Chapter Eleven
The beginning of the car ride was deafening quiet. Neither of them spoke to each other. Relena felt that there was nothing more to say. She had a sneaking suspicion that Heero was going to drop her off wherever the safe house was and be done with her. Regrettably, she thought it would be for the best. He was too distracting for her to begin her new political tasks. She caught herself earlier that day catching glimpses of him sleeping. He was too attractive to her for him to be around all the time. She wouldn't get any work done when she was constantly daydreaming about what was underneath his jacket and shirt.
As soon as the city vanished from sight and trees became larger and more overgrown, Relena spoke. "Heero, I do appreciate you helping me."
His response was a simple grunt.
"I'm sure I've upset you by saying those things, but I feel that I had every right to be accusatory."
"No, you're right." He finally spoke, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. "I haven't done anything to make you trust me, other than beat up my friend for you, break up with Dorothy because she threatened you, and take an unwanted vacation so I can continue to protect you."
"Well….you never- I never knew you broke up with Dorothy. I still assumed you were with her." She tried to argue, feeling quite foolish that she hadn't considered all the things he had done in just a few days' time for her.
"I would be murdered and lying in a ditch somewhere if I were still dating Dorothy and protecting you." He smiled swiftly, keeping his eyes on the road. "I broke up with her a couple days after our dinner. I guess that's when she came into your office and threatened you."
She sat in silence, honestly not knowing how to respond. Staring out the window was the only thing she could do to try and gather her thoughts. He had done quite a bit for her without her really realizing it. He put his life aside to help her without her even asking. Why? Why would he want to help her when he didn't know her at all? He couldn't possibly be protecting her because she was his financial advisor.
"Heero," she asked, feeling gutsy. "Why are you helping me?"
She was met with silence. She waited, thinking he might be thinking his response over. However, as the minutes dragged on, she knew she wasn't going to get an answer. Leaving him alone, she closed her eyes, wanting to rest since she had a long day ahead of her from here on out. She knew that once she assumed this political position she would run on very little sleep and more stress than she had ever wanted in her life. She had seen her father's hair turn gray before it should have because of the stress. He was always fidgeting, mumbling under his breath about bills and other delegates. She would watch his eyes as he read the paperwork, lines deepening with each word. She didn't want that. She knew she might end up alone, but now that she had a job that was just as time consuming as marriage, she was certain she would be alone. No one wanted to be with someone that was married to their job. Her adoptive parents were a rare breed. They worked for the same people and had the same problems.
She felt strong arms wrap around her back and slid underneath her legs suddenly. She didn't feel as if she was deeply asleep, but when she tried to open her eyes, they felt too heavy to move. She let her head roll, colliding with a hard chest. The scent of oil and aftershave invaded her senses, making her heart beating a little faster. She felt herself be lifted and carried. She had no control of her body, but her hearing informed her that she was being carried across pavement.
There was a click and Relena knew someone had opened a door. "Is she okay? Did something happen to her?" A woman asked, concern lacing her tone.
"She's fine. She just fell asleep on the ride here." Heero responded, his voice vibrating through his chest.
"Her room is at the top of the main staircase; third room on the left." The woman said and Relena heard the door creak. Heero adjusted her in his arms and began his journey into the house. "Someone is here to see you, Heero. Once you put her in bed, you can go to the lounge."
Heero grunted and kept climbing the stairs. Relena almost felt bad for making him carry her, but his scent kept her immobile. She may never get another chance to be this close to him and she wanted to savor it. She breathed deeply, keeping his smell locked in her memory. She heard the lock unlatch and knew it was time to wake up. She squirmed; opening her eyes to see Heero staring down at her.
"You're awake?" He grunted, loosening his hold on her.
She stretched her legs to the ground, but wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Her heels slipped off as she reached the ground.
"This is your room while we stay here. You can go back to sleep if you want. I'll have to meet with the owners of the estate for a few minutes, and then I'll be back."
She nodded, looking around the pale room. A large bed sat in the center of it, frills and lace hanging from the sheets and curtains. All of the furniture looked white, giving Relena the feeling of being in a museum. Even if she wanted to go back to sleep, the sterile feeling wouldn't let her rest comfortably.
Before she had time to turn around, Heero was gone. She paced the room for a few minutes, figuring out where everything was. Pushing back the sheer curtains, she looked out to see green grass and a small garden. Perhaps she would be able to sit outside while she worked since the estate seemed to be secluded.
After a while, she decided to go to the lounge and meet the owners as well. If she was going to be living in someone else's house, she felt she had the right to meet them. Nothing was more uncomfortable than being in a stranger's house. Not necessarily sneaking down the stairs, but the quiet of the large mansion urged her to stay silent as long as possible. She had no direction of where to go, but listened hard for any voices. Eventually she found herself in the formal dining room and then the kitchens. However, as soon as she exited the kitchens, she found herself staring at a large wooden door across the hall. Several voices met her and her curiosity spiked.
"Do you have any idea who could have gotten into Mrs. Darlian's office to poison her?" A man said, with a deep, raspy voice.
"No, we'll have to keep an eye on her office. I might have to send a few people in to question her staff, but I don't think we'll find anyone until Relena gets into the office." She heard Heero say.
Relena pressed her ear hard against the door, "I don't think it would be a good idea for her to go to the office any time soon, Yuy. We have to set up some kind security before that happens, and I'm sure she'll need some time to mourn the loss of her mother." Relena heard the woman say.
"Noin, you should check on her." The man with the raspy voice said.
Before Relena could move away from the door, it was pushed open, revealing a tall woman with short black hair. "Oh." The woman said, not really looking surprised to see Relena eavesdropping.
The door to her left was pushed open wider, revealing Heero. "I told you to stay in your room."
Relena frowned. "I wanted to meet the owners since they graciously invited me into their home. I didn't see why you should be the only one to meet with them."
The woman chuckled lightly, stepping aside to let Relena in. Heero stood his ground, watching her step forward and not welcoming her into the lounge. As Relena made her way in, she was able to see a rather tall man with long, blonde hair behind a desk. She assumed this was the owner of the house. To her left, she saw the Chinese man, Wufei, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He looked exactly like he had at Duo and Hilde's barbeque. Then, to her surprise, she saw Trowa. She smiled at him, feeling slightly guilty for not calling him back.
"Miss Darlian, I'm glad you could join us." Spoke the blonde man. "We were just discussing when you would be able to get to work."
Relena nodded, feeling Heero step up behind her. "I would just need a couple days to look over all the paperwork my mother left me then I don't see a problem going to work."
Hm," The man said, turning his gaze to the floor. "Just what I thought. You're strong and driven, Relena. Don't ever change."
Wufei and Trowa relaxed suddenly and Heero gripped her by the arm. Any resistance she put up was denied as Heero removed her from the lounge. Relena could hear the faint talking of the remaining men as they made their way out of the estate. Heero didn't slow his pace until they reached her bedroom again.
Panting slightly, Relena wrenched her arm free of his grip. "What is your problem?"
"I told you to stay in your room. I'll keep you informed of everything, but you have to stay here where it's safe. I had no idea who these people were or if they could be trusted."
"I thought you knew them? Why would this be a safe house if you don't even know these people?"
"Wufei knew these people and said it would be safe. I trust Wufei and I know he would neutral in all of this."
"Why is Trowa here?"
"Trowa and Wufei work together. I know Trowa and Quatre are friends, but I think Trowa will be on our side."
"Sides? You mean between the Khushrenda's and the Peacecrafts?"
"Yes."
Relena walked slowly over to the window and looked out towards the garden. After several minutes, she finally let out a heavy sigh. "Would it be okay for me to read the paperwork outside?"
"That should be fine…Relena."
So, this should be quite a lengthy story. I'm thinking 25+ chapters. Don't lose faith in me. I am writing this all the time.
