Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Anacrusis ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Anacrusis

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Gundam Wing, however I am the owner of the character Melinda Chichester and any other OC's that may appear.

As an assurance, none of these OC's will play a large part in this story, they are here only to bend and twist the plot for my desired effect. This is a HYxRP fiction.

I've been stung by the inspiration bug and I had to put it to paper so to speak. I'll continue TOS's story ASAP but I really wanted to write this short fiction first. I have it all written out and I will post a chapter every other day, I plan on dividing it into 3-4 chapters.

I have this also on a FFN account under the name Duck3, it doesn't have the lemons on it for obvious reasons so if you aren't a lemon fan then save your scrolling and visit that site.

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The scene was almost picturesque really.

Almost.

It was one of those scenes you'd come across in House & Home magazine. Something that some little girl in the company of her mother would come across and point it out looking at her mother with big hope-filled eyes and say `look mama, I'm gunna have that one day!' and the child's mother would look down at her child and smile with a nod, her own deep hope that her daughter really would have something like that, something so beautiful, so perfect.

So almost perfect.

It was slightly ironic that the girl in this particular scene had done the exact same thing with her mother. Wide blue eyes looking over the glossy picture filled paper in awe and swearing to her mother she'd have the exact same thing. But this girl, now a woman, did not look one bit happy, all that hope and awe and determination to have what she wanted in that picture couldn't be found anywhere within those blue eyes.

Let's paint the picture shall we? The room in the scene was large and airy, not overly so but enough to give one some sort of free feeling within the safe confines of the walls. The walls were matt painted in a stunning sky blue that'd have the heavens themselves envious. Halfway down, the walls turned into oak panelling a shade lighter and thin enough to allow the woods natural grain to seep through.

One wall was filled with glass and grand window doors hung open for the breeze to ripple the curtain blinds teasingly and allow fresh cool air to circulate and emphasis the tranquillity that practically oozed off the area. The floor was one of the same grandeur as the walls wooden panels; oak stained a rich golden colour, mimicking sand as it were. A thick and lush rug, sandy in hue, draped across the room and filled most of the centre of it.

Furniture was far and few in between, a bookcase crammed with novels of all shapes and sizes loomed against one wall, a small coffee table displaying a bone china vase filled with white lilies upon its polished surface was surrounded by seats with soft velvet cushions. And then in front of the open glass windows, two chairs, one empty the other occupied, flanked a small ovular table with a blue marble solitaire board, intricately patterned, lay with a game in current play.

Within the occupied chair, the figure, the woman, sat with a dainty grace of one trained into such an art. Back straight, shoulders back and a hand cradled restfully in her lap. The other was poised over the solitaire board, hovering over the remaining azure balls that so matched her eyes own shade. Eyes set into a face contorted in concentration and thought, perfect teeth worried rosy lips as she moved her hand a fraction towards a particular marble before quickly retracting it. Her eyebrows creased, wrinkling creamy skin that had seen the best beauty saloons attentions and extenuated a small scar aching over an elegant and proportioned eyebrow. All in all she was a woman with a face of a china doll, almost flawless.

Almost.

The breeze picked up a bit swirling into the room and playing lightly with the woman's long honey blonde tendrils. It was indeed a picturesque scene and, had the photographers of House & Home been permitted, they'd have been snapping up the pictures, trying to capture the scene on film for little girls and their mothers to awe about.

The woman's concentration lapsed and the world her mind had been in, melted away to the current one in which her body resided. The poised hand fell gracefully next to its cousin, all muscles that had before been either moving or contracted beneath her skin relaxed. A soft sigh escaped her mouth and eyelids ending in long dark lashes drifted closed and her chin raised itself slightly.

The rustling of many trees resounded outside her window doors and drifted to her ears. Birds sung a harmony of noises that soothed her slightly restless soul. Within her minds eye she pictured herself outside of the room that confined her, she was sitting on healthy soft grass, back propped up against the rough bark of a tree, a cherry tree perhaps, or a willow. Nature was alive with life's natural beat and she was in the centre of it, seeping in the atmosphere. She sighed in contentment and the pooled posture she usually held slumped ever so slightly and muscles uncoiled and relaxed.

The cacophony of the inner workings of the closed door latch shook her from her peaceful world. Her head turned gracefully towards the door and waited expectantly for whoever was on the other side of the door to enter. A woman looking in her early 30's with deep brown hair tied tightly in a bun at her nape and warm chocolate brown eyes that fell to the young woman in the chair, entered. She smiled happily at her employer and walked over to stand next to her, her heeled shoes clicking against the floor.

“Miss Relena, you're due for a video conference with the new L2 delegate in an hour.” Her tone was motherly and the woman, now identified as Relena, couldn't help but feel comforted by the voice. It was partly why she had brought Melinda Chichester into her employ. She was a voice of reason and comfort if things just grew too overwhelming for Relena. It also helped that Melinda could make tea that would have the former British Royal Family jealous. But despite the tone of her voice, Relena still sighed a little dejectedly at her Personal Assistants words.

“Thank you Melinda and I will go and get ready for the conference now. Could I have some tea awaiting me for when the conference starts?” Relena knew her question would be acquiesced but it couldn't hurt to be polite and courteous.

“Yes of course Miss Relena and I had the opportunity to pick out a dress suit for the conference as well. It is hanging next to your vanity.” Melinda replied with another warm smile and slight nod of her head. “Is there anything else you need Miss?”

Relena regarded Melinda thoughtfully, her teeth worrying her lip once more in a habit she picked up from God knows where. With a belated gesture, she waved the older woman to sit in the chair opposite her own before her eyes fell back to the Solitaire board. She reached a hand over and took one of the cool pieces in her fingertips and moved it, she took the marble she'd just moved over and placed it in one of the groves with its fellow marbles. Her eyes remained thoughtfully on the board.

“Melinda? Do you ever get fed up with your work?” Relena deliberately kept her gaze trained on the board as she voiced her question. So she didn't see the fading smile or the look of concern.

“No Miss, I enjoy my work very much. May I ask what brought this question on?”

Relena sighed. Yes what had brought that question on? She also enjoyed her work very much. She was helping to maintain peace, she was protecting her friends in the only way she could, the political arena. It was a thrill for her to outwit a fellow politician or to see the fruits of her labour in a child's smile as much as the thrill Mobile Suit pilots had when in the heat of battle. It gave her an elevated feeling to know that she was helping to shape a peaceful world.

The memories of the wars six years ago were still fresh and painful wounds. Her father had died for it, for peace, and it pained her to no great ends when the horrid memories of viewing his death came to her dreams. She'd suffer the worst nightmares straight after his death and she still suffered from them every once in a while. Even her blood family, the Peacecraft's, had died because of the wars. Though her only knowledge of her true family fell on her brother, she had never really had the time to truly speak with him about a life she had no remembrance of. But even with all that branding her conscious, it spurred her to go on, it was her drive.

The coup with Trieze's daughter, Marie Maya, only tightened her resolve and even made her see things slightly differently. She certainly came out of the situation a different person, if not for what she had been faced with, but for a certain individual who'd saved her…

“I just…I think we are finally achieving our goal of peace and…” she looked up slowly and gazed at her Assistant with troubled eyes “and I will not know what is left for me after it all.”

Melinda looked at her with the same warm expression though her eyes now filled with sympathy. Relena saw no comfort in that look this time, as motherly as it was, it didn't replace her own mother. When Melinda didn't speak Relena realised that she was waiting for Relena to continue.

“It's just that I didn't even finish my education, and I will never regret leaving school to become Vice Foreign Minister…but I can't be that forever, I won't be needed soon.” She frowned and made another move on the Solitaire board only instead of depositing the marble into a grove, she kept it in her fingers, twirling it between them distractedly.

Melinda watched all the characteristics not of a Vice Foreign Minister, but of a troubled young woman, who'd sacrificed her childhood.

“Miss Relena, you will always be needed to help keep peace. You could never give up something to which you are so passionate about. Despite the hardships it entails you come out strong. Surely you do not need an education if you leave office. You have experience and could take up any number of political positions less stressing.”

Relena let out in inaudible sigh and nodded her head slightly “you are right, and I could always get qualifications if I wanted to go into something else…” She trailed off and her eyes fell from her companion to the small marble in her grasp.

“But that is not all is it?” Relena's head snapped up at those words and she let out a small melodious laugh though it held no humour in it. She looked at Melinda with affection and a small smile played upon her lips.

“I can hide nothing from you can I?” Her answer was a nod of affirmation “I'm lonely I suppose. It never truly occurred to me until now I've always been a content person.” Relena had to blink several times to relieve the stinging pressured sensation near her eyes. “But I have no time for such silly revelations I have this conference to be ready for.”

With a flustered smile Relena rose from her seat and brushed the creases from her sundress. She raised her right hand and tucked any rampant strands of her hair behind her ear. She walked towards the door, her bare feet sinking into the plush rug but paused at the little circle of chairs surrounding the coffee table. She twirled about on her heels and looked at her Personal Assistant with a brilliant smile, any traces of the troubled person she had been only moments before were gone.

“Thank you for sorting out a suit for my conference.”

Melinda nodded and Relena noticed the thoughtful expression on the older woman's face but decided not to comment up on it.

“It is no problem Miss Relena and I shall have tea prepared in your office in time for the conference.” Relena smiled and turned once more to pad out of the room to prepare for the video conference with the L2 delegate.

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The room in Relena's home that she called office was a ghastly room for anything save for work. Windows allowed light to stream into the circular area and hit walls of an olive green colour. Relena may of wielded political power and influence but the colour of the walls were not of her choice. She would have had the room redecorated but time bent her and not the other way round so she settled for covering the disgusting colour with paintings, photos, and furniture tall enough to hid such the atrocity.

It worked, though the room looked decidedly smaller, but it was something she could easily cope with. She now sat in front of a huge mahogany desk, though there wasn't much to see under all the papers and files des-guarded everywhere. It truly did make Relena wonder how on Earth she could find everything, though what was it that Melinda went on about?

Organised Chaos.

Relena looked at her desk and felt herself nod, yes almost certainly organised chaos. The look of the mess was almost depressing and it made Relena want to sink even further into her chair. Her chair was one of utter genius and if the inventor of the thing she was dwarfed in was alive, she'd have hugged him. The chair didn't have any gizmos implanted in it but by God it was the most comfortable thing she'd ever felt.

Black leather that tingled against your bare skin it was so smooth. And the cushioning made you feel like you were in a chair of goose feathers. It was a gift from her brother on her 18th birthday. He'd said if she was to take this job seriously then she needed such a chair. She still thanked him for it even now, after all the long hours sitting in the same position, working, it'd saved her a lot of grief.

She let out a content sigh and a hand went out and daintily retrieved a cup and saucer of tea. Taking a sip she savoured the taste and slowly replaced the cup to its saucer in her hand. Relena glanced at the small digital clock at the bottom right corner of her video display screen. It was 13:59, nearly time for that delegate to call.

She looked down at her pastel pink suit with slight irritation, she really hated these things and she especially hated wearing them in her own home. The only show of her irritation towards the accursed thing was the multiple and slightly violent tugs at the ends of her suit blazer with her free hand. Obviously realising she wasn't going anywhere by pulling at the thing she placed the cup and saucer on the desk once more and brought her hands to smooth over her hair tied with its trademark ribbon.

The horrid sound of bleeping indicating an incoming call hammered into Relena's distracted head. She looked at the screen as it flashed the words `In-coming Call' at her in neon blue writing. Relena's hand automatically went to the allow button and just as her index finger brushed over the computer key, she paused.

If she moved her hand a fraction, she could cancel the call, she could cancel it and walk out of this ghastly office and retreat into the rose gardens to think and enjoy nature. Just one movement, one careless movement mind you. Her hand quickly retreated from the buttons. She couldn't just do her job when it suited her that was irresponsible.

The continued bleeping brought Relena to her senses and realised she'd been keeping the poor delegate waiting. She knew she intimidated the new people, a fact she always found rather amusing and strangely endearing, and she was sure that by keeping this young man waiting, it wasn't helping his ego. So she placed on her dashing million dollar smile and pressed the allow button.

The screen blinked to life and the face of a man perhaps only a few years older than her self. Wavy black tresses falling to his ears and eyes a brilliant green. She had to admit he was a stunning man at first sights. Crisp suit fitting him perfectly and an angelic like face that seemed to fool you into thinking he was innocent and naïve, but for him to become an L2 delegate at such a young age, meant quite the opposite.

“Vice Foreign Minister Darlian, it is a pleasure to finally meet you though I regret it is not in person.” He flashed her, a toothy smile that vaguely reminded her of Duo Maxwell's. He didn't seem as nervous as she thought, though she was sure she saw anticipation written in his eyes. His voice was rather nice not quite a baritone but it had a slight hypnotic appeal to it, though she much preferred Heero's deep tone. NO, no she wasn't going to think of that. She silently sucked in a cleansing breath.

“Ah the pleasure is all mine delegate Walters. Congratulations on your new post, I hope you will fair well in it.” She flashed him her own smile, though not as fake as the first one. “I suspect there is a pressing matter you wish to discuss if our meeting could not wait until the speech gathering tomorrow.”

Walters looked mildly startled at her words and Relena relished the fact that she had caused it. Sitting back farther in her chair, she retrieved the tea and took a small sip waiting for the delegate to respond to her observation. The stunned look faded from his face soon enough and replaced itself with a serious one.

“Yes, Vice Foreign Minister, I'm afraid there is an important matter I wish to discuss.” She nodded at his words to urge him on. “It revolves about the Terra Forming project on Mars. Now that the programme is in the open, many colonies are benefiting from it through various production lines, all but most of the L2 cluster. I am curious as to why this has occurred and if there is any way to fair this slight injustice.”

Relena held back a sigh this would be a long one she could tell. The Terra Forming project had been her baby for the last few years. She'd only just got it off the ground and she was sure that without her brother and Lucrezia, the project would still be in the planning stages. Part of its design, was not only a new world for humans but as a constant source of economy for the colonies. All the colonies would be able to trade and once the Terra Formation got underway properly, it'd serve as a cheaper food supply to the further out colonies.

It had taken three years to plan out the various blue prints, finance and other parts but on July 24th AC199, the Terra Forming Project was officially declared. Of course, even now, two years later, there were still some snags turning up, such as the supposed one delegate Christian Walters had though they were something Relena took a challenge in and gladly tried to resolve. This was her baby after all.

“I believe that in the prospectus for the Terra Forming project, it was settled with the previous delegate that L2 would use its large scrap metal business as an aid to the project.” Walters nodded his head.

“Yes I read that but the need for our sweeper core's expertise is not necessary until much further into the project. My concern lies with the fact that our benefits from this will not come till a later date. I fear L2's economy will suffer.”

“I can understand your concern, and it pleases me that L2 has one such as yourself to ensure its continuation. This problem was foretold to but not solved properly. My only suggestion at this time would be to allow the L2 colonists the priority of employ in Mars' manual labour forces.”

Walters looked thoughtful for a minute, and Relena could have sworn she could see cogs turning in his head. She instantaneously took a sip of tea when the thought passed her.

“You have an interesting proposition but I do not think it practical. Whole families may have to move to Mars and the expenses of travel for such a number…” He shook his head mildly as he spoke. “I think it would do more harm than good to us in the long run.”

“Hmm do you have any suggestions?”

He thought for a moment and Relena noticed him worry his lip in the same mannerism as she. So maybe it was a politician thing? Wait, she worried her lip if she had something she knew people may not like…

“We have Mobile Suit factories on schedule for demolition, could they be converted into metal recycling plants? Our sweeper groups could be placed in charge and you'd had more resources for the construction of Terra Mars.”

Ah there it is.

Relena thought over his words. Yes all the mobile suit and weaponry factories were being rebuilt into something new or just flattened for mother-nature to reclaim once more. The moon's had finally been incorporated with living quarters thanks to the updated gravitational technology. She didn't see a down side to the idea unless…

“This conversion, what would happen the remaining mobile suit parts, they've remained untouched because the complex has been concreted down. But if the complexes were reopened there is a chance of suits being made via stolen parts.” She received a nod as a reply.

“I understand that Vice Foreign Minister and it is a solution that I seek.”

Relena nodded and took another sip of her tea, once more savouring the flavour.

“Delegate Walters, do you have the files of all the mobile suit plants in your cluster handy?” Walters frowned as he gazed over what must have been his desk and after a few moments of the shuffling of paper sounding, he brought his attention back to the screen.

“Yes I have them all here”

“Good” She nodded. “Could you give me an estimate of how many mobile suits could be made from all the parts L2 has?”

He looked down and leaned to one side, the sound of a draw being opened was heard and a moment later he leaned up with a calculator in hand. Placing it out of her view, Relena could only assume he put it on his desk, he looked over the various files in his hands and the random tapping on the calculator keys filled her office as she waited, while sipping her tea, for him to finish.

“I estimate about 54 Mobile Suits with these figures.”

Relena frowned and leaned back even further into her chair. 54 suits could be a formidable thing especially if it were the serpent suits.

“These are the Serpent Suits I'm assuming?”

“Yes, they are the leftovers from the coup attempt and the last to be destroyed in all the clusters.”

“Well” Relena sighed. “All I can suggest is that we use these parts as scrap metal. And as for the possibility of stolen parts…there should be some preventers there to over view the work. I wish not to take any chances. In any case, I think this should be brought up in the speech gathering tomorrow.”

Her answer was a nod “yes I think it wise, and I shall include it within my introduction speech Vice Foreign Minister.” He looked ready to say something else and Relena waited patiently for him to continue.

“I was wondering…would you like to go out for dinner tomorrow night? Of course it would be to further discuss this problem, but I would be honoured to have your company…”

Relena would have gaped if she was a lesser person. She hadn't been asked out on a date in a long while, scratch that, she never had a proper date they always seemed to end in some strange disaster. Even then those dates had been formal and filled with politics and men bragging about their boring lives. So when the words came out of a very handsome young mans mouth, Relena was at a major loss. What would she say?

“Dinner? Tomorrow? I'm not sure how my schedule is.” Oh that was a bad excuse. Relena inhaled a deep breath that to her, sounded a little shaky. Shaky? Why on Earth was she panicking like this? It was just dinner, a formal dinner, with a handsome young man. They were only going to discuss the future economic prospects of the L2 cluster over some oddly named cuisine. But…why did she feel so guilty?

Distractedly she flipped through tomorrows schedule and she was indeed free. Pushing the strange feeling aside she threw on her million dollar smile and regarded the young man in the screen with a cheerful and pleasant voice.

“I'm free then, I would be happy to attend dinner with you delegate Walters”

He smiled brightly and looked to be jotting something down.

“That's great, and it's Christian by the way.” Relena blinked before allowing the remark to sink in. “Well Christian, I insist that you call me Relena.” He nodded his head and bid her good day. A moment later the screen went blank and the odd guilty feeling Relena had had came back.

Why was she feeling guilty over an innocent dinner appointment? She wasn't betraying anyone, she didn't have a boyfriend or husband…so then why? Relena frowned and pinched the bridge of her nose. Was her guilty feeling because of him? Because of Heero Yuy?

Heero…

The man who'd left her five years ago and had unknowingly taken her heart as well. He didn't even say goodbye, just left like some fallen leaf in the breeze. Perhaps she expected too much from him to stay with her. They lived in two different worlds and shared to different callings in life. Heero, she was sure, had not found his peace and calling. She assumed it was why he left the first time and the second after Marie Maya. When she saw him holding that gun and speaking his heart out for the first time she had ever known him, Relena saw Heero Yuy for the kind hearted boy that Doctor J declared him to be.

And Heero was a boy back then, a mere child like all of them were. Barely 17 years old with the soul of an old man. She'd watched him for hours after he had fallen unconscious in her arms. She saw the look of him as he slept and had nearly wept because of it. But she knew she had to stay strong for them both and whether Heero would ever believe it, those times during his slumber, Relena had silently vowed to rid the world of such things that had destroyed Heero and built him into the person he showed himself as.

The slight twinge of an oncoming headache in the back of her mind brought Relena out of her musings. All she could fathom was the guilty feeling coming from her thinking she was betraying Heero; a man she didn't even know was alive or dead. A man she knew nothing of but still loved with all that she'd been given. A man she didn't even know if he had any sort of feelings for her.

Relena looked off and stared unseeingly at the olive green walls, waiting for advice from them and shook her head looking mildly exasperated.

“Why do you always pick the hard way Relena?”

The walls had nothing to say.