Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Love Lost and Found Again ❯ Living ( Chapter 6 )

A/N: Erm, nothing much to say. Oh yeah, warning for Relena haters. As much as I truly dislike Relena from the anime, she serves her purpose here and I think I like her a tiny bit because of that. My first full Alex POV part. Review please.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing.

 

Chapter 6: Living

 

FIVE YEARS LATER

 

(Alex's POV)

 

It wasn't so bad, most days. Alex worked in the little diner across from the church and brought back extra scraps and money for the kids at the church. Most days, she was too tired to even think about the rest of life and what she gave up. Most days.

 

Ander, the man that made her give up Duo, had calmed down once he found her. He was content as long as Alex was around and he was sure he could get a fuck whenever he wanted. He tried to marry her, but she refused saying that she couldn't love him. He beat her, for a time, when he found out she was pregnant with another man's child. He ordered her to have an abortion, but she refused adamantly. So he gave in finally, and Duo and Alex's child was born.

 

Alex named him Felix* Baliang** Chang, hoping that luck and happiness would smile on him better than it had on her. His bright violet eyes were always laughing as he tumbled through the rundown church with the other children, and his midnight black hair was always rumpled because of his playing. She kept a little tail of hair when she cut his hair, a silly reminder to herself who his father was. Like I could ever forget. She told him stories about his father in the war, telling him to keep them a secret close to his heart because some people wouldn't like to know. And every night, Felix would fall asleep clutching an old black t-shirt. He had actually taken to wearing it, now that he was tall enough that the bottom of the shirt would not drag on the ground. He was four and a half years old, as he would often remind his mother.

 

He was the only thing that kept her going when everything seemed hopeless and she loved him with all of her heart.

 

It had always been a fantasy of Alex's that Duo would find her and whisk them away from this hellhole of a life, but she knew in the end it was just a foolish fantasy. Who knew if he even still remembered her let alone knew she had his child?

 

*Felix in Latin means “lucky” and in Spanish it translates loosely to “happy”

** Baliang is a little stretching it, but I was attempting to use 8 in Chinese “ba” and light which is “liang”

 

--

 

“Welcome to the Church Café*. Can I help you?” Alex had a smile pasted on her face as new customers sat in a booth by the door. She gave these new customers a quick once-over: there were two of them, one female one male. The woman was about Alex's age, she wore an alarming amount of pink, but it seemed that the fashion at least was tasteful. The man was far older with white hair and a white bushy mustache, dressed in a black suit. He seemed to be her servant.

 

The woman smiled. There was something familiar about her, Alex thought. “I was in the mood for some coffee. Are there any foods you could recommend?”

 

Alex listed the specials and after the woman had ordered, she left the table to bring the coffee. When she came back to the table, the two were in a hushed argument.

 

“You don't know if…” “But this is our only lead! Surely…” “Please, Miss Relena be more rational.” Miss Relena, Alex's eyes flew wide open. Relena Peacecraft, former Queen of the World, Senator for the ESUN, and Heero Yuy's old friend from back in the war? Surely this is a mistake.

 

Alex coughed quietly as she neared the table. “Excuse me. I've got your coffee for you.”

 

“Miss! I'd like to ask you a couple questions.” Relena's eyes were burning a bright cornflower blue as she stared straight at Alex. Alex was startled and put down the cups of coffee in front of them.

 

“All right,” Alex said cautiously.

 

“It's about the boys, the former Gundam pilots.” Alex's hand froze for a heartbeat before she carefully clasped both of them in front of her. “I believe you know them…”

 

“Please ma'am. I don't know where you get your sources from, but I am not in contact with any of the former Gundam pilots.” Alex backed up a step. “I will be right back with your food.”

 

When Alex returned with the meals, the older man had gone. Relena sat primly, hands folded neatly in front of her. “Your friend left.”

 

“Oh, Pagan? He's an old family servant. He just went to check in at the hotel for me. It's such a bother traveling.” Alex refilled Relena's cup silently and was about to retreat before Relena's hand grasped hers.

 

“Alex, please.” Alex looked at her, blinking. How did she know my name? I don't have a name tag or anything… “I - well that is, Quatre and I have been looking for you a long time. I have memorized every detail of your face from the security photos they had. We never thought you'd still be on Earth.”

 

Alex's face closed off. “If you and Quatre are on such good terms, why couldn't you talk to him to get to those boys? I'm sure he'd probably be better help.” She glared at Relena to let her go.

 

Relena's expression halted her. Her eyes were filled with worry and fear. Worry and fear started to gnaw at the bottom of Alex's stomach as well. Why couldn't Relena have just talked to Quatre? “I've lost track of him,” she said quietly. “Usually I can find him because he's the only one of them still in the public eye all the time, but he's just disappeared for so long but I need him now. The rest of them, for security reasons, have never bothered to tell me how to reach them. Please, I need to find them.”

 

“Is anything wrong with them?” Alex didn't even realize her voice was so small and scared. “You haven't heard anything is wrong with any of them?”

 

She smiled, a bit strained, “No. I don't believe so.”

 

Alex bit back her sigh of relief. It wasn't the time to be thinking about Duo. She had to help her, if only because she was Heero's friend. “Where are you staying?”

 

*Alright, I admit, I really suck at names. (Runs away before people start hating me.)

 

--

 

Alex brought Relena back to the church. She had asked Relena to buy a simple black bag that was easy to carry. Alex didn't really trust Relena on buying the clothing, and since they had about the same body size, if not the same curves, so she would put Relena in some of her own clothes. Relena herself would take care of the plane tickets secretly.

 

It was strange to see Relena all decked out in black. She had stashed the pink clothing that Relena was more comfortable wearing in the bag, along with some necessary toiletries and another change of clothes. The rest could be provided by the guys should they let her stay. Also to be brought with the princess was a note as well as a promise not to disclose her location.

 

Relena was playing with Felix as Alex was loading her bag, and when she had finally finished, she turned to him and said, “Felix baby, I'm going to leave for tonight okay? Be good for Sister Marie.”

 

“Mommy? I wan' go wif you. Pwease?” His eyes, so much like Duo's, made Alex want to cry.

 

She hugged him close. “Sweetie, I can't bring you. Stay at home okay? I love you, and I'll be back in two days.”

 

Felix wobbled his lip a little, but he nodded bravely. “I luff you, Mommy.”

 

Alex kissed him on the forehead and brought him and Duo's shirt down the hall to the nun's room. After the explanations were done and Felix was safely inside, Alex turned to Relena and said, “Let's go.”

 

--

 

Alex remembered each trap that she had skirted around while getting in and out. She kept her eyes on the lookout for more hidden cameras. She couldn't afford to be caught now. The years had given her more stealth as she had sneaked away many a time from Ander when he was drunk. When she finally made it to the door with Relena, she almost burst into sobs. It looked the same.

 

Relena looked curiously at Alex and at the seemingly wrecked flat metal and frowned. No wonder she had never been able to find it. This was like finding a needle in a haystack. But even more curious was her expression of wistful longing and regret. It was wiped quickly away by a rough swipe of her arm, and Alex turned to Relena completely professional. It had taken them a better part of three hours to get through the seemingly small scrapyard, just to avoid all the traps that had been set. It would take her about half the time to get back home since she knew where they were. She smiled softly, and held out her hand.

 

“Well, this is where we part, highness. Good luck with everything. Remember not to tell them anything about how to find me but give Duo the note.”

 

“I will, I promise. Thanks for all your help. Take care, Alex. And take care of that adorable son of yours as well.”

 

Alex just smiled and left just as the son was coming up.

 

Relena took a deep breath and knocked.