Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters. This was written purely for entertainment purposes and I receive no profits whatsoever.
Thanks to: Ley, Sorrow, Magnum, Rei2, the black Rose, Cat, Wing. I thank you all for leaving a review and I thank those that didn't leave a review yet read and enjoyed the story.
Yes I know this chapter may seem a bit dull, but I'm getting to the nice and good part next chapter, maybe everything will be revealed, well most of it anyway. I'd scream at the moment but that would be very unprofessional, finals are drawing near a bittersweet week is coming up. On one hand certain classes are over on the other the studying, I'm sure this week and next I'll be going insane but writing this story is helping me unwind. Hopefully I won't do something desperate one day and have so much studying that'll I'll turn on my computer and make up a whole chapter based on Trigonometry equations. Moving on I'm so glad that you all like this story, and that I get to share it with you. As always enjoy.
Fade To BlackChapter 6: Summit Of The Past
By Aku Tenshi
Noin glanced in the rearview mirror at Hilde and Duo as Hilde laid her head against his sturdy shoulder and he draped an arm gingerly around her. Noin shook her head and smirked,
"I've got to stop by my place for one or two things and then we'll go to Relena's I hope you don't mind." She said as she clicked on the right blinker of the car and turned.
The other three passengers unanimously shrugged as Heero fiddled with the kitten in his hands that was trying to squirm free.
"Say Heero I never knew you liked pets." Duo mentioned from the back, trying to begin a casual conversation.
"There's a lot you don't know about me Duo," he returned and unhooked the kitten's claws from his flesh.
"Well you know you never mentioned much, and then of course you left." Bitterness evident in his voice, as Duo glared at the back of Heero's head.
Heero released a long and dreadful sigh, "Duo," he began fighting back his monotone voice "I was a soldier and I still am, it has nearly been ten years since I left and many things have changed. The person you knew back then he's changed, I can't help how I was then, I can't change the past."
"Gee that was wonderful maybe you could put that on a card and send it to Relena I'm sure she'll just love to read it." Hilde responded sarcastically as she crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her large eyes.
Noin only shook her head as she turned into the apartment parking lot, her own car passing by a gleaming Mercedes with a Darlain license plate.
"Relena?" her mother called as she placed down her own knife and fork on top of the expensive china plate.
"Huh?" Relena asked softly as she looked up from her dinner plate to her mothers face, "What is it mother?" she asked faintly.
"You haven't touched any of your food darling, you're not hungry again." She said, the melancholy tone of her voice unavoidable.
"I'm sorry mother," Relena apologized softly; maybe she shouldn't have told her mother after all "I just can't eat anything right now, my stomach detests anything that I try to swallow. You know I love lasagna too, but I just can't eat anything."
Her mother sighed, "Yes I know that but it doesn't make me feel any better."
"It's not supposed to mother," Relena said as she pushed the lasagna around on the plate with her fork the prongs scratching lightly against the china, "I think I may just go get ready for bed."
"Really, this early?" Her mother asked surprised, she had yet to become accustomed to her daughter's new sleeping habits.
"Well I would rather get to sleep early than not at all, I'll be up in my room." Relena said lightly as she pushed back her chair and stood, the heels of her shoes tapped lightly against the floor and up the stairs.
Mrs. Darlain stared at her daughter's retreating figure and sighed, it seemed she had lost even more weight if that were possible and her movements were more sluggish and languid.
"Maybe tonight wasn't a good night after all." She said aloud and she herself stood, picking up her plate as well as her daughters and headed into the kitchen.
Noin sat in the middle of the room with Milliardo on one side and Heero on the other, Heero held an ice pack against his left eye where Milliardo had managed to get in a punch; while Milliardo silently suffered with the chest jolt he had received. And Noin was to be the mediator glaring silently at the two smiling, Hilde and Duo; the two thought the situation was quite funny. As soon as the four entered the house; they were startled by Milliardo and yet again when he and Heero had gotten into a fight. Neither was the victor however as Duo and Noin worked to pull the two apart.
"Okay gentlemen, if I can exactly call you that," Noin began her voice heavy with disappointment "are we going over there or not; if you're going to act like this then we're all staying here."
"I'll agree to behave." Milliardo said with a low growl in the back of his throat.
Duo and Hilde's snickers were ceased by another angry glare from Noin; ordering them to shush as her eyes turned to Heero.
Heero nodded "Hn." He replied leveling a glare with his one open eye at Milliardo.
The two had never liked each other, from the very beginning even; and when Heero had left breaking Relena's heart a mere distaste had turned into flaming hatred.
Noin stood from her chair and stretched her arms, yawning softly "Fine then, children let's go," She said as she turned to the door grabbing her jacket and an umbrella. "It's raining out." She said and handed the cane-like umbrella to Duo and stepped out the apartment door.
"Man, I'm scared to make Noin upset if this is what she's like when she's annoyed." Duo mentioned with a laugh, "She'd probably kill me."
The other three only shook their heads in his direction, Hilde the only one smiling.
Noin sat in the drivers' seat of her car as Hilde and Duo once again sat in the backseat and Heero in the passenger seat. She turned on the windshield wipers as the car started and glanced to see Milliardo getting into the Mercedes.
"Always driving in style." She muttered beneath her breath as she pulled out of the lot, Milliardo right behind her. The two cars turned right and headed towards the Darlain mansion.
By the time the shuttle landed it was well past sunset, Quatre glanced at the gleaming cold face of his watch and sighed.
"It's five thirty, but I doubt Heero will be there. Why should he be, he doesn't give a damn anyway." He said to himself dismissively as he, with his suitcase in one hand, plodded through the throng of people that crowded in the small shuttle port. He reached the exit door just as the heavy and gray clouds overhead gave way to the building rain and thunder. He gave a short sigh as he used the newspaper he was reading on the shuttle as cover, as he hurried to his awaiting limousine. The great black and shiny king of cars was quite inviting at the moment as he slid into the car, over the leather seats, and shook his great mane of blonde hair, water spraying here and there. Quatre sat contemplating for a moment as the driver pulled out of the shuttle port drive and headed towards the exquisite hotel where his charge would be staying. Quatre ran a hand through his now tangled blonde locks as he thought over Relena. His mind and heart were on two different fields when it came to the blond haired beauty. If he followed his mind as he has been doing it would demolish him, and if he followed his heart it may demolish their friendship.
There was a soft chime of the doorbell, and the graying butler Geoffrey went to answer it when Mrs. Darlain herself answered it. There in the doorway stood four people; two female and two male as she moved aside to grant them access into the house. Geoffrey took their soaking wet coats, while the widow lead them into the foyer and gently closed the door.
"You have to be quiet now, Relena's up stairs resting." She said wringing her hands together as if she were trying to keep warm.
"Resting…it's only six o'clock." Hilde stated her tone skeptical
"Relena's been a tad bit sick lately that's all, so she went to bed early. Nothing major, you all shouldn't worry." She excused, several signs indicated that she was lying; how she continually fidgeted, and avoided their eyes.
"Like hell let me speak to my sister!" Milliardo demanded his voice like a deafening roar.
The chime of the doorbell startled Relena from her reading she glanced over the top of the book at her bathrobe that hung on the back of a chair. At the moment it seemed like such a long distance for her to walk and so she turned her eyes back down to the pages. She had read for a few more minutes when the roar of her brother forced her to put down her book and slide back into her shoes. She hadn't even changed clothes merely slid out of her shoes and began to read; it didn't matter if she did anything; she wasn't going to sleep at all. Her heels tapped lightly on the hallway floor and as she passed a mirror; she stared almost shocked at her appearance as her hands fluttered to her face, she was so thin and her face pale. She sighed and shrugged her shoulders; lifting her head proudly she descended the steps and headed towards the closed foyer doors, after quickly running her hands through her hair she threw open the oak wood doors.
"What is all this yelling about!" she demanded in a roar that surpassed her brother's.
Four pairs of wide and shocked eyes turned to her, the sundress that once fit her snugly and attractively would have hung off of her body had she not tied the sashes tightly. And she was paler than normal making her violet eyes seem even more violet, the anger brewing in them illuminating them even more.
"Relena?" Heero asked softly.
Her eyes didn't even turn to him, "What Heero, why are you even here. I thought you were dead, should have known better the perfect soldier doesn't die." She mentioned bitterness evident in her voice, "Mother I'll talk them now since they're so eager to talk to me," Her tone immediately growing soft.
"Are you sure, I mean…" she started precariously as Relena interrupted her.
Relena cut her off "I know my limits mother." She said softly.
Mrs. Darlain nodded wary at any moment to jump to her daughters' side she took a seat in a sturdy back chair, Relena headed over to the quaint bar area and began to act as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
"Any one want a drink?" she asked and with no response she bent and retrieved a bottle of scotch, "No takers okay then, more for me."
Silence reigned in the room as she retrieved a glass and poured in the russet liquid, "You wanted to talk, talk I'll listen." She said as she went over and settled into an armchair in the corner of the room, bringing along with her the bottle of scotch.
"We want to know why you resigned…" Noin started,
"That's not any business of yours, didn't you hear the news I didn't answer that question then and I'm not ready to now," she said as she took another sip the alcohol loosening her up "Next question."
"Dammit Relena I'm not playing any games, what's going on?" Milliardo demanded.
"Games I hadn't thought we were playing any. What's going on, hmm I thought you watched the news." She responded with a bright smile.
"Relena seriously, please answer me, what's really going on with you. You're so thin, and pale…" Duo started but soon trailed off.
She turned to Duo and Hilde and smiled softly a gentle expression entering her eyes, "My two friends, I don't want to burden you with my problems. You're both much too kind for my problems. How's college did you two pass your finals?" She asked changing the subject quickly
"I guess we did, we haven't gotten the results yet though." Hilde said with a shrug, "But none of that matters if you're not okay."
"I beg to differ my dear Hilde, if there were something wrong with me or if something should happen to me; I would want you two to live to the best of your ability." Relena responded brightly.
"Relena as your brother I demand to know what's going on." Milliardo barked at his younger sister.
Relena laughed cynically, "It's my life Milliardo; I'm 25 not 15. See I'm an adult now you can stop trying to run my life, and how can you demand anything from me. You who left me alone not once, but three times. Three Milliardo the first time I thought you were dead, the second time you didn't even say goodbye and the third you left me with some babysitter." She accused her voice becoming louder.
"But I love you Relena you're my sister you know that." Milliardo responded, recovering from brief shock.
"Blood is not the tie that binds us, you speak of love but I don't even know who you are. Hell to me you could be Bob and I wouldn't even know." Her glare was leveled at him a violet clashed against a sapphire blue.
The plodding of footsteps across the floor and to the foyer shattered the tense moment between the siblings; the two broke their glaring contest to see the new visitor.
"Quatre." Relena spoke the name not even loud enough to be a whisper as she stared at him, his blond hair soaked with rain and hanging in his aqua eyes.
"Relena, I need to talk with you." He said softly.
TBC
As always criticism welcomed.