A/N: At last, the reunion!
Enjoy!
-picimadar
Broken
Chapter 29
The New Year's Gala was an event the Winner family had proudly hosted for over a decade. Though the exact date of the gala shifted from year to year, however this particular one was held the weekend after New Year's Day. Quatre had distracted himself and several of his sisters with planning the event for weeks; his Parliamentary duties had let out at the end of the year, affording a break to all of the Ministers, aides and ambassadors.
The evening had started flawlessly, celebrities, politicians and business people mingling inside Quatre's enormous mansion in Brussels. Music played, food was served, champagne flowed abundantly; Harford was safely locked in a Preventer guarded prison cell awaiting trial, and Dorothy Catalonia continued her leave of absence.
"You've got some serious swag, Quatre," Duo said, swilling the champagne in his glass.
"I still can't believe you're wearing a tuxedo," Quatre responded, taking a glass of his own from a passing waiter. "I don't want to know what deal Hilde had to make for that."
"Doesn't she look great though?" Duo asked, looking over to his wife. Her short deep blue dress hugged her curves, cut across one shoulder.
"Yes, she does." He spotted Wufei and Trowa as they crossed the room, meeting up. He smiled to them. "I'm glad you could both make it here tonight. You deserve some time off."
Trowa shrugged, his typically enigmatic expression becoming slightly sour. "We really don't. We've gotten nothing out of Harford or the others. Whoever has them under their thumb, it's under threat of death."
"You still think Harford isn't the end of this," Duo surmised.
"He's a puppet, it's obvious," Wufei said. "All he can do is go on and on about how we're the real criminals and we're responsible for stifling the violence of humanity." He grimaced. "It's almost ironic, considering who we really are."
Trowa was looking around, aloof. "What are you thinking about, Trowa?" Quatre asked.
"Just how weird we all must look socializing together," he said. "Want to take this outside?" The other three men nodded and they stepped out, Hilde following after.
"Cripes, it's cold," she muttered, and Quatre took off his jacket and threw it over her shoulders. Snow was very lightly falling, guests still arriving as limos and town cars made their way around the circular drive.
"I just don't get what else we're supposed to do," Hilde said, pulling the jacket closer. "I mean, if the guy isn't saying anything but the attacks stop while he's in jail, can't we just keep him there?"
"We need more evidence tying him directly to any of the bombings or invasions on Relena's person, otherwise he's going to walk."
"What a crock of crap," Duo said, downing what was left of his champagne. "We shouldn't even talk about this b.s. right now. It's a new year, the dick's in prison, and you know who number one and two are back any day now."
Quatre smiled. "I had hoped they would be back for tonight, but it's too soon to get our hopes up."
"Yeah. Man, I can't wait to see 'em. I can't believe you made them married," Duo joked, elbowing Wufei.
"He had it coming," the other man defended. "Maybe now Heero will understand that it's not the prison he thought it was."
"I don't know about that," Duo said, smiling as he looked back at Hilde. He expected an annoyed slap upside the head, but her face was frozen in shock. "Babe, what is it?"
"Oh my fucking god," Hilde said once, and the rest looked at her before turning in the direction of her shocked stare. "Oh my god! Oh my god!" She repeated, pointing.
A valet held a very pregnant woman's hand, helping her out of the limousine she arrived in. She wore a long, diaphanous red silk dress that rounded over her abdomen beautifully before flowing loosely down to her feet, a black stole wrapped around her shoulders, her blonde hair pulled carefully back.
"That is not who I think it is," Trowa said, watching as she thanked the valet and assured him she could manage the stairs on her own, then turning his eyes to the valet's stunned face as he realized just who the young woman was.
"Relena," Quatre breathed as she made her way up the steps. "They made it back."
Relena was beaming long before she made it to the top of the stairs where they awaited her, reluctant to draw more attention to her sudden reappearance.
"You're early, and yet the last to arrive tonight," Wufei said, his tone chastising, but he accepted Relena's hug.
"I couldn't stand to wait anymore," Relena breathed. "I missed you all so much more than you can imagine." She let go of him, still smiling. "Thank you, for everything."
"Don't thank me," Wufei said. "Part of the job."
Relena rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I won't hold it against you." She turned to Duo, who was already holding out his arms.
"Girl, you are huge," Duo said, and Relena laughed as he hugged her, "and tan. Georgia did wonders for you, huh?"
"It was… fantastic and terrible all the same," Relena answered. "I didn't realize how much I needed to be away until we got there, but I missed you all. I think Heero worried even more than I did, if you'd believe it."
"I would," Duo said, "but I'm glad you had a good time!"
"I have a feeling it gets better," Trowa said, grabbing her left hand and holding out the ring for the others to see.
"He did not," Hilde and Duo said at the same time, and Relena nodded, biting her lip as she grinned.
"We're not married yet, or anything, so don't worry."
"Good, because I would have had to kill him," Zechs said from behind them, Noin and Sally rushing down as fast as their heels would allow to hug Relena and congratulate her.
"Why didn't you tell us you were back! We had no idea!" Sally scolded.
"Better than knowing nothing," Zechs said, and Noin looked at him warningly.
"I'm sorry, brother," Relena said, approaching him. "It was just to keep us all safe."
"I understand," he said, "but if you do that again, I really will kill him." Relena scoffed, but returned his embrace.
"Where is the wonder boy?" Duo asked, looking around.
"He actually wanted to stop by Preventer headquarters first," Relena said, rolling her eyes slightly. "He figured some of you would probably be there."
"Trowa and I were just going to head over," Wufei said. "We'll meet up with him."
"Great," Relena said. "Don't inundate him too much, we just got off the plane a few hours ago."
Hilde, Duo and Quatre drew Relena inside as the others parted ways, trying to keep her to more private corners of the home, but the attention she drew from the other guests was almost palpable.
"Minister Darlian," one older gentleman said in a judging tone as he glanced at her form, "it appears that you had a fine time while you were away."
"Yes, Minister Owens, and it appears your math skills have remained as poor as they were before. I was only gone three months."
Hilde stifled a laugh, as did many of the other bystanders who awaited Relena's attention. There were several who were looking for gossip or a story, but many offered well wishes and understanding, welcoming her back now that Harford was in prison.
Eventually, the crowd's fascination died down slightly and Quatre met back up with Relena. "You probably shouldn't have been so rude to Owens," he said, "You have to work with these people when you come back, you know."
Relena sighed, refusing a glass of champagne. "I don't know if there is any returning after this, Quatre," she said, taking a glass of non-alcoholic punch instead and drinking deeply.
"What do you mean?" Duo asked, concerned as he overheard.
"I'm going to be a mother in three weeks, if that," she started. "I have a family, a wedding to plan… This drama with Harford and Dorothy, it's just part of a cycle of violence that I can't be a part of anymore. Do you know what the average time of service is for a politician since the ESUN was formed?"
"Eight years," Quatre said. "I read the report last year."
"Exactly. I'm at ten already. I've paid my dues." She stopped, staring into her glass a moment. "I took some classes while we were away, saw the way normal people live… As much as I've felt important doing the job as Foreign Minister, I have other ways of filling that need now that don't involve me being taken hostage or involved in hostile situations constantly."
"Sounds reasonable," Duo said, and Hilde scoffed. "What? She's worked just as hard as anyone else in that job has, and has accomplished a ton!"
"But you could do so much more," Quatre implored her. "You're capable of this."
"I'm not capable of forcing Heero and our baby make those kinds of sacrifices," Relena said, her cheeks flushing with anger. "I watched my father die because of his job. I killed my mother because of what I do. I can't ask my own family to do the same."
"You're allowed to want something simpler," Duo said, patting a hand gently on her back.
"Thank you," she said. "I know that a lot of people are going to be disappointed, that I could be accomplishing more with my life… but I didn't plan for this. When I took the job as Foreign Minister, I never thought I would get married, or have children, because I couldn't put anyone through that. Now, I don't have an option. I can accept that. I just hope that others can as well."
Quatre sighed, looking away. "I don't really know what to say. I hope you have a good statement written."
Relena simply stared at him, slightly appalled. "Of all the people I thought would reject this, you may have been the last," she said, her blood pressure rising.
"I don't know what you want me to say, Relena. You made a commitment."
Relena rolled her eyes. "I'm not even dignifying that with a response," she growled. She winced suddenly, pressing a hand to her belly. Duo and Hilde responded right away, but she waved them off. "It was nothing, don't worry."
"But we do worry about you, Miss Relena," Dorothy Catalonia's voice said from behind her, and Relena turned slowly to look her in the eye. "I can barely believe they let you fly in your condition."
"I own the plane," Relena responded. "It's not like they had many options. Can I help you with something?"
"Certainly," Dorothy said, stepping closer. Duo looked at Quatre worriedly, keeping close to Relena. "Get rid of that arms legislation, and I can make this… problem," she said, tucking a lock of hair behind Relena's ear, "go away. You can retire, have your little one all safe and sound… Everyone wins."
"The legislation shouldn't even be on the table any longer," Relena responded, backing away. "I've been absent, it should have been stricken from record."
"See, that's the problem with having so many supporters," Dorothy said. "They're so willing to carry your torch for you, like little sheep."
Relena paled slightly, licking her lips. "I don't know what I can do if that's the case, Dorothy. I can vote on it, but otherwise it could be out of my hands."
"Don't give me that," Dorothy spat, and Duo stepped up, prepared to protect Relena. "Kill the legislation and get Harford out."
"Or what, Dorothy?" Relena snapped back. "Honestly, I disappeared for three months in the middle of winter and you couldn't find me. I can just as easily do it again. If parliament passes that bill, it has nothing to do with me. I'm finished with this." She went to turn away, but Dorothy grabbed her.
"This is finished when I say it's finished," Dorothy said. "Guards! Secure the premises!"
Hilde gasped and Duo tore Relena away from Dorothy's grasp as dozens of armed men and women poured into the many entrances of Quatre's mansion.
"Catalonia, the building is secure. Preventer was overtaken."
"Excellent," Dorothy said. Many of the other guests gasped, a few women screaming as they were herded into the ballroom, closed off from the exits. "That was a lot easier than I thought it'd be."
"You know we're armed," Duo said menacingly, but the blonde woman laughed.
"What are you going to do, kill me? Don't be ridiculous Mr. Maxwell. You're powerless here, and the only one you've got to thank is Miss Relena. After all, she's the one truly calling the shots here." Dorothy pulled a handgun out of her own purse, the guests closest to her fleeing instantly. "Now, Miss Relena, I know how you feel about these things," she said, pointing the gun at her, "so I'm going to make this as simple as possible. You and the rest of the members of parliament are here, or at least any of those who matter are. Kill this legislation, or I kill them."
"You wouldn't-" Relena managed to say, cut off by Dorothy firing two rounds into a young waiter closest to them. Screams echoed around the room and Relena and Duo both went to the ground to catch the body.
"Relena, the blood," Duo said, trying to block the young man's wounds.
"The dress is already red," she said, tearing a strip off the bottom of it, "and ruined from the champagne. Here."
"Stay where you are, Sally Po," Dorothy said, pointing her gun at the doctor. "Miss Relena made her choice, and I do so love watching her try to clean up her messes."
"If we release Harford, will you let her help him?" Relena asked, bartering with the enraged older woman.
"That seems reasonable," Dorothy said. "Call them," she ordered, throwing her cellphone at Relena's feet.
Relena dialed Heero's number, shaking with adrenaline and fear. "Heero? We need help," she said, her voice shaking. "Yes, we're fine, but… she wants us to release Harford." She took the phone away from her ear. "Can they send in more doctors?"
"No," Dorothy answered.
"No," Relena relayed. "Alright. Listen, Heero," she said, and she changed her speech from English to Japanese, relaying more information. Relena hung up the phone after a few moments and tossed it back.
"Do I even want to know what that was about?" Dorothy asked snidely. "You better not be trying to cheat me."
"I would never do that," Relena said, regaining her footing. "I'll speak with the other representatives. I need two rooms, one with the representatives and one to collect my thoughts."
Dorothy sighed, pacing slightly, waving the gun around as she spoke. "We can manage that, in this place," she conceded. "I'll give you thirty minutes before I check in, once I get proof that Harford has been released."
"Can we be alone?" Relena said, gesturing to Sally and Duo.
Dorothy nodded. "Go, there's an office down the hall. Go!" she shouted when they hesitated.
They hurried down the hall and into the office, closing the door behind them. Relena approached the desk and put her hands down on it, locking her elbows as she breathed deeply.
"The waiter, is he-"
"He died after the first minute. Dorothy's still a good shot." Sally sat down. "Where do we go from here?"
"I don't know," Relena said, her voice breaking.
"Come on, Princess. You're in control here, you've got this." He approached her, looking at the skirt of her dress. "Geez, you really got soaked."
"It's not champagne," Relena stared.
"Oh, no," Sally said, pressing her palms to her forehead as she realized the second dilemma.
"Then what… what's going on?" Duo asked.
"My water broke," Relena said, looking up at him. "I'm in labor."
