I'm back with another installment! Hope all of you guys had a great Thanksgiving! Here we go!

Second Best

Chapter 3

Relena awoke to the chattering downstairs. It was already very late in the morning, but she was still exhausted. Relena buried her head into her pillow and dozed off once again. An hour later, she was awaken by two children jumping up and down on her bed.

"Stop it…" she grumbled, drowsy from her sleep.

They giggled and continued jumping up and down. Relena chucked her pillow at them but missed by a long shot. Fed up, she scrambled out of bed and chased the two brats out the door.

"RELENA! GET UP FOR GOD'S SAKE!" a voice called from downstairs.

"I'm coming…I'm coming," she called back. "Stupid Quatre…who does he think he is? My father?"

She walked into the bathroom and did her business. Minutes later, she emerged from her room, fully dressed and freshened up. She walked down the stairs and was nearly bombarded by a stampede of people.

"Good morning, Quatre. What's for breakfast?" she asked.

"Absolutely nothing," he remarked. "They cleaned everything out and you're late by a couple of hours. I have to go to the market now. I'll be back in a few hours. Take care of them while I'm gone." With that said, Quatre grabbed his coat and disappeared from the house.

"Great…" she sighed. Relena looked over at couch, where he was still asleep.

She walked over and kneeled down next to him. "He can really sleep," she thought to herself. His cheeks were a bit paler than usual, yet, there was a hint of rose on them.

"Is he burning up with fever?" she asked herself.


Softly, she pressed her hand to his forehead. "No…he doesn't seem warmer than usual…but he does seem a bit cold…"

Heero's brow was knotted in a painful way. It seemed he was dreaming of something…but what?

-Begin dream-

He stood in an endless field of emerald, the breeze gently blowing the blades of grass. He sat under the sky, the sun bathing him in its warmth. And from the distance, there stood a little girl. Her hair was a color of dark auburn and her skin was a color of porcelain. Heero got up and wiped the soil from his pants and ran after the girl. But every time he took a step, the girl would move away.

"Who are you…?" he asked.

Her lips moved, but the sound of the breeze drowned out her voice.

"Please…don't leave…" he pleaded. "I want to know who you are."

He ran after her…but she vanished into thin air. The sky darkened and the blades of grass hardened and turned into knives. They hurled themselves at him…cutting and slashing his skin. He winced and shielded his eyes. Suddenly…the slashing stopped. He moved opened his eyes and saw himself in a bright light. It faded away into a church and he was clad now in white robes.

"Heero, there are some people here to see you." The voice that spoke was soft and gentle. Heero turned his head to see a nun and two people, a man and a woman in their early thirties. The nun picked him up and handed him to the couple, tears clinging to her eyes. Heero reached his hand out to the nun, but it was too late…

"No…" he cried in his meek voice. "No….." he cried louder. "NOOOOOOOOOO!"

-End Dream Sequence-

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" he cried, his eyes shooting open. He abruptly tossed off his blanket and rolled off the couch.

"Ouch…!" a voice cried from beneath him.

Heero snapped back into reality and quickly climbed off the body. Relena gasped for air and slowly pushed herself up.

"Sorry…" he muttered.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You seem a bit…odd."

"Yea..yea…I got to go. Where's my stuff?" he asked rudely.

She pointed to the chair as he dashed to his stuff and left.

"You're welcome…" she said to herself sarcastically.

Heero walked quickly through the woods, his books in his arms. Heero was a nervous wreck. What did that dream mean…he thought to himself. He ran his hand through his thick hair and sighed. His mom was probably worried sick about him.

He ran the rest of his way home. Soon enough, he set foot inside the clean smelling house in which he called home.

"Mom, I'm home," he called into the house. His voice slightly echoed. "Mom?"

He walked into the kitchen and looked around. No sign of anyone. Finally, he set his eyes upon a note on the refrigerator.

Heero,

Emergency at the hospital. Will not be back for a couple of days at the least. Take the money in the jar if you are hungry. Order some pizza if you'd like. Please take care.

With love,

Mom and Dad

He threw the note out and sat down in the den. It was nearly four in the afternoon. Thank goodness today was a Saturday. He switched on the T.V and tried to lose himself in a flood of entertainment.