~*~Chapter4-Vacation cut short~*~
She didn't know how they got there but they ended up in front of her Jag. She had let Zero run free for a while knowing he would hold his own. She had managed to gain some self-control for a while. "Zero! Zero! Here boy!" she coaxed. "Wing Zero!!!" Faithful as ever he came trotting up wagging his tail behind him. As soon as he sensed her sadness he began to whimper and gently licked her hand. "I'm okay boy. Just a little shaken." He thrust his head affectionately into her chest.
"Hn. So you kept the wolf?" she stared at him curiously.
"What do you mean? I love him!" Zero stared at Heero for a moment, circled him wearily and then barked in approval.
"Ah so you remember me, ne?" Nerida patted her leg and he came and heeled right beside her.
"Good Zero." she praised. "Well, we had better get going. I'll see you later Heero." She gently slid into her leather seated car but when she tried to shut the door it stopped mid-way.
"Relena don't leave me again. Please."
"I'm sorry, but I am not Relena anymore."
"Then who are you?"
"They call me Nerida Jackson, pilot 07 of the Gundam known as Fascination." He pulled her in fiercely against him. "I'll be in town for the next two days. I might see you around."
"Stay with me. Just for two days. I've missed you so much."
"I've missed you too, Heero. My feelings..." she swallowed, "My feelings still haven't changed towards you Heero."
"I love you too Relena. I love you more than the moon and the sun."
"Heero, I am NOT Relena."
"But you are not Nerida either, but if that is what you wish I shall call you Nerida. Leave your car here, we'll come pick it up tomorrow." she nodded.
"Zero, come." as soon as the dog was out she locked the car.
Nerida had fallen asleep in the passenger seat by the time they got to the Gundam pilot's home. He carefully picked her up and took her inside with Zero keeping a watchful eye on him. "She should have called you Zechs with the way you're acting." The dog's glare turned into a ferocious growl. Nerida stirred and her eyes snapped open.
"Oh I'm sorry, I must have fallen asleep." She eyed the room around her. It was a pig-sty. She glanced at the 7 pizza boxes. "Duo's over isn't he?" Heero nodded. "I guess I'll take the couch then."
"No, take my bed." it sounded more like a command then a polite gesture.
"No, I couldn't intrude like that."
"You're not intruding. Take it!" he growled.
"This conversation is getting us nowhere. We'll both take the bed... shit." He raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, new habit. I left my bag with my clothes in my jet."
"You can borrow some of my clothes." he didn't notice the blush that raised on his cheeks.
"k. Thanks." He tossed her a pair of boxers and a baggy shirt.
Walking into the washroom she noticed five of everything. "So they're all here." she changed and walked out. On the way back to Heero's room she noticed two figures sleeping in one bed. Grinning she stealthily crept into the room to see Duo and Hilde. She smiled and crept out. Silently she walked back into Heero's room. "So they took my advice after all, ne?" he raised an eyebrow then nodded. He walked over to her and wrapped her in his arms. "You need a shower 01."
"Hmph. You're one to talk."
"I'll take mine in the morning. Now go or else I'll sleep on the couch." she playfully shoved him into the washroom.
As he walked out of the washroom he was about to begin scolding her when he noticed her sleeping form with Zero next to her. Zero's big black eyes glistened in the moonlight which was filtering in by the window. The wolf's eyes watched him closely. Sighing he layed down on the other side of his sleeping angel. Gently he raised his hand and removed some of the honey-blonde locks that tainted her prefect face. He gently drifted off into sleep.
Duo snuck into Heero's room for his *wake-up call* as he so gently put it. Then he noticed some honey-blonde hair entangled with unruly brown hair. Then he heard some growling as Zero sniffed something familiar. Zero woke up. 'Wait. Wolf. Big black eyes. Honey-blonde hair. Girl. In bed with Heero.' "JOUSAN!!!" Nerida woke up with a start. Duo began jumping up and down on the edge of the bed. "JOUSAN JOUSAN JOUSAN!!!" Nerida rubbed her eyes tiredly. Heero kicked Duo off. "Oi, you could have asked nicely.
"You wouldn't have heard it." he said glaring. Nerida sat up taking in her surroundings. Duo nearly leapt on top of her. Heero bristled as he saw Nerida hugging him back. "Get off." he growled in a dangerously low voice.
"Zero here boy." Suddenly they noticed the wolf was gone. "Shit." Duo raised an eyebrow. "Sorry."
"What the hel- Zero? Injustice being woken up this early." he grumbled all the way back to Heero's room. "I take it as Relena is back." he said entering the room. Zero immediately leaped out of Wufei's arms and began prancing around Duo affectionately. Relena walked out of the shower in Heero's bath robe and was drying her hair with a towel.
"Hi Wufei." Zero quickly lost interest in what Duo was trying to show him and ran over to Nerida's right leg. "Zero, be a good boy and go get Quatra, Hilde and Trowa." Zero nodded his head and ran out.
"You certainly have that dog well trained." Wufei observed. "So, I take it that you aren't going by Relena Dorlain Peacecraft any longer?"
"You got it. Wait till everyone gets here and I'll tell everyone why I'm back so early." She chuckled as she heard Hilde scream. Quatra yelped in surprise and Trowa just began to follow the wolf back.
"Relena!?!" Hilde and Quatra yelled at the same time. Trowa just nodded towards her. Zero went back to standing by Nerida.
"Actually, I'm not Relena anymore. I'm Nerida Jackson and I would greatly appreciate if you would call me that from now on. I am pilot 07 of the Gundam Fascination. I didn't intend to actually meet any of you here yet. I was supposed to come back in a year. I must return to my HQ tomorrow."
"So, if you weren't supposed to come back for another year, why'd you come back?" Hilde inquired curiously.
"Pegan... Pegan died." she said as her eyes filled with tears once again. "I can't go to the funeral. It's to be held in one week and he's being buried in the Peacecraft graveyard." One tear escaped but she fiercely wiped it away.
"Jousan, things will be alright." duo said rubbing her back. "Come on let's go make whip up some breakfast."
Duo came out with five plates filled with huge stacks of chocolate chip pancakes. "Duo, I don't think everyone will be able to finish those." Nereda said politely. His eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"This isn't for you guys. This is for me!!!" he said as he began to wolof them down. Hilde brought out everyone else's.
"Bon appetite." shee leaned over to Nerida and whispered in her ear. "I need to talk to you later."
"Sure. After breakfast we'll take a walk." she nodded.
"Heero, can we borrow your car?" he nodded and tossed her the keys. "Come one Hil, let's go burn some road."
"Agreed."
"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Nerida asked. Hilde looked down at her feet.
"I want to break up with Duo." she said quietly.
"What!?!" she lost control of the car as it swerved over three lanes and then back. "Why would you want to do something like that?" she asked somewhat stunned.
"Things have been going great between us but..."
"But what?"
"Well, I'm only 20! I don't want to be tied down with kids and responsibilities yet. I still have university ahead of me. But I think Duo has other plans. I know he wants kids and a house and I want it too but..." she covered her face in her hands. "I just don't know what I want!!! Things used to be so simple. Working as a sweeper is loads of fun don't get me wrong,"
"But you want more in life." Nerida finished off for her.
"Exactly."
"Hilde. Just tell him. Don't break his heart. Just tell him how you feel. I know by the way he looks at you that he loves you. He would die before purposely trying to make you sad. Tell him that you want to slow down a little." Hilde looked up at her best friend.
"Y-You don't think that would hurt his feelings?"
"It would certainly hurt him a lot less than saying you want to break up with him." Hilde nodded. "Hey, we'll go pick up my car then we'll go shopping. Okay?"
"Sure."
They came back to the house with as many shopping bags as they could carry and more in the car. "Hey! We're back!" Duo came running down the stairs.
"Hilde-Babe!!!" She stopped him before he jumped on her.
"Uh, Duo. Why don't you come help me with the rest of the bags. Nerida isn't feeling too well."
"You okay, Jousan?"
"I'm fine just a little internal bleeding from training last week. I'll be fine, You don't have to help." Hilde glared at her. Duo shook his head and quickly put on his shoes.
"You ain't working if you're not feeling well Princess. Shinigami's gonna make sure of that." Nerida winked at her. Duo quickly ran outside with Hilde as Nerida made her way upstairs. Suddenly the phone rang. Contemplating whether to answer it or not she finally made up her mind and answered.
"Hello?" A familiar face appeared.
"Nerida we have a prob. at HQ."
"Jo? What kind of problem?"
"We're under attack. We need you to come back now!"
"I'll be there soon. Luv ya. Stay alive."
"You too." Nerida darted up the stairs.
"ZERO!!! HERE BOY!" He immediately came to her urgent call. "Car." he quickly raced off and jumped into her car. Heero also came downstairs and saw her gathering what small possessions she had. "Heero help me get all my bags into my car! Quick!" she shoved her feet into her sneakers and loaded her guns.
"Where are you going?" he asked monotonously.
"I have to go back to HQ they're under attack. Zero!!!" The wolf came running back, "Take the bags to the car." she pointed to her shopping bags as she said this. She stuck her head outside, "Duo! Hilde! Put all my bags into my car."
As soon as everything was set she jumped over the door and landed with perfect grace into her seat. Zero was seated in the back and everybody was outside. "I'll miss you all." Heero stepped forward.
"I'm going with you."
"No, you aren't."
"Yes I am."
"No and that's final. I don't have time for this." He jumped in the car.
"You are so annoying! Fine if you want to come, come. Same for the rest of you but I can't guarantee your safety and you'll have to follow." She peeled out of the driveway and went as fast as she could down the highway towards the forest. The others followed suit. "Zero get the guns from the trunk." Zero complied and opened the seat that led to the trunk and brought out two guns of the latest models. "Good boy. Give them to Heero." Heero took the guns and loaded them.
"Does he understand English?" Heero asked in awe.
"Pretty much. He's the best of friends. Thank you so much for giving him to me."
"Hn." The rest of the ride was silent except for the screeching of tires.
She slammed on the brakes as she parked on the inside of her jet. The other car came in a couple seconds later. "I'm going to hope to God all of you still remember how to pilot a mobile suit." she said.
"I should hope so too. We were in training since we were little." She opened up the comm. Link as the plane took off.
"Sajana, Elita, Sorcha, Jo are you guys alright so far?" Elita appeared on the screen.
"Nerida. We're holding them off okay, but they have reinforcements and Tristan isn't letting Sorcha fight because of her failure on the last mission."
"What!? That's insanity! I'll talk to Tristan later. I have the Gundam pilots and Hilde Schbeiker with me. We should be there in half an hour. I'm going as fast as I can. It's a mobile suit battle right?" Sajana nodded her confirmation.
"Never were one for words were you? Prep my Gundam, one Taurus and 01 to 05."
"Affirmative."
"See you soon." Sajana cut the connection and Nerida ended her side as the screen went blank.
