Only Time
By: Zarabeth McGregor
Chapter: 6
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon. Oh, and I don't own Ami's outfit later on in the fic either, that belongs to XOXO.
You guys really know how to make a girl feel good. Seriously, I couldn't have asked for better reviewers and fans. I didn't expect people to really like this fic…(okay, I expected people to hate it.) and the fact that I consider Relena to be human, I thought that would've made it worse. But you guys just keep reviewing and reviewing. Really, in all my time in fanfiction writing, I've never had reviewers as kind and dedicated as you are. Thank you so very much, I'm touched. So this chapter and the next chapter are dedicated to you guys, because I know you've been waiting for this since forever. Thanks again.
Yes, questions and comments time!
Crystal Dragon, Jessica, oldestof3, Amy, Wicked Lady and Kaiya: I'm really glad you liked the speech and my portrayal of Relena. I don't really like the excessive bashing of Relena; I think it makes a good story seem quite childish.
Kaiya: You better get it out soon!
Wicked Lady: Thanks for your compliment, though I'm sure you're exaggerating *winks*. I think I might have to torture you some more to show my appreciation. *Laughs*
Amy: *blushes* the story's not that good…*blushes some more*
Oldestof3: Glad you loved the speech.
Jessica: I always vowed I'd never make Relena seem snobbish in a fic, or else I'd leave her out of it completely. She's not as crazy and spoilt as she's made out to be, clearly evident toward the end of the series and in Endless Waltz.
Crystal Dragon: Okay, I will never forgive Relena for the stalking thing, especially when she read Heero's letter…how many times before delivering it to him? Well, so many times that she memorized it, but besides the point. Well, I figured that Ami and Relena would get along well, so…there it is.
Thanks again people! I love you guys! Oh, if I didn't answer your question or remark for last the chapter, sorry. It's probably because I was in the process of writing this chapter.
This is a very long chapter….
~*~
Well, the past few weeks passed by so quickly. I adjusted quite easily to my new job; it wasn't as boring as Relena said it would be. In fact, things were heating up.
"We have a problem on our hands," she said one day as we sat in Colombo's enjoying some iced tea during our break.
"How big?" I asked, leaning forward slightly. Relena sighed and sipped her drink.
"It's petty, really, but big enough to reach my office." She set down her glass. "There are these two neighboring colonies, LXI314 and WBX51. There's an abandoned colony right between them, unused for decades. Anyway, LXI314 decided to put it to good use and build a sort of resort colony on it. WBX51 is opposed to it; they say it will interfere with them, though I can't see how."
"Really petty," I agreed as she sipped her iced tea.
"Oh, it gets better," she said with a sarcastic laugh. "You see, the Alliance got wind of it and decided to stick their damned noses in." Yeah, she really liked the Alliance, huh? "It turns out that one of the Alliance members has the title deed, therefore, he, or more accurately, they're the only ones who can OK the project. So, LX decided to come to me and appeal their case. It's petty, but it's messy," Relena sighed and downed the rest of her drink in one gulp. She seemed stressed. I, on the other hand, was intrigued.
"Are there any meetings scheduled?" I asked eagerly. She looked up at me and smiled.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" she asked, amused. I shrugged.
"I want to really get in on some action," I answered simply. An old trait left over from my Sailor Scout days.
"Well, Ami, you'll get it. And very soon too," she said with a laugh. I didn't realize the unintentionally ambiguous meaning her words held.
~*~
Later that night, I sat at a table facing the street in a restaurant named Roxanne.
"You'll love it!" Stacey told me that afternoon. "Everyone goes there. It's the coolest place out." She was right. Roxanne seemed to be where everyone went in the evening; students from the local high schools, workers, both office and manual and college kids. It was no surprise. The place was a combination of trendiness and sophistication.
The night was calm and breezy; this street was particularly quieter than others, so it brought out the serenity of the night. For the past couple of weeks, I had been so wrapped up in my new life. I no longer was living in a hotel room; I found an apartment close to the Foreign Affair Division and was still in the process of settling in. I took care of the basic interior needs, but I was now shopping for things that would decorate and enhance my modest lodgings.
I also went clothing hunting. My wardrobe no longer consisted of suits and basic clothing items. Nor were they as conservative as they usually are.
"You don't have a pair of faded jeans?" Stacey had asked me in shock and horror earlier this week. I had mumbled a half-hearted explanation, but she would hear none of it.
"Nope, nuh-uh. You are not ending this day without getting a pair of faded jeans." So, we took the rest of the day off, from our lunch hour onwards, that is, and went shopping. Only this time, we didn't hit Regina. Instead we went to the mall's trendiest shops. It turned out that I didn't go home with just faded jeans that night. Let's just say that we were straining under the weight of the many, many bags filled with my new clothes.
This week, I also decided to be daring, so during my lunch hour, I went to the salon and did something with my hair. My blue tresses now fell in cascading waves and curls down my shoulders, stopping mid-back. My nails were also nicely manicured; now they had a nice white background a blue crescent moon painted on each nail. I picked up the cup of cappuccino with both hands and sipped slowly, deep in thought.
I'd been so busy with adjusting and fitting in that I didn't give any thought to my real reason for being here. But I had the opportunity to now. When would I find my soul mate?
As I sat there, I pondered this. I looked around the restaurant and wondered: could any one of these men here be the lucky someone? Thought of all the men I've seen since I came here, hundreds if one thought about it. I've gotten my fair share of stares, second glances and winks from both fine and not-so-fine guys. Had I missed my opportunity during my time here? Destiny had said it would be all up to me. Had I messed up big time? Had I missed out on my chance of pure happiness? I remembered what Destiny told me about our futures, the scouts and mine. The dark and despondent future that waited for me if I didn't find my soul mate.
I suddenly felt tears springing to my eyes and I felt my heart heave. My soul felt empty and I wondered if this was how I was going to feel for the rest of my life. Before anyone could notice my present state, I got up and ran out of the restaurant.
I spent the night crying my heart out.
~*~
The next morning, I was at work, early as usual, yet I wasn't feeling myself. I didn't put much care into my dressing that morning and my hair was in a messy bun. Stacey had tried several time to make conversation, none of which succeeded. I doubt I got any sleep the previous night, since I was otherwise occupied. But my predicament remained firmly on my mind. Okay, I couldn't believe I was acting this way over a guy. A guy I didn't even know. But then again, it wasn't just any guy; he was to be my soul mate. My very happiness and sanity depended on finding him.
Relena, Kami bless her perceptive soul, realized something was wrong the moment she saw me.
"What's up, Ami?" she asked me a few minutes after I came in. "You seem…not yourself?" I shrugged.
"Rough night, that's all," I replied softly. It wasn't a total lie, anyways. Though they still felt heavy and grainy, I didn't realize that my eyes were still swollen and slightly red from my 'rough night'. She locked her cerulean gaze on me.
"You miss it, don't you?" she asked softly. "Your former life and the people you know you won't be able to see again." I looked up quickly, shocked. I wondered if she had guessed my secret. But there was no accusatory tone in her voice. I don't think she knew how close she was to the truth. Then was when I realized that I wasn't just upset over my failure to secure my lover; I missed my old life.
"Yes," I replied.
"Homesickness, it's not a pleasant thing," she said softly. I don't know why, but I suddenly found myself crying again, sobbing quietly. I was vaguely aware of Relena leading me over to the couch. She sat me down and left me, returning a few seconds later with a glass of water. She sat down next to me and set the glass down on the table. She sat silently as I cried my frustration out.
"Sorry," I said, my voice hoarse. I really felt silly crying in front of my boss. As nice as she was, I hardly knew her. She, however, shook her head.
"It's alright," she whispered. Relena reached for the glass and handed it to me. I felt her eyes on me as I drank the water in large, unrelenting gulps.
"Thank you," I muttered, my eyes still averted.
"You know," Relena started quietly. "I'm having a little get together at my house tonight. I'd really like it if you came," she said, her voice genuine.
"I…I'm…I can't," I started, but she rested a hand on my shoulder.
"Please," she said, quietly pleading. Somewhere inside me felt a wave of relief. I smiled at looked up at her.
"Why not?"
~*~
That night, I was in my bedroom dressing. I don't know why, but I took out all of my clothes and tried them on, looking for the best combination. And I found it.
The top half of my outfit was a short-sleeved peasant top. It had a dark, patchwork look to it, pieces of little red flower fabrics and black squares with green diamond shaped bits and a shirred waistline.
I wore a black faded skirt that reached mid-thigh. My shoes were black French, high-heeled slides. I put my hair back and held it with a simple black bow, a la Minako. I decided to try out make-up for once and put on some shimmery dark-blue eye shadow and light red lipstick.
Once I was sure I was ready, I went downstairs and hailed a cab once again. I gave him the directions that Relena gave me and I sat back for the ride. The Sanq after hours was beautiful. Lights upon lights brightened the night and different styles of music filled the night air; from folk to hip-hop to rock. People strolled the streets, either for a moonlit walk or they were hurrying to one of the many nightclubs. I realized we were leaving the city and going up a hilly road. The houses here were larger and more elaborate, with large, well cared for gardens.
Perched on top of one of these hills was a lone house of baroque architecture. There were lights lit both inside and out and cars were parked along the long, winding road that led up to it. From here, I could see there was
a good amount of people outside, so I could only imagine how crowded it was inside.
'Little get together', she said.
The cabby pulled up at the large, iron-wrought gates and I stepped out. Once again, I forked over a good amount of money and walked up to the gates. They were open, so I just walked in. The trees and hedges were well trimmed and fairy lights were strung from them. I saw people entering through a large, double door, so I followed them.
The music was nothing compared to how it sounded outside once I stepped into the large vestibule. There were people standing together and laughing, dancing and drinking. Men in black suits were carrying champagne on trays and I took a glass as one passed by. I saw the source of the music to be a DJ on a large, makeshift stage in the middle of the room. Standing there at the top of the stairs, I felt so utterly out of place. People coming in after me looked around for a few moments before identifying friends. Everyone knew someone here. I knew no one.
"Ami! So glad you made it!" a very familiar voice sounded below me. My eyes scanned the crowd and I saw Relena coming towards me. She shook the hands of several people along the way and hugged a few. She was dressed quite…differently from how I was used to seeing her. Her outfit consisted of a camel-colored halter-top that showed her mid-riff and a pair of khaki hipsters that flared and the legs and had slits coming up to the knee. Her hair was done into two teased buns at either side of her head with a wispy fringe
coming down over her forehead and her shoes were similar to mine. She finally reached me after a whole minute of wading through people and greeted me with a hug.
"I thought you weren't going to make it," she whispered to me. I shrugged.
"I needed something to do," I said casually. She took one of the champagne flutes as a waiter passed. We stayed up on the stairs for a while and made small talk. But I felt she was distracted and her eyes kept scanning the crowd. Oh, well, I thought. As if I actually expected her to spend the whole night with me. She was the hostess and I was just her personal assistant. I heard her gasp slightly and I saw her shiny lips curl into a smile.
"They're here," she whispered to me. I was puzzled.
"Who?" I asked. She pointed a causal finger.
"Those guys over there," I followed her inconspicuous finger to five guys standing over by one of the stucco columns.
I think that was the first time my eyes came close to bugging out over members of opposite sex. If the others were here, they'd be going out of their minds by now. Why? Because I was fairly sure this was the first time I had seen several…physically exquisite guys all in one place, in real life.
"Who are they?" I asked softly. She quirked a playful brow at me.
"Ever heard of the Gundam Pilots?" she asked. I gasped softly. Those were the Gundam pilots. They didn't look to be any older than Relena and myself. Okay, I admit, I really didn't think when I read those papers, because I wouldn't have been so surprised if I had given thought to the fact they were described as boys. Relena giggled slightly beside me, I guess at my spazzed out expression. She led my to the left, so we could get a clearer view of them.
"Okay, you see that guy on the cell phone?" she said nodding in their direction. I looked and saw whom she was referring to. He seemed to be deep in conversation. His sky blue eyes, which seemed usually kind, were hard and he ran a frustrated hand through his platinum hair. "That's Quatre Winner, CEO of Winner Corp. His father left it to him after he died in the Eve Wars. He was pilot of the Gundam Sandrock. Now, he's a really nice guy, but you really don't want to go pissing him off. Very traumatizing." I nodded blindly.
"The Chinese guy glowering at everyone, he's Chang Wufei, the only surviving member of his clan, pilot of the Gundam Shenlong," she sighed. "I swear to God the scientist he was working with forgot to remove the anal probe he put up his ass," she whispered to herself. I heard anyways, and I had to laugh. Looking at Wufei, it was easy to believe. His shoulder length hair was pulled back into a very tight looking ponytail and his dark eyes were severe. "He has an immense…dislike towards women. Don't, I repeat, don't do anything to piss him. When he opens his mouth to curse something or someone…it ain't pretty." Relena now led me further to the left.
"The guy with the gravity defying hair is Trowa Barton. He's the oldest out of the whole lot, I think. Also one of the most perplexing. Nobody ever knows what he's thinking, as he never shows emotion, hardly ever talks. He piloted the Gundam Heavyarms." I watched as Gretchen, the receptionist from earlier on, tried to make conversation with him. He seemed to be totally ignoring her. His brown hair was pulled down into a bang covering one of his emerald green eyes. He was tall and lithe looking. Probably into acrobatics. I asked Relena about that. "Yeah, he's a circus performer, works with his sister Catherine Bloom. He's the most serious clown you'll ever see." And now Relena led new down the stairs until we were at the foot of them. She positioned herself so she was facing two guys at one of the large windows.
"Those two guys over there talking," I saw her referring to them. "Are the craziest, most psychopathic people you'll ever have the privilege of meeting." She sounded quite serious, yet almost amused when she said that. I looked over at them. One was talking while the other just nodded and grunted in response. "The one that seems to have no control over his mouth, that's Duo Maxwell, aka Shinigami."
"Shinigami?" I asked, making my first comment in a while. "The God of Death?" I translated, incredulous.
"Told you they were psycho. Yeah, Duo. He piloted the Gundam Deathsycthe Hell." I looked at this 'Shinigami'. He looked to be about Relena's height, maybe taller. His brown hair was gathered into a ridiculously long braid that skimmed his waist. His wide violet eyes were full of life and mischief and a lopsided grin was plastered onto his face, making him seem even…okay, here goes…more attractive. "He's majoring in Theology over at the Sanq University. Ladies beware; the guy's a player." I had to smile at the irony of that statement. A Casanova priest. I never heard worse. "He is also number one on Wufei's hit list…" Relena added slowly. I frowned.
"What?" I asked. She nodded.
"See that thin scar running along his neck?" she asked. I looked and sure enough, there was a light scar running from his jaw line to his collarbone. I nodded. "That was the end result of Duo putting pink hair dye into Wufei's shampoo…" I blinked once, twice, three times.
"Okay…" I nodded.
"And that guy next to him was the pilot of Wing Zero. Heero Yuy," she said, suddenly breathless. I looked up at her and she wore a slightly dreamy look. "He's the best pilot the world has ever seen, ever will see. The way he moves, so agile and light. No wonder." She whispered, again to herself. "He's so confusing. You can never see what he's feeling register on his face. However, if you look into his eyes…" she trailed off, and I realized she had been looking at him. He was…beautiful. His chocolate brown hair was tousled and untamed, some of it falling over his intense Prussian eyes. He was tall and well built, though his body looked like it was as flexible as a sapling. He wore a scowl on his face that contorted his face, but he still looked way above average appearance. Imagine if he smiled…
"Come on, Ami…" Relena's urging brought me back to earth. I realized that she was trying to drag me further into the crowd. I also realized I was staring at the Wing Zero pilot.
"What?" I asked, totally clueless.
"Come on. Don't you want me to introduce you to them?"
Ha! I didn't say anything about no more cliffhangers, did I?