An Interlude

Chapter 3: Joyride

"Was it really the right decision to allow Noine to bring weapons to the Sanq Kingdom?"

"How can someone preach peace with an army of mobile suits standing right behind them?

The sun had set hours ago, but Relena still sat in her office, chin in hand, drumming her fingers on the smooth wood of the desk. The attack on the Sanq Kingdom had happened earlier, and already, it seemed like it happened ages ago. And the decision to allow weapons to be brought into the kingdom, for protection, still hung in Relena's mind. She knew that everyone, Noine, Dorothy, Heero and Quatre, all agreed that it was important to protect the Sanq Kingdom with weapons. She'd thrown her country into a precarious position without any consideration of how she would uphold her ideals, and keep the kingdom from falling. It was a major oversight on her part, believing that by taking a peaceful position would keep attackers away. She supposed she still had a lot to learn about running a kingdom of peace

Relena lifted her hand and idly inspected the scratches and bruises left from the car crash with Dorothy and the debris flying through the gusts caused by the propulsion systems of the mobile suits. She'd hidden the injuries among the folds of her skirts. It was a small thing, really, that Noine and Quatre didn't need to worry about

Relena spun her chair around and looked out the large window. The sky was illuminated by stars and the moon. And up there among the stars were the colonies, wanting peace just as much as she did, she hoped. She almost missed going up to space, as she hadn't been since her father was killed. Relena didn't think it would be the same… riding up in the shuttle without her father at her side. Would he have made the same decision as she did, to arm the Sanq Kingdom? What about her biological father, King Peacecraft? What would he say

Restless, Relena rose from her chair and slipped her shoes back on her feet. She left her office and stepped out into the dark hallway that would lead eventually to the living quarters. Everyone had gone to bed hours ago, so she assumed. After she had returned from the battle, she begged off from everyone and hid in her office for the evening. Her mind was whirling and she'd needed time to think.

But all she did was think in circles and second guess herself. She tried to maintain the confidence that her father would have had, but she found her confidence shaky after realizing how vulnerable her country had become.

Her footsteps made no noise against the lush carpet on the floors. She wandered, not really trying to make it anywhere. She was far too anxious to sleep.

On the first floor of the building, a bank of lights was still lit at the end of a long hallway. Relena knew where that lead to; it led to the basement, where the mobile suits were stored. She knew from the blueprints of the building that a long hall led away from the building to an area behind, still on the school's property, where a door was built beneath the ground, which allowed the mobile suits to exit the storage area without harming buildings. If that had been built before Relena ever arrived in the Sanq Kingdom, then someone must have known that protection was necessary. But why didn't that thought comfort her?

Relena stood in front of the access panel. Unsure of her full range of access in the building, she placed her hand against the reader. A moment later, a light blinked green and a loud click indicated that the door had been unlocked. Her hand wrapped around the handle, and she pulled the door open.

The lights in the hallway turned on as she walked, illuminating only a few feet ahead of her until she covered the distance and the next set of lights would flicker on. The floor was tiled, so the short heels of her shoes clicked and echoed on each step. The hallway was cold as well, and Relena felt glad that she still wore her blazer.

A door at the end of the hall was finally illuminated. Another access panel. Tentatively, Relena placed her hand flat against the screen. A green light. An audible click. She opened the door and stepped inside.

Before the lights flickered on, Relena felt that she was in a large, cavernous room. The air conditioning system forced an artificial breeze through the large room, making the temperature even lower than the hallway.

The room became illuminated.

Standing closest to her was Wing Zero, Heero's gundam. It was silent and dark, waiting for the next battle. And behind Zero was the ranks of white Taurus suits. The rows stretched out until they disappeared in the darkness of the room. Relena stepped up to the railing of the platform and leaned on it, only a few feet away from Zero now. She closed her eyes, and images rose up in her mind's eye. Men and women, soldiers, running to the sound of the alarm. Some jumping down to the lower floor from the platform and running to their suit. Climbing in, powering up the engines. The exit door opens and one by one, the suits leave the underground storage room and fly up into the sky, ready for battle. But who was truly the enemy?

Relena opened her eyes, no longer feeling like she was alone. Something told her that there was only one person who might be down there in the middle of the night.

"You can come out, Heero," Relena said, her voice dissipating into the vast open space. A moment later, Heero stepped up beside her and leaned against the rail.

"What are you doing down here?" he asked. Relena took a deep breath and exhaled.

"I'm not really sure," replied Relena. She stood up straight and turned towards him slightly. He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "I suppose I wanted to see what you and Noine had brought here."

"The suits?"

"Yes." Relena tilted her head back and looked up at Zero's face. Eyes that glowed green in battle were dark now, sleeping and waiting.

"Suits make you uncomfortable," Heero stated, straightening up as well.

"I suppose so. There was a time when men fought with just a sword, or a gun. Then machines came along, and it was about who had the bigger, faster machine. More power and more size. Until we arrived at these," Relena said, gesturing to the suits. "Was it necessary to come to this?"

Heero didn't respond, but followed her gaze out over the rows of suits. They stood together in silence for a while. Relena was still as confused as she was before. She had thought, perhaps, by looking up at the suits first hand, she'd feel better about their presence in the kingdom. But she was still intimidated by them. They were so large, and so powerful. She wondered why man needed so much power for only one person.

"Do you want to see Zero's cockpit?" Heero asked her suddenly. Relena's attention snapped to him.

"What?"

Heero moved forward and stood up on the railing of the platform. He pressed the button next to the cockpit door, and with a woosh, the layers of doors opened up before them. Heero stepped from the rail to the cockpit platform and held a hand out to her. Relena was about to laugh, but one look at Heero's face told her that he was not joking. Slowly, Relena reached up until her hand was clasped in Heero's.

"Step up on the rail," he said. His grip tightened on her hand, holding her steady, while she hoisted up her skirts with the other and stepped up onto the railing. Relena felt a pulse of excitement wash through her. When both feet were on the rail, Heero took a step back and held out his other hand. Relena placed hers in his grasp. "Now jump." Relena pushed off and with Heero's help, made it onto the platform. She glanced back over her shoulder, a little surprised at herself. Heero released her hands.

"Sit," he commanded. Relena obeyed and stepped forward, turning around, then sat down in the seat. Heero placed his hands up on the edge of the entrance and leaned in a little ways.

The first thing that Relena noticed was the smell. And it was a little intoxicating. It smelled of sweat and leather, grease, and something else… something she supposed was Heero's natural scent. She had to shake her head to refocus. Looking around, Relena saw that the inside of the Gundam was complicated and elaborate. Switches, screens, buttons and levers surrounded her. Slowly, Relena reached her hands out and grasped the controls on either side of her. She glanced up and saw Heero watching her, a small smirk on his face.

"Oh, don't look at me that way, Heero," Relena said, giving him a playful glare. She removed her hands from the controls and dropped them in her lap. "If my father could see me now…"

"It is ironic," Heero agreed. He continued to smirk, and in his eyes, Relena thought she saw a challenge. But what that challenge was, she hadn't a clue. Heero dropped a hand down and held it out to her. Relena took his hand, thinking he would help her back to the platform. Instead, he spun around and sat down in the cockpit.

"What are you doing?" she asked. Heero grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into his lap. She landed on his legs, and her back bumped against his chest. Sure, Relena had feelings for Heero, but the sudden closeness to him was jarring and unexpected. With a quick press of a button, the cockpit closed and lights around them began to glow. "Heero… you can't kidnap me."

"I'm not," he said. Another button pressed, and the systems within Zero came to life. The screen in front of Relena glowed, and she could see the storage room from the view of the Gundam. Heero grasped the controls and pressed forward, and the Gundam began to move.

Relena could not believe what was happening.

She watched in awe as Heero navigated the Gundam through the large room, avoiding the other suits that stood at attention. "Heero, won't someone see Zero?" she asked.

"It's the middle of the night, Relena," he replied. Relena pressed her lips together. Such a smart ass comment from Heero, as if that explained everything.

They had reached the back of the room, and Zero's approach to the exit door signaled the door to open. The night sky opened up above them, and they climbed the ramp at an angle until they were standing among the trees. Relena felt a mixture of anxiety and exhilaration. She glanced at Heero.

"Hang on," he said. Relena frowned. What was there to hang on to? Before she could ask, Heero pushed the control all the way forward, and Zero leapt into the air. Relena screamed and threw her arms around Heero's neck, not even thinking about what she was doing. Her body was pressed against his as they rose up into the sky. In her panic, she'd buried her face in his shoulder and squeezed her eyes shut. A moment later, they slowed.

"Relena, look," Heero said, touching her arm with his hand. Feeling silly, Relena released him and turned to look at the screen. Spread out in front of her was the Sanq Kingdom, the land ending at the ocean beyond. Relena had seen the world from high up before, but she was always moving. Here, in Zero, she could see her kingdom from above without the movement of a shuttle or airplane. Relena inhaled sharply at the view. Above the land, the stars spread out further than the ocean.

"It's beautiful," Relena breathed. Heero sent the Gundam into motion once more, and pressed another button. The Gundam began to shift and change into flight mode. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"Where ever you want," Heero replied. He took her hands and placed them on the control. Relena's throat tightened, and she looked around quickly.

"I can't do this, Heero!" she cried. Heero leaned forward a bit until his chin rested on her shoulder.

"Yes, you can," he replied quietly. He placed his hands over hers and eased forward gently on the control. Zero began to move forward over the land, picking up speed. Adrenaline pumped through Relena, making her shake. Her hands tightened on the controls, and she eased them forward a little more of her own accord. Zero moved faster, the ground speeding quickly below. Before long, they left the land and were flying out over the ocean. Heero gripped tighter on one hand.

"Turn with this," he said, moving the control to show her how. She pulled back more, and Zero banked into a turn, back towards the land. "Give it more speed." Relena responded by pushing forward with her other hand, and Zero sped up more. They passed over the school and beyond.

"No wonder you like doing this," Relena commented as she increased the speed a little more. Heero chuckled.

"I suppose so," he said. As he spoke, he released one hand and wrapped it around her waist, resting his palm against her stomach. Relena's breath hitched for a moment, and she worried for a moment that he could feel or hear the racing of her heart. To be sure, with her back pressed against his chest, she could feel his heart beating hard. And for a moment, just a moment, their hearts synced up into one rhythm, racing in their chests as they raced through the sky.

"Relena…" Heero said in a low voice, almost as a compulsion. She could feel his breath on her neck. He reached up with his other hand and pulled her hair to one side and draped it over her shoulder, and rested his chin on her shoulder once more. Relena trembled. The hand on her stomach tightened over the fabric of her clothing. Relena realized that they'd flown far away from the Sanq Kingdom, speeding over the cities and countrysides of Europe.

"Where are we?" she asked. Heero shrugged.

"Zero knows," he replied. They flew along, and after a while, Relena relaxed, feeling more comfortable now. She sunk back against Heero. In a quick movement, Heero slipped his hands under hers on the controls.

"Ready?" he asked, but before Relena could respond, again, Heero forced Zero into a barrel roll. Relena shrieked once again and threw her arms around his neck. Heero laughed, a sound so strange to hear inside the cockpit of a Gundam. He pulled her legs over to the side of his, so that she sat across his lap. Relena tried to loosen her grip on him, but she was still too surprised. Heero threw Zero into a loop, speeding up all the time. Relena watched the screen showing the world around them, her eyes wide. Heero took her on a wild ride, flying up through the clouds, back down again, rolling and looping through the air. Before long, Relena only held on with one arm around his shoulders, the other settled on his forearm. Riding in the Gundam was much more exciting than any shuttle trip or airplane trip she'd ever taken.

"Do you want to go into orbit?" he asked after a time.

"Space?" Relena asked. Heero nodded. He brought up an overlay on his screen and typed in a few coordinates. Relena watched, having no idea what he was doing. Zero stopped short and changed directions. Heero pressed a button and the overlay disappeared. He removed his hands from the controls, wrapping one around her waist and the other tightening on her legs.

"Is this safe?" Relena asked, a little worried.

"Don't you trust me?" he asked. Relena tilted her head and gave him a slightly annoyed look. "You will be fine." Relena opened her mouth to speak again, but Zero began to move, the angle pointing up towards the sky, to space. Heero flipped a switch as they increased speed, and Relena buried her head again against him. The pressure of gravity trying to keep them on Earth pulled the two down into the seat, and Relena worried, of all things, if Heero was uncomfortable with her pressing so hard against him.

Everything around them turned to fire, reds, oranges and yellows, as the Gundam forced its way through the atmosphere. It was several minutes before the Gundam emerged from the atmosphere and slowed to a stop, and the pressure was gone. Relena's hair began to float around her face due to the lack of gravity. Zero's engines stopped, and soon, the Gundam was floating along Earth's orbit, level with satellites. Relena reached up and pulled her hair together, twisted it and tucked it into her braids, to keep it from spreading out all over the place. When she glanced back at Heero, he was leaning back against the seat, his eyes distant, as if he was lost in thought.

"Heero?" Relena asked, settling herself into a comfortable position.

"Hn?"

"Am I wrong in what I believe?" she asked. Heero's eyes shifted to hers.

"What do you think?" he asked. Relena sighed.

"I'm not so sure anymore," she replied.

"You've chosen a difficult path," Heero said. "You've chosen total pacifism in the midst of war. But your place isn't on the battlefield. That's where people like me and the other pilots belong. You belong in your country, keeping everyone's hope alive that once this war is over, there will be peace."

"Will the war end?"

"They always do." Heero caught her hand in his, and he began to trace the lines on her hand and fingers. "You must stay alive, because when the war is over, you will emerge from the fires and smoke, to be a leader, and bring everyone together. You are the only one who can do that."

"That is a lot of responsibility," Relena said. Heero nodded.

"You are strong." With that simple admission, Relena felt the weight of the day lift from her shoulders. Perhaps she didn't feel she was strong, but the strongest person she knew believed in her, and somehow, that was enough.

"Thank you, Heero."

In silence, they drifted along Earth's orbit, watching the blue planet from their place among the stars. Relena was still so surprised at Heero's behavior, beginning from their meeting in the storage area underground. As they drifted, Heero tightened his hold on her and rested his head against hers. It was the most intimate Relena had ever been with another person, and yet, Relena felt at peace. Though she knew, with some disappointment, that once they were back on Earth, things would go back to normal, and at some point, Heero would leave her to fight again. And she would not know if she would ever see him again. She hoped he would return to her, even if it wasn't until after the war. He'd shown her part of his life that night, and with any amount of luck on both their parts, someday, Relena might be able to show him a part of her life. The life where a person went to bed in the same bed every night and woke up in the same place every morning.

After a while, Heero took control of the Gundam once again, and brought them back to Earth. As they landed in the group of trees where the underground door was hidden, the first evidence of the rising sun was peeking over the horizon. They retreated underground once again, and Heero maneuvered the Gundam back to its original spot. Heero assisted Relena with getting back onto the platform, and they walked together back to the door that lead them into the school.

Before parting ways at the end of the hall, Relena took a chance. She reached up and placed her hand against Heero's cheek. He looked at her, a little surprised.

"Thank you Heero, for this evening," she said, then removed her hand from him. He nodded once, smiled a little, then turned and walked away.

A few hours later, when Relena entered the informal dining room, she hadn't slept at all. She changed and mussed her hair to make it look like she had been sleeping, but in reality, her body and mind were still wired from the night excursion. Noine and Quatre were the only ones awake and eating breakfast.

Relena sat down amid bids of "good morning," and poured herself a cup of tea. A small television beside the table was on, showing the news. Relena mixed a bit of cream into her tea and lifted it to her lips to take a sip.

"Last night, the Gundam Wing Zero was spotted flying over the Sanq Kingdom. The strange thing is, it did not appear to be heading for battle. Witnesses reported it looked like the Gundam was going on a joy ride," the newswoman said. Relena snorted into her tea cup, half in surprise, half in laughter. She sat it down quickly and lifted up her napkin, coughing into the white fabric.

"Relena!"

"Miss Relena, what's wrong?" Noine and Quatre leaned forward towards her, as if reaching for her would relieve her cough. Relena glanced at the television, where someone had a bad recording of Zero flying through the air, performing barrel rolls. Quatre and Noine must not have noticed.

"Nothing," Relena said, looking up at her friends, a smile spreading on face. "Nothing at all."

-\-/-

A/N: Is anyone else's mind in the gutter? -snicker-

-Scarlet Eve