Lali: Ah, the summer... we have arrived! I passed all my classes, am about to register to take Japanese, and to have a wonderful summer of cleaning house and moving. Alas, that is only a part of my summer. Must complete the re-edit of this and then to continue with the rest of the story!But, first I spent three weeks with Ryu! Twas Fascinating! I love hanging out with him and his two beautiful Akitas! Ryu would talk here, but he is sleeping... Next chapter maybe!
Chapter Four: Oops! I Did It Again.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Peacecraft Manor:
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Duo had set off to find Quatre at top speed, for he feared that Hilde would be calling him back in to help if he were in ear shot. Hopefully, Trowa would be able to handle her. She was just way too stressed out with all of the preparations, and that s third of the guests in their immediate circle had either not arrived, or had gone missing. They were all looking forward to tomorrow night's later parties, and he hoped that hers would calm her nerves. In all honestly, he had expected himself to be the one freaking out, not her. After all, who would have expected that he, Duo Maxwell, God of Death, would actually be tickled pink that he was getting married?
He laughed at himself and grinned.
It had to have happened sooner or later, so why prolong the inevitable?
With a content sigh, he returned to his search and decided that Quatre probably would have gone to the garage to head Noin off if he could, and so, he would begin his search for the blonde there.
Sure enough, he found Quatre sulking around the large garage with a sour look in his face. He had expected Quatre to brighten up at his arrival, but he ended up getting the exact opposite from the normally cheerful ex-Gundam pilot.
"Duo, go away, please don't bother me!" Quatre had practically yelled as he searched the garage for the missing woman.
Her scooter no longer in its parking space, but no one had seen her leave, not even the guards at the gate. This of course had to mean she was still there, somewhere, in the Manor. Where would she have stashed her bike, if not in the garage, then where? It was a mystery.
"I'm just here to help you Quatre!" Duo sighed with annoyance at the blonde's attitude, walking up beside the panicked man.
Quatre spun around so quickly, and with such an angry glare that Duo actually fell backwards, landing on his rear.
"I WANT TO FIND HER ON MY OWN!" Quatre snarled, turning on his heal, and bolting from the garage.
Duo sat there frozen, too shocked to move. Quatre had never snapped at him like that, not ever. He had heard the stories about how psycho Quatre had gone using the Zero system, but he had never expected to witness Quatre crack again, let alone without the help of a brain tweaking piloting system. He could only be glad that all mobile suits had either been destroyed, or stashed away in lockdown at the Preventor Headquarters.
Once Duo managed to come to his senses, he swiftly ran back into the house and into the dining room; for if anyone could make sense of Quatre's odd behavior, and handle the man, it would be Trowa, and Trowa alone.
He skidded into the dining room, out of breath. Hilde and Trowa looked up from their work and stared across the room at him, eyes wide at the expression on his face. He walked towards them, shaking his head in disbelief, and came up beside Trowa, throwing his hands on his shoulders, slightly shaking the silent man.
"Man, you need to deal with him. I can't… I just can't deal with him… no…" Duo whined, pacing in front of Trowa who just continued staring at him oddly. "I've seen some crazy shit as a pilot, but that? That was scary as hell." he grumbled, plopping down into the chair next to Hilde, where he happily went back to work on the 'favors'.
"You mean to tell me that I am once again stuck with you? Mr. I Eat All the Candy That's Not Supposed To Be Eaten By Me?" Hilde groaned glaring at Duo, displeased. "Trowa, please don't leave me! You have no idea how hard it is to keep him focused while doing this!" Hilde begged, but Trowa was already on his way out the door. "Duo! Now look what you did! I lost my crafty helper!" She groaned, resting her head in her hands.
Duo just sighed.
He'd rather make party favors than deal with a bipolar Quatre in a bad mood any day.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Preventor Headquarters: Gun Range
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
The crack of a gun greeted him as he entered the firing range. Relena was the only one present at such an odd hour, with no instructor in sight.
He frowned.
Of all people, Relena should not be unsupervised, and he was going to see to it that Noin demote the soldier that should have been watching over her.
He stood back in the shadows, silently watching her. Relena, of course, noticed nothing as she fired off another shot.
Her lack of self-preservation unnerved him. Had he been someone out to assassinate her at this very moment, there was no doubt that she would have already been dead.
One should always be on the lookout for enemies.
Another miss.
What kind of basics had she even been taught?
Then again, with no instructor in site, it was quite possible that she was determined to do this on her own. Another stupid move, she could easily drop the gun and put a bullet through her foot, or something more vital.
He sighed, and stepped forward out of the shadows starting towards her.
He hadn't intended to startle her, considering that she did have a loaded gun, but he did not succeed. He lightly touched her shoulder, the only way to get her attention while she still had the protective ear muffs on.
She jumped, but kept the gun raised at the target and not him.
If I had been here to hurt her, if I had been some psychopath, she would be dead by now.
"Heero." she murmured, giving him a weak smile as she turned to face him.
She pulled the muffs off with her free hand and placed them on the table in her stall.
He did not respond, and instead held his hand out in front of him.
Relena sighed and unquestioningly, she gave him the gun she had been using, and he clicked the safety on, tucking it into his back jean pocket.
"What do you think you are doing down here Relena?" He questioned, arms crossed against his chest.
Relena crumbled under his gaze.
"I was...I wanted to..." She stammered, looking into his deep blue eyes.
She could feel the criticism in his stare, and suddenly she felt bad for having come and stayed once everyone else had left.
"You shouldn't be down here by yourself," He said, voice the same monotone as it had always been. "This is no place for an untrained shooter."
Unexpectedly, Relena laughed, throwing him off guard.
He blinked at her in confusion.
"I thought this was where you were supposed to get better at it." She chuckled as he frowned.
She watched in amusement as his jaw muscles tightened, and his forehead creased as he thought of a way to respond.
Perhaps she should have fired a gun in his presence long ago, as he clearly didn't know what to do with her in regards to the situation at hand.
"Why would you want to get better, Relena? You're the pacifist Queen of a large nation." He answered bluntly, changing the subject, unwavering.
Perhaps she had been too soon on assuming that he was shocked speechless.
She frowned at him, clearly unamused by the question, and he couldn't help but honestly be curious about the answer. He hadn't needed to wait long though, as she sighed and leaned back against the table at her side.
"I need to know how to protect myself." She frowned. "You are all always protecting me from danger, and in turn getting yourself hurt. Someday, you might need me to know how to use more than just simple technology, Heero. If I'm there, and I can't stop something from happening to you, and you get killed because of me. I can't... No… I won't be able to live with myself. I can't have you die just because I need saving." She took in a deep breath and struggled to continue. "Heero, I need to be able to do this." She looked at him pleadingly, but he didn't falter.
He frowned, angry at the situation rather than Relena herself.
"Turn around," He answered her sharply.
For a second, she showed confusion in her eyes before turning back towards the distant target. Heero retrieved the gun from behind him, and using only one hand, he fired at the target. At the loud crack Relena jumped, and gasped, as she nearly fell backwards.
Relena chalked it up to living in the moment that she hadn't freaked out at the sound when firing at Lady Une, or when Duo had shot at Heero upon them meeting. Her ears were ringing and she looked up at Heero with questioning eyes.
Heero simply stared at her, and then looked out at the target, which he had hit directly in the heart.
Relena groaned and Heero could have sworn he heard a faint mumble of 'show off.'
"Why didn't you warn me? I'd have put the ear muffs back on." She huffed, rubbing her temples, trying to get the ringing to dissipate.
"In the case that you do need a gun, chances are, no one will be using silencers, and no one will have ear protection on hand. If you cannot get used to the level of noise, you have no business handling a loaded gun." Heero looked unfazed by his blunt words, but Relena slumped her shoulders in response.
He had a point, but that didn't mean he had to rub her weaknesses in…
Relena turned to step past Heero, believing that she could get nothing more done in his presence. However, she was stopped by him grabbing her arm, and she turned back to face him. He only turned her back towards the target. She turned her head to look at him questioningly, only to see him step directly behind her. Before she could question him however, he placed the gun back into her hands. She reluctantly raised it, positioning it in line with the target.
Heero gave a heavy sigh, and she swayed slightly on the spot. She began to adjust her positioning, only to have Heero's arms come up around her. Her breath hitched in her throat and she tensed at his touch.
His chest pressed against her back as he leaned forward to look over her shoulder. Both of his hands slowly enveloped her own.
Although he was clearly trying to assess her stance, Relena could not help her pulse from quickening at the sudden closeness between them.
His eyes narrowed.
Something is definitely not right.
With one leg, he slipped between Relena's, earning a squeak from the girl. She squirmed uncomfortably, and he swiftly kicked her shoes farther apart.
She seemed to relax somewhat afterwards.
"You need more balance. You have a small frame. When you fire, you get forced out of position, and your line of fire goes off course."
Holding her in his arms, Heero only then realized how small and fragile Relena truly was. He could feel her heart beating fast and the tension in her muscles.
He had to ignore it, after all, she was the one who wanted to learn to use a deadly weapon, no matter how illogical the notion was.
He shifted her hands ever so slightly, helping her take aim, and they trembled beneath his. He clicked off the safety, and rested his chin in the crook of her neck. He felt her breath hitch in her chest, but he did not release her.
"Fire." Heero commanded, speaking softly, but strongly into her ear.
She complied, hitting the target, but she flinched heavily at the sound of the gun, her body jerking in his arms. She had hit near no vitals, but had hit nearly the center of the figure, a large improvement.
"Satisfied for today?" he questioned, still holding her tightly in position, enveloped in his arms.
She hesitated for a moment, but slowly shook her head.
"No." She swallowed hard, and squeezed her eyes shut.
She knew that one look in his eyes would make her resolve crumble. He didn't approve of her actions and current choice of activity, and she knew it. One look, and she knew she'd follow him anywhere, even if he did simply wanedt her out of the building and back in the safety of her own home, where he may, or may not stick around.
Heero only sighed, and released his grip on her.
"What is the point of doing this right now? They're waiting for you back at the manor." his arms crossed back over his chest.
She gave a small smile.
"Why? Well, simply because this is the first time that we have had a decent conversation without you or someone else trying to kill me. I am quite glad that all of that is over with." She grinned, and like him, crossed her arms, only then feeling that she could meet his gaze.
After a moment she started to tense under his stare, until he spoke once more.
"Make no mistake Relena, I still fully intend on killing you, but until I decided when you are to die, it's my job to protect you. I won't let anyone else do it."
Heero expected panic to set in, or for her to perhaps turn away from him. But she did neither. Instead, she reached forward grabbing a hold of his shirt, and she pulled him slightly closer.
"If it is you Heero, I don't mind dying so much." She sighed contently, smiling warmly up at him.
His eyes widened briefly. The feeling of déjà vu washing over him, the scene before him very much like the time she had spoken the words 'I am on your side'. However, before he had much time to process this, the door to the gun hall slammed open, and a small group of younger generation soldiers came barreling through, slamming into Heero as they raced to the last few stalls at the far end.
Normally, he would have retaliated against them, for no other reason than them having just been a safety hazard, however, he found himself unable to do so, as the jolt he had received from behind had knocked him forward, and he had slammed his palms forward, catching himself on the glass walls of the stall. This action saved him the fall, but pinned Relena between himself and the side of the stall as he stumbled.
It was also at this time that one Heero Yuy found himself mouth to mouth with one wide eyed Relena Peacecraft.
As if there had not been enough firsts in that moment, between Relena, alone, in a gun range, and him loosing balance, Heero blushed, and rapidly pulled away from the shocked woman beneath him.
They stared at each other for a long, awkward, moment before he managed to break eye contact, and once he managed to do so, he stormed down the hall towards the soldiers.
Relena, face flushed, peered out around the corner, and watched as Heero began to curse them out.
There were mentions of there being deadly firearms, and how running could set things off, and how slamming into people could mean death for some un-expecting soldier who was following range safety protocol, were thrown out into the open, and she couldn't help but giggle.
Heero heard this, and he spun around, facing her direction once more, blush growing even deeper. He then returned his attention to the group of soldiers, who were clearly frightened of him, and proceeded to tell them that each and every one of them were being reported to one Lucrezia Noin, and that he would see to it that all of them were to repeat basic training.
It was at this moment that Relena bust out laughing.
Perhaps Heero was trying to kill her with happiness?
As if only now sinking in, she came to the realization that Heero Yuy, although accidentally, had kissed her!
With a content sigh, she started down the aisle towards the group of men, and latched onto Heero's arm, pulling him back towards the entrance. He did not fight against her grip. With things as they were, she was sure she would be unable to fire any longer, and might as well return home, if for nothing else, to save the teenagers from the wrath of one clearly embarrassed ex-Gundam Pilot.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Peace Manor
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Quatre had made his way through the inside of the complex, weaving in and out of each guest bedroom and banquet hall. He was quickly running out of options for places to search for Noin. Most rooms, other than having no dust coating them, had looked as though they had not been touched since construction had been completed. Still, no sign of Noin. His next step would be the gardens and then perhaps the maze. He was not look forward to that location.
Exhausted, he returned to his guest bedroom to rest for a moment and recollect his thoughts.
He shouldn't have shouted at Duo. He knew that the situation wasn't the in slightest bit Duo's fault, even if he had been the one to actually let Dorothy in the house. He would have to apologize to him later. The man had only wanted to help.
Quatre sighed, and opened the glass doors to the balcony, stepping out into the breeze. He leaned against the railing, scanning the property below that could be seen from his room's location. To his dismay, he still could not locate the raven haired woman.
"Are you even sure she is still in the vicinity?" Trowa asked, coming up behind Quatre slowly.
Quatre gave a sharp yelp, and jumped, nearly falling backwards over the railing. Trained reflexes at work, Trowa's arm shot out and latched onto the blonde's arm, pulling the man forward, and back out of harm's way.
After catching his breath, and bracing himself briefly, he glared up at the brunette, pale in the face.
"Trowa!" He snapped. "I wish you would not do that! You would think that after the last time you would have learned!" He whined, clutching his chest.
He took a few deep breaths, and shook his head frantically. Nearly dying of a surprise induced heart attack, and almost falling to his death at the same time had his heart racing.
"Is it necessary to bring that event up?" Trowa sighed. "You were in Wing Zero at the time and clearly not of your right mind. I didn't sneak up on you then either, you likely saw both Heero and myself coming from miles off. That whole mess was a series of unfortunate events. You simply need to calm down." He smiled weakly, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder and sighed. "She'll be fine."
Quatre groaned and shook his head sadly, then rested his forehead on Trowa's arm.
"You didn't see the look on her face Trowa." Quatre murmured, gazing up at the man. "I've never seen her look so hurt in all the time that I've known her, even after that man died. She needs me right now, I know it, I feel it… I need to find her!" He exclaimed, his second wind hitting him, and he pushed past the brunette, charging at the door back into the halls.
Trowa gave a heavy sigh, but followed close behind him.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Khushrenada Estate
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"For the last time, I-I had amnesia!" Treize protested.
He paced the length of the foyer, constantly casting glances to Une, pleading with his eyes for her to understand and forgive him. Every time he thought that he had calmed her down, and they had begun to talk once more, she would suddenly get angry about something else.
He was running out of explanations!
"I am supposed to believe that?" Une asked sternly, clearly disbelieving. "I went through an entire pregnancy alone. I spent most of it curled up in a ball. I've been trying to explain my... issues... to your daughter... Do you know how hard it was to explain to the little girl that she had a younger brother? That I was not only adopting her, but that you and I had truly been together? Even if it was for one night? Do have the slightest idea how hard it is to explain to a child that one of the reasons she never knew her father was because he had moved on, and…and shacked up with another woman, who of course never knew that said child existed? I-I don't know what to think anymore." Her voice cracked. "How can I even trust that this is even real, not a dream."
"Lady, please." Treize blocked the entrance to the doorway, grasping her hands in his. "I am real, and I am here. I promise that I am not going anywhere, ever again."
At this, she gave an unamused laugh and shook her head.
"If you had had amnesia, where have you been all this time? You have not said a word on that matter. Where the hell were you when Mariemaia rose to power? The entire galaxy knew who she was, she announced it! And yet, you still did not know that she was your daughter when you returned. Even if you had not known who you were, you would have at the very least known who she was, and known once you remembered. You have never even heard of her!"
Une seemed on the verge of tears, and Treize couldn't think of a way to sooth her worries.
And then... the doorbell rang.
Taking this as his cue to get away and think for a brief moment of time, Treize walked to the door and wrenched it open, clearly in an agitated manner. He knew she was not going to let it rest till he had told her the whole truth and he simply was not ready to go into that explanation.
Standing before him was an obviously very angry Zechs Merquise, who very quickly became a very shocked Zechs Merquise, who then began to morph into Zechs Merquise the goldfish, as he opened his mouth to speak, then stopped, then repeated himself several times before Treize interrupted him.
"This is not the time Zechs." he growled, and immediately slammed the door in the man's face.
Zechs paused, still gaping at the door. He took two steps away from the front stoop, then turned back towards the door.
"There is no logical explanation for this." He then went back up the step, and opened the door, entering the estate.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Peacecraft Manor: Ballroom
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Do you want me to take care him? I do have friends in some high places; we could rough him up a bit? Mess his pretty little face up; make it so no one wants the fu-" Luccedio asked his sister.
Noin sighed into the phone and shook her head.
Luccedio had always looked out for her when he could...and had always been a bit too harsh in his punishments towards people who had done her wrong.
"No." She answered, interrupting his rant.
That was the last thing she wanted for Zechs.
"Just… leave it be... I just want this to end quietly, let it go. I-I need to go..." She mumbled, quickly hanging up the phone before her brother could protest.
She continued to watch the outside world, lost in thought, from her dark alcove. The small room was one of five that served as a seating area for those who attended the gala events held at the manor. Across from these small rooms was a huge window that had glass French doors that lead out to the veranda and then to the gardens that littered the vast estate.
With the red curtain pulled partly closed, the darkness hid her perfectly, as Quatre and Trowa walked in to the ballroom. They failed to notice her.
"Quatre, I'm telling you, she isn't here." Trowa sighed, as Quatre let out a defeated squeak.
Noin, who had heard both men, spun around to face them.
"Quatre?"
Both men stiffened, hearing her faint whimper from behind them. Trowa and Quatre's heads whipped around to see a tear stained Noin standing just behind the curtain of the alcove.
"Ms. Noin!" the relief was plain to see in Quatre's face. He shot off towards her, leaving Trowa in the center of the room. He did not bother following the blonde, and instead, calmly, quietly, he left the room.
Quatre slipped into Noin's dark alcove and pulled her to his chest. He slid his hand through her hair and pulled her head into the crook of his neck. Noin began to sob, dripping tears onto his shirt..
"It's okay." He assured her. "Everything is going to be alright."
"How?" she sobbed.
"I'm here." Quatre smiled weakly, "I'll never hurt you."
She gave a half sob, half laugh, and moved to look him in the eyes.
"How could he do this to me?" she pulled away from him, averting her could tell that the blonde was very upset himself. he always had been the most sensitive of the group.
"I don't know..." The blonde answered honestly.
He held her hands, and guided her over to the small couch in the far corner of the alcove, where he promptly sat, and pulled her down with him, seating her next to him.
"I don't understand why he would do this either." Quatre wiped away the new tears that began to fall once more, and forced her look at him. "Ms. Noin, you deserve much more, so much more." he murmured.
She tried to look away from him once more, his eyes too transparent, showing his emotions, for her current state of mind.
"Look at me, please?" He pled, turning her chin to make her look at him once more. "I don't care if he wants you back, or even tries to apologize; he never should have done that you."
Noin nodded, tears still falling.
"He'll never change." Noin said looking down. "That's apparent."
"Ms. Noin, maybe it is time to move on." Quatre said firmly. "Maybe stay with someone for a while to clear your head."
"Quatre, I …. " She stopped, and finally gazed at him willingly. "I have nowhere to go... my family is already too large to have me come home, and being with them would do anything but help me. We're not that well off , the family home is small, and we all have conflicting personalities. Why do you think I've always been in the barracks, or more recently, living with Zechs and Relena?"
Quatre frowned poutedly, not quite ready to give up on raising her mood quite yet. He thought a moment and then it struck him.
"You can stay with me." he grinned. "Of course, I'm not suggesting this due to our previous…encounters… not at all. I sincerely want to help." He murmured.
Not expecting such a suggestion, Noin let out a soft gasp, and rapidly shook her head.
Sure... Quatre was well off... and he likely had all the room in the world to spare on his property on L4... but she could not take advantage of that!
"I wouldn't want to impose." She shook her head.
"I insist!" Quatre stood up quite suddenly, taking her with him. She turned to sit back down on the sofa when he grabbed her hand and spun her around to face him, smiling warmly.
"You can stay with me Miss Noin! You won't be imposing at all. It will be nice to have company to talk to who doesn't start and end the conversation with 'Master Quatre!'" he chuckled.
With a sigh, and a small, weak smile, Noin finally nodded in agreement, far too exhausted to argue with the insistent man any longer.
Content at having received his way, Quatre leaned forward to kiss her forehead affectionately but Noin was still somewhat taller than him, forcing him onto his toes. At the same moment, Noin happened to turn her head up slightly, in effort to see what the blonde was doing, and the two, by pure accident, shared their second true kiss.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Khushrenada Estate
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Lady Une had stormed off after Treize had told Zechs to leave, after shocking the man. Treize started up the stairs to the family room. He sat down in one of the reclining chairs, and had taken to staring at the intricate ceiling as he sighed in frustration.
There was no easy way to explain things to her...not at all.
It didn't surprise him in the least when Zechs re-entered the house, followed him up the stairs and plopped down in the chair across from him.
Treize managed a weak chuckle, and turned his attention from the ceiling to the blonde across from him.
"I thought that you were dead." Treize said, leaning his head on his hand, propped up on the arm of the chair.
Zechs stared at him for a long moment before managing a smirk.
"Likewise..." The man sighed, crossing his legs.
This could easily be a long story.
"And what happened to you? Where have you been? You had to be down one hell of a deep hole to have only resurfaced now. Hell froze over when a seven year old managed to take over the world...even if only a few hours. Those broadcasts were enough to bring even me out of the ground." He laughed, shaking his head.
"I heard that you showed yourself to Lady first... how did that go over?" He asked quietly.
Zechs smiled.
"Oh, she was rather surprised...if she hadn't been more shocked about Mariemaia, she might have been more alarmed when it came to me. She was in shock, but she kept her cool."
"I see." Treize sighed.
Zechs chuckled.
"Trouble in Paradise?" He raised an eyebrow.
"You have no idea." Treize groaned, heaving a great sigh.
Zechs nodded in understanding.
"I can't blame her, first your death, then the birth of your son, then Mariemaia...then me...now you...that is a lot to handle. She is, after all, only one woman. Imagine my own shock! Here I am, lying on the couch, having a calm quiet retirement... Dorothy having others wait on me hand and foot... and then, all channels are captured by the Barton Foundation, and your daughter gets on screen and declares war on the world... nearly choked on my drink. Dorothy had a fit when I said I was leaving. Had to damn near kill the woman to get out of the house. I'm only grateful that I had a mobile suit waiting for me once I left. That Howard's a great man." Zechs smiled.
"Lucky you." Treize raised an eyebrow, a small smile back on his face.
Zechs only sighed.
"Noin was on me almost immediately... after Une and I were done talking, she took me back through the building, letting me know where everything was, what we were going to do, how we were going to go about our counter attack. Noin had been in with some of the younger Preventor soldiers. She's always had a soft spot for students rather than grown men... she saw me walk in, and the next thing I knew, her clip board was half way across the room, and she had flung herself into my arms sobbing. Une then put us on the same squad, and Noin vowed to never leave my side again. Such devotion." he sighed again, staring at his feet. "And I ruined everything."
Treize tsked at him and smiled weakly.
"I think you are more in the dog house than me Milliardo...women do not take cheating lightly." He frowned at the puzzled looking man.
"Treize...I'm not even sure who I was cheating on...are you? I was with Noin...then I died...Dorothy found me, nursed me back to health... we kind of hooked up.. Speaking of hooking up… you hooked up with that nurse! Don't you dare think for one moment that I do not know who Mariemaia's mother was! You scoundrel! I at least knew Dorothy prior to our..uh...not sure what to really call that...but you get the idea!" He blushed, cause Treize to laugh.
"Milliardo, it was simply a bonding of two people with common interests, who quite simply, just wanted to have a good time. I was not romantically involved with Leia, we were merely good friends during my duration there. I never once spoke to her afterwards, otherwise I might have known that I had a child with the woman. On terms of you and Dorothy, you two were together for a far longer period of time. You might as well just say that you were indeed 'together'. Simple as that."
Zechs frowned at the man.
"It is not as simple as that. I left Dorothy to go see Une...but when Noin jumped me, I hadn't planned on it. We just sort of picked up where we left off, before my supposed death. So you see...I've really not the slightest clue as to what I should do. I never broke up with Noin per say, but I died, and had planned on staying dead. So my being with Dorothy in my new life was alright...but then going back to Noin… doesn't that make it so I was with Noin first, and then cheated with Dorothy? But if I count this as a 'new' life, then I really cheated on Dorothy with Noin... and Noin was really the cheat, so me with Dorothy was not? I'm so confounded..."
"You've not made me any less confused about the situation either Milliardo." The man laughed again.
Zechs was quiet for a moment before jumping back into conversation.
"Where were you anyway? We jumped off topic."
"In a place I never want to go back to again." Treize said shaking his head. "It was a nightmare."
"Where were you?" Zechs raised an brow at him, and a small smile slipped onto his face.
"Do you remember my older siblings, Seize and Mary Ann?" Treize asked.
Zechs paled and let out a groan.
"The crazy ones?"
"Yes." Treize stood up and started to walk around the room. "I'm not sure what happened between the time the suit blew up and the time I woke up, but when I did wake up it was about three or four months later after said event. I opened my eyes to find myself in dim light.. lantern light Milliardo. Mary Ann was sitting there, crocheting and speaking softly to me. The place had no electricity. Hell, that colony only has the minimum of resources, little electricity to keep the gravitation field, and "seasons" running. It's like an Amish colony!" Treize took in a deep breath to calm himself.
Shouting wasn't the slightest bit graceful.
"Anyway, she was sitting there, and the moment I opened my eyes she immediately called in my brother...
' Seize!' she had called. 'He's awake!'
My brother had come running in, and he was beaming.
'Marvelous! Treize, do you know where you are?'
"Of course, waking up like that after I had expected to be dead, I hadn't the slightest clue where or 'when' I was..."
'I don't think I want to know.' I had muttered.
'Don't be such a baby. You were found floating in the abyss of space, and we were very surprised to see that you had survived at all. We had seen you explode!' she had half sobbed.
"I wasn't even interested in knowing how they had managed to see that, I just wanted out of there. I knew that the only way to leave would be to escape. Those two are so... 'family orientated' they'd have never let me leave willingly. Seems as though my mother's insanity carried into them, and thankfully bypassed myself. Alas, after waking, I was recovered, but I had to be rehabilitated. Laying in a bed for months on end, not moving does terrible things to your muscular structure... took weeks for me to even be capable of walking... but, no matter... I discovered quickly that the Preventor group had stopped all satellite transmissions to that colony. I also had no clue who the Preventers group were at that time, until my sister told me."
Zechs followed Treize's story closely, taking in every word. The man's story was far more entertaining than thoughts of the two women in his life he was having difficulties with.
"'It was started by two women named Lucrezia Noin, and Lady Une. We are lucky to have phone transmission, which is the only thing that they have left us.' She sighed after that. 'They have nearly shut down all minor colonies with minimal residents. Most of those residents would leave, allowing them to fully power down the whole colony. Something about saving funds from unnecessary colonies, when they won't have to be in use for at least another twenty years. But in cases such as ours...where we are not permitted to leave, the power is minimal. But, Seize and I like it this way... it means that our relationship will never be frowned upon again.'
It goes downhill from there." Treize finished.
He then left his seat, stretching, as he continued to look towards Zechs, judging the man's reactions.
"How did you escape?"
Treize sighed, and nodded thoughtfully.
"I restored an old passenger ship. Took months. It was in bad shape. The residents of that colony are not allowed to leave, so it was never expected to run again. As they assumed that I could not leave, they never bothered watching where I went. After I managed to restore it, and I was almost positive it could make a short trip, I stole it and broke free of the colony. When I arrived at a neighboring functioning colony, I withdrew some money from one of my accounts, thankfully not closed after my assumed death... I suppose I have Une to thank for that, and I was able to get a ticket home. I only just got back into town. I came back as soon as possible. I was missing far longer than I had thought."
Zechs nodded.
"You had one hell of a rough time, especially compared to my 'death'. Une didn't cancel your accounts in case she needed extra emergency funds for the Preventors, her son, and then later Mariemaia. You're damn lucky you left a will, and in doing so left everything to her. That money would have been long gone with anyone else."
"Yes... I owe a lot to Lady...so very much."
"How did you manage a ship restoration on a colony with minimal resources?" The blonde asked, now trying to piece together the holes in the man's story.
"I of course had some assistance, but that is a story for another day. I unfortunately never once heard about the chaos Mariemaia caused, but I did have the pleasure of being told of Lady's condition. She visited the colony and met with my siblings on one occasion. I hadn't known she was there. They knew she was pregnant, and told me as such once she had finally left and they spoke to me next. They regretfully did not tell me that the child was mine, although I suspect that Une herself told them so during her visit. I knew it was possible, that the baby was mine. Our relationship started and ended rather abruptly, and out in space I was not expecting to lay with any woman, let alone Lady Une. But I knew that there was the possibility that she had moved on since my death. They could not tell me how far along she was during her visit."
Zechs frowned.
"That must have been rough. Dorothy was the one to tell me that Une was pregnant. Don't ask me how she found out though; she hardly left my side that entire year. I knew immediately that you must be the father, even if I never once saw a single indicator that you two were ever romantically involved. However, anyone who worked as closely with Lady Une as I would know that without a doubt, that baby was yours. I was actually happy for the woman. She had one last treasured memento from you, and the Khushrenada name would live on. Little did I know you already had a little girl out there."
Treize chuckled.
"Lady Une must have had a tragically rough time since my apparent death. Despite the things I have been told about the events since my demise, I will probably never truly be able to understand the struggles she undertook, and I can only hope that someday I can make it up to her."
"You are far too hard on yourself Treize. I'm sure you did everything in your power to get home in a timely manner. In time, Une will forgive you. After all, she loves you, far more than anything else in the universe, and always has."
Treize smiled.
"I know… I've always known."
Lady Une sunk to the floor outside the door.
She had been standing there the entire time, listening to everything.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Peacecraft Manor: Dining Room
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"And that is exactly why I am kicking you out and why I'm doing this on my own." Hilde growled, pushing Duo out of the dining room. "You've already eaten half of it! So, now I'm forced to go buy more. We are getting married on Saturday and we will need this!" Hilde huffed, slipping on her shoes at the front door and then her coat. "I'll be back, and I expect that those favors are still there when I return, or you are a dead man!"
He didn't argue with her, and watched her leave.
Ever since Quatre had snapped at him, Duo had been rather quiet. This had irked Hilde but she just let it go since Duo was still eating the favors.
He didn't bother eating anymore, as it would only anger her more, and he'd had enough anger thrown at him for the day. Instead, he turned and made his way up the stairs. Along the way, he ran into Trowa who was standing at one of the windows, simply just staring.
"Yo! What's up?" Duo asked, coming to stand next to him.
No answer, which was typical. The only person that could get him to talk was Quatre, unless it was one of the women, then he would politely make conversation. Perhaps Heero too, but he was rarely permitted to be around during one of their conversations...no fun.
"Hilde left to get more of those favor things. I don't understand why she didn't just have Relena help her. Relena offered to buy them and pay for the entire thing and everything, but Hilde just turned her down." he sighed leaning against the wall.
"Is this a cost thing, or the fact that you have to help." Trowa asked.
"Now you say something...I'm just saying, why not take her up on the offer?" Duo sighed and scratched his head. "Did Quatre find Noin?"
"Yes, and I left him to be alone with her. I suggest that you leave them be." Trowa answered. "She is a wreck."
"Where is Quatre now?" Duo asked.
"There." Trowa pointed out the window to a copse of trees, where Duo could just make out Quatre and Noin sitting there, just chatting. "He found her in the ballroom."
"Man, I wouldn't want to be Zechs right now." Duo shuddered. "I can only imagine what Noin will do to him."
"Or what Quatre will do to him." Trowa shook his head. "He's very upset. He only calmed down once he finally saw her."
"Do you think he...?" Duo didn't even get the entire sentence out before Trowa cracked a smile and looked at him.
"He's head over heels."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Peace Manor - Foyer
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
It was rather late at night when the doorbell rang.
Duo had been on his way back up to his room after a midnight snack run, hours after Hilde had returned home. He had gone to the door cautiously, hoping that Heero had finally arrived so he could take his place as best man. Then again, it was Heero, and he was probably already in the building.
Duo looked out the door window and saw an older couple and a man who looked suspiciously like Noin... without breasts.
He chuckled.
'This could be interesting.' Duo thought to himself.
He slowly opened the door but was immediately pushed aside by the woman, almost knocking him over.
"Where is my baby! My baby needs me!" The woman looked around exasperated.
Duo's eyes bulged.
Had he just let some nutcase into the manor?
'Damn... Relena's gonna kill me.'
"Lady, do you have any idea what time it is?" He grumbled, moving in front of her.
Of all times to be unarmed.
"Where is my Lucrezia! My Lucrezia!" The woman continued to cry, as she grabbed a hold of Duo's tank top, shaking the man slightly.
At this point, Quatre was making his way down the stairs to the kitchen to fetch some water for himself when he heard the commotion. He stood on the steps and watched as Duo handled the new comers.
"Look, I don't even know who you are talking about, let alone know who the heck you are. You don't just go barging into someone's house that isn't yours, screaming for your baby like a dingo's got it. This ain't Australia babe!" Duo snorted.
"Lucrezia, Lucrezia Noin!" The woman excitedly pulled on Duo's hand. "My daughter! My youngest!"
Quatre slowly turned around and ran back up the stairs and into his room. He opened the door and crept over to Noin's sleeping form in the middle of his bed.
He had offered it to her, and was taking the sofa in the sitting area.
"Ms. Noin?" he asked quietly.
No response, she didn't even twitch.
He sighed.
After all that she had been through, he couldn't blame her for being dead to the world.
He reluctantly tapped her lightly, and she jumped up.
"OH! Quatre, it's just you! What's wrong? Where's the fire?" She asked, looking alarmed.
He chuckled lightly and managed a weak smile.
"No fire...Your mother is downstairs." He answered. "She demands to see you."
Noin stood up very quickly.
She wore Quatre's pajama pants, which were closer to long capri's on her and one of his under shirts. She'd not wanted to chance going back to her- well... Zechs' room.
She raced out the door, Quatre on her heels, his robe off and in hand, in case she got cold. She sped down the stairs and stopped only once she reached the bottom.
"Mama!" Noin exclaimed, leaping off the last step to embrace her mother.
"Lucrezia! How dare he harm you!" The shorter woman said, squeezing her tightly. "Mia figlia bellissima."
"Mama." Noin laughed. "I'm alright, honest... And after Duo and Hilde's wedding, I'll be staying with Quatre, so don't worry. I'm already pushing Zechs out of my mind and heart."
"Quatre? Who is this Quatre?" the older woman demanded, looking around in confusion. "Not this braided fool, I hope?"
"Now look here Ma'am-" Duo started, only to be cut off by Noin's laughter.
"Don't worry about him Mom. His name is Duo, and he is harmless." Noin smiled.
Her mother didn't look confident of this.
She looked to Quatre and motioned for him to finish coming down the stairs.
"Mama, this is Quatre Raberba Winner, he has offered a room in his home for me until I can figure out what to do with myself." She smiled at him weakly.
"Are you crazy!" The older woman nearly screamed, catching them all off guard.
Noin's eyes bulged, and she took a step back.
"Mother, there are people sleeping." Luccedio murmured, attempting to calm the woman.
"Laura, this is not the time to shout, be reasonable and calm down, she is a grown woman!" the older Noin, the man, whispered.
"Anthony, don't you dare! Lucrezia, you will come home!"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Khushrenada Estate
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"You have to tell her the truth." Zechs said shaking his head sadly. "I'm sure that's best now."
"What do you mean?" Treize questioned.
Zechs sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose.
"I told Noin that I was taken in by some random colony drifters, when I was truly taken in by Dorothy. I should have told her the truth from the start."
"Tell who the truth?" Treize questioned, leaning forward and placing his chin on his knuckles.
Hadn't they been talking about him and Une?
"Noin." He answered. "Then maybe she would understand what had happened."
Of course... they'd gone completely off tangent.
Treize sighed.
"What did you do?" Treize paused a moment and then looked Zechs in the eye. "How did she find out?"
"I slept with Dorothy, and Noin walked in on us." Zechs sighed, rather annoyed.
"Hell hath no wrath than a woman scorned." Treize said looking at him. "She will never forgive you." Treize tsked, crossing his legs the other direction.
"Une forgave you for being with Leia."
"First of all, that was eight years ago. Second, Lady Une was not in the picture during that brief encounter. She wasn't in my life until she was about seventeen. As it stands, she will never forgive me for the recent situation." He sat back in his seat and shook his head. "But I wasn't cheating on her."
"But I need Noin to forgive me! I never should have."
"Who else would have taken care of you?" Treize asked. "Dorothy has been after you since we were kids. If she hadn't gone out to find you, dead or alive, you could have very well died just like everyone thought you had. Epyon would have only held oxygen for so long, and in the suit's condition, it would have only been a matter of time before the walls caved and the sea rushed in."
"I was about thirteen when I met her. I hardly believe I was a child." Zechs answered. "And I was fully prepared for death when Epyon crashed into the sea... ask Yuy if you must, he was the last man I spoke with."
"You had two women vying for your heart, Zechs. One of them Lucrezia, the other Dorothy. You chose Noin, but you also chose to cheat on her during the time the two of you were together, and then you went with Dorothy. Who do you love more?"
"Noin, of course." Zechs scoffed.
"Then, I believe friend, it is time to let her go."
"Pardon?" Zechs did a double take. "How does that make sense?" Zechs looked perplexed for a moment.
"If you love her, then let her go. You have a hard time staying faithful to her, why prolong her pain?" Treize shook his head. "I also don't believe that she could ever fully forgive you after this."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-