Her mother's daughter chapt 13 -complete

[Ame-san]

Chapter 13



" We need to get to the hospital now." She looked a little too composed at the current situation that it seemed almost frightening. How could she be so calm when her daughter's life was in danger? She was strong, that was why. She was too strong that nobody, not even herself realized just how scared she was. He knew her secret though; he had seen the fear in her eyes; he had watched her suppress the trembling of her hands.

She ignored his presence and rushed out the door toward her car, yet he followed without delay. Before she could open the door to her car, her hands were pulled back by a stronger force.

" Relena, give me the keys, I'll drive." He ordered yet his eyes pleaded, for he felt her fear too. " There is no way you can drive now, not like this." His voice was firm and commanding.

" No, I'm fine, Heero." She shot back at him the same unyielding look. " I don't need any help."

She proceeded to unlock the door of her car. Heero knew that she would never give up, not unless he use some force to convince her. He grabbed her arm and pulled the keys out of her hand ignoring her protest.

" Give them back! We don't have time to waste, Heero! My daughter is hurt, and she's in the hospital right now! " She almost sounded like she was begging.

" She's my daughter too!"

She froze at his sudden outburst.

" Just get into the other side of the car, Relena!" He gently pushed her away and opened the door. She glared at him in frustration but complied nonetheless.

The ride to the hospital was quiet like any other time when one spends with Heero Yuy. Aside from her worries for Liz, she was stunned to see Heero's burst of emotion. 'Did he really care for Liz? It's so unlike him to show signs of worry over anybody.'

"Heero?"

" Hn?"

" I'm really sorry for being so stubborn back there." She felt badly about her behavior.

" Relena, " He said without looking at her. " you don't always have to be so strong."

" I know, but I need..."

" It's ok to be afraid." He glanced at her and gave her a ghost of a smile.

She stared at him rather confused, but she had to admit it was comforting to hear him say that. She glanced out the window and prayed that Liz was alright, for she couldn't possibly live with herself if Liz were hurt badly. Liz was her treasure, her pearl, her life.

It all went so fast at the hospital. Lena could swore that if Heero hadn't come with her, she wouldn't have the strength to handle everything on her own. Liz was unconscious, but the doctor told them that she would wake up in no time. She had received a blow on the head which caused a light concussion; she didn't have any other injuries save for a few bruises. Still, it ached the mother's heart.

Lena sat in a chair right beside her daughter's bed. She was completely worn out. Her hands clutching Liz's hoping that she could feel her somehow. Heero stood near by against the wall, refusing to sit, for he was keeping a silent vigil for Liz, his daughter.

" Heero?" Lena called out his name with some tenderness. " Thanks."

" It's the only thing I could do." He spoke and walked toward where she sat. This time he landed his right hand on her shoulder, first reluctantly and somewhat awkward, but he did it anyway. Lena lifted up her head and smiled softly at him.

" Thank you. Heero."

It had been six hours, Liz was still unconscious. Lena had fallen asleep too beside the bed with her hands still clutched in Liz's. Heero carried her to the nearby couch without her knowledge and resumed his vigil in Lena's place under the dim night light of the hospital room. It had been the first time since they met that he was able to actually look at his daughter carefully. She was his daughter alright, the hair, the nose, the shape of the face, they were exactly replicas of his. He felt proud, very proud as a father. ' Do I even deserve to be called a father?' He stared at his sleeping daughter who shared his fierceness and Relena's gentle nature. She was beautiful, she would always be beautiful in his eyes. ' I've missed so much of your life. Sixteen years, I haven't been by your side in your whole entire life. Even when I knew your existence, I was too afraid to confront you, to take the responsibility as a father. Would you ever forgive me? Would you ever love me as your father rather than some stranger you met in a park?' Heero lightly brushed off some hair from her face, but like his they fell back into place. ' You are just like me. So stubborn and untamed.' He chuckled quietly. ' No. I don't want you to be like me. You should never want to be like me. You are your mother's daughter, so sweet, and gentle, and kind, yet at the same time brave. Not like me.' He sighed. ' I wish I were there when you were born, when you took your first step, when you said your first word, when you learned to run. I wish that I hadn't missed all of that. I wish...'

" Heero?" It was Lena's voice. She had woken up. " Heero? Is she awake yet?"

" No." He replied to her without turning around to face her. He couldn't face her, he just couldn't do it.

" I'm going to get some coffee; I don't think I should sleep any longer. " She got up the couch stretching her arms. " Thanks for bringing me over here." She chuckled lightly pointing at the couch. " You want some coffee?"

" No, I'm fine. Thanks. " He shook his head.

" Ok, then. I'll be right back." She slid open the door.

" Heero?"

" Yeah?" He turned back to look at her. It seemed as if she wanted to say something to him, but she shook her head instead.

" It was nothing." She left.

He was again left to his silent reverie. ' You mother is really worried about you, and I am worried about you too. Please wake up soon.' He covered her cold hands with his, trying to warm them up. ' My hands, they are so stained.'

" I know that I haven't been the best father, well, I haven't been a father at all, but I would do anything to make it up to you." He spoke out loud to no one. " I'll always be there to protect you, I promise."

Movement. Movement from her hands under his. Then movement from her eyes, which she struggled to open them. " Mom?" She groaned. " Mom, where are you?"

She opened her eyes eventually, and the first person she saw was none other than Heero Yuy.

" Heero?" She sounded weak, but there was still a certain amount of strength underneath.

" Shh." He told her to be quiet. " Are you feeling alright?"

" Yeah, I'm fine. Just my head hurts like hell." She was back to her old self. " Where is my mom?"


" She went to go get coffee."

She stared at him for a moment and then continued. " Have you...have you been here the whole time?"

He nodded. " Yeah."

" Hey, thank you." She spoke her feelings honestly.

" For what?" He wasn't sure why he asked.

" For being there for me, Heero." She told him.

" Well, it is the least I can do after all these years." He averted his gaze off of her and stared down at his hands, his stained hands. " It was my responsibility."

" But you didn't have to." She tried to make him feel better.

" Yes, I did have to, and I tried to run away."

" Stop talking like that, I'm not well enough to argue with you, Heero." She was still in pain. " You are here now, that's a start."

Silence.

" Elizabeth?"

" Yes?"

" I never knew my father either. " He kept his eyes gazing downward. " I was so stupid to let that happen to you too. I didn't know what I was thinking." He studied her face. " I want you to know that I'll try to always be there for you from now on." He took a deep breath. " And... I promise you that I'll do all I can to protect you." It wasn't easy coming out of the mouth of Heero Yuy, but he did it nonetheless. He had to do it sometime, and this was his only chance to tell her how he felt about her as her father.

She remained quiet as if in deep thought. " May I hug you?"

" Hug?" He was taken aback by this request. He had never hugged anyone before, how was he going to now?

" Yeah, a hug you know." she said. " please?"

" Sure." He didn't want to disappoint her. He helped her to sit up a little bit then she opened her arms and gave him a light embrace.

" Thank you." She whispered at his ear. " Dad."

Pride and warmth washed over his heart. Love? Maybe. That was for him to discover.

" Liz!" She gasped. " You are awake." Lena rushed to be by her daughter's side in a flash. Heero stepped aside out of respect. He quietly slipped out of the hospital room and left. It was time for some mother and daughter time alone. They were part of the family, not him.

Lena held her daughter tightly as relief sank in. She kissed her daughter on the forehead and spoke. " I was so worried, Liz. Don't ever do that to me again. How are you feeling right now, honey?"

" My head hurts, mom. Please let go." Liz tried to get out of her mother's tight embrace. " I'm fine mom, really." She relaxed a bit then continued. " Mom?"

" Yeah?" Lena sat back down in her chair.

" How long have you been there, at the door?" Liz questioned. Despite her current injury, she still managed to maintain her perceptiveness.

" What?"

" Mom, you are a very bad actress, you know." Her amusement was obvious. " Tell me, how long?"

" I went to go get some coffee, and I got back as soon as I could." She explained.

" Then where is your coffee, mom?" Liz chuckled at her mother's poor acting job. " Did you hear everything he said?"

" Liz." The mother shook her head giving up. " Let just say that I've been here long enough."

~ * ~ * ~

" Oh please Uncle Duo?" Liz pleaded. " Please let me come."

" I don't think it's a very good idea to come to the Preventer's Training Base. It's off limits to outsiders." He demurred her request.

" I'm not an outsider, and Uncle Zechs has already semi-promised me to take me there. He is just too busy to actually fulfill it. If you take me there it'll save him a lot of time." She reasoned with him.

" I don't know about that. Besides, how is your head doing?" Duo inquired via vidphone.

" Oh, sheesh. That was two months ago. My injuries have long been healed." She put on her fake sweet smile. " Please?"

" Oh, ok. As long as it's fine with Lena." He gave up.

" She'll say yes."

" Liz, tell me something." He scratched his head a bit. " Did Heero ever pass your test? I mean...since we never really accomplish our mission."

" Oh, he passed alright." She nodded. " With flying colors too."

" Oh?" He lifted one eyebrow. " Man, It has been two months since all of you came back."

" Yeah." She agreed. " You know what? After my accident, Heero has spent almost every weekend at our house or taking me somewhere. He told me that he wanted to make up for lost years, and he could also take this chance to actually start living."

" Really?"

" Yeah. He is really trying hard at being a father."

" How is Lena dealing with all the father - daughter thing?"

" Mom thinks it's wonderful, but I could've swear that she still had feelings for him." She told Duo. " I really thought so too, but apparently she said that there is nothing between them except friendship and there won't be anything more in the future either."

" It's such a shame." He sounded disappointing.

" Well, this is real life and nothing is perfect here. I think it's rather wonderful that they started being friends."

" I guess you are right." He paused a bit. " At least we found out that Heero is after all a human rather than a space robot."

" I knew I was right on that." She deliberately tried to sound cocky.

" Right." A sarcastic tone. " Anyway, it's still hard to believe that perfect soldier was capable of emotions. Fear, anger, guilt, grief, even love?"

" Even love." She confirmed his doubt.

" But I thought that Lena didn't..."

" Uncle Duo, let's just say that love comes in different forms..."


AN: Look for the sequel where Relena and Heero begin to work things out under a rather strange circumstance. Sequel's name: Perhaps an Intention.

[goddesswing]

^^;; gotta love your story!!

+::goddesswing::+

[kawaiiemogirl]

Sniff sniff. Sweet story.

[Fate Lowe]

Just finished reading the whole story. It was wonderful. I loved the whole thing and Liz is amazing. She's so much like both of her parents that it's almost scary. Anyways, I'm gonna go find the sequel now.