Disclaimer: Don't own Gundam Wing, own Alandra, don't own Heero and Duo –SOBS!!—oh, well, on with the story.
Chapter Three --
The next night--
"Great, makeup's still good and no stains on the clothing. Guess I have no excuse to go home early," Relena muttered to the reflection in the ballroom's mirrors.
The Society for War Orphan's Benefit was holding a fundraiser ball and heaven forbid if the Queen of the World wanted to sleep rather than deal with stuffy aristocrats and suitors. The only interesting things going on tonight was the endless chore of stepping on suitors toes as a warning to keep their hands not so "friendly". Unfortunately, that was getting boring.
After pleading a headache and escaping to check her appearance, she stepped out to the large garden outside. The ball was taking place at her familial home, so stepping outside was as soothing as locking the doors to her room for privacy. The night sky was clear and Relena could see the colonial "stars" moving around in a brilliantly lit sky.
Relena started to wonder down the path outside the doors to the large garden till she could not longer hear any music. She glanced up at the palace to check the position of the guards and seeing none in sight, ducked under a nearby weeping willow, whose branches trailed along the ground and concealed a bench right by the trunk. After sitting down, Relena stared at the tree above and let her thoughts wander to her friends.
Things have been settling down since the Maremia incident one year ago. Sally and Wufei were now legendary for having the longest running yelling match at the Preventer's Headquarters. Thank goodness, Duo was there taping that event, even if the fight was over a skirt Sally was wearing. Relena laughed remembering the looks on the two's faces.
"Oh well, if I can't make it to the meeting tomorrow morning for the usual fight, I know I'll be there in the afternoon when Sally tells him she's pregnant with three-month old twins", while imagining Wufei's face, Relena started to laugh until tears poured down her face. Thinking about Sally's pregnancy got Relena thinking about Dorothy's and Cathy's, both married to Quatre and Trowa respectively. They too have not told their partners yet for fear of the two not wanting children. Relena just grinned, knowing the two men were wanting children and trying very hard to get the women pregnant without their permission of course. Noin had already given a set of twins to Millardo, both babies were already showing signs of taking after their mother as evident with the twin terrors already running through the couple's house. Heero and Duo still worked at the Preventers and both were…
Relena stop smiling and slumped back against the tree, the relationship between her and the two boys was not something to think about easily especially given circumstances and the fact she had stopped seeing them three months ago. They still wondered what was the reason for doing so, but she had not spoken of why.
Sighing, Relena momentarily pressed a hand to her slightly curved stomach and allowed herself a small smile. At that moment, she could hear footsteps of a few people approaching her hiding spot and she moved her hand to where her gun was at on her hip.
"Jousan, where ya at?"
"'Lena, stop hiding."
She stood up immediately upon seeing Heero's and Duo's outlines through the branches. She had never shown them this place so they had to looking for her. Just as both men passed by the outer edges of the branches, she jumped out and glomped Duo on the back.
"Hee-chan, help there's a blond monkey attacking me!" Duo yelled while trying to pry Relena's arms off.
"Monkey! I'll show you a monkey." Relena started to tickle him until they were both on the ground laughing and crying.
Heero just stood there as if asking when would they be done. He finally bent over and helped them both up. Relena giggled at the state of Duo's braid and led them under the tree branches.
Two minutes later, somehow, she ended up sitting on Heero's lap while fixing Duo's braid. The three of them spent the next few hours talking and relaxing. (don't even think of anything echii!!)
Hearing both of them talking of what was going on with the missions and whatnot lifted Relena's spirits, but also helped to make up her mind about her plan.
The Next Morning 9:30 a.m. at the Preventer Headquarters, Paris, NeoFrance.
"I will not sit down and shut up just because you said so, katana boy. If you would like to talk to Duo, all you have to say is excuse me, not 'Get out of my way and shush, woman!!", Sally yelled at full volume not but three inches away from Wufei's equally dark face.
"Why not, you should be acting like a proper woman and being quiet anyways, Preventer Water!!"
"Why don't you find a sharp katana and shove it where the sun don't shine, you idiotic son of a …"
"ENOUGH, both of you! Sit down and behave now!" Relena yelled from her position beside Noin at the table across from the couple. Still growling, at each other, the two did so and turned to face Lady Une, who had been standing peacefully at the head of the table for the yelling to stop.
"Finally, since all of the attention is where it is supposed to be, we all can get down to business. The reason this meeting has been called is the fact that a number of satellites and space stations beyond the orbit of Mars have started to disappear," Une pushed a few buttons on the panel on the table and a map of the solar system appeared in the middle of the room with the missing items in question lit up dark red, " we have no reason why this is happening and there are already a few Preventer agents who have been dispatched to see if there is a meteor shower there or something is going wrong with any equipment. Needless to say, they never returned and no remains have been located"
Quatre stood up and with a pen highlighted some satellites in dark green. "These are Winner corporation satellites orbiting around Jupiter. Scientists have been trying to find out why these things are disappearing, however, no one can see past the outermost satellite, I1529. We need to find out what is going on and fast. Will everyone talk to your departments and start to work out any ideas?"
With the exception of a few private conversations, a pilot fainting to Sally's laughter, and one fight, the meeting ended then. Relena said good-bye to everyone through her laughs and walked out of the room and out of the lives of everyone within it for the last time.