An Understanding Love
David entered the Preventer Hotel Headquarters with a scowl on his face; he seemed to be displeased with something. He slammed the door closed and glared at Duo, confirming Duo's suspicions of his superior being in foul mood. However, David was not displeased but rather peeved.
Shutting off the video-phone monitor, Duo got up to be able to defend any attacks David might throw at him.
"Why the hell is Johnson at your post? I gave you no order to have him take over your position," David stated, his tone seething with malice.
"Well, last time I had checked, you were off chasing this stalker creep, despite my distinctive order for you to send Reynolds or Johnson…" Duo defended but was interrupted.
"The guy was heading out back, Duo. Plus, with this fog, you know as well as I do that Johnson was as blind as a bat, especially without night vision binoculars. Then Reynolds was out front, wandering about like a headless chicken. What the hell was I supposed to do? Let the guy go until next time?"
Duo could not deny the truth in David's words but it was still irresponsible and irrational of David to chase the guy alone. And Duo was going to defend that stance!
"Next time, direct Reynolds, you're only human and the next time you might not come away unharmed," warned Duo, moving toward the adjoining doors. "I've already reported this to Lady Une."
Quickly David intercepted Duo at the door and grabbed the shorter pilot's shoulder. "I'm the Head of Security now, Maxwell! I'm to make the reports to Une, not you. Commit that to memory from here on out," advised the blond Preventer.
"Yes sir," growled Duo, not wishing for a fight but desperately wanting to fracture his superior's jaw. "You have made that unmistakably clear. However, might I suggest that perhaps you should start acting like the Head of Security if you're going to keep calling yourself that? Like Heero…"
Duo had not expected David to really react, so when he shoved the braided Preventer against the wall, Duo was shocked. He almost instinctively kicked David off of him, but held back as he recalled where and whom he was "speaking" with. Confounded Preventer codes and rules!
"Like Heero? Why must I always be compared to him? Did he set the standard for my position or something? Was he the "expert" of Head of Security?"
"Yeah," Duo replied calmly, half answering to spite David, "and you're falling short of the standard."
Letting Duo go, David shrugged, "Then I suppose I should desert, like he did."
That was it! Duo's fist connected with David's jaw, causing a cracking sound that was rather satisfying to Duo's ears. He had finally been able to live out his career fantasy. How many people could say they had punched their superior?
Taking a few deep breathes, Duo calmed himself from the adrenaline rush moment only to come to the conclusion that his action was immature and stupid. Oh well, screw the codes and rule book!
"Good night, Willington," Duo grunted, opening the adjoining door then, unconsciously, slamming it behind him. Falling back against the door, Duo sighed in frustration and exasperation.
"Another argument?" sounded Relena's voice from the couch. Looking up, Duo found her sitting on the furniture with a file on her lap; obviously she was going to be doing more work and less sleep again.
"It's that jerk's fault," Duo claimed, pushing himself off the door and heading over to the curtained window. "I still don't understand why you haven't complained to Lady Une about him yet."
Relena tipped her glasses down and stared at Duo for a moment over the rim of her glasses. She reminded Duo of the stereotyped old librarians with a patronizing disposition, only Relena was young and she wasn't being patronizing.
"I don't complain because David is great at his job. My security is the best it could ever hope to be," she answered, slow and deliberately.
"No, he's not good at his job! Heero was great at the job!" Duo snorted, covering his mouth quickly. Heero was rarely, if ever, mentioned around Relena due to the instable and undetermined relationship between the former Gundam pilot and politician.
There was no noticeable reaction from Relena as she seemingly read the file, but Duo saw the slightest hesitation in the tapping of her pen.
"Heero's gone Duo and David's in charge now. We all have to deal with it," Relena stated quite bluntly.
Eyeing the woman on the couch, Duo shook his head. She was not the same Relena from twelve or even seven years ago. If she had been then she would have been more open about her true feelings about Heero's abrupt desertion and David's command of her security. No, this Relena before him was more distant with her emotions, not opening up or opening very little to those closest to her.
It was to be expected of course, but Duo kept thinking that there were times when the old, open Relena was there, talking to him; spilling her pains and troubles to him so that he could give a few words of wisdom that his experiences granted him. Those were just thoughts though, wishful thinking, nothing more.
"Why do you have to pretend not to care that Heero's gone? For all any of us know, he could be out there watching you, protecting you in the shadows." Relena stopped reading and stared blankly at the file. "Hell, he probably has caught the stalker already," Duo explained, laughingly.
"No," Relena muttered numbly after shaking herself to reality. "I believed that for the longest time Duo, but we have to face the facts sooner or later. Heero's no longer protecting me; visibly or from the shadows."
Not knowing what to say, Duo just stared at Relena in amazement. He had never expected her to actually deny the idea or to even confess having had those very ideas at one time or another.
"Heero's gone Duo, leaving no trail for us to follow if we were ever in need of him," concluded Relena, setting aside the file and rising to her feet. She had found herself suddenly unmotivated to work. "As for why I pretend to not care…I just don't want to leave myself open to more of the hurt that only Heero Yuy causes."
This had been the first time in five years that Relena had actually said anything that allowed other to know her mind, and it surprised Duo greatly. He was speechless, a rarity as he was normally ready for a comeback, defense, or a careless remark.
"Night Duo," Relena said, kissing his cheek before returning to the couch with a pillow and blanket then settling down for sleep. She prayed for Sandman to stay away from her and bring her no dreams that night, or else they would be of an uneasy subject.
It was six in the morning when Duo had escorted Relena into the conference building for one final day of debating. Almost no one but the doorman, a few guards, and a receptionist were in the building, as well as a person with a head of blue hair standing by the elevators.
"Oh shit, that's right! I'm supposed to hang out with Hilde today," Duo mumbled, slapping his forehead.
"A date?" Relena inquired in a slightly teasing voice. It was not everyday that Duo went out with Hilde or when Hilde would jump on a shuttle to come see Duo. So, it was slightly suspicious.
"Nah, just something to celebrate her birthday," Duo corrected, rubbing the back of his neck a bit.
"I see…" Relena nodded, noting how Duo kept glancing at his reflection in any reflective object. "Duo, you look dashing in your uniform and you are well groomed," she assured him.
He laughed it off. "Am I that transparent?"
"No. Take the day off, I can walk up to the office on my own without getting into trouble," Relena smiled, waving a bit to Hilde when the other girl finally saw that the two were in the building.
Duo spun around, protesting, "I can't do that, David and her ladyship would have my head!"
"Don't worry about David; I'll deal with him, and as for Lady Une. She'll never know," reassured the Vice Foreign Minister, opening the stairwell door. "Go! Have some fun! Enjoy your day off for once."
Closing the door, Relena made her way up the stairs, taking two at a time. Contrary to popular belief, Relena did not wear high heels, unless there was a formal event she had to attend to. No, she preferred flat shoes that allowed her to be comfortable but did not give her the appearance of being lazy.
Much like the President of the Unified Nation, Relena was a public person and had to maintain a public persona. So, when meeting with people she would wear the flat shoes and it gave off the impression that Relena was like any other person in wanting to be comfortable. Of course, it was not just a public persona but something that was in fact true; Relena did want comfort.
Exiting the stairwell on the twenty-fourth floor, Relena headed down the hall to her temporary office. About to open her office door, Relena was stopped by someone calling out her name.
"Miss Darlian!"
She turned to find David striding up to her in his freshly cleaned and ironed Preventer uniform. Relena let go of the door handle and cocked her head at David, wondering when he had had the time to wash and iron his uniform.
"David, what are you doing up here so early?" she questioned.
"Checking the floor. Where's Duo? Why isn't he with you?" David inquired, glancing about for any sign of the braided Preventer.
"I gave him the day off to spend with Hilde," answered Relena, reaching for the office door again.
"You what!" David cried, turning on his heels and heading to the elevators.
Releasing the door handle again, Relena raced after her Head of Security. Having caught up with David, Relena grabbed his arm and pulled him to a halt around the corner.
"What are you going to do?" demanded Relena.
"I'm going to cancel Maxwell's vacation day," David stated.
Relena rolled her eyes. "Don't," she commanded. "Just let him go out and have some fun for a change. Please."
"Miss Darlian…"
David was unable to say anything else as an explosion was heard and instinctively, he grabbed Relena. Pulling her close against his form, David sandwiched the Vice Foreign Minister between his body and the wall, using himself as a shield against any debris.
"Damn…"
"This is Diane Jay for SNT news. As you can see I am standing outside colony L-4S2990's Government Conference Tower where at 6:25 this morning an explosion occurred. The explosion was isolated to one room, the office of Vice Foreign Minister, Miss Relena Darlian. Only one causality has been reported, that of custodian Robert Burns, who had opened the office door to dispose of the garbage.
"Also, reports have stated that the recent debates of Labor Suites have been postponed for a future date. Currently, the Preventers refuse to confirm or deny the explosion as a terrorist attack against Labor Suites…"
Lady Une shut off her television monitor and leaned back in her chair. Her ass was on the line again, as President Martian was more than willing to inform her as well as the fact that the Preventer Department was being paid to prevent these exact types of situations.
Rubbing her temples, Lady Une looked down at the latest note the stalker had left Ms. Darlian, this time at the reception desk. The receptionist handed the letter to David, who came out with minor scratches, after the explosion.
That explosion was no terrorist attack against Labor Suites. No, this guy was trying to get Relena's attention and he was willing to do whatever it took to get it too, even if it meant potentially killing her.
Unless, Lady Une mused, he hadn't meant for her to be there at all when that bomb went off. Perhaps this guy had miscalculated the time Miss Darlian was going to be at the office. It was only a hypothesis but it was as good of a suggestion as anything else.
"What do I now do with her? This can't continue like this and I need the manpower in order to find this guy, but if I take staff away from Relena she will be completely defenseless. So, what do I do with her?" Lady Une wondered aloud.
Everyone was well aware of Relena's uncanny ability to attract danger to her and make life difficult for the Preventers, but it had never been quite this difficult before. There had not been anyone as immaculate as this stalker or as calculating. It was frustrating!
"This is a fine mess we've gotten into," Lady Une mumbled before the phone rang. Sighing, Une put the phone to her ear under the belief that the other person was the president once again. "Une."
"How was this explosion allowed to occur?"
Lady Une bolted out of her seat. "Heero…"
Thank you to: Amulak, Lynn-Minmay, CrimsonDragon010, jennimo, Ulitheal, DogDemonK9 (for chapters 1 and 2), Hououza, Amy, Lil Dev G, and Morrighan of Crimson and Sable. Wow, you guys are fabulous! Seriously, this is a lot of reviews that I'm getting for this fic. I'm truly impressed by this!
Sorry about the cliffhanger again, I have to leave some place for me to start with next time. Plus, I brought Heero in now.