Identity Lost
A/N: I'd like to dedicate this chapter to lay hime who informed me that someone has been taking parts of my last fic entitled Perfect Assassin and was using it as their own. That is a writer's worst nightmare… or any artist for that matter, be it music, art, or literature. I hope writers would not stoop so low and take pieces of my, or anyone else's work, without my, or their, permission. Please, just ask me! I'm more than likely to say yes. OK enough angst from my corner, ENJOY this chapter!
Also, thanks are given to Purdy for helping me with this chapter. I had so many problems for some reason but hopefully everything makes logical sense haha…. Purdy you're the best!
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Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters, I do not own.
Twelve – This is not happening
The pain of knowing you can't have what you want is the most piercing of all human emotions.
The office looked bleak with all the curtains drawn despite the brightness of the hour. Zechs sat behind his solid oak table as master of his domain while Pagan stood rooted to the floor.
Pagan had spent half an hour telling Zechs what he discovered about Mima. Thankfully, Zechs was extremely patient with Pagan's storytelling about Mima's scar on her arm that strikingly resembled Relena's.
"What are you saying, that the woman Heero found is not Relena?" Zechs questioned, with arms folded comfortably across his chest.
He responded with a question of his own. "Haven't you found her behaviour slightly strange?"
Zechs remained silent.
"I'm sure you have! She sleeps in and talks down to the staff." Pagan began and couldn't stop the words from coming. "She's constantly in a vile temper and is impatient. Relena had never been that way and no matter what sort of life she'd been living, I doubt anything could change the kind temperament that she has."
Zechs almost laughed out loud at the absurdity of the situation but he couldn't deny Pagan's observations. "You need to remember it has been a while since we've seen Relena. Young girls grow up. Let's just wait and see what the blood test tells us."
Pagan simply couldn't let the matter drop. "May I ask, sir, what compelled you to believe what she said was true? What sort of proof did she have that made you all think she could be Relena?" He asked.
Zechs sighed softly and replied, "A necklace."
"A necklace?"
"Yes, the one Heero gave her. The one he claims is the only one of its kind and she had it on her person when Heero found her, a dove necklace." Zechs Merquise said. "You see, it was Heero who found her. She didn't come to us."
"Milliardo, please understand. I know Relena better than anyone and..."
"Yes, I know." He said tiredly and repeated. "Let's wait and see what the blood test tells us."
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It was Saturday and they snuggled contentedly next to each other on Duo's couch for their bi-weekly movie night. A massive bowl of highly buttered, artery clogging popcorn sat by a lamp on the left side mahogany table. The sitting room was furnished with a few couches facing a recent big-screen television that was purchased a month ago. Some scented candles were strewn around the room, offering the perfect romantic mood lighting for them.
Although the DVD was well under way and a random movie had been playing for more than half an hour, they were strangely silent. Normally they would be chatting and making fun of whatever goofs that the directors didn't catch when making the film such as factual errors or scenes that didn't quite flow smoothly from one to the next. However, it seemed that both parties had something heavy weighing on their minds.
Finally Duo couldn't stand the silence anymore and said, "What's wrong? You haven't said anything in the last 40 minutes and 27 seconds."
"You were counting the minutes?" Hilde asked, though it wasn't the strangest thing he had ever done. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just concerned about Mima."
He was surprised that Mima was brought up. Although the two women were fairly good friends, he didn't know how close they were.
"Why? Did something come up?"
Hilde reached for a handful of popcorn and readjusted herself next to him to get comfortable. "Well, I haven't talked to her after a rather emotional conversation that we had and she hasn't been going to work and…"
Duo suddenly perked up from what Hilde just disclosed. So Mima hadn't been going to work while she stayed with Relena. He still couldn't get over the fact that Mima and Relena knew each other. It was so coincidental that it was beyond comprehension, like something that could be seen in the movies. Duo wasn't sure whether he should reveal what he knew about where Mima was located but decided to be subtle. "That hardly seems unusual. Perhaps she took some time off."
"Mima and time off don't mix." Hilde exclaimed confidently. "It must be something else."
He knew that Hilde wouldn't drop the issue. She was as stubborn as they came and he reluctantly said, "Well, maybe she's staying with, uh… a friend."
"How did you come with this information, Duo?"
He didn't answer.
"Duo! What do you mean she's staying with a friend? Who? She doesn't have that many close friends." Hilde sounded exasperated. She turned to have a good look at Duo and asked, "Are you hiding something from me? Do you know what's going on?"
"I'm not hiding anything." He attempted in a serious tone.
She raised an eyebrow in question. The movie was now completely forgotten.
"I know you better than you know yourself. You've been so quiet… not a word out of you about work. You haven't even brought up the topic about the Relena rumors and I know you, Duo Maxwell. You would have jumped all over that bit of news like a shark to fresh meat."
Duo suddenly felt guilty and he cursed the female population for possessing their powers of persuasion. He decided to let her in on Relena's return since the blood test would soon reveal everything to the public anyhow. He hoped that from the sudden shift in topic, she would forget to ask which friend she was staying with exactly.
"Relena is back. Heero found her weeks ago and we've been trying to keeping it from hitting the newsstands until we have confirmation." He explained quietly.
She almost felt an out-of-body experience. "She… you mean… Relena's…she's really back?" It was beyond shock and there were no words to describe what she was feeling. "I can't believe it…" Duo noticed that she was shaken by the news and he didn't blame her. They were all emotionally tied to Relena and her disappearance in some shape or form. Hilde was clever enough to realize that even if Duo wanted to tell her, the information could not have been leaked and she respected him for his perseverance even at the expense of an unhappy girlfriend.
She thought it was funny how he used the word confirmation as a euphemism for them wanting to cover their asses in case it wasn't Relena. But still… they had finally found her after all these years! The shock in her wide eyes immediately turned into unbridled joy.
"That's great news, Duo!" She said enthusiastically. "Can I see her? I can't imagine how much she's changed in ten years until I see for myself."
"She's suffering from amnesia. Relena doesn't remember anyone."
Hilde noticed that he looked pained when he just revealed the real shocking news for the evening. "Not even Heero?"
"Not even Heero." He confirmed. "Is that all that was upsetting you? I didn't mean to keep it from you but…"
"No need to explain. There is something else bothering me and from what you've told me about Relena that makes me even more concerned." Hilde said, frowning slightly.
"What is it?" Duo finally asked when she didn't elaborate.
"It's Mima."
"What about Mima? Hilde, you gotta stop making me guess after every sentence."
"I haven't heard from her in a while and," Hilde really didn't want to betray a confidence but she needed to find some way to help Mima come to terms with the situation and forget a certain Perfect Soldier. "I believe she's in love with Heero." That was all that needed to be said for Duo to piece together what Hilde was tactfully saying to him.
"I never realized Mima and Heero became so close." Duo admitted.
Regardless, he understood perfectly. If Mima were in love with Heero, that would cause complications with Relena's sudden reappearance into his life. There wasn't a question in his mind with whom Heero would ultimately stay with, Relena Darlian. If Mima did have strong feelings for his friend and refused to let him go then he would have to take appropriate action. What really concerned him was that Mima was staying with Relena right now and that didn't make any sense to him. Why on earth would Relena claim that Mima was her sister unless Mima tricked her into some devious plot?
"Do you think Mima will cause any trouble for Relena and Heero?"
"Mima is not like that." Hilde said in her friend's defense but bit her lower lip, uncertain whether she should give voice to her opinion. It almost felt blasphemous to her for asking the next question but she needed to share her thoughts with him. "Why do you refuse the possibility that Heero may choose Mima?" Hilde protested albeit an uneasy guilty feeling that was growing in her stomach for betraying an old friend for a new one.
He scoffed and replied, "You must be joking."
"People can change in ten years, Duo. Things happen." She retorted.
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The results were in. Independent serologists were sent to verify the blood sample in order to ensure the validity and authenticity of the results. She was indeed Relena Darlian. All the concerned members were gathered in the sitting room as Zechs read from the blood test report, no doubt about it, B negative just like him and their father. From the looks of the DNA mapping, every sequence of the DNA strands matched his albeit some slight variances that was normal when comparing the blood of first relatives. They even cross-referenced the sample with that of Relena's blood that was taken all those years ago before she went missing. It was a match.
"Relena…" Zechs whispered with such emotion that the former Gundam pilots have never witnessed. "Welcome home." He said next to Jezzie's ear as he tightly embraced her.
Jezzie couldn't believe she managed to pull it off. They all thought she was Relena! At first there weren't any problems talking Mima into taking the blasted blood test from a discreet medicentre. She already made arrangements with a nurse on duty that she would switch the viles once Mima's blood was taken. Jezzie didn't care whose blood replaced Mima's since it would never be used for anything. In fact, the medicentre may eventually throw the specimen out since they wouldn't remember what was to be done with it. Then she would come alone at a later date to collect Mima's blood sample. Although Mima assumed that they would undergo tests with her blood, the inside nurse would only keep the blood in the fridge until Jezzie came to pick it up. The switch never came cheap, of course but she thought it was well worth the investment. Apparently, one could achieve anything for the right price in their apathetic world.
The next step, however, wasn't so simple. When doctors from Preventers, led by Sally Po, came to take her blood, the trick was replacing her own blood with that of Mima's before any formal tests were to be done. Fortunately, the unethical nurse Jezzie encountered knew all about blood tests. She was coached to make the switch once her blood was immediately taken. That way, when the serologists eventually began performing the tests on the blood sample, it would already be Relena's actual blood going through the elaborate process.
So the switch was successfully made the minute they extracted her blood and placed it in a test tube. Feigning innocence and curiosity, Jezzie asked Sally Po if she could take a look at it. Dr. Po naturally obliged since she didn't see the harm in that. The second their backs were turned she made the switch with ease. And the rest, as they say, was history. Jezzie still had chills when she thought of her cunning tactics.
"At least I'm glad I know where I belong. If only I could remember…" Jezzie stated sweetly.
"Just take it a day at a time, Lena." Duo suggested smiling. "I'm sure Heero wouldn't mind helping you in that department." The former Gundam pilots, Zechs, and Jezzie all turned to the man in question.
He had been sitting unusually still even for him. The only thing that mattered to him was that she was finally found after all these years. Relena… Relena… Relena… Mima. Despite the exultant relief he felt for Relena's return, he still thought of her. He remembered their awkward first meeting and then the growth of their friendship over the last few weeks. Somehow, he couldn't stop thinking about Mima. But what he felt for her didn't matter. Relena was what mattered.
"Heero?" Quatre's voice interrupted his thoughts. "You alright?"
"Uh… hmph. I need some air. Relena, care to join me?" He didn't give her a chance to reply and pulled her to her feet and led them out of the room as Pagan just walked in with a tray of refreshments.
"Where are they headed?" Pagan asked when Heero and Jezzie were out of sight.
"They're getting reacquainted now that we know for a fact that she is Relena." Duo replied as he poured himself some tea.
"What? No!" Pagan stated, shocked. He thought he must have be trapped in a dream. He recalled telling Zechs the truth but it was still not enough.
"I know! It's pretty hard to believe…" Quatre exclaimed.
"No, what I meant was you're wrong. She's not Relena!" Pagan attempted to explain calmly although he couldn't compose his thoughts properly. Nothing made any sense to him.
"Nonsense, old man. The blood test cannot be wrong." Wufei interjected. "I had my doubts initially but she's the one."
"You don't understand." He pleaded earnestly. "None of you understand. Milliardo, please. Remember what I told you…"
"Pagan, the blood test confirms that she is Relena. They're 100 percent accurate." Zechs explained slowly as if he were speaking to a four-year old.
"But…"
"Enough! What's important is that we have Relena back. Nothing else matters." He commented authoritatively, which no one dared to object.
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Mima was lying on the freshly mowed lawn in the garden, eyes closed. Her thoughts kept revolving around a certain individual. It seemed forever since she last saw Heero. She mentally kicked herself for thinking about him yet again. Whenever Heero turned up in her thoughts, Relena wasn't far behind. At least she could be glad that Jezzie was not Relena but it didn't stop Heero from spending time with her. How could she prove to him that Jezzie was not Relena?
Then she heard faint sounds of footsteps coming closer. She sat up halfway with her elbows supporting her weight. It was a man and a woman. Apparently they stopped moving but she could still hear their voices in a low and hushed tone. Mima was about to get up to make her presence known but froze immediately when she noticed who were there. A thick row of bushes sat between her and the other party but she was able to see through a few empty patches of air where the leaves didn't grow. They didn't see her but she could see them perfectly, Heero and Jezzie. Mima got up from her laid back position and continued watching them, as she stayed low to the ground.
Mima's heart started to beat faster. She felt awful for spying but she couldn't force her legs to get up from her crouched position and walk away.
Heero and Jezzie were standing far too close. They were looking into each other's eyes and she heard Heero say, "So the blood tests came back."
Jezzie whispered, "yes."
Mima's eyes slowly grew larger in utter bewilderment. She didn't have the slightest idea what was going on. What blood test? Her blood test? But why would that concern Heero and Jezzie?
"Relena…it's true... we finally found you." Heero answered almost as if he heard Mima's question.
"Yes." Jezzie smiled and pulled his arms to wrap around her waist. "The results cannot be denied. I am Relena."
Mima could only cover her mouth with both hands and shake her head silently. It didn't feel as if she had control over her body. Her mind was having trouble processing the scene before her. Jezzie was Relena? Was this some sort of cruel joke? But she had a blood test and it proved that she was Relena. That's what it all meant.
No. She mouthed as a single tear was shed. Perhaps she had been wrong about Jezzie with regards to Pagan's story. It was possible that Jezzie had a faint scar that she didn't know about. At this point it didn't matter anymore. The answer had been finalized with a blood test and she just discovered she had come to the end of the line. There was no way to reach Heero now.
"Relena…" Heero murmured as he tilted Jezzie's chin to face him.
No. Mima whispered. This isn't right. This is not happening.
Then his lips were soon on Jezzie's and Mima saw them embraced in a passionate kiss between two individuals who were destined to be together. The pain… the pain in Mima's heart was unbearable. More tears fell as she closed her eyelids, refusing to see anymore. She slowly crawled her way to a nearby tree and stood up safely in hiding behind the tree trunk.
"Heero…" Mima mouthed as she started walking back to the estate without taking another glance at the two individuals still locked in each other's arms.
She knew she had lost him.
TBC
A/N: One more note. I am moving very soon to Taiwan so I'm not sure how soon I will have access to a computer to update once I'm there. Please be patient with me! I will finish this fic!
