<b>Disclaimer:</b> I own all the children in this world but their parents belong to Gundam Wing owned by Sunrise blah blah blah you get the idea.
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<center>Five Pieces of Heaven:</center>
<center><B>Hidden Burden 3</B></center>
<center>~~~*~~~</center>
Hana peered around the edge of Ayame?s door. ?They?re talking about you.?
Sometimes, Ayame thought in despair, that girl was simply too much. She pulled her knees tighter against her chest, ?I <i>know</i>,? She retorted. Hana smirked and skipped into the room lightly, stopping at the bedside, ?Are you in trouble??
Her carefree tone grated on Ayame?s nerves. ?No,? She replied quickly.
?Sounded like it,? Hana said thoughtfully and Ayame?s face paled a little, ?What??
?Oh nothing,? Hana picked at the edge of the bedspread absently, ?Just heard dad and mum talking some.?
?Did dad?sound angry??
?Hmmm,? Hana tapped her chin, ?Maybe.? She skipped out of the room lightly again with a laugh. Ayame threw a pillow after her, ?Ha ha, very funny.? Hana poked her head back round the door to stick her tongue out before disappearing again.
?Aw hell,? Ayame cursed, ?I can?t take this, I need some fresh air.? She stalked out of her room.
<center>~~~*~~~</center>
In their room, Heero watched Relena numbly as she walked up to him and took hold of his arms.
?We?ve felt something wasn?t right for a while now. I think it?s been going on for a long time but only now have things gotten out of hand.?
?Why Ayame?? Heero bit out angrily.
Relena leaned forward, letting her forehead fall against his chest. ?Because of us,? She answered bleakly. ?The students responsible were mostly from families that are ex-Romefeller. You know what they say about us Heero?what they say about you.?
His stony silence revealed that he knew all too well what they said about him. Relena bit her lip?
?They told her you were a Gundam pilot.?
Heero stiffened immediately and became rock hard. Relena lifted her head.
?They threatened to reveal your identity to Preventer and told her they would get you taken away. Oh you should have seen her Heero, she was so upset I had to calm her down and explain that Preventer already knew about you.?
Heero clenched his fists and turned away so abruptly that Relena was forced to let go of his arms. ?Heero?? She said gently when he didn?t move for a long time and he turned back. ?They?re not going to get away with this,? He ground out.
?Don?t even think about it,? She warned, raising her hand up to stop his line of thought. ?Even though the foundation itself is no more, those descendants of Romefeller would still love any excuse to bring you down and that?s what they?ll do if you go confronting them.?
?Hn.?
?It?s the students at Eve River that worry me more,? Relena started pacing backwards and forwards, ?How can they think Ayame?s different? How can they think you?re different just because?because?? She faltered. ?It never crossed my mind that it would matter?it shouldn?t matter!? Her voice took on a slight tinge of desperation, ?If it?s like this the shadow of conflict will always be behind us?<i>why does it matter!?</i>? Heero took hold of her arms and turned her to face him.
?It takes longer to change people?s perceptions and even then, sometimes you can?t destroy them completely.?
She sagged a little but Heero held her firmly; he understood that it was hard on her sometimes to see that even in peaceful times, other dark aspects of humanity still lurked in dark corners like demons.
?Should I have known?? She whispered uncertainly, ?It was my idea to put her in that school?but I never?it never crossed my mind that it would matter?I didn?t think??
?This isn?t something you could have foreseen or helped,? Heero said sternly, lifting her chin so she met his eyes. She nodded sheepishly, ?I thought it would be just like Saint Gabriel?s??
?The only good thing about Saint Gabriel?s, was you,? He snorted and she smiled faintly, sinking down on the edge of the bed. ?What are we going to do??
?We should talk to someone in charge,? Heero suggested but she immediately shook her head and sniffed angrily. ?I tried talking to the headmaster but he turned out to be such an insufferable jerk, stating crazy things like how you plan to use Ayame as a tool in order to gain power for the colonies??
Heero raised his eyebrow.
??I slapped him,? Relena responded.
The eyebrow rose even higher.
?He deserved it,? She crossed her arms and concluded with a firm tone. Heero?s lips lifted slightly at the edges as he bent towards her. Relena?s eyes closed against the soft tickle of his hair as he planted a kiss on her temple with a low murmur, ?Thanks.?
When she opened her eyes he had pulled away. ?Well? What should we do?? She said softly. He glanced at her, ?It sounded like you concluded the matter back there.?
?That didn?t solve anything!? She said fiercely, then added in a deflated tone. ?She doesn?t have a school to go to now.?
?We?ll find her one,? Heero said simply.
Relena gave him a dubious look, ?But what if there are no places? She doesn?t like the school? The same thing happens? She doesn?t ma?? She was cut off abruptly as Heero gently but firmly put his hand over her mouth. ?We?ll sort something out,? He promised, ?Relax.?
?You?re right, sorry,? She said as he let go. ?Are you going to talk to Ayame??
He tensed a little and nodded. Relena stood up and rubbed his arms comfortingly, ?I know it?s not easy for you but I believe in you Heero, I always have. You can do it.?
<center>~~~*~~~</center>
He found her far from the house, sitting on the grass by the large pond, sheltered by the tall, thin trees that grew nearby. She had her knees drawn up with her chin resting on the arms crossed above them; her eyes had a distant look that he didn?t like.
Heero came and sat near her, facing the small body of water before them. He was careful not to approach too silently, lest she start at his presence, and knew from the shifting of her feet and the tightening of the fingers clutching her arms that she was aware of him. They sat in silence for a while, the air between them tense and uncomfortable. Eventually Ayame tilted her head to rest on her arms and whispered, ?Are you mad at me??
Heero glanced at her, ?Why would I be mad at you??
?Because?because of what happened at school.?
?Hn. You were pushed to a limit and you reacted, I can?t fault you on that.?
?Are you mad then because?I know about you??
Heero sighed, ?I?m not angry with you Ayame.?
?You?re angry at something.?
Heero brushed his hands through his hair and closed his eyes. ?I made a promise, on the day you were born, that I would never burden you with my past. You should have a normal life and enjoy the childhood I never had. I overlooked the fact that the rest of world wouldn?t leave you alone. That?s why I?m angry.? His eyes narrowed.
?Why do they hate you so much??
?Because they?re afraid.? Heero answered simply. ?Of who I am and what I?m capable of.?
?What was it like? When you were a Gundam pilot??
?That?s something I don?t really want you to know,? He placed his hand atop her head gently.
?Don?t think I won?t understand!? Ayame brushed him off, ?I already know a lot. You had to control those big robots that shoot beams and there are different kinds like the one with the long arm that stretches out really far??
She was describing Wufei?s Gundam. Heero shook his head, ?Ayame??
?I don?t want to hear it from someone else, I want to hear it from you!? She said stubbornly.
?It?s not easy for me to talk about,? Heero tightened his lips, ?I did things I?m not proud of.?
?Nobody?s perfect,? She lifted her chin. The perfect soldier almost smiled at the irony of her words but remained steadfast.
?You?re not going to talk about it??
?No.?
?Was it really that bad??
?Yeah,? He said impassively.
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before Heero made a movement and reached into his back pocket. Ayame watched him withdraw his wallet and open it up. For a crazy moment she thought he was going to give her money to keep quiet but instead, he pulled out a thick folded piece of paper and held it out to her like a peace offering. She took it, realising it was a photograph and unfolded it carefully. Her eyes widened.
?This was taken at the end of the Eve wars? Heero whispered softly.
The photograph had been taken in a large space docking port. Five men stood together in their black space suits, battle worn and weary yet emitting a strength and pride that seeped out of the very picture itself. Partly visible behind them were five huge mobile suits which were unmistakeably Gundams. She immediately picked out her dad standing in the middle with one hand holding on to his helmet. Behind him, his Gundam looked the worst and was completely battered. To his left stood Mr Barton who was supporting a wounded Mr Winner clutching his side with a faint smile. On Heero?s right stood Mr Maxwell, his hands on his hips and a huge grin on his face. Beside him was Mr Chang, tilted slightly to the side with his arms crossed.
Ayame looked up to find Heero staring at her intently. ?All of you were Gundam pilots??
Heero nodded.
Ayame stared back at the photograph, analysing the image of her father in it. She had never seen him so young. He seemed shorter and skinnier, and although he still wore the same emotionless expression she saw today, there was something was colder about him in this picture, something distant and unreachable. She felt sad for him all of a sudden. Ayame looked across the pond thoughtfully for a moment, then shuffled closer to Heero and touched his arm tentatively.
?Can I ask you a question??
He hesitated, ?Yes.?
?Is it because you?re a Gundam pilot that they say it?s a bad thing mum married you?? She said slowly. A look of surprise crossed Heero?s face. Then it turned into one of amusement. ?Not really,? He admitted, ?Most people still don?t know about me, I?m just a Preventer agent. Relena is a public figure though and she?s really important, loved by people on the Earth and the colonies. They didn?t want their precious princess to marry someone like me.?
?But then, what?s wrong with you?? Ayame asked meekly.
?Hn.? Heero said thoughtfully, ?I?m not a prince.?
Ayame raised her eyebrows. ?So even if people don?t know you?re a Gundam pilot, they?d still say bad things about you?? She concluded.
?It seems so.?
?I don?t want them to,? She said miserably.
?Neither does Relena but you both have to understand that you can?t stop the way people think.?
?I?m going to.?
Heero gave her a look of surprise. ?What??
Ayame lifted her chin, having come to a decision. The sad melancholy atmosphere around her dissipated and she seemed to have picked up an invisible source of energy from somewhere that her eyes sparkled with. ?I?m going to change the way people think and one day they?ll call you a hero.?
Heero gave a bewildered smile, ?I don?t want to be a hero, I?m happy enough with this,? He gestured around him and his eyes glimmered.
?Maybe not a hero then but I?m going to make sure people aren?t mean to you anymore,? Ayame said with finality. Heero shook his head, bemused. She was so protective and determined for a little girl. ?If that?s what you want.?
She nodded and perked up. ?Of course, in order to do that I need to spread good stuff about you to counteract the bad stuff. That means you need to tell me about when you were a Gundam pilot.? She crossed her arms expectantly.
Heero blinked. Somehow they had gone full circle back to square one and she had him. Relena would have been proud. He considered telling her no but something about her eager face stopped him.
?You know sharing the past isn?t always a bad thing, your children could learn from it.?
Relena stood by one of the trees flanking the pond, holding a sleepy eyed Sasha in her arms with a smile on her face. She was accompanied by Hana and Chloe who rushed forward and flopped down on the grass beside Ayame.
?Story!? Gushed a breathless yet excited Chloe; she adored stories and loved to listen to them. Pagan always read to her whenever she asked but she rarely got stories from Heero so this was a rare and treasurable experience in her mind.
Relena walked up and sat down cross-legged on the grass next to Heero. ?Dadee,? Sasha rubbed her eyes and strained towards him with her little arms. He took her into his lap and kissed the top of her head as she snuggled against him. He eyed the girls warily, ?Are you sure about this?? He asked Relena uncertainly.
?Sure,? Relena said brightly, ?You might lose them after a while, our stories aren?t the simplest to tell but I think it?s the telling that counts. Just don?t try to say everything in one go, you can tell the rest another day and remember to keep the rating down.?
?I?I don?t know where to start,? Heero confessed.
?How about when we first met?? She leaned over, kissing his cheek lightly, and tilted her head so her cheek rubbed softly against his jaw, ?It?s an easy start,? She whispered. The corner of his mouth lifted and he nodded in agreement. Everyone settled down as he took a deep breath.
?I guess it all started when I was sent to Earth on a mission to fight an organisation called OZ. My shuttle was spotted on the way and I was attacked before I could reach my destination. I was forced to crash-land with my Gundam on Earth and ended up landing far out in the middle of the sea where my Gundam sank right down to the bottom. Somehow, I don?t remember, I got out and managed to make it to shore. I was so drained and tired that I fell unconscious out in the open where anybody could see and it so happened that, on that lonely stretch of road, someone did walk by and find me. When I woke up and opened my eyes, there was a beautiful girl sitting beside me, holding my helmet in her hands??
<center>~~~*~~~</center>
The next day, Ayame sat at the picnic table staring out into the garden with her elbows propped up on the wooden surface.
<i>
?And so the first colony was completed and our timeline was changed to the first year of After Colony, AC 001 in order to herald the event?? Droned Pagan as he read the history book. He had procured the use of one of the spare rooms in order to set up a makeshift classroom and had decided to try his hand at teaching. Age had reduced the old man?s mobility, requiring him to use the aid of a walking stick now at eighty-six. The wooden support tapped against the floor as he paced backwards and forwards; the steady rhythm lulling Ayame into sleep.
??Fighting that spread from the Earth to the colonies caused the development of colonies to proceed slowly. It was only until AC 102 that the first colony cluster L1 was completed and at least 15% of the Earth?s population moved to the Orbital Village at??
Her eyes started to close of their own free will?
?Oh dear, Miss Ayame I seem to be sending you to sleep.?
Ayame jerked up straight and flushed, ?No Grampa, I was listening, I was!?
?Why don?t we take a break?? Pagan suggested kindly, ?All this teaching is making my head spin.?
</i>
Poor Grampa Pagan, she hadn?t meant to insult him by falling asleep and yet he hadn?t been angry at all, merely amused.
?Boo!?
Ayame shrieked and toppled sideways off her seat as a head with a bright pair of cobalt blue eyes popped out from the side of her vision. She sat up and glared at the boy who stood and chuckled at her.
?That wasn?t funny Ethan!?
Ethan Maxwell grinned boyishly at her, ?It was just so tempting, I couldn?t help myself.?
Ayame huffed and got to her feet, ?What are you doing here anyway??
Ethan flicked the jet black hair hanging loose about his shoulders, ?I can?t come and see you now? Mom told me what happened.?
Ayame looked aside uncomfortably, ?Oh.? It made sense, Relena and Hilde were close friends after all. Ethan shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. ?You never told me you were being bullied.? He quietly commented. Ayame flushed and lowered her head. He sounded hurt. ?I?m sorry. It was my mess and I didn?t want you to get involved.?
?We?re supposed to be friends,? Ethan frowned, ?We tell each other when we?re in trouble and we help each other out no matter whose ?mess? it is.?
Ethan Maxwell; A combination of Hilde?s fiery passion and Duo?s roguish charm. He always made her laugh when she was upset and told her everything would be okay when she was scared. He was the only real friend she had in the world and yet somehow, she had refused to confide in him. She felt so ashamed she couldn?t meet his eyes as he stood before her.
?I?ve been getting lectures left, right and centre on how I should have told somebody so don?t you start.?
?Yes ma?am,? Ethan stuck his hand out to pull her to her feet, ?Sheesh, if I knew you were tetchy about it I wouldn?t have brought it up. You?ll be glad to know that everything?s forgiven and forgotten anyway so we?re good.? His grin reappeared and Ayame smiled faintly in return.
?So what?s gonna happen to you eh?? He poked her sharply.
?Ow,? Ayame rubbed her arm and shot him a glare. ?I don?t know, dad promised to take care of it.?
Ethan nodded, ?Ah yes, Mr Yuy?s probably kicking ass right now?? He schooled his face into a cold mask and put on his best imitation of Heero?s deep tone, ?You mess with my daughter again and next time I won?t leave any legs to break.?
?Not like that!? Ayame was mortified.
?Hmm, you?re right. He wouldn?t really say anything would he? He?d be all action...?
Ayame gave him a fierce glare and he lifted his hands in mock surrender, ?Hey he?d do anything for you lovely ladies is all I?m trying to say.?
?Hi dad,? Ayame waved past Ethan. He yelped and spun round but there was nobody there. ?That was cold,? He scowled at Ayame who was giggling at him. Suddenly a bewildered look crossed his face, ?Hey you?re happy!?
Ayame tilted her head at him, ?What of it??
Ethan grinned again, ?I haven?t seen you chirpy for a while Yim-yam. It?s good to see you back. Now, let?s get out of here and go for a walk.?
?What for?? Ayame asked curiously.
?You?re going to tell me everything, from the start? Ethan answered, walking past her in the direction of the front gate.
<center>~~~*~~~</center>
?So you?re saying my dad is a Gundam pilot?? Ethan raised an eyebrow.
?Yeah, I saw it in the photograph.? Ayame nodded.
They continued walking along the street. Ethan started whistling and loped his arms across the back of his head.
?Well?? Ayame prodded when he didn?t seem to make any other move.
?Well what??
?What do you mean ?well what?? I just told you your dad was a Gundam pilot.?
?Oh, that.? Ethan sighed and stretched. ?I already knew about that.?
Ayame stopped short, ?You already <i>knew</i>!?
?Yeah, knew about your dad too. Thought you knew too.?
?What!? How??
?I?ll show you,? Ethan grabbed her hand and yanked her forward.
?Where are we going??
?To my house.?
Ethan lived 10 minutes away from the isolated mansion that was Ayame?s home. The white-washed houses on his street all looked exactly the same and Duo had had their house painted because he could never tell the damn place apart otherwise. The reddish rust-coloured house stood out like a beacon as they walked towards it so you couldn?t miss it even if you wanted to. A group of young boys were playing football on a large stretch of lawn a few houses away but upon noticing them, one broke away and came running towards them.
?Ethan!? Greeted six-year old Jacob Maxwell enthusiastically. He was cute with short brown hair and a round face that sharply resembled Duo. His round blue eyes widened as he recognised who was with his brother and he flushed a little, becoming self-conscious. Jacob didn?t possess much charm when it came to girls, he was too shy. ? ?Lo Ayame.?
Ayame smiled gently at him, ?Hi Jacob,? and his flush deepened. Ethan grinned and grabbed Jacob roughly, ruffling his hair into a thorough and complete mess, ?Hey kiddo, what?s up??
?Argh get off!? Jacob squirmed and Ethan let go. ?I?m supposed to tell you Mom?s gone out.?
?All right,? Ethan nodded to Ayame, ?Come on.? They started up the drive to the front door. An old car that looked completely rundown stood in front of the closed garage. ?What?s that for?? Ayame asked curiously.
?Dad promised to fix it for Mrs Peters who lives a few houses down.? Ethan explained, ?She refuses to buy a new one but its okay, dad likes getting his hands dirty with this kind of stuff.? Ethan took out a key and let himself in through the front door. He led Ayame into a small study and pushed a chair close to a bookshelf. Ayame watched as he stood on it and retrieved a black coloured book from the top.
?What are you doing?? Came a small voice from behind them. Jacob had followed them in and was looking at them curiously.
?Nothing,? Ethan jumped nimbly down from the chair and, placing the book on the table, turned to gently push his little brother out of the room. ?You?ll get in trouble!? Jacob said worriedly, ?Dad always knows??
?Not if you?re me,? Ethan reassured. ?Not a word Jacob, okay??
?I wanna see too!? Jacob protested.
?Listen, me and Ayame are doing secret stuff, hush hush.? He looked around shiftily, ?I need someone to keep a lookout and tell me as soon as someone comes home. You?re the only one I can rely on.?
Jacob looked put out but nodded reluctantly, ?Okay,? He walked off as Ethan closed the door. Ayame looked closely at the black book on the table. It was leather bound with a plain silver cross on the front. Ethan stepped out from behind her shoulder and flipped it open. ?It?s a bible,? He explained.
?We came here to see a bible?? Ayame said sceptically, wondering whether Ethan was going to start preaching passages to her. She wasn?t particularly religious; Heero didn?t believe in God at all and although Relena kept faith, neither of them imposed their views upon their children so Ayame had decided that she believed in God to some degree but was never ruled by him.
Ethan grinned at her confusion and shuffled through until he made a satisfied noise and stopped on a particular page. Ayame stared at the photo, tucked into the spine, staring up at her boldly. She sucked in a deep breath and lifted it out carefully.
?It?s the same one your dad showed you isn?t it?? Ethan whispered softly and Ayame nodded.
?I bet all of them have a copy,? He said excitedly.
?What about Apollo and Lian? Do they know?? Ayame asked curiously. Ethan shrugged, ?I?m not sure, I don?t think Lian would know, she?s too young but there?s a chance Apollo knows.?
?And Jacob??
?He doesn?t know yet but I think dad will tell him when he?s ready to. The only reason I know is because I found this and then dad told me everything. I think he?s being a little more careful with Jacob.?
?Do I even want to know how you happened to find this tucked away inside a bible?? Ayame raised her eyebrows.
?Hey I like books okay?? Ethan defended, ?I was trying to reach one on the top shelf and I knocked the bible over so the picture fell out.?
?OH!? Ayame put her hands to her mouth. All of a sudden her eyes started to well up.
?What is it?? Ethan asked, startled at the change in her behaviour.
?Your book,? She choked, her voice trembling. ?The book you lent me?they tore it up?I forgot to tell you. They tore your book Ethan.? Tears began to slide down her cheeks, ?I?m so sorry.?
Ethan pursed his lips and gave her a severe look. He put his hands on her shoulders, ?Ayame, I think I need to make this clear to you: It was a book. A B-O-O-K, book. Let them tear it up as much as they want, I can always get another one. It?s not worth crying over.?
?Aren?t you upset?? She wiped the tears from her eyes.
?Well, let?s say if you ever point them out to me I?ll be sure to give them a piece of my mind,? He winked. ?Look, I?d be more concerned if something happened to you than some book.? He said seriously and a smile spread across Ayame?s face, she could always count on Ethan to care.
?This is really crazy,? She shook her head disbelievingly, ?Our dads are not only best friends, they?re Gundam pilots.?
?You?re telling me Yami? I thought it was crazy from the start.?
<center>~~~*~~~</center>
When Ayame got back home, the guard immediately let her through the tall imposing gates of her house. Heero opened the front door before she even reached it.
?I?ve been waiting for you,? He stepped aside to let her in and closed the door behind her, ?I?ve got some news.?
?What is it?? Ayame asked.
?I?ve been trying to arrange a new school for you with Duo?s help. Most of them couldn?t give you a place but we managed to get you into one. It?s called Radiance Secondary School and Duo tells me it?s a good school even if it?s not as wealthy as Eve River. Somehow, I don?t think that matters to you.?
Ayame?s heart almost stopped and crash-landed into the pit of her stomach. <i>Another school?</i> Of course, she knew she couldn?t stay at home forever but?it just felt so sudden and she thought that she would have a little time yet, time to enjoy the happiness she had found. Uncertainty rose up inside her and she swallowed nervously, she wasn?t ready.
?You?ll have to buy a new uniform with Relena but you should be able to start attending in a few days.? He finished.
She only had a few days?
?Do I have to go?? Ayame stammered before she could stop herself. Heero turned his head and his deep eyes penetrated into her own, causing her to look away and shuffle her feet uncomfortably.
?You have to go to school,? He replied, ?What?s wrong??
?I don?t want to go,? She pleaded. ?What if it turns out to be the same?? His eyes softened and he gently took her into his arms, pressing her against him. ?You?ll be all right,? He reassured in deep tones, ?You?ll like this school.?
?How do you know?? Ayame said doubtfully.
?I know,? He stated.
?Yes but <i>how</i> do you know,? Ayame argued.
He smiled, ?Trust me.?
?Promise?? She pulled back. He stared straight at her without a blink, ?Promise.?
She stared at him for a while, trying to assess how serious he was. Satisfied, she broke into a smile, hugged him quickly, and made her way upstairs.
?You?re always spying on me these days,? Heero accused, turning round to come face to face with Relena, leaning against the wall.
?Hey mister, you always used to sneak around in the shadows and watch <i>me</i> so you?re one to talk.? She stuck her tongue out at him. ?At least I?m out in the open.?
He had no reply to that so she laughed and stepped away from the wall, sliding her arms around his neck as he took hold of her waist. ?I don?t suppose you plan on telling her??
?I think I?ll leave it as a surprise.?
She laughed and leaned up. ?Mmmm, you?re a good father Heero,? She murmured against his lips.
Surprising isn?t it?? Heero responded dryly. She slapped his shoulder, ?Stop it. You are, you just need someone to point it out to you before you get a complex.?
?I do not get complexes,? He argued.
?All the time,? She nuzzled his neck, ?Come on,?
He raised an eyebrow, ?Where??
?Good fathers get good rewards,? She whispered with a wink.
<center>~~~*~~~</center>
She tried to be positive about it, really she did. Ayame put on her best smile as she was measured up for her uniform and took to spending a lot of her time with Relena, Heero or her sisters so she didn?t have to think about this new school. Of course, she tried asking Heero about ?Radiance Secondary School? but he would simply give her a blank look and say, ?You?ll see.?
?But how am I supposed to settle in if I don?t know what it?s like?? She replied worriedly.
?You?ll never know what its like until you go there,? Heero countered and she could get no more out of him.
Now, today was the day. She dressed in her new uniform with trepidation. Although she had hated Eve River, part of her felt uneasy at leaving the familiarity of attending it and even her uniform felt strange and new on her. She tiptoed down the steps and, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, snuck into the kitchen and tried to grab the bowl of cereal waiting for her on the counter.
Pagan was busy sipping tea at the dinner table while Heero was rifling through the morning paper. Chloe had just finished scoffing her cereal down at breakneck speed in order to get enough time to watch TV before she had to leave. She rushed past Ayame without so much as a blink and seconds later the loud blaring of ?Kids Time? could be heard from the living room. Hana, who was more of a fussy eater, was making her way through her bowl of cereal so slowly that she was more able to take stock of her surroundings. Ayame?s entrance, therefore, did not go unnoticed by her and she didn?t hesitate in announcing it to the whole kitchen.
?AYAME?S HERE!?
<i>If only looks could kill</i>, Ayame thought, sending her sister a brutal one. Everyone turned her way and if she could vanish herself away by willing it so, she would have done it in an instant.
?All ready for your new day at school Miss Ayame?? Pagan smiled, ?Come on out then and let?s have a look at you.?
Ayame winced and reluctantly sidestepped into view with a face as red as a tomato. Her Radiance uniform consisted of a simple white shirt with a red ribbon attached around the collar and the Radiance emblem, a gold star, pinned to her front of her collar. The skirt was red with a tartan type pattern on it and went down to her knees where it gave way to long white socks. Her blazer was the same red, buttoned down for a nice fitted look. She felt so embarrassed, being scrutinised by everyone, that she almost wished for the stuffy cravat and tight blazer she had worn at Eve River.
?Very nice,? Pagan chuckled, ?You?ll do wonderfully on your first day I?m sure.?
Ayame mumbled thanks to Pagan and shot another glare at Hana. ?I-am-so-going-to-get-you-back-for-this,? She gritted her teeth. Hana grinned and tossed her hair over her shoulder as she slid off her stool and walked out of the kitchen. Ayame watched her, grumbling under her breath.
?Have your breakfast and then we?ll leave,? Came a deep voice from behind her.
?<i>You?re</i> going to take me?? Ayame looked at her dad with surprise. He nodded. ?I?ll wait till you?re ready.? He informed her and left the kitchen.
When she was done, Ayame trudged into the entrance hall, Heero following, and grabbed her bag by the stairs. Relena came to give her a good luck kiss on the cheek and then they were on their way.
<center>~~~*~~~</center>
?We?re going into the city,? Ayame observed as she watched out the window.
?Yes,? Heero answered.
?Eve River was further out.?
?I know.?
?It seems far,? Ayame said dubiously.
Heero glanced at her but she was still staring out of the window.
?Hey are those kids going to my new school? They?re wearing green uniforms?I?m wearing red??
?They?re going to another school,? Heero calmly replied.
?Are we going to be late?? She asked nervously when they stopped at a traffic light.
?We?re nearly there, now sit still and calm down. You?re too nervous.?
Ayame bit her lip and sat back silently.
Heero pulled into Radiance Secondary School. A steady stream of children wearing the same red uniform were making their way through the gates and milling about the grounds before first bell. The school was a large rectangular building with nice arched windows and a soft orange colour to the walls that gave off a pleasant feel. Ayame watched a group of girls walk past, talking and giggling animatedly. The threads of apprehension in her stomach tightened. Heero pulled up at the side and stopped the car, watching Ayame as she fiddled with her fingers and looked down at her lap.
?I suppose I should go now.?
Heero scanned the crowd of students with a frown, ?Hn.?
Ayame didn?t notice his vague reply, ?Can?t we just go home??
He glanced back at her, ?You know the answer to that question.?
?Yeah, but I had to ask anyway.?
Heero put his hand on her shoulder, ?This time its different, and you know we?re all here for you, you?re not alone.?
She sighed, ?I know. Okay, here goes...?
?There?s ?trouble??? Heero muttered and Ayame looked at him in surprise. He was staring out of the car and across at the entrance. Ayame followed his gaze and saw a young boy with long black hair standing at the school gates with his red blazer and black trousers. He looked around and when he caught sight of them, his face lit up and he waved frantically. Ayame gave Heero a look of utter disbelief.
?I?m dreaming.?
?Unfortunately not.?
?You knew.?
?Duo told me.?
?And you didn?t say anything??
?I told you to trust me.?
?Yeah but I didn?t know you meant that,? She gestured at Ethan, ?I thought you were just saying that. I was so nervous all this time,? She accused.
?And now you?re not.?
?I?no. I?m not.? A smile lit up her features and Heero returned it with his eyes. ?It works out well, Ethan will help you settle in and?he?ll look out for you.? He stared at the boy with a frown, ?Just make sure he doesn?t rub off on you too much.?
Ayame laughed and leaned across to hug Heero tightly. ?I won?t.? She closed her eyes and said with sincerity ?Thanks dad, for telling me about you and for sorting this out. I love you.? Heero gave her a firm squeeze in response and she pulled away, eyes shining.
Heero watched her leave the car without a single trace of hesitation and make her way over to where Ethan was standing. He scratched the back of his head and made a sweeping gesture towards the school with a wide grin on his face, then he stretched his hand out to her. Ayame stared at it and then her gaze wandered to the school beyond the gates. She smiled nervously, clutching the straps of her backpack. Ethan?s lips moved to form some remark and Ayame suddenly burst out laughing. She took his hand and he dragged her through the gates. Heero waited until they disappeared from sight before starting the ignition with a satisfied sigh. He was only too glad to see his daughter smile and laugh with such abandon; it felt like he hadn?t seen her express such happiness for a long time. Having friends was important and he understood that only too well. He would never let her feel alone and lose hope.
Everyday was a new beginning.
<center>Fin</center>
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<b>A/N:</b> So begins Ayame's experiences at Radiance Secondary School with Ethan. Bless her, she's such a troubled little girl sometimes I do worry about her
oh and like the new banner? Yup, that's all four of them! To see the whole, bigger picture just check out my deviantart gallery and they should be there in full.
Hana reminds me of my lil sister lol
