"Relena! How are you?" Quatre greeted his friend as he landed at the Sanq
Kingdom airport.
"Quatre, is it really you? It's been so long!" She exclaimed as she ran up to him, and embraced him. Quatre was reminded of the time he came here with Heero during the war – how Relena had met them there then as well.
"Relena?" Duo finally interrupted, as he seemed to come out of no-where.
"Duo! Hello! How are you? How's Hilde?" the enthusiastic Peacecraft chirped.
"Hey Relena, we're all fine! Thanks." His voice sounded more weary than usual – as though he had just found out that he only had a few weeks to live.
This was very unsettling for Relena, for she had never seen Duo like this. 'Something must be seriously wrong', she thought to herself miserably, Duo's mood putting a damper on her chirpiness. She had a feeling that the happiness around her wouldn't last much longer. Nothing to do with the former Gundam Pilots retained its 'Happy' factor for long anyway. It was like a plague following them wherever they went. It was nothing that she could change… although she wished she could, for her friends' sake… for Heero's sake too.
"I was just wandering if Quatre could stay here for a while… "
Duo spoke between yawns, and Relena wanted to ask him how much sleep he was getting, but Quatre interrupted, "If that's not too much bother for you, of course."
"No! No, of course not!" Relena assured him, turning her attention back to Duo… he really looked tired. And frightened. Not at all like his usual overtly cheerful self. Even though she knew that what was going on was probably the cause, it distressed her to see her friend like this.
"Relena, you have to be careful. You do understand the consequences, and the danger you could be in, as I explained last week, don't you?" Asked Duo, feeling that Relena was taking this far too lightly, and not understanding that she could be killed if she, and he knew she would, got in the way of the enemy killing Quatre. Or even if they found out in any way that she helped him escape or, or...
Duo's mind was reeling… why was he thinking so negatively? He knew she would try and protect Quatre, and she obviously could look after herself. There was nothing to worry about... nothing... as long as he and Heero were with Relena, helping her as much as they could, nothing could possibly happen to her. 'Yeah, yeah, you just keep telling yourself that kid, and one day you might believe it,' said a small voice in his ear. He sighed.
Relena looked up and smiled at him, "I understand Duo. I just don't think we should let all this get in the way of our lives. It's going to change a lot, but we've got to stay happy, right? I know how serious this is…"
"That's good. I'm glad." Duo smiled his first – very tired, but also relieved – smile in days, "Look after yourself Relena… and expect anything okay?" He suddenly added. After all, she should be prepared. "Sorry for having to put this on your shoulders as well."
"It's okay. Really, anything for friends." She replied, trying to reassure Duo as much as she could, and calm him down. And get him to focus.
Duo just nodded absently.
"Would you like to stay for dinner, Duo?" She asked, trying to catch his eye.
"Sorry Relena. I can't. I must go and speak with Heero."
Relena's face paled at the mention of Heero's name.
"What? Is he okay?" She asked, flustered. "And um... are you okay? I've never known you to turn down dinner before." She added, trying to cover up her panicked expression, and any thought of feelings for Heero. She was only really worried because he had had an accident on his last mission, and fractured his gun arm.
"Yeah, yeah of course. We're both fine. Business… that's all." Duo wanted to make sure Relena didn't worry – her cover-up routine wasn't fooling anyone.
He finally met her eyes, but she looked away, embarrassed. She knew he knew. "CIA pestering you guys again?" she covered up.
Duo nodded sombrely. She was right, his boss had been making him and Heero work overtime in fear that Quatre would be captured, and since the pair knew him so well, they were the first ones picked for the job of his protection.
The Winners' company was too significant to be treated lightly in the circumstances. Plus, they gave the CIA considerable amounts of money for experiments with new gadgets and things. It was the least they could do.
"Duo, you know I would try and help you if I had any power over them, but the only thing they come to me for is legal advice, financial problems, problems with other countries and things like that. They wouldn't actually listen to me even though I was once the queen of the world. Vice foreign ministers haven't got a high enough authority for them." Relena sighed.
Duo could do nothing but nod once more, and feel guilty for depressing Relena. Of all the people that Duo knew, Relena was the kindest along with Quatre. His heart broke at the thought of something happening to one of his dearest friends.
He shouldn't have asked her in the first place… she didn't deserve this… maybe that was why Heero hadn't come… because he didn't agree with Duo's idea about including Relena in all this… but it was too late to back out now, there was nothing else to do for Quatre on such short notice.
"Thank you ever so much Relena. You've done more for me, and Heero, than anyone ever has. I'll never expect anything from you like that anyway. You've already got so much to do! It doesn't matter."
Relena blushed slightly at Duo's obviously sincere praise. "Anyway, I really gotta get going. Thanks once more for everything. Farewell."
He smiled, and then left, walking hastily down the spiralling path that led out of the kingdom.
Relena watched him depart, still concerned for his well being. (And a little freaked out – after all, he *had* said 'Farewell'. Since when did he say 'Farewell'?) What was so wrong? He was usually so lively, and happy. She hadn't actually seen him laugh once since he had been there, and Relena knew, the chances of that actually happening were like her becoming a professional sumo wrestler.
And obviously that would never happen. There was definitely something wrong in the world at the moment.
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"Quatre, is it really you? It's been so long!" She exclaimed as she ran up to him, and embraced him. Quatre was reminded of the time he came here with Heero during the war – how Relena had met them there then as well.
"Relena?" Duo finally interrupted, as he seemed to come out of no-where.
"Duo! Hello! How are you? How's Hilde?" the enthusiastic Peacecraft chirped.
"Hey Relena, we're all fine! Thanks." His voice sounded more weary than usual – as though he had just found out that he only had a few weeks to live.
This was very unsettling for Relena, for she had never seen Duo like this. 'Something must be seriously wrong', she thought to herself miserably, Duo's mood putting a damper on her chirpiness. She had a feeling that the happiness around her wouldn't last much longer. Nothing to do with the former Gundam Pilots retained its 'Happy' factor for long anyway. It was like a plague following them wherever they went. It was nothing that she could change… although she wished she could, for her friends' sake… for Heero's sake too.
"I was just wandering if Quatre could stay here for a while… "
Duo spoke between yawns, and Relena wanted to ask him how much sleep he was getting, but Quatre interrupted, "If that's not too much bother for you, of course."
"No! No, of course not!" Relena assured him, turning her attention back to Duo… he really looked tired. And frightened. Not at all like his usual overtly cheerful self. Even though she knew that what was going on was probably the cause, it distressed her to see her friend like this.
"Relena, you have to be careful. You do understand the consequences, and the danger you could be in, as I explained last week, don't you?" Asked Duo, feeling that Relena was taking this far too lightly, and not understanding that she could be killed if she, and he knew she would, got in the way of the enemy killing Quatre. Or even if they found out in any way that she helped him escape or, or...
Duo's mind was reeling… why was he thinking so negatively? He knew she would try and protect Quatre, and she obviously could look after herself. There was nothing to worry about... nothing... as long as he and Heero were with Relena, helping her as much as they could, nothing could possibly happen to her. 'Yeah, yeah, you just keep telling yourself that kid, and one day you might believe it,' said a small voice in his ear. He sighed.
Relena looked up and smiled at him, "I understand Duo. I just don't think we should let all this get in the way of our lives. It's going to change a lot, but we've got to stay happy, right? I know how serious this is…"
"That's good. I'm glad." Duo smiled his first – very tired, but also relieved – smile in days, "Look after yourself Relena… and expect anything okay?" He suddenly added. After all, she should be prepared. "Sorry for having to put this on your shoulders as well."
"It's okay. Really, anything for friends." She replied, trying to reassure Duo as much as she could, and calm him down. And get him to focus.
Duo just nodded absently.
"Would you like to stay for dinner, Duo?" She asked, trying to catch his eye.
"Sorry Relena. I can't. I must go and speak with Heero."
Relena's face paled at the mention of Heero's name.
"What? Is he okay?" She asked, flustered. "And um... are you okay? I've never known you to turn down dinner before." She added, trying to cover up her panicked expression, and any thought of feelings for Heero. She was only really worried because he had had an accident on his last mission, and fractured his gun arm.
"Yeah, yeah of course. We're both fine. Business… that's all." Duo wanted to make sure Relena didn't worry – her cover-up routine wasn't fooling anyone.
He finally met her eyes, but she looked away, embarrassed. She knew he knew. "CIA pestering you guys again?" she covered up.
Duo nodded sombrely. She was right, his boss had been making him and Heero work overtime in fear that Quatre would be captured, and since the pair knew him so well, they were the first ones picked for the job of his protection.
The Winners' company was too significant to be treated lightly in the circumstances. Plus, they gave the CIA considerable amounts of money for experiments with new gadgets and things. It was the least they could do.
"Duo, you know I would try and help you if I had any power over them, but the only thing they come to me for is legal advice, financial problems, problems with other countries and things like that. They wouldn't actually listen to me even though I was once the queen of the world. Vice foreign ministers haven't got a high enough authority for them." Relena sighed.
Duo could do nothing but nod once more, and feel guilty for depressing Relena. Of all the people that Duo knew, Relena was the kindest along with Quatre. His heart broke at the thought of something happening to one of his dearest friends.
He shouldn't have asked her in the first place… she didn't deserve this… maybe that was why Heero hadn't come… because he didn't agree with Duo's idea about including Relena in all this… but it was too late to back out now, there was nothing else to do for Quatre on such short notice.
"Thank you ever so much Relena. You've done more for me, and Heero, than anyone ever has. I'll never expect anything from you like that anyway. You've already got so much to do! It doesn't matter."
Relena blushed slightly at Duo's obviously sincere praise. "Anyway, I really gotta get going. Thanks once more for everything. Farewell."
He smiled, and then left, walking hastily down the spiralling path that led out of the kingdom.
Relena watched him depart, still concerned for his well being. (And a little freaked out – after all, he *had* said 'Farewell'. Since when did he say 'Farewell'?) What was so wrong? He was usually so lively, and happy. She hadn't actually seen him laugh once since he had been there, and Relena knew, the chances of that actually happening were like her becoming a professional sumo wrestler.
And obviously that would never happen. There was definitely something wrong in the world at the moment.
~-~-~
Yeah yeah, go review!. Please?