Love Beyond All Fear 12/13

[Gundam Girl]

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, Madame Butterfly, or Miss Saigon and am making no profit from this fan story.

Love Beyond All Fear ? Chapter 12

By Gundam Girl

?I came to let you know we were here,? Wufei lied quickly after she had regained enough composure to actually hear his words. ?What I?m going to do is go to the hotel Heero and I are at and bring him back here. Then you can see him.?

The very idea of being able to look her husband in the eyes, being able to touch him was almost too much for Relena. ?I can?t possibly thank you enough,? she told him desperately.

Wufei fought to keep his expression from looking guilty. ?Thanking me isn?t necessary. Just wait here for a little while. I?ll hurry, I promise.? He could do nothing else, he thought as he hastened from the room, leaving Relena to smile at the boy that still slept carelessly on the rugged bed.

?Oh, Derek,? she murmured, sitting beside him once more and brushing her fingers over his thin little arm. ?I told you it would happen, didn?t I? I promised that you?d meet your father.? She was just so happy that she could keep that promise.

Nothing mattered to her anymore but the son she had kept safe and the man that had helped create him. Treize was a memory, a thing of the past. Morocco would soon be only a place she had lived in for a little while. America would be their home, and Derek would go to school, and play with children, while Heero worked and Relena kept the house straight ? they would have the life she had always dreamed of having. With her husband and her son.

With a smile, she stared out the tiny window of her room, the light from it orangey gold as it gleamed over the warped wood floor and told her the day was drawing to a close. By the time it came again, Relena thought, she would begin a whole new life, a fresh new start.

Howard, who thundered into the room with heaving breath, jerked her from her dreamy state. His eyes couldn?t be seen from behind his dark sunglasses, but she saw that his forehead was crinkled with worried lines.

?What have you done!? he cried, rushing to her and grabbing her by the wrist. ?What on earth have you done!?

Baffled, Relena stood and wrenched away from the old man. ?What do you mean?? she retorted irritably. ?Wufei was in here, he just left to??

?Exactly!? Howard growled, sounded impressively dangerous for such a skinny, elderly person. ?He?s left! And you just let him walk out. Whatever he fed you, some story about Yuy, you ate it from his palm. What if he?s off to leave and go back to the States with a mind to strand us here!?

?He isn?t!? exclaimed Relena, alarmed by the notion. ?He just went to the hotel to get Heero. He and Heero are going to come back here and??

?The hell they are!? spat Howard. ?He?s a ghost from three years ago. Just because his face is familiar and his words are kind doesn?t mean you can trust a ghost! Now,? he said, voice slightly calmer as he pressed a hand to her shoulder and led her to the stairs. ?Follow him. You said he went to the hotel? Then that?s our best bet. He may have no motive to lie, but there?s no reason for us to just drink in anything he says. If he?s screwing with us, make sure you call him on it.?

Relena felt sick at the thought. Wufei wouldn?t have made this up. He wouldn?t have lied.

?Don?t worry for your son,? Howard added. ?I?ll keep a close watch on him for you. But don?t lose his only chance for a good life, Relena. Now go!?

She half-stumbled out of the shack, pale and perspiring in the blazing dusk sun. Why would Howard be suddenly so suspicious? He?s just frightened. We?re all frightened, she told herself.

Halfway to the nearby hotel, she stopped and braced a hand on a residential fence, gaining back her breath and her clear head. Inhaling deeply, she thought of the past ? the good memories of Heero, and then she thought of the future ? the memories they were sure to make together.

The smile came back to her face. What did Howard truly know of the human heart? What did he know of love? Nothing. He knew of money, though, and he knew of survival, so she had to be thankful towards him for that at least.

With a much lighter soul, she continued on her way towards the hotel, a hand close to her face to shield her eyes from the strong glare of the sun.

If she had lowered her hand, she would have seen Wufei leading Heero toward the shack, and she would have seen the anxiousness on Yuy?s face.

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There were only two rooms being occupied in the entire ten-room hotel, and one of those was used by the hotel owner himself. When Relena asked for the number of the other room, the owner had leered at her.

?Number two. But you could always come to number one,? he?d slurred, ?and put your good talents to some user there, eh??

Relena hadn?t so much as looked him in the eye before striding off towards the used room that was not number one. She thought again of how wonderful it would be once they were out of this sand pit.

In front of the door, she suddenly grew extremely self-conscious. Although Heero had told her numerous times that he found her prettier than any American girl he?d known, she still tried in vain to straighten her hair by finger-combing it.

With a small sigh, she relented and raised a hand. With just a moment hesitance, she knocked clearly three times.

It took a second, but there were footsteps that grew louder as the person making them neared. There was a clicking sound as the door unlocked and sliding noise as it was unbolted. When the panel swung in, it was held open only a few inches, as the chain had been left on.

A woman?s eyes peered out, shining silver with a shrewd gleam to them. Obviously, she had no intention of being taken by surprise. ?Yes?? she asked in a sure, audible voice.

Relena felt far less certain of herself. ?Good evening,? she said quietly.

The woman replied smoothly, ?There?s no need for you to turn down the beds, we?ll see to it ourselves.?

Puzzled, Relena suddenly understood. ?Oh, I?m not the maid,? she informed her quickly. ?I?m??

The woman appeared befuddled as Relena searched for words, rubbing her hands nervously. ?What do you want?? she asked carefully.

?I?m looking for Heero Yuy,? Relena told her. ?Perhaps they gave me the wrong room number? I was told this was the only room being rented, but I?m sorry to intrude?? She then saw the recognition on the other woman?s face. ?Unless?oh, of course! You?re Wufei?s wife, yes?? She found it difficult to believe that Wufei had left the woman named Sally that Heero had told her about. Heero had said, despite his outward coolness, Wufei cared very deeply for a nurse who lived in New York.

The woman?s eyes were wide, and her cheeks were as pale and Relena?s had been just minutes ago. ?Oh my God,? she murmured. ?Oh, Lord in? I see. This? This just had to happen, didn?t it? Just a moment.? Her voice was shaky on the last few syllables.

The door closed and there was a metallic released sound. Then the door opened again, this time all the way. The woman stood there with her hand on the knob, tall, with auburn hair and a fretful expression.

?You must be? Of course you are, you?re Relena. Aren?t you?? she asked.

Relena could only nod, negatively affected by this woman?s apparent unease.

?Well, Heero? He left with Wufei to find you. Not even five minutes ago. You must have just passed them. Why did you come? Why did? Never mind. Please come inside.? She stepped to the side and urged Relena in with an outstretched hand. Dutifully, Relena entered the small rented room.

?I won?t hurt you,? she added quickly, shutting the door behind them, as if it were of the utmost importance that she made it known. ?I?m not married to Wufei. I?m?Heero?s wife,? she ended on a sigh, a sound of complete exhaustion. ?My name is Catherine. Catherine Bloom-Yuy. I?m Trowa Barton?s half-sister.?

Relena hadn?t heard a word past ?Heero?s wife.? When she noticed that Catherine had stopped speaking, her head slowly started to shake. It wasn?t true; there was no possible way for it to be true. ?Tell me you?re lying,? she whispered, breathing shallow as she spoke.

Catherine sunk down on one of the two poorly-made beds. Relena continued to stand, rigid and straight as a board. ?I can?t. I?m sorry.? But why was she sorry? ?It?s the truth. Heero and I, we?ve been married for two years.?

Relena was staring hard in her direction, but it didn?t seem to Heero?s wife that she was really looking at her. ?He told me? He promised me to take me.?

?He said he tried to reach you,? Catherine replied uncertainly. ?But he couldn?t. He tried for a whole year??

Relena cut in passionately, ?Please! Tell me you?re not married! You don?t understand ? You can?t know what I?ve done to get this far, get this close to him!?

?And you don?t know how much he needed to start over,? returned Catherine. ?He was like a ghost when I met him, like a man without any real life inside of him. I changed that, I healed him.?

The words hurt. They cut Relena directly in the heart, and she bled through to her soul. She felt like there were walls inside her, closing in around her, cutting off air, cutting off life? ?I can?t win, can I?? she whispered.

Catherine?s lower lip began to tremble, but she forced herself to be composed. ?Wufei told us of the child; he said it was Heero?s???

?Yes, ma?am,? Relena said quickly, almost snapping out the words. ?My son is Heero?s son.?

Catherine felt her hands clench of an accord that she wished wasn?t her own. ?Well, of course?you know, we?ll help with him.?

?I don?t need any pity,? the blond woman bit out, her voice laced with spite. ?Please keep yours.?

?It isn?t charity,? insisted Catherine. ?It?s our duty as?? She nearly said Americans, but decided the word was wrong for the situation. ?As human beings. I hope your son will be all right, I really do.?

?Do you?? Relena demanded. ?Do you really? Because I had a hope for him, too. A dream, that he would grow up differently from how I grew up, that he was actually belong somewhere!?

?We?re not rich,? Catherine said gently, trying to step away from the idea of belonging, ?but we?ll do what we can. I?m positive Heero and I feel the same way about that.?

Relena exhaled, her eyes dangerously focused, as she shook her head at Catherine. ?Then you understand. You understand that?? She squeezed her shut a moment, then opened them again. ?You must take Derek with you.?

Catherine stood up in surprise. Relena took a step back. ?Take your child from you?? she repeated. ?Oh, but that?s impossible, Relena!?

?You will,? Relena assured her. ?That?s the only way he?ll get I want him to have.?

?But Relena, he needs you, and? And also, Heero?s married to me now. We want our own kids.? We just haven?t had any yet, Catherine thought achingly.

?I know why you say you can?t take Derek. I know why,? Relena repeated, ?and I don?t care. You can tell me anything you want; you can tell me Heero doesn?t love me anymore, or that he doesn?t love my son.? She trembled violently as she met Catherine?s eyes. ?But not a word will matter coming from you. Let me hear it from him! Tell him to come and tell it to my face!?

With that, she pushed away from the wall she had pressed against and whipped open the door.

?Relena!? Catherine called. But the mother dashed out of the room with more speed than the American woman could ever hope to possess. Dear God, she thought, lowering back down to the bed. What did I do? I didn?t want this.

She hadn?t come to Morocco to meet a young woman who claimed she loved the man she was married to; she certainly hadn?t come to fight with the woman. She?d come with Heero and Wufei to be support to her tortured spouse. But so far it seemed she?d done a poor job of it. Heero had been in a right state leaving the hotel. Nothing Catherine had said had been able to calm him in the slightest.

And now, Relena? What had she bungled, speaking with her? Arguing with her? She wanted to give up her son to them though! What an idea that was, to just take a child that wasn?t hers? How could anyone in their right mind ask another to do that?

But perhaps Relena wasn?t necessarily in her right mind. After all she had been through, Catherine couldn?t really expect her to be. Her blue eyes had reflected true horror, something most people Catherine knew had never realized. And her voice had reflected true torture, something most people never really knew.

She didn?t want to be someone responsible for causing that. And Heero would need to go back and see his son.

But if he did, Relena would be there. She would be there with him and?awaken all sorts of memories and feelings that, like any woman, Catherine didn?t really want him remembering or feeling.

But what else could she do? It wasn?t, she told herself sternly, as though Heero would up and leave her for Relena and the child they?d made between them.

Would he?

She?d no sooner finished the thought than Heero and Wufei burst into the room, both faces full of frustration.

?We couldn?t find Relena anywhere!? exclaimed Heero. ?Just that old bastard, Howard.?

?She was right there,? insisted Wufei, probably not for the first time. He received a Yuy glare.

Catherine stood up from the bed and made an act of smoothing the front of her skirt. ?Don?t worry,? she told them both. ?Relena didn?t go anywhere. She was here.?

?She was?here?? echoed Heero, his eyes wide with disbelief. ?But we would?ve seen her, wouldn?t we?ve??

?She knows this place a bit better than us,? Wufei said. ?What on earth was she doing here??

?Looking for you,? Catherine said, looking at her husband. ?And the one who had to tell her it all, was me.?

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