The Girls We Love
By: Priscilla Violet Regina
Disclaimer: Wish I owned 'em, but who doesn't? Woulda, coulda, shoulda, right? ~.ó
Grabbing the small teddy bear and note from her seat, Relena Darlian/Peacecraft gasped and ran to the window, shouting her favorite name in the world to hear.
"Heero!"
The young man outside the shuttle took off his hat and turned at the muffled cry of his name. Although remaining emotionless on the outside, inside he was grinning as he watched the girl rip the card in half and smile, shaking her head. Because he was known as the Perfect Soldier, he could most certainly read lips, and he nodded while Relena said, smirking, "Next time, give it to me in person...,"
He watched her, framed by the window, and suddenly felt wet around his feet. Looking down, he couldn't figure the reason, but realized that whatever it was, was the source making him squirm uncontrollably as well. His feet were the most ticklish part on his body, and soon he couldn't restrain himself any longer. Chuckling turned to giggling, while giggling eventually led to laughing, and soon after, guffawing. This was a side of Heero that no one ever really saw, and Relena frowned. Then, out of the blue, a loud buzzing penetrated the air, causing the dream to fade away as if it was mist, and Wing Zero One's pilot to jolt into wakefulness. He sat upright, his chestnut brown hair shining in the morning sun, contemplating the dream, and burst out laughing while Killer, his Chihuahua, continuously licked his feet that were hanging off the bed.
"Alright, alright, Killer. I'm awake!" he grabbed his alarm clock and hurled it across the room, where it hit the wall and slid down onto a pile of ten other identical ones. Reaching into the cabinet next to his single bed, he pulled out another clock and quickly set it and its alarm, ready for destruction tomorrow.
Yawning, Heero turned to dangle his feet off the bed and stretched. He then reached under his pillow and grasped a gun, his favorite possession, and slid it in a concealed holster on his body that no one had ever found. Not even the FBI, and he had certainly had many encounters with that bunch. While standing up, he managed to tug on a shirt, fix his hair, scratch five different areas on his body, and pet his only companion, which ran around his ankles in a mad frenzy. Hey, after all, he was a Gundam Pilot.
'Just like Duo, always happy...,' the soldier thought while watching his furry little friend. Shaking his head, Heero rolled his eyes and muttered, "Duo," under his breath while heading towards the kitchen. His senses came alert as he heard a noise from his bathroom, and he pulled out his gun carefully, standing by the door. Pushing Killer back with his heel, he pressed an ear against the wood to listen. He could hear the pulling of toilet paper from the roll, then a flush. When the water from the sink started, he moved to face the door head on, and got ready to shoot when the intruder emerged. He mentally cursed himself for not getting a larger attack dog, but when Killer looked up at him with those huge puppy eyes, he just couldn't resist. Once again, as many times they had before, his thoughts drifted to Relena and her own shimmering violet eyes. They were always full of love for him, yet he never understood why. He was always putting on a front, not telling her how he really felt... 'But soldiers don't have emotions...' he told himself. At least, that's what he was brought up believing; and he was the Perfect Soldier, so he shouldn't be having all these feelings for...
The door opened slowly, and a black boot made its way through the crack. Striding cautiously up to it with the gun raised at eye level, he pulled the door aside and said, "Freeze," in his well known monotone. The black clothed boy in a minister's collar, about his age, walked casually past him, flopping down on the couch, and made a grab for the remote. Heero was there in less than a second, holding his loaded 9 millimeter automatic to the young man's head, sighing.
"Just because you're Duo Maxwell doesn't mean you don't have listen to what I say. You could've gotten yourself killed if I hadn't seen that ridiculously long braid twirling in the wind behind you. Only you would sneak into my house to use the bathroom...I should've known it was you in the first place. That's why Killer didn't bark...he likes you too much," Heero stated, reholstering his weapon.
"And he is just a cute little boy, isn't he?" Duo replied in a lovey-dovey voice which made Heero cringe and flush at the same time, not knowing it was the dog that was getting the compliment, not he. After becoming aware of his misunderstanding, the lead Gundam Pilot walked into the kitchen muttering, and poured himself a cup of coffee.
Sitting down on the opposite end of the couch, Heero asked in an almost impatient tone, save for his monotony, "What is it now, Duo? Was it just the bathroom? Is yours broken again, because if so, I'll fix it...," He watched the God of Death for a moment, not believing he had only said one sentence since he had been there, and got frustrated when he received no answer. Slowly, almost painstakingly, Duo turned to him, and in grave voice said the two words Heero most of all had not wanted to hear.
"It's Relena,"
"Relena? What do you mean?" the soldier asked, voice cracking when he said her name.
"She's hurt, Heero. Really bad. She was at one of her conference thingies and someone shot her. The bullet grazed the side of her heart, and she lost a lot of blood before any medical attention could be brought to her. She's staying at the hospital on St. Joseph's street..." But the Perfect Soldier was already out the door, speeding to the hospital on his Harley Davidson. After almost getting run over by two semis and a sports car, and coming two inches to hitting a fire hydrant, he parked his bike and raced to find a nurse in the front ward.
"Where is Relena? Tell me what room she's in right now!" Heero shouted as if all hell would break loose any second.
"I'm sorry, sir, but if you're going to carry on like that then I'm going to have to call security to restrain you. This is a medical facility, and we need you to be calm. Who is it that you wish to see?" the receptionist asked, finger resting on the small red security button under her desk.
"Relena Darlian. Or Relena Peacecraft. Either one." he stated, finally controlling his temper and regaining his monotone.
"Ah, yes, we have a Relena Darlian in room 203, third level. She came in at ten last night. I'm afraid she's awfully tired, what with what she went through, so she might be asleep. By the way, are you friend or fam--" the nurse looked up but realized she had been talking to thin air. By the time she had gotten the her last question, Heero was already going past the second floor in he elevator, impatiently tapping his foot while he waited during the thirty-odd second ride up. Bursting through the doors, he veered left sharply and made his way down the hallway, dodging patients and doctors alike with a skill only a Gundam Pilot could muster.
Reaching the long awaited door, he smoothed his shirt and hair, composed himself, and got ready to walk in. Then he remembered he hadn't brought anything for her. Scanning the surrounding area, he spotted a vase with about a dozen white roses, and walked over nonchalantly to pluck one, wiping the water off on his shirt. Knowing he at least he looked ready, he reached for the handle and opened the door. She was in a private room because of her serious condition, and the room itself was filled with about 20 dozen flowers, ten overstuffed teddy ears, and an assortment of balloons. He fervently wished none were from a "special" male friend, and strode up to her, taking the chair next to the bed. Laying his single rose on her chest, he looked her over. And what a sight she was.
It seemed that over 50 tubes were coming out of random orifices on her body, and the worst of all the I.V. stuck in her hand, which was swollen from the plastic intrusion. She was covered in bandages, and it was hard for Heero to tell where she left off and her hospital blankets began. There was a sterile smell about her, and it caused the pilot to recoil in disgust for a brief moment. It was too clean. Relena normally had a wonderful, lovely smell, that reminded him of warm apple cider and cinnamon...almost like Christmas. But this wasn't her. It was too artificial, too...too much like death. That's what it was. The room reeked of death, and he was sure that only he smelled it. Being a Gundam pilot had heightened his sense to a new level, his sense of smell included. He glanced around quickly to make sure no one was nearby, and the stood up, hands on the bed railing. Leaning over, he brought a hand up to her pale, sickly face and brushed a droplet of liquid from her cheek. A tear, maybe? No, she was sleeping, she couldn't be crying. And this was almost cold, like it hadn't been there for long. His own, perhaps? Was he crying?
"Heero, I'm so sorry this had to happen to Relena!" a shout came from behind him. Keeping his back turned, he wiped his eyes quickly while recognizing the gentle, peaceful voice that reminded him of the girl lying before him.
"Quatre, thank you for coming. Is anyone else with you?" He turned around to face the blonde Arabian. He noticed the boy's eyes were filled with tears as well when he caught a glimpse of the Peacecraft daughter, and felt that he should move to comfort him. Yet the fact that he didn't have a clue what to do struck him, so he just handed Quatre a tissue as he walked by.
"No, not right now. They are all hanging out in the lobby, waiting to talk to you. The nurse would only let me go up, and before I got on the elevator, asked if I knew any Gundam Pilots because she thought she saw on come racing in, looking for our dear Relena. I was pretty sure it was you, so I said that you weren't one, but you get that all the time. I told them that you are her...fiancée...hope you don't mind. I had to say I was her brother, otherwise they wouldn't let us up here in the first place. And I couldn't say you were related to her in blood line...you look nothing like her. Please don't get angry." Sandrock's pilot pleaded, resting his hand on Heero's who quickly withdrew and walked to the window.
"She looks terrible." was all he could say. Quatre heard the choke in his voice, but decided to leave him alone, against all of his natural instincts to comfort the pain he knew Heero was experiencing.
"Do they know who did it?" the blonde asked, wanting to change the subject a bit.
"No..."
"Well, that's odd. Relena is still the Vice Foreign Minister, isn't she?" Quatre confirmed, biting his lip.
"Yes, Quatre, but what does that have to do with anything?" Heero inquired, half curious and half infuriated at the thought that Quatre was asking about his love's title and job, not about her.
"Well, this obviously wasn't an accident, and since they didn't catch the person, don't you think there had ought to be some guards to make sure the guy doesn't return to hurt her more?"
At first, Zero's pilot didn't understand what his friend was getting at, but when he did, he instantly thanked the gods for not letting the assaulter get to Relena before he did. Then his over-protective nature of the girl rose up and caused him to lose his temper completely, running out to reprimand a passing nurse.
"Why are there no guards posted to protect Relena Darlian? She was almost killed and the assaulter wasn't caught, and he could very well try again! Call the police and get some 24 hour guards posted here to make sure no one who isn't supposed to be in there gets in, before I do something rash about your ignorance!" he practically jumped down the young girl's throat, who ran off with tears in her eyes towards the elevator, only to be grabbed by Quatre and hugged, who soothed her comfortably.
"It's okay, it's okay. He just wants his...fiancée...to be safe, and he lost his temper. He didn't mean to yell, did you, Heero?" the Arabian asked, looking towards the Perfect Soldier. He was standing stock-still with his back to Relena's door, gun drawn and looking furtively among the passing patients for a possible culprit. Upon seeing the gun, the nurse in Quatre's arms screamed and fled, running down the stairs. The pacifist shook his head and sighed before pacing over to Heero, standing in front of him. "What are you doing? You're scaring the other patients with that thing! Why do you insist on still carrying that? We rid the colonies of wars, and there isn't a need for that..."
"I have to protect Relena." was all he said, his monotone sounding the most sever Quatre had ever heard.
"Why don't you guard her in the room? What if someone comes in through the window?" the blonde suggested, hoping to get Heero away from a potentially dangerous situation...not necessarily dangerous for Heero...more likely, other innocent people.
"Someone could try that route." he agreed, thinking. "Alright, mission accepted." he stated decisively, executing one quick final glare around the hall before doing an about face and marching militarily into the room and taking the seat by the bed.
"The things I do..." Quatre muttered while following him, quietly shutting the door behind him and leaving the frightened patients to their business.
~*~
"Police, cops, guards, security, ANYONE!" the young woman screamed as she ran past the three Gundam Pilots and Relena's brother, Miliardo.
Confused glances passed between the men as the crazed nurse continued her tirade, crashing into patients, beds, and corners, until she finally made it outside. The closing of the sliding automatic doors muffled her shouts, but she was still visible as she raced down the street.
Miliardo, first to recover after the scene, turned tot he only person he was positive would talk, and asked, "What happened?"
There was only one suitable response Duo could come up with. "Heero happened."
Looking to the sky, Epyon's pilot mouthed a silent prayer and made his way over to the front desk. "Hello there. I am Miliardo...
"Family?"
"What?"
"Are you family of Miss Darlian? If not, you cannot see her due to security reasons."
"Oh, well, yes, I'm her brother, Miliardo Peacecraft."
"I thought the other guy was her brother."
"Other guy?" Zechs looked to Trowa and Wufei, who shrugged. Noticing Duo's absence, he staid, "I'll be right back." with a fake smile and stalked off in search of the glutton. As he predicted, the sought after boy was rocking a candy machine back and forth, trying to knock the clinging Three Musketeers Bar down. "Duo...Duo!" he shouted, trying to grab the only person he's ever known with a mouth full of "sweet tooth's" and shake him.
"Kisama!" The God of Death yelled at the offending candy bar. "You cheap piece of trash!" He kicked the machine in front of him, but quickly grabbed his boot as pain spread up his leg. "Ow!" He snarled and leapt at the machine, but with Miliardo in the way, it was a bit hard to do. Instead, he hit the six-odd foot tall mountain and slid down to the ground, holding his nose. "That damn candy machine stole my money!" he exclaimed, pointing at it after he recovered himself.
"You mean this money?" The man formerly known as Zechs asked, reaching into the coin return and pulling out about five different coins. Then he stuck his hand into the bottom of the machine, and after a second or two it reappeared, holding the sought after candy bar. "Here." He tossed into the boy's lap, who was still sitting on the floor.
Grinning blindingly, he grasped the chocolate bar and kissed it lovingly. Then he ripped the wrapper and the treasure inside disappeared it within five second. Wiping the corners of his mouth, Duo stood up and threw the foil into a nearby trash receptacle. "Score! Three points for Maxwell!"
"Duo, who is Relena's brother?"
The boy considered this for a moment. Then an obvious light bulb lit itself, but the shine wasn't that bright. "Why, you are, Ze--Miliardo." he corrected himself quickly.
Miliardo smiled inwardly at himself. No, he was not Zechs anymore, and good for Duo to correct his mistake. "Yes, I know. But who is her brother up in her room with Heero?"
"Oh, him? That's Quatre! He had to say that because he needed to go up and talk to Heero. Quatre's the only one Heero will actually listen to without trying to shoot first. So, naturally, he went up. And he told the receptionist that Heero and Relena are to be married so Heero could stay up there." Shinigami explained, walking back towards his fellow Gundam Pilots, the two silent ones.
"Trowa, come with me." was all Miliardo said as he approached the pair. Walking past the desk clerk, he made their way to the elevator. The nurse didn't notice until the doors were about five inches from closing, and when she did, she shouted after them.
"Wait! You can't go up there without an appointment! Who are you?"
"Miliardo Peacecraft of the Cinq Kingdom." came floating through just as the doors closed.
"Miliar--Queen Relena's brother!" she realized. "Well, he probably won't do anything but...
"Hiya!"
The lady started at this sudden exclamation so close to her ears. Standing beside her was a man about the age of 19, and he was dressed rather oddly. Well, what she thought was oddly. He was wearing a minister's black habit with the sleeves rolled up and white shirt underneath, folded up over the black sleeves. The reverend's collar stood out from the monotone, and the whole figure was accentuated by a long, knee length braid. And he was quite cute, she decided immediately. He smiled that infectious grin he had, and raised his left eyebrow unconsciously. "Hi..." she finally responded in a small voice.
"So, how long are you in for?"
She laughed hysterically, unable to control herself, and turned away from the desk to face him. This view was much more appealing...
~*~
Wufei snorted. Why did Hilde allow that buffoon to flirt with every female he saw?
"Idiot..." he muttered, closing his eyes in meditation. 'I certainly know how to treat women right...' he thought to himself proudly, remembering Sally's plight after him.
He sat up instantly, snapping open his eyes. Was it actually the...He glanced over at the calendar. It was! Jumping up, he cursed, "Kuso!" and ran out the door. Duo and his new lady friend watched, and then he started cracking up, holding his sides.
"What's so funny?" the nurse asked when his laughter subsided.
"Today is Wufei and Sally's anniversary! And he forgot! Again!"
~*~
"Heero, wake up! Heero!" Quatre practically shouted in the soldier's ear. Heero's eyes popped open and he hopped to his feet, looking around the room with wild eyes. Remembering where he was, he settled back down and raised an inquisitive eyebrow at Miliardo and Trowa, who had appeared on the other side of Relena's bed.
"I'm allowed to check on my baby sister, aren't I?" Miliardo asked at this.
"Sure, why not?"
"How is she?" inquired Trowa in a calm voice.
"How is she? HOW IS SHE?!" Heero repeated, anger swelling suddenly. "She got shot, Trowa! How would you be if you got shot?" he demanded, standing up and slamming his fists on the bed railing.
Trowa crossed and uncrossed his long, acrobatic legs, and after a moment or two looked up at Heero with one gleaming jade eye. "I wouldn't know, I haven't actually been shot before, Heero." he replied coolly.
The Perfect Soldier considered this, then realized his outburst and walked past Trowa to the window, muttering, "Well, it's not that great."
"Didn't think so."
There was a pause as the four men shifted uneasily, each having a million comments and questions swarming their minds, but none taking the initiative to come forth and speak. Finally, the eldest got tired of it and turned to Heero.
"We'll find him." was all the former Oz Colonel said.
Still facing the glass window pane, Heero disagreed. "No. I'll find him." he stated calmly, but with a cold bitterness and hiss of death that sent shivers down all present's spines.
Quatre was about to speak when Wufei came bursting through the door, clutching a note in one hand and a beaten up bouquet of daisies in the other.
"Sally's gone!"
"Gone? What do you mean?" Quatre asked, walking over to his fellow pilot and furrowing his eyebrows.
"Look!" Wufei commanded, voice still raised as he thrust out the piece of paper.
Trowa winced at the loudness of his comrade's voice, and said quietly, "Wufei...shh!" while placing a finger to his lips.
As Wufei turned back to Quatre, he flipped off the silent one while mouth, "Fuck off, Trowa." and scowling.
Quatre righted the crumpled note and read its contents aloud. "Wufei, pilot of the Altron, Shen-Lon, otherwise known as Nataku. You're probably wondering where your precious Sally Po is, aren't you? Well, you see, I have her, and intend on keeping her for a while, at least until my revenge on you pilots is carried out fully. Tell your friends that they may want to watch their girls a little more carefully, or they will all suffer the same fate or worse as Miss Relena. Take care!"
Looking slowly around the circle, Quatre's grave face mimicked those of the surrounding boys. He licked his lips, eyes narrowing, and quietly said, much to the surprise of the others, "Let's get this bastard."