Aquarian Wings

By Ashley R Taloff

'The space between the wicked lies we tell, and hope to keep safe from the pain'

Past Time AC 204

Relena Peacecraft stood in the quiet office, taking in the silence with a deep breath and trying to exhale her unhappiness.

It didn't, couldn't, and wouldn't leave her. Damn this job, she thought unmercifully.

Then cringed at herself in chagrin; she was blasphemous in her own right, damning the job that she had taken upon herself. It was a job that, for nearly a year, she had taken on for the wrong reasons. It wasn't until a young child had shown her the true reflections of humanity.

Humanity was something Relena tried to patiently teach. How to share, how to love, how to behave gracefully.

Tiny, shaking legs, eager to walk, but afraid to fall.

Hundreds of bullies to win over; hundreds of hearts to soothe.

She sighed. Gently hugging the worn teddy bear tighter to her chest, smelling him on it and felt a catchy breathe release itself. Tears, unwanted, gently slid down her cheek, coursing slowly from eye to chin to the soft fur of the momento Heero Yuy had given her.

"Oh, Heero."

Past Time AC 199

Heero Yuy tapped on the wooden arm rest of the lobby chair. Lady was taking forfrickinever, and he was already late. He glanced at his watch again.

"BloodyHell . . ." he muttered under his breath. His best friends were going murder him. He smiled at the thought of their two year old son laughing as mother and father argued with the boy's 'uncle' playfully.

And then Lady appeared, apologetic and asking him to please accompany her into her plush Preventers office.

Thirty minutes later, he smiled and laughed as she cracked a very naughty joke. Marian wouldn't ever allow such dirty talk in their house, so he let himself reiterate one of his own.

A polite knock interrupted the punch line.

Two security guards and three policemen walked in, and the two ex-soldiers rose; Heero pulling the gun out of the invisible holster on his chest. There was a solemness about the guards and police officers that made him worry.

"Mr. Yuy, there is something we need to tell you."

Heero's eyes narrowed.

"What is this all about, gentlemen?" Lady asked, none too politely.

The police shifted under the angered glares of the two most powerful people in Europa.

Another officer, by the name of Walters, started with a stutter. "M-Mister Yuy, the Maxwells . . ."

In less than two seconds, Heero had leapt across Commander Lady Une's enormous office to wrap his hands around Lieutenant Walters's pale neck. He bared his teeth and it wouldn't have surprised anyone to hear a primitive growl escape from the ex-Gundam Pilot. Heero's blue eyes glittered dangerously. "What about Duo and Sylvia . . ."

Walters's eyes were wide and scared. "There's . . . b-b-been in an accident . . ."

Another officer placed a shaking hand on Yuy's shoulder. "I'm sorry Mr. Yuy, there's noth- . . ." His calm voice deteriorated in the young man's head.

Heero's legs buckled and he slid to the ground, letting go of Walters's neck.

Past Time AC 201

Adrian sighed and finished wiping down the ugly plastic counter. It was a hideous, cracking, sour egg dotted plastic counter, but at least it didn't have any tell tale smells of alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, or cigarette smoke in it yet. She was careful to keep those smells away.

Of course, spending weekends away meant spending Monday nights scrubbing away her mother's bingeing sprees with all things intoxicating.

Adrian hated weekends, much preferring to stay with a friend or the local youth hostel. Weekends meant dealing with her mother at her worst. Angry, disillusioned with it; so much so that Adrian became the very thing her mother despised.

Adrian's father.