Apathetic

By Lady Saffir

DISCLAIMER: The characters associated with Gundam Wing do not belong to me, but to Sotsu, Bandai, and other large corporations.

******************

Heero looked through the library doorway, noting that Relena was once again gazing off into space. He sighed to himself, wondering once more what had caused such a large change in his fiancée.

"Relena?"

No response.

"Relena?"

The figure curled up in the large chair changed neither posture nor expression.

Heero sighed, then walked over to touch Relena's shoulder gently.

Relena blinked, looking up at him, then offered a wan smile.

"Heero, I didn't hear you come in," she greeted.

"You wouldn't have heard me stomping around in Wing," Heero replied, watching as the young politician winced.

"I was thinking," Relena defended herself, then realized that she had given Heero the perfect opportunity.

"I could see that, and I noticed that you've been zoning out a lot lately. Care to tell me what's on your mind?"

Relena shrugged in response, turning to look out the window again.

"I'm not really sure, actually," she started slowly. "It just seems like nothing holds interest for me anymore. I don't care how the terraforming projects are coming along, or whether or not my free time is actually free. I can't find a book that holds my interest, and my usual routine is to the point of suffocating me. What's wrong with me, Heero?" Relena pleaded, turning to look at her lover beseechingly.

"It sounds like you're tired of your work."

Relena automatically moved to deny the statement but paused, a thoughtful expression coming over her face.

"Even if I were - and I'm not saying that's it - what would I do about it?" she demanded.

Heero shrugged.

"Quit."

"Excuse me?"

"Tell them you're taking a sabbatical. Tell them you plan on attending college, having a kid; that you're going to work on one of the terraforming projects yourself; you want to be a supermarket clerk; the reason isn't important," Heero stated, looking at Relena with a raised eyebrow.

"I just...I mean...I..." Relena faltered, staring into Heero's intense blue eyes.

"I'm going to go think about it," she announced firmly, getting up to find a private place to think.

Heero smirked after her retreating figure, kicking back to recline on the couch. He hadn't even needed to throw in that stupid, 'Follow your emotions' bit that he'd been using for some years.

*********************

Relena paced about her room, trying to think of a game plan for thinking. Maybe if she curled up on the bed to think? No, she decided, she would only fall asleep.

The gardens?

No, too cheerful; she'd only take in the beauty around her.

The kitchen?

No, bad idea. She'd most likely try to drowned her sorrows in cheesecake.

It was then that the perfect place came to mind, and with a determined spring in her step, she walked down the hallway to her office.

The moment she stepped inside she felt her spirits sink. Going round to sit behind the desk she felt even worse, and when she saw the stacks of papers sitting on the corner, she was all but reaching for the Prozac.

Kicking back in her chair, legs quite unlady-like perched on her desktop, she closed her eyes and tried to think about the perks of her job.

She traveled a lot, and many of her programs were helping people regain their feet, and the gratefullness she saw in the people's faces when they thanked her was nice, but still....

And then she began to think about the drawbacks, and the list appeared to be endless.

****************

Heero was sitting in the kitchen talking to Milliardo when Relena walked in. He immediately noticed that the weight that had been dragging at her shoulders seemed to have disappeared, and without even asking he knew what she had decided upon.

"Good afternoon, Relena," her brother greeted her pleasantly, glad to note the change in her.

"Hello, Milliardo," she returned cheerfully, going over to the telephone to call her press secretary.

"George, I need you to inform the press that I will be holding a press conference in, oh...two hours," Relena informed her bewildered associate.

"Two hours? But, Vice-Foreign Minister, that's...."

"I don't care, George. If no one shows up, I'll simply write it out and send it to the news media," Relena said sweetly, then bid then man farewell.

Milliardo glanced back and forth between his sister and her fiancée, and immediately figured out what she was up to.

"What brought this change of heart on?" he asked.

Relena thought for a moment, then answered with one word.

"Apathy."

******************

Staring out at the media George had quickly gathered, Relena felt butterflies for only a moment, then happiness to over. This was definitely the correct thing to do.

Feeling Heero's arms wrap around her, she twisted in his embrace, smiling happily at him.

"Ready to face the music?" he teased, glad to be rewarded with a laugh.

"This music is one song that I will gladly face," Relena declared.

"Well, then, if I may escort the lady out?" Heero offered his arm, and together the couple strode out onto the front lawn to make history.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The cameras immediately began and the chorus of questions was deafening.

"Vice-Foreign Minister!"

"Ms. Darlain!"

"Can you tell us - "

Relena held her hand up, waiting until everyone had quieted before speaking.

"I called this press conference to announce something. There will be no question period following my announcement, and I will only say this once, so I hope you have the tape recorders rolling."

The hush was eerie, and Relena took a steadying breath, glad to feel her brother and Heero's presence behind her.

"I have spent the past seven years working hard to help maintain the peace and help the people of the colonies and the world regain their feet. I have watched as accord after accord passed the Senate, and have watched as mankind moved towards a Utopian society.

"The one thing I have not experienced, though, was all of this first hand. I have had to gather this information through the media and the people, and while my heart is gladdened by the changes that have occurred, I have felt as if something has been missing from my life.

"Therefore," Relena took a deep breath, and one young, inexperienced reporter broke in.

"Vice-Foreign Minister, what are you saying?"

Relena looked at the young man, smiled cheerily, and simply announced,

"I quit."

With a final wave she turned and walked back into the house, Heero smirking all the way as he paced behind her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Relena giggled helplessly, collapsing into an overstuffed chair.

"Did you see their faces? Oh, I wish I had a picture of that!" she gasped.

Heero grinned.

"I had one of the servants go to the second floor and take a picture of the crowd - I'm sure she captured the moment perfectly."

Relena laughed until tears streamed down her face.

"You did?! Wonderful!"

Impulsively she jumped up, wrapping Heero up in a bear hug.

"Do you feel like shocking the world even more?" she asked rhetorically.

Heero raised an eyebrow.

"Like what?"

Relena shrugged, grinning impishly.

"Well, you know that large, dull wedding that's supposed to happen in four months? I don't feel like waiting," she whispered conspiratorially, watching as the light dawned in Heero's eyes.

"Neither do I," he whispered back, kissing her briefly.

"Mmmm. Well, you have your motorcycle here, right?'

Heero nodded.

"Well then, it's settled. I'm kidnapping you, and we're eloping. We're flying to Vegas and Elvis is marrying us."

Heero laughed then, gathering Relena up in a tight embrace.

"You'll ruin your chances of ever going back to the political arena," Heero warned.

"I know. It's great, isn't it?" she replied happily, then took off running for the garage.

"Last one there has to tell Milliardo!"