Disclaimers: I don't own Gundam Wing, as much as I want to. I'm just borrowing them. I'm not making money.

AN:Gomen Nasai..I haven't been writing much...and I'll skip this writing part and get on to the story. More notes at the bottom. S'cuse all errors!


~*~*~*~* are flashbacks
'blah blah' are thoughts

Devious Angel
Chapter 4: Different Values of Money




Relena waited with a small smile as Pagan drove away. She looked across the street to Echo Collegiate. Once again, students were standing all around the front, chattering excitedly. The doors were still closed as Relena had arrived an extra half an hour. It seems that everyone planned to arrive earlier, as she could see many of the contestants milling around, all wearing their contestant tags. The weather was surprisingly warm compared to the chilly winds of the day before, and she wore a light blue tank top with dark blue jeans. Since only the results were given, she didn't need to dress formally. In fact, only the contest duration was considered 'formal'. She crossed the road, glancing at the main stairs. The Devils were there, talking. Heero was leaning against the stone side of the stairs, arms crossed, eyes closed. Wufei, Trowa and Quatre were sitting on the steps, and Duo was standing in front of them with his back to her. By Heero's feet was a large, brown paper bag. Taking a deep breath, Relena took a moment to reach up to her neck and touch the pendant on the choker. The feel of the cross-shape soothed her a bit and she made her way up the stairs.

"Good morning." She greeted them with a smile. Quatre, Wufei and Trowa had already noticed her as she walked up to them, Quatre already smiling. She noticed that all three of them were looking at her hand, which was covering the pendant of the choker they saw she was wearing, even Quatre, despite the friendly smile. Duo whirled around, a big smile plastered on his face.

"Relena! My day has been made hearing you say good morning to me!" he exclaimed.

"Actually Duo, she was greeting all of us, not just you." Quatre pointed out with a chuckle. Duo rolled his eyes as he turned back to the blond.

"You never know if she was directing it just to me Q." Duo stated with an almost lazy voice. Relena shook her head lightly in bemusement before she looked to Heero, gripping the pendant slightly tighter. His eyes were still closed, but a moment later, he opened them, studying her. He glanced at her hand before his cobalt eyes shifted up to look her in the eyes.

"You made you your mind." He said with a slight nod toward the necklace. The other guys all stood along side Heero, forming a partial semi-circle in front of her. She took a deep breath and nodded. Reaching into her pocket, she drew out another choker that she also held by the pendant so they could not see which one she held, and which she wore. She paused a moment, schooling her expression to be as serious as she could when she simply wanted to smile. Even Duo had a straight face of anticipation. She exhaled silently and let go of both the pendants, the cross sparkling in the sun around her neck, and the heart swinging on it's chain. For a moment, the sunlight prevented the 5 other teens from seeing the necklace. Duo was the first to notice that the chain she held was the heart. Immediately, he whooped, knowing that the one around her neck was a cross.

"Yea Relena!" He shouted, swinging an arm around Wufei's shoulders. Wufei grunted, but there was a different, friendlier look in his eyes. Quatre smiled outright as did Duo, and Trowa nodded in approval, squeezing Quatre's hand in relief and reassurance. Heero remained passive, but for a moment, Relena locked eyes with him, and he looked happy before he blinked and the emotion in his eyes disappeared.

'He's good with his masks.' Relena noted. She smiled as well. "Am I welcome?"

"You sure are!" Duo came forward and gave her a hug. Relena was startled for a moment before she returned it as fiercely as Duo. No one had given her a hug in a long time and she missed the feeling of affection. Heero bent down slightly, and picked up the paper bag by his feet. Duo stepped way from Relena and Heero came forward, handing the bag to her. She smiled.

"Leather jacket?" She guessed. She opened the bag and glanced inside before she pulled out the garment of clothing. The leather wasn't new; it was worn just right so it would be comfortable, yet still looked new. She held it up to her and smiled. It was just slightly too big for her, but she could fix it just as easily.

"Heero man, you gave her your spare?" Duo asked, his tone incredulous. Relena looked at Heero.

"Your spare?" She asked.

"It's better than a new one. I hope you don't mind second-hand." He said gruffly. Relena smiled.

"Of course not Heero! By Duo's tone, I think I should be honored." She folded it up and tucked it back into the paper bag. "I'll wear it as soon as I fix it up to fit me." She glanced at her watch. "We should go now Heero, the results are out in 5 minutes."

Heero nodded. Trowa reached out for the paper bag. "I'll take that for you until you guys are done." He said. Relena paused a moment and smiled.

"Thank you Trowa." She said. Trowa's mouth quirked into a small smile that Relena knew was rare. She handed him the bag before turning and walking up the steps with Heero. She pushed away the feeling of unease as she walked into the school.



* * *




"First off we would like to thank all of you young adolescents who joined this contest. As you all know, the prize is not money, or anything that a normal young teen your age would particularly want from greed. You all know very well the prize is a workshop with a famous designer of your choice with a given list. There is no second or third prize either. The winner will also be given a hand projector of their creation." The speaker of all the judges said, standing on the stage in the cafeteria. Relena listened intently. The judge gave a small laugh. "I do know that telling you that you are all winners will fall on deaf ears as that will do nothing to console you, and you want me to move straight to the point."

A cheer went up in the contestants standing as the audience, a total of 57 people.

"Then, I will not delay another further." The man smiled and started to open the envelope he held in his hands. He paused in the middle. "Anyone mind if I take a quick washroom break before I do this? I do feel like putting you in a bit more suspense."

Shouts of protests rang in the cafeteria and the man chuckled as he continued his task of opening the envelope. The room was silent as the man pulled out the paper from within the envelope and scanned paper.

"It seems…" He said slowly. "That this year, we have not one winner, but two! And they are…" He looked at the group of people. "Lucrezia Noin and Relena Peacecraft! Congratulations ladies, please come up on stage!"

Blood froze in Relena's veins as she heard her name. She knew she had an equal chance as all others to win. What made her start was the mention of Noin. She did no designing whatsoever, least not to her knowledge! But she knew for sure, that Noin was not at the competition…was she?

'She was there after the competition…' A little voice in the back of her mind said. Relena did not even hear the congratulations said to her and she glanced at Heero. His eyes were narrow, but his head moved slightly, telling her to go on stage. His expression was clearly stating they would talk about it later, although how she knew that, Relena had no idea. Numbly, she walked onto the stage.



* * *




"I can't believe this!" Relena said quietly, her eyes blazing angrily as she stepped outside with Heero. As they made their way down the stairs to the other group, she tightened her hand into a fist, so tight she knew her nails would leave marks on her palm. As they approached the other gang members, she looked up when Heero stretched an arm in front of her, and she stopped.

"Heero…" She trailed off, seeing the others looking across the stairs to the opposite side, and she looked over. Between the passing people, she could see the Rose Gang. She grit her teeth.

"Heero." Trowa said quietly, but Heero only nodded, glaring at the others. Relena didn't understand the silent communication. Already angered, she turned on her heel and made her way through the passing people toward the Rose Gang. Heero grabbed her wrist, but she pulled away. She approached them, almost sure that the others would be there to back her up. She glanced up the stairs to see Noin coming down, yet with her peripheral vision, she saw the gang still standing across the stairs. They had not followed. She turned again and glared at Zechs.

"Congratulations, Relena Peacecraft." He said as Noin came up to them. "And to you Noin." He eyed her choker. "So you have chosen." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "You know that we are now enemies."

Relena pushed his hand away forcefully. "We never were friends." She said curtly. She turned to Noin. "How?" She said quietly.

"Basically, Relena, we know how to use our money, not just in buying expenses. We were able to buy not onto the contest title ahead of time, but get a designer to make a good design, bought it from him, and submitted it." He said. "I wasn't talking to you." Relena steadied her angry voice. She knew she couldn't let her anger control her.

"We're all rich Relena, I'm sure you know how easily we can manipulate people. All our parents are important. I wouldn't be surprised if your parents paid for you to win." Noin said off handedly. She smiled sourly. "Oops. I forgot. You don't have a mother and your father is never around. Maybe that's why you are so naïve, and dress so…plainly." She said. She laughed along with Alex and Mueller. Anger rose in Relena, and she took a deep breath.

"You have no right to say that, Lucrezia Noin." She said. She glared at Alex and Mueller. "Nor have you got the right to laugh." Her voice was low and deadly. "You are all nothing but spoiled brats with money. But at least I know now." She glared at each of them in the eyes. "That I am much better than you are because I know how to rely on myself. I don't need money to help me win. Only myself. I'm much happier knowing that I can do this, and this is something you will never be able to do. We aren't equals. You know that." She glared at Zechs. "And I don't need goons to back me up either. I think it is plain for you to see why I chose the other gang."

For a moment, all was silent. Then, Zechs laughed. "So naïve Relena. You do not know that you're simply placing your money to waste. As for choosing the other gang, it's to your belief that you made the better choice. If they stick up for you, they would be behind you right now, instead of standing so far away. If they cared, they would tell you that some things that you say might become a threat. You are much too innocent to know our ways. I wouldn't speak like that if I were you." Zechs leaned forward, looking at Heero over Relena's shoulder as he spoke. "Let me warn you Peacecraft. One wrong word, and you may be killed. Just ask them. You are not the only one to wear that oh-so-honorable spare jacket of Yuy." He pulled back and they walked away. For a moment, Relena just stood there. She knew there were things that she didn't know about the gang. Her own thoughts returned to her.

'I will not join a gang unless I have to, and only if I know their ways and ethics will I join.'

She had simply broken her own vow. Yet, she thought as she stared at the Rose Gang's retreating backs, there was no turning back now. She belonged with the gang, no matter what anyone said. She'd have to learn their ways now. And she will.

Relena buried her thoughts and turned back to the gang. They were standing silently, other contestants still chattering in the background. She took another breath, looking at the sky.

'Mother, please tell me if I'm doing the right thing…' She thought before she walked towards the others. She stopped silently in front of them.

"I want to know your ways. Whatever I have to know now, or am allowed to know now, I would like to." She said. Heero nodded.

"Fine."

Turning, she followed them as they made their way to a destination unknown to her. As they did so, Quatre fell back.

"Congratulations Relena." He said quietly with a smile. "If you have the projector, I'd like to see your design."

"Take it Quatre." Relena handed the small projector to the blond. "I have no use for it. I don't want to go to the designer workshop either."

Suddenly, everyone stopped. She paused, looking at each of them.

"Relena, you have to go." Duo said quietly. Relena paused a moment in thought.

"Because by not going I'd be telling them I quit." Fire flashed in her eyes a moment. "I…" She thought for another moment. "I'll go then. I won't lose to them; especially not to Noin. I can design much better than her professional designer."

"Honestly Relena." Duo said. "We'll give you one last say. Do you seriously want to join for us, or to be against the others?"

Relena bit her lip, closing her eyes. 'Mother…teach me what to do.'

A flash of her childhood came to her, of when her mother was still alive. The young Mrs. Peacecraft was telling her young daughter to do as she wanted and what she felt was right. A woman's hunch was never wrong.

"I'm in it for myself. To be with you because you will accept me like no one ever has." She said. Duo smiled.

"Great! Now, we're going to Heero's apartment since he lives in the penthouse, the biggest apartment there is in his entire building, and it's usually where we hang out." He said as they started to walk again. "It has two floors, and you just gotta know that when you're there, everything stays in place, and you are allowed anywhere except upstairs and that is Heero's and only Heero's domain, all right?"

"Or else?" Relena grinned.

"Well, the few times I tried to, I never got up there. Man, he must have some private stuff in there! The only thing I never glimpsed was a bunch of models of cars." Duo leaned closer. "I swear, he's a robot with radar!" He whispered.

"Duo." Heero said warningly. But he didn't sound all too serious. Relena laughed.

'I know I'm doing the right thing. I need to prove that being rich doesn't mean you can't fit in with others. Maybe Heero is just like me…'















Saori: FINALLY!! Sorry it's been this long...over a few months, I do now..um..well..here it is! I'm working on other chapters as well. I think..depending on popularity..I'll work on my fics one at a time until I finish them. But I will write more on this fic, soon...! Please, review! I'm so sorry it took so long...other work to do...@.@...ja for now!