CHAPTER X- The Reception

A/N: Oooooo! Action chapter!

The first thing that confronted Relena as she entered the colony was the incredible smell. Their shuttle was behind them, and the catwalk the had to walk across to the main hangar was rusted and rickety.

Heero kept a protective hand on Relena's elbow as he guided her across, eyes darting from side to side cautiously as a group of men in business suits smiled at them from across the scaffold.

Relena settled her shoulders, and Heero watched in awe as a transformation overtook the young woman, making her look cool, composed, and far older than what she really was.

He had hated her, then admired her, and now he…loved her, he supposed.

And he was handing her over to wolves.

"Welcome to our humble colony, Foreign Minister Darlian," the leading man said in oily tones, his words thickly coated in miner's accent, so it sounded more like, 'Wel'yum ta our 'umble colonee, For-en Minista Darlian."

Relena dipped her head. She was standing on a potentially dangerous viaduct, her clothing was slightly rumpled, and she needed more sleep. But still, she looked like a queen.

"It is truly my honor to represent the ESUN in this matter. As Foreign Minister, it is my duty to ensure that relations between Earth and the colonies remain tranquil."

"They remain tranquil, Foreign Minister, because we are all bullied into saying nothing." Again his words were heavily accented.

They were different physically as well. While Heero and Relena were both lean figures, these businessmen were stocky and short, with broad muscles barely covered by the smooth lines of business suits.

Relena had opted for a more Western style of dress, and Heero remained stubbornly in jeans and a t-shirt. He remained behind the European girl, keeping a close eyes one all of the men in case they considered Relena a useful hostage for their cause.

"Please, Ms. Darlian, your guard can take your things to your lodging, and we can get you to the reception we have prepared in your honor."

She looked back at Heero apologetically, but he shook his head vigorously, "Where the Foreign Minister goes, I go."

The fierce gleam in his eyes killed all protest, and Relena realized what a political opportunity she had lost. When she got back to her hotel, she and Heero were going to exchange a few words.

Preferably with her yelling, and his apologizing. She had just lost her chance at bonding with these people and making herself seem equal.

Well, she decided, the damage had been done. I'd better make it only minimal.

"I'm sorry, gentlemen, but my bodyguard is right. I need to freshen up some before I attend any public events. I understand our tight schedule, but I'm afraid teenage vanity has not yet loosened its grasp on me."

They nodded, and the leader spoke up, "In our excitement, we forgot your youth, Ms. Darlian."

"I, Counselor Parvoti, would be proud to travel with you to the hotel." The leader said in his rich accent.

Heero was about to protest, but Relena dug her heel into his foot. It may not have hurt him, but it certainly got the message across: 'This is my playing field, and let me fight in it.'

Relena stepped forward and placed her hand in the crook of his arm, "It would be my pleasure."

She pretended not to feel sympathetic pain as she walked across the sooty streets, where children huddled in street corners and every other face was black with dust, and Heero followed angrily in her wake.

"Don't go, Relena." He was saying harshly, "Give me a minute to figure out what's wrong and let me-"

They were in the hotel, where the Foreign Minister was supposed to be freshening up. Heero had stormed into her room the minute Parvoti walked down and back to the lobby. The motel was really run down, and even Heero knew the sparsely furnished set of rooms the colony had provided were the best in the whole settlement.

Relena rounded on Heero, armed with a brush and a bottle of foundation cream. She had been leaning on the sink carefully applying her makeup in front of the mirror as Heero ranted on, leaning against the doorframe to the bathroom.

"Look, Heero, I happen to know a bit about politics, seeing as the last three years of my life have been centered on them!" she was furious, and she turned back to the mirror with an angry huff, smearing on the makeup and making little noises of anger and frustration. "I had an opportunity to actually connect with these people which would have made my job far easier."

"They're not people, Relena, they're potential threats!"

She slammed down the jar, fed up. Heero had never seen her so angry. Part of him was slightly nervous at what she would do while the other part somewhat eager to find out.

She was glaring at him, her eyes just as cold and angry as his. He supposed she must be irrational with rage right now, he mused idly, the small capillaries in her cheeks had sent forth a flush of anger, and her eyes were burning stars.

"You don't understand anything!" she shouted. To his surprise she tackled him, throwing her weight on him while he was off-guard (as he always was around her) so that even the genetically strengthened Heero Yuy fell backwards, tripping on her shoe and landing on the bed, with Relena still pounding on his chest.

He freed his arms and grabbed her angry fists, "I thought you were supposed to be a pacifist."

She sat back on him, "What was it that book, The Power of Nonviolence, said? Ah yes, 'Physical violence is a psychological form of relieving stress and anger and demoralizing your enemy.'" She grinned at him wickedly, "I'm merely relieving my burdens."

"Well, why don't you get off of me and relieve me of mine?" he asked gruffly. While she had forgotten what a position she had gotten them into, there was no way he could, and even the strictest part of his soul agreed that he found her proximity unsettling- and not in an entirely bad way. He could smell the bed below them, clean and inviting. He could smell her soft, delicate scent that he wanted to drown in.

She at least had the grace to blush, even if it was only slightly. She shrugged and dragged herself off of him, touching her face carefully, "Ah, dammit, Heero, now I have to reapply my makeup!"

She got up and bent down for her shoes in a way that kept Heero seated for a few more minutes and then scampered off to the bathroom, trying desperately to ignore how fast her heart was beating.

"Ah, Foreign Minister, welcome to our reception hall." Parvoti said warmly as they entered the main building.

The hall was weathered and very bare, but at least it wasn't falling over, as were most of the other buildings. Relena smiled at him. She her dress was slightly more informal to try and equalize herself with the people, and she had chosen muted colors, so they would consider her slow and unimportant.

Like all good politicians, Relena knew how to screw with people's minds.

Even as she walked, she had shifted her shoulder slightly and allowed her eyes to adopt a duller sheen.

Only Heero, who knew Relena for who she truly was- perhaps even better than anyone else- was not deceived by the subtle body language. Already, the men were speaking to her with less of an accent and with broader gestures, an unconscious response to the signals she was carefully producing for them.

The silent bodyguard suppressed the urge to smirk.

"Why yes, I understand," Relena was saying, carefully tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "The conditions in which you live are horrible, and the ESUN should do something about it."

"Indeed they should," the diplomat was saying, and went on about his sister colonies and the atrocities they had seen with their own eyes.

Heero did not pay any attention to their words, only to the area. There were no threats and in their hotel rooms, their had been no tracking devices.

This was 'odd' with a capital 'O.'

One thing Heero Yuy hated was deception. He believed the best enemy should be forthright and open, a warrior who would gladly face his enemy and die broadly and openly.

Heero Yuy hated complications, but he accepted them. There was never an ideal opponent, only annoying assailants.

And that's when Heero remembered something. Relena had faced him with such pride and honor. That's why no opponent was brash and obvious- because then you start to feel compassion for them, as he did for the Foreign Minister whose back of head he was staring at as she walked in front of him with Parvoti.

Heero scowled. The reports he had read had led him to the conclusion that 'The Rock' was a deceptive man, always hiding behind mask upon mask-

"Heero, please wait here," Relena was saying, and her bodyguard was surprised to discover they had come to a halt.

He gave her a very understandable look.

She shook her head, "You're too flashy. I have a job to do."

Parvoti Stane gave them a questioning glance. Heero sighed and nodded. Relena grinned.

The two entered, and a serving boy scurried out, a thin, balding man with thick black eyebrows and deep, intelligent eyes. Heero and the servant exchanging a cool, intelligent glance, before the bald one hurried off, olive colored skin glistening in the light of sodium lamps.

And then the pieces fell into place.

Heero ran in, and pulled Relena out of the chair she was about to sit in.

"Heero-" was all she had time to say before he threw her out into the corridor and onto the floor, protecting her with his body as the reception room exploded with a horrifying roar. Flames burst out of the heavy double doors, licking the carpet and scorching the air around them. Heero held Relena close.

Twice in one day he had gotten to hold her.

This was one lucky day.

He looked back to the steadily burning room.

Then again, maybe not.