Note: I don't own Gundam Wing or its characters.
Thank you for being patient people. You all have my respects.
"I have no idea why a young girl like you would want to become a preventer when you could have been something more respectable and less dangerous, like a self-defense teacher," Representative Vladimir told Hilde as they rode to the representative's next meeting.
Remembering that the representative was old and that she had to talk to him on a generational level Hilde smiled and leaned forward a bit. "Because I was a soldier and I think that being a preventer is just as respectable as my old job as a junk dealer," she told him.
"I see," coughed the elder man.
I don't ever remember having to deal with these kinds of questions and comments when Relena was around. She respected my choice in choosing a job that was something I felt I could make a difference in, sighed Hilde. Difference! What difference have I made so far?! None! I haven't even been much help with finding Relena…
"Do your people having any ideas where Ms. Dorlain could have been kidnapped to?" questioned Representative Vladimir as he eyed Hilde.
"She was not kidnapped representative, she abandoned her position for unknown reasons," corrected Hilde as she glared mildly at the older man.
"That is not what I have heard. I have heard that she and that young preventer man, one of her bodyguards, had staged it so that they could live a life together in quiet," stated the old man.
"I can assure you that none of the preventers had any intimate relationships with the Vice Foreign Minister before or after her disappearance," hissed Hilde.
"Of course not, it would be young love after all," smirked the representative.
If Relena was not in hiding I wouldn't be here right now, thought Hilde slightly bitter.
*****
Heero was picked up by taxi at the airport and taking to the Noventa residence what he saw when he arrived was not the greeting he expected. There stood Sylvia, Mrs. Noventa, and a few servants. Immediately Mrs. Noventa welcomed him with open arms even though it was raining and Heero was drenched compared to Mrs. Noventa's dry clothing.
"Oh it's so good to finally meet the man that has captured the heart of my daughter," cheered Mrs. Noventa as she released Heero. "Someone take Mr. Yuy's bag and show him up to his room, please."
"Yes mum," nodded a young servant girl as she hesitantly took Heero's duffel bag, once he handed it to her that is. Quickly she scampered into the house and up the stairs.
"Well, let us not stay out in this rainy weather. Inside we go to warm up," suggested Mrs. Noventa leading the way inside the house.
Sylvia walked in by Heero's side with her head bent to the ground and shoulders slumped a bit. "'Captured my daughter's heart?' What is that supposed to mean?" questioned Heero getting a rather uncomfortable feeling about the entire situation of him being there.
"Well you see…" began Sylvia.
"We have so much to talk about," interrupted Mrs. Noventa. "Such as when the date is, how many guests to invite, what color dresses, and tuxedos too, and where you two would like the ceremony to be held at. Large or small, fancy or quaint and all those other minor details."
"What ceremony is she talking about?" whispered Heero becoming quite worried and praying that his girlfriend's mother was speaking of what he believed her to be speaking of.
"As I was saying before…"
"Oh and I must know your preference about children. I would like them to be born from your own seed and my daughter's egg rather then you two adopting. However, I don't mind if you decide to adopt later on but I would like at least one child of yours to be from your bloodline and my daughter's," continued Mrs. Noventa as she sat down in the dinning room along with Sylvia and Heero.
"Well…um…" It was confirmed, she was speaking of what Heero dreaded most. Marriage and commitment. Even though Heero liked to think of himself above human emotions most of the time he still feared the "M" word and the "C" word. Especially if they were ever used in the same sentence.
"Evening Mrs. Noventa!" greeted a male entering the room.
"Good evening Joseph, are the others coming down to eat?" inquired the house master.
"They should be down any second now," nodded the boy named Joseph. "Hi there, I'm Joseph Bartelle." Joseph had turned to Heero and Sylvia when he introduced himself.
"Joseph this is my daughter, Sylvia, and her fiancée, Heero Yuy," Mrs. Noventa told him giving the boy a wink as he took his seat to the left of Sylvia's mother.
"Wow. I send you two my congratulations," grinned Joseph.
"No, you see…" Sylvia began to explain as she blushed.
"Joseph, what did you do with my tape?!" demanded a redhead storming into the dinning room and sitting beside Joseph.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," protested Joseph putting his hands up in front of his face to prevent any major damage he could possibly get to his face.
"I'm sure you don't. Hi Mrs. Noventa, how are you tonight?" smiled the redhead looking at the master of the household.
"I am well thank you, Cascata, but how are you tonight, you seem to be a bit upset," observed the head of the house as she planted her napkin on her lap as the food was being presented into the room.
"I am upset because I cannot find my movie for my class that is due in three weeks and I still need to do editing to it," explained Cascata. "Where are the others and who are they?" She gestured with her thumb to the former gundam pilot and his girlfriend.
"Well this is…" started Mrs. Noventa.
"Sylvia, are you planning on staying here for a while? Oh and you have Heero with you, wow," commented Sage's voice as he came skipping into the room and took a seat beside Cascata with a huge grin on his face while the other 'For Rel' members entered the room and filled up the other empty seats until there was only an empty seat between Lynn and Heero.
"My, you all are quite chuffed this evening," remarked Joseph giving a wink to Lynn who blushed but still rolled her eyes as she looked away from Joseph. "I take it you guys got Salimar's song done tonight."
"Are we!" cheered Draca as Adam stood up and started doing a little "victory dance".
"Really, we must hear it after dinner," stated Mrs. Noventa gesturing for everyone to start eating their salads that had been placed before them.
"Sorry I'm late," announced Salimar as she came sliding into the room and taking the only seat available to her, right next to Heero.
"We were just about to start without you dear, I knew you would not mind if we did so," explained Mrs. Noventa.
"Of course I wouldn't mind, who am I to keep others from eating their greens?" shrugged Salimar gently placing the napkin on her lap before taking notice that she was right next to Heero. "Uh…'ello there-Heero right?-when did you turn up here?"
"He just arrived tonight," Sylvia answered for her boyfriend even though Heero felt that he could have answered the question with silence well enough.
"Everyone, may I have your attention?" Mrs. Noventa commanded, silencing the table and halting everyone in his or hers eating. "I have an announcement to make. I would like you all to meet my daughter, Sylvia, and her fiancée, Heero Yuy."
"Oh my God!" shrieked Cascata jumping to her feet. "You're getting married?! How exciting! When's the big day? Where do you plan on having it? Is it going to be a big wedding or a small wedding? Traditional or more modern? Oh my aunt is a wedding planner…"
Not again, was all that Heero could think as he ignored the questions and picked at his salad.
"Come on Cascata, leave the couple alone for now. I'm certain that they will tell us all as soon as they are ready," assured Lynn passing a silver cup of French dressing. "Anyone for French?"
"Yeah, pass it here," nodded Joseph. So the chitchat and conversations began between the college students about their classes, work, and even a bit about political issues that weren't major.
"Mother, I don't recall you having the dinning table be so…talkative during a meal, ever," Sylvia whispered to her mother.
"I know, but it has just been so much more fun with these students here and each of them speaking to me, as well as each other, about their day. Thus far it has worked out perfectly for the meals that we have together," her mother giggled. "You and Heero should join in the conversations, they are quite animated, I can assure you of that."
"I shall take your word for it," sighed Sylvia returning her attention to her boyfriend. "I tried to tell you of what she thought we were, I ever tried to re-explain it to her but she won't listen."
"Hn." This is not a good situation, now I need to get out of this and I need the advantage on my side more than Relena's, noted Heero.