Another sad story post-death of Relena. See how the main characters cope, especially Heero and her son.

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing, since the beginning of the new era, does not belong to me.

Protector's Promise

By MistyWing

Space Mourns for Vice Foreign Minister Relena Peacecraft

That's what the headlines were saying.

The media didn't mention:

She leaves behind a son she kept hidden from the public eye

Nor did the media expand and announce:

Man who fathered child remains unknown

It was just the knowledge of her death and an elegant obituary that stood in the wake of such news.

There were a handful of people whom she trusted with her secrets. They were her only family during the war—and after the war. They were the only ones she trusted with her son and her affair.

They knew that underneath the tough political leader and principal voice of the people was a young woman often lonely and heart sore. Beyond the hard shell built to protect her irrefutable persona was a tender young woman who maternalized when she returned home to her infant son.

The people outside her intimate group never found out about her pregnancy. She would hide it underneath her baggy business suits when she attended conferences and she would avoid those snoopy eyes by staying at home for office duties. They couldn't see through her façade or her thirty-pound weight gain during her third term as Vice Foreign Minister.

Everyone knew about the rare visits from one of her acquaintances, but excused them for nothing. For the last five years, one of the former gundam pilots—the one who piloted Wing Zero—he frequented her home. He saw her at least once a month. And of course he only met with her under the pretense of business and politics—they assumed.

His job as her protector took him away from the Earth Sphere for long periods of time. Yet, when he came back only those of her inner circle knew he came back with robotic toys for Relena's little son and broken promises for Relena.

The boy recognized the protector every time the man had a chance to drop by. The boy sometimes yearned for the man to lavish more attention on him than on his mother, but he didn't complain out loud. He enjoyed those rare moments when he could see the two adults, he adored most, interact with one another.

The boy was cut off from the world because his mother didn't want to drag him into the unspoken political turmoil and soil his innocence. She called him her precious because no one knew about him, but her and her intimate companions. She didn't have to truly share him with anyone, although she mentioned having to share him with the protector.

When the protector came to see them, a month before she died, the boy was delighted. He waited for the routine pat on the head and the solid smile in the protector's bright eyes. It was the same every time he met the protector; a child's cravings for acknowledgement and love were satisfied.

Now, Relena's son and her most intimate friends watch the crane level her casket into the moist earth. The women cried and the men were comforting them and each other. Only the protector stood aloof from them, wordlessly watching a dove flutter in the sky. Relena's little boy clung to his pant leg, grubby hands wrinkling the material. Everyone in the small group noticed how he huddled between the protector's legs.

Zechs approached them when they finished filling the hole. He held out a lollipop to coax the boy out. "Uncle Zechs will take you home now."

The boy's grip remained fixed. His big eyes rebuffed Zechs and the candy.

Zechs stood and fixed the protector with a glare. "You know you can't take him. You don't know one thing about children."

The protector didn't say anything to refute Zechs.

Seething, Zechs grabbed the cast-iron man by the collar and shook. "You weren't there for them! You don't deserve them."

"Zechs!" Lucrezia stepped up and shouted at her husband in stunned alarm. She deeply hoped he would not be so offensive at his own little sister's private funeral.

Sally intervened without putting her hand into the situation. She was never one to be physical unless it was not up to her. "Don't take your anger and pain out on him, has always been doing his job protecting her. Sometimes that job comes with a price. Remember Relena didn't die because he did a substandard job in the security department."

Zechs couldn't bring himself to back off. He knew why Relena died and that no one was at fault. Yet, he hated feeling remorse, so he didn't care how low-down his attack was on the man who lived to guard Relena. The coping mechanism for his pain was to attack the next closest thing his sister had been wrapped up in.

His nephew was shoving at his knee. He didn't even realize it until Duo came out to pry Zechs fingers out of Heero's collar.

"Chill out, you two."

Duo swiftly bent down to pick up the boy; it was a task that took much more effort than prying fingers involved in a strangle-hold. Quatre had to assist him. And together they took the boy out of earshot.

"No one asked her to sacrifice her happiness for the world," Zechs said through his clenched jaw.

Lucrezia reached over to embrace him. "That's the price for world peace."

"She stopped breathing in the middle of the night. Sounds natural to me and less painful than a bullet to the brain," Dorothy quipped. Any kind of death was better than death by assassination.

"The Vice Foreign Minister was sad, but she knew what it would cost her to stay in her political standing. Heero knew it, too. That's why he kept his distance," Trowa spoke somberly.

Wufei breathed, "We only stop to reflect on our mistakes when she dies. We wanted more out of our relationships, so we really can't let go. That's what loss does to people."

Sally nodded. "So says the man with experience."

The crowd turned expectantly to Heero who had yet to speak.

Instead of answering his friends, he turned from them and walked back to his car. They watched him slowly sit in the driver's seat, mourning in his tearless silence.

Une spoke out after a moment of silence. "I think this means early retirement for the ex-assassin-Wing-Gundam-Zero-pilot."

Zechs tied up the funeral and the rest of the group was heading back to their cars.

Zechs was saying to Quatre as Quatre carried Relena's toddler son to the cars, "You know he only wants to be with him because Relena told him those hero stories. She painted pictures into his head about what a wonderful man he is."

"Can't you just let it go for now?"

"He's my nephew."

"Relena wants it this way," Quatre argued vehemently. "I don't care for your reasoning; blood relative or not."

"He doesn't even know him," Zechs persisted.

"Then, they can both get to know each other… But, don't you think you should consider the fact that he was literally glued to his leg? Surely, there's some profound understanding between them even if they rarely saw enough of each other to know each other. Please, consider who they are."

"Quatre, we should hurry before he starts crying again," Dorothy urged, interrupting their argument. She relieved him of Zechs's relentless attitude by bringing him over to Heero's car.

"Hey, buddy, I'll drop by your new home when I'm done with my meeting tomorrow. I'll take the first flight back," Quatre promised, tapping his little nose after he buckled the boy in the back seat.

"Tell Uncle Zechs to come, too," he murmured.

Quatre reached over to ruffle his hair. "I'll tell him."

"Also, tell him I love him and sorry I can't go with him."

"Okay."

"And Q, don't forget me," he whimpered.

Quatre glanced over at Heero in the front. The man was stone silent.

Grumpily, Quatre went over to Heero's side and opened the door. He bent down and said in a low voice, "Heero, if you're not ready for this and you're unwilling to let Zechs handle things from here, Dorothy and I will be more than happy to help out until you're ready. It's hard, but it's still entirely up to you to make things easier for the both of you."

Heero's stoic silence and blank stare spoke worlds.

"Then, call me when you get home," Quatre mumbled and followed it by snapping the door shut.

That night, the boy slept in a new bed made for him. He was all alone and he didn't know where the protector was. Had he gone back to work?

He finally fell asleep when he was too tired to worry anymore. In the middle of the night he had a nightmare that left him drenched in his own tears and sweat. The sheets were tightly tangled and bound around him, so that all he could do was squirm. He had just woken from a dream of his mother.

Heero could barely sleep, haunted by the memories of Relena. A whimpering cry from the room he put the boy in, brought him there, disheveled. He saw the glitter of the boy's wet eyes as he looked groggily back at him. The boy hiccupped; scared he had bothered the protector who was kind enough to keep him. He froze every muscle in his body to hold back his sorrow and loneliness because he didn't want to upset the guardian who made him feel safe and loved.

Heero came slowly, eyeing the child uncertainly. Then, he unexpectedly went to the edge of the bed and gathered him in a bundle. He slid into the middle of the bed, resting his back to the head board and crossing his legs underneath him. The boy settled in his lap and arms feeling warm and less frightened. His small hands clenched at Heero's cotton T-shirt.

He had dreamed of his mother holding him and kissing him. Yet, the arms around the little boy didn't feel like the soft arms of his mother. They were tighter. Her honey-gold hair didn't encompass him; just rock solid arms circled him. The chest wasn't supple, but firm. The hug seemed unpracticed. Still, the intensity of hiccupping and rattling tears eased away.

"It's okay," Heero sighed. "Daddy's home for good."

AN: It wasn't utterly sad I hope. The point I wanted to get across was the touching scene between the father and son. In the beginning of the story, there were dead giveaways as to who was Relena's son's father. I don't actually say it's Heero until the end.

Thanks for your attention. Now, please review and favorite me.