Title: A Wonderful Place
Author: Lanna
Genre: Romance
Rating: PG-13
Note: Blah, I feel like I have a weight on my head and I have to write. That's one of the bad parts of having writing for a hobby. You have a horrid headache and you HAVE to indulge yourself in a story that will probably triple it. On a more positive note, I've realized that I should probably space my paragraphs. Maybe it'll look better now. Once again, I don't say when it's placed in the story, so....I guess eight years or so after the series.
She was so tired now. Day in, day out, she was committed to work, to writing her reports, to guiding eager aides to the light of opportunity. She felt like a machine. Even her speeches, once intellectual and spirited, now seemed half-witted and depressed. How long, she wondered every day, when she had enough time to wonder, that is, how long could she go on like this?
Life was passing her by. In recent years, she had not been able to pass a garden without wondering: Should she be stopping to smell the flowers? Headaches were frequent. She was positive that she had found a gray hair. To the point, Relena Peacecraft was tired. Tired of everything.
To her colleagues and fellow politicians, there seemed to be no change in the prodigy child leader. Close friends were few, and she had lost contact with most of them. The only person she had ever considered a lover was deeply troubled, and though he had returned to her recently, she secretly wondered when he would suddenly be seized with a fit of sullenness, disappearing into the background once more, perhaps for years. And so, she never confided her problems.
"Relena." Noin finally said, having had watched Relena sink farther and farther into exhaustion for a couple of years now, "You need a break. Now, no long lectures -! I know when someone?s in trouble. Your brothers given me enough practice. Here, take this. It's a key to a mountain cabin I recently purchased for a pretty penny. I'm not going to use it until summer, so go on, take a break. I'll set up everything. World leaders need a vacation, you know."
Relena had accepted with a teary thanks, and then had deposited herself in her bedroom, thinking long and hard about some things. When her pondering was done, she got to her vid phone and made the arrangements to take two weeks off in a month. Two weeks, she hoped, would revive her. Hopefully Noin had some gardens, and hopefully she could smell the flowers.
"HEERO! YO, HEERO! OVER HERE, BUDDY!"
On all sides of him rushed people, and through the chaos, he could hear Duo's loud call. Airports, he decided, could be more deadly than most of the missions he had been sent on. Lifting a hand to shade his eyes from the window's harsh light, no doubt enhanced by the complete whiteness of his surroundings, he managed to spy Duo a few yards away, still calling, oblivious to people's stares.
"Hey bud." Duo said, grinning from ear to ear as they met. At his side stood faithful Hilde, looking very harried as she attempted to calm down the three children that were engaged in a mischievous game of tag.
"Howie! Solo! Vanessa, please!"
"I was," continued Duo, trying to be heard over the din of his children's giggles, "Surprised that you agreed to - guys! Please! Give your mother a break here!"
Heero shrugged. "Today was my day off. I had to do something."
"Hello, Heero." Hilde finally greeted him, simultaneously grabbing the collar of a little boy. "Howie! Stop it, or we're going to get right back on that plane. Is that what you want?"
How merely laughed, batting away his mother's hand. "Nah, ma, we couldn't afford it."
"Oh yeah?" Interrupted Duo. "Maybe your old man has some gold tucked away. Such disrespect from a little guy like you!"
Old man. Old man. Something in Heero had a sudden, recognizing snap, like he'd just understood a particularly puzzling code. Duo was now an old man. To his kids, at any rate. Time passed too quickly.
Hilde's voice sliced through his thoughts. "Vanessa! Stop that! The next time I see you hit your little brother, mark my words, you'll...."
Duo leaned closer to Heero, saying in a whisper: "Both of us go too easy on them. Look, there's no chance we'll get to talk right now. But once some things are seen to, I've got something I need to discuss with you."
Heero nodded.
It had to be something important all right. Duo was not the sort to pack up his whole family and travel thousands of miles just to comment on something trivial.
For the next day or so, neither of them got their chance. Heero was busy preparing security for an important lecture Relena would be conducting on trading problems that had arisen recently. Duo, meanwhile, had made up an alibi that they had come to take a look at a renowned zoo, so he was forced to keep his promise.
The whole thing gave Heero a headache. Relena seemed even more downcast lately, and when prompted to talk (usually by Noin or one of her aides) she would only discuss the vacation she was taking, and with what apprehension she considered it. Not only that, but he just wasn't feeling well, and even though it would be described by most as a simple head cold, Heero never got sick, because...well, just because. It was weak.
Deciding to take a detour one evening, in a garden he found outside of the palace, Heero sat himself on a bench and simply sat for a long moment, not really thinking anything worthwhile. His ponderings did, however, consume his attention, for he never even looked up when footsteps sounded to his right.
The array of brilliantly colored flowers had him for an audience, while their sweet perfume was a treat to his senses. A pink petal, loose from it's flower, took the course of wind to find itself on his black jacket. Sighing, Heero averted his eyes to stare at it, flicking it away.
When he raised his eyes once more, there was Relena, bending over a patch of the plants, totally ignoring him. He was confused - hadn't she said something about putting the finishing touches on a lecture?
"You like the garden?" He asked, something prompting him to speak.
She got to her feet, an expression of surprise written on her face. "Heero! I didn't see you there."
He nodded. Yeah, sure.
A long silence followed. "I was just smelling the flowers."
He nodded again.
"Heero," she said, smiling, "As brilliant at conversation as you are, I do think that you could find it in your heart to respond."
"A nod is a response, Relena." He returned.
"Hmmm."
Shaking her head, she bent once more, returning to his sullen gaze with a blue flower in hand. There was a bounce to her step, he noted, as she walked over to him, and, surprising him, placed the flower in the pocket of his jacket. Her warm breath faded over him, and he felt a tingling urgency in his hand, like he ought to move it somehow. Rose red lips opened to speak:
"I'm very tired, Heero. This responsibility is eating away at me. Try and smell this flower. It will give you a whole new perspective on things."
Her words were spoken in a whisper, her voice reminding him of wind chimes blowing in a sweet autumn breeze, warmed by the wonder of a glorious sunset. Her eyes then, were a different case altogether. A raging blue fire, that was it. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
"Say, thank you, Relena."
Silence met this.
A loud sigh was issued from Relena as she moved away from him, a strand of her golden hair licking his cheek. Now, distance between them, she shook her head.
"You're a hopeless case."
****I would, and should, write more to this, but I desperately need a nap. Thanks for taking the time to read this. I do plan on continuing both of my stories, just so ya know. ^_^ ****
A Wonderful Place
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Christine aka Pink Cloud
- Pilot Candidate||Goddess in Training
- Posts: 22
- Joined: Sun Mar 10, 2002 5:00 pm
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
:razz: So can't wait to read more of this! Later!