By ~*Ai*~Wing
"Are you ready to confront your father in court?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." Heero replied firmly.
"Good…do you have a suit and tie, dress shoes, you know, the usual." The man asked.
"No, I don't."
"Well I guess I'll have to get you one then."
"No sir, is it really necessary?"
"It's always good to look your best before the judge." Heero's attorney explained.
"I can always rent one then."
"Actually, my wife has a few extra…looking at you, you may actually fit."
"Do you have a son around my age?" Heero asked, trying to make polite conversation.
"No, although I would like one. Well, you're probably wondering why my wife would have boy's suits. Her son would be around your age if he were here with us right now. She was always hoping that she'd meet him again some day. I wouldn't mind having a son around either."
"What happened to him?" Heero asked politely.
"My wife was forced to leave him. She didn't want to, but she had no choice."
They remind me of my mother and myself…but I don't think I'll ever be able to see her again.
"What's wrong, boy?"
"Nothing, sir. Nothing's wrong."
"Alright then, I'll bring in the suits tomorrow morning for you to try on. This first hearing is in the afternoon."
Heero nodded.
"How does, 9 o'clock sound?"
"No problem."
"Ok, see you tomorrow, kid."
With that, the lawyer left Heero alone in the little conference room.
Heero was finally suing his father. The shelter helped arrange an attorney for Heero. After the incident at the Police Station, he got into trouble with the shelter, but they decided to help him as well. They arranged for a "big shot" lawyer to defend him in court. Mr. R. Carter, one of the most famous lawyers in the political and wealthy world. Mr. Carter was really a very nice man. He had the fatherly image Heero always wanted to find in his own father. Sighing (well, as close to a sigh as Heero would really get out), he stood from his chair and left.
"Look at you, son. Very classy…sure looked different from yesterday dressed in a suit." Mr. Carter commented.
"Thanks." Was the polite reply from Heero.
"I'm glad it fits. I doubt my wife would ever need these again." He said with a chuckle.
"Do you mind if I lend one to Duo? He would like to attend court with me." Heero asked.
"Sure, if he's your size. I don't mind if you bring a few friends along, if that makes you comfortable. Actually, all these suits I brought come in two sizes; one slightly larger than the other. Feel free to lend them to friends."
"Thank you sir."
"No need to thank me. Just be ready when I come for you at one o'clock this afternoon. Court starts at one thirty sharp. I think I can get four more of your friends in my limo."
"Thanks. Don't worry, we'll be ready for one."
"Great. See you later, son. Keep the suits for now. You'll need them." Mr. Carter said as he headed towards the shelter's entrance.
Heero looked at himself in the mirror. He had to agree with the lawyer, he did look different…almost like a snobby rich kid. What humour. Heero thought as he quickly changed out of the formal outfit and hung it up.
Just then, a sharp knock came on the door. Heero opened it and found Duo there.
"So, can I come to court too?" Duo asked.
"Sure. You have something to wear?" Heero asked casually.
"You know I don't. Anyway, can the girls come too?" Duo asked.
"Girls? You mean Hilde and Relena?"
"Yep. So can they?"
"I guess…if they have something to wear."
"Great, I'll tell them. About the outfit for court…"
"No worries, Mr. Carter said I can share them with you and Trowa. Trowa's coming in later on to put on a suit. He is a witness, as you know. He'll be here at around eleven o'clock. You'd better be here by then." Heero warned Duo.
"No problem. Ok, I'm going to tell the girls now!" And off Duo went.
Heero watched Duo run off before sitting down on his bed. Right now, he needed to reorganize his thoughts…
Knock, knock. Two soft knocks were heard.
Hmm…who could that be? Relena wondered as she put down her sketchbook and answered the door.
"Hey Relena!" Duo greeted her cheerfully.
"Hi Duo, looking for Hilde?" Relena asked.
"Actually, I'm looking for the both of you." Duo said with a grin.
"Well, in that case, come on in." Relena gave Duo a queer look as she invited him in.
When the door was closed, she made sure that she took her sketchbook and put it in a safe place before Duo or anyone else saw it.
Just then, Hilde came out of the bathroom and saw Duo there.
"Hey Hilde babe!" Duo called out.
"Hi Duo. Anything special?" Hilde asked, getting straight to the point.
"Aww…you always know what I'm thinking. Alright, here's the deal. Would any of you lovely ladies like to attend Heero's hearing this afternoon?" Duo presented the offer.
"Yeah, I would like to go. I mean, all of us are on the same line. We all came here because our parents mistreated us at some point. I would like to see justice brought about. Relena, would you like to go?" Hilde asked.
"Sure, I guess so." Relena replied.
"Great, we'll meet you two at the front door at 1:00 o'clock sharp. Okay?"
"No problem, we'll be there." Hilde responded for the both of them. Relena was awfully quiet.
"Oh, and one more thing. Do you two have something decent to wear to court?" Duo asked.
"Ummm…No?" Hilde replied worriedly.
"Don't worry Hilde. I've got an extra outfit I can lend you." Relena said.
"Really? Great! Thank you so much!" Hilde exclaimed as she jumped up to give Relena a petite hug.
"Alright, I'll see you ladies later." With that, Duo showed himself to the door and left.
Relena sighed as she watched Duo leave. She was torn between her choices. She wanted to go and support Heero, yet she wanted to avoid the whole thing. Why was she so hypocritical? She was so indecisive.
"Relena? Relena, are you all right?" Hilde asked as she waved her hand in Relena's face.
"I'm fine Hilde. Just spaced out for a sec there." Relena replied with a soft smile.
"Is there something on your mind? It'll be easier for you to share your problems." Hilde said kindly.
Relena just shook her head firmly and proceeded to get her suitcase from under her bed.
And I thought I finally got through to her… Hilde thought as she went and helped Relena with the suitcase.
"How do I look?" Duo asked as he twirled around in the new outfit lent to him. He was wearing an expensive brown suit with a yellow shirt. His tie was burgundy and his black shoes shined. Duo looked absolutely charming in the outfit.
"Good." Heero replied monotonously.
Trowa gave him an approving nod.
"Great! This fits well and I know I look handsome! Hey, a strand of hair is loose. I'll have to fix it." Duo looked annoyed as he stepped into the washroom and they both heard a 'click'.
Trowa was in a dark green suit with a cream coloured shirt and a dark and light green striped tie. He looked nice and tidy, just right for being in court.
Heero was in a navy blue suit. His white shirt was accompanied with a navy and blue striped tie. Both he and Trowa wore black leather shoes.
"I feel like I'm going to a ball or something." The quiet boy commented.
Heero looked himself over, making sure his impression on the judge will be good.
"I agree with you Trowa. We're making this a bigger deal than it's supposed to be." Heero said quietly.
Heero and Trowa hardly ever exchanged more than 10 phrases each time they see each other. They just understand each other without words or actions. After all, they have been friends for so long…
Just then, Duo stepped out of the bathroom.
"Ta-da! I'm done…Heero, man, you really gotta do something with your hair. It's really screwed!" Duo exclaimed.
"I think it's fine…" Heero started to say before Heero dragged him into the washroom.
"No it's not. It's just a bunch of strands all knotted over your head. Come on…"
That was what Trowa heard before a soft 'click' sounded. A twinkle of amusement sparkled in his visible green eye.
It was finally time to meet Mr. Carter at the lobby of the shelter. The boys were there waiting for the girls to appear. They still had about five minutes left. Just as they were getting slightly impatient did the girls make their grand entrée. They made an astonishing sight. Relena had her hair tied up in a pretty ponytail. She was wearing a dark blue, knee-length silk dress that was slightly off the shoulder. It clung to her curves nicely. Her feet were dressed in a pair of blue suede sandals. Hilde was wearing a blue, three-quarter sleeved shirt. With that, she wore a long, black skirt that fit snugly. On her feet, she wore a pair of black leather shoes.
Duo whistled. "Hey ladies, you look divine!"
Heero looked at Relena. She looked absolutely beautiful, yet she was conservative. He saw her smiling gently at him, and returned a very slight almost invisible smile to her. Then he realized that the girls have not met Trowa yet.
"Trowa, I would like you to meet Relena and Hilde. They are my classmates and friends at the shelter. Relena and Hilde, I would like you to meet my best friend, Trowa." Heero informed both sides.
"Hello, Trowa!" Hilde said cheerfully as she held out her hand. Trowa shook it.
"Nice to meet you, Trowa." Relena said warmly.
"The same." Trowa replied as they exchanged nods.
It was then that Relena took notice of Heero's look of the day. He was very handsome, and almost charming in the dark suit he was wearing. His hair was slightly gelled and had more control than it did before. The reflections off his shoe were like stars twinkling in the sky. There was a feeling of confidence and superiority around Heero. Relena quickly looked away to avoid having Heero notice her staring at him.
Suddenly, a honk was sounded. They looked out the glass doors to see a black limo parked in front of the shelter. Then all of them saw Mr. Carter waving from a rolled down window at the back. So, they quickly went out to join him.
"Ready to rumble?" Mr. Carter asked.
"Yeah!" Duo and Hilde yelled in unison.
That caused a giggle from Relena and a chuckle from Mr. Carter.
"Nervous, Heero?" he asked.
"No, sir." Was the short reply.
"You know you are, Heero. Don't be in denial!" Duo said in an almost singsong voice. Heero shot Duo an icy glare that made Duo hide behind Hilde.
"Okay kids, get into the limo." Mr. Carter said as the driver came to open the door for them.
One by one, they climbed into the beautiful limousine. Finally, they were ready to head to court.
"Wow, this is awesome! I have NEVER been in a limo before!" Duo squealed in excitement.
"Neither have any of us, Duo!" Hilde remarked.
"Well this is way too good! We get to wear nice clothes, ride in a limousine…what's next?" Duo said happily.
Heero looked at Duo tiredly. I wonder how does he keep on talking? This is going to be a long ride.
It was fifteen minutes before they arrived at the courthouse. They still had about fifteen minutes to spare. Duo was really hyped up from excitement. Hilde was bursting with laughter from looking at Duo. Relena's face was pale and her lips were pursed. Trowa kept his eyes on the floor and kept quiet. Heero was looking around. He was really nervous, but he wasn't about to show it. He stuck his hands in his pockets to disguise his fidgeting. Then, Mr. Carter tapped him lightly on the shoulder. Heero turned on his heel to face the man.
"I'll be a few minutes. There's something I have to take care of. You can enter the courtroom in about five minutes. If I'm not back by then, just go in first, ok?"
"Sure, no problem sir." Heero replied.
"Great, and good luck." The lawyer smiled gently in reassurance before heading down the steps in front of the courthouse. Heero watched his slowly disappear. Then, he turned to the rest of his friends.
"It's about time to go in." Heero announced.
"Ooh, this is gonna be so cool…I mean…exciting?" Hilde exclaimed nervously.
Heero noticed the paleness that took on in Relena's face.
"Are you ok, Relena? Are you not feeling well?" Heero asked softly.
"…"
"Relena?" Hilde asked.
"…uh, yes?"
"Are you ok?" Heero repeated his question.
"…sure I am, I'm fine. Just a bit nervous being here." She replied with a nervous giggle.
"Ok…" Heero thought it was weird but he let it go.
Just then, he saw Mr. Carter heading up the stairs. However, something else also caught his eye. There was a silver Benz parked right in front of the courthouse. It wasn't the car that really caught Heero's attention. It was the person who was sitting in the car. She was a woman in her late thirties. Her rich brown hair was elegantly put up into a French twist. Her eyes were revealed before she put on her sunglasses. They were a piercing blue colour and were filled with compassion.
Heero stared in surprise. Trowa tapped him lightly on the shoulder.
"It's almost time to enter the courtroom." Trowa reminded him.
An automatic nod came from Heero.
"Whatcha staring at, buddy?" Duo asked with curiosity.
He directed his own eyes to where Heero was intently staring.
"Yo buddy. That woman may be loaded, but she's too old for us." Duo commented.
Again, Heero nodded.
"Umm…yeah…" Duo said, confused.
Suddenly, the car started to pull away from the curb.
And so suddenly did Heero start to break into a run, flying down the stairs.
"What the hell are you doing, man? It's time to go in!" Duo screamed.
Heero didn't answer; he just kept running. He ran right past Mr. Carter on his way up.
"Where are you going, son?" Mr. Carter asked.
Heero just ignored him and kept running.
It soon became apparent that he was running after the silver Benz.
The car was picking up speed.
Stop! Please stop. Heero's mind yelled as he continued to run at his maximum speed after the car. He wouldn't give up; he can't give up. Pain started spreading from chest area, but he kept on running. His legs felt numb. Finally, the car drove away at full speed and Heero knew he could no longer try to keep up. He broke his run and stood there in the middle of the street. His hands were on his knees, perspiration rolled off his forehead, he was panting and longing for air to fill the whole of his lungs. He squeezed his eyes shut until his muscles, his whole body, started to relax. He stood there, trying to register the past events in his mind. Out of the silence, he heard faint footsteps, making their way towards him, slowly increasing in volume. Then he heard the voice loud and clear.
"What the hell do you think you were doing, Heero?" Duo voice yelled. It was obvious that Duo was angry, but also out of breath.
Heero could not answer. Everything at that precise moment felt so surreal.
Finally, he saw Trowa and Duo stop beside him, both panting.
"You know…it's time…for the…hearing." Duo said with exhaustion. He didn't feel like pushing his friend for an explanation right now. The hearing was the most important right now.
"You're going to be late." Trowa whispered. "Let's go back."
Heero gave a slight nod. By then, his breathing had returned to its normal pace.
Suddenly, a gasp escaped from Duo.
"What is it?" Heero asked in a hoarse voice. He was so tired.
"OMG! Your hair, your beautiful hair, ruined! I put so much effort in that. We won't be able to fix it, but at least comb your hair." Duo exclaimed as he handed Heero a comb.
Heero obediently took it and brushed out his hair.
"There, better. Now let's go, we're gonna be late!" Duo gave Heero's sleeve a slight tug.
Heero started walking back towards the courthouse. However, he couldn't help to give the street one last glance before continuing his way back to the hearing.
A.N.: Why was Heero running after that car? Who was the mysterious woman? Why was Relena so pale when she wasn't really involved in the whole
ordeal? Find out in the next chapter
of 'When All Purpose Is Lost'.
Note: Hi! It's me,
~*Ai*~Wing. To the loyal readers who've
kept up with this story, domo arigatou gozaimatsu minna-san! This is my most successful fic so far! There's another story of mine that I'd like
to recommend. It's called 'The Unknown
Reflection' and it's also posted on ff.net! Actually, I'm pretty satisfied with that story so far, but it doesn't
seem to impress anyone that reads it, not that anyone reads it! I was hoping some of you could give me your
advice on the story, please? Thank you
very much! Oh, BTW, I'm sorry that I took
so long to update, but I've been really busy with school. I might not post the next chapter for a
while since, well, it's getting really hectic. Gomen nasai!!! Until next time,
over and out.
Disclaimer: The usual disclaimer applies.
