A.N. This starts with the not so original topic of an assassination attempt on Relena's life but don't be fooled it changes later on. This is my first fic so don't expect great things. This is a non-yaoi fic.
The Perfect Life
By Stardust
Chapter one
Relena turned around as she heard the reporter scrambling to get a photograph of her coming out of the latest ESUN meeting. She smiled for a few minutes before she got into her limo. It's getting easier and easier to fake them. They don't even notice it's a fake smile... I don't think anyone notices. Relena smiled again at her reflection in the window. It was a hollow smile... nothing but a mask.
~ o ~ o ~ o
"Have any of you noticed anything strange with Relena lately?" Noin asked. She had noted Relena's constant efforts to be isolated of anything and anyone, except her work. She looked around the room worried that she might have been a little paranoid and that Relena was acting completely normal but a round of nods reassured her of her sanity. She had called all of the G-boys, even Heero, and their counterparts with the hope that all of them would be able to help Relena.
"Now that you say it, she has not called me for a month. She used to call me every week." Worry was evident in all of the girls' faces as Hilde spoke.
"You are right. She hasn't called me in a really long while either." Dorothy was used to spending a lot of time with Relena. Since the war ended Dorothy would ask Relena for advice and they had become very close friends.
"Yeah, she used to go to the orphanage every week with me when I would go to check the kids. She has not gone for over a month." Sally had also noticed that Relena's behavior had been changing for a few months, but she had figured that it was normal. After all, she was only a teenage girl.
~ o ~ o ~ o
"Miss Relena! You're home!" Liana, the daughter of one of Relena's maids who had taken a special interest in Relena and in her friends, more specifically in Heero.
"Hello, Liana." Liana would always wait for Relena and follow her around the palace, of course being very careful not to get in her way. It reminded Relena of her self following her dad when she was young.
"Relena, your friends are here and Heero too. They have been talking in Mr. Milliardo's office almost since you went to work." Relena laughed at Liana's information. If you ever wanted to know where anyone in the palace was, Liana could, more likely than not, tell you. "They were talking about a mission and helping you... is there something wrong with you, Relena?" (A.N.: Is it just me or little kids talk a bit too much?)
"No, Liana, everything is fine." Liar, liar pants on fire. Relena's mind screamed. During the last few months she had been becoming more and more depressed. The things happening around her were not helping at all. The ESUN had been especially touchy and was splitting into groups making her job ever so harder. She was also helping Milliardo and Noin with their wedding preparations. To top it all of the ESUN had just decided to rebuild the gundams during the meeting that had just finished. Relena and four other ministers were the only ones to vote against the rebuilding. She had noted that she was so distracted with other stuff she wasn't observant of what was happening around her so she acted more in her emotions than what she normally did. She opted, after a brief discussion with herself, to act as if she knew nothing about them being there for a mission or any other purpose.
"Shall we go and join them Liana... I know that you want to see Heero."
Liana blushed and murmured, "Yes, can I stay with you?"
"Of course you can." Relena would use Liana to control her anger and sadness. She could not break in front of a civilian and much less in front of a small child.
When they were in front of the door to Milliardo's office Liana stood behind Relena and hugged Relena's leg like a little girl would do to her mother. Relena looked at her and smiled as she knocked in the door.
"Come in," Milliardo said nearly shouting, "Relena, you are back from work early!"
"Yes, I wanted to surprise you but it seems that you had your own surprise for me." Relena walked a few steps before stopping and looking around.
"Hi 'Jousan! Long time no see." Duo, like always smiling and opening his arms motioning Relena to hug him, was the first to speak.
"Yes, Duo, indeed it has been a long time." Relena said as Duo picked her up and started turning around making her laugh. Heero, who saw this from a corner of the room, was feeling something as he watch Duo do what he had always wanted to do. Jealousy?? Why would I be jealous? He was about to start a discussion with himself but was to busy noticing how each of the pilots greeted Relena. After Duo had put Relena back on the ground Quatre moved towards her.
"Quatre!! You skipped a meeting!! You are such a naughty boy!!" Relena said in a motherly tone.
"Sorry! But I am sure that my favorite Minister will tell me what it was all about." Quatre always used his charm to get what we wanted. He couldn't have as many sisters as he did without learning how to use it.
"Ok I will tell you later. Now give me a hug I have not seen you in ... two weeks." Relena said as she received a hug and a kiss in the cheek. At this Heero tightly closed his fists but no one seemed to notice except for a young American. Next was Trowa.
"It has been a long time, Relena." Trowa said as he walked with his regular grace.
"Far too long for me." Trowa gave Relena a quick hug and then backed away to let Wufei greet her.
"Woman," Wufei expected an angry Relena but everyone was used to his personality and decided to ignore him. He gave her something that could not be described or called a hug, but it was better than his usual nod. Because of his actions everyone stared at him with wide eyes in disbelieve. Everyone but Relena that is.
Relena and the other four pilots had actually grown pretty close after the war. Quatre was always there to help Relena get through the political meetings and to hear her every thought. Duo would always get her into a good mood and make her smile even after a chaotic day. Trowa and Wufei had taken their time to open up to her. Relena discovered that when she needed an advice Trowa was the one to turn to. Wufei would always help her bring her self-esteem up even though he would only do so when they were completely alone. Heero was the only one she had not completely befriended. Of course he would drop in every few months but he would hardly speak to her. And in those rare visits Liana had meet Heero and was captivated by his mysteriousness, just like Relena was.
Heero was ready to greet Relena but he forgot something, no someone. The girls.
"Relena! You have not called me for a month." One of them shouted as they all moved for a group hug.
"The children at the orphanage ask for you every time I go." Sally had managed to pass through all of the girls and was holding Relena in her arms.
"Sa...lly! Let...go...; can't...; breath." Relena managed to choke as she gasped for air.
"Sorry 'Lena." Sally said as she let go of the young girl.
"It's ok. Next time just let me breath and it will be just fine!" Relena said as all of them laughed.
Well, she is not any different but who knows maybe she is just acting. Heero thought as he saw Relena laughing with the girls before she stopped and looked at him. Heero took that as his cue and neared Relena.
"Relena..." (A.N.: Has anyone noticed that that is the way they always start a conversation?)
"Hello, Heero." Relena turned and saw that Liana was still standing in the doorframe and was staring at Heero. "Liana, come here." With this the girl came out of the shadows. Everyone in the room knew the six year old girl. She was like Relena's shadow. Where Relena was Liana was, too.
"Hi, Heero." Liana was standing next to Relena and looking at the ground. Relena could not do anything but chuckle as she saw Liana blush. Before anyone had time to say anything a servant came to the door.
"Miss Relena, I am terribly sorry to disrupt you but there is an emergency call in the line. It's the President. He said something about the earlier meeting."
"I will go. Everyone excuse me please." Relena's face went from the Relena the people in the room knew to a Relena that was cold and insensitive. When Relena left the room, as it was predicted, Liana went after her.
"See, that is exactly what I mean." Noin said with a sigh.
"Yeah, I think we all noticed it, too." With this last remark the room fell in silence.
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Ok, that is it for the first chapter, tell me what you think. I know nothing happened as of now but it will get better, I promise.
Thanks for reading!!
*Stardust*
