Author: CONTACTcon-589113057 Sparkle Itamashii
Title: Inheritance
Warnings: Please respect the rating. See profile for details.
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing AC is NOT MINE. Plot is mostly not mine.
Chapter One
I really hate funerals.
No one wants to attend but everybody does.
No one wants to be sad about it but everybody is.
No one wants to believe someone they know has died… but they have to.
Light above, it shouldn't have been Relena. Any of us, any one of us, would have been a better choice. We spent so much time bringing ruin to those people whom we thought needed to be put in their places. We came nose to nose with Death, kissed it sweetly, and said "next time" for just over a year. We sent hundreds, if not thousands, of people to their graves early… and yet Relena was the first to die. Relena the pacifist; the peacemaker.
She should have been the last to go, not the first.
Sitting in that second row pew, staring mutely at the priest as he readied something at the altar, I still couldn't believe she was gone. It still felt like I was going to go home and be able to call her or that I would turn on the television and see her doing something great just like she always was.
Even though I knew she wouldn't.
She never would again.
I turned my gaze to Heero, who was sitting silently beside me. He'd hardly said a word all day, not even when I fussed over his suit and retied his tie a million times. It was unnerving how perfectly still he sat, staring blankly into the space before him as if he was no long with us. I knew he was taking her death roughly, despite how he looked- when Heero hurt he closed in on himself and seemed, to most of the world anyway, not to care. I knew better. I knew how close he and Relena had been and I knew he wasn't going to just pop back from this. What I wouldn't have given to be able to help him…
I sighed wearily and glanced around the room, wondering how much longer it would be before this god-forsaken funeral would begin. It wasn't that I wasn't upset but drawing things out only seemed to make it worse. It hurt that a friend had died and I didn't need to be sharply reminded every time I took a look around me. I was already sick of being upset, even though I knew I couldn't help it.
I hate being helpless…
People had been filtering into the funeral home for the past hour, all in varying degrees of grief. Most of the people here today were from the Darlian family and a few had been friends of the Peacecrafts since before the original collapse that separated Relena and Milliardo. We had decided to keep this part of the funeral small- there would be a world wide memorial that anyone could attend later but for now those of us closest to her needed time to recover, pull ourselves together enough to face the masses.
Some of us needed more time than others, I thought as I watched Hilde wander.
She had been milling around in the pews, looking rather lost. She kept staring up at the ornate ceiling of the chapel in a dazed way, as though looking for an answer there that she knew she would not receive. Quatre had approached her several times already but every time he walked away looking even more concerned than when he started. He had finally given up and settled himself by the entrance to greet people, falling into a mindless pattern to avoid having to think. I'd seen him do it before and it was not a good sign.
It seemed like forever before Hilde approached the altar and came face to face with the priest. They conversed in soft, low tones for several minutes before he placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a gentle smile. She returned the smile, albeit very weakly, and stepped down to the ground. Although she was supposed to sit front row she chose to collapse next to me. I wrapped my arms around her and she clung to me like a lifeline.
I wanted to join her when I felt the silent sobs that wracked her frame but I was past crying by then. She was trying so hard to keep it under control. My world was coming unraveled around me, not so much in grief as in bewilderment- Relena was supposed to be the safest of any of us. Hilde was supposed to be stable; I had never seen her cry like this. If these people could be hurt, could break down, what was in store for the rest of us? There was supposed to be rest and peace when the war ended.
Not death. Not grief.
"We are gathered here today in remembrance of Miss Relena Peacecraft-Darlian…" The minister began. Silence fell all around me, broken only by sniffles and barely muffled sobs.
I'm afraid I didn't catch much more than the first few lines of what he had to say. I was never all that great at paying attention in the first place and somehow it didn't seem right to have to listen to a complete stranger talk about my friend as though he'd known her. He hadn't known her. He didn't know us. This was just another job to him, another funeral sermon like any other if perhaps a little more well known. At the end of the day when he went home he didn't have to deal with the loss.
So I ignored him and let my thoughts wander over my own memories of her.
Relena and I hadn't made it off to the greatest of starts- in fact for quite a while she hated me bitterly. In time I learned that it was only because she didn't know me, and, well… shooting Heero twice and then kidnapping him away from her probably had not helped. As luck would have it though, I ended up meeting her a couple more times and grew to respect her a great deal.
You see, the other four pilots and me... we were fighting in the war. Relena? Well, she was fighting the war itself and that alone was extraordinary. If any of us ever had the right idea I think it was her.
It wasn't until after the war was over and Mariemaia had been taken care of that I really began to appreciate Relena as a friend instead of just an ally. I had come to visit Heero in the hospital only to find Miss Peacecraft herself curled in a little ball in the chair next to his bed, fast asleep. Heero was attached to all sorts of machinery and there were bruises and scratches covering his skin, but he was clean and alive and hanging in there. It finally occurred to me, standing there silently watching the two of them, that we were still just a pack of kids, running around trying to save the world.
Feeling me standing there, I guess, she stirred and blinked sleepily. I smiled, leaning gently on the doorframe with my arms folded against my chest, and she returned the smile with a yawn. I will never forget those next few minutes, when I realized what she was truly made of.
"I'm sorry." She whispered, without making a move to stand or even uncurling from where she'd been dozing.
"It's okay. I didn't mean to wake you." I said quietly, looking away from her and allowing my gaze to settle on Heero. He looked so much more at peace when he was asleep.
"Not for that." She corrected after a moment, finally stretching and rising. I watched her lightly brush her fingers over Heero's before she turned to me again. "I'm sorry for not realizing it sooner."
I only gave her a confused, worried look as I wondered what she was talking about. I must have looked quite the sight because she chuckled tiredly and moved to stand in front of me, never taking her eyes from mine. She drew to a stop, staring rather seriously as though looking for some kind of confirmation. At last she sighed and shook her head the slightest bit.
"He woke up for a little last night, you know." Those words sounded wrongly heartbroken, despite the determination she put behind them. "The first thing he asked was where you were."
I stopped breathing, only stared dumbly at her with wide eyes. I could plainly see that she knew exactly what she was implying when she spoke. But I had thought for certain… I mean, didn't he plan on staying with… her? She had to be mistaken.
"Since he could see you were all right, his friends were probably just what he worried about next. He knew me and the others were fighting." I offered weakly.
She gave me a "don't bother" look and broke eye contact. "He never asked about the others, Duo. Just you." She began to move past then but stopped beside me, glancing sideways. "He's coming to the manor when they release him, until he's well enough to leave, which I am sure he will do as soon as he can." She paused, looking forward again. "I expect you to take good care of him after that, Duo Maxwell."
I watched her walk from the room, just barely able to keep myself from gaping. "Where are you going?" I managed before she was out of range.
"I'm going to get some lunch." She called over her shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll be right back."
The defeat had vanished from her voice entirely and just like that she had been herself again. There was no trace of the sadness, nothing that would have ever given away any clue as to what we had been speaking about. She never looked back from that decision, never second guessed that she had done what she needed to in telling me what she had that day.
Then again, she had always been one of those people who never questioned herself. She never wondered if she was doing the right thing because she always knew she was. She knew that the actions she made were in the best interest of the entire world, whether they thought so at the time or not. Ever since the Mariemaia incident she had been putting everything and everyone in order, bringing about the sort of peace that was hell-bent on lasting. She had done what none of us thought truly possible.
And yet she was the one laying in the casket now, instead of us.
I would like to be able to say "when I get my hands on the filthy cur that did this, I'll kill him" but… Heero already took care of that.
He'd sat in stony silence while Hilde related the entire story to him. As soon as she was done he thanked her and replaced the phone on the cradle. He sat silently for a long moment, staring into space as if he were never going to move again. I had long since curled up against the armrest of the couch, shocked and on the verge of crying myself. I just could not believe that Relena, one of our closest friends, was taken from us just like that.
We survived the war.
We were supposed to be safe.
I remember watching him get to his feet, walking stiffly to the front closet. I wanted to say something, anything, but my words caught thickly on my breath and I couldn't bring myself to do more than gawk. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew what he was doing. I knew why he was reaching into that closet, I knew exactly what he was going to pull out and I knew I couldn't (nor would I have) stopped him. It didn't surprise me in the least when he strapped the shoulder holster on and slipped his jet black .9mm into it. I finally managed to ask him where he was going as he pulled his jacket on over his shoulders and turned up the neck of it.
The look he turned to me… I never, never want to see it again. Ever. Fear spider-webbed over my skin and my hands turned icy cold. Sometimes, when people get angry enough you can see murder in their eyes. It wasn't like that with Heero. When he got into that state of mind you suddenly knew there are things far worse than death.
I knew they would never find the body.
I was snapped from my thoughts when Heero elbowed me gently in the ribs, indicating that we should be removing ourselves from the main room. I glanced over, startled at the way Heero was avoiding looking at me. It was as though if he couldn't see my eyes I couldn't see his, and therefore could not see that he had been crying.
My heart clenched painfully in my chest and I slipped my hand into his, squeezing gently. He returned the gesture, still not meeting my eyes. In a way I was glad that he had finally let himself break down and cry- letting himself feel was the only way this was ever going to heal for him. I was a little startled that it had taken such a short time but maybe I was still thinking of the Heero I'd found four years ago. He had come so far in the time I had been with him, learning not to keep everything pent up inside of him until he snapped. He looked at me when I rose and nodded to the doorway. Clambering to his feet as well, he followed me from the room.
The lunch was a disaster from the start. If no one had wanted to be at the funeral, they really did not want to linger around to discuss it. At least during the sermon they had not been required to talk. Here they spoke of everything except Relena- the kids, the home, the new trick the dog had learned- anything to keep their minds sheltered, safe from remembering that someone had died.
The food tasted like I imagine cardboard would- dry, flaky, and slightly burnt. I shied away from the normal population, taking a seat toward the middle of the room where people were always reluctant to sit. The middle of the sea of chairs and tables left most people feeling trapped or alone, neither of which they could handle at the moment. I pushed fried chicken and some mostacholi around on my plate, willing it to eat itself for me so that I could leave without being hassled for not eating.
I saw when Quatre finally made it to the lunch room. He looked like a zombie, staring blankly into space and moving as though he wasn't really here. Trowa trailed beside him, fingers twined in his and talking in his soft, soothing voice. That boy was the only thing keeping Quatre on his feet, I was sure of it. I had never been so glad to see the two of them together. I caught Trowa's attention with a wave of my hand and he acknowledged me with the slightest nod.
I was soon joined by the only people brave enough to risk the center table- the other four ex-pilots and some guy named Phil. Heero found me first, followed quickly by an ever-sullen looking Wu Fei. Trowa found us again, taking a seat and pulling Quatre down after him. Quatre had only just settled himself wearily in his chair, maneuvering his food with the tip of his fork and dutifully not eating a bite of it when "Phil" appeared. I was startled to see a stranger anywhere near the five of us and even more so when he actually took a seat.
He was a birdy sort of man with a sharp nose and a cleft chin but there was no mistaking the look in his pale grey eyes- he was here for business. I observed the way his dark hair was combed perfectly, kept in place by some type of slightly shiny gel that lent a sort of unreal quality to his otherwise impeccable appearance. Very gently he picked up the small centerpiece and replaced it with a thick, ominous looking manila folder. He looked each one of us in the eyes over the rims of his glasses without flinching and without fear.
Every last bit of this man screamed lawyer.
"I understand that this is a difficult situation for you and that this may not be the best time to be discussing this but I also recognize the fact that the five of you will be nearly impossible to track down after you leave this building." He began in a level, soothing voice that was meant to keep everyone on his side.
I snorted in disgust and pushed myself away from the table, snatching up my plate under the pretense that I could at least pretend to be getting more food instead of storming off because someone wanted to talk to us. Quatre made as though to protest but he was shushed by Heero, of all people. Promising myself I would thank him for that later, I headed for the buffet line and hoped no one would follow me.
It wasn't long before I noticed the little girl standing forlornly at the edge of the table, staring at the plate of cookies that was much too far out of her reach. I glanced around too see if I could spot a mother or father but there was no one who seemed even a little interested in her. Maybe they had gone back upstairs. I did see Heero staring at me, however, more interested in what I was doing than in anything the lawyer had to say.
Taking a breath, I sidled over to the child's side and offered her a smile, though I felt rather silly doing so. She couldn't have been over three and I wasn't even sure if three year olds could talk or think or do anything. It wasn't as though I'd ever really been around kids, except when I had been one, and that lot hadn't exactly acted their age. The streets tended to force age upon you whether you wanted it or not. She didn't look at all street roughened to me.
"Hi." I said quietly, not sure if she would understand or respond.
She turned a curious gaze to me, large cobalt-blue eyes looking me up and down once before she spoke. "Hi."
After that I was pretty much lost as for what to say. I mean for all I knew her response wasn't true and she was just repeating what I'd said. So I stared, quite a bit dumbly, until she turned her attention away again. I looked her over nervously, taking in the dusty blonde hair, the completely still yet relaxed posture… She held herself as though she belonged to nobility, which she might very well have. I could tell she knew that there were cookies on the table above her and yet she stood stock still beside the table as if reaching for the treats was too far beneath her to even try. Somehow I didn't think little kids were supposed to act that way.
Glancing to the table I saw Quatre watching me with a semi-frightened look. I smiled and waved as subtilely as I could manage. He leaned in to talk to the others at the table, waving his hand and motioning to me without ever removing his gaze from me. I got a crawling, eerie feeling as I saw that, but I forced myself to turn my attention to the situation at hand. Quatre and the others could do whatever they wanted so long as I didn't have to sit still for it.
I cleared my throat nervously and the little girl looked askance at me, as though I'd interrupted something important. "Are you ah… are you lost?"
"No." She replied in a detached, saddened sort of way. "Are you?"
"Nope." I responded, wondering where on earth she had picked that impish nature so young.
Out the corner of my eye I saw Quatre and Trowa rising quickly, Trowa's lengthy strides moving him faster toward me. Heero didn't move right away, still listening to the lawyer speak. With the way he was glaring so fiercely at the lawyer, something must have seriously caught his ear.
"Let's get you back to your mother," I suggested, hoping she would take the bait and show me her parents so I could reunite them and deal with whatever Quatre had decided. "Where is she?"
That was where things really started going downhill.
The little girl just burst into tears. For no reason. I froze, staring dumbly at her and panicking over what to do. I hadn't touched her, I hadn't said anything bad, I didn't DO anything to merit that sort of response! She was just standing there, wailing, and we were both starting to attract the attention of every single person still in the church's basement reception area. Which was about twenty people too many for my taste.
Thankfully Quatre latched onto my arm and saved me from being the center of attention just as Trowa crouched in front of the girl. I saw enough of them to watch him press a cookie into her hand, causing her to stop and look tearfully at him before Quatre turned me around to face him. I blinked, startled to see the angry look on his soft features.
"What do you think you're doing?" He hissed, glancing over my shoulder and then back to me, fixing me with a dead serious glare.
"I didn't do anything!" I protested, waving my hand for emphasis. "I just asked her where her mom was and she started howling like I'd tried to kill her!"
"Don't you know who that is?" He asked incredulously, as though I were the stupidest person he'd ever spoken to in his life. When I only stared blankly at him he gave me a frustrated sigh. "That's Mara."
He said it as though it held some sort of special meaning, as though I should very well know who the hell he was talking about. But I didn't. She could have been anyone. She looked like a lot of kids I had lived with growing up, resembled the nameless children I had seen during the war. I just stared dumbly at him, waiting for him to elaborate. Quatre was daft if he thought I would remember one kid of a family that was attending the funeral.
He sighed heavily. "Duo… That's Mara. Relena's daughter?"
I froze for a second before I relaxed enough to laugh. "Good one, Quatre!" I said, relieved that it hadn't been more serious than this. He looked so startled at my reaction that I had to chuckle again. "Come on, even you can come up with a better joke than that! Relena doesn't have a kid. The press would have had a field day!
He snorted and grabbed my arms as gently as anyone angry ever had, and spun me around to face away from him. My eyes fell on Trowa, who was speaking quietly to the little girl. To Mara.
"Look at her, Duo." Quatre said quietly from right beside my ear. "Look at her and tell me I'm wrong. It's definitely her kid."
My eyes widened as I stared at the girl, the resemblance starkly visible now that it had been pointed out to me. I don't know how I could have missed it- the dark blonde hair, the delicate face set in such a determined manner, the same build… even the way she held herself told of Relena. I felt really stupid for not seeing it earlier. There was no way I could deny… but if…
"Oh god…" I breathed, realizing what I had done. I had just asked a small child where her dead mother was. In the history of shitty things people have done, I think I'd just won a medal. "I didn't know…"
"She never told the public." He said quietly and a little confused, not moving from where he stood. "I thought she'd told you and Heero, though."
"Well she didn't. Why didn't she tell anyone?" I asked, eyes still trained on the child.
"She didn't want anyone to know, I guess." He took a calming breath and sighed. "Phil said she was planning on making a show of adopting Mara in a couple of months, as if she wasn't her real child. But then…" I felt him shrug against my shoulder. "She really didn't tell you?" His voice took on a distinctly nervous edge.
I digested that, wondering why Relena wouldn't want people to know she had a child. It seemed very un-Relena-like to do something of that manner. Though I suppose she would have been very young when she had Mara and that could have affected her political position… I shook my head, trying not to think too deeply right now.
"Where is the father, then?" I queried, curious as to why I'd never heard that Relena was dating anyone. Surely the press would have found out at least that much.
"Well, that's the thing…" Quatre said stiffly, shifting away from me.
I tensed instantly, dread settling in a knot in my stomach at the way he said those words. "What…" I said cautiously, not sure if it was a warning or a plea.
He made a slightly distressed noise in the back of his throat and shifted on his feet. "The thing is…" He started, hedging away from giving me a direct answer, "They weren't sure at first, but since she told us we already knew and-"
"Quatre." I demanded rather flatly, "Who is the father?" My stomach twisted and I felt like I was going to be ill. Somewhere in me I already knew the answer. Those deep, cobalt blue eyes, that body structure, the faint tan that had nothing to do with the sun… Oh yes, I knew who she belonged to but I didn't want to hear it.
"She's Heero's." He whispered.
Oh god…
/End Chapter One, Inheritance/
