Chapter Two

Relena headed to the videocom placed in her office. Heero had said that Hilde sounded a bit upset. Relena knew that it had to be pretty big to upset someone like Hilde. They had become very close friends after Hilde, just before her wedding, confessed to the dark blonde girl that she did not have any girlfriends that could act as her bridesmaid. Relena had been honoured to fulfil such an important role in the whole thing. From that day onwards, the two girls had kept in touch regularly and were best friends, so good that Relena had repaid by asking Hilde to be her bridesmaid as well.

After a few instants, the videocom's screen lightened up to show Hilde's worried face.

"Ah! Relena, thank goodness it's you…" said the brunette as soon as she saw who was calling her.

"What's wrong sweetie?" asked Relena seeing her friend's concerned expression.

"I just came back from the doctor…do you remember they had to do some tests?" replied Hilde making visible efforts not to cry.

"Yes…they were just normal gynaecological checks, weren't they?" enquired Relena.

"Yeah…well, they think they know why I cannot conceive…" said Hilde starting to cry.

"Baby… why is that?" asked Relena with her softest tone of voice.

"You see…they say that some trauma I suffered in the past has damaged the uterus and that would make it very difficult for me to get pregnant…I actually know that it was the injures I got when escaping from Libra, I'm sure of that…" said Hilde with a very small voice.

Relena was shocked…from all couples why them? Duo and Hilde were the best couple she knew and the people she thought of when she read the word 'parents'. Relena had always thought that they were the perfect mix, Duo was just a big kid that surely would know how to play with his kids for endless hours and Hilde was the most sensible person she had ever met, she would make a perfect mother. Also, from all the group, these two were the only ones that, even all the things that had happened during the war, had not lost the humanity required to be just normal people.

"Baby, have you told Duo?" asked Relena carefully not wanting to upset her even further.

"NO! I don't know how…I mean, he's been wanting to be a father so badly…I just don't know how he is going to take it all…He was so upset with me when I got injured…He's going to blame me…and…what if…what if he leaves me? He's got every right to do so…" replied Hilde.

"What? Hilde, don't say such stupid things…Firstly, Duo is NOT going to leave you. He just loves you too much to do something like that. Secondly, it is not absolutely impossible for you to become parents. Even if the medicine fails to get you pregnant, you can still adopt a child, can't you? I know that is not quite the same than feeling it inside you but, it is still a child that needs all the love you guys have to offer…Duo would be a giant bastard if he left you…but, like I said, he's not going to…I promise you that…" said Relena looking at her friend very seriously.

"Damn…Now I know what Duo means when he says that if they let you, you would sell ice to the Eskimos…" said Hilde cheering up a little bit.

Relena laughed at that joke, as usual, when she was trying to convince people, she put that very politician-like voice of hers.

"Now, smile and be confident…You've got a great man there…I'm sure he will not only understand but he'll also be extremely supportive…" Relena said firmly.

"Ok…Duo's going to be home any minute now…I better leave you now…" said Hilde looking a little better.

"Sure. Take care and call me if you need to…" said Relena.

With this they ended the conversation. Relena stayed for a minute in her office thinking. Life was really unfair. Two wonderful people and they had these kind of problems. Of course, her own life was far from being ideal. Ever since she had married Heero nothing in their relationship had actually changed. She hid it from everyone but the reality was that, besides the odd kiss and the hugs sometimes they shared, their marital life was next to non existent.

The truth is that Relena herself had not even gone anywhere near forcing it. She just did not know how to make it happen. She was totally clueless regarding these matters. Of course, her only experience had been ages ago and she still had to think really hard to remember what had happened that night. At this rate, nothing would actually happen between her and Heero…

She decided to get up and go to check on the dinner. There was no use wasting so much time thinking about something she had no answers for. Relena felt alone like never before. She did not know who to turn to for advice. Lucrezia and Milliardo where totally out of the question, Relena feared that they would be disappointed and Milliardo would tell her that he had warned her. With Sally she did not really feel like telling her such intimate things.

And Hilde…after what her friend had told her, Relena did not think it was the right time to tell her anything at all. Relena sighted while she was walking towards the palace's kitchen.

Meanwhile, in L2, Duo had finally arrived home. He was really tired after a hard day working in his and Hilde's scrap yard. As soon as he entered the living room he saw Hilde sitting there absorbed in her thoughts.

"Hi hon…how did the doctor's appointment go?" asked Duo sitting by his wife's side.

"Duo…I don't have good news I'm afraid…"said Hilde looking at him with a sad smile.

Duo just nodded and made a gesture to make her understand that he wanted her to go ahead.

Hilde explained to Duo what she had explained earlier to Relena.

"Did they say if there were any chances at all?" asked Duo holding his wife's hand with one of his and passing his free arm around Hilde's shoulders.

"Yes. There is a medical treatment I have to follow but the chances are still small…They said that, even if I do get pregnant, the biggest problem is to keep me pregnant…there is a very big risk of miscarriage…" explained Hilde.

"Well baby…You know what I think about these things. You know that I wanted very badly to be a father but, if I have learned in this life is that you cannot have everything…I already got to be with you…and, besides, is not the end of the world…there are many orphans looking for a good house and a pair of loving parents…and, we still have one another…"said Duo looking more seriously than Hilde had ever seen him before.

"You're not going to leave me?" asked Hilde with a mix of fear and shock.

"WHAT? Are you nuts? Of course I'm not going to leave you…baby, I love you…When I married you I married the beautiful person you are, not a baby machine!" said Duo offended.

"Well, I thought that…" started saying Hilde.

"No…you did not think of anything… is the only reasonable explanation I can find to justify you saying such a stupid thing…Baby, really, did you honestly think I would leave you? What kind of bastard would do something like that?" asked Duo shocked.

"I'm sorry…" said Hilde crying.

"Look, let's forget about this. Now, I'm sorry today I could not come with you. Next time I'm coming with you and we will see what we can do. The two of us together. This is the way we will fight this, ok? Now, I don't want you crying…Where is that gorgeous smile of yours, huh?" said Duo with his trademark grin back where it belonged.

Hilde could not help smiling. Relena was right, she was really lucky having Duo as her husband…

Hilde and Duo spent the rest of the night doing their favourite routine: ordered pizza, cokes and a giant sized tub of ice cream, watched horrible TV programmes and had a pop corn fight…

After dinner, Relena was standing in the balcony getting some fresh air before going to bed. She was so taken by her own thoughts she did not realise that Heero had followed her there.

"Relena…" she heard the so familiar monotone voice startling her.

"Yes Heero…" replied without turning around.

"What are you doing here?" asked Heero.

"Nothing. Just thinking…" replied Relena still not turning to face him.

"Thinking of what?" insisted Heero.

What was this? From all days he had to pick today to get chatty…

"Nothing specific…just random things…" replied Relena not knowing what else to say.

"I see..." said Heero.

Then Relena heard his steps and it looked like he was leaving her alone. Relena was about to feel relieved when she heard him stopping just before the French doors.

From there, Heero asked her the last thing Relena would have expected.

"Relena, why don't we make love like other couples do?".

END OF CHAPTER TWO