"Sea of Stars"
A Gundam Wing Story
by Trekkiexb5
Category: Drama, Romance
Couples: 1xR, 2xH--the normal match-ups
Rating: R for language. Heero has a potty mouth and so does Zechs. It's a bit lime-y in parts, too.
Caution: part of this story is about rape, though it is really never described in detail.
Posting: I'm posting at fanfiction.net, but anyone can post it, as long as my name stays attached. AND you write me and tell me how bad (or good) it was.
Summary: Relena told him to get a life, so he did, of sorts. Now, it's her turn. But the past often shows it's ugly head at the worst of times. Are they ready to handle a past when they are just getting grips with the Present?
Dedication: To Athena and David; deppers from heck and my reason for sanity during a troubling time. And putting up with me and reading all my stories. To Noah, who understands the term "Constructive Criticism" and thinks it is "so cool" I know as much about comic books as he does. To Derek Wildstar; without him, I would have never watched Gundam Wing. And finally, to fools who showed me a Ranma 1/2 tape, (not to mention X-Files tapes) in Spain not realizing what kind of monster they created. Thanks Guys, I'm now a lot poorer, but 200+ anime tapes and DVDs richer.
Gundam Wing isn't mine. If it was, you would be watching this, not reading it.
Author's notes: See chapter one if you skipped it. Come on, I know you did!
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"Sea of Stars"
Chapter 2
QUESTIONS WITH NO ANSWERS
My running away was cut short.
No Flights.
Anywhere.
Damn weather satellites. If it wasn't for them...
So here I am, sitting at a bar of a spaceport hotel nursing a beer. It has been two very long days since my confrontation with Zechs.
I now have first-hand knowledge why alcohol and medication should not mix.
Well, I was feeling a little suicidal. And did wonders for the pain and nausea.
You know, the sad thing is, when Relena resumes her public life, I will be there even though she doesn't want me to. I wonder if she would still look for me in the rafters.
The Duo in my head is gleefully running laps and singing out that now I am both pathetic and drunk.
I sigh, sitting here idly watching the bartender wash her glasses and serve drinks to the other travelers and businessmen and women stuck here due to the weather. Hopefully the weather will clear up the day after tomorrow as predicted so I can get the hell out of here.
While I was dwelling on these deep thoughts, my ears pick up a familiar voice.
A loud familiar voice.
A loud familiar voice coming from the lobby. Zechs Marquise.
Damn, I knew I should have registered under an assumed name. I carry at all times five sets identification for that purpose. All together now, meds, fever and alcohol.
Sarcasm is the only humor I understand.
Through the half open doors to the lobby, I could see a flash of platinum blonde hair. I now saw Noin standing to one side in an obvious argument with him. I saw Wufei stalk by in bodyguard stance. Then--I saw HER.
She looked frail; the clothes were ill fitting, like they were someone else's. She wore her dull hair in sloppily made braid. She had a large straw hat and sunglasses on, totally inappropriate for the weather. The windbreaker looked like it was Zechs. In all, it looks like someone else dressed her quickly in other people's clothes.
Relena, as a politician, and even when she was depressed or sad, always had a proud attitude she carried. She always dressed impeccability, even when she wore here "days off" attire. This Relena looked very disinterested in everything and found that the floor was the most fascinating thing in the world.
But, the instinct that somehow could spot me anywhere with any disguise, looked up from her careful inspection of the marble tile and looked into the bar. She found me.
There was no feeling in her eyes when she pulled off her sunglasses. She was expressionless, a doll staring at me with plastic eyes. She scuffled towards me and stopped beside me in the bar. Her eyes then went back to the floor and to her scruffy tennis shoes.
I said nothing to here and she said nothing to me. With some effort, like she was had no strength in her body, she clambered onto the barstool next to me. She looked like a small child with her feet dangling above the carpeted floor. We sat like that, side by side, she not speaking and I not knowing what to say.
I wondered if anyone in the lobby missed her yet. But a glance towards the double doors told me that Wufei did. He leaned against the threshold. We locked eyes with him and he then nodded. Then he turned towards the lobby. Well, he wasn't worried about her being with me.
I turned my attention to Relena, who was staring at the worn wooden bar and folding a napkin in obscure origami shapes with trembling fingers. I wanted to talk to her, but I didn't know what to say. Actually I do know what to say but I didn't know how to say it. I'm not much of a speaker. Relena is tactile speaker, always touching the person she is addressing, but after the rape-
"Oh, hell Heero, just do it" my Duo-Conscience screamed. If I ever put a gun to my head, it wasn't suicide. I was trying shut up the mini-Duo in head.
I reached over to Relena's figiting hands and very slowly took one of them in mine. Startled, she looked up. I could see the fear and loathing in her eyes, but it was not directed at ME- it was directed towards herself! I started to speak but stopped when a loud voice, Zechs's voice, pierced my sluggish thoughts.
"Where is she, Wufei?" he demanded, his voice echoing in the lobby and floated quite clearly into the bar. "Where is Relena?"
Well, that was enough to stop all conversation in the bar. I could feel the eyes of my fellow drinkers focusing blearily on the doors. The bartender gasped. Smart girl, she figured out who was in the straw hat.
"She's safe, or was until you opened your big mouth announced it to everyone." Wufei's peevish 'I'm better than you' voice was equally loud. "I did not know anyone could be louder than Duo. I now must apologize to him, for your mouth is excessively louder than his."
I always like Wufei's obscure and dour sense of humor. And he forgot about the part that Duo would never expose Relena when she was supposed to be undercover. Duo is annoying but can will get the job done right.
Zechs scanned the bar and spotted Relena. His eyes narrowed when he saw me. At Zechs's first yell, Relena had jerked her hand from mine and looked down. I now touched her shoulder. She looked up at me, with a tinge of curiosity crossing her otherwise dead eyes. Good.
"Relena, I need to speak to you, but not here," I gestured to the bar and the now silent crowd. "Will you go to my room with me now?"
Surprisingly she quickly nodded. I thought she would be more hesitant, more wary. Something wasn't adding up. I nodded back at her and pulled my credit card out and ran it thought the scanner at the bar. He bartender gasped at the tip I left her. I looked at her and placed a finger on my lips. She nodded, glancing at the other bar patrons. Smart girl. She'll keep her mouth shut and the witnesses too drunk to remember.
I passed Zechs without giving him the satisfaction of acknowledging him. I told Wufei that I was going to speak to Relena in private and he agreed. He looked me up and down, his gaze resting on my leg. He stiffly raised his glance and gave a look in Zechs's direction. Then he fell behind Relena.
By the time we reached the elevator, I had a parade behind me. Zechs, mumbling something, followed the three of us in the elevator. Right behind him was Noin and Sally Po.
I patiently waited for all them to board and pushed the button for my floor. No one said a word. Relena continued her inspection of her toes. Zechs glared at me. Both Wufei and Sally looked at my leg. Wufei with expression of anger and Sally had her 'doctor look' on her. Noin just watched the floor indicator lights.
In what seemed like eternity, the elevator pinged and the doors opened to my floor. They followed me out to my room and watched me swipe my keycard and open the door.
I dropped my wallet and keycards on the end table. I sat down on the bed, ignoring my guests for a moment, and slid myself so I was leaning on the headboard. I was unbelievably tired. Relena sat near the end of the bed still looking down. Sally and Noin took up the chairs that were around the table near the balcony. Wufei was the last one in, and leaned against the closed door. Zechs paced.
It was Wufei who spoke first. He gave Zechs a glare that would rival mine and spit out in a low but very irate tone; "You attacked an injured person on pain medication," He pointed to the several bottles of pills on the desk. "Who did not make any threatening motions towards you and didn't do anything wrong in the first place. That is a grave injustice, Zechs."
When Wufei mentions injustice, its time to be concerned- about your life. Zechs thankfully knew this and had the decency to look apologetic.
I didn't want his apologies. I wanted to talk to Relena, actually ask her something. So I looked at her and quietly spoke her name. She looked at me.
"Are you happy?" I asked.
"Of course she isn't! She got..." Zechs shut up when four evil glares where shot in his direction.
I looked back at her. I knew that wasn't the way I wanted to say that. Suddenly I had an epiphany. "Relena, do you think you could get better if you stayed in the Sanq Kingdom?"
A tense silence then the room exploded.
With voices. With the history of everyone in this room, I have to make the distinction.
"What the hell are you are implying, Yuy?"
"I don't
she should be in public right now."
"Her injuries haven't healed, yet."
And so on. The voices getting louder until-
"Please be quiet!"
That was Relena. I would later learn that this was first time she has spoken since she described her attacker to the Preventers. Everybody stared at her. She took a deep breath and looked at me, he eyes still unreadable. " I will answer all your questions, Heero, if you would answer one of mine."
I nodded. "Ok, Heero, why were you not in Chicago that day?"
Simple, direct, and the question I feared answering.
I didn't want to tell her the story, but as Zechs started to goad me, I knew I had to tell it. At least to Relena. For Relena. Because she asked me to. Anything for her.
"I was involved with an accident."
"Did you cause it, Yuy?"
I ignored him and continue to look into Relena's eyes. "As you know, there have been problems with the weather satellites. The weather on earth has been effected, especially in Atlantic Ocean. There was a family on a yacht when they were caught by the sudden storms. I was working on patrol when we got the call. When we arrived at the scene, the boat had already capsized. I dived into the waters.
"It was difficult to swim. The waves were high and choppy. I found the little boy and the baby still in their life jackets. The boy was still conscious. I connected the boy and the baby's carrier to my tether and gave the signaled to have the hoisted up. As they were being pulled aboard, I swam towards the parents. They were clutching the capsized hull. I was almost to their location when a huge wave pushed the overturned boat into the rescue ship. The parents and I were between them.
"I don't remember anything else until I woke up in a hospital a week later. By then Chicago had happened." I think that was the biggest speech this group of people has every heard. Hell, I think it is the biggest speech I've ever made. I'm not much of a talker, and by their expressions they would agree on that issue.
"You expect us to believe that shit?" Zechs seethed. "Come on Relena, let's go. You saw him..."
Nobody moved. They (as I) watched the women in question. When her brother grabbed her arm, he got the look I received three years ago. Startled, he withdrew his hand.
Oh, of course he blamed me for her reaction. "Yuy, ask her whatever you wanted to ask her so she'll go home where she belongs"
Well, he was not going to like my solution to Relena's- issue. "You know yourself. Do you think you could recover from this at home?"
She blinked, surprised. Then she slowly shook her head. I thought so. Zechs was playing over protective big brother and smothering her with attention. More gasps from the audience. Then I asked my second question. "Do you think you could step back for a while? Like taking a sabbical?" I took a deep breath. "For about nine months to a year?"
You could hear a pin drop. I was feeling uneasy with all the unasked questions hanging in the air. But no one spoke. Relena continued to look at me with that doll-like expression for what seemed like hours. Then she finally spoke. "Why?"
I didn't really have anything concrete to reply to that word, but I tried. "Three years ago, you gave me some advice. At the time I'm sure you did not think it was advice but I take EVERYTHING you say seriously." Her eyes widened at that remark. "You told me to get a life, and I did. I think it is time you followed your own advice."
Zechs sputtered something but I ignored him. His opinion wasn't important, hers was. I watched for Relena's reaction.
Wufei spoke up, interrupting Zechs. "I don't care where she goes, and I assume it is without her-entourage. But I am in charge of her safety, unfortunally. Can you protect her in your condition?" He was doing my job, however he implied that I couldn't do mine because of an injury.
I AM the perfect soldier, and I damn well know my job. "I have already made arrangements. She will be protected, yet have the freedom to wander where she wishes," The statement was added for Relena's benefit.
Wufei's eyebrow shot up. But he nodded. He trusted me. And he was probably sick of babysitting the 'weak woman.'
A glance a Noin told me she thought it as a great idea. I looked back to Relena. She looked thoughtful. "I assume you have already made arrangements for travel?" I nodded. "May I think about it and give you my answer tomorrow?" She asked.
A slight smile tugged at my lips. Relena did her homework and the math. She knew I was going to be stuck here for at least 48 hours. Wufei my belittle her but I know Relena is certainly isn't weak and definitely not stupid. "Yes," I answered.
She nodded and then stood up. I opened the drawer on the end table and pulled out the hotel provided stationary and pen. I quickly scratched my phone/vid number and the hotel's phone number with my room number. I handed the paper to Relena. "Call me, yes or no, call me." She nodded, and headed towards the door. Wufei had already scanned the hallway when she first stood up and now was waiting for to exit.
Zechs followed behind her glaring at me. I sat there coolly as he growled, "I don't what scam you are trying to pull, Yuy, but I won't let you do it."
So sorry Zechs, not your decision, its Relena's.
Noin followed her husband out, but not before giving me a grin and a thumbs up behind her husband's back. I've always liked Noin. Very practical woman.
Sally Po came and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Heero, did Zech reinjure your leg when he pushed you?"
Sally is one of those people that it is very hard to lie to. "It hurts more." I mumbled, knowing full well what she was going to say next.
"I want to examine your leg tomorrow morning, after you sober up." I didn't tell her that I was nursing that beer for an hour, too upset to really get drunk. Besides she wouldn't believe me anyways. "At 9 am at the Preventer Hospital. I'll even pick you up, ok?"
Translation, I'm going to make sure you get proper medical treatment, whether or not you want it and I can drill you on your plans all the while.
hn.
Wufei has met his match with this 'woman.' His funeral.
I nodded. With that she also left, leaving me with a lot to think about.
END CHAPTER 2