Pre-note: Sorry for the late-ish this has been sitting on my computer for a month as well as it being the second draft…not much made it from the first because I like how I wrote this a lot better.

Thank you for reading and please R & R!

Darlian Dairies

Chapter 3: Teardrops of a Soul

The morning light came peeking into the main room a little too early. Relena winced as the beams of light hit her. "Too early…" She mumbled softly and turned away while burrowing her face into the nearest pillow. The fever that had gripped her before broke sometime in the night. It left her body feeling heavy and achy but freed from the haze caused by it.

Sleep however wouldn't visit her again. Groaning softly Relena pushed herself up conveying the prefect picture of imperfection. Golden hair tangled and tossed sat on her shoulders, her cheeks still stained with tears, and her eyes crusted over in the remnants of her deep sleep. Rubbing her eyes Relena winced as the crust pulled at her skin before coiling in disgust as she felt the drool on her cheek.

She had the strangest dream however. The princess was visited by her dark dreamy hero after breaking down into tears. Relena wasn't one to cry but it seems that only one person brings that out in her. He had been there for every teardrop since the day she had met him. The politician wondered if he liked catching them as they fell… It wouldn't be the strangest fettish she could think of.

Reaching a graceful hand to her forehead Relena felt where the dream-hero had kissed her. It was silly…as it was stupid but the man of her dreams was something out of a romance novel. He was tall, with dark hair, beautiful kind blue eyes, soft lips that were always in a smile or a smirk, and a deep gravelly voice that made her go weak in the knees. He was her source of strength in her dreams and helped her find the right path to go. In reality he was way too close to being like Heero but it wasn't something she cared to recognized or acknowledge in the least.

"If only the media could see me now." The former princess laughed at her own state. She hadn't looked this bad waking up in years. Finding herself alert she slowly stood stretching out her sore limbs. The false sun was now shining through the window signaling the start of a new day, and the first day of her holiday. "I wonder if Quatre is awake…."

The young woman walked over to the glass door to stare out at the scene before her. The artificial sky had picture prefect clouds drifting in the air. They moved in a perfectly timed algorithm set up in the heart of the colony. The wind that blew through the sky, the movement of light, and even the tempura was all controlled by the heart. This never seemed to fail to amaze her. How prefect this world was. Felt like rain today? That was easy enough. How about a windy one? Or a prefect cloudless day. Just hit a few buttons and done. It was never too hot, or too cold.

It was prefect.

Relena sighed pressing her forehead to the glass, letting the cool surface seep through her skin.

It was heartless.

She couldn't blame those of the colonies in being jealous of Earth, and people of Earth thinking they had an easy life up here in their prefect controlled cage. It was a cage that kept them alive, it wasn't easy but it was comfortable and what they knew.

And something they would protect because of that.

Exhaling and watching it fog the glass Relena opened the door and stepped out into the crisp morning air. Bear foot she walked on the stone tiles that lead to a patio garden. Plants of all kinds surrounded her in a man-made tropical forest. Offhand the vice-minister could name a few but most of them were far too alien. Quatre had quite expensive tastes.

A smile spread across her lips as she found him. The path had led to a small gazebo located in the center of the tropical plants. He sat cross legged a tablet in his hands as he skimmed the newest reports. In his other hand, the blonde had a cup of tea steaming in the chilled air.

"Mornin'" Relena called out softly to him, moving to take the vacant chair.

"I see you rise with the sun Miss Relena." Quatre returned the smile setting the cup down. " I would have moved you to a bed but…you are quite stubborn in your sleep. Do you know, you have a very vicious kick?"

A bright pink spread across her cheeks, "What do you mean…?" Did she kick him in passing?

"Well, after you had fallen asleep I went to do some work. It seemed like you had a fever and I thought it best to move you to a bed however…when I tried to pick you up, you kicked me in the shins….muttering something like 'you foul bastard how dare you!' then went to back hand me. Luckily I was able to dodge but I decided to let you sleep on the floor." The blonde CEO couldn't help but smirk at her embarrassment! He was laughing at her!

Relena turned a brighter shade of pink, "…I…I really don't know what to say. I don't sleep with many people in the room so I have no idea what I do in my sleep….." It was a muttered response as she went for a cup of the tea.

"No lovers?" A lone blonde eyebrow quirked upward.

And then Relena Darlian Peacecraft choked and died on a simple cup of English breakfast tea.

"QUATRE!" She coughed as he laughed at her. "W-where did that come from! " It took a few moments for her breath to return as she gawked at the man across from her.

"It was an honest question, Miss Relena. We are well in our twenties." His tone was serious but the playful gleam in his eyes should have been her clue.

He was messing with her.

"As a matter of fact, I have one!" She retorted just for the sake of it. " He is the most amazing man ever, and…and He is tall! And good looking!" Relena rambled off random qualities trying to make this lover sound amazing.

"Now, now Miss Relena, I don't think your personal shadow would approve much of him." He watched her groan and lean back in the chair.

"Fine! Alright, I have no lovers. Happy?" Relena glared at him trying to will a quick death on the CEO. "Why is the question of my love life coming up so early in the morning?"

"I was just curious; the media seems to think you have a secret lover, one you are currently visiting right now." Quatre took a sip of his tea. "I had to make sure no jealous man is going to show up in my lobby demanding that I return you is all." To be honest, that happened the night before, Quatre thought to himself.

Relena just groaned and put her forehead down onto the table. "No…I mean there was Max…but it never went –that- far….Actually I broke up with him two months ago." Right when Heero returned, she mentally noted.

"…Max?"

"Yes… he was a friend from high school. He…well had a crush on me and asked me out for dinner a few times for 'old times'. It was interesting…I mean being out on a date with a normal guy for a change. " Relena eyed up at the blonde, " I told Commander Une not to let anyone know…but it never went far. " A sloppy kiss, heated words, and a door slammed in his face.

There was a small pause before Quatre dug a little bit deeper. "Why not? By all accounts it sounds something like you wanted."

"That's just it….I thought I wanted someone like him. Normal, simple….good looking. But…"

"He was too boring." Quatre smiled knowingly.

"Right….I think I'm messed up Quatre. I mean I got a few screws loose." Another sigh escaped her lips as those blue eyes closed again.

"You aren't…well maybe just a bit. I heard about some of your earlier actions before our paths crossed. It just means you can't be with anyone who can't match you. Relena…you move like the right of us pilots. The pace of normal life, whatever normal is, isn't your pace. Compared to this Max you move like a bullet." He winced at his own analogy but it was true.

The former princess mused over this before opening her eyes. "Quatre….Will you let me try something?" Slowly she opened her eyes to stare up at him again.

Curiosity may have been what propelled him to say yes, but Relena would never quite be sure. At the nod of his head, Relena stood and made her way to him. Gently she brushed his cheek with her hand, pushing back a few stray golden blonde hairs behind his ears. Her knee bent forward finding a place between the legs of the CEO as she leaned down bracing her other hand against the back of his chair. Before the courage left her, or she found her sanity, Relena leaned down to press her lips against Quatre's. The kiss itself was soft and innocent. She felt his hands reach for her, holding her at a close but safe distance from his person.

For a moment the kiss deepened. It was nothing like fire-works, or the stuff romance novels are made of. It, however, was filled with hope. Hope for maybe a chance and a dream of something both of them wanted.

Yet, even as she pulled back slowly she knew then neither of them could give the other what they had hoped for. The kiss was just that, a simple kiss. It held no meaning, no purpose. It was just filled with emotions from two lonely hearts.

"Guess that answers that." The statement was soft as she pressed her forehead to his.

"Did you find your answer?" In a calm moment his eyes met hers. There was no heat, but still the glaze held a gentle kindness.

Why couldn't this work? Relena scolded her fate. Why couldn't she be pulled into Quatre's orbit instead of Heero's?

"Yeah…so who are you pining after…you know mine. It is only fair." She felt his grip tighten on her waist before relaxing a moment later.

"Miss Relena…." There was caution in his voice.

"I…well this couldn't very well work, no matter how hard we tried…"

"We will always want what we can't have." He finished for her.

"Yup." Another sigh escaped her lips before sitting back and stepping away from him. "So…who is she?"

It was then Relena noticed something strange, he looked away from her as if ashamed.

"….it's not Dorothy is it…?" Oh God, please if you are real don't let it be her, Relena prayed.

"No, though that's not a bad cover…" He mumbled softly.

Cover?

Relena stared at him, her eyes going wide for a moment. "…Quatre….?"

His smile turned knowing as he stared back at her, "Yes Miss Relena?"

The gears in her head were turning, "it's not a 'her' is it…?"

The look in his eyes said it all. "o-oh…I'm sorry! I didn't know I mean..I wouldn't have if-" His hand stopped her rambling.

"It's ok Miss Relena…I was thinking of trying that myself. You see I had come up with this fantastic plan of using this as a fake relationship. I…well I need to fend off my sisters who think it's time I settle down and start a family. I could always make an heir but…I rather not at the moment. I am not my father, I do not want as many children, so many that they won't recognize each other." He turned to look off to the side. "I just want a quiet life with a family I love. My sisters however think I need a few wives, start being the man of the family, and live like my father." He sighed.

"But you want a husband…" She said softly watching that playful smile spread on his face.

"You could say that. I love him….more than anyone. I love him with all of my soul. It is just…he doesn't know. I feel like you are in the same boat." He turned to look at her.

Relena slowly nodded understanding his point now. "…who is it? Do I know him?"

A sorrowful chuckle passed through his lips, "Yes…you know him fairly well I think…I just don't think he would approve of me in that way though."

"Why not! I mean..is he straight…" Relena pulled her chair close to her friend.

"I …I really don't know. He lives with his sister but I've never seen him with a woman that wasn't you…or his sister actually." Quatre mused softly.

"…me?"

"He is a Preventer part time."

"Hair that looks like it could poke out an eye?" Relena moved her hands in front of her making invisible hair extensions.

That earned her an honest laugh, "yes just like that."

A few moments of silence passed between them, "So…you don't know…but you still love him…have you tried with others…? To see and make sure?"

Relena while very P.C. about her life, always had an inkling feeling about the blonde in front of her. Yet, he never seemed too concerned with expressing any interest in the same or opposite sex. The other pilot however outsmarted her radar.

"I'm sure Miss Relena, your kiss was proof enough. If I didn't want to ravish you, I am pretty sure my heart is with another."

A deeper blush settled on her cheeks, " Don't make it sound like a scandal in waiting."

The two stared at each other for a moment before a bubbling laughter broke out between them. It was silly and ridiculous but after everything that happened it made their time together comfortable.

"You should go ready yourself for the day; we are taking a small trip to a traveling circus today." The blonde smiles leaning back in his chair.

"Ooooh, thank you for being a thoughtful host." Relena rolled her eyes, "But if you sneak off…I won't go looking for you." An eye roll and giggles later the two walked inside the top floor penthouse to get ready for the day.

OoooOooo

Near a Colony not too far away….

Heero and Duo were having a hard time with the mission.

Actually Heero was having a hard time trying not to kill Duo.

The two former pilots sat in the cockpit seats of the shuttle and Duo had thought this was the perfect time to question Heero about his personal affairs.

"Come on buddy! You two have been together since you were like 15, I mean you were trying to kill her when I was the hero who got yelled at, but seriously. Hellooooo are you even listening? Relena isn't going to wa-"

Duo paused when the death glare found its way directly at him.

"I will not talk to you about my personal affairs. Or take advice from someone who gets kicked out of his own house on a monthly basis." Heero gritted his teeth a moment and rubbed his face.

It wasn't like he was worried about leaving Relena with Quatre.

Nothing would happen between the two…but something akin to jealous was sinking into his heart. He could follow her where he couldn't…in a world he fought for he had no place for the one he wanted…

He wanted what?

To be with her?

To love her?

He had once asked her to let him go to fight, to finish the final count of a waltz that Trieze had designed.

She was starting a new one, and he couldn't keep from tripping over his own feet.

"Earth to Heerooooo come on man!" Duo groaned and snapped him from his thoughts. "look that was pretty harsh but you are too up in your head. What happened with just following your emotions? You know that garbage you told Trowa and Quatre? Really for an emotion type of guy you don't seem to express a lot of them."

The dark hair man just gritted his teeth again as he docked the shuttle. "We have a job to do Duo. Stop getting distracted and wasting oxygen."

"Stop worrying about your shortfalls man." The braided team-mate countered ignoring it. " She loves you. Why she loves you I got no idea….."

The two stared off silently as they went to suit up. There was an eerie calm about this abandon satellite location that was supposed to house the terrorist.

The infiltration was a cake walk for the death master as they moved through the enemy's hallways. After combing through everything they found the computer room completely trashed and stripped to the bone.

"Think they were coming buddy?" Duo looked over at Heero before picking up a piece of sheet metal.

"Yeah…lets see if they left us a message." The hacker moved to hook up his personal computer to the system shifting through everything that the terrorist may have been left behind.

Duo continued his physical search as his partner took care of the digital. It wasn't until he heard some colorful cursing did the pilot turn to the hacker. "Heero?"

"We need to leave. Now." Before anything else could be said 01 was out the door like one of his bullets. Duo blinked and went to pick up- what he guessed Heero left for him to grab – computer and frozen.

On the screen was a man who looked eerily like Heero. The same hair, face, but that was where the similarities ended. The man on the screen had something evil about him. His glaze was harsh and critical. The way his lips curled up into a smirk even gave Duo a shiver down his spin. This man was as dangerous as his friend…and at the same time wasn't his friend at all.

Laptop in hand he went running for the prepped shuttle and as soon as the door was shut they were off.

-

Ending notes:

Well I was thinking of writing more and then I decided not to. Only because It is at nine pages and I think that's good for a chapter.

I wanted to play on a 'what if' between Relena and Quatre but they both know it would never work out…..and they'll just end up lonely together.

I do have the plot pretty much laid out from here though! Only two chapters left, maybe three if they get a little long.