Disclaimer:  Me no own, me no get money.  Me wish me did! Authoresses Note:  Okay, I feel depressed.  I went way too fast with the love relationship.  But I wanted to make this short, so sorry.  This is my attempt at action now, so please read.  And if you're having half as much fun reading this as I am writing this, then that's a lot of fun.
Written By Desert Bloom
Title:  Finding Somewhere
Part:  Three

Flashback:

 The boy watched the sunset with increasing unease.  He shifted uncomfortably, his boots scraping against the snow.  The air had a bitter feel to it, one of ironic cold.
 It was certainly a beautiful sunset.  Red wrapped in a golden glow echoed across the horizon - truly a moment of loveliness in his world of hate and death.  He really needed a break like this - away from the battlefield, the killing, the screams of the dead and the silence that followed.
 He shook his head with the thought of it all, his eyes still penetrating deep into the orange orb's last minutes.  He could not stop a sense of forbidding that swept over him - a feeling of fear.  And the boy rarely ever feared.  But now he had found an awesome fear for his world, for his fight, for himself.

End Flashback

Matthew surveyed the room that lay around him.  Boring.  Little stalls for whatever, and that was all.  He shook his head, disgusted.  This was what he had sneaked away for?
He pouted and kicked at the dust that had settled around the ancient structure, sending up a spray of dirt.  It brought forth a cough and his eyes watered - therefore he decided not to do that anymore.
"Stupid." He mumbled, slinking a couple of steps forward.  He went to the walls, and gave it a good kick.  There.  That would teach the stupid old shed not to be so boring.  He gave it another swift kick with satisfaction.  Stupid! The building responded with a heave and a deep rumble, as the entire structure began to shake.  Matthew's eyes widened with wonder. "Wow!" he
exclaimed, throwing one last kick.  He giggled as the stable moaned with the impact.  Maybe this wasn't so bad after all!
Suddenly, however, he felt hands at his arms.  Matthew let out a screech and punched out with his elbow.  The figure withdrew with evident pain, their eyes flashing.  Then Matthew turned to see the person.
He cocked his head with surprise.  He had seen the man before.  Yes, the man that was glaring at him with a horrid anger.  Mommy had gone into the office with him a couple times.
 Heero stared back at the kid like he was crazy.  What did he think he was doing?  He was going to kill both of them!  Though god, that kid had a mean punch.  He shook his head with the irony of the moment, and grabbed at him again.
 Matthew let the strange man take his hand and lead him to the door, but only because mommy seemed to like him.  Halfway there, however, the building gave a massive groan, and the structure shook with such force that Matthew became a little scared.  Then, before nether of them knew what was happening, there was a great clatter, a storm of dust rose, and there was no longer a door.  Matthew whimpered, and grabbed Heero's leg.

 Heero couldn't believe this was happening.  He glanced first at Matthew, who had a very tight grip on his side, and then to where the door had been.  It wasn't there anymore, however, for instead there was a very large pile of rubble and debris, mostly broken shards of wood.
Then the realization struck him - they were trapped.
 Matthew heard the man let out of an array of oaths that he didn't understand, but it was probably what mom called 'bad' words.  He smiled a little bit.  Cool.  This man knew bad words!  His smile faltered as the man pried him from his waist and seated him squarely on the musty floor, then running to the wreckage.
 Heero's hands tore at the massive pile as he tried to clear it, but to no avail.  He pushed and heaved, scratched and all, but all he gained was bloodied hands.  Heero winced as the building heaved, there was a clash, and a board fell from the ceiling, only inches away from Matthew.  Matthew screamed and whimpered.
 This whole thing was going to come down.  And it was going to fall on them - trapped like a couple of rats.

 "Mommy!"
 Relena looked up from her piles on top of piles, her eyes studying her daughter.  Raine's green eyes were alight with a fire of frustration, her hair was disheveled, and her mouth was puckered into a grim frown. Relena stifled a giggle at the sight of her.  She was so serious looking!
 "Aren't you supposed to be with Rose?" she asked her daughter.
 "Rose told us we could go outside when it stopped raining and it stopped raining."
 "Oh?  Where's Rose?"
 Raine shrugged.
 Relena cocked an eyebrow. "Where's Matthew?"
 The little girl frowned at this. "I told him not to but he didn't listen to me." She explained. "I said that you said no and Rose said no, but he didn't care."
 Relena felt her heart skip a couple beats.  She got out of her seat, kneeled down, and grabbed her daughter's shoulders roughly. "Raine what's going on?  What did Matthew do?"
 Raine's eyes had on a quizzical expression.  Why was mommy so worked up?  She shrugged the thought away. "Matthew went to the Ruins." She blurted out.
 Relena stood up immediately, and Raine noted that blue fire flaming in her eyes. "I hope he didn't hurt himself." Her mother mumbled quietly. Then she grabbed her jacket from the rack and, - shooting Raine a glance, said firmly, "Raine, don't leave the room.  Don't, okay?  Are you listening to me?"
 "Yes mommy."

 Heero gazed at the rubble absently for a moment.  Sticks, old boards. A couple of heavy stones.  Totally blocking out any hope.  Heero couldn't think of breaking through it - that was impossible.  And it was with that thought that he turned back to Matthew.
 The kid was scared.  Heero could see fear etched onto every part of his face.  He winced.
 "Are we going to be okay, mister?"
 Heero sucked in his breath and then exhaled sharply. "Yes," he lied through clenched teeth. "We're going to be fine.  Now get down."
 Matthew nodded and fell to the ground, a small storm of dust kicking up around him.  Then Heero shook his head and walked over to him, lying on top of him.  This way if the sky really did come down on top of them, Matthew might at least have a chance to survive.  True, it wouldn't be exactly pain free, but Heero would take most of the blow.  And Heero,
the perfect soldier as always, at least had a chance of surviving something like that.  The kid was a different story.
 "Just relax." He guided Matthew.  Matthew appeared to be a good listener - Heero felt the little boy's body immediately relax.  God, he was so small.  This close Heero could feel his heart beat.  It was a steady rhythm - and he'd be damned if he should let it go out.
 "I'm scared." Matthew whimpered quietly. "Can you tell me a story?"
 "A story?"
 "Yes.  Whenever I have a nightmare that's what my daddy does.  He tells me stories.  Like the lion and the mouse."
 Heero sucked in his breath. "I'm not your father.  And I don't know any stories."
 "Not even the lion and the mouse?"
 "No."
 A long pause.  Heero couldn't tell if Matthew was thinking about his father or what.  He might even be thinking how silly it was that this man didn't know about the lion and the mouse.  Whatever it was, he could hear the kid's breathing quicken.
 "Can I tell it to you?"
 Heero was surprised at that one. "I suppose if you really want to." He accepted, listening to the boards above them crack.
 "Okay.  Once upon a time there was a mouse and his family.  He had a son and another son and another son and another son."
 "No daughters?"
 "No.  Daughters are stupid." Matthew declared in a matter of fact tone.  "Oh yeah, and he had a wife.  She was a good mouse wife.  She could cook and clean and make mouse representatives squirm in their boots."
 Heero could not stifle a smirk. "Did your mother tell you that part?"
 "Yup.  And then there was a lion.  He was really, really mean. Sometimes he'd eat little mice.  He had a name, too.  But I can't remember what daddy called him.  Mommy called him OZ."
 Heero nearly burst out laughing.  He'd have to tell Duo that one - if he ever saw Duo again.
 "What's so funny?" asked Matthew indignantly.  Heero was ruining a perfectly good story!
 "Forget it.  Continue."
 "Okay.  So the little mouse was taking a walk in the jungle one day. And the lion was out hunting for his favorite food - mice.  And he found the little mouse, cornered him, and pinned his tail down with one gigantic paw so that he couldn't move."
 Heero stiffened as the structure gave a great rumble.  Matthew let out a little squeal and squirmed. "Relax." Hero reminded him calmly. "Tell me more."
 "I'm too scared."  Matthew whined. "I don't want to be here."
 Heero sighed. "Listen, Matthew.  Relax, and that's an order.  Now what happened to the little mouse?"
 Matthew bit his lip nervously. "Okay -" his voice shook for a moment, but then became stable. "So the little mouse was about to be eaten by the big mean OZ.  But then he begged for his life. He said something like: 'Please don't eat me you big lion.  I am forever your humble servant.  If you spare my life I will repay you, I promise.  You will be thankful that you let me go.'  And then the lion thought about it and said in a deep voice -" Mathew tried to change his voice at this point, which came out as a very amusing rumble, " 'Fine, but only if you promise me one favor.  And you have to do the favor when I want you to
no matter what it is.'  So the mouse said 'okay' and the lion let him go."
 Heero nodded. "Alright.  Then what happened?  Concentrate on what happened next, Matthew."
 "The lion was taking a walk in the jungle a month later, and some mean lion hunters trapped him in this big net.  So the lion called for the mouse and said 'Do you remember that you owe me a favor?'"  Matthew was cut short as he let a sneeze and then a horrid cough.  Heero waited for him to clear, but he didn't - soon he was in a full force coughing attack. "Its dusty," he managed to choke out.
 Great.  If the kid weren't squashed, he'd kill himself from poisoning. Heero let out a sigh, getting up.
 "Keep your mouth covered and stay down." Heero directed, and Matthew did as he was told.
 Then Heero went into one of the stalls.  His eyes swept about the foul-smelling corner, until they flashed onto what he was looking for. Not exactly the best, but it would keep the boy's mouth from the floor.
Heero grabbed the horse blanket and brought it out, laying it down.  By this time Matthew's coughs had died down, but Heero still want wanted to be cautious.  So, very aware of the creaking roof above his head, Heero told Matthew, "Get up and lie on this quickly.  Then breathe through your nose.  Underst -"
 Heero was cut off as someone else's voice echoed through the blockade of wood that barred the door.
 "Matthew!  Matthew, are you in there?  Matthew!"
 Heero tensed.  Relena.
 "Mommy!"  Matthew cried.
 There was a long pause, and Heero couldn't help but wonder what Relena was thinking at the moment.  But, he realized, it didn't matter - she was endangering all of them.
 "Relena, get away.  This structure is about to fall down.  You'll get hurt."
 "Heero!"  Heero heard Relena gasp the words, and judging by the volume of her voice, she was way too close.  Practically leaning on the rubble.

 Suddenly he heard hands tearing at the pile, and Relena's heavy breathing as she tore it away.  Heero by now knew it was impossible, however, for her to do anything.  All she would succeed in doing was to rock the building more, and bring it down on all of them.
 "Relena, you're not helping.  Stop it."
 "Damn you Yuy!  That's my son in there!"
 Heero stiffened. "Relena, you're going to kill us all!"
 With no reply but Relena's further efforts, Heero realize that she wouldn't stop no matter what Heero said.  Her words were true - it was her son in there, and Heero probably would have done the same thing had it been his son.  He mused at the oddness of him having a son, and then ran to Matthew, covering his body with his.  By now Matthew had
obediently gotten on the blanket, and Heero could tell that he was breathing through his nose as directed.
 For a moment that was his world - the sounds of Matthew's ragged breathing and Relena's scraping.  Every once in a while the building would give a great moan and groan, Relena would pause in what Heero would guess was fear, and then it would start all over again.  Heero wasn't sure how much time passed in that state, and he didn't really care.  It all became like a pattern, that is, until, there was a heave and a crash.  Heero was certain that the world had crashed on down upon him and Matthew.  But then he realized that sunlight was fogging his sight, and there was nothing on his back but a thin layer of dust.  He blinked a couple of times, and then sat up, staring wide-eyed at Relena.

 Relena stared at him as well, her chest heaving up and down.  Then her eyes flew to her little boy, who was sitting up, his eyes squinting at the blinding light.
 "Too bright."  Matthew remarked.

 Relena's whole body was one huge ache.  Her arms felt ready to drop off at her sides.  Her fingers were numb and bloody.  Her face was a deep pale, and her feet barely supported her.  It had been hard.  But the sound of her son's breathing beyond the blockade had strengthened her. And there is no underestimating a mother's love and devotion for her child.
 But most of all, she was dumbstruck at Heero.  She'd always known that he was very good at sacrificing himself for others.  But lord, he had even gotten Matthew a blanket to lie down on.  Somehow, even though she was incredibly exhausted, Relena managed a small smile for Yuy.  And he smiled back.
 Their smiles faltered as the structure gave a dangerous rumble, and a large board fell down in one of the stalls.  Relena studied Heero's face as genuine fear flickered in his eyes - then next thing the two of them were helping Matthew up and pushing him towards the door.
 "Get out and run like hell." Relena gasped to her son, not caring about the profanity.  At the moment she just wanted out herself.  She wobbled on her tired legs for a moment.  Then, Heero in front of her, she began out the door herself.  Another board came crashing down, speeding her.
 Finally, her face bursting into the sunlight, she was out.  She threw herself forward, but yelled as something snagged her wrist.  The building emitted another groan.
 "Damn!" she cursed, noting that her sweater was hooked on a nail by the doorway.  She tugged - nothing happened.  A barrage of more curses came forth from her mouth, seizing the attention of Heero, who came running back to help her.
 "Get away, Heero!  You'll be crushed!"
 But Heero only shook his head, his heart pulsing fast as he worked away at the snag.  There was a clash, a bang like explosives, and they both knew that it probably looked like hell inside.  Finally it came loose.
 Heero grabbed Relena and flung the both of them as far as he could, until they landed painfully a couple feet away.  It was at that exact moment that the roar sounded, dust flew, and seconds later the stable was nothing more than rubble.

 Night had settled around the Cinq Grounds.
 Relena gazed absently out her deck, allowing the wind to caress her face.  Time had passed so slowly.  But now here it was - midnight.  She really should get to sleep.  But she was much too weary to actually lay down her head and submit herself to the passiveness of slumber.  No, Relena could not sleep at the moment.  She could only stare, and wonder.  Well.  She certainly seemed to do quite a lot of that.
 Relena sucked in her breath uncomfortably, listening to the call of the night.  It was a mixture of different things, actually.  The wind's silent cries, the coo of the owl, and quiet, familiar footsteps. Footsteps that she knew belonged to the forever soldier.
 But she made no move.  She did not speak out to him, did not run to him.  She was done with that.  Enough with the uncanny obsession.  Now there was only a solid devotion, a pure respect that she knew Heero felt as well.  To enjoy the quiet bliss of the other's company - that was enough.
 Heero came closer, crossing the distance between her and him.  Relena felt a shiver pass through her as they brushed shoulders, she enjoying the warmth of his body.
 "I nearly lost him." Relena admitted quietly. "I nearly lost my little boy."
 Heero nodded, and surprising her, pulled her to him.  They met in a silent embrace, Relena resting her head on his shoulder.  He rocked her back and forth until dawn, just the two of them, caught in the moment of understanding.

Flashback:

 The girl was enjoying the solitude of the place.  Of course, you seldom find anything quite as peaceful as a church.
 But there was still a discomfort of the place that she could not trace - the air almost seemed stale, framed by misunderstanding and woe.  It was odd, since she had really come here for support.  For the girl had plunged far too quickly into the role of a woman, of a divine leadership like no other.  She had to be an angel for so many, and while she did not even understand herself!
 Yes, this trip was no comfort.  Surrounded by ancient leaders, she found no comfort.  It was as if they were all laughing at her.  She suddenly had the strange impulse to scream.  But she could not, for a lady like she must conduct with dignity.
 Her love was trapped in his missions.
 She was trapped in her ideals, and the questions they provoked.

End Flashback


Authoresses Note:  Isn't Matthew so cute?????  I could die.  I love little kids!  Anyways, there's a part four and then an epilogue so please read those.