Disclaimers: The song is Fiona's, the boys
belong to some production company somewhere, not making any money from
this, you know the routine.
Spoilers: Nothing noticeable unless you've seen
the parts I've given away.
Feedback: Pretty please? With little chibis
on top? (You pick which ones ~_^) Post here, or you can e-mail
me at quelirain@yahoo.com.
Never Let You Go
Chapter 1
by quelirain
I've been a bad, bad girl
I've been careless with a delicate man
And it's a sad, sad world
When a girl will break a boy just because
she can
Don't you tell me to deny it
I've done wrong and I want to suffer for my
sins
I've come to you 'cause I need guidance to
be true
And I just don't know where I can begin
--Fiona Apple, "Criminal"
|
Relena huddled in the dark backseat of the cab,
clutching Quatre's wallet in her shaking hands. Her bare feet were jammed
into her slip-on shoes, her heel crushing their backs, and long tendrils
of tangled hair hung in her face.
//"Take my wallet. It's in the back pocket
of my pants," Quatre ordered calmly. "There's enough money in that wallet
to get you away from here." Quatre's eyes and his gun never wavered from
the prussian-eyed shadow across the room.
"God, Quatre! Please, I can't do this! I can't!"
"You can, Relena. And you will." //
And she had. She'd crawled across the bed to where
Quatre was standing, taken the wallet from his back pocket just like he'd
told her, and left him there. Abandoned him to face Heero. An enraged
Heero.
The shuttle port loomed outside the window, offering
what little safety it could.
// The cab had just pulled up in front of Quatre's
apartments when she heard the shot. She looked up to the lit window on
the 23rd floor--the light of the room she'd just fled--staring, hoping
for a signal, something to indicate what had happened. But the light remained
constant, and no shadows passed in front of the curtain.
"Lady, you gettin' in or what?"
She looked at the grizzled driver blankly.
"Hey, the meter's runnin'. It's your money."
There wasn't time to think. Quatre would delay
Heero no matter what the cost. She swung herself into the cab and slammed
the door. "Take me to the shuttle port, and there'll be extra for you if
you hurry."
"Got it." The driver sped off. //
Relena paid the driver, then walked into the shuttle
port. She bought tickets under the name Relena Darlian, one for each colony
cluster. She wasn't going to make this easy for Heero.
She found a quiet corner of the waiting area,
then opened Quatre's wallet. Inside she found his identification, security
clearance, debit card, and some cash. She counted the bills carefully,
noting that it was the universal denomination--untraceable, but it would
mark her as a foreigner on any of the colonies. The only place universal
cash was used on a regular basis was in large cities on Earth; everywhere
else there was some sort of local currency, or else everyone used debit
cards.
There was also a faded picture all of those who'd
fought together during the war. Lady Une, Catherine, Hilde, Sally,
Howard, and of course the five pilots themselves, together, smiling.
It was the only time they'd all been together since the war ended nearly
a decade ago.
Behind the photo was a picture of Trowa. He still
had his hair combed in front of his eye, but his shoulders had broadened,
and Relena suspected he'd grown a good six inches since she'd seen him
last. Relena smiled. I knew those two were closer than they pretended
to be.
After waiting about fifteen minutes, she boarded
the shuttle to the L-2 cluster. It had been the third to leave. She hoped
Heero would think she just took the first shuttle she could off the planet,
which would have placed her in the middle of L-4. If Heero thought as she
feared he did, he'd think she'd flee to L-4, where Quatre's main estate
was.
Relena closed her eyes, controlling the tears,
but not the memory of the events that sparked them.
// She walked into the lobby and pressed the
button next to the name Winner.
A sleepy voice answered. "Yes?"
"Quatre, it's Relena Darlian," she said quietly.
"Come on up! I'll send down the elevator."
The door buzzed, and Relena pushed it open, then walked to Quatre's private
elevator. Quatre was waiting for her when the doors opened on the 23rd
floor.
"Relena, what a surprise! I thought you'd be
in Brussels by now." Relena shook her head and threw herself against him,
sobbing. Quatre's arms wrapped around her firmly, holding her while she
wept, murmuring sounds of reassurance and comfort.
After the initial onslaught slowed, Quatre
gently turned her face upward. He'd gotten taller over the years, now just
barely reaching 6 feet. He'd always stayed lean, but he'd maintained
his strength as he'd grown.
"Let's sit down," he said quietly, taking her
to a dimly lit den. She sat on the couch, legs tucked beneath her. Walking
over to the built-in bar, he poured a glass of water and offered it to
her. She sipped it, the water washing away the knot in her throat.
Quatre's blue eyes shone with concern and worry.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Relena curled up into a ball at the end of
the couch. "It's Heero," she whispered. "I want to end it with Heero."
Quatre eyes widened with surprise. "The wedding's
in just a few weeks." They both knew the media would have a field day once
word got out. Relena still was active politically, but she'd been
transferring more and more of her duties to Milliard as the wedding approached.
The press had been understanding--to a point. Just a few weeks ago,
they'd been questioning her competence as a world leader. She couldn't
take another scandal.
"I know," she said miserably. "But I can't
keep lying to him... or myself."
"How so?"
She turned her face up to Quatre's, meeting
his eyes. "I've been seeing someone else," she said bluntly.//
A tear trickled from the inner corner of her eye.
She angrily wiped it away, but another came, accompanied by a hiccupping
breath.
Reaching into her pocket, she searched for the
one object of comfort she'd brought with her. It was a gold cross, plain,
with a simple chain of the same metal. Her hands shook as she clasped it
around her neck, then covered it with her hand to press it to her throat.
Soon, her breathing eased, and she slept.
~owari chapter 1~
