By : Angel of Venus_l3(angelofvenus_l3@yahoo.com)
CHAPTER TWO
"…No, Liz, you don't understand," Quatre was saying intently on the phone. His voice was soft and casual but he was trying hard not to reveal his anger and frustration in his tone. "Look, why don't I send one of my best architect to the construction side to help you settle the problem? Are you sure? Really? Then, I guess I'll be down there this afternoon at three. Alright, then. Thank you, Liz."
Quatre let out a frustrated sigh as he hung up the phone. He hadn't been at the office for a day and the company had already faced a few difficulties without him. He knew he shouldn't have listen to Heero. Maybe he did need a rest but certainly not on Monday because that's when he had most of the incoming calls and appointments. He should have thought of that before he let Heero talk him into it.
But then again knowing Heero, that man would probably barricade the door just to prevent Quatre from leaving the bedroom and he certainly can't argue with the 'Perfect Soldier'. Yesterday he had spent all of his time sleeping and resting in his room with his friends bringing him his meal like he was a sick person. He didn't mind it though since he hardly had the energy to get up.
Still, he wondered if that was worth the troubles he's facing now. It was only Tuesday, morning hadn't even pass yet and he was already exhausted and stressed. He was glad that he brought extra bottles of aspirin to work today. Just in case his migraine decided to kick in.
His eyes darted from one file to another which laid scattered on his desk. He suddenly noticed a stack of mails in different shapes at the corner. Sighing, he picked them up and went through them one by one. He wasn't surprise the amount of mails he received considering he hadn't attend work for a day. Most of the mails were invitations to various ceremonies from all over the world and some were from his board of directors and clients. Tossing each one to the side without even opening it, he finally came to the last letter which caught his attention. The letter was handwritten instead of the normal computer typed. He frowned when he noticed it was actually from Colony L6.
He scanned the letter, trying to recall back when he had seen the handwriting before or remember anyone from Colony L6. He didn't have much contacts there except for several politicians but the envelope didn't seem formal like the others. Finally curiosity got the best of him, he tore the envelope open and took out a neatly folded paper. Almost immediately he could smell the fragrance of lilacs which lingered along in the letter. Judging by the fragrance, he could already tell it was from a girl.
However, when he unfolded it and began to read the first line of the content, his eyes immediately widen in shock and his hung open in a small 'o'. "Oh no…" he murmured, his voice filled with dread and shock.
"I said China, you braided fool!" Wufei exclaimed in annoyance.
Duo scowled at him and yelled back, "Hawaii, you injustice freak!"
"China!"
"Hawaii!"
"China!!!"
"Hawaii!!"
"Alright, that's enough!!" Heero cried out, banging his palm on the table. The two pilots scowled at him but they kept their mouth shut, knowing better than to anger the 'Perfect Soldier'. "We have to make a quick and final decision about this if we want to get the tickets by next Friday," he continued solemnly.
"Which is exactly what we're doing and we would have a final decision made if it wasn't for some baka who disagree with the ideal choice," Wufei exclaimed, glaring at Duo who in return, rolled his eyes.
Trowa who had been quiet all this while, finally spoke up, "Guys, I don't think spending our vacation here on Earth would be such a good idea."
Duo raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"
"Because being the richest man as he is, Quatre has a lot of easy access to his personal jets around the world so if he suddenly decided to leave in the middle of our vacation, it won't take him long to get a plane back home. And if we're really planning to bring him here when he's unconscious, he will definitely leave us as soon as he has the chance."
"So what do you propose?" Heero asked.
"Well, it wouldn't hurt to spend some time in one of the planets in the solar system," Trowa replied thoughtfully. "The expanses are outrageous but I'm sure we all can afford it. What do you guys think?"
"I call Neptune!" Duo exclaimed as he raised his hand, startling his friends at his sudden outburst.
Wufei narrowed his eyes and cried out, "Mars!"
"Why on Earth would we spend our vacation in Mars?" Duo demanded. "There's hardly any 'cool' places there, don't mind the pun, you know how high the temperature is, right?"
"He's got a point, Wufei," Heero stated. "And just because Martians happen to be great warriors and an even greater challenge for you, it's not exactly appropriate for us to consider 'fighting combats' as a vacation. Especially not to Quatre."
"Martians have very high tempers, they're not exactly very friendly and unless you think Quatre enjoys getting his butt kick several times just because he ask for ice in his tea, I suggest you pick someplace else," Trowa replied with a wry smile. Wufei snorted but surprisingly, he didn't make any further comment.
"So I guess it's Neptune then," Duo exclaimed, beaming proudly.
"Not a chance, I'd say Saturn," Heero replied with a smirk.
Duo's face fell. "Aw, come on, Heero, Neptune's great! It has this cool beach where we all can have the fun-in-the-sun activities. People there are very friendly and nice and when the night comes…."
"I prefer Jupiter," Trowa spoke up, prompting a stare from Duo and Heero. Wufei just watched in amusement as the arguments began.
"Hey, I called Neptune first, I didn't hear any of you guys made any suggestions!"
"We just did."
"Doesn't count a few seconds ago, Hee-man, I'd say Neptune and we're going to Neptune!"
"Don't call me Hee-man!"
"What's so bad about Jupiter?"
"Other than the place was almost completely covered with forest and weird creatures, I'd say the services ain't that good either."
"Well, Duo, camping is also one way to relax and Quatre enjoys outdoors activities."
"Well, the rest of us doesn't enjoy being mauled by some weird creatures with three eyes and green skin or being lost in the jungles for several weeks as you do, Trowa. Saturn is the ideal place for us to have some fun…"
Wufei smirked as his friends continued their heated 'discussion'. He even had time to pour himself a cup of coffee while his friends argued in the background.
The arguments went on for several minutes until they heard the door slammed. Abruptly the boys stopped talking and exchanged confuse glances with one another.
"Who could that be?" Duo murmured but before he can stand up to find out who it was, Quatre suddenly entered the kitchen with a solemn expression on his face.
"Quatre!" Duo exclaimed in surprise.
Trowa, Wufei and Heero raised their eyebrows and took a quick glimpse at the clock on the ceiling. It was only ten twenty five in the morning which means something was definitely wrong with Quatre since he had never came back home at this hour before.
Quatre seemed lost in thoughts as he slowly sank on the nearest chair. His face showed signs of exhaustion but remained impassive so his friends couldn't exactly tell what he was thinking. He's in a shocking state, they realized as the blonde man refused to meet their gaze. When Quatre noticed Wufei's half drank coffee on the table, he grabbed the cup and gulped it down.
"Woah, Quatre, are you okay?" Duo asked in concern. Quatre let out a weary sigh and muttered something under his breath.
"What?" Wufei and Duo asked simultaneously.
"Kat, what's the matter?" Trowa inquired as he gently placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, urging him to answer.
Quatre swallowed a few times and cleared his throat. "I said, do you guys really need me for this couple of days?" he croaked.
"Eer, does it matter?" Duo answered, exchanging brief glances with the other pilots who returned his gaze with a puzzle mixed with worried looks. "You're not usually at home anyway. Why do you ask?"
"Well, are you free now?" he asked, still not meeting any of their gaze.
Duo frowned at him as though Quatre had lost his mind but he answered him anyway, "Yeah…"
"Good, then please book one ticket to Venus and get me the earliest flight. If possible, try to get the one that leaves tomorrow."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As soon as Minako got back, she instantly crept into her room and changed back into a her usual bright orange gown. She knew Andrite would enter her room any moment now and start lecturing her about her last successful attempt of sneaking out. However, she wasn't worry at all of his anger. She had gotten used to it ever since she can't remember.
She was leaning against the headboard of the bed and flipping through a magazine when a soft rap on the door was heard.
"Come in," she said, tossing her magazine aside and abruptly sat up. As she expected, Andrite entered the room.
"You're back," Andrite said impassively, stating the obvious. Minako merely shrugged. She expected him to start his lecture but when he gently sat next to her with a soft smile on his face, she nearly stumble off the bed.
"Glad you're home," he said softly.
Minako's eyes widen in surprise. "Glad I'm home?" she exclaimed, unable to hide her surprise. "What's the catch?"
Andrite chuckled and gently held her hands. "Listen, I know you've been working very hard on the projects regarding the political developments and the planets' unification but no matter how pressure you are on this matters, you shouldn't have sneaked out like that. We're really worried about your safety, princess and once you have taken over your kingdom which will be soon, we certainly can't afford to have you running out of the palace again." He paused, waiting her reply but she didn't give him any so he decided to continue.
"Princess, I know how much you want to lead your life like a normal girl but since you are born as a princess, I'm afraid the chance is pretty slim for that. You are required to fulfill your duties no matter what and your life will have an even bigger change once you take the throne." Minako let out a long, exasperate sigh as she rolled her eyes.
"Which is why we want you to have a personal vacation now before you devoted all of your time on your royal duties."
Minako's eyes instantly shot up at his words. "Andy, are you serious?" she exclaimed, unable to hide her excitement. She found it hard to believe the words actually coming from her normally serious and strict friend.
Andrite nodded his head. "Yes, I'm serious. You can go anywhere you want and you may spend most to most two months on this vacation of yours."
Minako squealed in delight and she gave him a bear hug. "Thank you so much!! I'm so happy!! I better start packing, I have so much to do, so many places to go…"
"Yes, princess but there is a little requirement if you really want to go on this trip…" Minako's smile slowly left her face. She should have known this news was too good to be true or at least, she should have expected there was a catch behind all this.
"What's the requirement?" she asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. Andrite licked his lips and took a deep breath.
"One of us will have to come along on your vacation," he answered.
Minako frowned at him and exclaimed, "But Andy, I'm old enough to take care of myself and I certainly don't need any supervision from you or the others. And you did say it's my personal vacation. Why are you coming along?"
"I'm not," he replied patiently. "I have to stay here and monitor the previous developments while you're away. So I've ordered Alya, Daniel and five bodyguards to come along with you."
"But it's my PERSONAL vacation!" Minako spluttered indignantly. "Can't I just do something without having someone breathing down my neck?"
"What is so bad about having someone breathing down your neck?" he exclaimed, his tone slightly rising. "Your generals and those men are going to protect you during your vacation, why do you oppose that idea so much?"
Minako sighed in frustration and fought back, "Because it won't be much of a difference if I didn't take this vacation in the first place! Everywhere I go, there you guys are and always telling me what to do and what not to do. I'm restricted to doing things I want to do, things I enjoy doing like….like singing and dancing and dating…"
"Which you are not allow to do," Andrite intruded, his tone firm and serious.
Minako sighed and snapped back, "Case in point!"
Andrite scowled at her. "Princess, you may be well-trained in almost every aspects but we can't let you out of our sight no matter what. This is our job and as the Venusian princess, you are required to act decently like you're suppose to and what you have done so far weren't consider as one. You're not one of those silly teenagers who enjoys these inappropriate things, you are a princess and a special one at that." He paused, realizing Minako was glaring intently at the floor, refusing to meet his eyes and probably trying unsuccessfully to shut him out.
Sighing, he continued in a softer tone, "Princess, I know you're upset about this whole idea but this is as far as I can go into letting you have a little freedom before you turn seventeen. I can't possibly let you go anywhere without a bodyguard or someone who I trust to protect you on your journey and as for your 'sneaking out' habits, I hope you weren't planning on continuing that ever again because if you do, I might have to take some drastic actions to prevent that from happening. I know how pressure you had been for the last couple of months, maybe even years and that is why I'm offering you the opportunity to have some time out from work. So, now I'm giving you a choice. Either take this vacation along with Daniel, Alya and five bodyguards or you can just stay here at the palace where all your movements will be securely guarded by me."
With that, Andrite stood up and proceed to leave the room. Before he closed the door, he turned to Minako and replied softly, "Just think about it, princess."
As soon as the door was closed, Minako flung a pillow at the door as hard as she could. He sounded like he was threatening her, she realized bitterly. And he's suppose to be a friend! Minako had the urge to scream and she felt so angry. They just can't leave her alone and that thought made her even angrier. Minako tried to calm herself and contemplated her thoughts, weighing the pros and cons of Andrite's offer. It certainly won't be much of a difference if she hadn't leave Venus. Obviously. She sighed in exasperate and sprinted to the full length window.
Night time had fallen and the stars were sparkling brightly as usual. She remembered when she and Andrite were little, they used to gaze at the stars every night with hope that they might see a shooting star. Being a children as they were, they really believed that their wishes might come true if they wish on the shooting star. Surprisingly, they never seen any even though it's already been years and Minako knew Andrite had slowly outgrown that game. Even so, she still gaze at the stars late at night and sometimes even make a wish even though there wasn't any shooting star.
Tonight, the stars seemed to be twinkling brighter than usual. Minako lightly pressed her fingers on the window glass where one of the brightest star was located.
"I wish I can experience something different for once," she murmured solemnly to herself. "I wish my life would change…."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You're engaged?!!" Duo cried out in shock at the blonde man who was slumping on the armchair.
"For the sixteenth time, Duo, yes," Quatre replied wearily. "I'm engaged."
Trowa and Heero remained expressionless while Wufei just frowned. The three of them were sitting at the couch while Duo had been pacing back and forth across from them, trying to digest the news.
"And this fiancé of yours is coming for a visit soon?" Trowa inquired, his eyebrows knitted. Quatre nodded his head and gulped down the coffee which Duo had made for him.
"I can't believe I forgot about Caroline…" he muttered, placing the empty cup on his lap.
"Yeah, that's really hard to believe considering how cute this little girl is," Duo said, a wry smile played on his lips as he gazed at the picture which Quatre had handed to him. The girl in the picture was cute, Quatre had to admit because it was taken six years ago and the child certainly look like an angel. Blonde hair, pretty smile, blue eyes….
"Duo, I've spend most of my time in the battlefield so I hardly have any time to keep in touch with her," Quatre explained, running a hand through his platinum blonde hair roughly. "We sort of lost touch during the war and I completely forgot about our engagement. Well, it's not really a surprise since we weren't exactly keen about one another."
"You hated her?" Heero inquired.
Quatre bit his bottom lip and frowned. "'Hate' is such a strong word, Heero, I prefer the word 'dislike'. I've met her only once when I was twelve and she's eleven and that's exactly when we realize we don't like each other. At all…"
"You would say that because both of you are just spoiled," Wufei pointed out nonchalantly. "Plus, you were only twelve and she's eleven."
"Fine, I was spoiled but I bet she haven't change, even after all this years," Quatre stated softly. "She kept insulting me since we first met which sometimes prompted several arguments and she always bragged about her rich heritage. Believe me, we hardly get along even though our parents were close which explains why we got engaged in the first place. Our parents made us write letters to each other almost every month but eventually we lost touch because of the war. I was always at the battlefield and she's always busy with her life. The last time I received her letter was almost five years ago and we barely share much of our personal life. At least, she hardly said much about herself except for her bragging about being the daughter of the wealthiest tycoon in the colony. After all these years, now she wants to make an appearance."
"Well, you had forgotten about her, Quatre," Trowa pointed out with a wry smile. Quatre looked thoughtful. "Okay, good point but anyway, she's doing this because her father, Mr. Calvert made her and if he didn't intrude in our life, we would still consider ourselves….available." Duo and the others blinked and soon, they burst out laughing. Quatre frowned at them. "That's not funny," he exclaimed. The laughter slowly died down and Duo finally managed a reply, "I'm sorry, Kat. It's just that…hearing those words coming out from you is very….funny. I mean, she would have thought of that but you! You're already married to your office!"
"Still not funny," Quatre stated flatly. "What's so bad about this girl anyway?" Trowa asked. "She might have change, you know. It's been several years…" "I doubt it," Quatre answered with a sigh. "She sounds the same in her letter which I received today, stating how she was forced to come by for a visit and of course, there's a couple of insults from her which I rather not say. Mr. Calvert even talked to me on the phone right after I read her letter. I…I didn't know what made me agree to have her around."
"So that means you'll be living in your REAL mansion then, considering she can't possibly live in our house…" Duo stated. Quatre nodded his head solemnly. Heero shifted in his seat as he asked, "How long will she be here?" "A month and a half," Quatre answered wearily. "And if possible, her father wants us to get married by then."
The other pilots' eyes widen in surprise and before anyone could make any comment about that, Quatre quickly implied, "Which is why I need this vacation to calm myself before I go totally bonkers about the whole idea. Duo, did you book the ticket yet? I like to leave some time tomorrow morning." It took Duo a moment to close his mouth which hung open a couple of seconds ago before answering, "Uh, yeah, one ticket to Venus tomorrow 9.30 in the morning and I've already made the hotel reservation…" "Thanks," Quatre muttered, barely audible to Duo.
"Quatre, if you oppose to this kind of thing so much, why do you bother going through it?" Wufei demanded. "Both of you have mutual feelings for each other, at least in this matter, so why can't one of you just bail?" Quatre's gaze fell to the floor. "Because I can't. My father had signed this contract with Mr. Calvert which will bind us together. I can't go against it and she didn't want to break the contract either because she has a reputation to keep."
"But Quatre, that's not really fair…" Duo exclaimed but Quatre immediately stopped him, "I know, that's why I need this vacation. I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing and I…I need some time to think clearly, it's too hard a decision for me to make." Duo bit his lip when he realized how tired Quatre looked. He didn't realize they had been talking for quite some time in Quatre's bedroom and the blonde man looked more exhausted than ever.
"Kat, why don't you take a rest?" Duo murmured to his friend. "We can discuss this later if you want to but right now, just try to relax. If you want, we can help you with the packing..." "No, I can managed that by myself, thanks anyway," Quatre replied and managed a weak smile. The other four pilots slowly took their leave. As soon as his friends were gone, Quatre let out a deep sigh and buried his face in his hands. He began to feel the pressures overwhelming inside of him which threatened to burst out anytime now.
He really didn't expect to see Caroline, not after all these years and he certainly didn't plan on getting married to her or anyone else anytime soon. He wanted so much to get out of the arranged marriage but he wasn't the kind of person to break a promise, let alone a contract, no matter how much he opposed to those kind of things. As if his work isn't enough, he had a marriage to think about, he thought bitterly to himself.
Quatre was lost in his thoughts for almost two hours, trying to find a way out of his misery but he still haven't made any decision. He didn't want to break the contract nor did he want to get married to someone he didn't even like which of course, indicated that he was still where he had left off. His friends couldn't possibly help him out in this matter and his sisters would probably encourage him to marry his fiancé. After all, it was in the contract.
Realizing that he was getting nowhere, Quatre slowly got up from his armchair and head straight to the bathroom, hoping that a long, hot bath would refresh him and maybe also wash away his worries which was obviously too much to ask for.
Outside Quatre's bedroom, the other pilots gathered quietly in the living room. Trowa was leaning heavily against the wall while Heero and Wufei sat on the couch. Duo stood in the middle of the room, practically lost in thoughts, as were the rest. Neither of them really knew what to say, not that they have anything to say in the first place. Except for Duo.
"Does that mean our vacation is cancel?"
The next day after he said goodbye to his friends, Quatre had quickly headed to the airport and waited anxiously for his flight. He wore a light purple jacket over a simple black shirt and matching purple pants. Before he left, he had told Herro and Trowa to inform his personal assistants that he would be staying at Venus for three days. Even though he needed the rest, he couldn't possibly neglect his work papers which were coming in every hour of every day.
After one hour and a half of waiting, Quatre finally boarded the shuttle. The flight attendants greeted him warmly and he only managed a simple nod instead of his usual warm 'thank you'. He quickly got to his seat and closed his eyes. He hardly got enough sleep last night and he still felt exhausted as usual. The thought of going for a vacation didn't intrigue him much. He had been to Venus several times on a business trip but he never actually got to enjoy the environment there. Even so, he never failed to notice the beauty of the beach there which was often the main places of interest for the outsiders.
Maybe I'll be able to get some relaxation there, he thought silently to himself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Early before dawn, Minako quietly crept out of the palace and headed straight to the place which she often goes. The beach. Since the sun hasn't risen yet, the beach was practically empty and the only sound heard was the roaring of the waves. Even though there was hardly anyone around, Minako wore her usual oversize white shirt over her wrapped flower print skirt. She took off her sandal and let the cool seawater touched her feet.
Her mind immediately drifted to the heated discussion she had with Andrite. Even though she had thought about his stupid 'offer' over and over again, she still couldn't make up her mind on whether she should go on the 'personal' vacation or not. Daniel, who was one of Andrite's closest friends, was almost as strict as Andrite but he had a gentle side which he only reserved for Alya alone. Minako wasn't close to him as she was to Alya but she knew him well enough to know how serious he took his duty. Figures Andrite would place someone like him to watch over her, she thought bitterly. And knowing Daniel, her vacation won't be much of a difference then being at the palace.
Minako's thoughts were broken when she instantly felt a presence nearby. Being trained since she was four had taught her to be aware of her surroundings at all times, well, most of the time. She quickly spun around and found a figure staring at her in a distance. Immediately she recognized the stranger. It was the same girl which had been staring at her yesterday. This time the girl didn't have her sunglass on and Minako almost gasped when she realized her looks.
The girl seemed to notice her surprise and she smirked at the young princess. The girl had the same blonde hair like Minako's, only Minako's hair was a little longer and more blonde, they had the same blue eyes but the girl's pair were slightly dull, the same height, the same figure and probably the same weigh. Both of them looked so alike, Minako realized in shock. They had so much resemblance that they could almost be twins.
Of course, being the reincarnation of the Goddess of Love which beauty couldn't be compared, Minako's radiance features were so much softer than the girl and if people looked a little closer, they could tell the difference between the princess and the girl almost easily. Plus, Minako wore her hair in her usual half ponytail while the girl let her hair flowed freely. The girl also wore her usual two piece swimsuit, only today it was in black and equally as daring as the red one yesterday. A white towel was draped lazily around her neck.
Minako realized that both of them had been staring at each other for more than a minute without a single word but she couldn't bring herself to say anything at the sudden unexpected encounter with someone who looked almost exactly like her. She wondered why she hadn't notice the resemblance before. The girl smirked as she run a hand through her blonde hair.
"Well, I certainly didn't expect anyone to be here at this hour," she replied casually, walking towards her until they were a few feet apart. "But what the heck, I can blew off skinny dipping for a discussion with you which I was hoping for some time today." She had a very husky voice that almost sounded a little rough. Minako's melodic voice was so much sweeter and softer compared to the girl. Minako raised her eyebrow in puzzle at her previous statements. "Excuse me?" she politely asked, trying to make sure whether she heard the girl correctly. The girl's smile grew wider as she chuckled. "Why don't we go to my hotel first for a little chat? Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you or kidnap you or anything, nothing like that. I just…have a little offer that you might be interested."
Minako knew she had enough offer than she could handle but somehow curiosity got the best of her so she reluctantly agreed to go with the girl. "Can I at least know what is your offer about?" Minako inquired, still in puzzle as they walked along the shoreline. The girl shrugged. "Well, I'm sure you realized the resemblance between us and I was just thinking….maybe we could have a little fun by switching identities for a while. I'll pay you, of course, just name your price but there are several rules about this switching identity things. And before I tell you what they were, are you interested at all?" The girl's piercing blue eyes instantly fixed on Minako's sparkling ones, as though probing for her immediate agreement on the previous matter.
Despite her surprise, somehow the idea of being someone else immediately intrigued Minako. After all, she was getting rather sick of being a princess who always had an overprotective general and bodyguards around her at all times, it might be very interesting to experience what it was like to be someone else for a change. Someone who was not a princess, of course. Minako slowly let out a smile. "Why not?" she simply stated.
The girl gave her a satisfied smile and replied back, "Great, then I hope we won't have much problem pretending to be someone else who is a complete stranger." "Well, if you're serious about this switching places, I'm sure we'll work that out. By the way, I'm Mina Andrews," she lied, extending her hand to her.
The girl smirked and shook hands with Minako. "Caroline, Caroline Calvert."