Living With Yourself
Character Study of Mariemaia Khushrenada/Barton
Chapter Fiction
Summary: Six years after the war A.C. 203, at the tender age of 13, Mariemaia slowly starts to come to terms with what happened during and after the war and begins to learn the hardest lesson of life, learning how to live with yourself.
Authoress Note: Reviews are love ^_^. This story is pounding in my head so it'll get written regardless but it's nice to know what people think about what I write. Plus it's also a good distraction when I need to take a break from studying for my accounting test.
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters do not belong to me.
Word Count 4,284
Chapter Two: Belleview
Hearing her alarm go off at five am that morning had not been pleasant but she had been expecting it and managed to drag herself out of bed before one of her guards would deem it necessary to knock on her door.
She would go to Belleview today, classes started in two days, but it was deemed that she needed the two days to adjust to her new surroundings and get everything set up as she liked it. Sliding out of her bed she let her feet hit the floor before pushing herself up and onto her feet for yet another long day.
Lady Une had said that Belleview had a political lean, almost every student there would have heard of her name, which meant that her first impression was crucial when she started at Belleview. Even at thirteen she knew that the friends she made now would make or break her future when she got back out into politics.
Miss Relena had said it would be a gradual thing, as some memories were very long and the Earth's Sphere Unified Nations would not be quick to forgive her until some kind of reform had been made, and more than likely several measures would be taken to keep her in check unless she could fully prove that she had been rehabilitated.
Lady Une would have preferred a leaning more towards the Preventers as would have all of the Gundam pilots. The issue of her safety would make it impossible for her to do field work until they all deemed her well trained, in fact Trowa had mentioned the fact that when she started at Belleview it had been arranged for her to have random practices with whichever guard member was there at the time. It was not something she was looking forward to, the bullet hadn't paralyzed her but it did do extensive damage and sometimes in the beginning of fall and all throughout the winter she would have a deep ache in her body that nothing could get rid of.
A knock on her inner bed room door shook her from her thoughts and startled her when it sounded again. A glance at her appearance told her she was not dressed to receive anyone expect maybe Lady Une or Miss Relena, both had helped her greatly during her rehabilitation, dressing and bathing the young girl when her energy stores had been depleted.
"Who is it?" she asked, formality passed her at the moment, it was only a little after five in the morning.
"It's Relena; I know you're not dressed. I'll be the only one coming in." her voice was still softer than most politicians and it was what endeared her to the people she served.
"Alright" She could trust Relena Darlian; she had mentored the girl since she had come under the care of Lady Une.
Mariemaia never let her eyes leave Relena as she opened and closed the inner door quietly. She was dressed in a pant suit of a deep burgundy with a cream colored shirt underneath. The colors where a little dark for this early in the season but it looked good against the woman's slightly tanned skin. Her hair had been pulled back into two braids that where then braided into each other tightly against her scalp, it was something new but it looked good.
"Why don't you go get a shower, fix your hair and do your make up, I'll find you something to wear while you do that." Relena said, gently pushing the young woman towards her bathroom, causing her to stumble slightly, only her etiquette training managing to keep her from falling to the ground.
"I'm sorry is it bothering you again?" Relena asked, worry and something close to pity etched across her face.
"Hardly. You know it's the worst in the winter time, fall hasn't even started yet so this is nothing." Mariemaia said, brushing off Relena's concern by quickly slipping into her bathroom, leaving the door open a crack to keep the mirrors from fogging up, hoping to hide her pathetic attempt at a lie.
Turning on the taps she waited as it adjusted to the right temperature before stripping herself and throwing her dirty clothes into her clothes hamper that was empty, everything that she had wanted to take, and the new acquires from the shopping trip yesterday where already packed up and ready to be shipped to Belleview. Her room was well equipped, or so Lady Une had said, which meant that they could be taken at their word. No T.V.s where allowed in any of the bedrooms, although computers were a necessity that every student was required to have, Belleview did not come cheap, and offered very few academic grants so money would only be an issue for a few students, if any at all.
Relena had plans on changing that if Belleview was to Mariemaia's liking. After her first year there she would establish a trust fund for under privileged students who came in on academic grants, giving them spending money and the means to keep up with those around them in fashion and lifestyle. It would seem trivial, but with the school's political lean made those that weren't up to standard look a little out of place, making them hard pressed to find adequate employment even with their training and school's status. It wasn't impossible by any means but they usually had to start out at the bottom and make their way to the top the hard way.
Needless to say she had done her research on the prestigious institution she would be going to live at. They had the capacity to hold two hundred students per year, only housing years seven through twelve. If filled to capacity there would be a total of twelve hundred students on campus. At the age of thirteen, soon to be fourteen, she would be sorted into the eighth grade, more than likely being pushed up yet another year. Relena and Lady Une had made sure her education would not be lacking, she had studied anything and everything that stroked her interest and a few that did not strike her interest much to her disdain.
Finding that the water flowing through the taps was now at the point of turning cold, she quickly washed her hair and scrubbed herself before turning off the cold water and stepping out of the shower and into a robe that had been hanging on the back of her bathroom door. A glance at her counter showed that Relena had come in and placed her clothes folded neatly on the sink for the day. It was a cream colored suit with a skirt, something Mariemaia did not like, a pair of brown flats and a white shirt to go under her suit jacket. Quickly drying herself off she slipped into the offered suit and began with the quick task of drying her hair and attempting to get it to lay flat.
"Relena!" her voice echoed off the bathroom walls making her wince as the bathroom door was pushed open to show Miss Relena on the other side.
"Yes?"
"What time do we have to leave?" she asked, she already knew the answer, she was nervous, it was just a distraction. She was a Khushrenada she would never admit that she was nervous.
"We need to leave by six thirty at the latest."
There was something soothing about hearing her voice, it was always so calm and assured.
"So we have time for breakfast?" Mariemaia asked, her pleasure showing through her voice at the thought of getting a final breakfast with everyone present.
"Of course , you think I'd send you away without a proper breakfast?" Lady Une asked, making her presence known as she eased open the door.
"Of course not mother." The sarcasm was evident in her voice even as a smile broke across her face.
Grabbing her purse and the bag she always kept on her Mariemaia followed her adoptive mother and friend down to breakfast to find everyone waiting for her. It had become a common practice in the Une household that everyone, including her guards on duty, her friends, would eat together.
"Morning princess sleep good?" Duo asked, his hand trying to wander to the French toast that was piled high on a plate in front of him, to be stopped by Hilde.
"Of course Duo, dig in guys don't wait on my account or the food would get cold." She said laughing as Quatre, always the gentleman pulled out her chair for her.
"Thank you Quatre." She said, as everyone around her began digging into their meals while discussion on her safety came up once again.
Heero and Wufei were absent but she had expected as much. Being the case Trowa was now in charge of her safety when traveling to the school and his conversation steered towards the strategic plan.
"Yue and Chang are already in their positions. The rest of us will leave here at 0700 and if everything goes as planned arrive at the school by 1000. Your select guard will stay with you in a room off of yours while you're enrolled here and the rest of us catch a return flight at 1200…"
Trowa's voice trailed off at the silence that followed after his proclamation. Apparently she hadn't been told that a guard would stay with her while she was at school.
Mariemaia smiled a stiff smile before wiping her lips of with a napkin, giving herself time to calm down internally.
"Mother, when exactly where you planning on telling me that a guard was to be staying on campus with me?"
Her voice was sweet but it was laced with hidden venom and eyes of steel.
Lady Une was silently proud of her adoptive daughter; she would make a great politician or head of the Preventers.
"A necessary evil I'm afraid, you know there have been several attempts on your life already and I refuse to allow Treize's daughter to die."
"I assume you are going to rotate out?" she asked, directing this question to the Gundam pilots and ignoring the comment from Lady Une that shocked her back to a night she didn't want to remember, at nods from the three pilots she sighed before being resigned to it.
"I know I can't change your mind. Just try not to make it to obvious if you don't mind." Mariemaia asked, defeat evident in her voice as she continued her meal, her eyes glazing over as she lost herself in thought.
Time passed quickly as seven rolled around and they made the short car ride to the airport, all three pilots alert in their own way with three high profile dignitaries moving at the same time. Airport security was high, a section of it had been locked down by Preventers and their plane stood waiting for them, having been checked thoroughly. Upon boarding the plane and seeing no pilot Mariemaia chided herself at forgetting about the skills of the Gundam pilots, they all could pilot a plane, having it be deemed a necessary skill for them to learn.
She watched each as no one made a move for the controls until the door had been secured and the plane had been thoroughly rechecked. Finally after thirty minutes Duo made a move for the controls, something that did nothing for her nerves. She had seen his shuttle flying abilities and they where astute, his ability to handle a plane however was an unknown, something she detested.
They pulled out smoothly and an hour into the plane ride she allowed herself to relax and fall back into a book Relena had given her. Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales by Brothers Grimm. It was not something she would normally read but Miss Relena had insisted that it would be good light reading for when she tired of numbers, science theories and thesis papers that she would do. Her class schedule was a bit heavy but all she had was time, or so Lady Une said, and she had to learn to schedule her time wisely to get projects and tasks done.
Belleview had been around for over a century, since before mobile suits and gundams existed. It had four dormitories, one male and one female, that housed three hundred students apiece. Each dormitory was three floors high. One hundred students to a floor, double to a room, fifty rooms per floor.
Each room had a main common sitting room which branched off to separate bedrooms and a shared bathroom. Desks where placed in the sitting room but could be moved to the bedroom at the student's request. Bookcases were empty and expected to be filled with the required and extra project reading assignments that their classes required. The book list just for the classes she was taking this year was extensive in itself.
Some classes where all male and all female and where kept separate these were usually gym, Feminine Studies, Feminist Literature 101 & 202, Women in Politics 101 & 102, and a few elective courses. You stayed with your homeroom class as you moved from class to class and where generally assigned a study buddy, usually always your roommate. Of course Mariemaia Khushrenada would have her own private room and sitting room, in a building right inside the main campus teacher dormitories. It was a two story building, she was told. Her suite of rooms had a public parlor, which led off to a bedroom on the left which had access to a private study, library and bathroom and then another bedroom on the right, which had the same amenities.
"We'll meet the headmistress when we arrive and once you're settled in she'll give you your uniforms and books and go over the campus with us." Lady Une said, sounding excited about the prospect of seeing the campus, even though she had already visited the campus twice to make sure it was what was best for her daughter.
"Am I still on track with my classes?" Mariemaia asked, having not yet received a class schedule.
"You've got nine classes." Relena replied, digging around in her folder until she came up with a few sheets of paper which she handed to the red headed girl who sat across from her.
Monday & Wednesday & Friday
Room & Uniform Inspection 6:00AM – 7:00 AM
Breakfast 7:00 AM -7:50 AM
Algebra I 8:00AM -10:00 AM
English I 10:10 AM – 12:00 PM
Lunch 12:10PM —01:10 PM
Biology I 01:00PM-2:00PM
Self Defense (non traditional) 2:10 PM-3:00 PM
Dinner 5:00PM-7:00 PM
Free Block 7:00 PM-10:00 PM
Light's Out 10:00 PM
Tuesday, Thursday, & Saturday
Room & Uniform Inspection 6:00AM – 7:00 AM
Breakfast 7:00 AM -7:50 AM
History of the Colonies 8:00AM -10:00 AM
Gym 10:10 AM – 12:00 PM
Lunch 12:10PM —01:10 PM
Literature of the War Years 01:00PM-2:00PM
Fencing 2:10PM-3:00PM
Study Block 3:00 PM-4:00 PM
Etiquette 4:10-5:00 PM
Dinner 5:00 PM-7:00 PM
Free Block 7:00 PM-10:00 PM
Light's Out 10:00 PM
It was a busy schedule but it wasn't something she couldn't handle and she knew such although Literature of the War Years was not going to quickly become one of her favorite classes, she could see that much if the book list was anything to go by. They had to do a book a week, which would then be tested on the following Tuesday and beginning anew with another book the same day. The Etiquette book was a little daunting but it would be used over the course of her stay here and not just for a one year term.
Contemplating her book list, and the stack of books she had brought with her allowed Mariemaia to pass the time quickly as she soon fell asleep unknowingly, only to be woken by Quatre shaking her lightly on the shoulder.
"It's time to wake up princess, we're at the school." He said, his voice soothing and appealing to wake up to, causing a blush to rise to her skin which didn't go unnoticed but did go unmentioned. Someone had moved her from the plane when it had landed and into a waiting car, the fact she didn't fell being moved at all was an astounding feat, something only one of her pilots could do.
'Her pilots'?' She shook her head, best not to dwell on her odd sense of wording; they were already at the school.
Glancing around she realized everyone was once again staring at her waiting on her, causing her blush to return as she straightened out her suit and swiftly followed Lady Une and Relena out of the car and proceeded to greet a very stern looking lady who reminded Mariemaia a lot like her mother the Lady Une.
"My name is Madame Grange. Welcome to Belleview, Vice Foreign Minister Darlian," she offered her hand to Relena before turning to Lady Une who shook her hand with a fierce manner and finally turning her sights onto Mariemaia. "Miss Khushrenada I presume?"
The look in the woman's eyes, first fear and then control, let Mariemaia know she knew exactly who she was. She allowed her mask to slide into place before shaking her hand.
"Madame Grange." The coldness Dakim had drilled into her had returned and it sent shivers down Madame Grange's back. "I would prefer to be called Leia Barton if you don't mind. My privacy is very important to me and most of your students are not so young they won't recall my..history if you will."
"As you wish Miss Barton, shall I have your names on your papers changed over then?"
No one missed the fact that this question was directed at Mariemaia and not her guardian or patroness.
"No, my legal name is still Mariemaia Khushrenada; an alias is all so that I may continue my studies in peace."
"Very well; now if you will follow me I will show you where you and your," her she paused casting a glance at the three former Gundam pilots. "Guard of the week will be staying."
Many of the Earth's Sphere Unified Nations citizens were still hostile towards the Gundam pilots and Mariemaia herself, even though they had fought on different sides of the thickly drawn line. It had brought ruin to an end of peace, if only for a short while. It looked like the colonies as a whole had yet to forgive her for what had happened previously.
The pilots followed in silence as Madame Grange talked about the school and its founding and history and how glad it was that Miss Barton had decided to attend their school.
"Classes start in two days with most of the other students arriving Sunday night before classes begin. Breakfast will still be from 6 AM to 8 AM on the weekends; Lunch from 12 PM to 1PM and dinner from 5 PM to 7 PM. There are not that many students here so you will be dining with us in the faculty dining hall if you wish or you may simply take a meal back to your rooms. Your guard is free to come and go through the dining hall or kitchens whichever pleases him or her. The school uniform for females is a gray skirt that must be at least at the knees, a white blouse and a red blazer with the school emblem and status on them; you already have four sets in your closet. There is a convenience store within walking distance as well as a school book store and snack bar that are open till ten pm. The library is in between the male and female dormitories and is also open until ten pm. Your room and that of your guard will be in the teacher's dormitories, they are slightly nicer than the regular dorms but they were already full to begin with. Your room is on the second floor and its '202'; Right inside this building actually. "
Mariemaia sighed slightly, she was excited but not at the prospect of being stuck in the teacher's dormitories.
"It's for your safety squirt. Nothing more, nothing less." Trowa said, as he readjusted the bag he was carrying to his other shoulder.
"I know Trowa. I know." She said, following Madame Grange up a flight of stairs before stopping before her room and allowing the woman to unlock it.
The sitting room itself had a light cream carpet, a small baby grand piano, a desk over by the window flanked by a set of built in bookcases and another small desk that held her computer, scanner, printer and speakers for her school work.
A couch and love seat where facing each other with a table in between to allow for a closed off sitting area, on the left side was a door which she assumed led to her bed room and another on the right which would lead to the guest room for her guard dogs.
"I'll just leave you to get settled and say your goodbyes. If you need anything just dial the extension '200' and ask for me."
She made a quiet exit as Trowa glanced at his watch while trying not to be rude.
"We've got thirty minutes before we need to leave to make it to the airport on time." He said, trying to be delicate as he could tell Mariemaia was slightly upset.
"Only thirty minutes?" Lady Une asked more to herself than anyone else. "You know if you need anything you just call me. Any time day or night I don't care. You call me once you're settled in tomorrow and I want a report Monday night after you finish your classes. Heero, you've got first rotation. Two weeks here, then Wufei will come. That way you all won't be pulled from your field duties for too long. Your account is the same as it's always been; if there is anything you want or need you just let me know."
"Mother!" Mariemaia interrupted Lady Une as she started to go on about something else. "I will be fine, Heero will be here with me if I need anything else I'm sure if I can't get it he can. I will be ok. You will be ok and I will see you in three weeks for parent's weekend."
Trowa and Quatre bit back what sounded like a laugh while Duo made no attempt to hide his laughter at the child calming down the mother.
"You're right. I know. I love you darling. Call me if you need anything." She said as they slowly started filing out of the room one by one leaving Mariemaia and Heero of all people alone in the sitting room.
As soon as the door clicked shut Heero did a preliminary search of Mariemaia's room, finding it disastrous free excused himself to go unpack his few belongings he brought with him and to begin to set up a perimeter .
He sure was going to be fun company for two weeks, a living shadow that didn't speak. She was looking forward to Wufei relieving him. Shaking her head she grabbed one of her bags and began taking her things to her room and the time consuming task of unpacking.
Upon hearing a knock at her door she looked up from the shirt she was hanging up to see Heero standing in her doorway.
"Yes?" she asked, watching him as he came closer to her.
"It's lunch time. Are you coming?" he asked, glancing at her watch she saw that it was exactly twelve ten. Laughing as she finished hanging up the shirt she had been unfolding she nodded her head in consent.
" Yes. Let's go find the cafeteria." She said as she glanced around at the amount of unpacking she had managed and what she still had to do. At least she was making a dent in the task.
She was not surprised when Heero, always the logistic minded, was able to lead her through the most time effective route to the student cafeteria. They both quickly got their meals to go, Mariemaia paying via student card, Heero by cash before starting the trek back to their common room. To be stopped by a young girl already wearing the school uniform.
"You must be Leia." She said, sticking her hand out to shake Mariemaia's hand, who took it after shifting her food to the other hand.
"You are?" she asked, her tone politely guarded as she sized up the other girl.
"Sara. Without an –h-." her tone told Leia that the mistake had been made often. "You're in form nine also, correct?"
"If you mean year nine then yes, I am." Leia said, moving a piece of hair behind her ear.
"Sorry. Bit of English wording is all." Sara said, her accent coming through thicker as she blushed slightly.
"Well I'll see you around then Sara." 'Leia' said as she and Heero picked up their pace to make it back to their rooms without running into anymore students.
"This colony has a host of people from all over the world. Most people send their children off to the colonies now for schooling as it makes more sense economically and for those politically inclined it looks good in their future."
Hearing Heero Yue speak more than ten to fifteen words in a sentence was surprising but not unwelcome. Once back in the quietness of the common room Heero retreated to his room, presumable to eat in peace, which left Mariemaia alone to eat and prepare for the day in front of her and the upcoming start of the school year.