Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Changes Of The Heart ❯ Chapter 7

GW and its characters don't belong to me but to Sunrise/SOTSU Agency, Bandai etc.etc.

Chapter 8 of Choices of the Heart...angst, sap, lime.

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It took Quatre only a few moments for the entire situation he had just seen to register. He felt himself growing angry at them for having touched Relena in such a way, when he had already made up his mind that from now on he would be the only one to touch Relena so intimately, to make love to her and to care for her and protect her. Yes he was angry, but as a gentleman, one must temper their anger with civility.

"I do not believe we are in need of either of your services anymore gentlemen." He simply stated. "You have vacation time and severance pay coming to you and you shall of course receive that, but as of now I give you two an hour to vacant the premises."

"Don't do this Quatre." Trowa said trying to stare the blonde man down, but was surprised that he met his gaze back with just as much intimidation.

"It wouldn't surprise me Trowa if you were the instigator in all of this."

"It's not as if Relena is innocent in this situation."

Quatre found himself not recoiling from Trowa's attack but being fueled by it. "No, Trowa, she isn't. But I will deal with her in my own way, so I suggest you not speak ill of her again in my presence."

Trowa nodded his head quite proud that his soon to be former lover was defending Relena. He would be leaving her in good hands.

Quatre's glare switched to Heero. "I don't know what to say to you Heero. Despite wanting to hurt you now I can't find it in myself to hate you. I guess all of us should have known that upon entering this deal that all of us would eventually get hurt."

Heero's eyes narrowed and his voice was tense. "And what makes you think Quatre, Relena will only want you."

Quatre's strained smile quivered. "I don't know if she will. But it is a chance I am willing to take."

Heero almost smiled. He was seeing the Quatre he had not seen since the war. A young man who was bold and strong despite his fears, not afraid to lay everything on the line to protect what was his or what he loved, even if the odds were staked against him. He was now the type of man that Relena really needed.

"You've always been the strongest out of all of us Quatre. You really have." He said making his way to the backroom to begin to pack.

"Then it appears you've made your choice Quatre."

Upon hearing Trowa's words Quatre turned back to his lover and reached out to take his hand. "Please Trowa. Do not think it is because I do not love you. I do so very much, but things are different now."

Trowa wrenched away his hand, time for another test Quatre, he thought. "Yes I know, the baby. You're obligated to it and her now aren't you."

Quatre grew angry and raised his voice. "I meant my feelings have changed. I simply love Relena more than anything in this world, even you. And that is why I'm staying with her."

Trowa turned away knowing that Quatre spoke the truth and that he had indeed fallen deeply in love with Relena. All three of them had, only it was Quatre who would get to keep her. "I'm glad to hear that you love her. I can see you're being true to your heart."

Quatre wiped away a few stray tears from his eyes. "It's not a decision I've come across lightly Trowa." Quatre said hanging his head and trying not to cry. "It's actually something I've been thinking about for the last year. But I suppose I wanted to hold onto you for as long as I could. But now I realize it's time to step out of this play land we've created and let go of you and start acting like a real man, a real husband and a real father."

Quatre caught his breath somewhat feeling himself locked in Trowa's embrace. "I understand Quatre. I would leave you as well if I had even had a chance to keep her by my side." Quatre felt the space between them now as Trowa headed towards the door. "Take care of yourself, and her Quatre. She can only bring you happiness."

"Yes, I know Trowa. And I will do everything in my power to protect that love." There was silence now and Trowa would soon be gone for good. Quatre grasped his own arms around him to stop his shaking.

Heero came walking out of the back room, duffle bags in tow. "I left the keycards on the dresser."

"Thank you Heero. I..."

Heero stopped his words. "I heard what you told Trowa so I can accept how things must be. Relena is your wife after all isn't she?"

"Yes Heero, Relena is "my" wife." Quatre said in a tense and possessive tone.

Heero's voice was once again threatening. "But let me tell you Quatre, if Relena ever comes to call for me I will return for her."

"If I am making her so unhappy that she must need you then I beg you to come take her. But I assure you she will never have reason to want you back"

Heero acknowledged his statement with a nod, he had to swallow before he spoke, never in his wildest dreams did he ever think he would be leaving Relena forever. His heart was breaking and it was the worst pain he had ever felt in his entire life and he could no longer look at Quatre, but instead hurried past him. "Say good-bye to Relena for me, let her know I still love her."

Quatre finally was able to release the breath he had been holding. "Good luck Heero. Part of me will miss you."

Several seconds passed with Quatre standing alone in Heero's house when panic brought him back from his numbing void. He then remembered how distraught Relena had been. He left Heero's residence and started to make his way back up to the estate.

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Instead of going back to their room Relena instead had grabbed her keys and jumped into her car. Heero and Trowa had been her security detail and they of course were not around to stop her. She had no idea where she was going at the moment, only that she needed to get away. She wiped away tears that were blurring her vision as she tried to drive. A few times she had went almost off of the road but somehow managed to stay on it. Minutes felt like hours until she had reached her desired designation. Through her blurred vision she looked up at the huge white manor, shaking and cold.

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"What do you mean she's left?"

"She was quite upset sir, she just got into her car and drove off.

Quatre's lips were quivering again but this time in fear along with anger; he then realized that he was holding the butler against the wall by his shirt neck, his feet off of the floor; Quatre placed the man down and apologized. "I know it's not your fault Simon...I'm sorry. It's just Mrs. Winner ..."

Quatre then broke down as he sat on the bottom of the steps in fear and desperation. He had never been a religious man but he found himself praying now to Allah, God or who ever it was up in heaven to watch after his wife and child. He knew her mind as well as his and he also knew she no doubt was beating herself up with guilt and self-hatred, feeling unworthy of him, of her people. No doubt she did fear the unknown of what would happen next and hurting like hell because of the fear. He rose from the steps. There was in fact one place that she may have gone to. "Simon. Me and Mrs. Winner will most likely be home late tonight so there is no need to wait up for us." Simon bowed and acknowledged his master's order.

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Milliardo had to admit that he was quite shocked at seeing his sister showing up on his doorstep looking haggard and disheveled, distraught and in pain. But holding her to him now as she sobbed the story to him he began to get angry with the men that had dared toy with his sister's life. He had known about the whole plan from the beginning and had tried talking Relena out of such an idea, but he knew Relena and once her mind was made up there was virtually no changing it. But then who was he to judge anyone's love life. He had lost the only person that had made sense in his life when he had refused to show his own feelings to Lucrenzia.

He waved away the maid who had brought in the tea and gingerly pried his sister away from him so that she was sitting up straight beside him on the loveseat. He took a cloth napkin from the tea tray and began wiping her eyes and nose. "You can of course stay here for as long as you need to."

Relena sniffled. "I shouldn't be bothering you like this Milliardo. It's not your problem."

Milliardo furrowed his brow and took his sister by the shoulders. "Your entire life I've never been able to be a brother to you, Relena. Please. Let me be a brother to you now by allowing me to help you...take care of you if need be." Relena opened her mouth to speak but the ringing of the doorbell cut off her words. Milliardo patted his sister's knee. "Have some tea Relena and try to relax. I'll go see who it is."

Milliardo growled to himself knowing that whoever was at the door had to have been one of them if not all three of them. He vowed he would personally throw them all out if he didn't like what they had to say. He saw Quatre standing in the foyer having been let in by the butler. "What is it you want?" Milliardo almost snarled.

Quatre refused to back down. "I know Relena's here because her car is out front. Let me talk to her."

Milliardo curled his fists. "You're making some demands aren't you for not being in your own house."

Quatre ran his fingers through his own hair. "I apologize Milliardo. It was rude of me. But I'm desperate to speak to Relena."

The taller blonde folded his arms across his chest. "Why?"

Quatre looked up at him his eyes pleading. "Because I love her."

Milliardo felt himself begin to soften as he stared back at Quatre as he continued to speak. "Please Milliardo. I realize I'm going to speak out of terms again in your house but I do believe you understand what it means to have second chances at love."

Milliardo hung his head and sighed with a brief memory of Lucrenzia. "She's in the parlor."

"Thank you." Quatre breezed past him but was stopped when Milliardo placed a hand on his shoulder.

He leaned over to speak in his ear. "Hurt her anymore Quatre and I swear..."

"I understand." Quatre spoke through clenched teeth. "But let me tell you this, sir. I've been pushed beyond my limits already today so let me go now before I loose what self containment of my anger I have left."

A little taken aback having never seen Quatre in such a vile and volatile mood Milliardo eased his grip enough for Quatre to shrug him away.

Relena sat in the corner of the loveseat curled in a ball. She had tried to poor herself tea but found her hands were shaking to badly. Her tears began to flow again. "Oh my god what have I done? I've ruined my life. I've ruined Quatre's life...and Heero's...and Trowa's." Her sobs became muffled as she laid her face onto her curled knees. "Please, please I just want to die."

"You shouldn't say such things when you have your whole life in front of you to live."

Relena gagged on a sob hearing Quatre's voice. Immediately she swallowed her tears and sorrow, outwardly but not inwardly. Her self taught motto of never letting anyone seeing you cry kicked in and with as much dignity as she could muster and with the grace that she had always carried herself with she uncurled her legs and rose from the couch.

She dried off her tears with the napkin and smoothed back her hair and straightened her skirt before turning around to face him. Quatre looked upon her now, standing tall and regal despite her red-rimmed eyes and tired flushed face. He knew that she had turned on her tough girl front, a front that she mostly reserved for the times during exasperating and tiring negotiations to maintain her cool and calm exterior.

No one but Quatre knew how fragile and sensitive she really was and even he had felt that she had been forced to remain composed so much so that she had forgotten how to show her weakness and fears, even to her best friend. Quatre's heart went out to her. Had she forgotten that with him it was possible for her to be a normal human being full of vulnerabilities and flaws?

"Relena. We need to talk." He saw her swallow hard before beginning to approach him to take a place standing before him; she was twisting and pulling at her wedding ring.

"Yes I suppose you would want this back." Relena's hope of a dignified and quick confrontation and exist was extinguished when she found the ring on her finger was stuck, her fingers swollen from the constant nervous wringing of her hands. She sniffled and sobbed somewhat feeling her tough outer exterior beginning to crumble. "I, I, I'm sorry...I can't seem to...damn it!" She spun around away from him in an attempt to swallow her forming tears of embarrassment and despair before he could see them. "I can't get it off!"

He watched with a heavy heart as her body began to shake with what he knew was an internal battle between composure and release. My dearest Relena, he thought. It breaks my heart to see you like this. "I'm glad you can't take off the ring."

Relena hiccupped suddenly hearing his words. "Don't be ridiculous Quatre. You came here to tell me it was over between us...didn't you?" Her body went stiff feeling the contact of his skin to hers as he took her hand. "Relena. Turn around and look at me." Relena could have sworn his soft words sounded commanding. She hesitantly turned around only to be pulled forward into his embrace. Quatre held onto her tightly, one hand was gently stroking her hair, pressing her head firmly against his chest; his head resting atop hers he spoke.

"I don't want it to be over between us. I love you Relena. I love you." The feeling of time standing still hit Relena, causing his words to hit her slowly, disbelief washing over her.

"What about Trowa? You love him."

"I told him to leave. I no longer need him Relena...or want him. I only want and need you."

Relena closed her eyes, this wasn't happening. "You're a fool Quatre for letting me come between you two. I'm not worthy of that sacrifice."

Quatre knit his brows together somewhat exasperated that she could find it hard to believe that she had become the most important thing of all the earth and colonies to him. He closed his eyes to calm himself. "I sent Heero away too. I'm saying good-bye for him and, that he loves you."

"Heero's gone?" Silent tears began to drop once again from her eyes; she had never imagined her life without Heero. Shouldn't she be furious at Quatre for making that decision for her? No, she thought, Heero would not have left if he had not felt it was for the best. He was telling her that the right place for her to be was with Quatre. And right now her own mind was telling her the same thing. She was in fact deeply in love with Quatre and it was where she wanted to be.

"You're not angry at me then?"

"No Quatre. But after what I am about to tell you, you may change your decision to be with me."

A thin smile crossed Quatre's lips relieved that there seemed to be only one obstacle left in front of them. "If it's about the past you share with Trowa, I already know. I've known since the night of our wedding."

"Huh?" Relena squeaked out true surprise as she pulled away from Quatre and looked up at him with a look of disbelief. "How, did you...?"

Quatre's tender smile was still on his lips. "Are you forgetting I was there with you two? I wasn't completely passed out at the time. I saw and heard everything that went on between you and him."

"And you didn't say anything?"

"I never felt it was my place and at the time it didn't matter. Even now it's just a little piece of your past and today I want to make the past irrelevant to what our future holds." He continued to see the confused look in her eyes; she still didn't quite believe him.

He cupped her face with his hands and raised his voice just barely enough so as to get her jolted out of her daze. "Look at me Relena. Listen to what I am telling you. I love you damn it, now, and forever. There will never be anyone else for me."

Relena heard his words and knew he meant everyone of them, but then why did she still doubt him? "But Quatre I..."

Quatre could no longer take it. Shit woman, he thought, what is it going to take? He hoisted Relena in his arms ignoring her question of what he was doing and after a few steps they were in front of the loveseat where Quatre deposited Relena on her back he would prove to her he loved her even if it took all night.

"Quatre I asked you what..."

He sealed his mouth over hers to stop her forthcoming words, breaking the kiss after a couple of seconds, his stern commanding tone returning as he whispered in her ear.

"Be quiet wife and let your husband make love to you." Relena's heart jumped at his words, never had he been authoritative with her, so boldly lustful with her. Her eyes widened with her sudden realization that Quatre did in fact truly and honestly love her.

"Yes husband, make love to your wife, only do not deny her of doing the same to her husband."

Quatre smiled warmly at Relena's teasing words. "Never will I deny her anything", he breathed into her ear before continuing his feasting of her body."

"Relena is everything..." Milliardo stopped his inquiry and his steps that would have taken him into the parlor. Upon seeing what he was seeing he swallowed his big brother instincts and rationalized that, after all they were married and Relena was a grown woman. He took a step back and closed the double doors to the room. He stopped his butler in the hall. "Tell the staff that the parlor is off limits for at least an"-mn, he thought how long would a make up love session take-"an hour no, make it two, no the rest of the night and tell Rhoda that the loveseat in there will need shampooed tomorrow"-wait, his thoughts attacked him again, this is a make up love session-"hell just tell her to shampoo every piece of cloth furniture in there, even the carpets."

"And sir, where shall you be if you are needed?"

Milliardo took a deep confident breath. "I'll be in my den making a very important call. I don't want to be disturbed if at all possible."

"Very good sir." Milliardo's steps were light as he hurried to his study, his thoughts returning. Maybe there was still a chance to reconcile with Lucrenzia and get her back after all.

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Trowa stood behind Heero in the ticket line at the shuttle bay. "Going back to L1 for awhile?"

"Don't know where else to go."

"The manager always needs extra clowns." Trowa controlled his laughter at Heero's reaction to his joke.

"I hate clowns."

"I do hope I'm an exception."

"Just barely."

Trowa's thoughts took a more serious turn. "You're really going to miss her aren't you?"

"Like you won't."

"But it is for the best."

"Yes. It is."

Heero turned from Trowa glad that at moments like these his friend could be just as detached and as private as him, though he knew that between them, there would be plenty of tears and regret over it later once they were out of the public eye.

Trowa wrapped an arm around Heero. "We do have lot's of money between our vacation and severance pay. We could chill out somewhere, have some fun-but just as friends, at least for a little while and then see where we really stand with each other."

Heero found himself up at the ticket counter. "Hey Trowa. I hear the beaches of L2 are just as nice as the one's here on earth."

"Sounds good, but what do we tell Duo if we run into him?"

"We don't have to tell him jack shit." This time Trowa did laugh and Heero turned his attention to the ticket clerk. "Two tickets to L2. First class. One way."

TBC...