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"Alternative Directions: Options "Written By: Karina Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the lovely
boys and their girls in the series. Wish I did. Please don't sue me.
I haven't even got a brass razoo to give you. Rating: Deffinately PG in Australia, at the moment,
but probably safer to say R for later chapters. Not sure about international
ratings Warnings: It will be 6x2, even though it does
not start out that way. After all, Zechs and Duo never met in Gundam
Wing and only spoke briefly over a com line in Endless Waltz. I've
tried to keep them in character as I saw them in the series. A bit
of language creeping in under stressful conditions. Pairings: eventual 6x2, past 2xH, 2+H,6x9, 1+R
Summary: Directions is set post Endless Waltz
and roughly 2 years have passed. Zechs and Noin are on Mars and Duo,
after spending some time with Hilde in a relationship leaves L2 to
join Preventers. Hilde was not happy about his decision. I guess enough
said. Here t'is, and I hope you like it. This is also AU for the standard
setting, as well as the series and Endless Waltz. Spoilers: Gundam Wing Series and Endless Waltz Many thanks to Dulin for volunteering to beta this. //... // thoughts
"Alternative Directions: Options"
Chapter 14
Sanc New Port City Date: 28th February AC 198 Time: 12:50 Duo Duo ran his fingers through the shaggy black fur, gazing deep into the golden brown eyes. A satin bow of a rich deep blue circled the bears neck and the inner curve of the ears were lined with a dark red velvet. The pads on the paws were a rich dark brown velvet and he ran a finger over the soft plush pile. He had looked through a dozen toy stores and specialty baby stores until he had found this bear. This was the one. This bear was the one he would give to his son. He had a son. Somehow it seemed more real now that he held the bear. What would he feel when he actually saw the baby? Touched the baby. Within hours he would, again be on L2, place of his birth. The place where his life had been shaped by one disaster after another. He had returned to L2 after the One Year War and quickly become discontent with his new life style, though he had loved Hilde. After the Barton Incursion the discontent had begun to change, and Hilde could no longer ignore it. Nor could he. He had made a decision, and he was not about to go back on that choice. He doubted Hilde would tolerate it if he did. She was and had always, been fiercely independent. The beeping of his vidwatch alarm drew his attention from the bear and he nodded slightly. Ten minutes to go before he called Earth to acknowledge the mission he was not officially going on. Ten minutes. He could still change his mind. He had time. He certainly did not want to be cooped up in a inter planetary shuttle for months, but... It was the but that stopped him. Someone had to do it. Someone had to go to Mars and stop what could turn out to be a very nasty situation. If not stop it, then tidy up the mess it would leave. He knew that the ESUN Security Office still had him watched, as part of the deal Miss Relena and Lady Une had brokered on behalf of the Pilots. It would be another three years before he would come off their probation, provided, of course, he did nothing to aggravate their delicate sensibilities. So he was going to have to break the tail they would undoubtedly have waiting for him when he reached the colony. That would not be hard. The agents had progressively relaxed as he had made no move to lose them in the past. They always remained outside of any missions he worked for Preventers, to preserve his cover and not tip off his targets. This was to be personal leave, so he could expect the tail. He would have to await final instructions from Preventer Earth, before he took any actions of his own. He trusted her enough to wait to see what she would provide to ease his way. He also had to trust her to look out for Hilde and the baby. That rankled just a little. He had always been independent, but he had always been on his own. Now he had another who could be held accountable, however unfairly, by those in power. What ever he chose to do, he would have to consider the repercussions for his son. // I can refuse to do this. All I have to do is let the clock tick over the hour and she will get someone else to go. Just let the clock tick over the hour. Ah, damn. Who you kidding, Maxwell? You always wanted to see strange and exotic places. Someone has to do it. You tried settling down and look where that got you. Working with the Preventers because you couldn't take the peace any more. Civilian life doesn't agree with you. You need adrenalin rushes like other people need coffee.// He shrugged and sauntered over to the vid-consol. Punched out the code and waited. Ringing. No answer. Again, for show, he shrugged and strolled away from the public unit to the nearby café and ordered an espresso. Mission accepted. He had an hour before he had to be at the shuttle terminal and all he would need was in the tote bag already at the terminal. He hoped they enjoyed their hunt through his underwear. There was no doubt that the ESUN Security Agents would search his luggage, he had found the evidence of their handy work before. They really were fools if they thought a Gundam pilot would be fool enough to put anything other than clothing in his public luggage. But, then, he had already long ago decided they were fools. He had the Romefeller files, really the only thing he thought needed hiding, hidden on encrypted disks. He trusted Heero's computer skills to ensure that only a very select few individuals would be able to access that information. The portable player secured to his belt contained one of those minidisks and would only play music unless you knew how to access the information stored there. The belt pouch he wore contained the other diskettes. He would not have chanced the snoops finding them. For show; he was certain his current tail was the oh-so- proper-business-man three tables behind him, he ejected the diskette in the player and rifled through a few others before choosing a selection of fairly old music. Nothing really old and classic that someone on his paycheck could not afford. No, music from thirty or so years ago that was still played and covered by new artists. He liked the style. If it was ever played by anyone else nothing would be out of the ordinary. He allowed a brief moment for the music to be heard softly in the café, settled the ear plugs and then settled back to enjoy his espresso. // I wonder how Relena's doing in Luxembourg? If the old Marquis will come through for her? Damn, but I hope so. Pagan told me more than I really wanted to know about that old man. Seems cold to me to throw his grandson into some boarding school, in the middle of nowhere because it could damage his political career. Man, couldn't he have found a better place? Someone willing to look after the boy? I had more of a family from what Pagan's let on. Solo and the gang. Father Maxwell and Sister Helen. Now I have a son and responsibilities. I think I know why Hilde never told me. He's my son, though. I had a right to know, even if I don't live with them. I had a right to know. // He watched as a young couple with a baby boy in their arms entered the café. A bundle of pale blue blanket with a dark spiky but somehow soft looking crop of hair. Sighed. What did his son look like? Him or Hilde? Black hair or chestnut? What colour eyes? Was he a quiet baby or did he cry a lot? He was going to miss out on a lot of his son's life, but he would be there if he was needed. He would make sure of that. He just hoped that he would not be needed when he was on this mission to Mars. Yet if he was, if something happened to Hilde while he was gone on this mission what would happen to his boy? // A safe place. Someone to look after him until I can get back. I don't have anyone I could turn to who could look out for him, do I? God. I hate feeling helpless. I felt that enough when I was a kid. I don't need to feel it now. Nothing will happen to Hilde. She's okay. I'm okay, just going away for a while, but if something did happen, what would I do? I couldn't just drop a long range flight and pop back. Seemed to always be alone when I was a kid. Don't want Aidan to feel that. The other pilots sort of became my family. Trowa's at the circus most of the time. Don't know how much of a family life he has. Heero's certainly not suited to be a substitute dad. Wu Fei- ewee. I can't think of that. No way. I'll not have my son brought up to run around swinging a Katana and screaming `Justice'. Got to be at least a scythe. Damn. Where did that come from? That would be frightening. A mini me running around waving a scythe and screaming Justice at the top of his lungs. Be worth seeing, that. The only one of us who has really had a family and still does is Quatre. I wonder if he would consider standing in for me? If he would look after Aidan if it became necessary? All those sisters and their kids. Maybe he could arrange for one of them to take in my boy? That's a thought. Maybe I should call him before I go? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Luxembourg 11:55 Marquis Wayridge He paced the length of the gazebo well aware of the eyes of his granddaughter upon him. Pagan, that interfering old servant glared at him in undisguised disgust and the young security officer was carefully blank faced. That boy had shown no reaction to anything spoken about here at all. He was what that servant had never been,the Marquis reflected, a servant to the nobility. Pagan had never known his place. He had even heard Pagan be named as a friend by King Stephan. As if one of the nobility, let alone Royalty could call a servant a friend. He would make one concession to Pagan, though, and that was his loyalty. He had been fiercely loyal to the Peacecrafts. It was no poor sign of his discretion or intelligence either, that he had, in the end chosen to continue in service to the Peacecraft daughter. That was where the hope for the family lay. In Relena. It was a pity about the boy, but he had known from the boys birth that he would never been the son his Katerina deserved. Never. That was not the problem now, though. What he now had to decide was what it was best to do. The Peacecraft Prince was still alive. Impossible as it seemed after that explosion in space. How? Immaterial. He had heirs. At least he had done that right. Further the family line, although, of necesasity, it would need to be Relena's children who would be reared to power. Relena's offspring who must be shaped to be the Ruling Heirs of the ancient dynasty. Milliardo's heirs would need to be protected from their fathers reputation, and possibly could never be publicly acknowledged as Peacecrafts. That information would rock the Earth and the Colonies were it to be known on a general public level. How had he survived? How could he possibly have survived that explosion? With Milliardo Peacecraft's survival the Earth's peace became even more fragile. He needed to ensure that this matter remained discreet. "Where is he?" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Relena Relena considered her grandfather in silence for a moment, reflecting on just how much she could reveal. It was now obvious that she could expect little in the way of help from this source. So now she must reveal as little as possible and extricate herself as quickly as was polite. One day, she might need her grandfather's help. It would be best if she could leave here now without letting her anger become too obvious. There was not going to be a magical solution to this dilemma. She could not rely on someone simply waving an arm and removing the problem. She really was going to have to out grow the fairy tales. It was time to grow up. "Not in as safe a place as I had hoped would be the case." Relena returned, giving nothing away. "Relena, you must understand that our first concern here must be the preservation of the peace. Should his survival become known he would be a figure head, willing or unwilling on his part, for any dissident factions that could gain his cooperation...or capture. Milliardo is cursed. He can never return to a normal life and any child who had the misfortune to have him as a father, would be better taken and reared as someone else entirely. Protected from any knowledge of who their father was. I know its not what you wanted to hear, child, but it's the truth. As much as you might like it to be otherwise, Milliardo cursed himself the day he enlisted in the White Fang." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pagan Pagan stiffened, and if it had not been for Heero catching his arm and restraining him, gently but firmly, he knew to his shame as a servant that he would cheerfully have strangled the old noble. For an instant Pagan fought the pilots grip, straining against the iron fingers and staring into the cold blue eyes. With an effort he regained control, forcing himself back intothe mold of the family retainer, not the one time hot headed security officer from years past. Control restored, he noted how very white faced Relena was. While the Marquis had his back to him, Relena had seen his anger and Heero's quick, silent action. He drew a deep, calming breath and bowed slightly. "Your pardon, Miss Relena. With your permission I will wait in the car. I find myself unable to listen to this any longer." "Of course, Pagan. I believe I shall not be long in joining you." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Heero Pagan bowed stiffly to Relena and then nodded to him, dark eyes under bushy brows meeting his own blue ones. An unspoken but clearly understood message passed between the two. For Pagan to remain here any longer was courting disaster. The safety of the Princess was up to Heero and he accepted that charge as was both his duty and, he found himself reflecting, more a growing sense of Right. It just felt Right to be so close to her, making certain that she was safe. Pagan bowed to him and strode into the false rainforest, ignoring protocol by ignoring the Marquis in his departure. Heero watched the old man walk away, back ramrod straight, unbroken, despite what must have been a terrible blow to him. Pagan seemed to have more paternal instincts for the Peacecraft children than their grandfather, he reflected. It was clear that Relena would fail here. Something else would have to be done about the trouble that would spark on Mars. He had known enough of Zechs since their strange meetings during the One Year War to know that he would have no choice other than to fight. If his children were all he had-and it certainly looked that way-then he would resist the ESUN Security Agents. People were going to die and it could very well spill over into trouble in the colonies and ultimately on Earth. It presented them with a dilemma. Relena had come up with Mars as a safe haven for her brother, who must remain dead if the peace on Earth was to have a chance of succeeding. It had been an ideal solution, but now it was revealed to be only a stop gap measure. It was temporary. It left them with the question, that if not on Mars, then where could they hide the fugitive Peacecraft Prince? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Relena "I think it likely that you cursed him the day you sent him away." Relena whispered. "I am, more and more, beginning to understand my brother. I think I see now why my surrendering Sanc to Romefeller broke him. He had nothing else. He had given everything that was in him to free Sanc from Alliance rule, and in thirty seconds I threw it all away. To me it was the right thing to do. The only thing to do. For Milliardo, though, it was the greatest wound I could ever have inflicted upon him." Marquis Wayridge shook his head and waved a hand in the air dismissively. "It was the politically expedient thing to do. The only method left open to you and the right thing to do to keep some part of Sanc and its people preserved." "I know that, well enough. It was not a decision I made lightly and I would likely do the same thing again if I needed to." // But I disbanded the nation that was Sanc, that day. I threw away the national identity of the people who lived there. I wonder how I had the colossal gall to do it. Sanc still exists. The people have refused to be anything other than they were before I announced to the world that I surrendered to Romefeller. All I could see was that my vision was in flames in the city below the palace. I thought of the vision. I thought of myself, surrendering to the unknown, and I made no provision for the people. They reformed Sanc without any help from me. How could they accept me back? // "Then do it now, Relena. Stay out of this matter of your brothers future. Sign the papers. The ESUN will have the children well cared for. I give you my word that I will see to it they are well cared for, and are taught as befits the grandchildren of King Stephan. They will be reared as Pacifists and they need never learn who their father was." "And Milliardo?" "If he does not see the reasoning behind it then, no doubt, he will fight the agents and likely die. As he should have done when the Libra was destroyed." the Marquis lightly touched her cheek. "It is not a nice thing to say, I know. It hurts to have to make some decisions, Relena, but they have to be made. It is not an easy life, emotionally to be a diplomat in power. We have a responsibility to the people of Earth to maintain this peace. It is the unfortunate truth that sometimes there must be sacrifices made." "So I should sacrifice Milliardo?" "Hard as it is, my dear, yes. Your brother will have to fend for himself. His death is already a foregone conclusion. He died when Libra was destroyed. He is not alive now." the Marquis shook his head, moving to run a finger lightly over a vibrant red flower, bending to inhale the exotic perfume, before turning back to her. "What sort of a life is he leading, hm? Not a productive one. Not the life of a Peacecraft Prince. He should be in the very heart of the halls of power, advocating the Perfect Peace Principle." "Oh, stuff the Perfect Peace Principle!" // Oh, Lord, I'm shouting at my grandfather, but I can't help it. // "I am fed up with the Perfect Peace Principle. What is the use of peace if you can't have your family enjoy it with you? What good is peace if it does not work for everyone? Perfect Peace. I am beginning to think there is no such thing. I should have listened to Milliardo on the Libra. He knew what I wanted was an ideal that would never be real. There is no perfect peace in this life, and this just proves it." The Marquis returned to his seat, giving his attention to pouring another cup of tea for himself, choosing to ignore the outburst entirely. Sipping his tea he looked up, to meet fiery blue eyes, and smiled. "Relena, you're overwrought. I am sorry, my dear child, but you are not a little girl now. You are a young woman. A diplomat. You are a world leader and you need to act your station. Nothing in this world is perfect. We can not expect it to be. We must do the best we can to provide for the people in the best way that we can. This world is at peace now. Yes, there are still rumbles of unrest. I do think you went a little over board when you abolished national borders. A person's sense of identity is tied up with the land they were born and raised to. The land we love is an integral part of our identities. You need to concentrate your efforts in this direction and the people will settle down. The love a person holds for his homeland is shown to you in your brothers every action. Learn from the lesson, Relena. Leave Milliardo to his fate. I will do what I can for his children when they are brought to Earth, for King Stephan and my daughter's sake, not for your brother. I wash my hands of him. You should too." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Heero "Thank you, grandfather, for making your views clear. Now, please excuse me. I have work to do in Sanc." Relena stood, and I could plainly see that she was trembling. She desperately needed to get away from this cold old man. The Marquis nodded. "It was pleasant to see you again, my dear. Let it not be so long until next time." I moved to flank Relena when she curtsied to the Marquis and escorted her through the conservatory. I could see that she was very close to crying and that her trembling was growing worse. I wondered how she had managed to retain her composure for most of that confrontation. "Relena?" I barely whispered, uncertain if she could retain her composure just a little longer. Would she start screaming in rage or crumple into tears? I'm not sure which I would prefer, but if she asked me to kill him, I think I could happily do so, despite my promise to myself not to kill any more. "When we are far away from here, Heero, would you mind very much holding me again? While I cry?" "Not at all." and it was the truth. I very much felt as though I needed to hold her just now. Not just for her sake. It frightened me that I had not realized that my control had slipped. I was shaking. I did not lose control. Not before I started to have feelings. Not before I had become so entangled with this young woman who walked the deceptively clean looking halls of those who purported to have the best interests of the people at heart. More and more I was noticing a foul stench in those pristine halls. "I don't want to become him, Heero." a whisper. "I think I am going to have to find a new career, because I think I would rather die than become that cold." "I think I would kill you before you got that bad." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marquis Wayridge He considered the entire conversation as he sipped his cup of tea. The girl would make a wonderful leader, when she hardened to her position. It was a sorry thing to do, but it had to be done. Someone had had to do this, to teach her that she knew very little of true power. Relena Peacecraft had to learn all the sides to power, including the ugly side. Yes, it was ugly. Politics was never a pretty place. Idealists had to be taught the realities of politics. It was not a game to be played by the foolish or the novice, not at the levels they played. Few stayed the course, but she was a Peacecraft. She was his daughters child. She was his daughters true child. Unlike her brother she was strong. She would get through this and once her brother was finally dead, she would settle to her place. Eventually she would be World President. Yes, she just needed training. "I must see about having a hand in the education of the children. They could still become world leaders when the time is right. If we can give them a suitable up bringing. Hopefully they do not resemble him in looks. He was too pretty as a child, and age did not change that. People never truly trust a politician who is too pretty. Still, I suppose I could pass them off as distant cousins of some degree. Properly educated they could be molded to serve Relena's heirs. Yes, they could be reared to further the true Peacecraft line. I'm sorry, Katerina. Your children have had to grow up in a torn world. It has cost your son his very soul, but your daughter is strong. She will survive. I will ensure that she survives." t.b.c.
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