I do not own Gundam Wing. This fan fiction has no commercial value and I am not making any kind of profit or income off of this. 

Chapter 7

The next morning, an exhausted-looking Relena passed swiftly through her brother’s office door, slamming it shut behind her. The entire group that was assembled there, Milliardo, Noin, Sally, and Wu-fei, jumped at the intrusion.

“Just what is going on? Why are there guards stationed outside my door?” she demanded in a loud voice.

“It’s just for your protection,” Milliardo replied gently, smiling at his dear sister.

“Oh no you don’t. You’re not going to lie to me. Who’s threatening me this time, and what is it they want?” she asked, advancing toward them. Wu-fei rolled his eyes and leaned back against the wall.

“Relena,” Sally said in a soothing voice, “we’re not really sure. We received a transmission from an unconfirmed source on L1 colony outlining a plan to kidnap you. Unfortunately, our servers corrupted part of the data we received. We don’t know who sent the information,” Sally lied, “and we don’t know who would be planning something against you. Until we know something for certain, we are just trying to be on our guard.”

“Say what you want, you can’t fool me. It’s Heero that sent you that data, and this is a serious threat, or he wouldn’t have come out of hiding,” Relena replied, turning her back to them, and then exiting the office as quickly as she entered.

“Damn!” Milliardo cursed. “When did she get too smart for her own good?”

“She’s always had a sixth sense when it comes to that pilot,” his wife replied with a smile.

“Well, she can have a ‘sixth sense’ about him all she wants. He’s destined to be a distant memory.” Milliardo said, anger blazing in his pale blue eyes.

*             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *

Relena, having just left the outer office, felt a hand grab her shoulder. She spun around, startled, “Huh?” Her cerulean eyes met cold, emerald green ones. “Jacob!” she exclaimed.

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said.

“It’s all right. I’m just on edge today, I think,” she replied, her shoulders sagging, and her eyes betraying a lack of sleep.

            “You look tired. Were you not able to sleep last night?” He asked.

“No, I didn’t sleep at all last night. Thanks for telling me how bad I look, though. You sure know how to brighten a girl’s day,” she said sarcastically, and turned to leave.

“Excuse me for not knowing my place, Foreign Minister Darlian,” he sneered. “I didn’t realize you actually liked all that empty flattery from long-winded politicians.”

“Oh, so anyone that tells me I’m attractive is only fulfilling a political obligation?” She asked angrily.

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it. I was just…concerned about you,” he said coldly.

“Yeah, it sounds like you’re real concerned.” Her eyes flashed, and she left him standing in the hallway.

*             *             *             *             *          *          *             *             *             *             *

Relena sighed, sat down on the edge of her bed, and pulled her shoes off. There were no diplomatic engagements that night; she had attended a bridal shower in the late afternoon. She was startled by a knock on the door. Thinking it was her guard dispatch for the evening, she sang out “Come in,” but was surprised to see Jacob.

“You’re too trusting,” he said flatly.

“You sound like him,” she said, her eyes narrowing.

“Him?” he asked; there was no emotion, no surprise in his voice.

“Yes, him.” She said tiredly.

“Who is ‘him’? I just came in to apologize for my actions earlier. I…I want to try, Relena. I want to try to at least be your friend. We’re getting married for godsakes!” Something flashed across his eyes, but only briefly.

“You shouldn’t apologize, Jacob. I was the one who was wrong,” she said with a sad smile. “And I would like to be your friend, Jacob. I think that is a good place to start.”

He smiled, but the emotion didn’t penetrate his eyes. They were still cold. She shuddered involuntarily.

“So, since we’re friends, why don’t you tell me about ‘him’?” He asked grimly.

“… I don’t know, I guess I feel sort of weird telling the man I’m going to marry about…”

“The man you love?” he asked.

Relena laughed nervously. Jacob pulled up a chair and sat down. He looked at her expectantly. Relena sighed and stood up, crossing the room to look out the window. “What do you want to know?” she asked.

“For starters, how did you meet?”

Relena took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. “I saw him on the beach. That sounds nice, doesn’t it?” she paused. “He was in a military uniform, and unconscious. I called for help, but when the ambulance arrived, he woke up. I remember that I didn’t understand at the time what was going on, he tried to cover his face as he asked if I had seen it. Then it became a blur - he fought off the medics and stole the ambulance.” She laughed quietly to herself. “He had the most beautiful eyes, filled with an intensity that has never diminished...”

Jacob looked at the back she had turned toward him, her outline traced by the moonlight glistening through the window. She had clearly stepped into another world. He felt guilty obtaining information this way, but he just had to know.

“What didn’t you understand at the time?” he asked.

“He was a Gundam pilot. It was Operation Meteor, and he was sent from your colony, L1. Pilot 01, code named Heero Yuy, knew if I saw his face, then he would have to kill me. Only…” Her voice trailed off into memories.

“Only what?”

“He could never pull the trigger,” she said with a wry smile. “He was a trained assassin and a Gundam pilot, and he could never kill me.”

“Somehow, I don’t find this amusing. He tried to kill you?” he asked, his voice not betraying the emotions clutching at his heart.

“Yes. But he ended up protecting me more times than he tried to kill me….”

            Jacob stood up, he hated what he was going to say next, “But it’s the only way,” he told himself. “Huh. A pacifist in love with a Gundam pilot, that’s rich,” he said mockingly.

“You don’t understand….” She said softly, still gazing out the window.

“No, you’re right, I don’t. This man was a nobody until the war came along. He’s nothing more than a soldier that distinguished himself in battle. He has more blood on his hands…”

“No!” she turned around; her eyes were blazing in anger. “You don’t know him! He only did what he had to, to protect his colony, and to protect the earth. He was fighting for peace, just like I was – like we all were!”

“No, Princess, I don’t know him. But then, I suspect that neither do you. Tell me, was it just that he added excitement to your pampered life? Or is it a greater sense of obligation for protecting you that you feel for him now?”

            “Obligation? Obligation?” She was yelling. “Obligation doesn’t keep me up at night, wondering where he is, and if he’s all right. Obligation would fade over time, and yet almost five years later these feelings still...”

“You’re wrong. It’s more believable that obligation would still reign in your heart five years later, than the crush of a sixteen year old girl!”

Relena slapped him across the face – hard. “I love him. I always will.” She said, her eyes narrowed in anger as she glared up at him.

“Then why, Princess, are you marrying me?” he growled through clenched teeth.

Pain, sheer, unmistakable pain flashed for a moment in her eyes before she could turned away from those piercing green eyes that always seemed to look right through her.   “Because I don’t want him to have to fight anymore,” she said softly. She ran a hand through her hair and stared blankly ahead of her.

The words hit him harder than the slap in the face. He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to make her turn back to face him, but she jerked out of his grasp, as if his touch had somehow burned her.

 She walked passed him and opened the door for him. “Leave,” she said sternly. “I have nothing more to say to you.”

Having no other option, he turned and left.