Author's Note: Did I ever mention that I'm on vacation as I'm writing this fic? Yes indeedy I am. What's most surprising is that Mom's letting me spend any time on our laptop at all! I think all that dust in Nauvoo went to her head.
Disclaimer: You know I don't own it
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Can Love Conquer All?
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Chapter Three: Finally Some News (if not much)
Walking in the front door of Relena Peacecraft Yuy's manor, Heero slipped out of his Preventer jacket and hung it on a peg on the wall. He and Duo had spent the past three days on L3, taking care of a group of teenage punks who had taken over a grocery store and were threatening to blow the colony up. If Heero had had his way, he would have marched in and knocked the kids senseless, but things were supposed to be handled peacefully, so Heero had to try and do his best imitation of Relena as he and Duo worked on keeping the drunken teens from doing anything stupid.
"Welcome home," Relena said as she joined him in the living room not a few moments later. "Three days is an awful long time to be gone. What happened this time that took you away?"
"Some gang of kids on L3 started acting up and shooting people. Thought they could take over everything." Heero snorted. "But they're just a bunch of kids. Couldn't have shot the broad side of a barn if they'd been sober."
Snuggling up against Heero on the sofa, Relena rested her head on his chest as he put one arm around her, holding her close, glad to be home. He'd never admit it out loud, but finally admitting his feelings to Relena and then marrying her (yes, at a ridiculously young age) had been the best thing that had ever happened to him, which was why he felt sorry for Merquise, even though he hated the guy with a passion. Zechs had finally told Noin he loved her, everybody knew that, but the idiot hadn't gotten around to proposing to the woman yet, and look where it had gotten him. His lover had up and left him two weeks ago in favour of a job on Mars.
"Milliardo stopped by today on his way to Preventer Headquarters," Relena murmured. "He misses her so much. Why won't he just get up off his high horse and follow her to Mars?"
Heero suppressed a laugh. Zechs, get off his high horse? And follow a woman to Mars? Heero wouldn't do such a stupid thing, so why under the sun, moon and stars would Zechs? He couldn't exactly say all this to Relena, though. She just didn't understand the way the male mind worked. "It's a male thing," Heero grunted instead. Relena glared at him. It was her way of saying that that was the stupidest thing she'd heard in her life and he'd better not repeat it. Rolling his eyes Heero sank back farther into the couch. On second thought, maybe it would do Merquise some good to go chasing after Noin. Heero'd had to follow Relena halfway around the galaxy. Of course, that was because she was Vice Foreign Minister and didn't stay for very long anywhere, but still, it was the principle of the matter that counted.
"I also got a call from Miss Noin today," Relena continued, a small frown forming on her face. "She didn't talk to me very long, but she certainly looked happy enough. She said that Nick, the man in charge of the Mars Terraformation Project, had given her a pretty high standing and that things were coming along nicely now that she's one of the top dogs. I haven't seen that look in her eye since…well, since Zechs said he loved her. Don't you think it's worrisome that a job is making her this happy?"
Shock hit Heero. Of all things, he certainly hadn't expected Noin to call Relena. Nobody had expected her to call anybody. At least he knew now exactly where she was and what she was doing. He'd call Duo as soon as he and Relena stopped talking so that the braided American could inform everybody else. "I don't know," Heero replied, "sometimes a job can make you pretty happy."
"That so?" Relena asked, lifting herself up and out of his embrace, quirking an eyebrow at him. "And what job would make you that happy?"
"When I got called to be your bodyguard," he replied, nipping at the top of her ear. "Best job I'd ever been assigned." Relena smiled and leaned back into him. It was hard to think that he'd once threatened to kill her. Would have been the biggest mistake of his life, too. "So her job makes her happy. What's wrong with that?"
Relena answered him patiently. "This is Miss Noin we're talking about, Heero, not Dorothy. Lucrezia's happiest when she's with my brother. The fact that she's this happy with her job is very worrisome. I remember her once telling me that no matter how much she had loved her job as a Terraformer, it wouldn't have made her as happy as it did if Zechs hadn't been there with her. And here she is, back on Mars without Milliardo, but just as happy as anything. Heero, I know she loves my brother with all of her heart. So why is she so content to be on Mars without him?"
Shaking his head, Heero replied, "I honestly can't say, Relena."
Worry filled Relena's blue eyes. "I troubles me to say this, Heero, but I think there might be another man involved."
"Noin and somebody besides Merquise?" Heero scoffed. "Relena, you are out of your mind."
"For her sake and for Milliardo's, I hope you're right," Relena sighed heavily. Somehow she just didn't sound very convincing.
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A/N: Well, wasn't that just short and sweet and pointless. Does anybody else here think I'm wasting space? *notes all the raised hands* Thank you for your opinion. I totally agree. I'm lost. I have no definite plot line and I'm making it up as I go along. Oi. Hopefully next chapter will have some substance! Chapters, hah. I can't believe I've made this into a chapter fic! Whatever happened to my short, sweet, gooey, sappy idea? It went down the hole, that's what. Well anywhos, thank you all you marvelous people who did reviews, I love you forever! KaT aka Mistress Shinigami – I worship your reviews, and I make sure all my friends (even the ones who could care less) know that one of my favourite authors reviews my stuff. Winter's Roar – ACK! In your first review, you almost completely predicted what's going to happen! Almost. Thank you all! Ta ta till next chapter!