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 8

“She’s been in love with you since before she and I ever met,” Noin told the silently brooding young man. He didn’t meet her gaze, but kept his eyes on the floor. “That’s why she listened to you during the war, and why she works so hard at her job. Whether you know it or not, she does it for you.”

Heero looked up at serious violet eyes set in a compassionate expression. “She deserves better,” he said quietly.

Noin smiled. “I think you're selling yourself short. But regardless of that fact, she doesn’t want better – she wants you.”

“Then why didn’t she accept…”

Noin’s smile disappeared. “Well, Heero, first of all, you didn’t really ask her. Secondly, you completely caught her off guard – asking her to dinner first could have made a big difference. And thirdly,”

“Let me guess: we don’t have a personal relationship?” He remarked dryly.

“Bingo. That’s an important first step.”

Heero scowled at Zechs’ wife. Noin just laughed at his expression.

“To tell you the truth, I never thought you really cared for her, Heero – and I know she doesn’t think you do. You’re going to have to show her you love her, and make her feel secure that her feelings for you are returned.”

Heero nodded. That didn’t sound too hard.

“Tell me something, Heero…do you even know Relena? I mean who she really is on the inside?”

He frowned. “I don’t understand the question.”

Noin sighed. “Well, until you find out who she is, I don’t think you can say you’re in love with her. I strongly recommend against marrying a virtual stranger.”

“I’ve known Relena eight years, Noin. I’d hardly say we’re strangers,” he said with a dark look on his face.

“What’s her favorite movie? Her favorite book? What did she dream of doing before the war happened and she had the fate of the world dropped onto her shoulders?” She challenged the young Preventer.

“Do you know those things?” he countered.

“Yes, Heero, I do. Because I am her friend. Why don’t you know these things?”

He searched his brain for a good answer, but finding no suitable one, went for honesty. “I guess I never paid attention. I was busy protecting her.”

“She’s a very lonely person on the inside, but she has an inner strength that keeps a cheerful mask in place whenever you’re around. She buries her feelings for you because they bring her pain, and so you get treated like all those diplomats that initiate ‘schmoozefest’. You barely even know the façade, Heero. You’re going to have to do better than that if you have any hope of ever deserving her affection.”

Heero nodded. “What do you suggest?”

“Spend some time with her. Get her to talk about herself. Don’t fall for her ploy of turning the conversation around to you – she’ll try that. It’s one of her defense mechanisms. Get others to talk about themselves so that no one gets too close. Make her tell you who she is, and listen when she does.”

“That shouldn't be too difficult,” Heero commented. He could tell you all about himself in about 15 minutes – half an hour if he had to tell you about Wing Zero and his training with Dr. J. Even if he multiplied that by Relena’s knack for conversation, how long would that take? Three hours? Five? He could still take her to dinner a few times to soften her up before getting her to elope with him by the end of the ten calendar days he had left. He smirked at the thought.

“You have to look for what’s being said between the lines, Heero – it’s as meaningful, if not more so, as the words she chooses. That’s the best advice I can give you.”

Heero nodded and turned to go, but Noin had one last thing on her mind.

"And if you ask me nicely, I'll tell you my idea for sabotaging her date tonight," she said with a sly smile on her face.

Heero stopped in his tracks, hesitating for a moment before looking back over his shoulder at his newest ally. Their eyes met in a silent understanding, and then he continued his way down the hall to meet with Zechs. He would have to do battle with the young princess again, but now he had a backup plan, just in case.

* * * * * *

As expected, Heero lost the argument with Zechs over whether Relena could go on the date or not. Triumphant, but somewhat saddened by the outcome; Relena brushed past Heero on her way out of Zechs' office without a glance in his direction. Heero noticed with a slight degree of surprise that he felt somewhat hurt by her actions as he followed her out the door.

He grabbed her arm and whirled her around to face him. Something flashed across his face, Relena thought it looked like pain, but it quickly vanished leaving her in doubt as to whether she saw anything at all. "What do you want?" She asked coldly, her anger helping to keep her more tender feelings at bay.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Something's come up that requires my immediate attention. Noin has arranged for a replacement detail to accompany you and your date." He spat the last word venomously. If Relena hadn't known Heero was incapable of such an emotion, she might have thought he was jealous.

"Fine."

He released her arm, and neatly sidestepped her as he continued down the hallway to the front of the house. Relena frowned at his retreating back, then turned to go up to her room to change. "It must be something critical for him to skip out on his 'mission', his all-important 'duty'," she scoffed inwardly.

* * * * * *

"No, Noin, absolutely not!" Milliardo growled loudly, his face turning an uncharacteristic shade of purple.

"Zechs, I already invited them," Noin said in a firm voice.

His eyes narrowed to mere slits as he regarded his wife. "What is he trying to do?"

Noin smiled innocently. "I have no idea."

The place was beautiful. It was easily a four-star restaurant with tuxedo-clad waiters and an open atmosphere that hung demurely in the air. The ceiling in the entryway had a painted sky ornamented with jeweled stars and midnight clouds. The main dining room was adorned with exquisite chandeliers that hung in wide gold plumes dangling crystal teardrops that glittered like diamonds. Soft orchestra music trickled in from the ballroom situated next to the dining area. Noin smiled and looked up at her husband dreamily; Zechs seemed equally impressed.

A low voice crackled in her ear, disturbing her reverie. "Target at three o'clock." Noin kept up a false smile as she turned slowly to her right and found Relena's table with her eyes. The former princess appeared to be laughing at something perhaps Duo had said, as the foursome dined comfortably together. A slight twinge of guilt tugged at her heart, as she turned back to look at Heero. His face was, as usual, unreadable despite the grip his 'date' had on his arm. She grinned wickedly at him and he nodded. Just then the maitre'd arrived to escort them to their table.

The whole table laughed as Duo finished his latest joke, "And the blond slammed the mailbox shut harder than ever. So, the neighbor finally couldn't take it any more and had to ask, 'Miss, is there something wrong?' And she replies…" At this point, the storyteller changed the pitch of his voice to do a poor imitation of a woman. " 'Why yes, there most certainly is!'" He paused for full effect, taking a sip of his wine before continuing. "You ready?" He grinned at Relena's eager face; Hilde just rolled her eyes. He continued in his falsetto, "'My computer keeps telling me that I've got mail!'" He said and burst out laughing. Hilde laughed despite herself, and Relena giggled. Trevor (the date) smiled broadly at his friends, and admired the carefree manner and grace of the young lady beside him. She was just what Hilde described, totally amazing.

As the table's laughter died down, Duo reached again for his glass of wine. He sipped from it delicately and was in the process of putting it down when something - no someone caught his attention. His eyes bulged, and he choked slightly as he swallowed the slightly bitter fluid. The glass missed its target as he attempted to set it back down on the table, and the liquid spilled from the glass, staining the white tablecloth and making a blood-red path towards the person sitting across from him - Relena.

With a gasp of surprise, Relena bolted from her chair to avoid staining her dress, and looked around for a waiter. What she saw instead was a tall blond woman, her fair strands pulled uncharacteristically away from her familiar face - done up in a loose bun with delicate curls snaking down her face. She was dressed in a short, clingy red dress, with legs a mile long and clinging to Heero's arm possessively. Relena's eyes widened at the thought that Sally was the business that had suddenly 'come up', taking away her usual bodyguard for the evening. He was dressed in that formal tuxedo he claimed to hate so much, and letting that…that woman touch his arm and smile at him. Behind the couple were more familiar faces - faces of traitors that dared to condone this….travesty, utter travesty of justice. What the hell was Sally doing with Heero when she had Wufei?

A lesser woman might have showed an emotion other than surprise, but Relena was a pro. She quickly masked her expression and sat back down in her chair, oblivious to the fuss the waiter and Duo were making over the spilled wine.

"Something wrong?" Trevor asked with concern.

She turned a dazzling smile to her boyishly handsome date. He was charming and considerate, holding open doors for her to pass through, and being the perfect gentleman. Totally unlike someone else she knew. "I'm fine," she said softly. He smiled back. Relena thought he had a beautiful smile, but couldn't compare it to Heero's because she had never seen one on her sullen favorite's lips.

Despite the flurry of activity Duo was involved in, he was watching Relena's reaction carefully. And amidst all the fuss being made, she never heard the whispered words, "First objective accomplished. Man, have you got balls."

At a table not-too-far-away, Noin snorted inappropriately while everyone silently glanced over their menus. Heero smirked and pulled out his palm device. Instantly, he could see, through the wonders of technology and a tiny camera embedded in a lovely rose pin that Duo 'gave' Hilde to wear that night, the activities of the other table. "First target acquired, Relena's jealous. Next objective - get rid of the date," Heero went over the checklist in his mind. He almost dropped the palm unit in his hand as he was jostled rudely by someone running into his chair. He ripped his attention from his mission to glare up at the retreating back of a familiar-looking waiter.

"Well, that was rude," Sally said firmly as she witnessed the incident. "He didn't even say 'excuse me'." Zechs suddenly got the feeling he was missing something.

Noin excused herself and got up from her seat; she paused and appeared to nod at someone, then made her way to the restroom. As she glided across the black marble floor with that fake smile plastered on her face, she fidgeted with the earring in her left ear, pulling it out just before she reached the safety of the lavatory. She spoke into microphone hidden in her supposedly 'precious' jewelry. "Quatre, you all set for the next stage?"

Back at Relena's table, she was fighting an inner battle with herself over wanting to look to see what Heero and his date were doing, and not wanting to give him the satisfaction. She did make her mind up about one thing - that she and Wufei were going to have a talk.

"Why am I letting this get to me?" She wondered. And perhaps a few days ago, she wouldn't have been so ruffled by the thought of Heero with someone else. She had only wished for his happiness, and knew that someday, that happiness may or may not be dependent on her. But that was before the 'ring incident'. Now, she felt like throwing pacifism out the window and kicking some Preventer butt. She felt totally inadequate and girlish compared to Sally's more mature, womanly form and grace. She took another sip of her wine.

Trevor noticed that since the wine-spilling incident, Relena had become more quiet and withdrawn. He wondered about that. What could have caused the change in her so suddenly? His thoughts were interrupted by a beeping noise. He glanced down at his pager and groaned. "I'm not supposed to be on call tonight!"

Relena looked over at Trevor's sudden outburst and smiled faintly. "Of course, why should anything go right?" she thought dourly. Her date excused himself to find a telephone, and Hilde's chatter began.

"Ugh! Can you believe it? How can she do that, Relena? I mean everyone knows that she and Wufei have the hots for each other - what's she doing with your man?" She hissed.

Relena paled. "He's not my man, Hilde," she said quietly.

"He practically is - he's as much yours as anyone else's. Probably more so, considering the 'ring incident'."

"He doesn't belong to me. And I'd rather forget the 'ring incident'. If Sally makes him happy, then I'm happy," Relena said with a sad smile.

Duo choked on his water, spitting it all over Relena's left arm resting delicately on the table. She scrunched up her nose and grabbed her napkin as Hilde glared at him. "Duo!"

While Relena was still dabbing at her arm, the waiter arrived, bringing soup and appetizers. He refilled Relena's wineglass.

Trevor returned and sat down at the table. Hilde smiled, "Is everything all right?"

Trevor looked over at her, a puzzled expression on his face. "Someone called in saying it was an emergency, and demanded my pager number. But I'm not on call tonight - so I called them back and left a message that they should contact Dr. Westin at his pager number."

"Some emergency," Duo chuckled. "When you have to leave a message."

"Yeah," Trevor agreed and turned his attention to the dark liquid in front of him. Something about it wasn't quite right, he thought as he leaned down to smell the aroma.

The soup smelled a little funny, and he leaned down to sniff at it again. He felt the table quake violently an instant before he felt hot liquid on his face. Trevor sat up, sputtering a little at the burning sensation on his cheeks. He wiped at it with a napkin, smearing brown all over his face and trying desperately to get it out of his hair. Relena gasped, and offered him her napkin, but he was, by this time, completely enraged and trying to hide his embarrassment. He ignored the waiter's pitiful cries of apology and demanded to see the manager. Relena gulped some more of her wine and wished for the night to be over.