Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Somewhere in Between ❯ This is it ( Chapter 6 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Confusion: I you are confused as to the timeline of events in this fic, please look at the explanation/timeline attached (last chapter).
Disclaimer: I own none of the Gundam Wing characters or any information from the show used in this fic. The ideas though are my own.
Also, the line "The world doesn't just disappear when you close your eyes," is a quote taken from the film Memento. It does not appear word for word, as it did in the film, but I'm giving credit where credit is due. I do not own the film Memento.
Please review!
Enjoy!
'_____' denotes inner dialogue (thoughts)
"_____" denotes outer dialogue (conversation)


Somewhere in Between
~Phoenixstar

This is it


"I didn't mean to." Trowa nodded, though slightly baffled as to why he was there. "I meant to shoot Heero."
"You…" his confusion was great.
"The lights just went on and there he was… And he wasn't supposed to be there…" then with firm resolute he continued. "He broke into my house."
Trowa nodded. Zechs just shook his head.
"But it's not your…"
"I meant to shoot." he stopped and looked away. "Lady Une's having a fit about this. You… I… Noin, we're all in this together, and now she knows. There's a meeting soon and we have to be there."
"What are we going to say?"
"Don't worry. This is my fault. I'll take the blame for us helping her. I harboured her."
"But she's your sister. You don't honestly think that they'd expect you to turn away family."
"You know what I helped her do…"
"I still don't understand." Trowa sat down. His shoulder was throbbing in pain. "She told me…"
"We had our reasons." Trowa noticed the way Zechs hands were clenched and shaking slightly. It was so uncharacteristic of him. Zechs continued in a small quiet voice, "Just none of them make any sense anymore."
"I can't just let you…"
"Listen to me Trowa. I don't know what's going to happen. Just don't try to take the fall. They will know you were there, but it's not your fault."
"I won't let you do that."
"Just like I wouldn't let Relena give up."
"She did though, didn't she?"
"Yes, but not in the way she had planned. She can't do this! She couldn't keep it up. You have no idea what they demand, what everyone demand of her."
"We all have our choices Zechs. I'm not questioning hers. It's just that…" but Zechs didn't seem to be paying attention.
"You and I fought in the wars. We know what a hard life is like. Little trust, little hope, all those things that we'd like to put behind us. She fights on a different battle ground, where the enemies are more demanding and underhanded."
"Zechs, I respect Relena and all but…"
"She shouldn't have to." Zechs finished. He turned and headed for the door. "We'd better get going. We're going to be late. We've got enough problems as it is."
Trowa opened his mouth to protest, but Zechs had already left. 'I just want to help her too…'

~~~

"And your horoscope for today is… Bad news for you… You shall suffer for you actions… Punishment will be long and heavy…"
"Miss Relena. Don't you think that's just a bit harsh?"
"Noin, I've gone against everything I've spent my time teaching. I'm a failure to my own lessons. And now, I will pay the price that is all."
"You should have…" Relena interrupted her.
"No Noin. It's alright. I've done a terrible thing. I don't know what happened to me, but at least it proves once and for all that I'm not fit to hold my position any longer. That's all. Everything will work out for the people."
"Relena, you cold just take a break for a while and come back when… You're feeling a bit better."
"No, what I've done is not fair to anyone and to go back there and pretend like nothing happened would be wrong. I hold a position of trust and I've grossly abused it. Even if they don't know about it, I will."
"Relena I don't want to make a decision you'll regret." Noin sat across from her drinking her coffee. Her eyes were dark exhibiting her fatigue. She watched with a weary face as Relena looked down into her plate, meagrely picking at her breakfast.
"I've already made one. I'm not prepared just yet to deal with another. I've made my decision, and I know it's for the best. I truly do appreciate the fact that you tried to dissuade me the last time, and considering that, I should probably take your advice. This time though, it's more than that. If I go back… Well it won't matter. My mind is set." Noin dropped her eyes. Relena saw this and continued.
"I was young when I started this job. Most people were still at school. For a while, I was even running one, but that's still completely different. No one really has many options during the war, and we all do what we can, but the wars long over Noin, and I'm not getting any younger. I know I'm not old as it is, but I've been doing this for too long… I'm still not even half the ages of most of the people I work around. That's not the reason I've done any of this, but when I tell the others, keep that in mind." Noin nodded and Relena stood, carrying her half eaten breakfast to the trash. "Should we go then? We don't want to be late."
Relena turned and walked out of the room. Noin followed.
"You selling yourself short Relena."
"No, I'm trading myself in."

~~~

"What is the point of this?" Wufei tapping his pencil on the table.
"To get the story straight?" Duo suggested.
"Yeah, but if that's all, why do I have to go. I know you'll repeat it at least 10 times before the end of the day anyways." Duo shrugged.
"I guess it's just because we've all been working on this since we found out that she was dead."
"Or supposedly dead," Sally corrected. "Anyways I talked to Lady Une and she said that she wanted us to help deal with it now. Lucky for us it shouldn't be too hard. It'll probably be all sorted out by the time we get there. People just don't seem to like filling us in anymore." She sighed and leaned back in her chair.
"I wouldn't worry about it this time Sally," Duo spoke up. "Last time it was Heero who found Relena, and when I saw him last, I highly doubt we'll be seeing any miracles from his end."
"Still, makes me wonder what we even do here anymore!"
"Paperwork," Wufei answered, moving his pen, taping it one a stack of papers. "We've been come the preventors secretaries that's what. No more field work for us…"
"Don't you think that's a bit harsh, considering…"
"No, he's right, we never seem to get the work we used to… Not that it matters." Duo looked back and forth between the two who were so obviously in their own worlds.
"Riiiight. In that case why don't the three of us head down to the room now and not be the last ones there?" Sally nodded, and so then, they all went out of the room and down to the conference room.

~~~

Heero stormed past the other offices and cubicles, not caring who saw him or what state he was in. He finally got to the door,
Conference Room C
This was it. He pushed open the door and walked in. He looked around the room, froze, turned around and walked back out.
Lady Une stopped talk, "Duo, go see what that was about please."
"I don't get it. I don't even work here, and yet here I am doing all your guys' dirty work, and I don't like it one bit."
"That's because you know him the best." Duo cocked his head and shrugged.
"That's only because you guys never take the time, or you just plain don't care."
"I do," whispered Relena, but no one heard her.
"This isn't the time Duo."
"When is the right time? When Wufei, or Sally or Zechs' runs away?"
"I highly doubt Heero would care one way or the other if I disappeared," Zechs interrupted. Duo continued paying no attention to the older mans comments.
"When the next person is 'dead'? When the next time he's falling apart we don't seem to care?" Duo didn't wait for a response; he just got up and walked purposefully out of the room. It wasn't hard for him to find Heero. There weren't many places Heero would have gone, and his office was the best guess.
knock knock "Heero, you're in there and I know it."
"Hn." Came the response. He knocked on the door again, waiting to be let in. "The door, is unlocked you know." Duo opened the door and stepped in.
"Heero what the hell has come over you? What was that about huh?"
"She was in there," Heero replied cryptically.
"Yes, I imagine she would be there, considering it is her hearing with Lady Une." Heero didn't seem to be paying attention, which was no great surprise to Duo. "Grow up Heero. You're old enough to know how to deal with people, even ones you don't like." Then he added as an after thought, "Or ones you just don't want to deal with at the moment."
"I know. But no one told me she was going to be here, and I wasn't prepared."
"For the first time in a while Heero, I have no sympathy. You should have known. Plus you have had to deal with situations much harder than this before."
"Those… those were never emotional things."
"Well I don't know how you lived through all that time then, but I certainly found it… emotional as you put it. But I'm not really all that interested in hearing this from you right now Heero, so just shut up, get up, walk back there and grin and bear with it. No one is asking you to solve anything. You found her, and so you're a part of this, whether you like it or not."
"Not," Heero answered. "She was sitting near Trowa?"
"So? Grow up Heero, that is not your problem any more as I remember."
"Shut up!"
"She was sitting next to Noin too. Didn't think about that one did you. Oh and she was sitting across from Wufei, imagine all the flirty looks and footsie those two could have.
"SHUT UP! They would never. That's it. I'll go back, as long as you shut up before I come over there and fix the problem permanently."
Duo followed Heero back into the conference room. It was hard to escape the fact that Heero's walk was much slower than usual, and Duo had to bite his tongue not to tell him to hurry up. When they walked back into the room and Duo was painfully aware that all eyes were on them, or at least Heero, who true to his behaviour, ignored everyone and went and sat in the corner, fixing his eyes with a cold stare on Lady Une. Duo shrugged and went back to his old seat.
"As I had started before you arrived Heero, we're about discuss what should and what needs to be done. First Relena… Or Zechs is going to say something to us, of course, just to make sure we understand what's been going on." At this she looked at Heero and her eyes narrowed. "Anyways, I think it's rather apparent, that some among us, do not wish for this to carry on, so I guess lets get started. Relena?" Lady Une sat down. Relena made a move to stand when Zechs stood up slamming his hands down on the table.
"I know what you're all thinking…"
"Didn't know you were psychic Zechs…" Heero muttered to himself from his spot in the corner.
"…And I don't like it one bit. I don't think you should blame her, I want you all to blame me!"
"Milliardo!" Relena coughed out standing up in surprise. Lady Une just cocked an eyebrow.
"Zechs, that wasn't the issue up for discussion so if that's all you have to say on the…"
"But it is. I see where this is going, and don't all start pointing you're fingers at Relena…"
"Milliardo, stop it!" Relena shouted.
"Zechs, no one is pointing fingers."
"But you are, and if you're not now, you will be in a second, so it's just as well as I get this out in the open now."
"Milliardo, please stop…" her voice had taken on a desperate edge.
"No, he's right and I'll take the blame as well," Trowa stood up as well.
"Trowa, don't do this!" Relena pleaded, sliding back down into her chair holding her head in her hands. Heero was watching the scene with mild amusement from his corner of the room.
"But he's right Relena, you didn't know what you were thinking…"
"Gentlemen please, this isn't what we're meant to be talking about," Lady Une interrupted.
"How do you know what I was and wasn't thinking?" she shot back.
"I'm trying to help you…"
"Then shut up and sit down, because I want to have my say for myself thank-you very much."
"Relena it wasn't your fault."
"This isn't the issue," Lady Une reminded them.
"Yes it was my fault, and I think I am in my right mind when I say that, and I have more I would like to say if you two would shut up and sit down!" Relena screamed. Heero watched in what was slowly becoming amazement. Trowa sat down, and Zechs opened his mouth as if he was going to protest, but Relena interrupted. "Don't," and so he reluctantly sat down.
"Now," she continued, taking a deep breath and lowering her voice. "Now that everyone is quite aware of how my brother and Trowa here feel, I'd like to have my own say." All eyes were on her now, and everyone was watching, waiting for the next bit of information. 'You can do this Relena, of all the things you do know, this is it.' Then she went and told them about what had made her decide to do it, although she did admit that in retrospect it was one of the stupidest things she had ever done in her life. That said though, she didn't regret doing it, or at least the outcome… To a degree. She told them about what happened in the few days following when she was staying with Zechs and Noin, and how they had done their best to try and help her through it. Much to Zechs obvious displease she added how they were innocents as they had tried to talk her out of it from the beginning. She tried to keep her eyes from wandering. In front of her was the safest place they could be.
"Yes, we understand as much Relena. I will still have to have a word with Zechs and Noin, considering harbouring a wanted person isn't allowed. I'd like you to tell us what had happened when you were found by Heero though? It's not every day that one of our agents gets put into hospital for gunshot wounds."
"That would be my fault," Zechs stood up.
"Yes, and I'll have to have a word with you after about that, but I was asking Relena what happened not you." Zechs glared angrily at her but she ignored him.
"Right," she took a deep breath. "Well, as you know I was staying at Zechs and Noin's house. And I was sitting in the living room with Trowa…"
"Trowa?" Lady Une questioned.
"Yes… Oh he just got there in the morning."
"Why?"
"I don't know really…" Relena looked over towards Trowa, but he said nothing.
"Yes, well I think you can understand my asking. It isn't standard procedure for our agents to withhold information on a case from me, or in fact, to be protecting the whereabouts of any persons related to it." Relena gulped and nodded. "Well, continue, I'll be having a word with Trowa as well as this is all over."
"Well, he was sitting with me and we were talking…"
"About?"
"Things… Mostly having to do with what was going on, this… This case and all. It was late, and the alarm went, and Trowa turned off the lights and moved us into the corner, and I think he was preparing to fight whoever it was that had broken into the house."
"Broken in?" Lady Une mused.
"Yes, broken in. The alarm doesn't go off if you're not. That is what a security alarm does."
"Sorry, I just had to ask. I guess I'll have to have a talk with Heero as well about procedure. Normally prenventers aren't supposed to break into any place without orders, or a warrant. And after I'm done talking with these four I think I'll have a word with everybody, seeing as nobody remembers procedure anymore. Anyways, please continue?"
"So we were standing in the corner in the dark. Trowa moved away from me a bit, I think so he could check out where they might be coming from. I know I was probably wrong to undo what he'd done, but I thought if I was going to be attacked, I should at least be able to see who it was."
"You being attacked? How did you know whoever was there wasn't your common burglar or there to attack Zechs and Noin?" Relena's cheeks flushed.
"Well, I don't at least I didn't. It never really occurred to me." Lady Une scribbled something down on her paper and moved. "I guess it's just in the back of my mind that with everything I had been doing that someone would be on the look out for me, since I suppose I couldn't have fooled everyone." Heero snorted from his seat, but was ignored. "Also Zechs, isn't acknowledged as alive, so it wouldn't be anyone after him most likely, and I don't know about Noin." She took a deep breath and continued. "Right, well I wanted to see whoever it was. And then I turned on the lights and I didn't really know what was happening because as soon as I turned around there was a gunshot and Trowa was bleeding and Zechs was in the room. I panicked, and I saw Heero, but he left. Zechs helped me slow Trowa's blood loss and we took him to the hospital. That's it I think."
"That is all that happened then?" Relena nodded. "Right, now comes what do we do to… rectify the events?"
"I've thought long about what I should do, since it is all my fault really." She held up her hand to silence and objection from Zechs. "It is my fault and I should be… punished for it. Now, I'm well aware that I am not fully aware of the standard procedure for this kind of thing…" she looked to Lady Une for guidance.
"There is not standard procedure. We've never had this happen before."
"Right then," Relena continued. "In that case I propose that I should no longer hold a position open to the public."
"You mean we arrange for you to change jobs?"
"No, not quite. I mean to resign from my position as Vice Foreign Minister." She ventured a look around the room. They seemed surprised, all except Noin.
"For how long?"
"I don't think you understand me. I mean permanently. No leave of absence. I plan on resigning, letting someone else take over my post, and not coming back."
"Then what are you going to be doing for the… rest of your time?"
"I don't know. Firstly, I think I need to get my head sorted out. If I'm capable of this, who knows what else I could do." She paused. "And perhaps in the future, should I like to retake this kind of work, I'll let myself work for the position, not get in just because of my fathers name."
"So when does this take effect?"
"As of now." Relena answered.
"And you're sure this is what you want?" Lady Une asked. Zechs made another motion to object. "No, I'm asking Relena what she wants."
"Yes."
"Well, I suppose that's about it then. Wufei… Sally… If you could please write up a report to close this, as well as a press release once I've given you a copy of the minutes for this meeting." Sally nodded and followed Wufei out of the room. "Noin, if you could please escort Relena home? It would be best if as few people as possible saw her, and that she has as little contact with anyone other than those who were here as possible. We'll have to talk about where she is going to stay for a while, or until the situation cools down later. It'll probably be with one of us, but we'll talk about that." Noin nodded and stood. "Relena, you heard what I said. I expect you to follow those instructions. You'll hear the plans within the week." Relena stood, and together Noin and Relena walked out of the room. Heero went to follow them, but Lady Une stopped him.
"I still need to talk to you…"

[Outside]

"Relena, I'm going to go check the situation downstairs and see about a way to get us back home. You stay here until I come back for you, okay?' Relena nodded. Noin prayed that for once in her career of taking care of the girl that she would follow instructions.
Relena leaned on the wall, waiting for Noin to come back, when she heard footsteps approaching from behind her.
"So that's it Relena." Relena spun around in surprise. "So this is it? Giving up so easy?"
"Yes, I suppose you could phrase it like that." She replied.
"I wouldn't have expected to hear that from you of all people, Relena." She shrugged.
"I'm not the only one who gives up too soon. Don't talk about expectations when you don't know how to live up to them." Heero stepped back. His eyes widened and then a rage of sorts crept into them.
"They trust you…"
"I trusted you. At least I can give them an excuse. I don't remember you ever giving me one." She looked away.
"Relena, I…"
"It's a little late now Heero. What's done is done," and she continued on in a lower voice, "and what isn't, isn't."
"That's not the point Relena."
"It might not be. You still don't understand do you?"
"No Relena, you're the one who doesn't understand. The world doesn't just disappear when you close your eyes."
"That's just it though Heero. The world isn't going to disappear; I am."
"A word to the wise, I tried it and it doesn't work."
"I stopped listening to you ages ago. I'm not about to start listening now. Once I've made up my mind about… what happened to us, I'll let you know." She turned and started walking away.
He wanted to stop her, reach out and grab her, hold her back. But he didn't, and for the second time in his life, he wished he'd done more to stop her leaving.


~~~

"And in today's news Vice Foreign Minister Relena Dorlian, it has been revealed by the government is alive and well. No information as to how she survived the bombing in which she was believed to be dead, or her involvement in the matter has been disclosed.
According to a press release, Relena Dorlian, is resigning from her position due to unknown reasons. Outrage at this was demonstrated by civilians this morning outside the provisional head office, but was dispersed.
Candidates to replace her position should be announced shortly.
In other news…"
Click.
'So this is it…'