Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing
-READ ME: If you don't remember what was going on Relena and Heero were playing in the water and suddenly both of them pissed off stormed into the mess hall. WARNING: There is a slight time jump in this part only slight. *Smiles guiltily* Sorry
Mission of Mercy
Chapter 7 'Changes'
Relena could help but blush as she grabbed her shower stuff and remembered what had sent her into such a rage. The fight had been innocent enough and Relena was actually starting to enjoy herself, but then they had both fallen. He landed on top her and for a moment she was lost in his eyes. Whispering she asked him to get off, but instead he drove his face into hers. He kissed her hungrily and for a while all Relena could do was lie there and let him. Then anger and fear had set in. She didn't need this, was he just trying to make her go back. She had pushed him off, breaking the kiss and immediately causing Heero to scowl in confusion.
"Don't ever do that again!" She yelled at him knowing that yelling was unnecessary but the kiss had excited her and it was the only tone that would come out in her nervousness. He didn't answer and all she could do was think of something else to say. "I still remember what you said to me last night. Just because of this morning doesn't mean you're forgiven." Relena told him all the while watching his head lower and his brow furrow.
"What do you want me to do Relena. You leave; you die for a year, and expect me to act like nothing happened. I missed you Relena. I…"
Relena had cut him off for some reason. He was saying the words she had always wanted to hear but now she wanted nothing more than to shut him up. "You don't miss people Heero. You live in your world and I live in mine." Relena crossed her arms over her chest. "You don't feel." Relena turned so she wouldn't see his face. She knew what she had said was a lie, but she wanted to stop his train of thought. With that she stormed off trying to feed off the fact that he'd tried to take advantage of her, but only hearing the way she'd hurt him over and over.
Relena grabbed her towel and ran past the mess hall to the shower. She could feel tears building in her eyes as she stumbled blindly to the bathroom. She wasn't even paying attention when she reached the bathroom and collided with something hard. She let out a yelp and fell to the ground her stuff flying from her hands. "Damn it." She cursed again and pulled her knees to her chest in frustration. She didn't even realize it was someone she had run into until she felt a comforting hand on her head. Slowly she looked up. It was him, Heero. He was looking at her his face creased in concern. Relena ignored his hand and wiped her dripping eyes. "Sorry." She mumbled through her teeth. "I didn't mean what I said." Relena picked up her towel to her right and reached for her shampoo, which Heero handed to her and helped her to her feet.
"Are you all right?" He asked his voice dropping a little and he swallowed. "I didn't see you."
Relena wiped her reddened eyes again and grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him into the shower house. He was still covered in drying mud and probably had been about to get in when she ran into him. Relena would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so serious. His hair was plastered to the side of his head and parts of it stuck in the air, intertwined with gravel. He looked at her expectantly. Relena swallowed her pride and faced him squarely.
"I didn't mean what I said Heero. I was, I am just confused, to say the least, and I shouldn't have taken it out on you." Relena swallowed and turned away from his gaze.
"I feel the same way."
Relena swallowed hard. "You want to start over?" Relena searched his face for an indication of his feelings but there wasn't any.
"Okay." He told her softly. "You can go first." He gestured toward the shower and smiled a little awkwardly.
"Thank you Heero. This is a good thing because you can keep certain friends of mine from stealing my clothes." She laughed trying to lighten the serious mood.
Heero watched her disappear into the gloom of the shower and disappear behind the curtain. He watched as she turned on the water and a thick fog of steam enveloped him. He could hear her humming to herself and all he could think about was what it would be like to take a shower with her.
******2 months later******
Relena went to her room to find Hilde sitting at her desk. "What are you doing in here Hill." Relena asked her and pulled the towel out of her hair and began rubbing it dry.
"I think I'm going to ask him to stay here, with me." Hilde told her bluntly. "I want to be with him Relena and if he'll stay and if he'll have me I want him here." She paused for a moment and Relena felt it was her turn to interject.
"Hill it's only be two months…" She trailed off when Hilde turned around her face deadly serious.
"I think if he asks me to go with him first…I'll leave Lena. I love this place and I love the work I do here, but I don't think I can be without him, not after having him so close. They only have another month unless things get bad and I don't want him to go. I have to ask him first."
"What if he says no?" Relena asked her face stricken. "We promised we'd never leave." She reminded her. "You told me you would never leave."
"I know." Hilde choked. "I just, I never thought I would love him so much. Wouldn't you go if Heero loved you like you always wanted him to?"
"No." Relena said without hesitation. "Nothing is more important than what I do here. This place needs you Hill."
"And I need him." Hilde stopped. "I have to do it." Her eyes were filling with tears as she looked at Relena. "I'm sorry if I have to go." Hilde got to her feet and began walking out.
Relena just watched her. What was she supposed to say. 'Have a good life?' She just let her leave. What was she going to do without her best friend the only person she had shared a secret with the only one who knew her secret, and every once and a while would whisper her real name when she was down. But Relena knew she would leave no matter what she said to her. She would go back to the Cinq Kingdom with Duo and she would be alone. No, not alone but the old Relena would die and her identity would be lost. For some reason the thought scared her. She didn't want to loose that part of herself. Heero's words from the first night came back to her. 'It is important Relena it who you are.' Had he been right? Relena grabbed some of her dirty clothes and gathered them in her arms. It was Sunday and most everybody was washing their clothes.
In a daze Relena headed for the lake and took a seat beside on of the villagers whom was teaching her son how to wash his clothes. He had a bar of white soap clutched in his small hand and was trying to imitate his mother's movements. Relena knew his name, it was Jacob and the woman was Marie. How could she think of leaving all these people and not knowing their names any more she couldn't.
Relena kneeled in front of the lake and gave some of the villagers a weak smile and turned to her laundry. 'Who will help me fight for supplies, who?' Relena couldn't help the tears that welled in the corners of her eyes. She remembered the promise they had both made. 'No matter what we're no leaving.' She could still hear Hilde's voice. It was like a betrayal; somehow she felt the world closing around her for a moment she couldn't breath. Relena jumped to her feet forgetting about her clothes and ran from the lake ran from the problems that had arisen and the betrayal her best friend had bestowed upon her. There was something deeper rooted in her fears about Hilde something she hadn't even come to realize. She didn't even notice little Deacon running after until his small panicked voice reached her ears.
"Wait, Ms. Lena, wait." He was panting heavily and she could hear the heavy pounding of his bare feet on the ground. "Wait!" He called again and Relena wiped her eyes trying to hide her tears.
"What is it Deacon?" She asked not turning around yet. "What's wrong?"
"You're upset Ms. Lena. I saw you crying. What's wrong?" The question was so innocent and sincere.
"Nothing," She told him and sniffed a little. "If you'll give me a hug I thing I'll be alright, and maybe a walk with you will make me feel better." Relena turned around and gathered the small boy into her arms.
"It's alright Ms. Lena." He soothed her and patted her back.
Relena gave and boy a quick squeeze and smiled. "Thank you Deacon. You made me feel much better." Relena set him down again and forced a weak, but happy smile. "So how about that walk." She winked at him and Deacon scrambled ahead his fingers wrapped around hers.
"Lets go!" He called and dragged her toward the woods.
* * * * * ** * * **
Hilde looked at the flap of Duo's tent and tried to force herself to go in. She wanted to tell him so badly. She wanted to stay here though, and that was the only thing that stopped her from entering. 'What if he does ask me to go with him, will I do like I said I would? Will I leave all of this.' Hilde swallowed and thought of Relena. She had promised they had promised together that they would stay no matter what, and here she was breaking the promise they had made. She was dumping her best friend for Duo. She wondered silently if it was right. Hilde twisted her fingers with her other hand and sighed.
"Whoever said this stuff was easy…" She mumbled half to herself and half to Duo, who was just behind the curtain. Hilde looked at it a bit longer and ignoring her fears pulled back the flap. "Duo?" She asked and peered into the darkened room only to see that it was empty. She had known he wasn't in there. Hilde cursed mentally. 'You knew he was on duty.' Hilde pushed her way out of his tent and went to find Relena. "This was stupid." She mumbled. "I have to tell Duo how I feel, but I can't leave. I own too much to Relena and I promised." Hilde went to the lake to find Relena.
Hilde exited the large tent and made her way to the water's edge where the entire village had gathered to help wash clothes. Hilde sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. 'This is what I'd miss most.' Hilde scanned the array of people, but couldn't see anyone even remotely resembling Relena. She caught sight of Bulzer talking to Duo and headed off after them, maybe they had seen Relena.
"Hey guys." Hilde called and pushed her bangs out of her eyes. 'Geez it's hot.' "Have either any of you seen Relena?" She asked and pushed her hair up off her neck with her free hand.
Duo looked at Hilde and smiled. He was beginning feel differently about her lately. He had loved Hilde when he'd first come here, but now it was more than love. He was almost incomplete without her. Duo grinned and shook his head. "Sorry babe, we're too busy defending you defenseless woman to worry about ya." He grinned at his stupid statement and dodged the blow Hilde was sending him. "Weak girly hits, Wufie would be proud." Duo taunted and grinned dangerously.
"Cut it out Duo." Hilde cut him off curtly. "I don't have time to mess around right now." She informed him a small smile threatening to return to her face. "Besides I really need to talk to Lena." Hilde looked over her shoulder and into the distance. "If either one of you see her, tell her I'm looking for her." Hilde winked at Duo as a slight afterthought and added. "I'll see you at dinner tonight Duo, I think we need to talk." She smiled and went to intensify her search for Relena.
Duo watched her leave with a building anticipation. He couldn't wait for dinner and the "talk". They had been doing a lot of that lately.
"How did you manage to snatch her up so quickly, Maxwell?" Bulzer asked truly mystified. "I saw a lot of guys leave in disappointment, but you seemed to have her from the first day." Bulzer shook his head. "What's your secret."
"No secret." Duo told him. "It's just my charming sense of humor and wonderful personality." That sent Bulzer into a fit of laughter the Duo hadn't expected. "Hey," He said slightly offended. "I was serious." Duo watched as Bulzer doubled over and almost fell the ground consumed with laughter. "Well glad I made you day better." He mumbled under his breath and tried to ignore the others howls.
Hilde grinned as he heard the tail end of Duo's conversation. She was going to have to tease him about that later. She neared the storage house were Heero was presently guarding along with Quatre. Both of them were facing the outside their faces stoic. 'Man they're serious.' she thought and decided voice her arrival instead of her original plan to sneak. "What's up?" She asked and waved as Quatre turned toward her and waved back. He had a gun tucked neatly in the waistband of his pants and his blond hair had bleached to an almost white in the merciless sun. Heero turned slightly and nodded toward her. His skin had darkened over the past few weeks giving him a deeply tanned color and the sun had brought out the natural highlights of his hair.
"What do you want Hill?" Quatre asked good naturally and smiled. "The sun is unforgiving, but it reminds me of home." He told her honestly and waited for her to respond.
"I was looking for Lena." She paused and glanced at Heero. Even though Relena wouldn't admit there was something going on between them. It was unspoken and was threatening to burst. Hilde could feel the tension between the two every time they were together. It made her uncomfortable being around them at the same time.
"I haven't seen her." Quatre told Hilde and frowned. "I though she would be out washing the clothes now." He turned and looked at Heero. "Have you seen Lena." Heero merely grunted in response and Quatre waved his hand. "I honestly don't know whose worse. Heero never says a word while on duty and Duo can't seem to shut up. I can't wait to get back to Dorothy."
Hilde lifted her eyebrows in mild surprise. "I didn't know you had taken a liking to the psycho bit…" Hilde stopped and trailed off and smiled in a lame attempt to recover. "I mean the fantastic beautiful Dorothy."
"She knew that you called her that." Quatre told her bluntly. "And yes I like her."
Hilde looked at him and nodded. "Winner if you like her I know there is something that I missed. I think Relena saw whatever it is that you see in her." Hilde smiled and let her face drop for a second. "If either one of you see her tell her I'm looking for her." She gave them one final wave, which Quatre returned, but Heero refused to.
******************
Relena was feeling better. She wasn't mad or upset anymore or at least it was only a dull roar now. Relena squeezed Deacon's hand and smiled at him. He smiled back and pulled away from her for a moment and ran ahead. "Don't go to far Deacon we have to head back soon." She paused and watched him run. He was so carefree. He didn't yet realize the pressures life could place on someone. He didn't realize yet what troubles he would face. He was simply free. "Lets go back Deacon!" She called into the darkening jungle. She heard his footsteps racing to meet her. "Lets go." Deacon grabbed her hand again.
"Thanks for taking me on a walk, Ms. Lena. Do you feel better?" He asked his green eyes sparkling with worry.
"Yes Deacon I do." She told him and laughed. "I'll race you back." She immediately let go of his hand and charged ahead on the path. She let him pull ahead and soon stopped in mock exhaustion and beckoned him to stop. "Wait, you're too fast. I loose." Relena sank to her knees and twisted her face into one of agony.
"Come on Ms. Lena, we'll be late for dinner." Deacon reached for her and pulled her to a sitting position.
Relena smiled. "All right…." Her words were cut short as a familiar sound reached her ears. 'Gunshot.' Immediately Relena grabbed Deacon and wrapped herself around him to shield his body from the bullets that were too close for comfort. Relena lifted her head ignoring the muffled cries of Deacon and heard another shot and saw the bullet imbed it self in the trunk of a nearby tear. Relena cursed and wished she'd brought her gun. Worriedly she looked down at a shaking Deacon. "It's okay Deacon, but you've got to be quiet okay. I'll get us out of this." Relena smiled down at him when he nodded. "Now hold onto me and don't let's go."
Relena heard one more bullet whiz by followed by the trampling of jungle brush as someone ran to get them before she sprung to her feet and raced into the Jungle.
So? How did you guys like it? Lots of action coming up. Well maybe not lots but there is almost a whole chapter of it.
