her patio. She came out to find Hilde and Trowa sitting on her patio, Trowa covered in blue paint, Hilde covered in yellow. They'd killed each other simultaneously and now enjoyed 'death' with their friends. Zechs came trudging up, his shirt and trousers dripping in pink paint. It was down to Sally and Wufei. "She appeared out of nowhere! Blasted me then vanished again. She's hell bent on winning this." Zechs said as he accepted the glass of iced tea Noin handed him. "Thanks Lu." He said kissing her cheek. Everyone was now waiting on pins and needles to see who would survive the game.
Sally covered herself with deadfall and waited silently, listening for anything that might clue her into her enemies whereabouts. She was the last woman alive, and she knew from the tally and the curses she'd heard, Wufei was the only one left. "I'll show you weakling, you cute obnoxious pain in my ass." Sally thought to herself as she became one with the forest floor. She would show that man once and for all what she was worth! She'd show that, handsome, rude, well built, chauvinistic, dark eyed god, pig! Her anger warring with her love for him. Why she loved him, she didn't know, she just did. But if he wasn't going to show her anything but indifference, she wasn't about to throw herself at his feet. She had her pride, he'd have to earn her love. She would not be some self effacing flower. She was a soldier first, then a medic, soldiers never surrendered! "Come out Sally. I know you're there. I think we need to talk." Wufei said from the tree above her. He leapt down right in front of her but didn't fire. His hand appeared in front of her face palm up "Come on, tell me what this is really all about." He said and she slapped his hand out of her face. She didn't need help up. "If you don't know, then I'm not explaining it to you." She said moving to leave. He edged in front of her. "Damn you woman. Tell me why you are acting like a petulant child? This is so beneath you." He said and anger flared in Sally's eyes. "Petulant Child!? Petulant Child?! That's rich coming from you. You self righteous, rude, egotistical, condescending prick!" Sally said poking him in the chest with her finger to emphasize every insult she spat at him. "This all started with me trying to be nice to you, once again and have you squash my attempts like a roach beneath your shoe!" Sally said her anger a slow rolling boil beneath the surface. "Who asked you to be nice to me? Woman I surely didn't" Wufei said back infuriating Sally further. "And THAT'S ANOTHER THING!" Sally hollered. "My name is Sally, SAL-LY, not Woman, not Hey you, not a grunt to get my attention Sally! Come on say it with me now, it's not hard!" Sally said her eyebrows meeting each other, her brow was furrowed so deep in anger. "Sally, calm down." Wufei said taken aback by her outbursts. "No, I will not calm down! I've had it with you Wufei Chang! You've lost the only friend you had." Sally said cocking her gun and firing, choking back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. No she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. With that she spun on her heels and stormed off.
The next thing Sally knew she was abruptly spun around and a hard kiss assaulted her lips. "You underestimate me Sally. So you felt it too then, this thing between us." Wufei said and recovering from her shock Sally shrugged his arms off her. "Too late Wufei. I'll not let you manipulate me!" Sally said, a tear betraying her as it rolled silently down her cheek. Wufei reached up with a tenderness she'd have never expected of him and wiped the tear away. "I don't think it's too late. Nor so you." He mocked her lightly a smile on his lips. "Damn you Wufei. Why must you be so cruel? Why do you push those that love you away?" Sally asked and Wufei frowned. "Emotions are weaknesses. But I do have them Sally. I just don't like to show them. You know I like order, I can't change who I am. Nor can I change the fact that I care about you very much Sally. I know I show it poorly, but I do care." Wufei said stepping in closer to her once more. "I never mean to upset you. I just don't know how this relationship thing is supposed to work." Wufei said rubbing the back of his neck. "You were married Wufei. Surely?" Sally said and Wufei shook his head. "No, Sally it wasn't love. It was duty, it was honor, it was many things, but it was never love. I liked her yes, but I never loved her as my wife. I loved her as one would love a very dear friend. Had she lived, It might have developed into something more, it might not have. We will never know and it is past." Wufei admitted sitting down on a fallen log. "I was only fourteen, what fourteen year old truly knows the meaning of love?" He said as Sally sat next to him. "It was never as intense as what I feel for you." He said taking her hand in his and looking into her eyes. "I love You, Sally." He said drawing her close once again to kiss her. This time much softer and yielding than before. "I love you too Wufei." Sally said as he broke the kiss. She then laughed and stood up. "But that does not mean you're off the hook!" She said as she fired at him a second time and took off running! "You'll pay for that Sally!" Wufei said chasing after her laughing as well. It was an all out sprint by the time Sally broke forest cover, Wufei right on her heels. Everyone could see them clearly now and Duo was rolling on the ground laughing. Sally had won, and it looked like Wufei was a sore loser as he tackled Sally in the field. By the time the two figures reached the rest of their friends, both bodies we're covered in pink paint. Hand in hand they walked, a smile of understanding on both their faces.