True Victor Side Story: To a Normal Life

To A Normal Life

AUTHORESS NOTES: Konnichiwa, again! This takes place before The True Victor and explains about Heero's life after AC197 with Andy and Kitsune. So, don't be surprised if Heero is a bit OOC (Out of Character). It starts about a couple of weeks after the prologue to The True Victor. Enjoy!

"Hee-chan! Hee-chan!"

A little girl came running to him, her pigtails flying as she ran at an unhuman speed. Heero grinned, a true grin, and lifted the girl up, spinning her around in the process. She giggled in response, her Prussian blue eyes staring back into his own Prussian blue.

Truly, Heero never felt as happy as now. He had his family back; the family that he had left behind. No longer the Perfect Soldier. No more missions, no more lives lost, no more fighting. This was what he wanted: finally, a normal life.

"Ne, Kitsune-chan, how're ya feeling?" Heero asked her, feeling her forehead.

"I'm feeling a lot better!" Kitsune answered, smiling.

He carried her back into the home where they lived. It wasn't very small nor very big, but it was rundown. Nobody had lived in it for years from what it looked like, but it was perfect for Heero and his two relatives to live in. Even though he had picked up Kitsune and Andy from the base, he was too late. They would live an almost normal life. Almost.

Kitsune began rambling to Heero about people she had met on the way to school, the things she saw outside, and how they were to decorate the home. Heero didn't really listen, though, just nodded his head once in a while. Once inside, they went into the kitchen where a young boy of about ten sat reading a novel. Midnight strands of hair fell over grey eyes as he bent over to read. Heero sighed inwardly as he set Kitsune down. The boy was going to be too much like him from the book he was reading: The Art of War.

"Oi, Andy," Heero called out.

Andy looked up from his book and closed it. Kitsune ran to him.

"Oniichan! Oniichan!"

Andy smiled, patting his sister on the head. Then he said to Heero, "Okairei."

"Aa, tadaima," Heero answered back. "How long have you guys been back from school?"

Andy wasn't as sociable as Kitsune was. Being inside Red Hawks' headquarters longer than Kitsune had, Andy adopted the quiet and calm exterior that the Red Hawks wanted in their "super soldiers." So, the relationship between cousins was mutual.

But despite that, Andy was a bit more social than Heero used to be.

"About two hours ago," Andy answered, checking his watch. "Why?"

"Anybody follow you?" Heero asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Ie..."

"We met this really pretty lady who was selling flowers," Kitsune piped up. "An' she gave us some roses for free 'cuz she had extras."

"Sou ka."

Heero knew who Kitsune was talking about. The woman selling flowers was the one who had recommended him the school which Kitsune was now going to.

"Can I show 'em to Hee-chan?" Kitsune asked Andy.

He nodded, and she immediately ran out of the kitchen. The two watched her go.

"When are you going to tell her?" Andy asked.

"Never," Heero simply answered. "She's used to calling you 'oniichan'. Besides, it's better that she doesn't know."

"...You sure?"

He nodded and grinned. "Aa. I think being called 'Hee-chan' is better than nothing. Arigatou for taking care of her all the time I was gone."

Andy nodded in agreement to Heero's explaination. Then he chuckled lightly. "You keep on saying arigatou. I think once is enough."

"I'm back!" Kitsune exclaimed, carrying a voice filled with roses. "See? Aren't they pretty?"

"They're beautiful, Kitsune-chan," Heero said.

As Kitsune continued talking, Heero's mind wandered back to the roses. They were a light pink. Her favorite color... He mentally shook his head. Ie, this was what you decided. To stay away from the government...and her. He looked at Kitsune and Andy. They were so young, but they knew too much too soon. Right now, I have to protect them. And to do that we've gotta live in secret.

A normal life. There was no such thing as normal. Although Heero had a job as a technician and his younger relatives at school, they would have to live under aliases. For him, it was because he knew that the others, his former friends and allies, would try to find him. It was also because he knew that Relena would try to locate him as well. For Kitsune and Andy, it was due to the Red Hawks. He knew that by rescuing them, the Red Hawks would search for their missing so-called super soldiers.

An almost normal life they would have. An almost normal life for the name Odin Lowe.

MORE AUTHORESS NOTES: Well, I'm stopping here! This is it! No more of this side story! Besides, I've got tons of other fics to do, too! Anyhoo, R&R and tell me what ya think!!

~Ayame-chan~