Blissful Ignorance

***Part Three of A Wonderful Place***

***Well, here?s part three! I?ve been waiting a while to write this part, and hopefully it?ll satisfy sap lovers. It might move somewhat slowly, sorry ?bout that. I won?t have access to a computer for at least five days or so, so we?ll see what happens with part four. ***




Duo left eventually, since even though he himself wouldn?t have minded staying a bit longer, his children were tired of the of the various hotels they had stayed in. Solo especially, Duo explained to Heero, was homesick. So the two parted, Duo leaving a last word of advice:

?Be careful, Heero. Things aren?t what they seem.?

Heero took this to heart, although he may have interpreted it differently. He would be especially careful, that was true, but not of a knife in the dark or any other such threat. Relena?s fiery blue eyes, dangerously alive with an acute hatred, would be his deepest fear during this sad trip.

Over the next two weeks last arrangements were made, orders were carried out.

Heero spent much of his spare time poring over the Internet in search of whatever lurking danger had Duo so worried. Several times he was determined the give that troublesome comrade of his a vid call demanding an explanation, but each time he realized that it wouldn?t do him any good. Duo was stubborn. Almost as stubborn as himself, in fact.

Relena, meanwhile, had her hands full with all the petty details of things. Since Noin had no boat, she had to rent one from a nearby shop, which agreed to drop the thing by the dock before they got there. They had to eat, and so she spent a tiresome two hours at a local shopping market getting all the frozen foods and other delectable dishes that would keep. Between that and her paperwork, she wasn?t left with much free time, but the rare moment she was granted was spent wondering why in all the world Heero had wanted to come.

No doubt, more of his damned mind games.

For the most part, the two stayed as far apart from each other as possible. Ironically, however, each of them wasted those two weeks dwelling on the same exact thought:

This was going to be one hell of a vacation.

All the worry in the world didn?t stall the progress of time, and so, before either of them could catch their breath, that fatal date had arrived, the day opening with a glorious sunrise. They met at noon, throwing their things into the back of the old van Relena had managed to borrow from a servant, Relena taking the wheel and Heero seating himself next to her. There was the inevitable roar of the van resuming motion, and they were off.




Heero was, for possibly the first time in his life, experiencing a profound silence that he was uncomfortable with. He glanced at Relena, who stared straight ahead, not doing anything to acknowledge his presence, hands tight on the steering wheel. He stifled a sigh, leaning back into his seat and observing the mountains as they blurred by, a tribute to nature.

A profound silence, that was it. Time dragged by, not in the slightest aware what tension it in turn placed. Heero watched his hands quietly, as first an hour passed, and then another hour.

He looked up for a moment at the controls in front of him.

?The gas is low.? He said, glancing at her.

There was a pause. Without even looking at him, Relena responded, ?It?ll last.?

He had enemies in battle wish him dead with a passion, had guns pointed at him. There had been crazed laughs at the dark, elevating with volume, their cackle rich with a passionate hatred for him, chilling in memory.

None of that compared to this. Why? He couldn?t understand it?. she was just a girl. Well, a woman, but was there really a huge difference?

He watched her for a moment longer, but his gaze failed to attract her attention. It was as if her eyes were glued to the road. Eventually he, too, turned back to his window.

Another hour tortured both of them. At length, Relena turned into a mall?s parking lot, averting her eyes, for the first time, to take out a map from a sac at her feet. Folding it over the steering wheel, she jabbed her right finger repeatedly at two different spots, and mumbled something under her breath.

?This is great!? She slapped the map angrily and sighed, leaning back into her seat. ?We?re lost. I don?t understand this! There is no Jacobs Road, so how can I find it???

Without a word, Heero took the map. Seeing no complaint from Relena, he studied it, and after a moment of glancing from the map to the mall and from the mall to the map, he spoke.

?You missed it. It?s there.?

She had covered her face with her hands, but now she looked up. ?What??

He nodded and continued, pointing to the mall. ?On the map here, this is the mall. Chestnut Valley Mall. It?s right next to the road that you can?t find, Jacobs Road.?

?I know. But I?ve looked everywhere. It?s not here.?

He shook his head. ?It?s here.?

?Heero, I?m telling you?.?

?Relena. Look.?

He showed her the map, tracing a series of roads she was to take. Slowly, her blue eyes were alight once more, but this time with understanding. Nodding, she was forced to agree that it would work.

?Trust a pilot to figure this out.? She said, taking the map back.

She said the word pilot as if it was venom in her mouth.

Heero chose not to reply, taking the familiar stance of leaning back into his seat and staring out the window.

Relena, however, could no longer keep eye contact on the road, her eyes flitting between it and Heero. Finally, just as they had pulled out of the parking lot, she dared to ask the burning question.

?Heero??

He looked at her, surprised, but not showing it.

Swallowing, she turned her eyes back to the road. Heero noted a subtle change in her voice. No longer was it a direct, follow-my-orders tone, but rather, a questioning, you-better-give-the-right-answer sort of thing.

?Why?d you come??

?I can?t say.?

?Is it another part of the game??

Relena took her eyes off the road, and Heero caught her direct eye contact. For an instant, she felt the sensation of being trapped. They were looking eye-to-eye now, the pose of honesty and integrity.

?It?s not a game.? He returned. His eyes never left hers.

It is impossible to lie this way.

?Well.? She slowed the car, taking the less busy lane so that she could continue to test him this way. ?You know, it sure seems like a game. You leave, you come back, you leave, you come back.?

He said nothing.

She continued. ?I scream at you?you want to go on a trip with me.?

Once again, the absence of a response met this. She sighed loudly.

?Are you going to say anything, Heero? You never say anything!?

Heero watched her before deciding upon a worthy way to meet this accusation. Doing this, he noted that her eyes were burning once more, the corners of her mouth were tightening, and her hands were gripping the wheel with a vengeance.

?If you take your hands off the wheel to slap me again, you?ll crash into that car in front of us.?




The cabin was, simply, a wonderful place.

The house itself was an architectural amazement, blending classic and modern ideas into a large, eight room place, equipped with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and two family room areas. Noin had done a lovely job of furnishing it as well, most of the things a white color to match the flowered wallpaper.

That didn?t even come close to nature?s glory, however. Noin had the amazing luck to find a place right by a lake, with a dock and all. To every side of this and the cabin was a rich green sea of trees, with enough little secret nooks and crannies to delight any child?s attention. Pulling into the driveway, the wonder of this wonderful place was enough to soothe over even these tensions.

Carrying her suitcase and a bag of groceries, Relena glanced back at Heero on the pathway long enough to say:

?Choose any room you want. When you get hungry, just help yourself to a TV dinner.?

Then she went in the house, and the two gratefully parted ways.

Relena had just collapsed on the couch in the grander living room when she was aware of a loud, disturbing bang.

Jumping up quickly, she blinked and tried to figure out where exactly it was coming from. Another series of loud popping sounds, followed by a massive explosion, helped her out. The kitchen.

Running over there, the first thing she saw was a distressed Heero leaning against the counter, gaping at the microwave. She followed his eyes, and knew why ? the door was covered with a thick paste of peas and chicken.

?What?s going on, Heero?? She asked, having to practically yell over the din of another explosion. A slab of corn met the inside of the door.

?I followed the directions!?

?What?? Another explosion, loud, blasting.

?I said I followed the directions!?

She shook her head. ?I heard that!?

A relaxing peace descended upon the room in the absence of the explosions, leading Relena to firmly believe that it had finally ended. ?What the hell did you put in there?? She asked, continuing because she saw he was not about to answer her correctly anytime soon.

He looked at her, letting out a long sigh. ?It was just a TV dinner.?

She shook her head, walking over the devastated machine. ?Well then, it shouldn?t have done that??

?Relena, wait.? Heero said suddenly, noting that she was about to open the door.

?What?? Glancing back at him, she opened it, ready to study the inside contents.

There was a last explosion, loud, but worse, right in her ear. Then came the barrage of peas. Without time to duck, she was hit, her face now a slimy green, but a very delicious slime at that.

Heero waited, an expression of horror seeping through his usual mask.

Relena blinked, and promptly burst into a relentless fit of giggles.

?He-eero?.? She doubled over, having to hold her chest. Her eyes glanced up at the mess of a dinner. ?You forgot to punch holes in the plastic wrap.?

He blinked. ?Oh.?

Then, as an afterthought:

?I was supposed to??

Laughing uncontrollably, she sucked it up and regained her pose. Standing straight, she said, ?Yes, you were supposed to!?

He said nothing, nodding, as a child does to a teacher when learning.

She opened her mouth to say something a little more scathing, but shut it. After a moment, she excused herself, warning him that he was responsible for cleaning up the mess, and if the microwave were broken beyond repair, he would be getting the bill.

Heero, however, could still hear her loud guffaws from upstairs.




The next two days managed to pass by without major incident.

Relena was able to get some of her desired peace, taking up sewing as a hobby and learning the wonders of fishing. Heero seemed to purposely be inactive, often holing himself up in his room (oddly enough, he chose the one with full view of all the entrances) for hours at a time.

This was fine with Relena.

Still, there were always the uncomfortable passings in the hallway, the shadow watching television in the family. They barely spoke more than a word to each other, but it was undeniable that he was there, and that his presence haunted her.

Then one day, three days after coming to the cabin, she found Heero standing on the porch with a cigarette in hand. Seeing this, she commented icily:

?I didn?t know you smoked.?

?I don?t.? He returned, dropping the smoking thing and stamping it out with his foot.

She watched the last fire-red ashes turn gray, and pulled her coat tighter against her, fighting the chill in the air.

?I?m going to take a walk.? She said, watching him watch the lake.

He turned to face her. ?I?ll go with you.?

She couldn?t have been more surprised. Searching for words, she shook her head at his frowning face, and asked, ?You want to come??

He nodded.

?Well, Heero, I want to take a private walk?. the kind you take by yourself, you know? I think you?d know, you seem to take an awful lot of those.?

He didn?t even blink at this.

?Relena, it might be unsafe.?

She put her hands on her hips, shrugging. ?I can handle it by myself. Please. There?s no one out here.?

The sudden cold breeze that swept through her chilled her to the bone, causing her to wrap her arms around her chest and shiver for a moment. Heero didn?t answer, but started walking off, turning back and waiting for her.

?I never said you could come!?

?Well, I?m coming.?

?You?re so stubborn!?

He merely looked at her, still waiting.

Eyes of fire blazed then, hot enough to melt the snow that had sprinkled the ground the night before. Before another moment had passed, she sent him another look of passionate hatred, and retreated into the house, slamming the door.

Heero looked after her, speechless for once not because he was sullen, but he was, well?. just speechless. As he watched, she poked her head out and then back in, just long enough to scream at him:

?MY GOD HEERO, I HATE YOU!?




That night, for perhaps the first time in his life, Heero had trouble sleeping. He couldn?t get those six words out of his head. It echoed forever, haunting him, and despite how he tossed and turned in bed, the dark of night surrounding him, he couldn?t keep it at bay.

She hated him.

So?

Everybody hated him.

But not her.

Relena Darlian Peacecraft never hated anybody.

She believed in peace.

She didn?t hate.

But she hated him.

She hated him!

Occasionally he was able to fall into random bits and tidings of sleep, but they were painful, and always left him with a searing headache when he awoke. The words resonated, pulsing, growing louder and louder with more venom, more absolute, pure, passionate hatred.

Relena and Duo had been the only people to ever?what was the word? He couldn?t find it. He was a machine, a literal storage place for all the information possible, and yet?He shook his head, bolting upright in sleep.

He couldn?t sleep. Not tonight.

Not when she hated him.

Stumbling upwards from his bed, he walked down the hallway to her room. His hand rested on the door.

My god Heero, I hate you!

He dropped his hand weakly and continued downstairs, stopping to grab a drink of water from the sink. Setting his glass down, he looked up to find the door wide open, a breeze disrupting several papers Relena had set on the coffee table. Shaking his head, he realized that couldn?t be right, and went to it, poking his head out and searching for something, anything.

Bushes to his right, the lake to his left. He was about to leave when he heard a distance rustle.

Duo had been so serious. Relena is in danger, he had said.

Darting outside, his footsteps crunching against the snow, and a thin layer frosting his back, he headed towards the sound. Panic rushed in his chest, something he had only felt a few times before?again, this had been when Relena had been in danger.

There was the rustle again, his delicately trained ears picking up the sound with ease. It was to his right, so near him now, a shadow in the bushes catching his sight.

He dropped down, crawling towards it. Mumbles were heard now, and so this thing had to be human.

?This really stinks?. they could have done a better job.?

Be careful, Heero. Things aren?t what they seem.

Through the bushes Heero was able to see the back of a man, while the man himself continued complaining. He stood next to the boat Relena had rented, back bent like a squirrel before eating a precious nut. Heero pushed some leaves out of his way and leaned forward, like a tiger, ready to attack.

?Where is it? Oh, damn it! ?. stupid rock.?

You?re a hopeless case.

Is this a game to you?

Heero, this is serious.

Aren?t you going to say something, Heero?

You never say anything!

In a split second, the winds changed, the small snow dusting now a squall in it?s own right. The man burst out cursing, and Heero had his chance ? literally coming out of no where ? or a well-concealed bush at any rate ? he jumped, grabbing the neck of the man.

The man let out a desperate gurgle, but Heero was relentless. However, he was more powerful than Heero had anticipated, and thusly a small struggle came forth, causing Heero to stumble over the rental boat and drop his hold. A loud metal clang vibrated into the night.

The man set off at a run, but Heero, the world?s perfect soldier, easily outraced him. Grabbing his neck again, Heero enhanced the strength of it.

But then there were hands over his back, familiar ones, which, by the sheer surprise of it all, made him drop the man. He looked backward.

Relena?s chest was heaving up and down with her deep, long breaths. The dark shadowed her face considerably, but he knew her exact expression.

?Heero.?

He backed away, hands covering his face. Finding a tree to lean against, he did so, slumping down until he was seated on the forest floor.

?What are you doing??




?Who the hell did you think it was, Heero??

He leaned back against the couch and looked down into her face, but she wouldn?t let her eyes connect with his. Instead she chose to stare into the raging fire contained within the fireplace of the living room. She refused to even sit on the same couch as him, liking her place on the floor just fine.

As if talking to the fire rather than him, she continued, ?You thought it was somebody. Who??

He hesitated. ?Somebody...bad.?

A snort. ?I guessed that much.?

?Relena, I?m sorry.?

Still, she wouldn?t tear her gaze from that spot. It was a comfort to her, like the road had been.

?I?m sorry too.?

He looked at his hands, suddenly hating how strong they were.

?Mr. Robinson won?t be quite as neighborly anymore.? She commented, allowing herself a small chuckle.

They were so big, so deadly. They were weapons. Could he count how many had met their untimely end with these hands? No, he couldn?t. He had killed them all. Maybe they had been innocent. Maybe they had been as innocent as Mr. Robinson.

?Heero??

He didn?t move, didn?t look, didn?t respond, didn?t even nod.

?Heero, look at me.?

There was a small cackle and spark from the fire that filled the silence that came next.

?Heero!?

Slowly, he looked up and down, until her face came into focus.

?Thank you.? She said, fiery blue eyes blazing to match the hearth?s flames.