Ordinary People chapter 2

[Penguin on the Shore]

Ordinary People

Chapter Two: The Act

Heero clasped the zipper in between is index finger and thumb, and began to pull it up the length of Relena?s exposed back. He wasn?t fast enough, though; just as the zipper was almost halfway up, the intruders came upon them. He first heard their footsteps stop abruptly as they approached, and then heard a small gasp from a woman.

Heero?s hand itched for a gun, but he had been required to come to the party unarmed, to avoid complications with the host?s tight security. He didn?t take his hands off Relena?s dress as his head snapped around to identify the interlopers; he froze in surprise at who he found watching them from a few feet away.

?Oh, excuse us,? Quatre laughed. His eyes traveled from Heero?s jacket, crumpled on the ground, to a half- undone Relena. ?We had no idea!? His sister?the drunk one with the party hat?stood beside him, mouth gaping.

Heero turned back to finish zipping Relena up before he turned around to face Quatre.

?There was a problem with the wire,? he explained quietly.

?Ah, yes,? Quatre was enjoying Heero?s apparent discomfort. He stood facing him, arms pinned to his side, shoulders tense, and the expression on his face stony. Despite this, it was unlike him to be unkind past joking, so he changed directions. ?Were you able to repair it??

?Yes. I had a replacement.? As if this reminded him, he turned to retrieve his jacket from the ground.

Quatre turned to Relena, who had turned herself to face Quatre and his sister. She wasn?t holding her dress up anymore, but her arms were still crossed, and she was once again shivering. ?Miss Relena, I hope he didn?t manhandle you in your vulnerable state??

?No,? Relena smiled a bit. ?He was the perfect gentleman.? She cast a sideways glance toward Heero, who hadn?t put on his jacket, and was standing with his hands on his hips, glaring at Quatre. Relena resisted the urge to giggle a bit.

?I don?t believe I?ve ever introduced you to my sister, Miss Relena,? Quatre said, gesturing to the woman beside him. Her mouth was now closed, and she?like Relena? was holding her arms close to her body, shivering slightly.

?I believe I?ve only met one of them?Claudia, was it??

?Yes, that?s right. But this is Marie. Marie, Vice Foreign Minister Relena??

?Oh, Quatre, never mind the formalities. Pleased to meet you, Marie.? Relena stepped forward to take one of Marie?s hands in both of hers in greeting.

?Likewise, Miss Relena. I?m sorry if I made a bad impression earlier in the ballroom. Quatre thought having one of us stumbling drunk might be useful.?

Another act, Relena thought. There certainly had been a lot of forethought for tonight?s plans. Was this operation more risky or high- profile than she had been led to believe?

?No, no; you were very convincing,? she laughed, ?No offense.?

?None taken. It?s actually a little fun.?

?Quatre,? Heero interrupted, ?aren?t you supposed to be taking care of Asquith right now??

?Don?t worry, I?ve set my sisters on him. He?ll be primed and putty in my hands when they?re done with him.?

?See that he is.? He pulled the left sleeve of his shirt back a little to check the watch beneath it. Relena saw that it was a plain- faced clock with a simple, silver band; she wondered whether it had been issued to him or if he had chosen it himself. ?And you need to hurry in getting to him?we only have a few hours left, at the most. I want extra time to allow for possible errors.?

?There will be no errors, Heero.?

Suddenly remembering that she wasn?t ready to leave just yet, Relena looked to Heero. ?Heero, we can?t go back until you?ve fastened all the hooks on my dress. It?s noticeable.?

Heero had turned to her when she?d spoken his name, so she could see the look of trepidation that now graced his face?clearly a result of the thought of having to do up all those little hooks. They were so small. He didn?t hesitate in approaching her to complete his task. Before signaling for her to turn around again, he handed her his jacket to hold. He started at the lowest of the hooks, fumbling with them only slightly.

Quatre and Marie remained in the dead end with them, now exchanging poorly suppressed grins at Heero?s slow progress.

?Alright, Heero, step aside,? Marie ordered as she walked toward the two. Relena turned her head over her shoulder to see what was going on.

Heero had moved aside?as ordered?and Marie had taken over the job of doing up the clasps of Relena?s dress. Certainly, it wasn?t a difficult task, but Marie was making better time at finishing it with her smaller hands.

?There we are, Miss Relena.?

?Thank you, Marie.?

?Are we ready to go back in, Quatre??

Quatre glanced at his watch. ?Yes, if we get started back now, we should be right on time.?

?Right, then,? said Marie as she cocked the flimsy hat at more of a leftward angle than it had been before. She put her arm through the one her brother offered her, and they started off down the path out of the dead end. Heero and Relena watched them exchange a few words and a laugh, after which they both turned around to wave before disappearing around the corner.

Relena turned to look at Heero, who stood staring straight ahead. ?We?ll wait here for a few minutes so we won?t overtake them on our way back,? he said, still not looking at her. He held his arm straight out toward her, offering her his jacket once again. He kept his eyes locked on the spot were Quatre had been.

?Thank you.? Relena put the jacket around her shoulders. Unlike the first time she had donned it, it had none of Heero?s warmth left in it. She shuddered in the silence that settled between them.

After a minute or two of silence, Heero turned to face Relena, and the sudden movement drew her attention to him. He had his hands in his pockets.

?Relena??

?Yes??

?We need to leave here in about two minutes if we want to get back to the ballroom on schedule.?

?Alright.?

?I need to explain the rest of what?s going to happen tonight.?

?I just assumed you were going to make sure I engaged in whatever conversation you wanted to pick up on the wire. Are you going to tell me what to say? What about Quatre?what?s his involvement in all this??

He took two steps closer to her, hands still in his pockets. He was standing at her side so he spoke down into her ear when he said: ?We need to keep this part quiet.?

Relena turned her head to look up at him, but quickly turned away again, unnerved by his closeness. If anyone came upon them now, it would only appear that they were sharing an intimate?however innocent?moment, not discussing the finer details of a Preventer operation.

He spoke in a well articulated whisper now. ?Quatre is going to engage Asquith in a conversation and draw out the desired information. You will be near enough to the conversation to pick it up with the wire.?

?And his sisters?? Relena whispered back, not turning to him.

?Asquith wouldn?t answer the questions Quatre?s going to ask in his right mind??

?Then they?re getting him drunk??

?Not quite; that could take too long, and it might not make a strong enough effect on him. They are plying him with drinks, but there?s something extra in there that will relax his inhibitions. If anyone notices him acting strangely, they will only assume he?s had too much to drink.?

?Will he remember? What if he puts things together tomorrow and remembers what he said, and that Quatre and his sisters were close??

?That?s where you come in. Even if someone were to become suspicious tonight and check Quatre for something incriminating, they would find nothing; you?ve got the wire, and the uninhibiting drug will have been used up and on its way through his body. No matter what happens, they won?t be able to prove that Quatre?s done anything underhanded. And by the time there?s evidence to prove it, Asquith will be in no position to make threats against anyone.?

?What?re the Preventers trying to find out about him??

?I won?t explain it now. You?ll know it when you hear it.?

?Alright.? Relena looked down to the ground. ?Heero, if the wire hadn?t come loose tonight, how would this have worked out? Have there been changes because of it??

?The plan was always for me to get you near the conversation to pick it up. I was going to take you to the meeting spot Quatre and I designated for their conversation early, so I could explain things there. Now we?ll get there just before them, so as not to look suspicious.?

Relena and Heero stood in silence for a few seconds, while Relena digested the new information.

?Why me??

Heero hesitated before responding. ?You were already expected to attend this party. No one would suspect you of plotting against Asquith, as you?ve been acquainted and on good terms with him for several years. Your high- profile status would make you even less suspect. You?re trustworthy, and easy for me to work with.?

Relena turned to look up at him again, this time a look of astonishment on her face.

But he countered: ?Commander Une has confidence in your ability to aid us and not become a nuisance.?

Relena turned away. ?I see then.?

?Relena, I??

?Shall we go now? I don?t want to ruin things by wasting time with explanations. I?m sure I?ll catch on well enough.? She shrugged Heero?s jacket off her shoulders and handed it back to him. She waited for him to put it on and button it up before she began walking out of the dead end. Once they turned the corner, she let Heero lead the way, as she didn?t want to become anymore lost than she felt in the cold, towering hedges.

She knew they were drawing nearer to the ballroom as she felt the temperature gradually rise. She was starting to hear traces of music from within the hall. When the hedges began to turn to rose bushes again, she felt something brush against her elbow. Heero was holding out his arm for her to take, and was looking at her somewhat expectantly. She slipped her bare arm around his coated one and looked forward just as they re- entered the courtyard. There were still a few people outside, seated on benches in sets of two; but it was clear by the more upbeat music in the hall that the promise of lighthearted dancing had drawn most of them back inside.

Back to the act, Relena thought.

Upon entering the hall, Heero and Relena took a purposeful?but not rushed?course to the small lounge area where Relena had come to find Heero after midnight. While passing through the section of larger tables, she tried not to look around too much, but she couldn?t help but hear the ringing laughter of what she knew to be Quatre?s scheming sisters.

?I suppose they?re taking care of their part, then?? Relena said, smiling for appearances only.

?They certainly are,? replied Heero, once again in his uncharacteristically amiable voice.

Heero led them to a small table among others like it, and pulled the plush, red seat out for her. He took his place in the seat directly adjacent to hers, rather than across the table, as Relena would have expected of him.

No one was around yet, and the laughter of Quatre?s sisters could still be heard among many others in the ballroom. They had some time to kill. And an awkward time it would be, both of them knew. Heero bent his head down toward his lap, closing his eyes for a moment; Relena sighed and turned away from her ingenuine partner, staring at a napkin sitting on a nearby table.

Heero was the first to snap into action. ?Would you like something to drink, Relena??

?Hmm? Oh, yes, that?s fine,? she uttered distractedly, turning her attention to an empty glass on the table beyond their?s.

Frozen by her indifference, Heero rose from his seat and stalked off toward the bar. As he walked, he began to worry, and as he began to worry, he commenced a reflection of what may be the cause. Relena was distracted, which wasn?t good, especially this close to executing the main objective. But something else tugged at his mind for attention?yes, it was the tone she?d used when she?d just answered him. It wasn?t totally distracted. There was something there for him; she was annoyed. Yes, that was it: annoyance.

?What?ll you be having tonight, sir??

?I?ll have a vodka tonic?no vodka.? The bartender raised his eyebrows, but Heero was unmoved. ?And I need something colorful?pink if possible??

?For the young lady just over there?? the bartender said, pointing a finger to Relena.

?Yes??

?Virgin, too??

?Please.? Heero turned back to look at Relena. She was the only one sitting in the sea of small tables, which made her look uncharacteristically vulnerable. She looked unhappy, meaning she was loosing focus on her part of the operation, which merely constituted maintaining a happy appearance throughout the night. But more than that? she looked like she didn?t want to be there. Heero had never considered that as a possibility. He swung around to face the bartender. ?And could you make her?s taste?um??

?Sweet??

?Sure.?

?You?ve got it.?

As he headed back to Relena, a drink in either hand, he glanced in the direction of the ballroom. It was still bursting with guests, all of whom were still on their feet, even though a few looked close to being incapacitated by exhaustion or intoxication. Weaving through the crowd, though, was Asquith, a woman on one arm, another under the other, and about three in tow. They were coming to the tables, just as planned?if not a few minutes late. No matter; he needed to get Relena back into shape before they got too close. People would be watching something of a scene in no time, and he and Relena were bound to be a part of it.

?Relena,? he said, to get her attention as he handed her glass to her.

She looked up and took the drink elegantly in one hand, her eyes widening at the long- necked glass. She raised her eyebrows at him as he took his seat next to her.

?What?? he said lightly, knowing full well what she was thinking.

?Pink??

?Yes.? He turned to her, fully aware that they were fairly close. ?I thought you liked pink.?

?Well, maybe when I was a girl. I don?t need everything to be pink.?

?Not even your car?? Heero was smirking, differently this time from the other smirks he had made throughout the evening. For the first time, Relena had trouble deciding whether Heero was merely acting genuine, or genuinely being genuine.

Her mouth in the perfect shape of an, ?O,? as she gasped, she retorted, ?No; for your information, Officer Yuy, the car I rode in tonight is black.?

?Oh, well please pardon me, Miss Relena, for entertaining such obtuse ideas about the preferences of a respected, accomplished?? Relena was smiling now, ?honorable politician such as yourself.?

?Well, I suppose I can allow one blunder tonight, Officer Yuy. Just don?t let it happen again,? she laughed.

Laughter rang out from another woman behind Heero and Relena. It was the heralding of Asquith and company?s entrance. Relena?s smile vanished as she instinctively turned to look. Steeling himself for everything he knew would follow from this point on, Heero threw out his hand to gently catch her cheek in mid- turn. He steered her face back towards him. Her eyes were wide.

?Don?t. Remember, we don?t know what?s going on behind us.? Relena nodded. ?And we don?t care.? Relena remained stock still, but Heero knew he had to go on; he had to make sure they kept to the act. Quatre?s sisters were noisily taking seats around the table behind them. Asquith was muttering jolily in response to their charming, giggling conversation. ?Relena, I apologize for putting you in this position??

?Good evening, Mr. Asquith!? It was Quatre.

Everything else was progressing smoothly, and this had to as well. Heero placed his free hand on Relena?s other cheek, and drew her face closer to his; his hand dropped from one side of her face so he could draw her ear closer to his lips. He moved her curled hair aside to expose her ear to his message.

?But, please, Relena,? he whispered, ?I need you to trust me, and to follow my lead.?

A/N: Well, there you have it-- chapter two! I should warn whoever wants more that though the third chapter is coming along, it's been coming along for almost a year now. But I think I can have it up soon, so stick with me. Reply; let me know what you think; drop me a line just so I know someone's read this, yeah? Thanks for reading. 2/3/08

[11krage]

I loved it, really looking forward to the next chapter. I couldn't stop laughing in the part where Quatre teased Heero

[HiFreak]

Next chapter please!!!

[Emdyn]

i first read this on FF.net and suddenly remembered i read it here somewhere too, i just didn't know you updated the second chapter aswell... LOL
anyway, i really love it! i hope it won't take another year to update, that'd be a horror, since it just gotten so interesting O____o
please, please, please update soon!!
~Emdyn