Disclaimer: Don't own G-Wing, so you don't sue, please!
AN: *Cough* Yes, I know, another series when I haven't even finished my first one, but it's nearly there. And this is like the first idea that ever popped into my head for G-wing fanfiction, two years ago, but never got to write it out. R&R please! May become an Arc.
Summary: All hope for Heero and Relena are gone, and they have both contented themselves with what they have. But on a trip to start a new orphans program, Relena meets the most interesting of people. Her name's Aki, and Relena decides to adopt... 1xR
Rated PG 13 for slight language, for now.
Black Hair and Gray Eyes
Chapter 1
There was no hope. Duo concluded. The two just didn't see what was infront of them. He threw a rock into the pond and watched it sink to the bottom. Even Quatre, the most optimistic, had pretty much forgot about them.
It had been three years since the Marimaia incident. Heero still protected Relena with his life, and Relena protected him the same way, but neither would agree to happiness together. Duo sighed miserably. There was no telling blinded fools.
*~*~*~*~*
Both suit cases were packed, one with files and papers, the other with cothes and money. Her laptop was in a bag that slung on her shoulder, and everything else she needed was on her back already.
Relena lugged a suitcase outside and dropped it in the hall, where she knew Heero would bring it down into the car despite what she had told him to do. And okay, the other was a briefcase, but they were close enough. Besides, if it weighed this much, how brief could the documents be?
Her trip was to colony X199999, an older colony with quite a bit of promise, an ideal place to start the orphans program she wanted to begin. She had been wanting to start it for some time now, having seen some of the orphans that were no older than four running around and trying to sell lottery tickets elsewhere. But time never seemed to come for her. Even now she was busy, but her plans worked out fine.
The shuttle would be arriving at her Airport soon, so she had to hurry. Her bags were thrown into the black limo (thank god the pink one "broke down") and she slid in. Heero, her ever faithful bodyguard, slid in beside her, and opened his laptop. Relena would've done the same, except she got dizzy and sick if she read and rode on a car at te same time. So instead, she watched the scenery by the window pass, and began to tick off things she had to do, and things she had done.
*~*~*~*~*
Shuttle rides. There was something he saw every week. Always tagging along with Relena in the familiar silence. That required him to see space every week, and sometimes for days on end. She sat beside him, like always, and worked quietly, never boring him or anyone who didn't care with senseless chatter. Come to think of it, she barely talked. He only heard her voice when she muttered problems out loud, or when she was doing speeches. Then there were the chats between her and some of her friends and comrades, but they never really talked to eachother.
Of course, he was only her bodyguard. Speaking of bodyguards, he should've checked out the pilot more closely.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we will be landi-" The flight attendant never got to finish, because the pilot turned on his speaker right then. There were a few pauses, until the pilot finally spoke.
"I'm sorry folks, we just had a slight button problem, let's try that again." There were a few giggles and drifts of laughter in the crowd, and the attendant tried again. (AN: Based on true story, I should know.)
Heero continued to work on his laptop, not really paying attention to the woman. He already knew everything she was about to say. A child zoomed by with her mother, and a baby cried far off in the distance. People snored and murmured around him, but he ignored it all. There was too much to do. Too much to figure out and check before they got to the colony.
*~*~*~*~*
After arriving at the airport, Relena and Heero had gone straight to the hotel before going out. Relena had to put on a disguise as to not attract attention. She really needed to stretch her legs.
With her hair in a black cap, and dressed in very casual clothes, she disappeared into the washroom, and Heero took that moment to groan inwardly. He would have to follow her around the colony again. At least she didn't shop as much as the other women he knew. Like Hilde.
She came out with too much makeup on, and her face seemed pink with powder. The phone rang and she picked it up. It was Duo.
"Holy shit, Cleopatra's still alive! I better alert the media." Relena giggled a bit.
"Ha ha Duo, very funny. What do you need?" she walked over to the bed to slip on some socks and shoes.
"I take offense in that. Where's Heero?" Relena snapped her fingers and pointed at the vidcam when Heero looked at her. "Here you are! I was afraid you got lost." Heero grunted.
Relena tuned the two men out and fixed a couple of locks of hair falling out before waiting at the door for her shadow (Thank you Hilde) to finish up.
*~*~*~*~*
The streets were dirty and cracked. At least in the lower parts of the colony. They explored the sights and looked here and there. There were a few beggars and blind people whom Relena pitied and gave them change every chance she got. Sometimes, she even caught a glance of a few children, dirty looking and ragged, watching her in the alleys.
Heero was a ways behind, though not enough to lose sight of her. A black car past them both and Heero saw something out of the corner of his eye, then turned to look. Wrong move.
When he turned back, Relena was gone. Thinking she had just ran up ahead, he quickened his pace a little. But she wasn't in sight. That was when he caught sight of something shining in an alley. A knife.
He ran in to see a big burly man holding Relena tight, and whispering in her ear. He saw no knife on him, but there had definately been one somewhere. The big man saw him and smirked.
"This your girl?" Heero glared and the other man grinned. "She's a pretty one, she'll do." He turned to leave, and Heero was about to go after him, when Relena was suddenly dropped, and the man staggered back a few steps, clutching his stomache. 'Had Relena done that?'
His question was answered when the big man was hit again, but Relena was still on the ground, staring in amazement at the man, or what was hitting him. Heero ran up and carried the blonde away, but not before turning back to see her saviour be a little girl, with raven black hair and pale skin. An orphan no doubt, but why was she helping them?
He laid Relena outside the alley, and ran back in to help the child, but only to see that she had already knocked out the man. Actually, she had disappeared. Seeing this, he turned to leave, but only to see a group of children and the child surrounding Relena. The one who had been seen fighting looked up at him, with her grey eyes that could've phased anyone else. She looked no older then twelve.
"Some bodyguard you are, leave the minister out in the open for others." Her voice was a cold one. Almost unfeeling, though not quite. "You could've lost her for real this time." There were four other children. Two blonde ones, a boy and a girl. The boy's eyes were ice blue, and the girl's were a black colour. A brown haired girl who stood beside the black-haired one had hard green eyes and small freckles. Lastly was a red head boy with silvery eyes.
"How do you know who she is?" He eyed every one of them. Relena stood up and did the same, finally recovering from her shock.
"After you live on the streets for all of your life, you tend to get skills that no one has." She nodded and backed off, seemingly satisfied the Relena was safe. "My name's Greyhound, if you care. These are Quicksilver, Ice, Nightsky and Gremlin." She motioned to the redhead, the blonde boy, blonde girl and brunette. "Try to keep her safer." And with that, she ran off with her friends, all splitting up so he couldn't follow.
*~*~*~*~*
Relena was carried back to the hotel without a second to spare. She went off to change for the opening for the orphanage/ adoption centre. But still, she couldn't get the image of the girl out of her head. Another orphan, Greyhound. She hoped that the child and her friends would be one of the first to live in the orphanage. They were young and kindly, though Relena had a underlying feeling there was more than what they were letting on.
A shower and change of clothes refreshed her, and she set off to the last of tasks before the event.
*~*~*~*~*
"Why'd you help the two? I mean, I know that she's important, but that hasn't had an effect on you before." Nightsky questioned this particular group's leader, Greyhound. Nightsky was ten, youngest out of the five. Her hair was long and dirty, naturally, it was a deep, dark blonde. Her black eyes got her her name, as did the rest of the gang's.
"She's going to be the one who's going to put a roof over all of your heads." Greyhound was the oldest. She was nearly thirteen, and was leader of the group. Her black hair was long, and it complimented her grey eyes. Her skin was a natural pale peach. She was the only one with any scars from the war, though she never talked about it when asked.
Quicksilver looked at her uneasily, and hesitantly spoke. "Are you really not coming with us? I mean, it would be nice to have some good food to eat, a warm bed, and a roof over your head." Quicksilver was second youngest of the group, being only a few months older than Nightsky. He had short, dirty reddish-brown hair and odd coloured eyes. They were supposedly grey, but always had a glint in them to make them look almost silver.
Greyhound grinned at the smaller boy and affectionately mussed up his hair. "I'll be fine, I was out on the streets before this gang was even made." They continued to walk down the narrow alleyways.
"But you were never alone before." The two younger kids looked up at Gremlin questioningly. She looked at them back with her green eyes until someone else cleared their throat. Brown hair swirled as she looked over to spot Ice. She was the middle group member at age eleven and she knew that Ice was telling her that she should know better.
A flash of grimace crossed Greyhound's face before she caught herself. "But I'm older now, shouldn't be a problem." She replied quickly.
Ice looked at Gremlin again and she shrugged. Ice glared with his cold, blue eyes. He was second oldest at age twelve and had light blonde hair. Through his left eye ran a scar from eyebrow to just below where his nose ended. No one had been told what had happened, but then again, they all knew better than to ask.
The alley opened to a run-down street, in the oldest and most destroyed of the colony. The five took a few turns and walked into an old building. Inside waiting for them were orphans from age five to eighteen or nineteen. They all looked at the five whom had just entered. The oldest, being nearly twenty, stood up and walked towards them.
He stopped a few feet from Greyhound and looked at her straight in the eye, flinching slightly at what he saw. "You're late." Greyhound nodded. "We're leaving in a few minutes, get ready."
*~*~*~*~*
He followed her right up to the platform, and didn't take his eyes off of her until he saw Chang Wufei and Sally Po looking directly at her. They wouldn't be there for long, though. Then he skimmed the crowd and nearby houses for possible threats. He noted the few whom couldn't get close enough on the ground and clambered onto rooves, but the were no sure ones. He stepped back and hid himself in the shadows.
The platform was a makeshift made for this event only. The new building they were standing infront of was a deep red colour for the roof, and red bricks covered the outside. Where the sign was suppose to be, there was a cloth that hid it, which Relena would pull at the end of her speech. Heero nearly smirked at what was underneath. But instead, he crossed his arms and focused on the woman at the podium.
Relena began. "For years now, the wars have stopped and peace has been maintained. But despite all efforts, there is still suffering among us. Not from battles or injuries, but from the many who are homeless and sickly. Many of them are children, though there are few whom aren't. Therefore, for the children, I am proud to present this orphanage and adoption center. The many adults will have their own rooms and aids until they can come up with their own. I, myself will inspect this orphanage annually, so that the taxpayers may rest assured that their money is being put into good use. This will be the beginning of a brighter future for many. So it is my honour to present to you..." she walked over to the rope which was attached to the huge sheet, and pulled. Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped, barely able to make out the next few words. "The RDP Orphanage For The Young And Struggling?"
A young man ran up to the podium with a huge grin on his face before Relena could reacted. "Miss Relena Darlian Peacecraft." He paused for a moment to look at her face and his grin broadened. "For three years now, you have given to us peace, many gifts, and taken nothing in return. Not a single statue or building in your name. You have been incredibly kind for nothing in return, so I ask of you, for one favour: Let us have one building in your name, the one that will brighten so many futures, more than you have already, by descending from heaven and showing us the way. Let one building honour you for an eternity, for being the angel you are." The crowd applauded and cheered so loud it was deafening.
Relena's face broke into a smile and she nodded slowly towards the crowd, making it cheer even louder. A few people got onto the stage and lifted her up, and she hid her face slightly, but laughing nonetheless. From the microphone, the young man calmed the crowd down, laughing still at the woman's predicament. They brought Relena back to the stage were she walked back to the microphone in a daze.
"Thank you all, but let me tell you, none of that was necessary, though I thank you greatly for this gift. But now, back on track. Welcome to the orphanage." She motioned to the building and two men opened the doors, letting everyone in.
There was no banquet after that. Instead, everyone was allowed in to inspect the building, and the orphans who had come on their own account were welcomed in to stay. Some of the younger children didn't stay very long, there were a few adoptions very quickly.
Relena looked around the crowd to find a certain girl that had caught her interest. She reconized some of the five children out in the back alleys, but they disappeared before she could get to them. It was then that Zechs and Lucrezia came up to her. Actually, she was still insisting she was called Noin, having married Zechs and all.
"That was interesting, ne?" Noin held her sister-in-law close with one arm. Relena smiled weakly up at her and nodded.
"What are you two doing here?" She asked them both. They smiled and looked around.
"Noin and I were thinking about adopting, and we came for a look around." He patted her back. "I'm proud of you Relena, you've done great." Relena smiled and thanked him, before excusing herself. That was about when she caught sight of a bit of black hair. She turned to see someone walking out the door, and raced after them.
*~*~*~*~*
This was either bad or good, she couldn't tell. That Relena woman caught sight of her, and Greyhound couldn't tell if this was for better, or for worse. It was too late now, Greyhound could hear her footsteps and ragged breathing.
"Greyhound?" She had been spotted. The girl turned around an looked at the panting woman before her. "Aren't you going in?" Her posture was regained and she stood up straight.
"I haven't decided yet, but I do need some questions answered." the Foreign Vice Minister nodded and waited for her to continue. Greyhound reached into her shirt and pulled out a golden locket. She flipped it open and looked at the picture inside. It was of a two-year-old girl with black hair and gray eyes, just like her. But heaven and her only knew who it really was. "How much does this look like me?" She held out the picture for the woman to inspect, which she did carefully.
"Well, if it were both you and that picture together, you could tell that was you, but otherwise, there's almost no resemblance." She looked at Greyhound again. "That is you, right?" Greyhounds hesitated before nodding slightly.
"You could say that but I'm not done yet." She tucked the locket back into her shirt and continued. "Now, do you need our real names and information?"
"We need as much information as you can provide, but your names don't have to be real. A name's just a name." She quirked her eyebrow at Greyhound, but she just nodded.
"How much information will be available to people who want to adopt?" She stood straight and still.
"Just your name and age, anything else will be private unless you say otherwise." Greyhound nodded again. "By the way, you're going to use you're real name in the orphanage."
Greyhound thought for a moment and looked up at the woman waiting patiently. She walked right past her into the building. "Call me Aki."
*~*~*~*~*
Okay, that's the first chapter! Review if you like, and tell me what you think. I'll continue the story only if someone wants to read it. So.... R&R please!
AN: *Cough* Yes, I know, another series when I haven't even finished my first one, but it's nearly there. And this is like the first idea that ever popped into my head for G-wing fanfiction, two years ago, but never got to write it out. R&R please! May become an Arc.
Summary: All hope for Heero and Relena are gone, and they have both contented themselves with what they have. But on a trip to start a new orphans program, Relena meets the most interesting of people. Her name's Aki, and Relena decides to adopt... 1xR
Rated PG 13 for slight language, for now.
Black Hair and Gray Eyes
Chapter 1
There was no hope. Duo concluded. The two just didn't see what was infront of them. He threw a rock into the pond and watched it sink to the bottom. Even Quatre, the most optimistic, had pretty much forgot about them.
It had been three years since the Marimaia incident. Heero still protected Relena with his life, and Relena protected him the same way, but neither would agree to happiness together. Duo sighed miserably. There was no telling blinded fools.
*~*~*~*~*
Both suit cases were packed, one with files and papers, the other with cothes and money. Her laptop was in a bag that slung on her shoulder, and everything else she needed was on her back already.
Relena lugged a suitcase outside and dropped it in the hall, where she knew Heero would bring it down into the car despite what she had told him to do. And okay, the other was a briefcase, but they were close enough. Besides, if it weighed this much, how brief could the documents be?
Her trip was to colony X199999, an older colony with quite a bit of promise, an ideal place to start the orphans program she wanted to begin. She had been wanting to start it for some time now, having seen some of the orphans that were no older than four running around and trying to sell lottery tickets elsewhere. But time never seemed to come for her. Even now she was busy, but her plans worked out fine.
The shuttle would be arriving at her Airport soon, so she had to hurry. Her bags were thrown into the black limo (thank god the pink one "broke down") and she slid in. Heero, her ever faithful bodyguard, slid in beside her, and opened his laptop. Relena would've done the same, except she got dizzy and sick if she read and rode on a car at te same time. So instead, she watched the scenery by the window pass, and began to tick off things she had to do, and things she had done.
*~*~*~*~*
Shuttle rides. There was something he saw every week. Always tagging along with Relena in the familiar silence. That required him to see space every week, and sometimes for days on end. She sat beside him, like always, and worked quietly, never boring him or anyone who didn't care with senseless chatter. Come to think of it, she barely talked. He only heard her voice when she muttered problems out loud, or when she was doing speeches. Then there were the chats between her and some of her friends and comrades, but they never really talked to eachother.
Of course, he was only her bodyguard. Speaking of bodyguards, he should've checked out the pilot more closely.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we will be landi-" The flight attendant never got to finish, because the pilot turned on his speaker right then. There were a few pauses, until the pilot finally spoke.
"I'm sorry folks, we just had a slight button problem, let's try that again." There were a few giggles and drifts of laughter in the crowd, and the attendant tried again. (AN: Based on true story, I should know.)
Heero continued to work on his laptop, not really paying attention to the woman. He already knew everything she was about to say. A child zoomed by with her mother, and a baby cried far off in the distance. People snored and murmured around him, but he ignored it all. There was too much to do. Too much to figure out and check before they got to the colony.
*~*~*~*~*
After arriving at the airport, Relena and Heero had gone straight to the hotel before going out. Relena had to put on a disguise as to not attract attention. She really needed to stretch her legs.
With her hair in a black cap, and dressed in very casual clothes, she disappeared into the washroom, and Heero took that moment to groan inwardly. He would have to follow her around the colony again. At least she didn't shop as much as the other women he knew. Like Hilde.
She came out with too much makeup on, and her face seemed pink with powder. The phone rang and she picked it up. It was Duo.
"Holy shit, Cleopatra's still alive! I better alert the media." Relena giggled a bit.
"Ha ha Duo, very funny. What do you need?" she walked over to the bed to slip on some socks and shoes.
"I take offense in that. Where's Heero?" Relena snapped her fingers and pointed at the vidcam when Heero looked at her. "Here you are! I was afraid you got lost." Heero grunted.
Relena tuned the two men out and fixed a couple of locks of hair falling out before waiting at the door for her shadow (Thank you Hilde) to finish up.
*~*~*~*~*
The streets were dirty and cracked. At least in the lower parts of the colony. They explored the sights and looked here and there. There were a few beggars and blind people whom Relena pitied and gave them change every chance she got. Sometimes, she even caught a glance of a few children, dirty looking and ragged, watching her in the alleys.
Heero was a ways behind, though not enough to lose sight of her. A black car past them both and Heero saw something out of the corner of his eye, then turned to look. Wrong move.
When he turned back, Relena was gone. Thinking she had just ran up ahead, he quickened his pace a little. But she wasn't in sight. That was when he caught sight of something shining in an alley. A knife.
He ran in to see a big burly man holding Relena tight, and whispering in her ear. He saw no knife on him, but there had definately been one somewhere. The big man saw him and smirked.
"This your girl?" Heero glared and the other man grinned. "She's a pretty one, she'll do." He turned to leave, and Heero was about to go after him, when Relena was suddenly dropped, and the man staggered back a few steps, clutching his stomache. 'Had Relena done that?'
His question was answered when the big man was hit again, but Relena was still on the ground, staring in amazement at the man, or what was hitting him. Heero ran up and carried the blonde away, but not before turning back to see her saviour be a little girl, with raven black hair and pale skin. An orphan no doubt, but why was she helping them?
He laid Relena outside the alley, and ran back in to help the child, but only to see that she had already knocked out the man. Actually, she had disappeared. Seeing this, he turned to leave, but only to see a group of children and the child surrounding Relena. The one who had been seen fighting looked up at him, with her grey eyes that could've phased anyone else. She looked no older then twelve.
"Some bodyguard you are, leave the minister out in the open for others." Her voice was a cold one. Almost unfeeling, though not quite. "You could've lost her for real this time." There were four other children. Two blonde ones, a boy and a girl. The boy's eyes were ice blue, and the girl's were a black colour. A brown haired girl who stood beside the black-haired one had hard green eyes and small freckles. Lastly was a red head boy with silvery eyes.
"How do you know who she is?" He eyed every one of them. Relena stood up and did the same, finally recovering from her shock.
"After you live on the streets for all of your life, you tend to get skills that no one has." She nodded and backed off, seemingly satisfied the Relena was safe. "My name's Greyhound, if you care. These are Quicksilver, Ice, Nightsky and Gremlin." She motioned to the redhead, the blonde boy, blonde girl and brunette. "Try to keep her safer." And with that, she ran off with her friends, all splitting up so he couldn't follow.
*~*~*~*~*
Relena was carried back to the hotel without a second to spare. She went off to change for the opening for the orphanage/ adoption centre. But still, she couldn't get the image of the girl out of her head. Another orphan, Greyhound. She hoped that the child and her friends would be one of the first to live in the orphanage. They were young and kindly, though Relena had a underlying feeling there was more than what they were letting on.
A shower and change of clothes refreshed her, and she set off to the last of tasks before the event.
*~*~*~*~*
"Why'd you help the two? I mean, I know that she's important, but that hasn't had an effect on you before." Nightsky questioned this particular group's leader, Greyhound. Nightsky was ten, youngest out of the five. Her hair was long and dirty, naturally, it was a deep, dark blonde. Her black eyes got her her name, as did the rest of the gang's.
"She's going to be the one who's going to put a roof over all of your heads." Greyhound was the oldest. She was nearly thirteen, and was leader of the group. Her black hair was long, and it complimented her grey eyes. Her skin was a natural pale peach. She was the only one with any scars from the war, though she never talked about it when asked.
Quicksilver looked at her uneasily, and hesitantly spoke. "Are you really not coming with us? I mean, it would be nice to have some good food to eat, a warm bed, and a roof over your head." Quicksilver was second youngest of the group, being only a few months older than Nightsky. He had short, dirty reddish-brown hair and odd coloured eyes. They were supposedly grey, but always had a glint in them to make them look almost silver.
Greyhound grinned at the smaller boy and affectionately mussed up his hair. "I'll be fine, I was out on the streets before this gang was even made." They continued to walk down the narrow alleyways.
"But you were never alone before." The two younger kids looked up at Gremlin questioningly. She looked at them back with her green eyes until someone else cleared their throat. Brown hair swirled as she looked over to spot Ice. She was the middle group member at age eleven and she knew that Ice was telling her that she should know better.
A flash of grimace crossed Greyhound's face before she caught herself. "But I'm older now, shouldn't be a problem." She replied quickly.
Ice looked at Gremlin again and she shrugged. Ice glared with his cold, blue eyes. He was second oldest at age twelve and had light blonde hair. Through his left eye ran a scar from eyebrow to just below where his nose ended. No one had been told what had happened, but then again, they all knew better than to ask.
The alley opened to a run-down street, in the oldest and most destroyed of the colony. The five took a few turns and walked into an old building. Inside waiting for them were orphans from age five to eighteen or nineteen. They all looked at the five whom had just entered. The oldest, being nearly twenty, stood up and walked towards them.
He stopped a few feet from Greyhound and looked at her straight in the eye, flinching slightly at what he saw. "You're late." Greyhound nodded. "We're leaving in a few minutes, get ready."
*~*~*~*~*
He followed her right up to the platform, and didn't take his eyes off of her until he saw Chang Wufei and Sally Po looking directly at her. They wouldn't be there for long, though. Then he skimmed the crowd and nearby houses for possible threats. He noted the few whom couldn't get close enough on the ground and clambered onto rooves, but the were no sure ones. He stepped back and hid himself in the shadows.
The platform was a makeshift made for this event only. The new building they were standing infront of was a deep red colour for the roof, and red bricks covered the outside. Where the sign was suppose to be, there was a cloth that hid it, which Relena would pull at the end of her speech. Heero nearly smirked at what was underneath. But instead, he crossed his arms and focused on the woman at the podium.
Relena began. "For years now, the wars have stopped and peace has been maintained. But despite all efforts, there is still suffering among us. Not from battles or injuries, but from the many who are homeless and sickly. Many of them are children, though there are few whom aren't. Therefore, for the children, I am proud to present this orphanage and adoption center. The many adults will have their own rooms and aids until they can come up with their own. I, myself will inspect this orphanage annually, so that the taxpayers may rest assured that their money is being put into good use. This will be the beginning of a brighter future for many. So it is my honour to present to you..." she walked over to the rope which was attached to the huge sheet, and pulled. Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped, barely able to make out the next few words. "The RDP Orphanage For The Young And Struggling?"
A young man ran up to the podium with a huge grin on his face before Relena could reacted. "Miss Relena Darlian Peacecraft." He paused for a moment to look at her face and his grin broadened. "For three years now, you have given to us peace, many gifts, and taken nothing in return. Not a single statue or building in your name. You have been incredibly kind for nothing in return, so I ask of you, for one favour: Let us have one building in your name, the one that will brighten so many futures, more than you have already, by descending from heaven and showing us the way. Let one building honour you for an eternity, for being the angel you are." The crowd applauded and cheered so loud it was deafening.
Relena's face broke into a smile and she nodded slowly towards the crowd, making it cheer even louder. A few people got onto the stage and lifted her up, and she hid her face slightly, but laughing nonetheless. From the microphone, the young man calmed the crowd down, laughing still at the woman's predicament. They brought Relena back to the stage were she walked back to the microphone in a daze.
"Thank you all, but let me tell you, none of that was necessary, though I thank you greatly for this gift. But now, back on track. Welcome to the orphanage." She motioned to the building and two men opened the doors, letting everyone in.
There was no banquet after that. Instead, everyone was allowed in to inspect the building, and the orphans who had come on their own account were welcomed in to stay. Some of the younger children didn't stay very long, there were a few adoptions very quickly.
Relena looked around the crowd to find a certain girl that had caught her interest. She reconized some of the five children out in the back alleys, but they disappeared before she could get to them. It was then that Zechs and Lucrezia came up to her. Actually, she was still insisting she was called Noin, having married Zechs and all.
"That was interesting, ne?" Noin held her sister-in-law close with one arm. Relena smiled weakly up at her and nodded.
"What are you two doing here?" She asked them both. They smiled and looked around.
"Noin and I were thinking about adopting, and we came for a look around." He patted her back. "I'm proud of you Relena, you've done great." Relena smiled and thanked him, before excusing herself. That was about when she caught sight of a bit of black hair. She turned to see someone walking out the door, and raced after them.
*~*~*~*~*
This was either bad or good, she couldn't tell. That Relena woman caught sight of her, and Greyhound couldn't tell if this was for better, or for worse. It was too late now, Greyhound could hear her footsteps and ragged breathing.
"Greyhound?" She had been spotted. The girl turned around an looked at the panting woman before her. "Aren't you going in?" Her posture was regained and she stood up straight.
"I haven't decided yet, but I do need some questions answered." the Foreign Vice Minister nodded and waited for her to continue. Greyhound reached into her shirt and pulled out a golden locket. She flipped it open and looked at the picture inside. It was of a two-year-old girl with black hair and gray eyes, just like her. But heaven and her only knew who it really was. "How much does this look like me?" She held out the picture for the woman to inspect, which she did carefully.
"Well, if it were both you and that picture together, you could tell that was you, but otherwise, there's almost no resemblance." She looked at Greyhound again. "That is you, right?" Greyhounds hesitated before nodding slightly.
"You could say that but I'm not done yet." She tucked the locket back into her shirt and continued. "Now, do you need our real names and information?"
"We need as much information as you can provide, but your names don't have to be real. A name's just a name." She quirked her eyebrow at Greyhound, but she just nodded.
"How much information will be available to people who want to adopt?" She stood straight and still.
"Just your name and age, anything else will be private unless you say otherwise." Greyhound nodded again. "By the way, you're going to use you're real name in the orphanage."
Greyhound thought for a moment and looked up at the woman waiting patiently. She walked right past her into the building. "Call me Aki."
*~*~*~*~*
Okay, that's the first chapter! Review if you like, and tell me what you think. I'll continue the story only if someone wants to read it. So.... R&R please!