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Doctor Enyo exhaled before looking at the pale-faced couple sitting across from him.
"I'm very sorry, Relena. I sent the tests back twice for verification and they came here positive each time."
Relena had Heero's arm in a deathgrip. Neither of them noticed.
Heero winced.
"It's true, then," he whispered.
"Oh GOD!"
Relena shuddered.
"It can't be. No! No..."
Heero scooped her up as she fainted and carefully stood up straight.
The doctor winced.
"I'm so sorry. Would you like me to-"
Heero shook his head slowly and walked towards the door.
"No. We'll take care of everything. Thank you, Doctor."
"But don't you want to know how long-"
"No, thank you."
The door clicked shut behind Heero.
Doctor Enyo shook his head slowly.
"I don't understand."
He wondered if he should have told the couple what else the tests had revealed.
-GWFBR-
"Thomas, we need a comment for our story!"
"Sir, Miss Relena hasn't been seen in over two months! The people need an explanation!"
"Is it true that this thing snuck up on her suddenly, that it's inoperable? How is that possible? Don't we have the best medical technology available?"
"Sir, SIR!"
"We need a comment!"
"How much will you be getting? And will you stay on?"
"I told all of you, NO COMMENT! Now please leave these premises or I'll have you all thrown in jail!"
-GWFBR-
Relena had barely eaten her meals and was weak from her ordeal, but she was strong enough to issue commands from the bed and turn off the television via remote control.
Heero refused to leave her side, though he dreaded the one command that she had issued to him, one that he couldn't refuse to obey.
"They want to know what's wrong with me," she whispered.
Heero grunted.
"Too bad."
He took one pale hand between his.
"Relena..."
Tears flowed down her cheeks as she watched him lower his head to kiss her fingers.
"Heero. Is everything in order?"
He nodded.
"Yes."
Their eyes met.
"Remember your promise."
He swallowed hard and realized then that he was crying.
This isn't how it was supposed to end.
"I've never forgotten it."
She reached out for a kiss, which he willingly gave her.
"He'll be okay?" she asked, concerned.
He stroked her cheek with the backs of a few fingers.
"He'll be well taken care of."
"And..."
"He won't know if everyone does their jobs right. But you know how determined he is."
She nodded.
"Just like you."
"And as pigheaded as you."
She looked away and exhaled, then fixed her gaze on his.
"It's time. Do it, Heero."
He winced, nodded, and reached for his gun.
-GWFBR
Fourteen-year-old Heero Darlian was nearly literally zooming through a trigonometry quiz. The dark-brown-haired, blue-eyed young man had failed the calculus test by three points and so was placed in a class he had a consistent 96 average in.
It didn't bother him too much. He was certain that he would grab his dream of being an electromechanical engineer one day. But he had to admit, his patience was being tested.
His father's infamous scowl appeared as he reached a question that needed a version of the quadratic equation to solve it.
Nuts! This thing trips me up every time.
The scowl became replaced by a furrowed brow as he tackled the equation.
Suddenly, a flash of pain stung his heart and his head jerked up.
Mother? Father?
His teacher looked up from her romance novel as his eyes widened until it seemed they would fall out of his head.
"Heero? Are you all right?"
His classmates nervously turned to look at him, but he noticed neither them nor the teacher, who was coming over to check on him.
Tears stung his eyes.
They're gone.
"Heero, answer me!"
He remembered where he was. Without looking at her, he grabbed the teacher's forearm.
"I have to go home. Now."
-GWFBR-
He couldn't get home quickly enough, and he lost his Day Excused pass somewhere along the way.
He didn't care. He was on a mission.
"You can't go in there, young sir!"
"The hell I can't!"
"Stop him!"
"Let me go this instant! I command you!"
"You're not in a state of mind to command anything!"
"I have to see them!"
He didn't care who he hurt as he shoved, kicked and punched his way through the human barrier between himself and his parents' bedroom. He was on a mission.
But he was forced to stop short at the closed door itself, because Thomas was guarding it.
It figured.
Thomas was crying so much that only his will kept him on his feet, but he still managed to poke a finger in young Heero's chest.
"Are you sure that you want to go in there?"
"What the hell do you think I'm here for?" the teenager blasted the butler, then exhaled. "I'm sorry. Yes. I have to see them."
Despite the roar of protest from the hallways and stairs, Thomas turned around and opened the door.
"I'm sorry, sir. I never really hated your father, you know."
"Give it a rest."
Young Heero pushed Thomas aside and steeled himself.
"I have to say my goodbyes..."
-GWFBR-
His knees wobbled. A choked gasp came out of him and a palm flew over his heart.
Three surgeons from Peacecraft General Hospital were having a heated discussion over two white-sheet nearly completed covered bodies each lying in a stretcher while a team of maids worked on completely changing the basic look of the bedroom.
"Father. Mother. You didn't say goodbye to me!"
Against his will, young Heero began to cry.
"You just died on me! How could you leave me - us - alone like this? But here I am, as a child should be, out of respect...but I...I....Daddy! Mama!"
Two things entered his long-term memory as he fainted. One, Heero's left hand was tightly wrapped around Relena's right hand. Two, every now and again one of the surgeons would look at Relena's body and shake his head slowly, with a look of pity on his face.
Mama was pregnant?!
-GWFBR-
Young Heero slept in the fetal position on his parents' bed. When he was a young boy, he had sometimes snuck into their room while they slept, just to spend more time with them.
There had never been enough time. Relena spent most of the day in meetings or keeping HEION running smoothly, and Heero had spent most of the day keeping both HEION and the estate safe and secure.
Both frequently assured young Heero that he was the most important thing in the world to them, and he was sure that he was, but sometimes he needed a hug or kiss during the night to be absolutely certain.
That wasn't going to happen any more.
No more hugs, no more kisses, no more pillow fights or murmurs of comfort. And never again would his parents pretend to be shocked to see him sharing their bed when they woke up.
It was almost too much to bear, but Heero had faith in his inner strength.
I'm not afraid of anything...
His brow furrowed, evidence of his troubled dreams. In them, a huge shadowy figure held all who young Heero kept in his heart in one hand and a large gun in the other.
Make a choice, Heero.
Who are you to say stupid things like that? I choose both. I will protect those I love even as I draw my last breath.
You can't have both.
Says who? I'll fight you, too, if you try to stop me.
Then you'll be fighting unseen enemies all of your life.
I can handle that!
"I can handle that!" young Heero called out, then realized he was awake and scowled.
"Stupid dream. That guy wasn't even real."
So why am I shaking? I need to talk to Uncle Quatre. He's my father now. Heh.
But the bed was too comfortable and the memories too real.
Q will know what to do. Yeah. Right, Dad? Mama? I'll talk to him first thing in the morning. Like I used to do with you guys...
He closed his eyes and fell asleep again, with a bittersweet smile on his face.
-GWFBR-
A little after six a.m. the next morning, doors slammed and people yelled in various forms of protest throughout the Darlian estate.
Quatre appeared to be eluding young Heero.
He's not eating breakfast. He's not in the garden. He's not taking a shower. He's not at work. He's not playing any computer games. He's not holding any staff meetings or having his nearly daily argument with Thomas. And he wasn't in his office the last two times that I checked.
But Quatre's office's door was open now. And now, two cups of tea in porcelain cups sat steaming in matching saucers on Quatre's desk, along with two battered 8 x 10 journals and Quatre himself.
Heero was so surprised to see the normally no-foolishness-in-my-office-please Quatre sitting in such a manner that his anger and determination left him.
"Uncle Quatre?"
This was what he called Quatre when he was feeling particularly affectionate towards him, in public, or when caught off guard. Usually, he called him "Mister Quatre", which Quatre jokingly described as being "somewhere between being old and being respectable".
Quatre slid off the desk to lean against it.
"Good morning, Heion."
This was what Quatre called young Heero in general. It was also the nickname that the teen's parents had given him at birth, as though to remind those that heard it that their son was going to be in charge of their estate and HEION some day.
This morning, the nickname was a slip of the tongue, but both males let it pass.
"Good morning."
Young Heero winced.
Those journals...they look like something my father would write in.
Quatre pointed to them.
"Come in, sit down, have some tea and read these. I'll be back in a little while."
Heero glared at him as he walked over to the desk.
"Where are you going? What about my millions of questions?"
Quatre took a sip of tea.
"Your parents left specific instructions. I need to read mine now. You can read yours later."
Heero carefully picked up the top journal and opened it. He recognized his father's handwriting and unwillingly began to cry.
Quatre hurried to bring the leather executive-type chair around. As Heero sank into it, the older male heaved a long, deep sigh.
"Heero wanted to save both of them...the two she's."
Young Heero tried to talk. A choked gasp came out instead. He closed the journal and set it aside lest he cry all over it.
Quatre winced. It was as hard to talk about it as it was to remember it.
I have to be strong for him. He's my son now.
"Relena didn't care about herself. 'Save the baby! Just save the baby!' she'd say."
Heero and Relena had argued about this issue every day for two months, both of them knowing that this was because each of them wanted to prolong the baby's life as long as possible. Still, it might have come to blows if Doctor Enyo hadn't personally come to take Relena to the hospital for tests and medication.
Heero had screamed at everyone within earshot that it was too soon, that any medication would kill their daughter. At first he had been ignored. Then he had been medicated himself. A few minutes later, he was literally thrown out of the hospital.
He had been right. Almost as soon as he fought his way back to Relena's room she was given a general anethestic, special equipment was rushed in and her uterus was gently cleansed.
He launched a massive malpractice lawsuit before the hour had passed.
Relena somehow convinced him to drop all of the charges. She had something else in mind for the doctors.
No one "in the know" knew what that "something else" was, and speculation ran rampant before Thomas and Quatre, working as a team for necessity's purposes, quietly put a stop to it.
They didn't know what it was either.
Thomas had his own suspicions but didn't tell anyone what they were.
Quatre tried not to think about it. He had yet to read the specific instructions and didn't want to read the journals, but he knew that the "something else" was in one of the journals.
I didn't know that they existed. They were on my desk this morning, with no note. No explanation. Just there.
He stopped this line of thinking before it ran rampant.
"Heero..."
He bent to stroke the teenager's hair, which had been Relena's hair color until about two years ago. And there was evidence that his hair would eventually become black here and there.
Briefly, as he had many times since the hair had begun to darken, Quatre wondered what it was indicative of.
"They killed my sister," young Heero choked out, more angry than depressed.
Is this good? Quatre wondered, with a brief, sharp touch of fear in his heart.
"And my father...I felt it when they left me..."
Quatre lightly stratched the teenager's scalp. This usually eventually relaxed him enough to fall asleep. This time, however, Quatre was just being affectionate.
"...but it was sudden."
Uh oh, Quatre thought. Did the boy know about Heero's "old" promise to Relena?
"I guess my parents really couldn't live without each other, huh, Uncle Quatre?"
Quatre exhaled.
"No. One wasn't good without the other."
Young Heero raised his head, involuntarily forcing Quatre to stop his motions and move his hand back to the back of the chair.
"Did my father have...his gun with him?"
Quatre restrained a gasp.
The kid isn't an idiot. But he still can't know for sure. I promised.
"I really don't know, kid."
"You're lying."
Young Heero exhaled.
"But I don't want to know. Yet."
Quatre nodded, walked closer to the desk, carefully picked up the saucers and left the room.
He'll be gone when I get back.
-GWFBR-
Young Heero sat cross-legged in the garden near the black rose bushes that his father had planted as a joke that only he understood.
The son wondered if it had indeed been a joke.
"You two really couldn't live without each other, could you? People thought that you were her servant or bodyguard, Dad, but in reality you were her shadow. And you were rarely more than a room apart in the house."
He heaved a deep sigh and opened the first journal.
"Okay. What do you have to say to me, your only child? It better be good, seeing as you two left me alone in this world..."
He sniffled, steeled himself, then took a deep breath and began to read what his father had written on the "THIS BELONGS TO..." page, ignoring the lines that would reduce the space in which he had to write yet keeping his own lines nearly ruler-straight.
"In AC198 your mother deleted all of the information available about me and my comrades from every computer system that had any.
But if you look in Quatre's safe, you'll find the manuscripts that he and I wrote about our history and the roles we played in it. I know you'll do the right thing with them."
Young Heero's eyes were wide with pride and wonder.
"You'll always be my hero, Dad. You too, Mama, but in a different way."
The teenager would never forget the day that he saw the photograph of his father, Quatre and three young male in front of their Gundams in Quatre's office.
Heero and Quatre had been angry, but not with him or each other.
Now he thought that he understood why.
That was the day that you guys had decided to write the manuscripts. I guess Uncle Quatre needed some inspiration. Hmmm. What had life been like back then, "back in the day", when Earth and Space were at war with each other?
He resumed reading.
"I began to write in these journals soon after we confirmed that your mother was sick. Try not to be too disappointed. And Thomas is not completely wrong when he describes me as scruffy."
"Oh, Dad. I know that. But I never cared. And neither did Mama."
What had his father written in the journals? Life instructions? Tidbits of wisdom? Or...what had happened?
"One more thing, before you turn the page: Maybe you can find Trowa Barton, Duo Maxwell and Wufei Chang."
Young Heero groaned.
"It's gonna be a lonnnng night."
-GWFBR-
It was a little after 4 A.M. when he walked back into the house, with the journals tucked under one arm.
A sleepy-looking Quatre met him in a hallway.
"Do you want to read the instructions now?"
Young Heero shook his head.
"I don't need to. Do what you need to do. When I'm ready, I'll know what I need to do. 'Night."
Quatre blinked rapidly.
"What..."
What did he mean by that?
"Uh...goodnight."
The teen flashed his father's grin at Quatre.
"Don't worry, Uncle Q. When the times comes I'll take care of everything."
"What?"
Quatre was fully awake now.
"You don't mean..."
Young Heero blinked rapidly.
"Huh? I'm talking about Heion and this house. What are you talking about?"
Quatre shook his head slowly.
"Never mind. Let's just go to bed, huh? We can talk more later."
"Oh, that's right. You have to leave tomorrow."
Quatre chuckled as the teen rolled his eyes dramatically.
"Yes, but we'll have time to talk before I leave. And I'll come back a few days later with Mya."
Heero nodded.
"Yep. Is she still a geek?"
"Heero!"
As strong as he is...he's still a kid.
"She'll tell you herself, if you ask her nicely. Now come on. Goodness...you young people..."
As they walked towards their respective bedrooms, Quatre thought about what the boy had said about "taking care of everything".
He'll do something, all right. I better keep a close eye on him.
-GWFBR-
Young Heero slipped into his mother's private office and closed the door behind himself.
He grinned. Unlike most of his parents' rooms, the basic look of this one hadn't been changed. It was the same mixture of old and new, wood and leather, fluff-and-puff that he had always known.
Relena had told him once that she thought that she had subconciously designed the room this way in preparation for Heero's arrival, although she had less than thought he would ever step into the house.
"It's mine, but I wanted him to feel comfortable in it too, I guess. Strangely, he does. He ignores the fluff-and-puff and spends hours in there, working on only he knows what."
"You don't ask?"
"Heero...sometimes it's best to not ask him."
"Why is that, Mama?"
"Because he's like a caged bird. Every now and again you have to set him free."
Young Heero frowned.
"You knew, didn't you?"
Sometimes I want to run away from it all myself. It's not easy being a Darlian and hiding my true identity.
He savored the feel of the fluffy, thick pile of the carpet on his bare feet as he walked across it to his mother's computer desk.
"Good. The laptop's still there. This had better work, Dad."
Reverently, he sat on the wood-and-leather chair and opened the laptop.
"This had better work...."
He pressed the T key.
As he expected, the screen didn't ask for a password. Instead, it asked him what he wanted to do, and provided a space for him to type in his answer.
"I want to...send an email..to some addresses. Subject...'hello, sweetheart'. Text...none..."
-GWFBR-
The next morning, Quatre's short statement reached billions of mourners in both Earth and Space through the estate's publicist.
"We deeply regret the passing of Relena and Mayoke Darlian, who watched over us all with love and justice. Please join us in closing our operations for a week of prayer and rememberances."
The instructions had specified that young Heero be trained in all of the estate's and HEION's operations within the "memorial week".
Quatre didn't think that it could be done. Still, he would do what he could for his late friends.
An hour later, after wrestling with himself over the issue, he asked the estate publicist to change the last sentence to two weeks.
"He might not need all of that time, but..."
The publicist had just finished making phone calls to the "appropriate people."
He nodded.
"...you want to spend some time with him before the nitty-gritty."
Quatre sighed and nodded.
"Time doesn't belong to us. It's so precious. We all should treasure it."
"Won't Mya be jealous?"
Quatre shook his head.
"She and young Heero are very good friends. Besides, he'll see her soon enough. He's going to ask to come back with me, I just know it. It'll be good for him to get away, to see my people again. He loves them and the village almost as much as I do. They'll bring him...peace."
-GWFBR-
As per the instructions to Quatre, young Heero scattered a mixture of his parents' ashes and some rose petals over the remaining ruins of the Sanc Kingdom the next mid-morning, with only Quatre for company.
"Now you two can be together forever."
How come you didn't want this to be done in space, Dad? Or did you, but you gave in to what Mama wanted? You really did love her. Yeah, I know that you did. But these small things, these small ways, throughout my life...each one reaffirms it for me. Will I ever love a girl that much? YUCK. But I can only hope that I'll be as good at it as you were, retired soldier.
"Your mother believed in pah-see-fizz-um (I haven't forgotten how long it took you to say it right) so much that she nearly got herself killed on several occasions. But many people died either defending her ideals or by just being in the path of destruction. How many lives would have been spared if she'd taken a firmer stance earlier? But don't tell her I mentioned this."
Had Relena been weak? Or blind? Or was pacifism too much for her to handle?
Mental note: Build more places for people to hide during the next battle. There will be at least one more. There's always someone who wants to start things up again. It's inevitable, no matter what anyone says or does.
Young Heero looked into the pale blue sky.
"Right, Dad?"
Quatre, lost in memories, had been wandering about the ruins. Young Heero's question brought his mind back to the present.
Maybe I should leave him alone.
Young Heero shook his head.
"No, please stay, Uncle Quatre. They appreciate you being here with me."
Quatre chuckled.
"They do, huh?"
Young Heero grinned.
"I'm sure."
Quatre walked over to him and slipped an arm around his shoulders.
"All right, if you're sure," he half-joked.
Even without the Kingdom, it's still peaceful here. Or is it my wishful imagination?
"You think roses could grow here, Uncle Q?"
Quatre shook his head.
"No...."
I like that. Un-cle-Q.
Young Heero shrugged.
"I don't know. I'm hoping...I put some seeds and roots in there."
Quatre chuckled again.
"Miracles do happen."
"I'll come back in a week and see."
Quatre opened his mouth, then half-closed it.
We'll see.
"You ready to go, kid?"
Heero looked around.
Guide me. And keep an eye on each other. I love you.
He slipped an arm around Quatre's middle.
"Yep."
Quatre winced. The teen had never held him like that before.
He more than trusts me. He needs me. As tough as he is...he really is still just a kid. An orphan. Dammit! Heero, Relena, how could you have been so selfish? So assuming? Look at what you two have left behind.
Then he half-smiled.
Look, indeed.
Young Heero was growing up in a peaceful world. He had freedoms that their parents had only hoped to have. But he needed to enjoy them as much as possible, because once he took over his parents' duties, the fun was over.
Young Heero sighed.
"What time do you have to leave tonight?"
Quatre exhaled.
"A little before nine."
Young Heero looked up at him hopefully.
"Can I go with you?"
-GWFBR-
Near the sliding-gate entrance to the Darlian estate, Thomas half-heartedly waved at the back of Quatre's all-terrain jeep-like vehicle as its four occupants headed towards Quatre's desert-village home.
Everyone thinks that he'll do a great job with Young Master Heero. He's trusted.
The gates slid closed. Thomas waved to the two on-shift Magnanacs that were guarding the entrance and walked back towards the house.
His people guard this house, not any of the companies that I recommended.
Master Heero's instincts had never failed. As the Magnanacs "took over", most of the companies that Thomas had recommended had either gone bankrupt or were paying large legal fees.
Briggs Hawton, whether he's alive or not, still owns many of the Winner family's properties. The fight to get them back is still going on. None of the Winners can sit behind their desks or sleep in their beds, so, once again, Master Winner is living in the desert. Master Heero never said so, but he felt sorry for Master Winner and offered him the job as the chief of this estate's staff - the position I should have, dammit. Hmph. In any case, Master Winner said that he would work here only if he could bring some Magnanacs with him. One thing led to another, and, well, here we are, guarded by men in pantaloons and turbans.
Five Magnanacs were patrolling the grounds. As Thomas approached each of their "points" they paused to bow to him before resuming their duties.
He bowed back, a wry grin on his face.
But I must admit, they're very good. And they're very loyal to Master Winner. I wonder what he did to make them so loyal? It's almost cute. The staff here is loyal to him too, and the HEION staff treats him with a lot of respect as well. He deserves it. He's very good at supervising us. But at his age! No one should be such a good leader at his age.
Quatre had gone from chief of staff to chief of many of the estate's operations in a matter of months. And until young Heero would do it, or any part of it, Quatre would be in charge of everything ? the estate, HEION, their operations and keeping both of them safe and secure.
Could Quatre do it? Could Quatre supervise nearly two thousand people on Earth and in space?
Thomas exhaled.
We'll just have to wait and see. But I have to admit it, after all of these years...I'm jealous. Dammit. One day...I may no longer be needed here.
The two Magnanacs on either side of the door stopped conversing in their native language to bow to him and to let him into the house. Only the one that actually opened the door looked away from the area, and that was only for a second.
Master Winner has good instincts, too. He should heed them more often. Being a guardian will be much harder than being a boss. I should know.
He walked into the kitchen, where he poured himself a shot of brandy and sat down to enjoy it.
He raised the glass once he was comfortably seated.
"Cheers, Master Winner. Make us proud. Make him proud. Because if you don't, he might kill you. HAH!"
-GWFBR-
The moonlit sand dunes looked ethereal to young Heero, who watched them go by from the left passenger seat.
They're always so beautiful. I definitely need to come here more often.
Quatre was talking with their two Magnanac bodyguards for this ride, James, who was driving, and Jonathan, whose serious eyes belied his bright smile.
Heero heard them with one ear and seemed to hear his father's voice in the other.
"I only told you bits and pieces about my life as a pilot. You were too young to understand then. I just wanted to make sure that Thomas couldn't make his words stick."
"Guys...you didn't have to," Quatre complained.
They tried to make me the ultimate soldier, a perfect, emotionless fighter who would carry out orders without hesitation or conscience. For a time I was. But I was also less than human.
James frowned.
"Master Quatre, your coming home is always a cause for celebration. And it has been far too long since Young Master Heero's last visit."
"Master Quatre was the only person on that team with any breeding. The others could have been plucked out of the gutters for all I know," Thomas said in young Heero's mind.
You didn't know anything, you jerk, Heero thought.
"Heero?"
Quatre, concerned, was looking at him.
Young Heero exhaled, then looked at him.
"Thomas is jealous, isn't he?"
The others exchanged surprised looks; then Quatre nodded.
"Your mother was the only person that he wanted to obey. We were a rude and unwelcome interruption."
"Thomas has problems," young Heero said with a scowl in his voice.
"No one's perfect," Quatre said, and faced front again. "And you have to look at things from his point of view in this case. How would you feel if, on two separate occasions, an unknown guy came into your home and changed everything?"
Young Heero shrugged.
"Depends on the guy."
Quatre nodded.
"Exactly."
"But no one likes him," young Heero protested.
"Doesn't matter. He's still human, much as we would like not to believe it."
Heero looked out of the window again.
"Yeah..."
"Your mother saw and heard things that she shouldn't have. I was supposed to kill her. I had several opportunities, but I let her go each time. I even saved her life on a few occasions. Why? I had no idea, and it confused the hell out of me. More confusing, and infinitely more annoying, she latched on to me, thinking that I had the strength that she needed after seeing her father get killed. I could have killed her just for doing that. But soon, she came to represent peace to me, which I was fighting for anyway. Maybe that was why I let her go.
In any case, she was getting too close. Was too close. It made no sense to kill her at one point. But I still wanted to do it. On top of everything else, she told me that I had a good heart. What she didn't know was that I was starting to think that she might be right. And not just that. She was sneaking her way in, helping me reclaim my humanity, and drawing me towards her.
Why did I think about her when I thought I was about to die or thought I was at the point of no return? Did I think that I had failed her? But why should that have concerned me? She wasn't anything but a symbol to me.
Yet, it mattered to me. It took me time to figure out why.
Instead of killing her, I wound up protecting her. And more.
You were about three months old when the final, final, final, etc. peace treaty was signed in January of AC199, the year that preceded the so-called "New Millenium".
While the people on Earth and in Space were celebrating the ratification, your mother and I found something else to do.
But to this day, the people call her "Miss" Relena. They don't want to break that habit. I guess it would help if I showed my face. But I'm perfectly fine working behind the curtains."
"You're the best thing that came out of their association, Young Master Heero. Until you came along I would have none of it. But don't think that you'll ever be able to change my mind about him. I don't care how much he helped history. Only good blood should come into this house. You had better marry royalty or blue blood, boy. I won't let a similar situation happen again."
"I don't care where Daddy's from! He's my Daddy and I love him very much! So there! You don't know anything!"
"What the hell is going on in here? Didn't I tell you to leave him alone?"
"You can't stop me from talking, soldier boy."
"Keep it up and I won't have to. Leave my son alone."
"Yeah! My Daddy is a real man! Not like you."
"Hmph. You obviously need some lessons in manners, Young Master Heero."
"You just insulted my wife. Your mistress. You forgot about her?"
"No. But perhaps your son is too much like you."
"I think you had better leave this room."
"I think I will. But you remember what I said-"
"He's far too young to be thinking about such things. When the time comes Relena and I will explain it to him. Now leave before I change my mind."
"You wouldn't dare."
"I'm no less of a soldier just because I'm retired. And no less protective of what's mine."
What had that meant?
"Heero, we're here."
Young Heero's eyes widened.
Dad, is that why you always had a gun on you?
Jonathan was opening the door.
"Come back to us, Young Master Heero. We're here."
Heero looked at him. He looked a little dazed.
"Mister Jon?"
"Yes, young sir?"
What's it like to be a soldier? What does it do to your mind?
"Uhm...what's for supper?"
-GWFBR-
The answer was a rich beef stew served over steamed rice and vegetables with warm flour tortilla-like wedges on the side, bowls of fruit, celery and carrots and a bowl of a yogurt-based dipping sauce, fresh-pressed fruit punch, and rice pudding and apple pie for dessert.
All this was served by colorfully-dressed women who were walking in time with the music being played by a trio of enthusiastic musicians, who were keeping one collective eye on the colorfully-dressed dancers they were playing for and the other on the vicinity, which was nearly wall-to-wall colorful decorations and revellers.
Young Heero, who was sharing a table with Rashid, Quatre and a few members of his family, had two helpings of everything and nearly a gallon of the punch.
Rashid chuckled as the teenager held his bowl up and out for another serving of the stew - just the stew, no rice or vegetables.
Heero shrugged.
"Either you guys put one of your chefs in our-"
He winced.
"My kitchen or I'm gonna eat all my meals here."
Quatre's sister Elisabet smiled.
Brave boy.
"We can arrange weekly deliveries."
Heero's eyes widened. He forgot about the bowl, yet he kept it upright as it was half-filled.
"Really?"
Elisabet nodded.
"How about Sunday evenings?"
Heero finally realized that the bowl was no longer empty. He quickly put it down and flashed his father's grin at Elisabet.
"Fine by me."
Elisabeth put a hand over her heart.
What a charmer. And he knows it.
A few of the serving-women bowed to Heero and Elisabet, then hurried off towards the large, open kitchen.
Quatre glared at his sister.
"I should be so lucky."
Heero looked at the women and cupped his hands over his mouth.
"Double that order!" he called out, then lowered his hands and winked at Quatre.
"Better?"
"Fine by me," Quatre replied, then held his own bowl up and out.
Heero shook his head slowly, then grabbed his dinner spoon and dug in.
I love this place. I love these people. I could stay here forever. But this is not where I belong.
"Excuse me."
Fourteen-year-old Mya Winner stood opposite young Heero. The moon highlighted her glossy, shoulder-length black hair, aquamarine eyes and golden-brown tanned skinned, as though the rest of her wasn't nice to look at.
As Heero looked up, annoyed that someone had interrupted him eating, she extended a hand to him.
"May I have this dance?"
-GWFBR-
This was the first time that young Heero had seen Mya in quite some time.
Throughout the years she had been a human hurricane, a spoiled brat, a tattle-tale and someone who frequently tried to act older than she was.
Young Heero was supposed to set a good example for her, but geeze, he was only a year older than her. What could he do?
He'd been told to make allowances for her for as long as he could remember. Her mother, the daughter of a prominent politician, apparently didn't want anything whatsoever to do with her.
If I had been her, I would have accepted his marriage proposal and to hell with her family. Quatre and his people and family can do only so much. Mya needs her. And although she tries not to act like it, she misses her.
I just wish she hadn't taken her frustration out on me. The brat. She was always annoying me, always getting on my nerves, always making me crazy. I was so glad when she went away to school. One less brat, one less thing to worry about.
Now...she was beautiful, composed, and felt feather-light in his arms.
"Where'd you learn how to dance?" she asked him, sounding eerily like a younger, female version of Quatre.
He shrugged.
"All I remember is dancing all over the house with my parents when I was a little kid."
Her eyes...
She shrugged.
"Maybe each of them gave you a dancing gene."
"How do you know that my parents could dance?"
...her father's eyes...
"You kidding? Everyone knows that your parents danced at Saint Gabriel's ages ago."
"I don't."
...beautiful eyes.
"You're lying."
"They never told me anything about a Saint Gabriel's. Why would they tell me that they danced there?"
But the name is familiar.
"Maybe you just don't remember."
"No. Neither of them ever told me. Don't ask me why."
"Heero...you really didn't know..."
Mya stopped dancing.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know."
He tapped her back, a signal for her to resume dancing.
"Don't worry about it."
I'll worry about it.
"Okay...Gotcha. Stopping the worrying and focusing on dancing with my geeky cousin. Oh wait. You're not really my cousin."
"Ha, ha. Come on."
He gently guided her into a waltz, which was completely out of sync with the music.
Neither of them cared. They were free this night, free from their duties and responsibilities, free from all their cares and worries, free from everything. And they had always understood each other and enjoyed each other's company, under the surface and despite their differences.
So life...was good.
They didn't notice that everyone else was looking at them with expressions that varied between admiration and trepidation, including Quatre and Rashid, each of whom was trying to get a closer view of the teenagers without being obvious.
"Cute couple," Rashid half-joked.
"Not if I can help it," Quatre said.
Rashid gasped.
"Master Quatre!"
Quatre shook his head.
"Now is not the time for either of them to let this go further."
Rashid sighed, then picked at his food.
"You're right, sir..."
Quatre sighed heavily.
"Young Heero's coming here means that I won't be taking her with me when I go to the house, so she'll be going back to school in a few days. And he needs to focus on what he has to do once he's back home."
"A boring and lonely future for each of them," Rashid muttered.
Quatre narrowed his eyes at the happily and now wildly dancing teenagers.
"Not if I can help it."
-GWFBR-
"They're talking about us. Dad and Uncle Rashid."
Young Heero shrugged.
"They're parents. They worry."
I can't stop thinking about Saint Gabriel's. Whatever it is. Dad didn't mention it in the journals. I wonder why? Maybe it's in the manuscripts.
"Heero, maybe we should dance normally. We must look like careless hooligans."
He scowled.
"We're having fun and that's what matters tonight."
She gazed into his eyes.
His mother's eyes...
"And tomorrow?" she nearly whispered, then winced. "Sorry. I've always liked your mother's eyes."
Phew! I'm safe now.
He nodded.
"Tomorrow we move on."
And you won't annoy me again for who knows how long.
"Uh-oh, Daddy's pointing at the moon."
"Guess the fun's over."
"You guess?"
He ignored that as they slowed down to a stop. He let go of her and bowed. She curtsied. He grabbed her wrist and slid it over his forearm. Then they faced Quatre and walked towards him.
Neither noticed that the revellers had cleared a path for them.
Quatre and Rashid had, of course, and were mildly annoyed.
But the teenagers' eyes showed innocent fun, not any form of potential danger.
For the moment, all was well. And safe.
The revellers waved and called at the teenagers as Quatre got up and walked around the table.
"Goodnight, Young Master Heero!"
"Goodnight, young sir! Miss Mya!"
"See you tomorrow morning!"
"Sweet dreams, Miss Mya!"
"'Night, kids!"
"Sleep tight!"
Heero let go of Mya. Both of them bowed to Quatre, who bowed in return.
"You two enjoyed yourselves tonight."
Mya beamed at him.
"Yes, Daddy. One party here is better than alll of the parties my school will ever have put together."
"But you still like school, right?"
His voice was tinged with tempered concern.
She nodded, still beaming.
"Especially science and pre-economics. Just think, Dad. One day I'm gonna take over the world!"
Quatre rolled his eyes.
"I've heard that before."
Heero chuckled.
"That's my cue. 'Night, Uncle Q. 'Night, Mya."
He bowed.
Quatre bowed.
"'Night."
Mya curtsied.
"Good night. Sleep well."
"You too."
But he knew that he wouldn't.
-GWFBR-
He knelt beside the mosquito-netted twin-sized bed in the large, airy bedroom that was kept for him and closed his eyes.
"I thank You for today...hmmm?"
Sunlit black rose petals fluttered across his vision.
His eyes flew open. He gasped.
"What was that?"
There was very little that scared young Heero. Not even his parents' deaths scared him, although his sense of loneliness was greater.
But the sight of the black rose petals truly unnerved him, making his heart pound and his breaths short.
I was going to see something that I don't want to see.
"Okay now, Heero. Calm yourself, now. Come on. Come on, come on, come on. Get a hold of yourself. Finish your prayers or Mama will reach down from Heaven and...throttle...you...."
His eyelids suddenly felt very heavy. His body suddenly lost its battle with gravity.
But I don't want to see it!
"You must."
Who said that? Let me finish praying, at least. Geeze!
"You have to see this, Heero."
But why?
"You will see why."
-GWFBR-
There go those petals again, lots of petals, making everything...black.
But now I see stars.
And...Mama! Mama's here. Mama, I want to touch the stars. Let me!
"Heero, are you awake?"
"Hmmmm."
Dad? You're here too! And I see grass...and a blanket...and Dad's legs. Wait a minute. I know where we are! This is Isis Park. We used to come here a lot. But Mama, I want to touch the stars. You know that I've always loved to look at the stars. Even from my crib, you said.
"Not you, the baby."
"He's fine. Looking at the stars as usual."
"He's very comfortable on your chest. You two look so adora-"
"It's only been two hours. You gonna get weaker as time goes on?"
"Now who's being weak?"
"Watch it. Tomorrow isn't promised to anyone."
"How can you say that on a night like this? It was perfect for the ceremony."
"If that's what you want to call it."
"Does it matter what it was?"
"The people will. Soon they're going to want to know where Miss Relena disappeared to and with whom. Someone's gonna tell 'em that we eloped while they were celebrating the ratification of this final, final, final, et cetera peace treaty."
"Too bad."
"It's a good thing that you've downgraded your duties. Politicians are supposed to have the right answer to everything, even if it's wrong."
"Hmph."
"That's not a good answer either."
Daddy, stop tickling my head with your nails. You know that makes me sleepy. But maybe that's the point.
"The kid looks a lot like me, you know. Can't hide that. Hey - what are you blushing and hanging your head for?"
"Uh...Thomas once told me...that when you opened my bedroom door that morning...he just knew...and, later on, he and the staff...made certain, uhm, preparations."
Let me!
"So we shouldn't be concerned. Not that I was."
"I'm not. And I'm married to the man I love...and we have a beautiful baby boy...and everything's going to be okay."
"You're too confident about that. But at least you've stopped blushing."
"I thought you said that you're not concerned?"
I'm very sleepy now, Daddy. But thanks for stopping. Too late though!
"Listen...we've walked a long, hard path to get to where we are now. We can't forget that."
"All the more reason to treasure today."
"Hmmm."
"See? You agree with me. Now just relax and enjoy this new chapter in our lives. Ahhhh, Heion. You don't have a care in the world, do you?"
"Nope. You just want to grab some stars, right, kid?"
Yes, Dad! The stars! C'mon, hold me up!
"Precious baby. Precious little prince-"
"I told you not to call him that. Just because he can't talk, don't think that he can't understand."
"What's wrong with him knowing his true identity? He is a prince."
"A scruffy prince."
"You are not scruffy. Thomas is just jealous."
Thomas is a LOT of things.
"Thomas is a lot of things. But you can't fault him for wanting the best for his mistress. Anyway, the kid will come to us when he's ready to learn about his history."
"Hmph. I'd rather us tell him, than anyone else."
"And we will. Just not yet."
My true identity? But I already know what that is. You two told me. I'm a Peacecraft. I'm next in line. But I'm also...scruffy.
"Heero, you are not scruffy. Don't let me hear you say that again."
"I am what I am."
"Which is? Dare I ask?"
"Yours, to do with as you wish."
"I'm not worth such a declaration."
"You are worth far more than you realize."
"So are you."
"By a select few, perhaps. And remember, there was once a time when that wouldn't have mattered to me. I didn't care much about anything but my missions."
"You were only doing what you were told to do."
"I was the perfect solider. But I was weak and empty inside. I just didn't know it, and if I had, I wouldn't have cared about that either."
"No! You were young."
"I was weak."
"No."
"You helped me. You and the guys. But I'm still not completely over what happened to me and what happened because of it."
"You and many others helped to create the new existence that we all live in now."
"We helped Fate along."
"But Heero..."
"No. We've talked about this enough....enjoy the view..."
"He's falling asleep again...."
"Are we safe here?"
"You should know."
"Right. We can sleep too...yeah...Yeah. For a little while..."
No. I want to know more about your histories! I don't want to wait until I read the manuscripts. I don't want to sleep now! No!
But the stars are fading...I...everything is black again...and my head hurts.
-GWFBR-
What's going on now? Why am I so angry? Wait, now, it's more like incredibly determined.
"Come on. Open your eyes."
I don't know that voice!
"Lay off, Doc."
That's not my voice! But it sounds a little bit like mine. What is going on?
"Come on, come on. Get up. The lesson's over."
"You call that a lesson? I could have died."
"Remember the mission! Remember why you're doing this."
Mission?
"I got better things to do."
"Like what? Run amok in the grass? We've been through this before. This is where you belong now."
"I didn't kill him."
"You were right there. That's enough. And you've done some damage yourself. You're a marked young man."
What?
"What fun."
"Sarcasm doesn't suit you. Now go clean yourself up. You look horrible."
"No thanks to you."
What is this stuff on my legs? Wait, these are the shorts that Dad was wearing in that photograph!
Dad! Guess what! I'm you. I'm living your memories! Cool! Thank you! Now, what's the next thing on your old path?
-GWFBR-
Quatre removed his palm from young Heero's forehead and stood up straight.
"Don't tell him everything, Quatre. Just teach him, train him and guide him."
I can't do that. He's not stupid. You trust me to raise him, trust my judgement as well.
He exhaled.
"You're at a very critical crossroads. The next decision is yours. Don't disappoint me, Heero."
He bent to kiss the teen on the forehead.
"I know you'll be gone before I get back. See you soon. I hope."
-GWFBR-
"Heero!"
What mountains are these?
"Heero!"
Mama? Why are you here? Where's here, anyway? And...what's that school uniform you're wearing?
"Heero. Why are you out here? Granted, it's a beautiful view. But shouldn't you be out there?"
I wonder if that's a Saint Gabriel's uniform?
"Talk to me, Heero."
"Hmph."
Yeah, just keep saying my name out loud, Mama. Bring the enemies right here. Wait, what am I saying? And why the hell am I reaching for...a GUN?
"Do it, Heero. I know too much."
NO! Mama, RUN! Dammit, why aren't you listening to me?
"Relena..."
MAMA!
"I'm a threat, just go ahead and pull the trigger!"
NO! Mama, RUN AWAY!
"Heero!"
"Dammit!"
What's that heavy rumbling ground-shaking noise? Why do I have to take care of it? Mama, I have to go now.
"Promise me! Promise that I'll be your last victim."
"What?"
Let me go.
"Heero...Heero!"
Let me GO! I have a job to do. You're in the way!
"Heero!"
"Heero!"
-GWFBR-
His mother's calling his name jerked young Heero out of sleep, as it had on the few mornings that he had overslept.
That being so, for a few long seconds he was disoriented as his brain struggled to remember where he really was.
He blinked rapidly as the dream faded away.
It's morning...
Snippets of words and visions ran through his mind's eye.
"I didn't kill him."
"Everybody knows that they danced at Saint Gabriel's ages ago."
"I know too much."
"You really didn't know."
"Remember the mission!"
"Promise me!"
"A scruffy prince."
"You're the best thing that ever came out of their association."
"Don't disappoint me, Heero."
Young Heero's eyes opened.
"Now I know too much."
He slipped out of bed to look out of one of the windows.
"It's morning..."
The village was relatively quiet. There were no traces of the party that had gone on the previous night. Instead, some villagers were either meditating, enjoying the view as young Heero was, reading, walking around with no apparent goal in mind, or looking towards the chef-less kitchen.
"I missed breakfast. Why did they let me sleep so long? Hmph. Uncle Q must be long gone by now."
"You won't be happy to work from behind the curtains. You'll try to. But the Peacecraft blood in you will always want to mediate, want to settle disputes, want to shout the cause for peace for all to hear.
You were doing it before you could talk. It's a part of you. Don't fight it. If you let it, it will work hand-in-hand with the soldier blood you got from me to help you keep the peace.
Your mother and I did our best to teach you right and wrong. And we held your hands and guided you along the path that we set for you, although we knew that your destiny might lead you to another.
Make it all worth it."
Young Heero's eyes narrowed. He nodded.
"Mission accepted."
-GWFBR-
"This is Jen Welington with MetroNews. In a shocking incident, the licenses of six high-ranking Newday General Hospital surgeons were revoked when an undercover operation revealed that the surgeons had literally buried botched surgeries. Newday's administration, who apparently knew nothing about this investigation, would not comment and will not return our calls.
"In other, certainly happier news, Heero Darlian, the son of the late former Vice Foreign Minister Relena Darlian, who many younger people may remember as the creator of HEION, has returned home after a few days of mourning for his parents. He will soon begin tutelege under businessman and former colony politician Quatre Raberba Winner, who for years has been the silent, guiding force that makes HEION a safe, happy place to visit and no doubt to work in.
"On behalf of the entire MetroNews team and billions of people, young Heero, welcome home and the best of luck. Earth and Space are behind you all of the way."
-GWFBR-
From behind his father's desk and with the sun and the day's light on his back, young Heero tackled the "homework" that Quatre had given him.
This day, he was to balance an imaginary HEION yearly budget with only his brain, a pile of scrap paper and several eraser-topped pencils.
His brain was making calculations faster than his fingers could keep up with, but he was enjoying the challenge.
"Mail call, sir," Quatre half-joked from the open doorway.
The teen absentmindedly waved a hand about.
"You know where to dump it..."
His head jerked up. His eyes widened briefly.
"Oh, hi, Uncle Q. What's up?"
Quatre dug into a pocket and drew out a plain white #10 envelope.
"Thomas gave this to me. He said he thinks it's for you. I do, too. And it's safe, as far as we can tell."
Young Heero scowled.
"Okay, I'll read it once I'm done."
Quatre shook his head slowly and then began walking over to the desk.
"No. Take a break. You've earned it."
His eyebrows wiggled.
"Hey, maybe it's from a female fan, asking for a date."
"Perish the thought."
Quatre chuckled.
"I know...you're not interested...duty comes first."
"Yep."
Heero stood up, took the envelope from Quatre and sat back down.
"Thanks."
"You know..."
Quatre sat on the edge of the desk.
"They're still trying to figure out how that information suddenly popped out."
Young Heero shrugged.
"Let them. At least they're wasting their own money on it."
Quatre nodded.
"True, but one day..."
"They'll give up sooner or later. And then they'll make something up and fill in the appropriate blank spots."
"Yeah..."
Heero turned the envelope upside down and opened it slowly, from the bottom, with the plain blade letter opener that he kept on the desk.
Both he and Quatre frowned as he retrieved a college-ruled scrap of paper out of it.
"What the hell?" the teen began, half-flustered and half-disappointed.
Quatre exhaled.
"Who would waste an entire envelope on a scrap of paper?"
The teenager heaved a sigh, then cast the envelope aside and began to read.
"What the..."
"What?"
Young Heero handed the scrap to him.
"You figure this out."
"Okay...'Great job, kid. Your parents must be real proud of you. Take care.'"
Duo. It has to be. But from where?
"Well?"
Heero had an eyebrow raised.
Quatre exhaled again and handed the scrap back to him.
"Throw it away, if you want. I'll tighten security, just in case."
He'll tell me not to.
"No, don't bother. Just keep an extra eye out. I don't know how I know, but whoever wrote this doesn't mean any harm. I'll just think of it as a pat on the back. I could do with some of those."
"No problem."
Quatre hopped off the edge of the desk and reached over to ruffle the boy's hair.
"When you've finished you can go stand at the gates and bask in the love from all of the very supporting female fans that have gathered there today to get a peek of you."
Heero glared at him, but he was blushing furiously.
Quatre chuckled, then stood up straight and put a "businesslike" expression on his face.
"Break's over. Now get back to crunching those figures."
Heero crunched on a pencil instead.
Quatre grinned at him, then turned around and headed towards the door.
"If you get an A, we'll have fish and chips for dinner. Anything else, we'll have whatever the chefs come up with."
Heero crunched louder, then thought of something.
"Huhnka Keryuu?"
"Yeah?"
Quatre stopped and turned around.
Heero took the pencil out of his mouth.
"How are the roses?"
Quatre half-grinned.
"Interesting thing...they've begun to bloom. The black ones. But the other ones you grabbed, the red and the white ones, look as though they're going to start soon."
Heero grinned softly.
"Miracles do happen."
Quatre nodded.
"Yes."
I pray that one will be created out of this tragedy. Or has Fate already spoken?
He didn't want to dwell on that thought. He showed Heero a little see-you gesture and then left the room, summoning two Magnanacs to keep an eye on things as he closed the doors behind him.
I pray that he will be triumphant. And that the red and white roses will grow taller and heartier than the black ones.
Heero reached for the mystery envelope again and was only partially surprised to see that it had somehow been replaced by one with his name on it.
Real slick, Uncle Q. Or was it you? I don't want to know.
"Mama's handwriting..."
Tears stung his eyes again. He let them fall.
"Heero. I don't know what your father wrote in his journals. I neither looked nor asked. But I'm sure that he left it up to me to tell you that he left a small box for you in our bedroom.
Young Heero's eyes widened. He was certain that he knew what was in that box. He read faster, to see if he was correct.
Guard its contents with your life. For, if Heaven forbid, you lose everything - it can happen - these things may be what you need to go on.
Your instructions are to listen to and heed our beloved Quatre, to heed whatever your father wrote, and to always, always, love Earth, Space and our people.
And never stop trying to touch the stars. Our not being with you is no excuse for letting your dreams down.
We will always love and be proud of you, our son...our life.
Mama.
(P.S. Yes, there is a key in that box. Don't tell anyone about it. Not even Quatre.)"
-GWFBR-
The stars twinkled at young Heero through the short curtains around his parents' bedroom window as he searched for the box.
He finally found it in the bottom of his father's closet, but it was a sealed 12 x 15 manila envelope, not a box, and nothing slid around when he gently shook it.
"Oh, well."
He sat down where he was and opened it, then slowly slid a hand inside and drew out its contents.
He gasped as a washrag-wrapped object slid onto his lap.
"This is..."
It was indeed a gun, his father's gun, the same gun that young Heero had occasionally seen as Heero checked it out as he prepared to go somewhere with Relena.
Apparently "All this will be yours someday" had meant the gun, too.
And with the gun was...a thinly laminated 3 x 5 inch copy of a cross-section of an X-ray, and a rusty key.
Young Heero absentmindedly put the key in one of his pockets and stared at the copy.
"My sister."
It was faint, but he could see an embryo.
It was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen.
It almost literally broke his heart.
Tears blurred his vision although he fought to keep them back.
"I will...I will name you 'Dorinda'. It means 'gift'. See? You have a name now. Mama, Daddy, you don't have to call her 'the baby' anymore."
He sniffled and scowled.
"Dammit. I have to stop crying! I have to be strong for you ? oh dammit!"
His shoulders were hunching. He was really and truly crying now. All of the pain, the loneliness, the not knowing what tomorrow would bring, and what he had lost were coming to the fore, weakening him, making him crumple to the ground and, to his disgust, making him cry himself to sleep.
"Dad...by the way...I forgive you..."
-GWFBR-
A dark figure rose from a knees-parallel-to-the-ground position in front of one of the rose bushes that young Heero had "planted".
"It's not time yet. But when it is, you know I'll be there. He'll need me, 'cause I understand. Well, same time next week? Take care, now."
The figure turned and walked away into the night.
ENDE