It Happened To Me- Chapter 12

[DragonLadyKira]

If I owned Gundam Wing I wouldn?t be writing fanfics, I?d go straight to the books and make the ending I wanted. But for those that don?t understand, I do not own Gundam Wing or anything else for that matter.


It Happened To Me- Chapter Twelve

Relena emerged from the airstation terminal; shielding her eyes from the sun, she scanned the crowd for a familiar face or two. People brushed past her while she stood in her place waiting for someone to come for her. Milliardo told her on the phone last night that she was not to move from the gate until someone she knew retrieved her. So, she stood, boredom quickly over took her and she became intrigued with the pattern on the carpet. Relena studied the colors and patterns until a pair of black work boots came into view. She trailed the shoes up the owner?s denim clad legs, over the un-tucked black dress shirt, to a face with a mop of rich, brown hair that hung in a pain of prussian blue eyes. Heero gave her an ardent look, though from the outside one would only see a mask of impassiveness. But Relena was an expert Heero-reader and she knew a warm look from him when she saw it. ?Welcome back, Relena.?
She smiled brightly at him. ?Thank you. It feels better to be back. Where?s Beth??
Heero studied her for signs of distress before answering her. ?She?s with Duo and Hilde. I don?t have a car seat for her.?
Relena nodded and thread her arm through his. ?Well then, let?s get a move on so I can go see her.?

An hour or so later the two were on their way to the Maxwell?s before returning to Heero?s apartment. Relena dozed lightly with her forehead pressed against the window and her knees curled to her chest. Only a part of Heero?s mind was on the road. The rest of him was trying to figure out why Relena was acting the way she was. Her husband committed suicide before she left and someone she knew was murdered in front of her eyes. It was Heero?s guess that because Relena had seen war- countless deaths in front of her very eyes- that nothing like this could really throw her off now and the therapy provided relief for what little shock she may have received. A wry grin found it?s way across Heero?s face. A matter as big and final as death wouldn?t daunt the young woman, but when it came to matters of the heart she was thrown completely off the bandwagon.

He stole a glance at the woman curled in the passenger seat. He knew that he was in love with her. He always had been, ever since that day on the beach. He may not have known the foreign emotion then, but he could look back now and identify it for what it was. Heero wanted to give her the happily every after she dreamed of, but right now, he tread on tedious ground. He didn?t know how to approach the situation without making it worse. It was too soon after her husband?s death to start trying to go through the age-old ritual of dating and such. Besides, the way things ran last time, he wasn?t even sure if the ?dating? bit was right way to go. He shook his head and turned his full attention back to the road.

Relena awoke to the smell of a combination of fresh coffee and a scented pine tree. Her eyes fluttered open and were greeted by the dark, endless nighttime sky. She stretched; alerting the car?s other occupant of her wake. Heero handed her a coffee cup with its contents still steaming and she sipped it gratefully. An awkward silence filled the car, suffocating them both, though neither would be the first to break it just yet. Something needed to be said, and quickly, but the surprise lay in the person who made the first move.
?Um? Relena, do you want to talk about it??
She smiled slightly. ?Heero, I?ve talked about it enough in the past month. I?m okay, really.?
He pried his eyes from the passing scenery for a glimpse at the woman in the passenger?s seat. ?Relena, your brother?s worried that you may relapse because of what happened.?
She met his eyes momentarily before he looked away, back to the road. ?I?m fine, no matter what my brother or anyone else thinks.?
He nodded and pulled the car into the Maxwell?s driveway.

The meeting was brief, the four adults not wanting to tread on unstable ground just yet. Beth was passed from Hilde to Relena and Heero and Duo shook hands. There were a few hugs, some laughter, and a lot of understanding. The ride between the Maxwell?s and Heero?s apartment was short-lived, walking distance really. But they were already in the car. Her luggage was dragged out of the trunk and up the stairs then left in the entryway. His apartment was small and clean, the furniture sparse, and the walls bare. But in one corner of Heero?s bedroom, there was Beth?s white crib and all of her stuffed animals and blankets. A closer look and Relena found bottles in the sink to be dried, packages of diapers and wipes on the floor near the couch, and what looked like Beth?s security blanket underneath the comforter on Heero?s bed. Heero helped Relena with the pull out couch before returning to his room to change into his pajamas. She changed into a white linen nightgown in the bathroom while she waited for him. When he emerged in his black cotton pants and a dark green nightshirt, Relena changed Beth and started to put her in her crib when Heero stopped her. ?Uh? Relena?Beth?s been sleeping in my bed with me.?
Relena stood, balancing the baby on her hip, and a smirk running along her face. ?You slept with the baby in your bed??
Heero tried to keep himself in check, but a small blush found its way to his cheeks. He felt so stupid and embarrassed, but he?d grown accustomed to Beth?s tiny body curled atop his own. ?Yeah??
To say she was shocked was an understatement. Heero Yuy?s soft side wasn?t just peeking out; it had reared its head and was charging into the open. Not only did he admit he slept with the baby in his bed, but he was blushing. ?How about we let Beth sleep in her crib out in the living room and I?ll keep you company.?
Relena surprised herself such a forward remark, but when she saw the astonishment in his eyes, she could only just grin and think to herself, ?The devil made me do it.? But he didn?t argue, quite the contrary, he complied.



Sorry ?bout the complete angst in the last two chapters. What can I say? The devil made me do it. So anyway, I had to make up for the entire schlemiel and end this chapter all fluffy! Heero was kind of OOC at the end here, but you know what, even the perfect soldier can learn to love and be loved.
~*~Jess~*~