Rated: NC-17 Swearing, sexual innuendo, full body cavity search, limes and lemons later on. Except on FF which doesn't allow NC-17 will be edited for suitability.

*thoughts*
**Duo nagging**
### flash back ###

The Price They Paid

"Heero Yuy, you are sentenced to ten years for crimes against society. And ten years for involuntary manslaughter. Sentences to run concurrently."

Heero just looked at the judge. Considering what he'd been charged with, it was a light sentence. After all, the charges had ranged from murder to treason and everything between.

The lawyers Quatre had hired had managed to get the charges reduced to involuntary manslaughter and crimes against society. They were all lucky. At first ‘they' had wanted to charge all of them with War Crimes. But Relena Peacecraft had refused, saying that only the commanding officer would be charged, the common soldiers had only been following orders. She'd done it for every other branch of the services and the Gundam Pilots weren't to be treated any different.

Heero had said that they should draw straws to decide who was commanding officer of the Gundam Pilots. Duo had thrown a fit, swearing that Heero had fixed it somehow. But Chang Wufei had insisted that it was legitimate.

###

"Heero, you fixed that draw. I saw you."

"Yes, I did and you will keep your mouth shut about it. Can you really see Duo or, especially Quatre, in prison? I've been in prison all my life. I can handle it."

Chang looked at Heero for a second, and then pointed out that he or Trowa could just as easily have taken the fall.

"No, Trowa has to stay with Quatre. You'd pine away locked behind stone walls. And Duo wouldn't last out a month before he got himself in real trouble. So I'm the most logical one to do it. Don't cause any trouble."

###

Wufei had finally agreed to keep his mouth shut, but only because he couldn't think of any more arguments. Heero was the one who was most used to a strictly regimented life style. His training had prepared him for this, but no one had to like it.

As they shackled Heero preparing to take him to prison, he realized that the chains were plain steel not gundanium. He raised an eyebrow but kept his mouth shut. He wasn't about to cause any trouble. If he stayed out of trouble and kept a low profile, he could serve his sentence with a minimum of aggravation. All he wanted to do was serve his sentence and go back to his friends.

"Hey you're puttin' that kid on the wrong bus. Get him over here. The bus to Fitzroy is leaving now."

The clerk took one look at Heero and shunted him to what he assumed was the right bus.

"Dammit, you almost put him on the bus to Hellcreek. They don't take juveniles. Hey kid, how old are you?"

Heero saw no need to lie. "I'm almost seventeen. Are you sure that's not the right bus?"

"Yeah. I'm sure. That facility isn't set up to take persons under twenty-one. You nearly wound up at a maximum security facility for repeat felons. Not a nice place to be. I can't find your paperwork. What's your name?"

"Yuy, Heero. I don't have a citizen number." Heero wondered what was going on. The clerk was shuffling through a small pile of manila folders and mumbling to himself. This wasn't going the way he thought it should. They seemed to be completely disorganized.

"Heero . . . Heero. Dammit, I can't find it. Well, I'll have to send the paper work after you. I can't find a file on you. You get a citizen number after you get to Fitzroy. You hear me boy?"

"Yes, sir. I'll see to it as soon as they let me. Thank you, sir."

"Martin, you see to it that he doesn't get in any trouble for not having papers. The problem is on this side. All I can find are papers on the Gundam Terrorist, Yuy, and we don't have a body to go along with them."

Heero started to say something, then he saw the clerk wink at him. Something was definitely going on here, but he wasn't going to complain. Sooner or later they would catch up to him, but any time he could spend in a minimum security facility for juveniles instead of a maximum security prison for hard cases was a blessing. He wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Heero slept on the bus, dreaming of freedom and Duo. The man who woke him up unknowingly saved his own life.

Instead of touching Heero, he slapped his clip board against the cage wall between the driver and the body of the bus.

Heero woke with a start, but sence no one was touching him he had a chance to glare around and wake up.

He quickly got to his feet and, at the man's gesture, walked to the gate and waited to be he was unshackled and checked in.

"Where's your papers? Don't tell me you actually managed to get here without paperwork. All I've got is this transport order." The Clerk grumbled in disgust. "That's the third time this week. Juvies don't get any respect at all. And I'm not about to ask you what your crimes were. You boys lie like a rug. So."

"I don't lie. I was convicted of crimes against society and . . . "

The clerk interrupted Heero, "Dammit. Crimes against society. They couldn't get any more general? What'd you do, toilet paper the court house? Well, never mind. The papers will catch up with you sooner or later. Mean while my name is Distler. I'll start you a jacket and we'll manage until then. What's your citizen number?"

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't have one. I never got to apply. I'm an orphan."

Heero decided that it wasn't a lie. He didn't remember parents, and didn't know if they were alive or not. Then he clamped his mouth shut. He was going to follow one of Duo's cardinal rules. **Never tell ‘the man' more than he asks. Because even a fish wouldn't get caught if it'd just keep its mouth shut. Don't volunteer shit."** It really wasn't that hard, his natural reticence had been reinforced until Duo claimed that he was practically pre-verbal.

"Dammit . . . well, now we know why you didn't get papers. Without a citizen number, no one can keep track of you. Here, I'll issue you one right now. You'd be surprised how many of you kids come in here without one. Now let's see. . . . Ok, how about 01-023456-0102? It's easy to remember."

Heero nearly smiled. "Yes, sir, that's fine. Does that mean I now have a real identity all my own?"

"Sure does, Kid. And if you keep your nose clean, it'll be clear after you serve your sentence. At your age, they'll seal your records, and only government agencies will be able to access them. If, that is, you decide to try to go into certain professions, most of which I don't think you would be interested in. But there you are."

"Thank you, sir. I really appreciate all your help. I hope that I didn't cause you too much trouble." Heero nodded to the man and, taking a small rectangle of cardboard with his name and new CID number on it, started out the door behind the guard.

NAME: Heero Winner-Yuy
CITIZEN NUMBER: 01-023456-0102

Heero started to turn back. This wasn't right, the transport papers had been changed.*Quatre, you little sneak..* Heero allowed himself a smile. A very small one, but still a smile.

"Come on, boy. I'd like to get you checked in as soon as possible. It's my daughter's birthday, and my wife will skin me if I'm late." The guard motioned to Heero impatiently. He didn't want to get into a confrontation with this grim-faced boy, but he didn't want a lecture from his wife either.

"I'm sorry, sir." Heero tucked his new ID card into the breast pocket of his shirt and hurried to catch up.

He was issued four changes of clothes, all the same: jeans, dark green t-shirts, white under shorts, white socks, a single pair of sturdy boots and a denim barn jacket with a zip in liner. Everything was marked with his new ID number, even his boots. He was surprised to find out that the man behind the supply counter actually cared about whether the things fit or not.

"If those boots don't fit you come back and get the right size. I don't want your Bossman chewing my ass out because you got blisters. My name is Cooper. I'm the supply clerk. You need anything from pencils to whatever, I'm your man."

Heero nodded; he had both arms full of clothing and bedding. He had also been given sheets and a blanket. "Thank you, sir. I'll remember that. What do I do with the clothes I'm wearing now?"

"Come on, boy, you're holding up production. You give me the shirt and pants, so we can send them back to the court house. If I were you, I'd forget to send the boots back. If they fit, that is."

The guard, who Heero was never to see again, led him to a cell and pointed to a single cot on one side of the room. "If I were you, I'd take the single. There's no one in with you right now so stake your claim to that side of the cell. This facility isn't overcrowded. It's for first-timers like you, and this area isn't a high crime area, so we don't suffer from overcrowding like some of the facilities in more populated areas."

Heero just stood for a split second. He didn't want to undress in front of this man; he didn't like the feeling of vulnerability that undressing in front of a grown man gave him.

"Look kid, we all got one and I've seen it all. But if you're shy, ok, just toss them out the door. But hurry up will ya, my wife's gonna kill me if I'm late."

"Yes, of course. I'm sorry. Your daughter's birthday party." Heero hurriedly stripped off the clothing and tossed it out the door, which the guard then locked.

"Thanks yourself, kid. Get some rest, it's late. They'll bring you some food soon. If I were you, I'd go to sleep, you've got a long day ahead of you."

Heero made his bed and sat on it for a little while, listening to the sounds of the facility around him. It was fairly quiet. He didn't hear any voices, but a glance at the clock set into the wall over the door indicated that it was almost 10:00 PM.

A loud speaker began an announcement. "Ten Pee Emm. Lights out. Noise curfew in effect."

~ * ~

"What do you mean, he's lost in the system? He's supposed to be in Hellcreek. Where the hell could he be? I want that Gundam maniac found. Don't you realize what he could do if he escapes? He's more dangerous than all four of the others put together. He's a terrorist's terrorist. With his attitude, you should be able to track him by the complaints alone."

The Prosecuting Attorney, who'd pushed Heero's conviction through in order to make a name for himself and secure a high profile conviction, was beside himself. He couldn't believe they had actually managed to lose a prisoner. Especially this one.

"I better call Mr. Winner. He paid for the defense so I guess he has the right to know." Muttering in disgust, the PA made the call.

~ * ~

Wufei disconnected the conference call.

"Quatre Raberba Winner! I'd like to know just exactly what you're up to."

"Dear friend, I have no idea what you are referring to." Quatre smiled his sweetest smile, the one he used when he'd been up to something especially sneaky.

"Where's Duo? Better get everyone in here so I don't have to repeat myself." Wufei couldn't believe the call from the PA; something was up and he wasn't sure he liked it.

Looking around at the other pilots, Chang Wufei dropped the bomb without hesitation. "Heero Yuy has disappeared. He hasn't escaped," Wufei interjected hastily, seeing that Duo's initial initial reaction was to jump to his feet and go find Heero. "He's lost in the system. He was sent to the wrong facility, but no one can figure out which one."

Duo wrung his braid between his fists. "But that means that we can't . . . How can you lose a whole person? That's just stupid."

Trowa smiled slightly. "If he went where I think he did, he'll be fine. There were only two buses leaving the court house. If he isn't in Hellcreek, I think I know where he is."

"Ok Tro-man, tell us where he is. I want to go visit him as soon as I can." Duo was beginning to get frantic. He needed to see Heero, make sure he was all right. He couldn't convince himself that someone hadn't beaten him or something.

"Sorry Duo, I think we'd better do some very clandestine checking before we queer his cover. He's going to be much better off where I think he is and I don't want to bust him. You'll just have to be patient."

Quatre spoke up then and surprised them all.

"I have something to say, and I don't want any arguments from any of you. Especially you two." Quatre turned to Duo and Wufei, giving them a very rare stern look. He didn't usually even frown, so when he turned a look like that on them, they knew he meant business.

"I have made arrangements for you all to work for Winner Enterprises. I made some very sub rosa arrangements with the Preventers. Heero took the fall for all of us but, I still had to assure Relena that you would all have jobs and places to live. She wouldn't have pulled the strings she did otherwise. She's really furious that Heero was the odd man out, I think she was counting on getting her hooks into him. So we have to tread very lightly for a while. A long while. If you get caught hacking . . . well, all I can say is; don't."

Duo just blinked at Quatre, Trowa slid an arm around Quatre's shoulders and Wufei nodded.

"Duo, it's going to be hardest on you. You aren't qualified for much that my company needs. I know you wanted to start a salvage business, but you just can't; not now and maybe not ever. Heero sacrificed himself so we could have this chance, so you can't blow it. Wufei is going to be my head of security. Trowa, what do you want to do?"

Duo interrupted before Trowa could open his mouth. "If Woofers is head of security, I can be second in command, can't I?"

"Don't call me Woofers. You can't be second in command, the man whose place I took has that job. However, I'm head of corporate security. Quatre needs a personal security team, and you will head it."

"That only leaves me. What do I do?" Trowa was really just happy to be near Quatre. He didn't care much what he did.

"You are going to be my personal assistant. The idiot I have now insists on treating me like I'm ten and don't have any brains at all."

Quatre looked uncomfortable, squirming in his chair.

"Guys? There's something else I have to tell you." When he was sure he had their attention, he found that words were hard to come by.

Duo broke the silence, his fear-filled question left them all flabbergasted. "What? What else is wrong? Which one of us are they going to sacrifice next?"

Wufei put a hand on his shoulder and Trowa couldn't help but go to embrace Quatre.

"Oh shit! I knew it, they're after me next, aren't they? Q-man, you can arrange it so I'm with him, can't you?"

"Maxwell calm down, didn't Quatre just tell you that you are head of his personal security team? Quatre, tell us what is wrong before Maxwell has a heart attack."

Quatre sighed, "Dammit Duo, quit jumping to conclusions like that. I can't take it. It's not bad news. It's just . . . weird. One of the conditions of our bargain was . . . well . . . ummm." Trowa smacked Quatre on the back of the head.

"What the hell is it? What are you dancing around? Come on spill it before we all have a spasm or something."

"We have to go to school."

Chang Wufei took a deep breath, then he started to laugh. His laughter immediately started Quatre laughing. Quatre's laughter is like some drug; if Quatre really laughed, everyone around him laughed too.

Trowa finally wound down enough to gasp, "Well, hell. School? Oh, my," which started everyone off again.

When they'd laughed themselves out, Quatre explained that he'd made arrangements with a local private school for them to attend half days. Since he had Winner Enterprises to take care of, that was all the time he could spare.

"They are actually being quite accommodating. I was afraid we'd have to waste at least two days enrolling and taking tests. But we get to take the placement tests here, on our own computers. The proctor will just check to see that we haven't pre-loaded anything. I know you all don't want anyone handling your personal laptop so I bought identical virgin machines for us to use."

"Q-man, if anyone ever saw the stuff I have on my computer I'd be in real trouble. I'm really glad we managed to hide mine, never mind Heero's. And as for that bunch of stuffed shirts from the school being accommodating . . . for what you're undoubtedly paying them, they ought to be."

Trowa and Wufei couldn't help agreeing with Duo, but neither one of them wanted to encourage Duo's feelings of persecution. No matter how justified they were.

~ * ~

"Winner-Yuy, you're wanted in the Headmasters' office. Come on, I'll show you where it is."

Heero had been sitting in a small common room situated at the end of his wing. The tv was set to an educational channel and he'd actually been enjoying a show about national parks. He'd hidden in two of them, but had never gotten to see any of the wonders that were there. It was hard to appreciate waterfalls and big trees when you were running for your life.

The officer showed Heero to the office and left him with a reassuring smile.

"Come in young man. I'm sorry to tell you this." Heero's face froze. They had figured out where he was supposed to be. "Hey, don't look like that, I'm sorry I scared you. It's just that, since your records haven't caught up with you, we have to have you take all the SATs and ACT tests again. We need to have them in the records for your teachers."

Heero performed a quick calming routine and then what he'd been told sunk in.

"SATs ACT, Teachers . . . Excuse me, sir, but what are you talking about?"

"School! You didn't think you were going to get out of attending school, did you?" The Headmaster had experience with boys who thought that they got out of school because they were in a Juvenile Detention Center.

"I'm sorry, sir. I never thought I'd have the privilege of going to school." Heero actually did like school. When he'd hidden out at a boarding school, the only thing he'd disliked about it was dealing with Relena, and living with Duo. He'd since changed his mind about Duo.

"Well, I'm glad to find out you feel that way. Most boys your age in this situation seem to think that they are exempt from the educational requirements of this country. Now Mr. Yuy-Winner, I know you want to get started as soon as possible. The school year starts in less than a week, and we have a new influx of boys coming in three days. So I'd like you to take as many tests as you can today, and finish up tomorrow. The Counselor will take you to the school wing and get you started. You'll eat in the cafeteria today. Oh, and here is the rule book. It's fairly easy to read. There aren't that many rules. Just look at it this way, as my son puts it; if it's fun, don't do it."

//
Would it be the educational requirements of the country, or should it be those of the planet or Earth Sphere?

I don't know. I have several places later where I talk about people's dissatisfaction with the elimination of borders. So. . . maybe leave it?
//

"I see. I'm sure the rules are fair. I'll read this tonight, and . . . sir? I really want to stay out of trouble. I've had enough for several lifetimes. I just want to serve my sentence and go back to my friends." Heero gave the Headmaster a look that on any other boy would have qualified as stony.

"Well, I hope you realize that sometimes your friends are the ones who get you into the trouble. Pick your friends with care, and they will last you a lifetime. Be careless, and they can be more trouble than they are worth. I don't know your friends, so I can't judge, just remember what I said. Go along now and start on your tests. Do the best you can, and don't worry. These aren't graded, remember. We just need them in your files so we know what classes to put you in."

Heero followed the Counselor to the school wing. As he walked along, he cased the school, scanning the security and analyzing the layout for weaknesses, looking for the easiest way out. When he realized what he was doing, he stopped himself. He wasn't leaving, even though he could have walked out of the grounds without any trouble.

"Well Mr. Winner-Yuy, here you are. The computer is all set up, all you have to do is wiggle the mouse and it'll start the first test. After you finish any page, push page up. Finish a test and push enter. If you have any problems or questions I'll be across the hall."

Heero eyed the computer for a moment, then sat down and began the first test. He couldn't believe that they were all multiple choice. All he had to do was eliminate two of the answers as totally wrong and that left a correct answer. The only questions he had any trouble with were the language skills questions where all answers were right. All of the above just didn't seem a good answer to anything.

He felt it took him quite a while to finish the tests, but he hoped that he could squeeze a little more time out of the situation. He hacked the system and searched for his files on the local net. There wasn't much, only a comment from the intake people that he seemed cooperative and subdued. He searched farther and found that his records from the court house were corrupted and all the information available was the actual crime and sentence. As he read, he realized that, if you didn't know he was a Gundam Pilot, it looked like he'd gotten drunk and run over someone, or gotten into a fight and accidentally killed them.

Heero looked at the clock. He'd been taking tests for more than four hours; he wondered how long it was supposed to take to finish. Just then the Counselor popped his head in the door asking Heero if he needed a break.

"No sir, I'm fine. Could I ask how long I've got to take the tests? I wouldn't want to fail because I went over time."

"Dammit, how many times do I have to tell you kids? These tests aren't pass/fail. They test your levels. The amount of actual knowledge you've managed to acquire. And you've got as long as it takes. They used to time them, but decided that it put too much pressure on you." The Counselor took a deep breath. "Look, I'm sorry I snapped at you, but I really get tired of telling you kids the same things over and over. I'm going to get lunch, you can come with me or finish testing. I don't think I have to worry about you cheating. Just stay here in this room or in the restroom across the hall. Don't go wandering around. You're still in isolation."

Heero wondered about that, but this place was so disorganized he couldn't believe it. He was more familiar with Oz prisons, where he'd been escorted in gundanium manacles by several large guards. That hadn't been that much different from his training; most of the guards and technicians at the training facility had been afraid of him, and he'd been kept to a fiercely regimented routine.

*Well. Let me see what else I can find out. It seems that I have plenty of time.*

Heero searched for the secure mail boxes they'd used during the war. He checked them out to see if they'd been tampered with, especially to see if they'd been flagged. They seemed to be abandoned, but he hoped that Duo would check them from habit. Maybe not regularly, but he prayed that Duo wouldn't completely abandon old habits. He left a message in a code so secure that only Duo had any hope of understanding it.

"Excuse me, sir. I'm done with my tests. What should I do now?" Heero stood at ease before the Counselor and waited for further orders.

"Relax, kid, you look like a new recruit or something. Let me see. I don't think you've taken everything. It hasn't taken you long enough." The man tapped on his key board and then yelped. "Shit. You shouldn't have rushed it so much. Well, there isn't much I can do about it now. I'll run the damn thing and you'll just have to take the consequences."

While he waited for the grading to be completed, Heero pulled the rule book out of his pocket and started reading through it. By the time he was finished with it, he would know it all by heart. He didn't intend to be tripped up by some minor infraction of an obscure rule; he'd be damned if he ruined his chance because he was ignorant of the rules.

"I don't know how you did it, but these are some of the best scores I've seen in a long time. You scored perfect in all the sciences, but you have some amazing gaps in your knowledge of liberal arts. Your language skills are adequate, but when it comes to literature you're appallingly ignorant. And your slant on current events gives me chills. All in all, however, I'm quite pleased."

"Thank you, sir. I'm glad you're pleased." Heero was looking forward to returning to his room because he had quite a bit to think about, but instead of being allowed to return to his room, he had an unpleasant surprise.

"Danmit, he's been here eighteen hours already. What do you mean I've got to do an intake search? Look at him. He came in alone instead of in a bunch of other kids. He's cooperative so I really don't want to piss him off. Can't we skip it?" Guard Sargent Evans hated doing this, it made him feel like a pervert or a child molester. He hadn't liked doing it when he'd been working in an adult prison; now he really hated it.

"Look Evans, I choose you to do this because you treat the kids with consideration. You don't just yank them around so you can get it over with. I think there is more to this kid than meets the eye so I'd like you to really be gentle with him, and don't scare him when you fill out the questionnaire. Get going and get it over with for both your sakes. OK?"

Captain Francois had gone into Juvenile for the same reason many did. He wanted to be of help to kids who had a chance to make a difference in their lives. Parts of his job were repugnant to him, and everyone else who did the job, but they had to be done so they tried to take turns. And it was Evans's.

Evans looked at the boy he was going to be dealing with and shuddered, dammit he was 5'9" or thereabouts, smaller than average for his age. A messy mop of chocolate hair hung down in cobalt blue eyes. A look at Heero's eyes was what had made Evans shudder; they were as hard and cold as a glacier, set in a blank face that seemed to defy any expression. Evans pasted a smile on his face and walked into the lions' den.

"Hello. My name is Evans, I'm a Guard Sargent. You will address me as Sargent Evans, not Sarg or Shithead or any of the other terms you kids think are so funny."

Heero braced at the tone of voice. That tone usually meant they were going to do something unpleasant and probably painful to him.

"Sir, Yes, sir."

Sargent Evans eyed the boy for a minute. The records clearly stated that he was a first timer, but the address indicated that he had been in some kind of paramilitary school.

"You ever been incarcerated before? If you have, I want to know where."

"No, sir. I've never been . . . well, except for . . . not legally. I'm sorry, sir. I'm not really sure how to answer."

Heero didn't know if they would think time as a prisoner of Oz counted. He'd never been sentenced so he wasn't sure. He hated not being able to answer a question directly, it had never been a good thing.

"Well, I'm not going to start something. Maybe there's a reason for some of your records to be missing, have you been expressly forbidden to tell us anything?"

Evans had a bad feeling about this hard eyed boy. He looked like he'd been through things that Evans didn't want to know about. But here he was going to ask questions he didn't want the answers to.

"Come with me. The first thing I have to do is a contraband search. You won't like it. I hate doing it. So let's just cooperate with each other and get it done with."

Heero winced. He'd been through body cavity searches before and hated them. It hurt, it was humiliating, and, in this case, unnecessary. He'd cooperate until the man hurt him, then he was getting uncooperative quickly. He didn't want trouble, but he was tired of being hurt by men in uniforms.

Evans opened the door to the examination room. It was small and crammed with medical equipment. It also had that smell, medicinal with an undertone of disinfectant and something Heero had never been able to put his finger on.

He froze in the door for a second then, with a deep breath to steady himself, entered the room and turned to the Sargent, waiting for further orders.

"Strip and give me your clothes. I'll search them then fold them up. Put on this examination gown and sit on the table." As the Sargent talked, Heero striped. Evans accepted Heero's clothing and squeezed each piece, not even bothering to turn out the pockets.

Heero turned to pick up the well-washed cotton gown, but before he could don it, a gagging sound behind him made him whirl around. Evans was standing with his hand over his mouth, looking very green.

"What the hell happened to you?! Dammit, I've never seen scars like that before."

"Oh. Well, I kinda got blown up." Heero had never been very vocal, in fact he'd done more talking in the last three months than in all his life before. But Duo had nagged him and nagged him. **‘Ro, ya gotta talk to the nice men. If ya don't, they think you're bein' stubborn, that ain't gonna do the rest of us any good. Come on, spill your guts for the greater good.** So he'd finally gotten at least a little more open.

"Blown up. Shit, I know I don't want to know. I gotta ask. But it'll wait until we get the search done with." Sargent Evans put on rubber gloves and turned to a suddenly shaking Heero. "Look boy, I know you want to resist me. I don't blame you, but this is getting done one way or another. I'll do it all myself, or there can be as many as it takes to hold you while it gets done. Don't make a fuss. Come on."

Heero put on his most stoic look and waited. Finally, after staring at Evans for what seemed forever, he had to ask for instructions.

"Excuse me, sir. I'm sorry, but I don't know what to do. I've never . . ."

Evans blinked at Heero then instructed him to sit on the table. When Heero was sitting, Evans proceeded to examine his mouth, ears, and nose. Then he ran his hands through Heero's hair and looked at his scalp. Then he had him extend each foot in turn and spread his toes.

"OK now for the part I hate. Get on your knees on the table. Don't tense up because that'll just make it hurt. If it hurts you, let me know and I'll give you some time to try to relax. I use plenty of lube, but if you can't relax it'll hurt anyway."

Heero cooperated, kneeling on hands and knees on the table and trying to relax. He knew it was going to hurt, it always did because he just couldn't relax. He just wasn't uke, period.

Heero grunted as Evans slid a very well lubricated finger into his anus. It hurt, burning like it always did. Of course, he supposed fighting like a fury wouldn't have helped things much.

"Look kid, you've got to relax. I can't not do this. I can't believe some of the stuff you kids stick up there. So I gotta make sure you didn't bring in a bazooka or something." Evans made a joke, hoping to lighten the moment.

"Well, you can't get a full sized bazooka in a man's anus, but I believe you could secret a micro launcher there." Heero considered the question seriously for a second then realized that it had been intended as a joke. "Sorry, I don't have much of a sense of humor at the best of times. I can't relax, so just do it and get it over with. I won't die from a little pain."

"Yeah, well while you were yappin', I got it over with. Clean up and get dressed. I hate this room, it's claustrophobic; I'll do the interview in the Doctors office. Want a soda?"

Heero blinked once, for him that was about as surprised an expression as you were going to get.

"Yes please. I'd like a cola, if I could."

He got a disgusted look from Sargent Evans.

"Boy, you're gonna talk my ears off. What kind of cola? We're a progressive institution. We've got every kind of cola there is."

**Talk to the nice man. Don't clam up. They think you're being insolent.**

"I'm partial to Cherry Coke. Thank you."

Sargent Evans brought two sodas to the office. After opening them and handing Heero his Cherry Coke, he sat down behind a desk and opened a file.

"We've got very little on you. Just charges and sentence. And I don't think they're right. So I've got a battery of questions and . . . shit, I forgot about the damn pictures. Well, I'm not havin' you strip again. We'll take them some other time."

Heero actually made a face. Not much of one but a tiny pout of his lover lip alerted Evans.

"Look, I know you may be embarrassed, but we got to have pictures. They go in your file and no one sees them but the Headmaster, the Captain, and who ever takes them. We only use them if you escape and we need to put out an APB. You don't intend to escape do you?"

"No, sir, I don't. I'd like you to make a notation in my file that at this point all I want to do is serve out my sentence with as little trouble as possible and get back to my friends. Don't give me trouble and I won't pay it back." Heero didn't know how he looked, but all Evans could do was stare at a boy who had gone from a rather pleasant expression to a frozen faced, dead-eyed glare. **Don't haul out the Death Glare from Hell unless it's really important and especially don't let the adults see it.**

Evans took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I don't know about that. We don't start anything with our students so there's no need for that high BTU stare. I'm gonna ask every question on these pages. If you can't answer any of them don't worry, I've never had anyone answer them all."

"Parents names:"

"Don't know."

"Next of kin:"

"None."

"Schools attended:"

"None."

"Last address:"

"Homeless."

"Dammit, boy!"

"I"m sorry Sir. I'm truly not trying to be difficult."

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have exploded like that. I just hate it when I get kids like you. No parents, no home, can't go to school, and then they wonder why you turn out the way you do."

*If he'd seen some of my training, I wonder what he'd do.*

"Ok. Ever been arrested?"

"No."

"Ever been held for questioning?"

"Yes."

"Now we're getting somewhere. By whom?"

"Oz."

"Dammit. I don't want to know, do I?"

"No, you really don't. I'll only say this once. I was captured several times by Oz. They questioned me extensively in a number of unpleasant and painful ways. I didn't break."

"I really didn't need that mental picture. Were you with a counter Alliance group?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, that's all I can tell you. It's classified, and I'd rather not be in any more trouble than I am already." **Don't ever lie. It's too easy to lose track. Just tell part of the truth. Misdirection works better that outright lying**

"Fuck! I know I don't want to ask the next question. Have you ever been sexually abused?"

"Yes."

"Dammit! How many times? Do I have to pry my answers out of you with a crow bar?"

"I'm not sure, do you count by incidences of abuse or by number of men? I'm doing my best so I'd really appreciate it if you didn't hit me with a crow bar." Heero had no idea that Evans was exaggerating for effect. He really expected the man to get a crow bar and beat him with it.

"God damn it to hell in a hand cart. Mother fucking Oz bastards. Shit. " Evans threw his clipboard on the floor. He wasn't doing this.

"I'm calling the Head. I'm not equipped to deal with this shit. All it makes me want to do is kill someone slowly." Turning to Heero he snarled, "How fuckin' old were you . . . say . . . the first time."

"Fifteen."

Heero was beginning to feel decidedly threatened, the man looked like an Ozzie ready to drag the truth out of him by force majeure.

Evans slammed the desk drawer, nearly getting himself killed.

Heero, already tense, reacted to the loud bang badly. His first impulse was to kill Evans and run, his second was to knock him out and run, his third was to hang on and hope he was mistaken. The result of this barrage of different impulses was that Heero grabbed Evans by the head ready to snap his neck, then he let go and wound up huddled in a corner, shivering in adrenalin reaction.

"I'm calling the Headmaster. I can't deal with this." Evans reached for the phone on the desk only to have Heero latch on to his wrist.

*Careful, don't break anything. They don't know how strong you are*

"NO! I"m sorry. I don't deal well with sudden loud noises, especially when I'm tense in the first place. I don't need trouble, first thing." Heero let go before he bruised the man. Sticking his shaking hand into his pocket. "Please Sargent Evans, I'm sorry."

"Look son. You're not in any trouble. What with a body cavity search, a new place, a bunch of tests and whatever else is going on . . . I just don't think I'm qualified to work with you. You act like my brother. He was with a strike team and he's all messed up. Jumps like a girl at the stupidest things."

"Yes sir, but living like I have, it was combat. I've got the reactions of a soldier. And what you may see as stupid he sees as a threat. I also react really badly to being shaken awake. Might put that down somewhere."

Evans decided to let it slide. He'd talk to the therapist himself and clue the Captain in; there was decidedly more to this kid than met the eye. *I wonder if he was one of those poor boys that Oz used as mules for contraband.*

Evans got Heero to the cafeteria in time to eat. He scanned the cafeteria quickly, locating the exits and noting that the high windows weren't barred. *Stop that, you're not going anywhere so quit finding escape routes.*

"How many prisoners are there? How many guards?" Heero couldn't believe he'd just asked such questions.

"We're a small facility. This area doesn't have much juvenile crime and it's mostly petty stuff. You know . . . well, maybe you don't. Grand theft auto is about the worst we get. So we have, at most, sixty boys of various ages. We keep each age group pretty much to themselves. Saves trouble in the long run. There are twelve boys in your age group here now, and two more on the way. When they get here, you'll have to share your room with one room mate. As to support personnel . . . the ratio is fifteen to one"

Heero looked at Evans in stunned surprise. "Excuse me?"

"Fifteen boys to each guard." Evans smirked, he'd finally gotten a rise out of this stoic boy.

Evans abandoned Heero to his own devices, forgetting completely that he was supposed to be sequestered for another day. Heero joined the line at the service bar and found that he could have anything he wanted and there were plenty of choices, all he had to do was point. Choosing a well rounded, nourishing meal he sat down and began to eat.

While he was getting his food and seating himself, the other twelve boys in his age group were checking him out. Of course, he noticed immediately, but decided to wait for them to come to him. **'Ro, just because they look at you don't mean they're gonna give ya a hard time. Wait for it. Let it come to you.**

"Hey, New Boy. You gonna eat that dessert?" One of the boys came over to Heero and tried to start trouble.

"Yes. I'm going to eat that, and everything else on my tray." Heero looked at the boy who had just reached for his piece of pie. The look promised hell on earth and stopped the boy cold.

"Shit, un . . . look, I don't want any trouble. I just . . ." The boy wound down quickly.

"You just wanted to see how tough I am and if I would knuckle under to you. Well, I won't. I'm no one's butt monkey. I don't want trouble, so don't start anything and I won't have to finish it."

Heero turned back to his food and dismissed the intrusive boy from his mind. He didn't even notice when the boy walked away shaking his head.

"Don't mess with that one. He's more than we can handle all together. He's tough and has that look. He'll kill you and not even blink. Don't threaten him and we won't have problems with him."

All the other boys looked at Heero, wondering what he had really done. His jacket was lost in the system, so they'd heard. And a lost jacket was mostly a good thing. If your jacket got lost, the officials generally thought it was so minor that it wasn't worth looking up. They just called the court house and asked for a final sentence and went on from there. If he hadn't had that look, they would have tried to make him a gofer. Now all they wanted was a minimum of trouble from Stone Cold Winner-Yuy.

~ * ~

"Duo I don't know if we're going to be able to pull this off. Every time I try to do anything I find that . . . man checking me. It's going to make me lose my temper and you know that's not good."

"Wufei, just go with the flow, let the asshole check you. It won't hurt you and he'll get bitten in the ass. Just let me trap your computer. If he actually tries to access your files, he'll get a nasty surprise and his motherboard will fry. I guarantee it."

Duo happily took Wufei's laptop and downloaded a trap to it from his own. He'd also put the trap in the Winner Enterprises mainframe. It triggered an overload in the power supply which spiked the power and fried the circuitry. If you were authorized for access, the lurker ignored your ping, but if you weren't authorized, you were in the market for a new computer.

"You sure this will work?"

"Woofers, you have no faith in my talents do you?"

"Maxwell, I have every bit of faith in the world in your abilities, but this isn't the slapped together mainframe of some Oz outpost. This is the best available on the market today."

Duo smirked, he was happy to inform Wufei of all the failings of the system ending, "so they put too much reliance on the fact that it is the newest and best and they aren't paranoid enough. That system was easier to hack than a brand-new notebook. I didn't even have to haul out the big guns. I'm really kinda scared. The security isn't up to standards either."

Wufei snorted and started reviewing the reports that Duo had downloaded into his computer. He had a lot to do to get Winner Enterprise computers up to what any of them would consider safe standards. Better to be paranoid and not need to be than to have some of the more sensitive information pirated. Industrial espionage was rampant at the higher levels and could cost a company millions if not billions, especially if a new design or soft ware was stolen.

When they went to report to Quatre, they ran into Trowa who smirked at them and haughtily informed them that they had to have an appointment.

"And who died and made you god?" Duo wasn't in the mood and Wufei's dirty look backed him up.

"Quatre . . . remember, I'm his executive assistant. You can go in anytime. It would be helpful if you'd call ahead, though, so I can put off his next appointment until you're done with him."

They all congregated in the meeting room with Quatre taking his usual place at the head of the table. He listened to Wufei and Duo explain about the computer and told them to do whatever they wanted to do, concluding, "After all you are heads of departments. You report to me. You don't ask me for permission to do your jobs. Just remember, we have to go to school all afternoon every day."

The moans and groans that greeted this made him laugh. The others wound up laughing too.

They were unaware of the differences between what they experienced and what Heero did.