Two Sides of Fate
A Gundam Wing Fanfiction
By: Koneko-chan
........ signifies the start/end of flashback
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ signifies a different time/place/person
italics signify thoughts and if the italics don't work this time around.... I'll just insert ** =)
Part Four: Foiled Plans and Popcorn
**Let's see now....**. Slender fingers treaded through honey blonde locks, twisting them in her grasp. It's twin hand worked its way along a flat number pad, pressing a few buttons here and there, accompanied by various corresponding sounds. At the end of a rather long and confusing sequence of codes, Relena pressed the 'enter' button, apprehensively wondering if she had input correct sequence of buttons.
A satisfying smile spread against across the youth's face as the interior of a microwave sprang to life, light spilling forth.
**Finally..... after twenty minutes I thought I'd never be able to get that popcorn popping!** Again she smiled and laughed, this time shaking her head. **Maybe I shouldn't have let Pagan have the next few weeks off.....** Turning to open the refrigerator door, Relena removed the post-it note that her butler, Pagan, left on the smooth white counter top surface earlier that day. It stated that the elderly man would be absent for the next few weeks, returning the day before that of her eighteenth birthday.
**I don't know how I'm going to survive.......** Aqua eyes had briefly skimmed over the neatly penned message, stopping at the bottom of the page. **I guess I'll just have to walk home from school again, for awhile anyway.**
A faint beeping sound could be heard as Relena snapped out of her revere, and realized that her popcorn had finished. When she moved to retrieve the kernels of gold she paused, puzzled. The inner light had not yet gone off and the timer was still counting down. **But.... what was that ringing?** Again the chiming starting again, sounding throughout the whole mansion. A moment later there was a loud pounding, as if flesh were striking wood.
"The door!" Relena realized stupidly, taking the time to smack her forehead with the palm of one hand -- the hard part of it. "Oww... "
A bit of redness seeped to the injured spot as the blonde exited the spacious kitchen, out to and through the long, narrow hall, to the front door. She placed a hand on the doorknob, preparing to open the barrier before she paused.
**Now what is it that Milliardo is always saying....** Relena stared blankly at the white wood before her, digging back into the depths of her memory. **Something about.... taking care to....... 'check the bowels of hell itself'?** In a hurry Relena turned and checked the mirror posted on the wall to her left. She noticed the angry red mark her earlier self-reprimanding had inflicted and grimaced.
Without a second thought she shrugged, turned, and flung open the door.
Nothing but an empty porch greeted her. Confused, Relena took one step onto the porch, followed by another a moment later. There was no one in sight, unless one included the angry dog and its owner chasing each other in the sprinkler system across the street.
"Hey Princess!" Sudden a rope of chestnut hair appeared before her, dangling from above. Slightly inclining her face Relena recognized the black and brown blob hanging from the lower level of her mansion rooftop was none other than Duo Maxwell.
"Duo?" she questioned. "Why are you on top of my house?" A shuffle was heard, followed by a muffled curse.
"Would you help me down first?"
"Why wouldn't you be able to get down yourself?" After all, he *was* one of the gundam pilots that had helped stop and war and save Earth from being virtually destroyed.
"I'm kinda... stuck.... "
"Oh.... I see," Relena observed, once she had stepped further out from the safety of her home. From the angle she was perched at, the princess could see the waistband of Duo's brightly decorated boxers. "It seems that your pants are caught?"
"Care to help me out?"
"Would Hilde mind?" Caught off guard by her innocent question Duo lost his grip and further slid off the first level roof..... more and more being revealed.
"Relena!" Duo cried frantically, hands wavering above her. A pale hand reached out and grabbed something brown.... and down came former pilot 02.
"My head....." Duo glared up at the girl, one hand clutching his scalp and another cradling his braid.... which had gotten a beating of its own. "You didn't have to pull so hard!"
"Sorry Duo..... but I didn't want you to expose yourself further." A wry smile spread across Duo's features as he pulled himself up, without the help of Relena. He waved her hand away when she offered a hand up, deciding it was better for him decline.
Seeing that Duo was still slightly grimacing in pain, Relena composed herself enough to offer her friend and fellow protector-of-peace some ice. Holding open the door she allowed the comical teen inside when a large explosion interrupted the silence.
The next thing she knew, Relena was thrown against the plush carpet, a slightly heavier frame holding her down. Opening her eyes in surprise the young vice foreign minister tried to call out for help but nearly gagged on whatever was stuffed into her mouth.
**Oh no oh no, five minutes without my guard and someone's already trying to kill me!** Her aquamarine eyes threatened to spill over with tears at the very thought of her being *truly* defenseless. None the less she struggled against her assailant with all the strength she had, and was rewarded with a few muffled curses from the body holding her down.
"Stop it!" a slightly hardened voice commanded, stilling her thrashing limbs. "Quit moving, you're making too much noise!" When the movement -- on her part -- didn't cease, a gentle pressure was applied to her wrists. Relena paused for a moment, the pain cutting into her tender flesh. "It's only me Princess!"
At the sound of her nickname, the blonde opened her eyes and found herself staring into amethyst orbs. "Doo-o?" she attempted to whisper, but found that the gag was still stuffed in her mouth.
"No, you're grossing me out stop that!" Her wrists were free a moment later, followed by her mouth.
"Why on earth did you stuff my mouth like that Duo Maxwell!" she demanded, beginning to rise. No sooner did push herself off the ground was she tackled again.
"Stay down!" A moment later he added, "And keep quiet......... "
"Alright then," Relena replied, then remembered the explosion. "What was that?"
"I'm not sure... " She watched as the Preventer reached behind into his waistband a drew out a gun. With his other hand stretched out over the princess Duo positioned himself into a crouch. "You were letting me in when I heard this explosion -- I turned and threw you down, in case something were to fly this why..... and I guess," he paused, a sheepish look crossing his features, "that my braid flew and you got a mouthful of it."
"Oh," Relena replied. "I suppose that's why it tasted of tar... "
"Tar?!" With his free hand Duo grabbed the end of his previously gnawed braid, taking a quick sniff. "That's because I was just hanging from your roof!"
"And I will have to speak with you about those security measures also Preventer Maxwell!" A glaring contest would have taken place if another muffled sound hadn't made itself apparent to the occupants in the hall.
Immediately Duo ceased glaring and crossed over to the other side of the narrow hall. Once at his destination he cautiously stood, stretching out a hand as a cue for his client to stay down. With a swift hand the braided teen reached up, slid it behind a mirror, and returned to Relena's side. Then he motioned for the girl to escape through the semi-opened door, waving a hand.
"Go... " A nod from Relena confirmed his wishes and the blonde stealthy crawled across the floor, taking note of how poorly the carpet was last cleaned. Shaking her head, Relena stole once last glance behind her to the former pilot as she crossed over the door frame and turned the corner on her porch.
To her surprise the jovial pilot was already out of sight, investigating the mysterious explosion.... and as Relena turned to straighten herself and make a dodge for the nearby bushes, an audible click was heard, as well as the sound of a dangerously stoic voice.
"Move and I will shoot."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The gun didn't waver against the mass of golden hair that obscured the face of its target. Hardened prussian eyes narrowed in suspicion at the crouched figure before him -- never mind the fact that the beautiful blonde hair reminded him of his client -- as he mentally reprimanded the suspect.
**What kind of a fool would be on all fours?**
"Lay yourself against the ground, arms stretched above your head and palms down." Obediently the figure flattened herself as he ordered, face down. Never letting his eyes -- or gun -- leave the suspect, Heero stepped around to the side, reached out with his left hand and took hold of one slender wrist.
One slender *trembling* wrist.
**What kind of assassin *is* this?** A slight pause followed, with Heero's hand nearly crushing the slender piece of bone and flesh in contemplation. A faint whimper escaped.
**Could this be a decoy?** Again, the young Preventer frowned before twisting the arm quickly, bringing it to the small of her back. Realizing that he'd need the use of both of his hands, Heero pressed his knee against the suspect's lower back, quickly re-holstered the weapon in his shoulder rig, snatched his set of handcuffs and strapped one link to the trembling wrist he held. In another moment the other wrist was trapped in the stainless steel, and Heero was on his feet.
Heero glared down at the person lying cuffed on the ground before squatting down to flip over the would-be assailant. Just as his roughened hand was in the process of turning over the quivering body, a familiar voice cursed.
"What the hell are you doing Heero?!" With a brief glance up, Heero recognized the figure running towards him to be a fellow Preventer.
"Duo," he acknowledged, focusing his attention back to his prisoner. "Did you sweep the house?"
"False alarm, Heero, but I'd advise you to get off the pretty lady." A smirk crossed the American's features as he bent down, knees pressed against the wooden surface. A hand reached out, pulling aside the golden strands to reveal a terrified Vice Foreign Minister Darlian.
If Heero could have expressed any emotion like, say, Duo Maxwell could, he would have either leapt off his client with apologies profusely escaping his lips or helped the girl up, questioning her status.
As it turned out, Heero simply remained in his position, blankly staring at Relena who was currently pinned under his knee in handcuffs. For a fleeting second, embarrassment was evident in his cheeks, before annoyance surfaced.
Meanwhile, Duo's sharp eyes darted back and forth between the soldier and the princess.
"Uh... are you gonna let her up now?" he asked meekly, all the while wanting to laugh.
A flat "hn" rebutted the question, followed by a dangerous glare.
One stiff moment later, Relena was back on her feet. The keys had been tossed to Duo, who was busy unlocking the steel from her wrists.
"What happened?" Heero asked in a monotone voice.
"I should be asking you the same question there soldier boy." A quick laugh accompanied by the mischievous look did nothing to help the situation. Relena's cheeks were red with embarrassement, as she quickly attempted to amend the braided one's comment.
"What was that explosion?" Relena inquired, veering the subject back on course. She was about to step into the door's open path before a rough hand clamped onto her wrist. Startled, her aqua eyes found his prussian. "Heero?" She fought the warmness that seeped into her cheeks once more.
"Duo may have missed something. Wait here with him." A moment later, Relena found herself staring at broaden shoulders, something she seemed to have missed noticing the past few years.
"Lighten up man!" A large smile was plastered onto the American's face. "C'mon Heero, I'll show you what all the fuss is about!" The stoic Preventer didn't wait for his comrade, taking long strides past the door frame and into the hall.
"Are you sure there's nothing wrong Duo?" Relena walked beside the braided teen but was nervous in the fact that Heero was leading the way.
**Well, at least I know I'm being protected by the best...**
"Relena," bright amethyst eyes asked. "is Pagan off duty today or something?"
The sound of hard plastic could be heard, as if being pushed around on a rough surface. Relena frowned, peering in the direction the noise seemed to be emanating from.
"Um...... yes, Pagan is on vacation for a few weeks. Why do you ask?" At the moment the pair was rounding the corner, taking a left and entering a tiled room. Immediately upon entering the room the temperature rose, and a slight fog wrapped itself around the pair. Relena had a bit of trouble seeing, since the fog blocked out most of the natural lights of day, and stumbled into the counter, set in the middle of the kitchen. The loud noise seemed to have destroyed the eerie silence.
"Heero?" she called into the mist. It smelled as if something had been burning. "Where are you, Heero?" Suddenly a window of light entered the smoke-filled room, and the sound of a whirling fan had been turned on.
Within moments the dust had cleared, revealing Heero standing in the corner. He was bent over some twisted pieces of plastic and metal, examining the mess.
"Oh no........ " The Vice Foreign Minister cringed, remembering the long-forgotten popcorn. The hyper teen launched himself at the rumble, peered at the mess, stuck his hand in and a moment later, withdrew something..... inedible.
"Whaddya set the timer for, and hour?" His amethyst eyes squinted at the tiny burnt morsel of charcoal, before tossing it over his shoulder. "Were you gonna watch a movie or somethin'?"
"Y-yeah........ " Again she blushed. "I guess I should take some lessons in the kitchen?"
"Heh heh, you're worse than I am princess!" Dusting his hands off in his black pants -- which resulted in a few dark smears -- Duo smiled, turning back the quiet officer. "Guess that means that no harms done -- "
"Are you alone?" a monotone voice cut in. The stoic teen looked over his shoulder as he addressed the question, before turning around fully to face the princess. He saw the confusion in her eyes and clarified, "Are you always alone when at home?"
"Erm.... yes, I am. For awhile, anyway." She hesitated before continuing, upon seeing his prussian eyes harden. "I gave Pagan off for the next few weeks..... " Dark eyes narrowed as Relena finished her statement.
"There is no one else around then." Slowly Relena shook her head, blonde strands flipping onto her shoulders. Unknowingly her hands and found a place clasped together in front of her. She realized how badly her hands had begun to wring out the fabric of her tan skirt.
"Why didn't you consult the Preventers before giving Pagan off." A dead sound was coming from his voice, accompanied with a sharp edge. Relena blinked.
"What -- "
"You could have injured yourself. There would have been no one around if you had gotten hurt to get you help," the flat voice continued on, not giving her a chance to explain. Duo glanced between the two, nervousness creeping into his limbs.
"C'mon Heero -- nothing happened -- " The look that was sent Duo's way silenced him.
"It was a waste of time, Duo." His dangerous glare hardened. "We Preventers are few and can only be stretched so far."
"I'm -- I'm sorry Heero," Relena whispered, lowing her aquamarine eyes. A flat 'hn' escaped into the air.
"You can't even take care of yourself in your own home," Heero stated, his tone never taking on anything but a harsh hollow sound. "With Pagan gone, there will be some changes in your security." Relena didn't even notice when Heero brushed past her, shoulder to nearly shoulder, as he exited the room. She was concentrating too hard on keeping her tears in, after hearing his humiliating remark.
"Hey Heero," Duo began, angry. "you don't hafta be a jacka -- "
"That meeting concerning Relena's security measures should *not* have been canceled, Duo." The braided teen froze. "We need to revise it."
"But Heero -- " It was too late. By the time the protest had started to issue from Duo's mind, the door to the Peacecraft home had already been slammed shut.
Duo let out a sigh, scratching his head. Turning around he found blonde tresses spilling over the blackened mess, hands quickening to clear the rubble. Another sigh came and went as Duo bent over to assist his friend in her task.
"Don't think too much about what he said, okay?" Cautious eyes dared a glance at the girl beside him, and found to his relief, no tears. He hated to see girls cry -- or anyone for that matter.
**Boys don't cry......** he smiled wryly to himself, snatching a piece of twisted metal before Relena's soft hands could reach it. "Lemme get that... " Before he could lift the sharp edge away, a hand struck out and relinquished it from Duo's grasp. The jerking movement caused the metal to bite into the soft palm.
"Relena!" He watched as the blonde withdrew a small container, depositing the melted microwave bit in its vacant space. "You really shouldn't have done that." There was no response. "Are you okay? We should clean up that cut you just gave yourself -- "
"I'll be fine, Duo." The former pilot blinked at the surprising calm voice.
**Something's up....**
"Are you sure?" He stood up, meeting her gaze. Searching her eyes Duo noticed that something had changed. "I can stick around for awhile if you want."
"No, that's quite all right." Again she bent down, making a grab for all the sharp pieces before they could do further damage. This time, Duo noted, she avoided any extremely sharp edges. "I've already taken up too much of your time."
"Now hold on princess." Duo's voice took on an uncharacteristically serious tone. "Don't listen to Mr. I'm-the-Perfect-Asshole-Soldier. He's just crabby and probably hasn't had his supper yet or something. Don't take his words to heart." Relena remained silent, continuing her task of cleaning up the shards. There was an heir of hesitance before Duo asked, "Are you gonna be alone tonight?" There was a slight pause before she responded, "Yes..... I have no other staff besides Pagan."
"Want some company?" At the expression in Relena's somewhat stunned eyes, Duo could tell he hadn't quite worded his question correctly. "I mean, Hilde and I could probably swing by or something after we check out the scrap yard and we could pop in a couple movies or something."
"Oh.... I don't want to trouble you," Relena replied, relief clearly written on her features.
"Eh, I'll be no problem, and fun too!" Flashing his signature smile, Duo made a face at the mess on the floor. "I guess I'll leave that to you and maybe I'll be seeing you tonight?" A small smile grew on the blonde's face and Duo took that as a 'yes'.
Turning around, he waved a hand in the air, looking over his shoulder. "I guess I'll leave you to this.... erm, crap on the floor, okay?" A nod was his response before Relena added, "Thanks..... Duo." This time a genuine small reached her lips, as well as her eyes. Duo nodded again before letting himself out through the slightly messy hall, gently closing the door behind him.
It took all of Relena's strength not to break down and cry like the little school girl she had once been. Instead, she settled for thrusting the broken shards into the trash, forgetting about the blood that slowly dripped from her palm......
**Owari Part Four**
Kitty's Mewling: Erm... yeah...... so my apologies go out to anyone who were offended by the slight "ditziness" that Relena displayed... but I was just in the mood and that's where it went... but I'm also trying to show a few different sides to Relena, right??? And no, I was not trying to pull any Relena-bashing of any sort. ^_^;; And as for Heero..... well, I hope he isn't too OCC..... because that just irritates me then.... ^_^ But yes, I know this chapter was a little pointless -- hopefully things'll go a bit smoother for me and the wrinkles in this fic! Thanks to all of you who reviewed! I hope to get more feedback, it's what keeps us authors alive!
Arigato! ~*Kitty*~
