(Ruling Hearts Awards) Just a Little Girl
Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2003 1:35 pm
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing isn't mine; if it were, Heero and Relena would be together by now. But it's not, which is why I'm writing a Treize and Relena story. The song "Just a Little Girl" is by Ami Studt, a good singer who doesn't get as much credit as she deserves (if you haven't heard "Misfit," listen to it, it's a really good song).
Just a Little Girl
Relena Darlian had entered the cemetery looking composed and dignified, as the Vice Foreign Minister of the Earth Sphere United Nation should. But, if one looked at her at that moment, no one would have recognized the girl, reclining against a grave stone, talking animatedly with the inhabitant six feet underneath her, who probably wasn't listening to a word she was saying and certainly didn't answer her back.
Eventually, Relena must have realized that too, for she threw her arms on the stone and sobbed into it. "I hate you," she murmured. I thought you knew how I felt about you. But you never understood my feelings." She pounded her fist into the ground until it was red and swollen, and cried until she was out of tears.
Some times I feel you're not listening
Sometimes I feel you don't understand
"It's not fair!" she screamed. Two other visitors, too far away to see her face, but not enough to hear, chose that moment to scurry toward their car and get away from there as fast as they could, leaving a small bouquet of flowers in the dust.
Relena sniffed the bouquet she had brought, a dozen blood red roses. She grasped them tightly in her hand, until the thorns dug into her skin and made it bleed. "Roses are much more suited to me," she thought bitterly and tossed the flowers into a wastebasket nearby, but for one; this one she crushed in her hand. "She was the reason, wasn't she? You loved her. That's why you never looked at me. That's why you never loved me."
But I think I've got the answer
Already know what you're going to say
Relena brushed her hair back away from her face. She'd worn it in a bun on the way here, but it fell out and her scrunchie was now covered with dirt. "Are you only grown up if you have more than one personality?" she scoffed. She laughed, and it sounded hoarse, harsh, quite unlike the Relena the whole world knew and loved. "You saw it, didn't you? From wherever you are. I've grown up." Indeed, she had. It was she, not Lady Une, who'd slapped some sense into Mariemaia. She, who brought the Earth and space colonies together when tensions still ran high, even in peacetime. But it could've happened sooner," she mumbled to the air. "You took the power away from me. I could've helped you. We could've ruled together. I could've stopped my brother if you gave me the chance. But you refused and dismissed me as a foolish child with an infatuation, instead of the woman who loved you and one who wouldn't let you down."
Cause I'm just a little girl you see
But there's a hell of a lot more to me
Don't ever underestimate what I can do
Don't ever tell me how I'm meant to be
AC 195
"It's been a long time, Relena-chan," he had said. The words echoed throughout her mind during their whole conversation. He'd referred to her as "chan". True, he wasn't raised in Japan like she was, but he spoke the language fluently. He must have known that chan was a suffix that showed affection, usually with someone whom you knew well, and despite her feelings for him, he didn't know her that well. True, it could be used for someone younger, like a little sister or cousin, and he was a friend of her brother's, but? Milliardo's never called me that, she thought to herself. It was the truth; she'd barely seen her brother and talked with him long enough for them to establish any relationship in which honorifics would be necessary, though she did refer to him as "Brother." Why then, would Treize refer to her in such a way? She was so busy searching for an answer to that question; she almost missed what he said next. Unfortunately, she didn't.
"You're very capable, Relena-chan. But you're still a child. You'd best leave this to me."
"I am not a child!" Before she could think, her hand automatically reached out and slapped his handsome face. Relena gasped. "I'm sorry, I didn?t think?"
"Exactly," Treize replied. "You didn't think. You acted rashly. That just proves me right. There's nothing wrong with having a little growing up to do. I don't think any less of you for it."
"No, I don't. I'm already grown up. I've ruled a country and the entire world. You know you can't stop this war without me. Don't tell me what I have to do. What gives you the right-oomph!" He bent down and pressed his lips against hers forcefully. It was a rotten trick, he knew it in his heart (though he'd be lying if he said he disliked it), but it was for her safety. Zechs would never forgive him if he let something bad happen to her. He'd never forgive himself either.
"Trust me, Relena," he said, then left the girl standing there speechless, touching her lips as if she'd never known she had them before.
You say I'm just a little girl, just a little girl
How can I compare? What do I know?
What have I got to share?
Relena looked back at the building, dressed in her normal clothes. She hadn't wanted to, but she'd obeyed. "She was free," he had said. But freedom means making your own decisions, doesn't it? She asked herself, her shoes clacking against the pavement as she walked toward her awaiting limo and driver. It was not Pagan, who was still in the hospital, but someone else. How someone had known to come for her, she wasn't sure, but she certainly hadn't called for him. "Did Treize?" Relena frowned. He had more power over her than she'd realized. I would've stayed with you, helping you. Well, if I can't be with you, then I'll do it without you. She made her decision then and there to go into space and reason with her brother. Milliardo would listen to her, she was sure of it.
But there's nothing in this world, nothing in this world
That could hold me down, can't you hear me?
Don't you understand?
Maybe Heero can help, she thought. The boy would surely be there too. Treize would approve if she went with him, and not just in traveling either. Heero was his ideal soldier, his model of perfection. That had been what she found so attractive about him. He was exactly the kind of man Treize respected wholeheartedly; she heard him say it once, though no one specifically. He'd given Epyon to Heero, not to Milliardo, nor to anyone else. While Relena didn't approve of fighting, she thought she understood. And if Treize never did respond to her feelings, Heero would be a good substitute. At first, it seemed as if she bothered him, but now she wasn't so sure. Yes, she would take his help, if he offered it, but no more than that. She wasn't doing it because she liked him, as everyone believed. Treize would see what a woman she was. She wasn't the same na?ve girl when he first met her, less than one year ago.
That I wanna be myself, wanna be the girl
Wanna be the one that you can rely on
How I wish that you could see all there is of me
How I long to hear that you'll take me
For who I am
Christmas Eve, AC 194
"Relena! Where have you been?" Rosalind Darlian exclaimed. She'd meant it to sound reproachful, but that was out the window when she gave her daughter a quick half embrace, carefully, so as not to muss her blue crushed velvet dress.
"Just roasting over an open fire," the teen replied, rubbing her bare shoulders. It struck her as odd that being in "fashion" indicated that she must freeze to death for no good reason, except perhaps to save money on expensive material.
Her mother inclined her head to show sympathy, but then said, as briskly as the winter air, "Well, a good way to beat the cold is body warmth. Mingle with our guests for a bit, and it will warm you right up, instead of standing around all by yourself. You're a young lady now and I've been planning this party to show off my beautiful daughter." This was an outright lie if Relena ever heard one. And her father was in politics. She didn't consider herself to be beautiful. But though she didn't eat it up like many of their guests would, she was still shuffled through the crowd like a sheep finding it's way through the herd because the farmer's tenacious Border Collie was nipping at her heels.
"Oh, Relena, there you are!" Relena's father greeted her warmly, much more so than he mother did. He had no problems with enveloping her into his embrace, without a second thought to her attire. But they hadn't seen each other for months; and he'd missed his little girl. "You look beautiful sweetheart," he murmured in her ear. She allowed herself a small smile. She'd always thought of her father as an honest politician, but if not, he was a very good convincing one.
"Thank you Father," she replied, squeezing his hand as her own show of affection. Though not quite as distant as her mother, she still had difficulty expressing her feelings towards someone in public, even her own father (or rather, whom she thought was her father).
"Ahem." Minister Darlian released her at the sound of his companion. "Excuse me, I must be coming down with a cold," He said apologetically. But Relena could've sworn he winked at her and she blushed, not at all gracefully as her charm schoolteacher had taught her to do when complimented by a man. No, freckles from too much time in the sun (another demerit) were exposed as blotches against a sea of skin that was Relena's least favorite color (even though, after 14 years, her mother still thought otherwise). She stared openly (third strike, it was a miracle she hadn't been kicked out) as this stranger stared back, a small smile playing on his lips, presumably from the previously display of affection he had witnessed. He was handsome, with blue eyes and chestnut colored hair, but, every statue of Adonis has its flaws, and there were plenty of other men in that room alone who were just as good looking or better (not to mention closer to her age). But there was an air about him that surpassed a god's beauty in her eyes; something that, even with all her gifts of perception, she just couldn't place. All she knew was that her pulse sped up at the sight of him.
"Oh!" Her father suddenly remembered his manners, breaking the spell. "Relena, this is Treize Kushrenada, head of the Alliance Specials Forces." He said the last few words as if they'd left a bitter taste in his mouth. Relena had heard a few things about the Specials, none of them good. But Treize didn't strike her as the type who would do anything really bad, so she dismissed them as rumors. Of course, though Relena normally had good instincts, she could have been a bit blinded in this case.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Relena," he said smoothly, taking her gloved hand in his and kissing it lightly.
"And you," she replied. Her face felt warm and, for a brief moment, she thought she was coming down with a fever. There was an awkward pause, as both parties couldn't seem to think of a word to say, at least not while he still held her hand as he did. It was broken again by Mr. Darlian, who hesitantly suggested that they dance while he greeted the other guests. Before she knew it, Relena was swept onto the dance floor; her feet automatically doing the steps that had been drilled into her years before, which was fortunate, since she doubted her brain could have remembered them at that point. Everything seemed hazy, not quite spinning around her, although she felt dizzy just the same. Her hands tingled underneath her gloves; only the thin fabric was preventing the two persons from touching.
"You're a good dancer," Relena blurted out. It's okay; it's a good idea to start with a compliment. That was what her teacher had said, in any case, so she hadn't been wrong. But for some reason it sounded strange, as if she'd told him he was a good kisser, instead of dancer.
"And you," Treize returned politely. He looked her over, examining all of her features closely. She felt a shiver, having never been looked at quite in this way by a man before. But his expression really wasn't one of lust; rather, it was a peculiar, puzzled one.
"Have we met before, Miss Relena?" he asked suddenly. His blue eyes were filled with hope, though what he was hoping for, neither he nor she could begin to guess.
Relena wracked her brain for the slightest memory, but found none. "No, I'm afraid not. I'm sure I would've remembered meeting you before." Oh my Lord! Am I flirting with him? Her inner voice cried. She hushed it. That of course, was a ridiculous statement.
Treize frowned, seeming disappointed. "Perhaps not," he said sadly. "I'm probably mistaken. But?"
"What?" she breathed, curious to know of a connection between them. It seemed hopelessly romantic of her to think that they knew each other before, but she delighted in the idea just the same.
"Nothing." He smiled ruefully. "I was just imagining things. For a moment, you reminded me of a little girl I used to know. But that's ridiculous, of course it is. I probably just saw you on the news with your father or something, and that's what's confusing me. Although, your father?" His face lit up, as if he'd had an epiphany and he dropped her hands abruptly. "Excuse me, I just realized that I have to make a phone call."
"But wait-" It was too late, he'd already left her, alone in the middle of the dance floor. With a long sigh, Relena squeezed her way through the crowd, back to her old spot. She had even less of a desire to socialize now.
"A little girl," she muttered. "Is that all he thinks of me?" She snorted. "He doesn't know what he's talking about. I should just forget him. Idiot." But if that was a case, why did she feel so hurt?
Cause I'm just a little girl you see
But there's a hell of a lot more to me
Don't ever underestimate what I can do
Don't ever tell me how I'm meant to be
* * * Flashback * * *
"Princess! Aw? are you all right, princess?"
Baby Relena looked up at the hands of the kind woman who had called her "Princess" with a puzzled expression. Then she burst into tears. "WAAAHHHHH!"
"Oh, Princess, don't cry!" The woman looked distraught. Though she was a kind lady, being a nanny was not her kind of job. Just teaching the girl how to walk was stressful enough. And she hadn't even gotten to the terrible twos yet. Relena let out another ear piercing wail.
"What's going on?" A five-year-old boy with a mop of blond curls came into the room, pouting. Another young man, only ten, but already handsome, with chestnut hair and a wide smile, followed behind him. Both were dressed in fencing uniforms, with child-sized foils. Apparently, their match had been interrupted, much to the younger one's displeasure.
"Prince Milliardo!" the woman cried in distress. "I'm sorry, but the princess just won't stop crying."
"Aw, really?" the older boy asked, sympathetically. He knelt down so that he was eye-level with the baby girl. "Did Relena-chan fall down?" he asked affectionately. The baby stopped crying instantly to examine the outsider. He scooped her up in his arms and bounced her up and down.
"Oh, careful Mister Treize!" the servant implored. Then a sound made her frozen with shock. The princess was laughing! "It's a miracle," she breathed.
"Silly thing," he cooed, meaning the baby-sitter, not the baby. He kissed the child on the nose and handed her back to her bewildered nurse. "She's fine now," he said smoothly and smiled at her with his sparkly white teeth. Even as a child, he still knew how to charm a person and was very good at it. The woman herself felt her knees buckle, for all she was about seven years his senior. "Bye-bye!" He waved to the baby as she watched him leave with her brother.
* * * End Flashback * * *
"Now where did that come from?" Relena wondered. Who was Prince Milliardo? Why did they call her Princess? And was that really Treize, or did she make the whole thing up? Maybe we knew each other in a past life, she thought. It was certainly a question to ponder on a rainy day.
Cause I'm just a little girl you see
But there's a hell of a lot more to me
Don't ever underestimate what I can do
Don't ever tell me how I'm meant to be
AC 197
"You never saw me as anything but a child," Relena said bitterly to the grave stone. She knew now that that wasn't just her imagination, but a memory of her childhood. Treize had known her after all, just not as Relena Darlian. Instead, he knew her as Relena Peacecraft, the infant princess of the fallen Sanc Kingdom. The kingdom that his organization destroyed the second time. The kingdom former Senator Darlian had rescued her from. The kingdom he never got to see restored, because of Treize.
"I hate you," she muttered. "Are you listening to me? I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" She repeated it until she was screaming. Then she sank to her knees. "I love you. Why can't you understand that?"
Sometimes I feel you're not listening
Sometimes I feel you don't understand
Cause I'm just a little girl you see
But there's a hell of a lot more to me
Don't ever underestimate what I can do
Don't ever tell me how I'm meant to be
The wind blew, tousling her hair and bringing to her ears a very familiar voice and an even more familiar giggle. She could see the black mini-van stop at the edge of the road. A tall, slim brunette exited the vehicle and opened the backseat door. Relena's momentary panic subsided when she saw the woman take something large and metal out of it. It would take a while for them to get there; she could get away. She ran and hid behind a nearby oak tree.
There really was no reason for her to be hiding. It was perfectly logical for her to be there, right by her brother's grave. And Lady Une didn't know she knew her brother was alive, and vice versa. She had every right to be there. But a long buried hatred and jealousy arose in her heart when she saw the woman carry out the child and set her in her chair. The child was Mariemaia Kushrenada: Treize's daughter.
Relena watched as the little girl struggled to place roses on her father's grave. Lady Une made no move to help her; the child had demanded that she do it by herself.
Relena bit her lip. Treize's daughter, if there was proof he didn't love her, it was that. He'd been with another. And now his other lover was taking care of his legacy, the child who kidnapped her, and then took a bullet for her soon afterward. "Once again, Treize does something else to mess up my life," she sighed. Only a few moments after they left did she decide to come out from the sanctuary of her tree. She came face to face with deep blue eyes and an angry scowl.
"So this is where you've been?" Heero Yuy stated. He wasn't looking much the worse for wear, considering that he should've been in the hospital, instead of standing out there in the cold with a light jacket.
"Heero," she breathed, and then she blushed. "I was supposed to come visit you, wasn't I?" she asked guiltily.
"Hmm." The man frowned at her for a moment, but then his expression softened. "Come on, I'll take you home," he said. It was not a request. Heero put his arm around her, a colder gesture than it was supposed to be. She followed him obediently to her limo, which he'd brought, along with Pagan as well.
Once inside, she rolled down the window all the way. "Goodbye, Treize. I'll try to forget you," she whispered softly. She turned to the one person who, over the past few months, had come to view her as a woman, and not just a child.
"Shut the window, it's windy." Relena did as he'd asked. Sure enough, a cold gust of wind swept through the cemetery, whipping the rose petals off their stems and then flying on the breeze.
Cause I'm just a little girl you see
But there's a hell of a lot more to me
Don't ever underestimate what I can do
Don't ever tell me how I'm meant to be
The End
Just a Little Girl
Relena Darlian had entered the cemetery looking composed and dignified, as the Vice Foreign Minister of the Earth Sphere United Nation should. But, if one looked at her at that moment, no one would have recognized the girl, reclining against a grave stone, talking animatedly with the inhabitant six feet underneath her, who probably wasn't listening to a word she was saying and certainly didn't answer her back.
Eventually, Relena must have realized that too, for she threw her arms on the stone and sobbed into it. "I hate you," she murmured. I thought you knew how I felt about you. But you never understood my feelings." She pounded her fist into the ground until it was red and swollen, and cried until she was out of tears.
Some times I feel you're not listening
Sometimes I feel you don't understand
"It's not fair!" she screamed. Two other visitors, too far away to see her face, but not enough to hear, chose that moment to scurry toward their car and get away from there as fast as they could, leaving a small bouquet of flowers in the dust.
Relena sniffed the bouquet she had brought, a dozen blood red roses. She grasped them tightly in her hand, until the thorns dug into her skin and made it bleed. "Roses are much more suited to me," she thought bitterly and tossed the flowers into a wastebasket nearby, but for one; this one she crushed in her hand. "She was the reason, wasn't she? You loved her. That's why you never looked at me. That's why you never loved me."
But I think I've got the answer
Already know what you're going to say
Relena brushed her hair back away from her face. She'd worn it in a bun on the way here, but it fell out and her scrunchie was now covered with dirt. "Are you only grown up if you have more than one personality?" she scoffed. She laughed, and it sounded hoarse, harsh, quite unlike the Relena the whole world knew and loved. "You saw it, didn't you? From wherever you are. I've grown up." Indeed, she had. It was she, not Lady Une, who'd slapped some sense into Mariemaia. She, who brought the Earth and space colonies together when tensions still ran high, even in peacetime. But it could've happened sooner," she mumbled to the air. "You took the power away from me. I could've helped you. We could've ruled together. I could've stopped my brother if you gave me the chance. But you refused and dismissed me as a foolish child with an infatuation, instead of the woman who loved you and one who wouldn't let you down."
Cause I'm just a little girl you see
But there's a hell of a lot more to me
Don't ever underestimate what I can do
Don't ever tell me how I'm meant to be
AC 195
"It's been a long time, Relena-chan," he had said. The words echoed throughout her mind during their whole conversation. He'd referred to her as "chan". True, he wasn't raised in Japan like she was, but he spoke the language fluently. He must have known that chan was a suffix that showed affection, usually with someone whom you knew well, and despite her feelings for him, he didn't know her that well. True, it could be used for someone younger, like a little sister or cousin, and he was a friend of her brother's, but? Milliardo's never called me that, she thought to herself. It was the truth; she'd barely seen her brother and talked with him long enough for them to establish any relationship in which honorifics would be necessary, though she did refer to him as "Brother." Why then, would Treize refer to her in such a way? She was so busy searching for an answer to that question; she almost missed what he said next. Unfortunately, she didn't.
"You're very capable, Relena-chan. But you're still a child. You'd best leave this to me."
"I am not a child!" Before she could think, her hand automatically reached out and slapped his handsome face. Relena gasped. "I'm sorry, I didn?t think?"
"Exactly," Treize replied. "You didn't think. You acted rashly. That just proves me right. There's nothing wrong with having a little growing up to do. I don't think any less of you for it."
"No, I don't. I'm already grown up. I've ruled a country and the entire world. You know you can't stop this war without me. Don't tell me what I have to do. What gives you the right-oomph!" He bent down and pressed his lips against hers forcefully. It was a rotten trick, he knew it in his heart (though he'd be lying if he said he disliked it), but it was for her safety. Zechs would never forgive him if he let something bad happen to her. He'd never forgive himself either.
"Trust me, Relena," he said, then left the girl standing there speechless, touching her lips as if she'd never known she had them before.
You say I'm just a little girl, just a little girl
How can I compare? What do I know?
What have I got to share?
Relena looked back at the building, dressed in her normal clothes. She hadn't wanted to, but she'd obeyed. "She was free," he had said. But freedom means making your own decisions, doesn't it? She asked herself, her shoes clacking against the pavement as she walked toward her awaiting limo and driver. It was not Pagan, who was still in the hospital, but someone else. How someone had known to come for her, she wasn't sure, but she certainly hadn't called for him. "Did Treize?" Relena frowned. He had more power over her than she'd realized. I would've stayed with you, helping you. Well, if I can't be with you, then I'll do it without you. She made her decision then and there to go into space and reason with her brother. Milliardo would listen to her, she was sure of it.
But there's nothing in this world, nothing in this world
That could hold me down, can't you hear me?
Don't you understand?
Maybe Heero can help, she thought. The boy would surely be there too. Treize would approve if she went with him, and not just in traveling either. Heero was his ideal soldier, his model of perfection. That had been what she found so attractive about him. He was exactly the kind of man Treize respected wholeheartedly; she heard him say it once, though no one specifically. He'd given Epyon to Heero, not to Milliardo, nor to anyone else. While Relena didn't approve of fighting, she thought she understood. And if Treize never did respond to her feelings, Heero would be a good substitute. At first, it seemed as if she bothered him, but now she wasn't so sure. Yes, she would take his help, if he offered it, but no more than that. She wasn't doing it because she liked him, as everyone believed. Treize would see what a woman she was. She wasn't the same na?ve girl when he first met her, less than one year ago.
That I wanna be myself, wanna be the girl
Wanna be the one that you can rely on
How I wish that you could see all there is of me
How I long to hear that you'll take me
For who I am
Christmas Eve, AC 194
"Relena! Where have you been?" Rosalind Darlian exclaimed. She'd meant it to sound reproachful, but that was out the window when she gave her daughter a quick half embrace, carefully, so as not to muss her blue crushed velvet dress.
"Just roasting over an open fire," the teen replied, rubbing her bare shoulders. It struck her as odd that being in "fashion" indicated that she must freeze to death for no good reason, except perhaps to save money on expensive material.
Her mother inclined her head to show sympathy, but then said, as briskly as the winter air, "Well, a good way to beat the cold is body warmth. Mingle with our guests for a bit, and it will warm you right up, instead of standing around all by yourself. You're a young lady now and I've been planning this party to show off my beautiful daughter." This was an outright lie if Relena ever heard one. And her father was in politics. She didn't consider herself to be beautiful. But though she didn't eat it up like many of their guests would, she was still shuffled through the crowd like a sheep finding it's way through the herd because the farmer's tenacious Border Collie was nipping at her heels.
"Oh, Relena, there you are!" Relena's father greeted her warmly, much more so than he mother did. He had no problems with enveloping her into his embrace, without a second thought to her attire. But they hadn't seen each other for months; and he'd missed his little girl. "You look beautiful sweetheart," he murmured in her ear. She allowed herself a small smile. She'd always thought of her father as an honest politician, but if not, he was a very good convincing one.
"Thank you Father," she replied, squeezing his hand as her own show of affection. Though not quite as distant as her mother, she still had difficulty expressing her feelings towards someone in public, even her own father (or rather, whom she thought was her father).
"Ahem." Minister Darlian released her at the sound of his companion. "Excuse me, I must be coming down with a cold," He said apologetically. But Relena could've sworn he winked at her and she blushed, not at all gracefully as her charm schoolteacher had taught her to do when complimented by a man. No, freckles from too much time in the sun (another demerit) were exposed as blotches against a sea of skin that was Relena's least favorite color (even though, after 14 years, her mother still thought otherwise). She stared openly (third strike, it was a miracle she hadn't been kicked out) as this stranger stared back, a small smile playing on his lips, presumably from the previously display of affection he had witnessed. He was handsome, with blue eyes and chestnut colored hair, but, every statue of Adonis has its flaws, and there were plenty of other men in that room alone who were just as good looking or better (not to mention closer to her age). But there was an air about him that surpassed a god's beauty in her eyes; something that, even with all her gifts of perception, she just couldn't place. All she knew was that her pulse sped up at the sight of him.
"Oh!" Her father suddenly remembered his manners, breaking the spell. "Relena, this is Treize Kushrenada, head of the Alliance Specials Forces." He said the last few words as if they'd left a bitter taste in his mouth. Relena had heard a few things about the Specials, none of them good. But Treize didn't strike her as the type who would do anything really bad, so she dismissed them as rumors. Of course, though Relena normally had good instincts, she could have been a bit blinded in this case.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Relena," he said smoothly, taking her gloved hand in his and kissing it lightly.
"And you," she replied. Her face felt warm and, for a brief moment, she thought she was coming down with a fever. There was an awkward pause, as both parties couldn't seem to think of a word to say, at least not while he still held her hand as he did. It was broken again by Mr. Darlian, who hesitantly suggested that they dance while he greeted the other guests. Before she knew it, Relena was swept onto the dance floor; her feet automatically doing the steps that had been drilled into her years before, which was fortunate, since she doubted her brain could have remembered them at that point. Everything seemed hazy, not quite spinning around her, although she felt dizzy just the same. Her hands tingled underneath her gloves; only the thin fabric was preventing the two persons from touching.
"You're a good dancer," Relena blurted out. It's okay; it's a good idea to start with a compliment. That was what her teacher had said, in any case, so she hadn't been wrong. But for some reason it sounded strange, as if she'd told him he was a good kisser, instead of dancer.
"And you," Treize returned politely. He looked her over, examining all of her features closely. She felt a shiver, having never been looked at quite in this way by a man before. But his expression really wasn't one of lust; rather, it was a peculiar, puzzled one.
"Have we met before, Miss Relena?" he asked suddenly. His blue eyes were filled with hope, though what he was hoping for, neither he nor she could begin to guess.
Relena wracked her brain for the slightest memory, but found none. "No, I'm afraid not. I'm sure I would've remembered meeting you before." Oh my Lord! Am I flirting with him? Her inner voice cried. She hushed it. That of course, was a ridiculous statement.
Treize frowned, seeming disappointed. "Perhaps not," he said sadly. "I'm probably mistaken. But?"
"What?" she breathed, curious to know of a connection between them. It seemed hopelessly romantic of her to think that they knew each other before, but she delighted in the idea just the same.
"Nothing." He smiled ruefully. "I was just imagining things. For a moment, you reminded me of a little girl I used to know. But that's ridiculous, of course it is. I probably just saw you on the news with your father or something, and that's what's confusing me. Although, your father?" His face lit up, as if he'd had an epiphany and he dropped her hands abruptly. "Excuse me, I just realized that I have to make a phone call."
"But wait-" It was too late, he'd already left her, alone in the middle of the dance floor. With a long sigh, Relena squeezed her way through the crowd, back to her old spot. She had even less of a desire to socialize now.
"A little girl," she muttered. "Is that all he thinks of me?" She snorted. "He doesn't know what he's talking about. I should just forget him. Idiot." But if that was a case, why did she feel so hurt?
Cause I'm just a little girl you see
But there's a hell of a lot more to me
Don't ever underestimate what I can do
Don't ever tell me how I'm meant to be
* * * Flashback * * *
"Princess! Aw? are you all right, princess?"
Baby Relena looked up at the hands of the kind woman who had called her "Princess" with a puzzled expression. Then she burst into tears. "WAAAHHHHH!"
"Oh, Princess, don't cry!" The woman looked distraught. Though she was a kind lady, being a nanny was not her kind of job. Just teaching the girl how to walk was stressful enough. And she hadn't even gotten to the terrible twos yet. Relena let out another ear piercing wail.
"What's going on?" A five-year-old boy with a mop of blond curls came into the room, pouting. Another young man, only ten, but already handsome, with chestnut hair and a wide smile, followed behind him. Both were dressed in fencing uniforms, with child-sized foils. Apparently, their match had been interrupted, much to the younger one's displeasure.
"Prince Milliardo!" the woman cried in distress. "I'm sorry, but the princess just won't stop crying."
"Aw, really?" the older boy asked, sympathetically. He knelt down so that he was eye-level with the baby girl. "Did Relena-chan fall down?" he asked affectionately. The baby stopped crying instantly to examine the outsider. He scooped her up in his arms and bounced her up and down.
"Oh, careful Mister Treize!" the servant implored. Then a sound made her frozen with shock. The princess was laughing! "It's a miracle," she breathed.
"Silly thing," he cooed, meaning the baby-sitter, not the baby. He kissed the child on the nose and handed her back to her bewildered nurse. "She's fine now," he said smoothly and smiled at her with his sparkly white teeth. Even as a child, he still knew how to charm a person and was very good at it. The woman herself felt her knees buckle, for all she was about seven years his senior. "Bye-bye!" He waved to the baby as she watched him leave with her brother.
* * * End Flashback * * *
"Now where did that come from?" Relena wondered. Who was Prince Milliardo? Why did they call her Princess? And was that really Treize, or did she make the whole thing up? Maybe we knew each other in a past life, she thought. It was certainly a question to ponder on a rainy day.
Cause I'm just a little girl you see
But there's a hell of a lot more to me
Don't ever underestimate what I can do
Don't ever tell me how I'm meant to be
AC 197
"You never saw me as anything but a child," Relena said bitterly to the grave stone. She knew now that that wasn't just her imagination, but a memory of her childhood. Treize had known her after all, just not as Relena Darlian. Instead, he knew her as Relena Peacecraft, the infant princess of the fallen Sanc Kingdom. The kingdom that his organization destroyed the second time. The kingdom former Senator Darlian had rescued her from. The kingdom he never got to see restored, because of Treize.
"I hate you," she muttered. "Are you listening to me? I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" She repeated it until she was screaming. Then she sank to her knees. "I love you. Why can't you understand that?"
Sometimes I feel you're not listening
Sometimes I feel you don't understand
Cause I'm just a little girl you see
But there's a hell of a lot more to me
Don't ever underestimate what I can do
Don't ever tell me how I'm meant to be
The wind blew, tousling her hair and bringing to her ears a very familiar voice and an even more familiar giggle. She could see the black mini-van stop at the edge of the road. A tall, slim brunette exited the vehicle and opened the backseat door. Relena's momentary panic subsided when she saw the woman take something large and metal out of it. It would take a while for them to get there; she could get away. She ran and hid behind a nearby oak tree.
There really was no reason for her to be hiding. It was perfectly logical for her to be there, right by her brother's grave. And Lady Une didn't know she knew her brother was alive, and vice versa. She had every right to be there. But a long buried hatred and jealousy arose in her heart when she saw the woman carry out the child and set her in her chair. The child was Mariemaia Kushrenada: Treize's daughter.
Relena watched as the little girl struggled to place roses on her father's grave. Lady Une made no move to help her; the child had demanded that she do it by herself.
Relena bit her lip. Treize's daughter, if there was proof he didn't love her, it was that. He'd been with another. And now his other lover was taking care of his legacy, the child who kidnapped her, and then took a bullet for her soon afterward. "Once again, Treize does something else to mess up my life," she sighed. Only a few moments after they left did she decide to come out from the sanctuary of her tree. She came face to face with deep blue eyes and an angry scowl.
"So this is where you've been?" Heero Yuy stated. He wasn't looking much the worse for wear, considering that he should've been in the hospital, instead of standing out there in the cold with a light jacket.
"Heero," she breathed, and then she blushed. "I was supposed to come visit you, wasn't I?" she asked guiltily.
"Hmm." The man frowned at her for a moment, but then his expression softened. "Come on, I'll take you home," he said. It was not a request. Heero put his arm around her, a colder gesture than it was supposed to be. She followed him obediently to her limo, which he'd brought, along with Pagan as well.
Once inside, she rolled down the window all the way. "Goodbye, Treize. I'll try to forget you," she whispered softly. She turned to the one person who, over the past few months, had come to view her as a woman, and not just a child.
"Shut the window, it's windy." Relena did as he'd asked. Sure enough, a cold gust of wind swept through the cemetery, whipping the rose petals off their stems and then flying on the breeze.
Cause I'm just a little girl you see
But there's a hell of a lot more to me
Don't ever underestimate what I can do
Don't ever tell me how I'm meant to be
The End