Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Always There For You ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Always There For You
By AlyRain

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or its characters in any way shape or form. If I did I probably wouldn't be writing fan fics I'd just add on to the series. Hehe.

Authors Notes: '...' are thoughts. Also, this is one of my first attempts at writing a Gundam Wing fanfic, so please be kind! Please review it means a lot to me! Now on with the story!


Chapter 1:

A.C. 199, Fall

Relena Dorlain was in her large office in the tall building across the street from the Preventors headquarters building in Los Angeles, California, former USA. She was sitting at her desk staring out the floor-to-ceiling windows behind it. Turning her chair back around to face her desk, Relena looked back down at the gargantuan report lying on her desk. The report she was finishing was for a colony she had recently visited and had met with the leader.

Relena scribbled a few notes in the left margin of her current and final page. Without stopping her pen strokes, she glanced at the clock sitting on the left side of her desk.

"7:15," she said, softly reading the glowing numbers. "I believe it is time to go visit Noin and Milliardo." Relena thought out loud.

Relena's brother, Milliardo, and Noin had sneaked off to space shortly after the battles with the Barton foundation in A.C. 196 had ended. Milliardo and Noin had returned a few months later as newly-weds.

Relena could not be happier for her brother. She was glad he had found some happiness and such a great wife. Predictably enough, Relena and Noin had become even closer friends after they had become sister-in-laws.

Neither Relena nor Zechs lived in the Peacecraft mansion in the Cinq kingdom because it was so far from their individual places of business. Instead, they both owned their own mansions and they did not get to see each other very often, which was why Relena went to visit her brother before he left work.

Relena went to visit her brother and his wife daily if she was on Earth. She would also visit Heero, Quatre, Duo, and Hilde if they were around. The three former Gundam pilots and Hilde had all joined the Preventors shortly after Wufei had. However, they had each joined for different reasons.

Quatre had joined the Preventors as something to do besides the bureaucratic work he had inherited from the Winner Corporation after his father's death two years before.

Heero had joined mainly because he needed a steady job. Afterall, in a time of peace, professional assassins were not really needed.

Duo and Hilde had joined for a stable job outside of the salvage business. Not to say they did not profit enough money from the salvage business to support them and their son, the salvage business made them lots of money. But, they preferred to just run the salvage business in the summer as more of a hobby really. Since it was fall, the Maxwells were living at their large house not far from the Preventors building until they would return to their home and salvage business on the L2 colony for the summer.

Yep, Hilde and Duo got married not so long after the Eve Wars of A.C. 196. They had married somewhat young at the age of 17, but they had stuck it out and were incredibly happy. The pair had been married for two years and had a darling year-old, baby son as well.

Relena sighed and set down the ballpoint pen she had been writing with. She stood up from her chair and walked over to the coat rack by the door. She slipped on her navy blue pea coat and buttoned it while she walked back over to the desk desk. Leaning over the desk, Relena picked up black leather portfolio and walked out the door. After switching off the light, she closed the door behind herself.

Relena locked the door to her office, then pulled a stack of mail out of the tray on the door, sorting through it as she continued down the hall towards the elevator. She pushed the down button without looking up from her stack of mail and walked in when she heard the ding of the elevator arriving. She only looked up briefly to push the button for the first floor before continuing through the stack of mail. Relena pulled one envelope out of the stack and opened it. Inside was a birthday card that was a day early.

The Peacecraft heiress sighed. The following day was her birthday. Relena did not have anything planned, she had forgotten all about her birthday. Work as the vice foreign minister kept her so preoccupied that dates other than deadlines had very little significance to her. Relena did not really look forward to her birthday anymore; so what if she was a year older, big deal! That was another reason why she had forgotten her birthday was the following day-she could care less.

"I bet I will have a 'surprise' party again this year." Relena muttered to herself. "Ugh what a cliché! I just wish something different, something more exciting would happen this year."

The elevator doors opened after the ding of the bell signaling that she had arrived on the first floor, causing her to stir out of her thoughts. Relena stepped out and walked to the revolving glass doors. Pulling her portfolio tightly to her side, she walked out of the building and jogged quickly across the street, then into the Preventors building.

Once Inside the Preventors building, Relena went to the elevators and took one up to the floor that Milliardo's office resided on. She then walked down the hallway to the third office on the left.

Noin had been talking to her husband, Milliardo, for the past half hour when Relena walked in. Both Milliardo and Noin glanced towards the door.

"Hello Relena." Noin said with a friendly smile as she stood from where she had sat perched on the edge of Milliardo's desk.

"Hello Noin, Milliardo." Relena said in a light voice before walking over and hugging the both of them. Relena sat down gracefully in a chair in front of Milliardo's desk.

"So Relena do you have any plans for your birthday tomorrow?" Milliardo asked.

*****

Milliardo, Noin, and Relena talked for nearly an hour before Relena left to visit Quatre, Heero, Duo and Hilde. Relena took the elevator back down to the first floor, then walked down the hall towards the lounge where she would meet the four former pilots. On her way to the lounge, Relena was accosted by Lady Une.

"Hello Miss. Relena." Lady Une said with a kind smile. Relena smiled warmly at her.

"Good evening."

Relena had long ago forgiven Lady Une for the death of her adoptive father, Vice Foreign Minister Dorlain. She knew all too well what wars could do to people. Relena had some sympathy for Lady Une, who had asked Relena in tears to forgive her after first requesting her to avenge her father's death and Relena had refused.

The two females passed by each other and Relena walked into the lounge. She looked around to see Quatre, Hilde, and Duo sitting in various chairs around the room, chattering jovially. 'Where's Heero?' She wondered. The trio ceased talking upon Relena's entrance and looked up, giving their various greetings.

Relena sat in a chair next to Hilde and brought up the question she had had on her mind since first entering the room and noticing Heero's absence.

"Where is Heero?"

"Oh! I completely forgot! I'm sorry. Heero left early today; said he had to go pick up a parcel that had come in. Whatever that means. He also said to give this to you when you arrived." Quatre explained. He handed Relena a folded piece of paper. She nodded and slipped the note into her coat pocket.

Heero and Relena had gotten into the routine of jogging together every night together after she had visited her brother and the other former pilots. Not long after the former pilots had joined the Preventors she had gotten on rather friendly terms with the four as well as Sally, Trowa, and Wufei. However, Trowa she saw less frequently as he only visited the other pilots on scarce occasions. And Wufei, he still had issues to work out with women.

Heero had changed the most since the wars. He showed a little more emotion and he seemed much happier than when Relena had first met him. The former Wing Zero pilot felt that he owed Relena for the way he had treated her in the past. And, he still felt an unyeilding urge to protect to the petite blonde. Which is why they went jogging in the park every night and would sometimes sit and talk.

Relena still deeply cared for Heero of course, but he still seemed to only see her as a somewhat foolish young girl rather than the mature diplomat she had become. Even as time went by and Relena and Heero grew closer, she could not bring herself to admit her feelings for him.

"Thank you." Relena said, smiling warmly at Quatre.

She brought her gaze down to look at Hilde and Duo's son, Derek, as Hilde handed him to her.

"Well hello cutie!" The baby smiled back and giggled.

The group talked together for a short while longer before they all parted ways so Hilde and Duo could go take Derek home. Outside of the main doors of the Preventors building the group said their goodbyes and Relena got into the limo that had been waiting beside the curb.

Once seated in the back of her limo Relena pulled the folded note out of her coat pocket. She unfolded it and studied the angular handwriting flowing across the page.

'Relena,
sorry I could not go for our run today I had to pick up a package out of town. I will not be able to make it in time for your birthday tomorrow night. I promise I will make it up to you. Please meet me in the park at 10:00 p.m. tomorrow night next to the fountain.
-Heero'

Relena read the note quickly then folded it back up and returned it to her pocket. She smiled sadly at the passing houses and palm trees on the route to her home.

'Tomorrow at 10:00.' She whispered to herself.

*****

The next evening, Relena arrived at the Preventors building around the same time as usual. Instead of going straight to her brother's office, Relena walked up to the door of the lounge. She inhaled deeply and exhaled softly.

'Well this is it, try to act surprised Relena.' She thought to herself as she pushed open the door and...

"SURPRISE!"

"Happy birthday Relena!" Relena was showered with a wave of confetti. She put on a mask of surprise as she walked all the way into the room and looked around. The room was dappled with various, colorful birthday decorations such as streamers, balloons, and crepe paper spread around the entire room. The five of six former gundam pilots, Hilde, Noin, Lady Une, and Sally Po stood in front of Relena smiling. Duo was holding Derek who was grinning broadly. Relena laughed while she thanked and hugged everyone.

First, Relena received her presents, which she again thanked everyone for. After that, Duo walked over to a table set up with different snack foods and picked up a cake sitting on top. He brought it over to where the others were sitting and set the frosted pastry down on the coffee table in front of Relena.

"Come on Relena! Blow out the candles!" Hilde said while Duo sat back down next to her.

"Yeah hurry up! I want to eat some cake!" Duo said, retrieving Derek, who Quatre had been holding, and set him on his own lap. Everyone laughed at Duo's little comment. Relena held back her hair and blew out the candles on the cake. To Duo's delight, the cake was cut and passed out.

The group continued eating and chattering for another hour before everyone started gathering their belongings and departing. Relena thanked everyone for the kazillionth time that night as she busily hugged all of her friends goodbye, kissing her "nephew" Derek on the cheek.

*****

When Relena arrived in the park she was out of breath from sprinting. As she approached the fountain in the center of the park, the Peacecraft girl slowed down to a brisk walk. The park was entirely deserted. The stars and moon were covered by thick clouds, leaving the dim lights inside of the fountain, reflecting eerily off the water as the only light source.

Relena shivered as a gust of wind blew past her. She glanced at her watch, then sat down on the bench facing the fountain while she waited for Heero.

Impatience getting the better of her, Relena checked her watch again-it was 10:15. She wondered what was keeping Heero. The former Wing Zero pilot was never late.

Another fifteen minutes dragged by and Relena grew more than a little anxious.

"I will wait for just a little longer then I am going to head home." Relena said to herself with a sigh.

That's when the rain started. Without warning, it was suddenly pouring down rain. Relena muttered under her breath about her luck and wished she had brought an umbrella. Even with the rain pouring on and on, Relena decided to stay and wait for Heero. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, curling up tightly, and laid her chin on her knees.

Another ten minutes passed and still no Heero. Relena was soaked to the bone, but refused to give up hope for Heero's arrival.

'Where's Heero? I hope nothing's happened to him.' She thought to herself, growing increasingly worried. The blonde sighed and buried her face in her knees listening to the tap-tap-tap of the rain falling onto her wet head.

It was not until she felt someone's presence in front of her that Relena looked up.

"Heero, you're here." She said softly. "I waited for you, and then it started raining..."

Heero smiled lightly at her. Relena still could not get over how beautiful he looked with even the smallest hint of a small. She felt her breath catch in her throat/

"I'm sorry I'm so late...I wasn't sure you would still be here...then the rain..." He replied.

"It's all right. I wanted to wait." Relena said, brushing back her wet bangs. Heero grasped her hand and helped her stand up.

"Relena, you're completely soaked." Heero remarked, looking her over. She shrugged.

"Forgot my umbrella." Relena said simply while she shivered. Heero took off his jacket, which much drier than hers, and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Thank you." She said, smiling up at him. He nodded.

"Sorry I missed your party."

"It's fine, it was pretty much the same as last year."

"I know, but I'm still sorry I couldn't make it."

"Well there is always next year." Relena pointed out. Heero nodded again.

"True. But, I guess it isn't too late to give you your present." Heero said and Relena raised her eyebrows. Avoiding her curious stare, Heero looked down at the ground.

"But first I have to say something," He began, still looking at the ground. "I know how you feel about me...You have been to hide it because of the way you thought I felt...am I right?" Heero asked while raising an eyebrow as he glanced at her for a moment. He looked back down at the ground when Relena did not say anything; she just stood there stunned.

Heero continued, "Well I have not been entirely honest either..." Heero said, taking her hands in his and looking at her face.

Relena's eyes were full of awe and wonder. Heero leaned in and kissed her very lightly on the lips. His lips brushed hers so softly that Relena wondered if she had imagined it.

"I love you Relena." Heero said softly. The girl was so utterly shocked by this that she could do little more than stand there, staring at him for a long time.

"I had to tell you that before I gave you this..." Heero said letting go of her hands and reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a black velvet box and opened it, holding it out to the girl. She looked inside and he breath caught again. Relena blinked a few times to see if she was daydreaming, but it really was an engagement ring inside.

"Relena will you marry me?" Heero asked, looking into her eyes. Relena searched Heero's whole face before returning her gaze to his dark blue eyes. She had never seen them so bright, so full of life and love.

Breaking away from his gaze, Relena looked down at the ground and Heero could hear the sounds of her sobbing quietly.

"Relena what's wrong?" Heero asked with a concern. Perhaps he had made a mistake in rushing a marriage proposal so soon after admitting his feelings for the girl.

Relena sniffled and shook her head. She looked back up at him. Her face was no longer just wet with rainwater, there were tears there too. Heero's look of concern melted away when he saw that she was smiling, she had not been crying tears of sorrow, but tears of happiness. Heero felt his heart flutter. No one had ever looked at him with so much adoration before.

'Even soaked with rain she looks beautiful.' Heero thought to himself.

"Yes...yes I'll marry you Heero...I love you so much!" With that, Relena flung herself at him and held him tightly. Heero wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back.

'Hmm it feels so good to be in your arms...' Relena thought happily. 'My wish came true after all...something new and exciting, true love.' Her heart was dancing.

"Happy birthday Relena." Heero said, kissing her forehead lightly. In that brief moment neither of them cared about the rain or the past. All that mattered in the world was that they were together. Nothing could change that.

"It's late, and we're both soaked now." Heero said with a light laugh. Relena giggled and nodded in agreement. With his arm around her waist they left the park, both of their hearts soaring.

*****

Two years later, Relena and Heero had been married for a year and a half and lived together in Relena's mansion on the outskirts of L.A. Surprisingly enough, Milliardo had been kind to Heero and had welcomed him into the family warm-heartedly. Milliardo and Heero had settled their differences back when Heero had joined the Preventors. They had decided that the past could not be altered and it was best to just move on and over come all of theirr grudges.

Milliardo and Heero were almost friends. Almost. They still had conflicts in opinions every once in a while. It led to mild disagreements that fizzled out after about five minutes.

Relena and Heero had had a nice wedding in the spring after Relena's birthday. Not long after, Relena discovered she was pregnant and that the baby was due in December. It seemed as though everything in the Yuy family was going to be perfect.

*****

That December, Duo, Hilde, Quatre, Noin, and Milliardo came rushing into the hospital room to find Relena sitting up in bed and Heero standing next to her, cradling a sleeping baby. Noticing the baby was asleep, they crept in quietly to avoid disturbing it.

"It's a girl." Relena said softly.

"Ohhhh how precious!" Noin said quietly as Heero handed her the little bundle. The others crowded around her to get a glimpse of the newborn. Heero sat down on the edge of Relena's bed and held her hand. They both smiled. Derek, who was two at the time, stood on his tiptoes to look at the baby.

"It looks like a wrinkled pink prune." Derek said, wrinkling up his nose. Everyone laughed quietly.

"Sweety, all newborns look like that when they're born." Hilde said, taking his hand.

"They do? Even me?" He asked. Hilde and the adults around him nodded.

"Ewwww!" Derek said as wrinkled his nose again, then grinned.

"Sally and the others said they were sorry they couldn't make it. They got swamped with work." Duo said after looking at Relena and Heero's baby. The Yuy couple both nodded understandingly. Relena looked down to see Hilde and Duo's two year old son walking clumsily over to her. She scooped him up and set him on her lap.

"And who could this be?" Relena said as the little boy started reaching for her necklace. "Certainly not that tiny little baby by the name of Derek Maxwell!" She smiled. "I swear he gets bigger every time I see him! And, he looks more like his parents every day." Relena said to Hilde and Duo as she looked at the grin plastered on the face of the child sitting in her lap.

"Yep. He's sprouting up like bamboo." Hilde said with a smile.

"And he does seem to act more like Hilde and I lately." Duo said thoughtfully.

"At least he hasn't started eating like his father." Hilde said with a laugh.

"Yeah, then would really be in trouble..." Quatre added with a teasing smile.

"Ouch! That hurts!" Duo said with a mock look of pain on his face. Relena laughed and bounced Derek on her lap. The toddler started giggling as Duo handed him one of his toys, a stuffed elephant.

Derek looked like both of his parents in appearance, and shared their upbeat personality. He had the almost violet colored eyes of his father and hair that was a mix between the colors of both his parent's hair. The resulting dark chocolate brown hair was cut short which made him look adorable. Relena figured he would be an absolute heartbreaker when he got older, just like his father.

"Well if he grows up to be just like his parents he will a wonderful young man." Relena said, winking at Derek who had given up trying to get her necklace and was completely absorbed in trying to fold up his stuffed elephant's trunk.

"Minus the appetite!" Hilde said and everyone laughed lightly.

Noin handed Heero back his daughter. Heero held the infant low so Derek could get a better view from where he sat on his knees, on the edge of Relena's bed.

"So what's her name?" Milliardo asked, grasping his wife's hand in his. Relena and Heero shared a glance then smiled at each other.

"Rain." Heero said softly.

"That's a beautiful name, but what's it mean?" Hilde asked as Derek slid off of Relena's bed and toddled over to her.

"It means love." Relena said through half-closed eyelids as Heero kissed Rain lightly on the forehead.

Just then, the nurse walked in and ushered the crowd out the door, stating firmly that it was time for Relena and the baby to sleep.

Everyone said a quick "goodbye" before leaving while the nurse gently placed the baby in the incubator next to Relena's bed. Relena blew a kiss to her daughter and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.

*****

Three years later, Relena, Hilde, and Duo were visiting in a playground near the park where Heero had first admitted his love for Relena.

Derek and Rain were sitting on a miniature merry-go-round, clinging to each other to keep from falling while Duo spun them. Hilde and Relena were seated on a picnic table, staring at the road beyond. They were all waiting for Heero to arrive so they could go out to lunch. Hilde gasped as a car went whizzing by on the four-lane road.

"Geez I wish that road wasn't so close to the playground, some kids could get really hurt." Hilde said with a scowl. Relena nodded in agreement. Her frown melted as she heard the sounds of Derek and Rain laughing when Duo spun the merry-go-round faster and tripped, landing face first in the sand. Hilde noticed it too and nudged Relena in the side. They both laughed. Duo picked himself up and jumped at Rain and Derek in an attempt to scare them.

"Reorrrrrahhh!" Duo yelled. Rain shrieked and clung to Derek even tighter before going into a fit of giggles.

"Grow up Dad!" Derek said with a grin, shaking his head. Relena and Hilde both cracked up.

"Hilde don't those two look adorable? They are inseparable." Relena said with a smile while watching Derek and Rain.

"Those two are the closest buds that young I have ever seen." Hilde replied. Relena nodded. Derek was six and Rain was three, but they were still best friends despite the three years age gap between them.

Derek still looked the same as he had when Rain was born, yet was and bigger. Rain had turned into a beautiful little girl. She had the same perussian blue eyes as her father and the same golden-brown hair as her mother.

"Well they make a cute couple." Relena said in a light voice. Hilde laughed.

Relena spotted Heero across the road. She waved and called out to him. He waved back and started across the street. Duo, having heard Relena, stopped the merry-go-round and helped Rain and Derek off. He held one of their hands in each of his and walked over to Relena and Hilde, who had moved to stand at the edge of the road. Relena's heart stopped beating when she saw a large tanker-truck heading right towards Heero. She called out to him but he could not hear her.

He mouthed "What?" as she continued to yell, "Get outta the way! Get outta the way!" Heero turned to see the tanker truck and stood frozen for a second like a dear caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. The tanker-truck's horn blared. Relena dashed across the road and shoved Heero out of harms way, then tripped. The driver of the tanker-truck slammed on the brakes with a screech. Heero turned back to try and help Relena, but it was too late...all he could hear was blood curdling screams, then silence...

To be continued...