Disclaimer: All Gundam Wing characters and references belong to their respective owners. Story elements © Hideki LaShae. No money was gained in the writing of this story.
Dedicated to the dream and the woman responsible for getting me to chase it.
Courting Relena
Part One – Heero's Chance
By Hideki LaShae
The year is After Colony 197, and peace has managed to find it's way to the Earth and the Space Colonies alike. The Gundams, which had been a crucial part in achieving peace, have been destroyed, and the last remnants of the soldiers who thrive on war are being taken care of.
Heero Yuy, the former pilot of the Gundam Wing Zero, is currently in one of the last mobile suits on planet Earth.
His opponents are in the other four.
Heero lowers his beam rifle and sends a fiery hot blast straight through one suit and into another.
The two mobile suits explode as Relena Darlian, the princess of the Sanc Kingdom, runs out onto the runway. "HEERO!!!"
"Get out of here, Relena!" screams Heero.
"Not without you, Heero!" yells Relena. Her long blond hair billows in the wind, and she looks towards the battle with beautiful blue eyes.
One of the remaining two mobile suits fighting Heero fires his machine gun.
The bullets rip through Heero's mobile suit and tear the left arm completely off.
Heero swings his beam rifle around and fires it at the mobile suit.
The mobile suit explodes as the beam hits it.
Relena watches in horror as the last enemy mobile suit fires its machine gun directly into the cockpit of Heero's suit. She starts to run towards the two mobile suits. "HEERO!!!"
Heero's mobile suit falls forward onto the other suit, and they both crash into the ground.
Relena runs faster towards the two suits. Tears start running down her face. "Heero!"
Up ahead of her the two mobile suits explode, and the shockwave knocks Relena to the ground.
Relena lifts herself up enough to see the burning wreckage before she collapses to the ground sobbing. She hears footsteps approaching her, but she doesn't care. One of the most important people in her life has just died. All she wants to do is grieve. She buries her face in her hands, so her companion won't see how much she's crying.
The man reaches Relena, and he pulls her up to her feet. He wraps his arms gently around her back and pulls her as close to him as she can get. He lets her cry for a few moments before he quietly whispers to her, "Shh… Relena, don't cry for me."
Relena snaps her head up at the sound of the familiar voice, and she looks into his face at the dark disheveled hair and enchanting eyes. She'd know that face anywhere. "Heero!"
Heero wipes the tears from Relena's eyes.
Relena closes her eyes and puckers her lips.
Heero leans towards Relena as if he intends to kiss her, but he moves his lips close to her ear instead. He whispers, "I can't kiss you."
Heero moves away from Relena and starts walking towards the terminal.
Relena opens her eyes and stands there, ashamed of herself for being so forward.
Heero stops and turns to look at Relena. "Well, Relena, are you coming or not?"
Relena looks at Heero and sees him holding out his arm for her. She wipes the last of her tears from her face and runs over to him. She grabs his arm and smiles. Her cheeks redden slightly as she asks, "Why can't you kiss me?"
Heero shakes Relena off his arm. "I won't fool you into believing I love you."
Relena looks away from Heero as he says those words, and it comes as a complete shock to her when Heero rests his arm over her shoulders. "Heero? How did you survive that battle? I thought for sure you were dead when I saw the machine gun fire on the cockpit."
"I had some time to modify the suit before the battle. I added a back exit and a remote self-destruct," says Heero sliding his arm down Relena's back and letting his hand rest on her hip.
Relena rests her head on Heero's shoulder as they walk into the terminal. She whispers, "I'm glad you're not hurt."
"What are you doing here, Relena?" asks Heero stopping them in the middle of the empty terminal.
"I came to get you. I came to bring you back to the Sanc Kingdom," says Relena looking into Heero's Prussian blue eyes, "I believe my brother, Milliardo, has a request of you. Please come with me!"
Heero nods his head. "Lead the way."
Relena smiles.
Heero takes his arm off Relena's back and lets her take his hand.
Relena pulls Heero out the other side of the terminal and into a waiting limousine.
Heero and Relena sit on opposite sides of the seat as the limo speeds towards the nearby Sanc Kingdom.
"It was easy to track you down this time, Heero," says Relena staring at him, "You weren't covering your tracks like you normally do. Did you want to be found?" She slides over to Heero and rests her head on his shoulder.
"I was in a hurry. What does Milliardo Peacecraft want with me?" asks Heero.
"He is the leader of the Sanc Kingdom now, and he's helping the world move towards total pacifism," says Relena, "but I don't know why he would ask to see you. We have one stop to make on the way home. Then you can speak to Milliardo."
"Where are we stopping?" asks Heero.
"The airport. We're meeting someone who's coming in on the shuttle," says Relena, "If I had know I'd find you at an airport, I could have made the arrangements for the shuttle to land there instead of the Sanc Kingdom Airfield."
The limo takes a really fast left turn sending Relena sprawling onto the seat and knocking Heero down on top of her.
Relena blushes at their proximity to each other. Her voice is quiet when she speaks, "Oh, Heero!"
Heero falls off Relena as the limo suddenly stops.
Relena rolls off the seat and crashes on top of Heero.
The doors open quickly.
"Well, what do we have here?" asks a familiar voice as a smiling face pops into the car.
"None of our concern," says a Chinese man climbing in and sitting down.
Relena turns bright red as she pulls herself off Heero. She pretends not to notice that his cheeks were also turning pink. She helps him up, and they sit down with their backs to the front of the car.
"I don't care what you think, Duo! Nothing happened!" exclaims Heero glowering at his friend.
"That's not what it looked like to me, Heero!" exclaims the young man with the wide grin and the waist-long chestnut brown braid, "What do you think, Wufei?" His violet eyes twinkle mischievously. He is Duo Maxwell, the former pilot of the Gundam Deathscythe.
"Leave me out of this, Duo," says the Chinese man. He is Chang Wufei, the former pilot of the Shenlong Gundam, his Nataku.
"What are we missing out here?" asks an attractive, blond-haired man with stunning blue eyes. He climbs into the limo and sits down beside Relena. He is Quatre Raberba Winner, the former pilot of the Gundam Sandrock.
The former pilot of Gundam Heavyarms, Trowa Barton, climbs in the other side and closes the door. His piercing emerald green eyes hide behind the brown hair that covers half his face but does not disguise his emotionless look.
Wufei closes the door on his side as Trowa sits down in between him and Duo.
"Quatre! It's so good to see you again!" exclaims Relena giving him a quick embrace. She shakes hands with the other three pilots. "How was your flight?"
"Fine," says Trowa.
"Oh, yeah, fine, except for the fact that we just crashed the shuttle!" exclaims Duo, "That's why the limo had to do its evasive maneuvers! Man, Heero, you should have seen the look on your face!"
Heero scowls at Duo with an expression that is sure to kill.
"Relena, what does Milliardo want?" asks Wufei quick to change the subject before Heero gets agitated any further than he already is.
"I'm afraid I don't know," says Relena, "He hasn't discussed it with me." She knocks on the dark glass behind her head three times, and the limo starts to move again.
"How long until we're there?" asks Trowa.
"It should only be a few minutes," says Relena, "We're not too far away from home."
"Were you all summoned by him?" asks Heero.
"I prefer to think of it as requested," says Quatre, "but yes. He's asked us all to come to the Sanc Kingdom."
The glass behind Relena and Heero lowers.
"Miss Relena, we are almost there," says the driver, Relena's old friend, Pagan, "Mr. Milliardo has just called. He will be detained on his return."
"Thank you, Pagan," says Relena, "It looks like you'll have time to freshen up before you speak to Milliardo."
"That would be wonderful," says Quatre, "Thank you, Relena."
The limo stops, and in a moment, Pagan opens the door.
Wufei climbs out and walks towards the mansion that is Relena's home.
Quatre gets out of the limo and moves to Wufei's side to stare at the mansion. "Opinion?"
"Impressive," says Wufei.
Duo runs up and grabs Wufei and Quatre's hands. "Don't just stand there! Let's check it out!"
Duo pulls Wufei and Quatre into the mansion as Trowa, Heero, and Relena climb out of the limo.
"Come. I'll give you a tour," says Relena.
"Thank you," says Trowa.
Relena smiles and leads them inside where they meet Duo, Quatre, and Wufei staring down a very angry maid by the name of Allison. "Hello, Allison. Is something wrong?"
"Miss Relena, do you know these people?" asks Allison.
"Yes, I do. They are guests of mine and Milliardo's," says Relena, "Now what did they do to upset you?"
"I just finished cleaning this floor, and they come in tracking enough dirt to make a mountain!" exclaims Allison.
"Allison, why don't you take the rest of the day off?" asks Relena, "Don't worry about the mess."
Allison nods. She turns and walks away.
"Perhaps I should show you to your rooms first," says Relena as Pagan comes in, "Pagan, could you get Marissa to clean this floor again?"
"Yes, Miss Relena," says Pagan.
"Come with me," says Relena leading her five friends up the staircase. She shows them each to a bedroom. "You'll find a variety of clothes in the closet and dresser. You should be able to find something you like. I will be downstairs in the den if you need anything."
"Alright, Relena," says Duo.
Relena turns and walks away.
The five former Gundam pilots head into their rooms.
Relena hurries into the den and sits down at her computer. She turns the monitor on and pulls up the last screen that she had opened, her electronic messaging system. She smiles when she sees the response to her last letter. "I'll be there. See you in the morning. And I'll bring a friend."
Relena closes the screen and opens her schoolwork. Even one who has ruled the world still needs to learn, and right now she's learning accounting. She pulls her calculator out of the desk drawer and starts on her work.
"Miss Relena?" asks Pagan coming into the den, "I'm sorry to disturb you."
"Oh, Pagan! Wonderful!" exclaims Relena standing up, "I have something I'll need you to do for me. A few of my friends are coming over tomorrow, and I'll need you to pick them up at the airfield."
"Yes, Miss Relena," says Pagan, "Also, Mr. Quatre is here to see you." He steps aside to reveal Quatre.
Relena walks out from behind the desk. She smiles when she sees the khaki dress pants and pale blue dress shirt worn by her friend. "Quatre! You look wonderful! I'm sure Allison would approve!"
Quatre laughs. "I suppose she would!"
Pagan nods to Relena and leaves in silence.
"Now, Quatre, what did you come down here for?" asks Relena clasping his hands in her own.
"I would much like to talk to you on a personal matter," says Quatre smiling.
Wufei knocks gently on the door once and walks into the den. "Am I interrupting?"
Quatre smiles at Wufei and releases Relena's hands. "No, Wufei. My conversation with Relena can wait."
Wufei looks handsome in his black dress pants and white shirt. His shirt is left unbuttoned to reveal the white tank top beneath. His black hair is slicked back and tied in a ponytail at the base of his neck, his preferred hairstyle. "Good. The others should be down soon. Then we can have our tour."
"Of course," says Relena nodding her head.
As if on cue, Trowa enters the den in a black long-sleeved T-shirt and dark blue jeans.
The phone on the desk starts to ring.
Relena walks over to the desk and lifts the receiver to her ear. "Peacecraft Manor. Relena Darlian Peacecraft speaking…"
Relena listens to the person on the other end of the line for a moment then she slams the phone down. She clenches her fists and seethes in silent anger.
Heero and Duo walk into the den together. Duo has his arm over Heero's shoulders, and Heero looks quite displeased.
"Hey, Relena! Is something wrong?" asks Duo looking at the blond princess.
Relena spins around to face them and smoothes her hair. "No. Just a wrong number!"
Duo wears a dark burgundy tank top with black slacks.
Heero walks out from beneath Duo's arm. He wears a black tank top and jeans with a brown leather jacket. "Time for the tour?"
Relena smiles and nods. "Is everyone ready for the grand tour?"
"Relena, who was really on the phone?" asks Trowa.
"Lucrezia Noin," says Relena with a sigh, "She and Milliardo will arrive here in time for dinner. Milliardo will speak to you all after dinner. For all the good he's doing, I could have picked you all up tomorrow." She walks to the door. "Come with me. I'll give you the tour."
They all head out of the den.
Heero meets Milliardo Peacecraft, the current King of the Sanc Kingdom, as he enters the mansion with Lucrezia Noin, his advisor and close friend. "The others are waiting in your office, Zechs! Dinner won't be served until you give us some answers."
Milliardo nods. His golden blond hair falls down his back. "Very well. Noin, would you check on dinner?"
"Yes, Milliardo," says Noin, and she walks towards the kitchen.
Milliardo and Heero head up the stairs and soon enter Milliardo's office.
Milliardo's blue eyes shoot directly to Relena as she sits chatting with Duo and Quatre. "Relena, would you please go down to the kitchen? Noin would like to speak to you."
"Yes, Milliardo," says Relena standing, "Did she say what about?"
"No. I'm afraid she didn't," says Milliardo motioning with his hands, "I believe it was some sort of woman thing."
Relena smiles and chuckles lightly. "See you all at dinner."
"See ya, Relena!" exclaims Duo happily.
Heero and Relena's eyes meet as she brushes past him, and for a moment, the whole world stands still.
Relena walks out of the office.
Milliardo closes the door and locks it. "Now, down to business."
"Why did you want us here?" asks Wufei.
Milliardo sits down on his desk. "Before I tell you why I've asked you here, you must swear not to breathe one word of this to Relena."
"Why not?" asks Trowa.
"For her own safety," says Milliardo, "Swear to me you will not tell her."
The five pilots look around at each other and finally nod their heads.
"We won't tell her unless we feel it absolutely necessary," says Heero.
"That will have to do," says Milliardo as Heero sits down in the spot emptied by Relena. He gets off his desk and moves to a picture on the wall. He pulls a piece of paper from behind the frame. "I got this letter two days ago."
Duo snatches the letter from Milliardo's hand and opens it. He reads it aloud, "Hello, Zechs Merquis, I will get straight to the point. You have taken something from me, so I will take something from you. Say your good-byes to your sister, Princess Relena. She will soon be mine, but don't worry, I'll send her pieces back to you."
Quatre clamps his right hand over his mouth and clutches his stomach.
Duo's skin turns a stark white.
Trowa crosses his arms over his chest, and Wufei, who's sitting beside him, clenches his fists.
Heero stands up and looks directly at Milliardo. "No one is going to hurt Relena!"
"I asked you all to come here because I need your help. For a while now, I've been planning to create a Secret Service for the Sanc Kingdom. They would be part body-guard and part detective," says Milliardo, "I would like to hire you all for Peacecraft Security, and your first task would be to protect Relena."
"No one is going to hurt Relena!" exclaims Heero again.
Trowa stands. "Your offer interests me. I'll think it over."
Duo hangs his head. "Hilde… Hilde and I have our own business in the colonies. I'm sure I can sweet-talk her into letting me stay until you get your little operation up and running though."
"I will join Peacecraft Security," says Wufei firmly.
Quatre runs his hands through his hair and nods his head. "I can stay for awhile. The Winner Resource Satellite doesn't need me now. My sisters can handle it for a time."
"Heero?" asks Milliardo.
"No one is going to hurt Relena!" exclaims Heero, "Not with me as the head of Peacecraft Security! I swear to protect Relena!"
Milliardo nods. "Thank you, Heero, everyone. I'll give you more information tomorrow. We should go down to dinner now."
"Why haven't you told Relena?" asks Trowa.
"I don't want to worry her," says Milliardo, "and if you do your job well, she'll never have to know."
Heero and Trowa both scowl at Milliardo.
"Well, let's go down to dinner, shall we!" exclaims Duo.
Milliardo unlocks the door and opens it. He walks out followed by Trowa.
Duo pulls Heero out of the office.
Wufei stands and sets his hand on Quatre's shoulder. "Quatre? Are you okay, little one?"
Quatre looks up at Wufei and nods. "Just a little disgusted by that letter. I'll be fine."
Wufei pulls Quatre up into a very close, tender embrace. "Relena will be okay."
Quatre wraps his arms gently around Wufei and rests his head on his friend's shoulder.
"We should catch up to the others," whispers Wufei pushing Quatre just far enough away so that he can look into the blue eyes of his friend.
Quatre stares into Wufei's black eyes. "Yes, we should go."
Quatre closes his eyes and relaxes in Wufei's arms. For a second, he thought he felt Wufei's breath on his cheek, but then Wufei moved out of his arms. He opens his eyes again as Wufei takes his hand and pulls him out of the room.
Quatre and Wufei run to catch up to the others, and they head to the dining room.
Relena sits silently beside the black-haired Noin in the dining room when Milliardo and the boys walk in.
"Hello, ladies. I hope you haven't been waiting long," says Milliardo.
Relena stands up angrily. "Milliardo! If you didn't want me to know what you brought my friends here for, all you had to do was say so! You didn't have to make up some lie about Noin wanting to speak with me!"
"Relena!" exclaims Milliardo, "Let me explain!"
Relena walks past Milliardo. She takes Heero and Duo's hands and pulls them towards the table. "I bet you two are just starving!"
"I am hungry!" exclaims Duo, "What are we having?"
"We're having the local wildlife. Some small game hens," says Noin turning her brown eyes to Duo, "They are quite tasty."
"Great! Bring on dinner!" exclaims Duo sitting down opposite of Noin.
Heero sits down in the chair facing the one Relena left vacant.
Trowa walks up to Relena. He brushes up close to her and whispers, "Don't be mad at your brother. He had good reasons for not wanting you there."
Relena's eyes widen as she watches Trowa move to a seat.
Wufei and Quatre sit down.
Relena walks back to her seat as Milliardo rings the bell for dinner to be served.
Milliardo takes his seat.
Relena smiles at Heero. "So, how long are you going to be staying?"
"Until I decide to quit," says Heero, "Milliardo offered me a job… as the Head of Peacecraft Security."
"Peacecraft Security?" asks Relena widening her eyes.
"I've never heard of that," says Noin.
"It's just been created," says Heero, "We're the only employees. Wufei and I have agreed to sign on for an indefinite period of time."
Relena looks at Heero and blushes slightly at this bit of news.
Pagan and a pretty maid come into the dining room pushing carts full of food. They place plates in front of everyone.
"Thank you, Pagan," says Relena, "Marissa."
"We're all going to try to stay here for awhile to get it working," says Quatre.
"Wonderful!" exclaims Relena smiling as she looks around at her friends, "Oh, yes, Milliardo. That conference I told you about… the one that was supposed to be next month… it has been moved up to next week."
"I don't think you should go alone," says Milliardo, "but we can talk about that later."
Relena nods. She takes a sip of her wine before starting to eat.
Heero glares at Milliardo for a moment before starting in on his bird.
Heero walks quietly down the hall that night and stops in front of a door. He knocks gently three times and waits.
The door opens as Relena wraps her robe around herself. "Heero? Do you know what time it is?"
"Yes, Relena. I do. It's half past one, but I need to speak with you. Now," says Heero.
Relena steps aside. "Come in."
Heero walks into Relena's bedroom and closes the door behind him. "Let's go onto the balcony."
"Yes. It is a lovely night," says Relena opening the door to the balcony and walking out into the night.
Heero walks out onto the balcony. He takes off his jacket and places it over Relena's shoulders over top of her thin robe. "You're going to freeze in that outfit."
"Thank you, Heero," says Relena. She leans on the railing looking out across the grounds.
Heero leans back against the wall and closes his eyes. "Someone wants to kill you."
Relena turns around abruptly, and the jacket Heero gave her falls to the floor. "What did you say?"
"Someone wants to kill you," says Heero opening his eyes. He sees Relena shiver, and he quickly bends down and lifts the jacket. He wraps it around Relena once more and helps her push her arms through the sleeves. "That is why your brother asked us all here. He received a letter from someone who wants to kidnap you and send Milliardo your dead body."
"Why didn't he tell me himself?" asks Relena.
"He doesn't want you to worry," says Heero, "and he made us all swear not to tell you unless we felt it was imperative for you to know. And I feel it is. Relena, I don't want you to go anywhere without one of us."
"That's what Peacecraft Security is for… to protect me?" asks Relena.
"Yes. To protect you and himself," says Heero grabbing Relena's arms.
"I will go everywhere with one of you," says Relena nodding.
"I swear to you, Relena, no one will hurt you as long as I am alive," says Heero pulling her into his embrace.
"Heero," sighs Relena.
Heero's lips brush gently against Relena's cheek before he whispers into her ear, "We should go in. You need to get some sleep."
Relena nods. "Thank you, Heero… for being here… for telling me… for everything."
Heero guides Relena back into her room. "Get in bed. I'll stay until you fall asleep."
Relena smiles and takes off Heero's jacket. She tosses it into a chair as Heero locks the balcony doors. She slides her robe off to reveal her blue satin nightgown, and she climbs into her bed.
Heero closes the curtains and walks over to the bed as Relena lies down. He pulls the blanket up over her and quickly kisses her forehead. "Good night, Relena."
"Good night, Heero," says Relena. She watches Heero sit down in the chair with his coat before she closes her eyes and falls asleep.
"Relena? Could I speak with you now?" asks Quatre walking into the den where Relena sits doing her work.
"Yes, of course, Quatre," says Relena standing up and walking around the desk. She grabs Quatre's hands and leads him over to the couch where they sit down together. "Now, what's on your mind?"
"I would like your help," says Quatre blushing slightly, "You see, women don't interest me. I like them just fine, but only as friends."
"You like women, but you love men?" asks Relena. She smiles warmly at Quatre hoping to make him feel more comfortable.
Quatre nods and blushes more. "Well, I really like one of the other Gundam pilots, but I don't know if he likes women or men."
"Would you like me to make some inquiries?" asks Relena, "I can try to find out if he likes men and if he's interested in you!"
"Thank you so much, Relena!" exclaims Quatre. He leans in really close to Relena and whispers into her ear, "I really like Wufei."
"Really?" asks Relena as Quatre moves back.
"We've been writing and calling each other often," says Quatre smiling.
"I'll talk to him!" exclaims Relena smiling wide. She embraces Quatre quickly. "Oh, wait! What time is it?"
Quatre looks at his watch. "It's almost ten. Why?"
"I have some friends stopping by. They should be getting here any minute!" exclaims Relena, "I'm going down to greet them, but I promise I'll talk to him today!" She winks slyly.
"I'll come with you," says Quatre standing up with Relena, and together they hurry down to wait by the front door.
"I am so happy for you, Quatre! I hope this really works out for you!" exclaims Relena opening the door and walking outside to sit on the steps.
Quatre closes the door and sits down beside Relena. "So how is it going with Heero? Has he taken the hint yet?"
Relena sighs. "No. When I picked him up yesterday he said he couldn't kiss me. He doesn't want to fool me into thinking he loves me. But then, late last night he came to talk to me. He kissed my forehead as he put me in bed. Then he sat with me until I fell asleep."
Relena blushes happily.
Quatre smiles assuredly.
The black limo pulls up in front of the mansion.
Relena and Quatre stand up quickly.
The door of the limo opens, and a pretty, dark-haired young woman climbs out.
"Hilde!" exclaims Relena.
"Relena!" exclaims Hilde Schbeiker running to embrace Relena quickly.
"Now, Hilde, who was this friend you brought?" asks Relena.
A slightly older woman with curly brown hair climbs out of the limo. She walks up to Relena, Hilde, and Quatre. "I am Catherine Bloom. Trowa is my younger brother."
"It is such a pleasure to meet you, Catherine," says Relena smiling warmly, "I'm Relena Darlian."
"And I hope you remember me. Quatre Raberba Winner," says Quatre.
"Yes, I know you both," says Catherine, "It's a pleasure to be here. Call me Cathie."
"Let's get your luggage, and I'll show you to your rooms," says Relena, "Duo and Trowa will be so surprised to see you!"
Pagan brings the luggage up from the limo.
"Thank you, Pagan," says Relena taking two bags from him.
Quatre takes the two remaining bags. "Come on!"
Quatre and Relena lead the way inside and take the two women up the stairs to two empty bedrooms.
"The boys are in a meeting right now so you can rest up and see them at lunch," says Relena.
"Speaking of meetings, I have my own to go to," says Quatre, "I'll see you at lunch. And Relena, remember my question."
"I will, Quatre. See you at lunch," says Relena before Quatre walks away.
"Thanks for the invite, Relena," says Hilde, "I was in need of a vacation!"
Relena embraces Hilde quickly. "My pleasure! Now if only I could snag Heero the way you did Duo!"
"Oh, Relena, one day he'll have to come around!" exclaims Hilde.
"I'm going to rest before lunch," says Catherine heading into her room.
"Yeah, me too!" says Hilde walking into her own room.
Relena thinks for a moment before hurrying off to try to find Wufei. She walks past Milliardo's door and sees a small crack of light pouring out from inside. She listens intently and soon hears Wufei's voice. She smiles and continues down the hallway, intending to talk to Wufei later. She hurries to the den and starts to do her work, thankful for a few quiet moments.
Relena works for over an hour before a quiet knock distracts her from her homework. She looks up and smiles. "Yes, Trowa?"
"Lunch is ready, Relena," says Trowa.
"Alright. I'll be down in a few minutes," says Relena standing, "I just have one thing to do first!"
Trowa nods and leaves.
Relena hurries to get Catherine and Hilde for lunch.
"The boys will be so surprised. They don't know you're here," says Relena as she heads to the dining room with her two friends, "Unless Quatre told them."
"I hope not. I'd like to see the look on Duo's face," says Hilde giggling.
"And I'm sure Trowa doesn't know I'm here," says Catherine, "I can only stay for a few days though."
"Because of the circus?" asks Relena.
Catherine nods. "We're going on a tour of the colonies. I'll need to be back before our next performance. I hope Trowa can come back with me."
"We'll see about that," says Relena, "You can talk with him after lunch."
Relena leads the two girls into the dining room.
"Duo!" exclaims Hilde smiling.
"Hilde!" exclaims Duo jumping up from his seat. He runs over to Hilde and lifts her up in his arms before kissing her passionately.
"Well, it's good to see you too, Duo," says Hilde turning red.
Duo pulls Hilde over to the table.
Trowa stands as soon as he sees Catherine. "Cathie!"
"Hi, Trowa!" exclaims Catherine moving up to the table and taking a seat across from her brother, "You've been gone from the circus a long time. I've missed you."
"I know. I've missed you, Cathie," says Trowa sitting down again.
Relena smiles and takes her seat across from Heero just as Pagan and Marissa bring out the lunch carts.
Heero looks at Relena and just stares at her with a blank look on his face. He closes his eyes right as Relena looks towards him.
"Heero, could I speak to you for a moment?" asks Quatre standing.
Heero nods and stands. He walks out of the dining room with Quatre. "What is it, Quatre?"
"She cares for you. Relena. I think she even loves you," says Quatre, "And I know you care for her, but if you don't tell her about it, you're going to lose her! She needs to know how you feel."
"I don't care for her the way she wants me to," says Heero.
"Then tell her that," says Quatre, "It isn't fair to her to keep leading her on like this. Don't hurt her like that."
"No one will hurt Relena," says Heero, "Not even me."
Quatre nods. "Let's go in for lunch."
Heero and Quatre return to the dining room and join their friends for lunch.
Relena waits outside of Milliardo's office. She's been there for nearly an hour just waiting.
The door opens, and Heero walks out. He smiles at Relena.
Relena smiles. "Good afternoon, Heero."
"Relena," says Heero.
Wufei walks out of the office followed by Milliardo.
"Oh, Relena. Did you need something?" asks Milliardo.
"I was actually hoping that I might have a few words with Wufei," says Relena looking from Milliardo to Wufei.
Wufei nods his head. "Let's go for a walk, Relena. Heero, I'll meet you later to go over the preparations."
"I'll be out in the limo for a few hours," says Heero, "I'll catch up to you when I get back. Protect Relena for me, Wufei."
"I will, Heero," says Wufei placing his hand on the small of Relena's back and leading her away.
Heero glares at Wufei for a moment before storming off in the other direction.
"Did I miss something?" asks Milliardo looking back and forth down the hallway on either side. He sighs and shakes his head as he walks back into his office.
Wufei and Relena walk in silence until they reach the garden.
"Wufei, I have a personal question to ask you, but I'm not quite sure how to say it," says Relena as they walk into the rose garden.
Wufei guides Relena to an iron bench, and they sit down. "Well, then, Relena, maybe you should just ask me."
"That doesn't seem right somehow," says Relena, "So I'm going to do it my way, but I may stumble over my words a lot. So please just try to understand."
"I will," says Wufei nodding.
Relena takes a deep breath. "Well, I have this friend that really likes you."
"I'm not interested. I like someone else," says Wufei.
"No, Wufei, just listen!" exclaims Relena, "My friend isn't a woman. It's actually a man."
"A man?"
"Yes. He really likes you, but he's not sure if you like men or women. He doesn't want to be hurt by asking you himself," says Relena quickly.
"Relena, you're a great friend," says Wufei.
Relena waits for a moment hoping Wufei will continue, but when he doesn't, she asks, "Wufei, what is your sexual preference?"
Wufei sighs. He looks directly into Relena's blue eyes as he stands up. "I actually like men, but I have my heart set on someone."
"Wufei! He was afraid you wouldn't care for him like that, but he really likes you!" exclaims Relena standing up.
Wufei turns around angrily and runs away as fast as he can.
"Wufei! It's Quatre! He's the one who asked me to talk to you!" exclaims Relena as Wufei's quick feet carry him out of earshot, "Quatre really likes you!" She falls to her knees so certain that Wufei hadn't heard her last words. She bursts into tears as she realizes that she may have just ruined Quatre's chance at happiness.
Wufei runs into the house, and he starts his frantic search. He hurries upstairs and knocks on the door to Quatre's bedroom.
Quatre opens the door. "Hi, Wufei."
"Can I come in?" asks Wufei.
"Of course," says Quatre stepping back into his room.
Wufei walks into the room and closes the door. He slides the lock into place and turns to face Quatre. "I just had a nice talk with Relena. She had some interesting things to say."
"Really? What did she say?" asks Quatre.
"I thought we were friends, and as friends… I thought you would be the one to tell me that you're attracted to men instead of women," says Wufei, "Why didn't you?"
"I'm sorry, Wufei, but I wasn't sure how you would respond to that," says Quatre, "I haven't told any of the others either… not even Trowa. I didn't want it to make you uncomfortable around me."
"Bullshit! Like that would happen! You're my friend, Quatre!" exclaims Wufei.
Quatre nods. "I'm sorry, Wufei. I should have believed in your friendship."
"Relena told me something else too," says Wufei, "She implied that you're attracted to me. Is that true?"
"She did?" asks Quatre, "Well, yes. I am attracted to you."
Wufei takes a step towards Quatre. The expression on his face is slightly angered. "Now I have a reason to do something to you that I've wanted to do for a long time."
Quatre swallows hard and closes his eyes. He's not sure what his friend will do when he reaches him, but he does know that Wufei is a profound martial artist. He half expects an attack of some sort, so he is completely unprepared for the passionate kiss he receives.
Quatre comes out of the kiss breathless, and he opens his eyes to look at Wufei.
"I'm attracted to you too, Quatre, and I'd really like to give this a chance," says Wufei wrapping his arms around Quatre's body.
Quatre smiles and relaxes in Wufei's arms. He wraps his arms around his friend. "I would like to give it a chance too!"
"How did you think I'd react? Did you think I'd try to beat you up just because you like me?" asks Wufei smiling.
"I wasn't sure," whispers Quatre pulling himself closer to Wufei, "but that thought had crossed my mind."
"You wouldn't have thought that if I had told you my feelings sooner, Little One," says Wufei, "but I didn't know how either."
"That doesn't matter, 'Fei! We both know now!" exclaims Quatre quickly kissing the man in his arms. "We should thank Relena later for helping us break the ice."
Wufei smiles. "Perhaps we should thank her by forcing Heero to become her boyfriend."
"Heero… he," says Quatre moving away from Wufei and sitting down on his bed, "He told me he doesn't care for her like that."
"That bastard!" exclaims Wufei plopping down on the bed beside Quatre, "He's lying! You saw the way he was looking at her today at lunch! I've caught glimpses of you looking at me that way! And I know I've looked at you with that expression. He loves her!"
"But we can't convince him of that, can we?" asks Quatre.
"I'll see what I can do," says Wufei, "I'm meeting him later to do some work on the new security system."
Quatre leans on Wufei for a moment. He yawns discreetly.
"You look tired, Little One. Maybe you should get some sleep," whispers Wufei. He helps Quatre lie down in his bed, and he kisses his lips abruptly. "I'll go see if Heero's returned. Sleep well."
"Thank you, Wufei," says Quatre.
Wufei stands and smiles. He moves to the door and unlocks it. He slips out and closes the door. He stops by the den when he sees Relena sitting sadly inside. "Do you know if Heero's back yet?"
"Sorry, Wufei. I haven't seen him," says Relena, "Wufei, about outside…?"
"Well, I'm going to go see if he's back yet. We had some work to do," says Wufei interrupting Relena, "Just forget what happened outside."
"Stay away from the living room. Trowa and Cathie are having a fight," says Relena sighing, "Duo and Hilde are probably still making out on the patio."
"Thanks for the advice, Relena," says Wufei heading out. He walks past the living room and hears Catherine shouting within. He walks right past.
Trowa sits on the couch glaring at Catherine as she paces in front of him. "Calm down, Cathie."
"Trowa! We need you! The circus needs you! I need you!" exclaims Catherine, "And you're saying you can't come back! Why? What is so important that you have to stay here? With these people?"
"Hey! These people are my friends, Cathie, and they need me right now. It's a matter of life and death!" exclaims Trowa, "I'm not leaving as long as I can protect my friend."
"I just don't understand. Who's in danger?" asks Catherine sitting down on the couch beside Trowa.
"Relena. She doesn't know about it," says Trowa.
"Someone's trying to kill her?" asks Catherine staring at Trowa in shock. Her jaw drops and her body goes slack.
Trowa nods his head. "I'm going to stay here to get Peacecraft Security up and running. Then I'll return to the circus."
"Well… I guess you've made up your mind," says Catherine, "I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon. I have to go back. The circus needs me. I'll be waiting for your return."
"Are you mad?"
"Yes… no… I don't know," says Catherine with a resigned sigh, "You need to protect your friends. I understand that, but I just wish you could come back with me tomorrow."
Trowa pulls Catherine into a hug. "I'll be home as soon as I can."
Catherine nods and holds Trowa in the embrace. "I'll tell Relena that I'm leaving after dinner. I won't mention that someone's after her."
"Thank you, Cathie," whispers Trowa.
"You will call me often though, won't you?" asks Catherine, "I'd miss you too much if you didn't."
Trowa laughs. "Yes. I'll call regularly."
"Come on. Let's go for a walk. Relena says they have a beautiful garden here," says Catherine standing.
"Quatre would love that. He loves flowers," says Trowa as Catherine pulls him to his feet.
"That may be true," says Catherine, "but you're my brother, and you're coming with me!"
Trowa grabs Catherine's arm and pulls her out of the living room so they could go for a walk in the garden.
Quatre walks into the den to see Relena. He yawns wishing that his nap had been a little longer.
Relena smiles weakly as soon as she sees Quatre. "I talked to Wufei. I'm sorry. I don't think I was much help at all, but he does like men."
Quatre nods and smiles. "Wufei came to see me. He likes me too! We're going to start dating now."
"Oh that is so wonderful!" exclaims Relena jumping up from her seat. She jumps over her desk and quickly embraces Quatre. "I am so happy for you!"
Quatre holds Relena tenderly. "Thank you, Relena, for all your help!"
"It was my pleasure," says Relena happily.
"I didn't know you've been working out," says Quatre, "How'd you jump your desk?"
Relena blushes. "I've actually been studying gymnastics and acrobatics. It's made me much more flexible! And now I can do a lot more than I could before!"
Relena sits with Hilde and Catherine later that evening as Quatre plays the violin for them.
Trowa lifts a flute to his lips and begins to play along with Quatre.
"Hey, maybe I should sing!" exclaims Duo.
"Please, don't!" says Hilde quickly. She grabs Duo's shirt and pulls him down onto the couch beside her. Her clear blue eyes meet Duo's for a moment before she locks his lips in a kiss.
Noin walks into the living room and smiles when she sees the small concert. She walks up and kneels in front of Relena. She quietly whispers, "Milliardo has someone he wants you to meet. He's waiting outside."
"Invite him in," whispers Relena looking dreamily at Trowa and Quatre.
Noin nods and walks out of the room. She listens to the music stop before she returns with Milliardo and a young man about Relena's age.
The young man has pitch-black hair and dark green eyes. The most noticeable thing about him however is his obtrusive nose. He smiles when he sees the three women.
Heero and Wufei walk in the other entrance each carrying a file folder full of papers.
Relena stands and smiles diplomatically.
"Relena, honored guests, this is Prince Jesse Yurameshi," says Milliardo as the young man bows, "He is the ruler of one of our neighboring countries. This is my sister, Relena Darlian." He holds out his hand towards Relena.
Relena takes Milliardo's hand and half-bows to Prince Jesse. She blushes as she sees his eyes dart down to the neckline of her shirt hoping for a glimpse of her chest. "It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty. Allow me to introduce my friends."
"Please, Relena, call me Jesse," says the young prince.
"This is Hilde Schbeiker," says Relena motioning with her free hand towards Hilde, "and her companion, Duo Maxwell."
Prince Jesse takes Hilde's hand and kisses it, which causes Duo to jump up in fury. He then calmly shakes Duo's hand. He takes Catherine's hand and kisses it gently. "And who might you be?"
"I'm Cathie… Catherine Bloom," stammers Catherine blushing.
Relena takes her hand from Milliardo and walks up to Trowa and Quatre. She motions to them in turn. "This is Quatre Raberba Winner and Trowa Barton. We were listening to them play before you arrived."
Prince Jesse nods his head in recognition as Wufei and Heero walk up to Relena.
Relena smiles at Heero.
"I am Chang Wufei," says Wufei abruptly with a little more anger in his voice than he intended.
"And this is Heero Yuy," says Relena gently taking Heero's hand in her own.
Heero squeezes Relena's hand encouragingly. "What brings you here, Prince?"
"Didn't Milliardo tell you? I have come to accompany Princess Relena to the conference," says Prince Jesse walking over and pulling Relena into his arms. He gently strokes her face. "As well as to make her fall in love with me. A marriage between us would be quite profitable, speaking diplomatically of course."
Heero glares at Prince Jesse angrily and clenches his fists until his knuckles turn white.
Prince Jesse holds Relena's chin in his hand and moves to kiss her.
Relena rips her chin out of Prince Jesse's hand so that his lips contact her cheek.
Heero drops the folder of papers and quickly grabs Prince Jesse's shirt. He yanks him away from Relena.
Relena falls into Trowa's arms, and he moves her away from Heero and Prince Jesse.
"Relena's taken! Get your filthy hands off her!" exclaims Heero preparing to punch Prince Jesse in the face.
"Heero! No! Don't hurt him!" exclaims Milliardo.
Heero glares at Milliardo and shoves Prince Jesse roughly out of his way. His body seethes with anger as he starts to pick up the mess of papers on the floor.
Prince Jesse takes several deep breaths before standing. "Milliardo, Noin. I would like a word with you!"
Milliardo leads Noin and Prince Jesse out of the living room.
Relena moves over to help Heero gather the papers. "Heero? If I'm taken, exactly who am I taken by?"
Heero stops picking up the papers to look at Relena.
Relena lifts a paper and gasps. "Heero! What is this?"
Heero tries to grab the paper from Relena, but she stands up quickly and moves away from him. "Relena! Give that to me!"
"Hello, Zechs Merquis," reads Relena out loud, "I will get straight to the point. You have taken something from me, so I will take something from you. Say your good-byes to your sister, Princess Relena. She will soon be mine, but don't worry, I'll send her pieces back to you!"
Hilde and Catherine both gasp.
"Relena!" exclaims Hilde.
"Let us explain," says Quatre quickly.
"Heero! You said he wanted to kill me, not mutilate me!" exclaims Relena throwing the paper down.
"What?" asks Duo, "Heero, you told her?"
"How could you leave out that vital piece of information?" asks Relena storming out of the room.
"Why do you even have that paper with you?" asks Trowa.
"For a handwriting analysis. We were going to send it out first thing in the morning," says Wufei.
"I'm going to Relena," says Hilde standing, "Cathie, please come with me."
"Of course," says Catherine standing. She follows Hilde out.
Heero finishes gathering the papers and stuffs them back into the file folder. "I'll smooth things out with Relena later."
"No, Heero. Sooner," says Wufei taking the file folder from Heero, "Go to her now."
Heero looks around at the others, and they all nod. He nods in response and leaves. He heads up to Relena's room and sees Catherine and Hilde pounding on the door.
Catherine moves over to Heero and whispers, "She locked the door, and she won't let us in. She's in there crying."
"Let me handle this," whispers Heero moving to the door. He gently pushes Hilde out of his way, and he rams the door as hard as he can with his shoulder.
The door swings open.
Heero walks in and closes the door. He moves up to Relena's bed where she lay crying. "Relena?"
"Go away!" exclaims Relena.
Heero sits down beside Relena on the bed and places his hand gently on her back. "Let me explain."
"Go on."
"Relena, I didn't tell you anything because I didn't want to scare you. I wanted you to be cautious, but I didn't want you to be too afraid to leave the house," says Heero gently massaging Relena's back with both of his hands, "I promised you I would protect you, Relena, and I will."
Relena stops crying and wipes her eyes on the corner of her pillowcase as Heero starts to apply more pressure to her back massage. She relaxes her body as much as she can.
"Please forgive me, Relena," says Heero.
"Keep the massage up, and I'll consider it," whispers Relena.
"A pleasure," whispers Heero slowly sliding his hands beneath Relena's shirt to her bare flesh, and he continues to massage her back.
"Heero?"
"Yes, Relena."
"You said I was taken. By who?" asks Relena.
"No one. That just came out," says Heero, "I'm sorry."
"Oh," says Relena feeling a heavy weight upon her heart.
Heero feels Relena's muscle tense up. He sighs and leans forward to whisper into her ear. "I like you."
Relena smiles and relaxes again as Heero massages her back. "I like you, Heero, a lot."
"I'm going to the conference with you. Along with Wufei and Quatre," says Heero, "Duo and Trowa will be staying here to do some work for Peacecraft Security."
"You, me, Wufei, and Quatre," says Relena, "and what's-his-name. I don't care who he is, I won't fall in love with him."
"Good," whispers Heero quietly.
Relena moans with pleasure. "I forgive you, Heero."
Heero pulls his hands back from beneath Relena's shirt and bends down to kiss her, half on the lips yet half on the cheek. "Thank you, Relena."
Relena blushes and rolls over to look at Heero. She closes her eyes and puckers her lips.
Heero brushes his lips past Relena's, barely touching. "Not now."
Relena opens her eyes. "When?"
Heero rests his head on Relena's shoulder. "Later…"
Relena runs her hand through Heero's hair as he closes his eyes. She smiles and slowly drifts to sleep.
Relena wakes up alone to the sound of screams from down the hall. She jumps out of bed and runs out of her room. She hurries down the hall to find Trowa, Wufei, Quatre, and Heero standing outside Duo's room with Catherine.
Catherine, dressed in her beige pajama set, holds her hands over her ears.
Trowa crosses his arms over his bare chest and leans against the wall. He wears a pair of dark gray sweat pants.
Heero, still fully dressed in the outfit he wore earlier that day, pounds roughly on the door. "Duo! Hilde! Shut up!"
Quatre wears a white tank top with Navy blue shorts, and he stands close to Catherine trying to shield her from the coarse language that starts coming out of Heero's mouth.
Wufei, in his black pajama pants, glares angrily at the closed door.
"Duo and Hilde?" asks Relena panting slightly.
"Yeah," says Wufei, "I know they love each other, but this is ridiculous!"
"Duo! Hilde! Shut up in there!" yells Heero pounding on the door some more.
"Excuse me, Trowa. Would you please move?" asks Relena walking up to him.
"Sure," says Trowa moving away from the wall.
Relena takes the painting off the wall to reveal a combination safe. She quickly spins the dial to the right then to the left and back to the right again. She smiles as she opens the safe. "And I thought this feature was useless!"
"What's that for?" asks Quatre.
Relena pulls out a small silver key and walks up to Heero. She unlocks the door and returns to the safe. "Don't go in there, Heero," she says putting the key back and pulling out a black grenade with a white stripe, "I have a different plan in mind."
Relena closes the safe and walks over to the door.
Heero backs away from the door to give Relena room, and he stares at the hand grenade with disbelief.
"Relena! Don't do it!" exclaims Quatre.
"It won't kill them," says Relena opening the door slightly. She pulls the pin out and throws it into the room. Then she yells in, "Fire in the hole!"
Relena quickly closes the door and puts the painting back over the safe. She smiles at Heero's expression.
"Relena, what was that?" asks Wufei.
"It was a smoke grenade," says Relena, "It wasn't exactly meant for a situation like this, but I think it will work rather nicely!"
Trowa starts chuckling, and soon everyone is laughing.
"Hey, the screaming stopped!" exclaims Catherine lowering her hands.
The door opens, and Hilde and Duo run out in their bathrobes coughing.
The smoke billows out of the bedroom.
Relena runs into the room and opens the balcony doors before hurrying back into the hallway. She closes the door behind her.
"Heero! How could you do that?" asks Duo holding Hilde as she coughs.
"I didn't do it," says Heero with a smile.
"Actually, I did," says Relena, "You're keeping all of us awake!" She coughs the smoke out of her lungs.
"Relena!" scolds Hilde.
"You two can stay in the room at the end of the hall, way away from everyone else," says Relena, "I'll show you to it. Everyone else can return to bed."
"Wonderful idea!" exclaims Catherine walking away.
"Nice show, Relena," says Trowa, "Thanks." He starts to head back to his room.
Wufei and Quatre smile at each other before heading back to their respective rooms.
Relena leads Duo and Hilde down the hall away from Heero. "I'm really sorry, but you apparently didn't hear us shouting. I opened the balcony door, so the smoke should clear out in time for you to get your clothes in the morning."
"We were a bit loud," says Hilde blushing, "We don't notice it at home. We don't have any close neighbors."
Duo wraps his arm around Hilde's back. "I thought that was why we didn't have any close neighbors."
Hilde elbows Duo.
"Hey! What was that for?" asks Duo.
Relena opens the door. "You can stay here from now on. Good night."
Duo pulls Hilde into the room and closes the door.
Relena turns around to look at the spot where Heero was last standing, but he's already gone. She sighs and makes her way back to her room. She heads into the bathroom to change into her nightgown and brush her hair. Then she heads to bed.
Relena drifts in and out of sleep. She feels the sunlight hitting her bed, warming her entire body, and she hears something. In her half-sleep state, she concentrates on the sound, footsteps. Then her mind snaps awake, and she listens. She hears a gentle thud on her nightstand, and a new scent reaches her nostrils. She reaches her hand out blindly and grabs the wrist of the person beside her.
"What?" comes Heero's alarmed voice.
Relena opens her eyes and sees Heero still holding the vase of flowers he set on her nightstand. She smiles. "Heero."
"Relena."
Relena releases Heero's wrist and sits up. She looks at the vase full of red and pink roses that's still in Heero's hand. She smiles. "What are you doing in here, Heero?"
Heero releases the vase and sits down on the edge of Relena's bed. He pulls her into his arms. "I brought you some flowers."
"I can see that," whispers Relena, "Thank you." She leans back in Heero's arms and looks into his eyes.
Heero stares at Relena. He knows that now would be the perfect time to kiss her, but he can't. He speaks to her quietly, "I'm sorry I woke you. I need to go now. I have some work to do. I swear, Relena, I will protect you!"
"I know, Heero. I…"
Heero places his fingertips on Relena's lips. "Yes, Relena, I know."
"Heero?" asks Relena as Heero stands and moves to the door.
"Get some more sleep, Relena," says Heero opening the door and walking out. He closes the door gently behind him.
