Relena signed yet another paper on her desk and tossed it to the "complete" pile. Sighing, she looked at the large stack of papers she had to look through and silently cursed. She was going to have to ask the temp agency to get another secretary again. The most recent one just couldn't keep up with her work. Then again, nobody had been up until this point, and she'd been at this job for years now.

Relena just had to face it. As a spokesperson for pacifism, Vice Foreign Minister, and former princess of the Cinq kingdom, people wanted her for everything, and only she could say no to these people. No secretary could ever keep up with her. She couldn't even keep up with it herself.

A polite knock came on her door and Relena looked up from her mountain of work to do. "Yes?" A young man came in. He couldn't have been much older than she was, with a bright smile, brown eyes hidden by his glasses, and a mop of medium brown hair. "How may I help you?" Relena asked patiently.

"Are you Mlle Relena Dorlin?" he asked in French, something Relena was not used to. Most people she spoke with preferred either English or Japanese. She switched her thinking to the little bit of French she remembered.

"Yes, what can I do for you?" she asked.

"I'm you're new secretary."

"Eh??" Relena probed her memory, trying to remember when she had signed a contract for a new secretary, and why on Earth and the colonies it would be a man. Men just weren't secretaries. "I don't recall the temp agency offering me another secretary."

"I'm not from the temp agency," he replied politely. "You approved of my résumé via email, about three months ago." He paused, placing a hand on his chin, "That would be about the time you were preparing for that conference at Colony L1 E466 with the president and representatives of most of the colonies."

Relena stared at the young man. He must have done his homework. As important as that conference was, it was mostly kept quiet to avoid media attention. But, come to think of it, she did remember a resume that had caught her attention. This young man had worked with people with even larger workloads than her. But didn't they usually have more secretaries?

"Yes, I remember now. But I don't recall your name, if you'll forgive me."

"Of course," he said courteously. "My name doesn't stick out, and you've been understandably very busy. I am Thomas. Thomas LaRue."

"Tom. Please to meet you."

"Please, Thomas. Frenchmen usually don't use nicknames."

"I'll try to remember that. Now," Relena said, looking over to her paperwork and pulling out a briefcase. There was a meeting she had to attend soon, "I'm not quite prepared to show you the ropes just yet. Why don't you start tomorrow?"

"No need," Thomas replied. "I'll accompany you to your meeting and take notes. It'll be a good way to get started and you can give me a cursory review of 'the ropes' on the way."

Relena paused, placing papers into her briefcase. That would work, and she wouldn't have to worry about setting aside time she didn't have. "Very well. But where I'm headed, they speak Japanese."

"Not a problem," Thomas responded in perfect Japanese form. "I can speak Japanese more often, if you'd prefer."

"Yes I would. I don't remember much of my French."

"Very well," he said, flashing a bright smile. "Shall we go?" He opened the door and let her through. A gentleman? Not that many left nowadays, Relena commented to herself.

On the shuttle ride to the L4 resource satellite, Relena found herself doing a great deal of talking while Thomas just listened. Though she kept going off on tangents, and remembering things to mention when halfway through something else, Thomas didn't seem to mind at all as he took notes on the job he'd be doing for her. Relena, however, had some misgivings. He had been quiet the whole time. Normally, any quiet secretary she had didn't last beyond a few weeks. That meant that Thomas LaRue probably wouldn't be with her very long either.

Upon finally reaching the satellite, they took a cab to the Winner Foundation headquarters of the area. However, when talking with Quatre's secretary, Relena was surprised to find he wasn't in.

"He's at a restaurant," she replied. "He left a message saying if you showed up, to meet him there." Scribbling down the address, Relena took it, befuddled as to why Quatre would want a business meeting there. But then again, Relena mused to herself; Quatre always had a certain amount of elegance when dealing with people.

At the restaurant, Relena gave her name to the maitre de, who guided Thomas and her to a private booth. She was flabbergasted when she saw who was attending the meeting.

"Relena-san!" Quatre said smiling. "I'm so glad you could make it to the party!"

Yes, Quatre most definitely had elegance when dealing with people. He was also very sneaky with surprise parties. Sitting at the table were all the Gundam pilots, except one, Dorothy, Marimeia, Une, Noin, Zechs, Sally Po, and several people she didn't know.

"So, Relena," Duo said, playing with his braid. "Who've ya got with ya? Could it be a man other than Heero?" he teased.

"Oh," Relena stuttered, trying to get over the shock of seeing all her friends again. "This is my new secretary, Thomas LaRue. Since I thought this was a business meeting, I brought him over."

"Humph," Wu Fei sneered. "A man doing a woman's work."

"Actually," Thomas replied coolly, "men were originally secretaries up until the late 1800s." Wu Fei glared at the new man, but didn't say any more.

"Thomas," Relena smiled, her head still whirling in surprise, "these are all of my friends. Please, introduce yourselves."

"I'm Quatre Reberba Winner. I'm sorry about dragging you into this, but I wanted to surprise Relena-san."

"Trowa Barton."

"Catherine Bloom."

"Duo Maxwell."

"Hilde Shviker."

"Wu Fei Chang."

"Sally Po-Chang."

Relena interrupted the introductions. "When did you two get married?" Gentle smiles answered her question and a small conversation got started before the introductions continued.

"Zechs Marquis."

"Lucritzia Noin."

"Dorothy Catalonia."

"I am Lady Une."

"Just call me Howard."

"Marimeia Kushrenada."

Relena saw Thomas raise an eyebrow. "Yes," she answered his quiet question. "The Marimeia. However, she's a very different person then she was back then."

"Indeed," Marimeia agreed. "But still as feisty. Relena-san, I'd imagine that you, Dorothy-san and myself are going to have some interesting discussions throughout this party."

Relena smiled. There was nothing like a heated debate amongst friends. She had been preaching pacifism for years now, and had some good arguments. However, she also had a few special arguments for Marimeia and Dorothy, saved for just such an occasion. But wasn't someone missing?

"Quatre-san," Relena started. "Hasn't he shown up yet?"

"No," the mastermind of the party answered. "He called me just before I came here. His shuttle got delayed. He should be here soon though. Now why don't you take a seat?"

Quatre got up, but Thomas was actually the one to offer Relena a seat, as a gentleman. She was somewhat surprised, but then, the day had been full of surprises, so she was getting used to it.

Thomas hesitated a moment, before starting to take the final seat.

"That will be my seat, thank you," a voice from behind them said. Relena stood in an instant.

"Heero!" she smiled. Heero was finally here.

"Of course," Thomas said. "Relena-san, if I'm not needed, I'll return to the hotel."

Relena just kept staring at Heero. He hadn't changed all that much. Taller, definitely, but his eyes were the same. So cold in appearance, but so kind underneath. She wasn't even aware that she waved Thomas off as Heero and she sat down to start the party.

"He did WHAT?!" That was Relena.

"The presidential diplomat Henri Boulevard of colony L5 ZX3255 has kidnapped said colony's president and is demanding that you negotiate with him." That was Thomas.

"He did WHAT?!" Relena repeated, unable to wrap her mind around such a seemingly simple fact. "How did-"

"He IS a presidential diplomat. He had the access to both the security and the schedule of the L5 colony's president. He merely did some tweaking so that he had a meeting with him alone and made sure that security that day was lax."

"But what about-"

"No, there were no casualties. Boulevard just conked the president on the head and made off with him. He had brought wine, I'm told. And the president never had much of a constitution for it, apparently. So the few witnesses who did see the pair just assumed that the diplomat was carrying the president off somewhere to sleep it off."

"They thought-"

"Yes, it was rather stupid thinking. Security would be more likely to do the carrying. But people these days are very complacent and unwilling to see conflict. They just rationalized it away."

"So where-"

"Boulevard hasn't given exact times or places. He will contact you within the next three hours."

"And I'm-"

"Yes, you're supposed to meet him. You are allowed to bring only one envoy with you."

"But who-"

"How would I know? It's a question of which person you trust most to handle these situations. You'd need someone with a cool head on his or her shoulders, the ability to read people, and with a brain fast enough to react in a tough spot. Who fits those qualifications?" That was the first time Thomas asked a question. Relena paused, running through a mental list of people that she knew who fit those qualifications. Only two people came to mind. Six actually, if you included her brother. But all of them were busy in their own right, or it was unlikely for the pacifist to find them quickly enough.

Relena sighed in frustration. "Where's Heero?"

Thomas asked, "Do you want me to find him? I can get him here in a few hours."

Relena blinked. "You can?"

"How hard is it to find someone?" Thomas replied. "I just need to access the right computers."

"In that case never mind," Relena moaned. "Heero is untraceable. He just sort of shows up."

"Then who will be your envoy?" Thomas asked slowly.

"Duo's a wild card. Trowa a good choice, but Catherine would kill me. Quatre already has his hands full with the Winner Foundation, and Wu Fei tied up with work. And I can't bring myself to ask my brother." The Vice Foreign Minister slumped into her seat and sighed a third time. "Do you know-"

"No. Boulevard has given no indication of what he wants you for."

"Right." Relena put her elbows on her desk and held her temples in her hands. Why were there never any easy decisions? She didn't even know what that diplomat wanted; let alone who she should bring and how to prepare herself. It was times like this that she hated having a position of power. "What makes me so special?" she muttered into her palms.

"If I may say," Thomas started. Relena waved a hand and the secretary continued. "You have a great amount of influence despite yourself. I did a background check on Boulevard. He was a poor man in a poor world before he was hired as a security guard for local official. He rose through the ranks quickly, and it wasn't long before his political mind was discovered. But he's still a poor man from a poor world. If I were to make a guess, he most likely has seen you in action. Your words during the collapse of the Cinq Kingdom and your actions while you were Queen of the World have made you quite a celebrity. You've made it your motto that peace extends to all people, both the rich and the poor. He probably wants a tête-à-tête with you based on those grounds. Colony L5 ZX3255 lately has been a dumping ground for the down-trout and the poor. Productivity has plummeted, and people have been inspired to riot. There are rumors that the president wants to dissolve the Colony, getting rid of the problem and making himself look like a hero in the public's eyes."

Relena looked up, her face colored with surprise. "When did you learn all this?"

Thomas just smiled. "I keep my ear to the ground. There's more to being a secretary than just organizing events. You have to keep an eye on countries and Colonies that may peek your bosses' interest."

"You." It was a statement more than anything else.

"What?"

"You're my envoy. You'll back up whatever I say and deliver any speech you want. You're perfect for the job." Relena stood up. "Please, say you will."

"I have no combat training…" Thomas said slowly. "I wouldn't be able to handle myself if a situation of that nature occurred."

"You'll be fine. So long as you know how to run you'll be fine. Please, say yes!"

Thomas nodded. "Yes."

In three hours on the dot a fax came for Relena from Boulevard, stating the time and place of the meeting. It was in twenty-four hours time at an unoccupied part of Colony L5 ZX3255. Relena was on the shuttle within the hour, with Thomas by her side. On the trip, Relena reflected on what would happen. She had only known Thomas for a little over a month-the longest any secretary had stayed with her. He had learned "the ropes" within the day of their first meeting, and inside two weeks he had organized her entire office. Now it was just a matter of reading through the files and catching up on the work. That too seemed to be cut down. Thomas read document faster than anyone the Vice Foreign Minister had ever seen, and he had an acute memory to compliment his eye for detail. New projects and events would pile onto Relena's desk within only a few hours, Thomas would have them sorted and organized and ready for her signatures, explaining each document to her. He would even go so far as to take the liberty of throwing away the documents that were duplicates or of little importance to Relena's position.

Thomas himself was a good person. He was easily approachable and highly intelligent. The secretary could be very formal when he wanted to, but usually he preferred a casual manor of sophisticated speak only speckled with slang and blunt familiarity. He could laugh at himself or at others, but only when appropriate; and was not averse to taking a break when he thought he needed it (which was only rarely). Deskwork seemed to stimulate him where it bored Relena; he was at his finest in the wee hours of the morning pouring through the paperwork and organizing events. About his only fault was his constant need to interrupt Relena. Hardly a sentence would come out of her lips before the secretary promptly answered it. One could say that his intelligence and knowledge of what was important to Relena was the cause, but there were times the Minister swore he did it just to annoy her. And she prayed to God that he wouldn't annoy Boulevard.

"Thomas," Relena started.

"The only one I would interrupt would be you, Relena-san," the secretary answered. "Though under the circumstances, I doubt I'll do much of that." LaRue smiled, the glow of his laptop reflecting off his glasses and hiding his eyes. "Are you nervous?" he asked.

"A little," Relena said. "But if I view it as just another peace negotiation, I think I'll be fine. That's what this really boils down to."

Thomas looked at her before closing his computer. "Only the stakes are a little higher."

Relena looked to the brown haired man. "I guess so, in a way. But when I entered peace negotiation with other Colonies and countries, I had the lives of entire armies on my shoulders. People would threaten to blow up and nuke their adversaries at the drop of a hat. And I, the only pacifist of the bunch, was forced to play mediator."

Thomas gave a half grin. "And you're such a good one at that." Relena noticed that Thomas was ringing his hands.

"Have you ever taken part of a negotiation?"

Thomas shook his head. "Me? Lord, no. I'm just a secretary. I give people the information they need and then they call me when it's all over. I never even took part in conventions and the like until I started working for you."

Relena's eyebrow rose. "Really? But you perform so well at them."

Thomas' eyebrow rose. "Really?"

"Really. Just think of this as a small, private convention. You'll meet a man who has demands, and you have to try to bridge a compromise with him."

Thomas ringed his hands again. "I don't know."

Relena sized up Thomas. She hadn't yet found out if the man was discreet. She wanted to assure her envoy, but Relena didn't want to drop the fact that the Preventers were most likely all over this and ready for any contingency. That was about the only thing keeping her focused at the moment. The knowledge that, should anything happen, there would be back up.

"Excuse me," a gentle voice said. Both Relena and Thomas started from their respective musings and stared at their guest.

"Lady Une!" Relena quickly made room for the head of the Preventers to sit down. The brown-eyed woman shook her head, declining.

"I heard about you latest meeting, and I wanted you to know that everything has been arranged. Here." She handed Relena a sheaf of paper and then left the pair.

Thomas blinked. "Wait. I just missed something. I know for a fact that this entire fiasco is being held from the media. The only ones who know are the heads of L5, you and me. How did Lady Une find out about this? And what did she mean by everything being arranged? What's that piece of paper?"

Relena could only manage a grin. "Lady Une is known for her ability to gather information and to predict outcomes. If she says everything has been arranged, then neither of us have anything to worry about. And this paper?" Relena waved it playfully in front of Thomas. "This is a layout of the place we're meeting Boulevard."

Relena's secretary stopped wringing his hands and grabbed the sheet from his boss. He scanned it quickly, his eyes darting this way and that. The youth's eyes widened and he looked up to Relena. "She works for someone, doesn't she." He handed the paper back and stared at Relena. "She some spy, or an intelligence woman. Or someone."

"She," Relena said slowly. "Is a woman who puts out fires. We can talk about her more later. Right now we have things to do."

"Right."

The shuttle ride was only two hours long. A drop in the bucket compared to the rest of the day that the Vice Foreign Minister and her Secretary spent just waiting. They were both nervous, despite Une's assurances. But that was to be expected. However, their professionalism prevented either of them form showing their nerves, save from Thomas' hand ringing and Relena's pensive demeanor. At the appointed hour, Relena and Thomas made their way down into the deeper, darker part of Colony L5 ZX3255. The meeting place was a maintenance room, a good three kilometers from the living sphere of the colony. The room had most likely not been used since construction was completed.

As Relena and her envoy entered it, she was struck by space. The room was of average size, but it was void of anything. Just one large square without purpose.

" 'Space out in space is a void thing/ And it is in that void that we/ Find ourselves.' "

Relena stole a glance to her secretary. " 'And we find that we ourselves/ Are not nearly as important as we think/ For it is we/ That make this void.' I didn't know you were a poet."

Thomas merely grinned. "Only Colonial poetry. I forget who wrote it. But it gives one food for thought."

Relena gave a half chuckle. "And it certainly fits this room. What time is it?"

Thomas glanced at his wrist. "It three past. M. Boulevard should be here."

"I am here," a voice said. Looking around the room, neither could tell where the voice came from. The room was still the void it was when the two came in.

"Where are you?" Relena demanded. "I cannot enter negotiations with you if you do not show yourself."

"Do forgive me if I wait a bit before complying," the voice of Boulevard replied. "As you know, I've committed some very serious felonies. I merely wish to be sure that your envoy is a trustworthy person before I go about showing myself. One would not want me captured before I've had the chance to discuss thing with you, Mlle Dorlin." While talking, Relena was able to locate a transmitter in a corner of the ceiling. It was well concealed; she doubted Thomas had even noticed. After all, one didn't spend so much time around Heero without learning SOME tricks.

"My envoy is M. Thomas LaRue, private secretary and personal assistant to me and my duties. I have worked with him for over a month and trust his judgement."

"Only a month? My dear Mlle, that is hardly an appropriate amount of time to come to trust someone."

"Diplomat Boulevard, I am in the business of trust. I place my trust in the hands of my associate and my peers every day. It is in placing my trust in them that I can do the things that I do. Am I not placing my trust in you in agreeing to come here with no idea of your terms or even the reason why you picked me?"

"Touché, Mlle. M. LaRue, do you know why Mlle Dorlin picked you?"

"The Mlle seems to believe that I have what it takes to converse with you, M. I must confess that I am somewhat nervous, for I lack any combat training. I sincerely hope things do not degrade to that level, for I would merely be a liability."

There was a pause. Relena assumed that Boulevard was gauging them up. Understandable. If he was smart enough to put in an almost invisible transmitter, then most likely he had some sort of camera as well. Taking that into account, Relena walked to the center of the room, hoping her stride looked confident and sat on the floor. The metal was cold and she shivered despite herself. "Diplomat Boulevard, I am ready to begin negotiation with you. Thomas, please sit down and take notes."

She glanced at her comrade for the first time since entering the room. His face was blank, but his eyes darted this way and that, and he again ringed his hands before opening up his laptop and sitting down.

"Thomas," she said in Japanese. "Take a breath, would you."

"Sorry. But I can't SEE him," he whispered back. Then in French he added. "And it's not like I've ever done this before."

"Understood," Relena replied. "Just remember what I told you on the shuttle."

"You are a strong woman, Mlle. I will make myself visible shortly." And with that the voice was gone. In its place was a whirring sound of something mechanical. The noise grew louder, and Relena assumed that it was some sort of transport. The floor plan that Une gave her suggested as much, most likely coming from the far corner of the room. Relena deliberately looked in the opposite direction. She did not want Boulevard to know how much she knew. Thomas took the hint and did the same, placing his gaze elsewhere. The whirring seemed almost on top of them and then it stopped. There was a moment of silence before there came a "ffft" sound. It was then that Relena and Thomas looked over to the correct corner as a door slide open to reveal Diplomat Henri Boulevard.

Boulevard was a man in his mid forties and would have been handsome under any other circumstance. He had broad shoulders and what looked like a well-maintained body under his wrinkled suit. A handkerchief was in his hand as he continually wiped his face. His tie was undone and his collar unbuttoned. His black hair may have been silky were it cleaned, but now it was matted with an oily sweat that trickled down the man's wide forehead. His cheekbones were high, and his chin was sharp. His green eyes were red rimmed and blood shot. It looked at though he hadn't slept in days.

"I do apologize for my appearance," he said. His voice was a rich baritone, but it was soaked in weariness. "But I have not been afforded the luxuries of a bath and fresh clothes. So, how are you?"

"I am fine, Diplomat Boulevard. I am sorry that we have to meet under such a situation."

"A true understatement if ever I heard one."

Relena pushed forward. "Just what did you want to talk to me about? You could have called through a direct line, and Thomas would have gotten you to me. I must confess I do no see the need of holding the President hostage."

Boulevard laughed. Not a crazy laugh, but one brought about by irony.

"Perhaps you are right. But I am a direct man. If I were to go through proper channels, there would be all sorts of red tape and delays. I am the type of person who will drop in unannounced without an appointment to see a person. This time, I could not see such a thing as well regarded, especially for one as busy as you. And I am already sentenced to hell, so I though why not."

"A man with nothing to lose," Thomas said in a low voice. His hands, previously flying across the keyboard, paused to ring one another before resuming his note taking.

"Quite correct. Mlle Dorlin, do you know the state of this colony?"

"Thomas informed me. You are in an economic crisis with problems of immigration, and the people are upset."

"You've read up on that. Good."

"I never enter a negotiation without some background knowledge."

The diplomat wiped his forehead. "Good. Quite good. Tell me, what do you know of my own person?"

Relena wondered where this was going, but she answered the question. "You were born of a poor family before entering the political life as security. You mind was discovered and you became a diplomat and aid."

Boulevard scowled. "Only surface material. You should have done more research. Unacceptable."

Thomas paused from typing. "You're parents are Marie and Dominique Boulevard. You graduated valedictorian, but most likely because of you economic status, were refused several jobs before you received the grunt work of the security detail. Your mind for strategy and you physical prowess made you noticed, and that was how you became a personal security guard for Governor Matisse. He, like Mlle Relena was a trusting person, and it was he who found you political mind. It was not long after that that you became a diplomat, rising up to you current status." Both Boulevard and Relena blinked. "You are known for you pleas to the underdog and the down-trought, helping them in every way you can. You have created over sixty different programs for the lower class, and volunteer at both the Red Cross and Salvation Army."

Henri blinked again. "And how do I like my coffee?"

"I would think black, M. As you said, you are a direct person. Added red tape, or unnecessary sugar, irritates you."

Boulevard burst out laughing. This time it was a genuine one. It was a rolling, haughty laugh of one who liked to do so. Relena in turn smiled, despite the seriousness of the situation.

"Excellent! Excellent! Mlle Dorlin, I see why you chose this boy! He will do well." His face once again turned grim, and he looked directly at the Vice Foreign Minister. "What your envoy has left out, Mlle, is that I am not a patient man. And I feel very deeply toward the bankrupt people that I grew up with. I was lucky. But many of them are not. Many of them are average, ordinary people who are denied the opportunity that I was given. Mlle, I do not stand for that. That is why I made over sixty programs. That is why I volunteer at the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. That is why I am doing what I am doing. The President, in his convoluted and rich upbringing, has no conception of what those people are going through. Neither do any of those political busybodies who grew up with maids and servants and limousines. The gap between the rich and the poor is much too vast on this Colony. And people have been reduced to drawing lots to choose whom to vote for. And that doesn't matter at any rate, because the voting is rigged. I've witnessed, and been forced to take part in, such scandals and beguilement. Well, Mlle, I will take it no more. There are no 'proper channels' on this Colony. It is not the people who are the problem, it is the politicians. Do you understand me?"

Relena nodded. "I can understand why you were driven to do the things you have done. But I still cannot condone it. There is always a peaceful way to fight for what you believe in." The Vice Foreign Minister paused. "When I was younger, I considered myself to be a total pacifist. I did not believe in fighting regardless of the reason. I have since learned that one sometimes MUST fight. But in the world that's been created, there are many different meanings to the term 'fight'. To most, it means to carry a gun or to terrorize a person. To take their power by inflicting pain on people. While I do not deny that sacrifices may be made, one must take make sure that there are as FEW sacrifices as possible. The wars we fought a decade ago showed us the sorrow of battle. And as Treize Kushrenada said, we must take into account the lost souls. It is when we do this that we fight properly. I did not understand that until almost a year after that dreadful war was over. I have since fought to the very best of my ability, using my influence, my power, and my trust of the natural good in people. These are the means I use to fight."

Boulevard sighed, and ran his kerchief over his forehead and through his matted hair. "You are a pure person, Mlle. Purer than what I expected."

"Diplomat Boulevard. You will take notice to that fact that I, too, was born of a rich family. I lived an extremely sheltered life. Every one of my needs was met. I confess, I was spoiled rotten and had no idea of what life in the real world was like. Then, one day, I was walking home. I was strolling by a beach, agonizing over something petty. It was then that I came across a body washed up on the shore. I was a sensible girl, I called an ambulance and pulled the body away from the tide. His space suit was torn and ripped. It looked as though he had been in the fight of his life. I took off his helmet and saw that this person, whom I assumed to be a soldier, was still just a boy. He was no older than I was, and he was fighting. A boy of fourteen was fighting for his life. Diplomat Boulevard, that one experience changed my life. That day I saw for the first time that life was not something one is given on a silver or gold platter. It is something that one fights for, tries to better, and lives WITH. Life is about living. About taking what you are given and making the best of it."

"You understand," the diplomat said. "You know how I feel about this." His face showed his relief. "Thank you, Mlle. That was all I wanted to know."

Henri Boulevard reached in back of him and pulled out a gun. Thomas gasped and Relena stiffened. The diplomat looked at it, his green eyes intense. He then gave a heavy sigh. "You will find the President locked in his own room, drunk with a bump on his head. I should face the sentence that has been laid before me. But I fear that my message would be lost then. Mlle, make sure that they portray me as a martyr. Or else I will have died in vein."

"Diplomat Boulevard, wait!"

BANG!

Relena looked down at the man who was Henri Boulevard. The blood stained his chest and made a large puddle on the floor. But his face looked peaceful.

" 'Space out in space is a void thing/ And it is in that void that we/ Find ourselves./ And we find that we ourselves/ Are not nearly as important as we think/ For it is we/ That make this void.' " Thomas knelt down and closed the man's eyes. "The poem suited him as well."

The room swarmed with Preventers, Wu Fei and Une among them. Wu Fei ushered the two away from the corpse and Une saw to their care.

"I'm sorry," she said. "We were about to pounce. We didn't expect him to take his own life."

"It was good that he did," Relena said. Her body was oddly numb. "He wanted to be a martyr, so that his life's goal would become public knowledge." The Minister looked to Une. "Make sure you say as much."

Une smiled gently. "I will. He deserves as much." She turned to Thomas. "And how are you doing? Do you need anything?"

"A glass of 'thirty-four champagne would be nice. Or maybe something stronger."

Wu Fei came up and whispered something in Une's ear. "I have to go," she said softly. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"We'll be fine, Lady Une," Relena replied. "Thank you for all your help." When the head of Preventers had left, she turned to her secretary. "Are you really alright?"

"I was a poor boy too," he said softly. His glasses hid his eyes. "I came from a harsh life. I know how he felt." He tried to ring his hands, but found that they were shaking too much. "Oh, god. A secretary isn't cut out for this."

Relena suddenly regretted involving him. She put a soothing hand around his shoulders. "Ssssshhh. It's okay, Thomas. It's okay. I'm not cut out for this either. It's okay."

Almost a year later, Relena found that things were going well. Though Thomas had taken a good two weeks off after the incident with Diplomat Boulevard, he came back showing no signs of what had happened. Relena was grateful that he was still with her, after such a horrid display about the darker side of her job. And now, a year later, she couldn't imagine working without him. The piles of paperwork that she had were cut down to a more normal size of any businesswomen within two months after the Boulevard problem. Thomas had shown himself to be a hard worker. Over the past year, Relena discovered that Thomas often quoted colonial poetry, and absolutely loved early AC champagne. Somehow, the alcohol woke him up instead of putting him to sleep on long nights, and on unusually large workloads, it was not uncommon for him to bring in a bottle, though he never abused this taste.

Relena was absolutely astounded by how quickly Thomas could go through paperwork like she went through speeches. However, his tendency to interrupt her was her continuous complaint. How did he know what she was going to ask before she even asked it? And didn't he realize how rude he could be by interjecting his answer right into the middle of her question? Often Relena got so angry that she thought of firing him. Unfortunately, the fact that no other secretary could cope with her workload, and his normally formal and polite personality made him indispensable. But oh it was tempting sometimes, even though she knew she never would. Overall, Thomas was very sweet and enormously helpful. She liked him.

Relena yawned and stretched back in her chair. It had been a very long week of meetings, speeches (why did people always want her to talk? There were others who could speak just as well as her) and the omnipresent paperwork. Thankfully, though, this week was done, and she had planned on a long weekend, spending time with her mother and just get away from it all. She missed her mother while she as here on the colonies. But thankfully, her mother understood her duties. But that didn't make things easier on days when she needed her mother's advice. Somehow, email and telephones just weren't the same as the real thing.

Rolling her head and listening to her neck crack in protest, Relena took a look at the final papers she needed to work on before she was free.

Thomas burst into her office, putting on his coat.

So much for freedom.

"Mademoiselle Relena! Il y avait…..il y avait….mon Dieu!" He started to speak rapidly in French, his speech slurring together in his hurried pace, preventing her from understanding anything. [Miss Relena! There was…there was…my God!]

"Thomas! Please, in Japanese, and slowly!"

Thomas didn't bother answering, but merely tossed her coat and scarf to her, grabbed her arm and started pulling her out the door and down the hall.

"Thomas! What's wrong?"

"There was an explosion!" He threw open the door of the car.

"What??"

"At a factory on the outskirts of the colony! Many were injured! It happened only a few minutes ago, Relena-san, we have to get there now!" Slamming the door behind him, he started the car and sped off. Relena barely had time to buckle her seat belt.

"But what can I-"

"You may be a pacifist, Relena-san, but you also give hope to the people. In times of need, when you speak, people listen, and feel that they can rise above their problems. While this may be something you don't normally participate in, now is the perfect opportunity to show the people that you are not just someone to speak about peace. You are so much more than just a pacifist. You can do so much. These injured people can take strength from you."

"Thomas, how-"

"I'm still finding out what happened, Relena-san." Like magic, his cell phone appeared in his hand and he was dialing quickly. Relena thought it best to just sit back and listen.

"Allô? Oui, c'est moi." Thomas started conversing rapidly in French again. As he continued, speeding along the highway, he switched to German, Russian, Italian, and Spanish, presumably as he talked to different people. Just how many languages did he know? [Hello? (used for the telephone only) Yes, it's me."]

Without anything to do with Thomas on the phone, Relena just sat back, catching a few words in each language, but all going to fast for her to comprehend. She looked out the window, taking not that they were heading for the outskirts of the colony, as Thomas had mentioned before. Driving down to the lower levels, Thomas would pause on occasion to gauge where he was before driving on. What would she say once they got there? She could talk up a storm in politics, but after an accident? People were suffering because of a mistake, not an act of war, what could she say to ease their pain and give them strength? For all intents and purposes, she was a politician, a Vice Foreign Minister who gave speeches on pacifism and how to overcome anger by talking or going to a third party. What good was all that if she could think of the proper words of compassion to ease the sorrow and pain of those injured?

Relena let out a sigh. Thomas glanced her way, and finally put away his cell phone. "Relena-san, we are almost there. The press hasn't even arrived yet, and there should be a small stand and bullhorn ready for you when we arrive."

"What-"

"It was an accident. A new worker was being showed the ropes and pushed the wrong buttons in the wrong order. Two chemicals mixed together as a result which made quite a fireworks display. Thankfully, no one has been killed, but there are some very serious injuries."

"How did-"

"I have made many connections with many people on my way up the work ladder. For some reason, people generally like me. I let them know who I'm working for, and if they come across something that my employer might need, they'll give me a call. Now that I'm working for you, you won't believe how many old friends call. This, however, was a childhood friend. He worked here when the explosion happened and emailed me while he called his family."

"But what can I-"

"Like I said Relena-san, you can give them hope and strength."

"How?"

Thomas turned to her. "You don't know? Relena-san, do you have any idea how influential you are?" He gave a small smile as he got out of the car and started to lead her to the injured. "I remember when you gave your speeches as Queen Relena. I was just a boy at the time, no older than you, but so much younger. I was having a difficult time where I was back then, but you gave me, a nobody struggling to do something, the confidence in myself I needed to succeed. Relena-san, you are much more than a pacifist."

Relena slowed startling Thomas who had been dragging her at a quick pace. She closed her eyes and frowned in concentration. There were people injured, she had to help them, not by giving advice, but by giving hope. It was very different from what she normally did. How could she do it. Unless…

"Thomas, may I borrow-" he tossed his cell phone to her. She quickly dialed a number.

"Barton Foundation," a voice came over the phone. "How may I help you?"

"Marimeia please."

"She's busy at the moment."

"She'll talk to me. I'm and old friend of hers." Marimeia was on the line in a few minutes.

"Marimeia, there's been an accident."

"Relena-san, are you alright?!" Marimeia shouted in concern.

"Yes, I just got here. It hasn't even been broad casted on the news yet. Would you be able to open some funds to help the injured?"

Without hesitation, Marimeia answered, "How much?"

"I don't know just yet. I'll call you with more details after I speak to the people."

"Let me know where you are and I'll start calling my people over on that colony."

Relena rattled of the colony number then called Quatre. He was just as willing to help.

Relena tossed the phone back to Thomas. "I'm ready to talk."

Without a word, Thomas led her through the crowds of injured. Many people had not even been treated yet, with large gashes and grotesque wounds spilling blood everywhere. Others had large burns, undoubtedly from the smoking building farther down the street. Relena was amazed that there weren't that many fireman or ambulances yet. But then, Relena was just beginning to realize how quickly Thomas could organize something. The press wasn't here yet because nobody else was. It was only the injured and their families coming down. She hoped the faith Thomas had in her wasn't off the mark.

Sure enough, a small table and bullhorn was set up in the center of all the pain and sorrow. Standing on the table, Relena picked up the bullhorn and took a deep breath. Please let me be able to help.

"May I have you attention please!" she called out. Not many people turned to her. Her confidence in herself was sinking fast. "Please, I have something very important to say!"

"Go away, you lousy bureaucrat!" someone shouted.

Come on Relena, she scolded herself. You've never had a problem speaking before. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Thomas talking quietly to one of the injured. Her secretary was rolling up his sleeves and applying a clean cloth to the open wound.

The person Thomas was talking to suddenly shouted, "QUEEN RELENA??" That got everyone's attention.

Thank you, Thomas. Putting the bullhorn to her mouth again, she started to speak. "Everyone, please listen to me. I have been informed of what happened, and I am here to give you any support I can offer."

"Can you pay me while I heal?" someone shouted cynically.

"As a matter of fact," she answered. "I have contacted the heads of the Winner Foundation and the Barton Foundation. Both of them are preparing to open up funds to aid every one of you while you all deal with this tragedy that befell you."

A man stood up, a cloth around his head slowly turning red. But that wasn't the worst of his injuries. "Your Majesty, I just lost my arm!" he cried out, grunting in pain. "I can't work here again, and I don't have the skills to work anywhere else!"

Relena paused. She wasn't cut out for this. Pacifism couldn't deal with pain and misery like this. What could she do? LaRue caught her attention and motioned for her to go on.

"A very important part of life is being able to live," Relena said quietly. "Being able to live despite outrageous circumstances built against him is what man has done ever since he climbed down off the trees. Humanity has endured floods, earthquakes, blizzards, volcanoes, the cold vacuum of space, and even itself.

"It was only recently, in AC 195 that humanity finally but to rest one of its biggest enemies: war. With that out of the way, tragedies like this can now be considered some of the worse things imaginable. But I am here to say that I know people who have been through worse than what happened here today and survived. Though all of you feel fear, pain, doubt, sorrow, and hopelessness because such an awful thing could happen, I would like to remind you of humanity's ability to endure and overcome!"

Relena took a deep breath. The fire trucks and ambulances were finally arriving. She quietly hoped her speech wouldn't hamper the work of the firemen and doctors, because people tended to listen to her. While that was good, they had a job to do.

"I know one young man who watched his father be killed right in front of his own eyes." The crowd gasped. "Can you imagine how he felt? How many of you are close to your parents? How many of you can almost feel what he felt when he watched his father die for no reason? The pain and grief that young man felt was so horrible, he lashed out, hurting everyone around him. It wasn't until a close friend fought his way through, in order to bring back the kind person the young son once was. This young man now successfully runs his father's business, and does everything he can to repay the people he hurt when he was grieving. He endured and overcame his pain and now gives back to the community.

"Another young man I know grew up with mercenaries."

"NO!" the crowd gaped.

"Yes, and by the time the war in AC 195 came, he was a solider waiting to be plucked. He knew nothing but to fight. The fact that a child can survive through his childhood with men whose business is to kill, is another testimony to humanity's ability to endure." Relena paused, considering Duo and Wu Fei's childhood. She hoped they didn't mind if she combined them, but she had one very important example to give, and she couldn't postpone it forever.

"Another friend of mine grew up for a short time in an orphanage. However, he was soon on the streets again, for the orphanage he was in was destroyed by some petty war. He was the only survivor." The crowd looked to her in disbelief. Relena noted, however, that the doctors had treated a large portion of the injured and the fire was almost out. Good, she was providing distraction from what was going on. They didn't have to think about their pain. "He eventually straightened out, after thieving in order to survive and married. However, they weren't married long, because his wife was killed. He also survived, but he was so distraught, he eventually fought in the war in AC 195, and then joined in the fight in AC 196. It wasn't until after all the fighting had finally stopped did he finally come to terms with his life."

Relena continued to walk around the podium, noting that the people were almost ready for some hope, but there were just a few more things she needed to say before she talked of survival.

"I have been giving some very extreme examples of humanity's tragedies and survival, but there are some more close to home. You all know who I am, and who I was. I've led a fairly comfortable life, very rich and quite sheltered. However, I have also had tragedies in my life. When I was just a baby, my father's kingdom was destroyed, I lost my brother, and I was left alone. Not many people realize that, as Relena Peacecraft, I had lost everything, but as Relena Dorlin, I had everything. When I tried to set up the Cinq kingdom again and started my speeches on pacifism, I had no idea that I would eventually face some of the hardest decisions of my life. Being in charge is never easy, but how many of you could make this decision: Faced with a choice of either letting your country be destroyed, or call for aide from countries who have allied with you and go against pacifism? Neither choice was acceptable. You all know the path I took, but such a choice did not come without cost. Many of you, undoubtedly, remember the shambles my country was in when I dissolved it."

Relena smiled softly to herself. "Do you know that even my assistant and secretary Thomas LaRue had had a difficult life?" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Thomas turn crimson. "He was poor and had to climb the ladder all alone in order to be where he is today, by my side." With a quick glance, she saw that many people were crying, or murmuring to themselves, probably in disbelief, both at the stories she had told, and their own present circumstances. It was time to show them that the deep well of sorrow could be drained.

"Can all of you see? Can all of you see the pain and grief the people I mentioned went through? Can you see their personal tragedies and compare them to the one you face right now? Undoubtedly, one of the stories I've just told you has shown you that things can be worse than how they are now for all of you. But look at how all the stories end, because that is where humanity's greatest strength lies. The people I mentioned are now in a happy life, remembering with grief their pasts, but looking with hope for the future.

"I am not trying to belittle what happened here today, for I would put this accident on par with what had happened to the people I mentioned. But all of them survived, and so can you. As I have already said, the Winner and Barton foundations are freeing up funds to help you. If you can't work in this line of work again, you should have enough money to get a degree in a different field, or get the training for something similar.

"All you have right now are physical wounds. Those will heal with time, but I can't cure what might have wounded your minds. Sorrow, grief, and hopelessness are natural under these circumstances, but all of you must remember that it will go away eventually. Pain can not win against hope and kindness, for hope and kindness are always there if you look for it. There are always options and opportunities. I hate to use corny puns, but every cloud does have a silver lining. Yes, you may have to wade through some mud to get to the water, but life is about living. Not wallowing in self pity for the rest of your lives because of one tragedy."

Relena whirled around, letting her hair fly. "Tell me, do all of you want to go back to your lives as quickly as possible?"

"YEAH!!"

"Are you going to let these injuries, harsh as they may be, stop you from achieving your dreams?"

"NO!!"

"Will you endure the pain necessary to heal in order to reach for your dreams?"

"YEAH!!"

"Your dreams will be fulfilled, won't they?"

A very loud "YEAH!!!" came in response. The crowd was cheering, but the crowd no longer consisted of the injured and their families. The crowd had grown to include many onlookers, fireman, and doctors, though they focused more on the wounded. Relena noted several news trucks that were undoubtedly broadcasting her speech, or at least what they heard of it. Perhaps she gave everyone more hope about fulfilling their dreams. Maybe Thomas was right. Maybe there was more to her than just speaking out on pacifism.

Life was relatively quiet after that. Oh, life as a public figure was never completely private, but things toned down significantly after the factory explosion. By now Relena and Thomas were an inseparable team. On that day Thomas had proved himself. The Vice Foreign Minister wasn't even aware of that until she realized it. In only a short amount of time, the secretary had planned and organized almost EVERYthing that happened after the explosion. He alerted not only the people to set up the stand and bullhorn, but also the news, the fire departments, and the ambulances. He had explained everything he knew about the chemicals that started the fire in to the firemen, and gave his estimates of injured and dead the hospitals. He also, and Relena didn't know how he did this, arranged to have some of the hospitals cleared out to make room for the extra patients.

Thomas' level of connections amazed Relena. He had some kind of contact on every colony, every continent, and practically every city it looked like. His skill with language was another surprise. He had told her on occasion that language and words fascinated him. He never told her that he knew and spoke fluently most of the European languages. He later confessed, however, that Japanese was the only Asian language he knew. He did try to learn others, but apparently one could only learn so many tongues before things got a little mixed up in his head.

"Language is a wonderful thing," he once said. "I think my love of it is what makes me such a good secretary. Words of any nature intrigue me. I love reading, and different languages are just part of the fun."

After the factory incident, Relena began to rely more heavily on his love of language and his organizational skills to handle things. Thomas didn't mind in the slightest. The two began to work more closely as a result, and Relena found that they meshed well together. Relena's head for politics was far more acute than Thomas', but he would often bring up points of view or tidbits of facts that would refine her theories. His organizational skills and contacts were invaluable, so that Relena could plan much more than she originally thought possible. Her wish to make certain foundations and charities and funds suddenly became much more probable.

The downside was that this caused and increase in paperwork. The piles on her desk suddenly increase rather dramatically, and it was not long before Thomas had to move his desk into her office to comply with the paper demands.

It was on such a day that Thomas was conspicuously absent. Any of the few days off he would take were always well in advance. Yet today he was nowhere to be found, for no reason at all. Relena found this unexpected absence almost as annoying as his continued habit of interrupting her.

Relena filed through yet another document, this one a program on setting up more hospitals in the African continent. Even in this modern era, Africa was still a forgotten place. She read through the page for the umpteenth time before the slammed the file shut.

"Where is he?" she asked to the empty room. "This isn't-"

"No, Mlle, it isn't like me."

Relena looked to the door to see Thomas' head peaking through. "Where have you been?!" the young lady demanded. "The reports have been piling up and I can't read through all of them on my own!"

Thomas blinked innocently. "You really can't live without me? I'm touched, Mlle Relena. But really, can't you figure out why I was late?"

It was Relena's turn to blink. "Not at all. What are you talking about?"

Thomas stepped fully through the door, hold two boxes. One was wrapped.

"What is this?"

"Mlle Relena, have you looked at the calendar?"

Relena blinked again. "No. Why?" She gasped. "Is there a convention I forgot about? You were supposed to keep me abreast of those!"

Thomas laughed. "I guess you could say that, Mlle. Although this will have to be very small."

"Small?"

"Oui. In fact, I doubt it will be much more than just the two of us."

"Huh?"

"You really don't know do you. Mlle Relena, Joyeaux Anniversaire!" [Happy Birthday!]

"What?!"

"I said Happy Birthday, Mlle Relena. Today is your birthday!"

Shocked, Relena shoved the piles of paper to one side as she studied her desk calendar.

"Oh my god.. It is." A realization hit her. "And you remembered! Oh, Thomas, thank you!"

Sliding his chair over to her desk with his foot, Thomas sat down and placed his two boxes on Relena's now clear desk. He then moved over to his own and pulled out a large paper bag. He said, "I'm not the only one who remembered, Mlle Relena. I've been collecting the gifts and cards that you've been receiving so that you could celebrate it on one day. Perhaps that's why you forgot. The rigors of the everyday routine can dull one's senses to the passage of time."

"Well said. But where-"

"Honestly, Mlle Relena, I was pacing just outside waiting for you to notice I was gone. I rather doubt you would have noticed my announcement otherwise."

Relena laughed. "I probably wouldn't have at that. Thank you Thomas." She looked to the two boxes. "What are-"

"The unwrapped one is the cake and the wrapped one is my gift to you."

"Oh, Thomas, you shouldn't have! That was so nice of you!"

Thomas blushed slightly. It was the first time the Vice Foreign Minister had seen him do so. "Of course I should have, Mlle Relena. I wanted to give you something special." Thomas looked down and rung his hands slightly. But he quickly smiled. "So, which gift would you like to see first? Or perhaps the cake?" The secretary lifted the lid of the box to reveal a cake covered in white frosting, green letters surrounded by frosting flowers.

"Cake later," Relena said in a childish voice. "I want to see my presents!"

"Bien sûr. I'll go get the champagne." Thomas quickly got up and left, murmuring to himself in a French that Relena couldn't understand. She wondered what he was talking about but swiftly put those thoughts aside as she looked at her gifts that Thomas had taken out of the paper bag. There were about a half dozen and probably three times as many cards. She looked through the cards first, holding true to a tradition she had taken part in since childhood. Read every card thoroughly and thoughtfully. Open the gifts slowly, making as little damage to the paper as possible. People had taken great care in wrapping them; Relena took great care in unwrapping them. [Of course.]

After reading through the cards she moved to the gifts. The first one she reached for was Thomas'. He was the one thoughtful enough to set all this up, he would have the honor of being the first to have his gift open. Slowly she undid the simple pink ribbon that hide an equally simple velvet box.

"Ârretez, Monseiur! Elle est très occupée!" [Stop, sir! She is very busy!]

Relena looked up. Standing in the doorway was a man with dark brown hair, his cold cobalt eyes staring at her.

"Heero? Heero!!" Relena cheered, rushing up from her desk and nearly tripping over herself as she ran to the former Gundam pilot. He stood no chance as she tackled him, throwing her arms around his thin body and hugging him tightly. "Oh, Heero! I haven't seen you since that banquet Quatre threw! Where have you been? So much has happened. I missed you so much! And look at you! You haven't changed a bit! Wow! How have you been? WHERE have you been? I still look for you, you know. But I've been so busy lately, I haven't had that much time. Oh, listen to me do all the talking! You haven't said a word. Here, sit down! Sit down! You can celebrate my birthday with me!"

Relena wasn't even sure she had taken a breath while she talked. She offered Heero the seat Thomas had dragged over, leaving the secretary chair-less. Trying hard to compose herself at seeing Heero after so long, she cleared her throat and looked at him, prompting him to speak.

"I can't stay," he said softly, his velvet voice still as melodic as it had always been. Thomas stood in the doorway, shock written on his face. Then anger quickly replaced it, his eyes shooting daggers at the stranger. Heero noticed it even if Relena didn't.

"Oh, you must stay!" Relena said forcefully. "You just got here! Please, have some cake, at least." Deftly grabbing a knife and cutting into said piece of sugar, she handed him a generous slice. She had not had a chance to read the green lettering, but Heero did. It had said "Joyeaux Anniversaire! Love Thomas". Now he had the slice that said "Love", preventing Relena from realizing one of the reasons for the private celebration.

"So tell me," she said happily. "How have you been?"

"Hn," he replied. "Alright."

"Are you still wandering? Or have you finally settled down?"

"I doubt I'll ever settle down. It's not in me."

Relena frowned. "I see. So tell me about our travels."

Heero snorted. "That would take to long. I have to catch the next shuttle to space."

"What?"

"I just came here to give you my gift and go."

"NO! You can't!" Relena cried. "You just got here! You haven't eaten your cake! You haven't heard about what I've been doing! You-"

"I know all about what you've been doing. I watch you once in a while."

Relena held onto every word. "You do??"

"I do. Here. Happy birthday." In his hand was a small velvet box identical to the one Relena was in the middle of unwrapping.

"Omigod!" Forgetting herself, Relena tossed the half opened present aside and grabbed the gift and opened the little gold clasp. Inside was a personal organizer, it's brown leather accented by gold seams. It had the unwritten dates that lasted for five years. "Oh, Heero, this is the perfect gift! How did you know?" She took it out of the box and held if gently.

"Ah, ça c'est…" was whispered from the door as Relena continued to examine the gift. [Hey, that's…]

"How did you know?" Relena repeated.

"Like I said. I watch you." Heero stole a glance at the now infuriated Thomas and then looked to the as yet unopened gift from the secretary. "I have to go," the Japanese youth said finally as he stood up. "I have a shuttle to catch."

"Oh, no, Heero! Don't run away from me!" Relena stood up as well.

"I'm not running. I have nothing to run from." The stoic young man smiled and looked to Thomas. "Not anymore." Heero turned to Relena. "Be happy," he said, and then he walked to the door, pausing only long enough to give his uneaten slice of cake to Thomas, murmuring, "Elle est très gentile. Vous elle régalez bien." Thomas' rage was replaced with confusion as he blinked at the Japanese man. Heero only gave a slight grin. [She is very gentile. You treat her well.]

And then he was gone.

"Oh, Heero," Relena whispered. "You will eventually have to stop running away from me." And with that she chased after Heero Yuy.

Thomas meanwhile walked over to the spot on the floor that his gift had fallen to. Sighing, he opened it up and pulled out the five year planner that was HIS gift to Relena. He threw it into the garbage.

The visit from Heero did a lot of things to Relena. The fact that he had visited her and not the other way around convinced her that he still loved her, even after all this time. She was determined to find him again. But over the years Heero had gotten better and better at hiding. And that left her in doubt. She had loved Heero for so long, and to have him waltz into her life and just as quickly disappear hurt her on several levels. Every time she thought the was here to stay he would disappear, leaving her feeling very alone. Why did the men in her life leave her? First her father, now Heero, over and over and over again! It was unfair! Was she destined to leave a lonely life with no one to care for her. And the way he had left this time seemed very final. He told her to be happy, as if he would never see her again. The horror of such a possibility!

All the while she was feeling this sadness, Thomas was there for her, providing her comfort and distractions. He introduced her to his only real hobby in life-horses. And while Relena was not a great equestrian, she did for the first time in those following two months feel relaxed. And without her being aware of it, Relena Dorlin started to move on. The continued presence of Thomas was a big help; and Relena started to really notice the secretary.

His hair was several shades lighter than Heero, and much neater. But his full set of bangs continually falling in his eyes had a distinct charm. His glasses often hid his eyes, but their brown color was honest and gentle. Not to mention that they were much easier to look at than the colder cobalt eyes she'd wished so desperately to look at her gently. Much the way Thomas did, in fact. Thomas' speech was sophisticated, Heero's was direct. Both men were highly intelligent, and both had eyes for detail. Thomas was pleasant and approachable. Heero was mysterious and pure. Thomas talked though fancy words; Heero through actions. The two were very different, but Relena found herself comparing the two more and more. For the life of her she couldn't figure out why.

The paper work meanwhile piled ever higher, despite Thomas' best efforts. Once in a while it was necessary for the pair to pull an all nighter just to catch up.

On one such evening, Thomas brought a bottle of champagne, as he often did. And this time he brought another.

"Two bottles?" she asked. "You're living dangerously."

"Not really, Mlle," Thomas answered brightly. "I merely thought that tonight we would share in the bubbles."

"You are living dangerously!" Relena said, her smile widening. "You know I don't drink that much."

"Neither do I, Mlle," Thomas said brightly as he poured the bubbly alcohol into two champagne glasses. "Champagne is the lightest of all possible drinks out there, and the only one I won't throw up directly afterward. The chance of either of us getting drunk is very miniscule. Here. Now then, let us toast!"

Relena raised her glass. "Most certainly. But to wha-"

"I have no idea," Thomas answered. "Why don't you provide the reason?"

"Very well then." Relena paused as she though it over. "To men. And may they never leave me hanging!"

"Here, here!" The two clicked their glasses together and sipped.

"Mmm, it's like soda," Relena said. "It tingles the throat."

Thomas downed his glass and poured himself another. "Oui. It's one of the reasons I like it. Now, were did we leave off before supper? I recall it was the progress report on that post-war hospital."

"Yes indeed," Relena said as she downed her glass and poured another for herself. She liked the sensation of the bubbles going down. "We're building five all at once as I recall. Construction is a little slow, but things are progressing." She poured another glass.

"I made some calls about that during supper," Thomas supplied. "I don't know all that many people in construction, so I can't guarantee much. Maybe you should make a speech to them about how important this is."

"Wouldn't I insight them to riot?" Relena joked.

"Mlle, when you start speak, you could make the rain stop and the rainbows blossom at their fullest!"

Relena giggled as she poured more champagne for herself. "Is that more colonial poetry?"

It was Thomas' turn to laugh. "Non, Mlle Relena. That was me being a bit too forward." The secretary looked to the glass that he was nursing. "But as long as I'm so forward, I must confess that I've already had more than I'm used too. I had to down almost an entire bottle for me to conjure up enough courage to invite this upon us. In fact, I'm being more forward than I think I ever have. I'm even tempted to ask you out on a date; though I know you'd never accept such a ludicrous offer."

"Oh, I don't know," Relena said happily. The champagne was beginning to make her whole body tingle. It felt much different than other alcohol's she'd sampled. She liked the sensation. "The state I'm in, I think I would be acceptable to even a proposal from a sponge. If the great men in my life are so inclined to leave me and break my heart, then I should have no compunctions about behaving similarly." She poured herself another glass. "Tell me, Thomas. How is it that you got this job?"

The secretary blinked as he fingered though the files. "I emailed you my résumé and you accepted it. There's hardly anything else to it."

"No," Relena said. "That's not what I mean. What twist of fate was it that made you such a fine secretary? And just how long have you been in the field? I'm under the impression that you've been working for about as long as I have."

"Probably a little longer. So you seek the truth of my origin? The path of my life that lead me to the most beautiful boss in this entire unified sphere. My, that's a tall order." Thomas sipped his glass as he eyes became distant. "'In time of need/ and old repose/ One's child is like/ the sweetest rose.' Or perhaps 'The money made/ off love's kind labor/ can often be/ one's only true savior.' Yes, the latter is the better suited for this tale." Thomas took another, slightly longer sip of his champagne.

"You must first understand, Mlle Relena, that I was a poor boy from a poor world. But not in the sense of someone like M. Boulevard. You see, my parents liked money. No, I stand corrected. They loved money. But they never had enough of it. To put things bluntly, my parents lived well above their means. My mother was a marketer and my father was in communications. Both were, how shall I say this… un-inclined to the working world. They both felt that the world should have been handed to them on a golden platter. Silver was so outdated. But their salaries didn't stop them from buying the best of the best of anything they had the whim to buy. Sometimes I wonder if they even bought me.

"Well, one can live in such lavish ecstasy for so long. The older I got and the more expensive my 'finest schooling' became-and the more and more they spent-they woke up one day and realized that they were in debt. They had both long since been fired from their jobs and had no source of income whatsoever. And living in a freshly bought, spanking new mansion with a small army of servants, and in-ground pool which in a water cautious colony is a luxury, three limousines etc. Well, they had to work something out. But heavens forbid they enter the working world again. Oh, no, they were much too high class for that. They had no money, heavily in debt, and a ten-year old that was still in school. 'Oh wait,' they thought. 'We have a ten-year old.'"

"What did they do?" Relena asked.

"They put me to work, of course."

"What?!" Relena was shocked. She had thought that child labor was long since put to rest. But then again she had thought that war was put to rest a well. The tale was beginning to engross her as she learned about the life of a normal young man. It was true what they said. Every person has a story to tell.

Thomas finished his glass of champagne and poured another, sipping it slowly as his face clouded with memory. "My parents loved me, I think. At least as much as they did the money they never had. But they didn't quite understand the responsibility of raising a child, I don't think. They just thought that boom, one day they would wake up and I was a man. Well, they just made that day come a little earlier that's all. I was suddenly called in from my incidentally expensive boarding school and told that I was to enter the working world.

"At first they weren't sure how to sell me. I was only just started to become fluent in Latin. They thought that was close enough to the other romance languages that I could be an interpreter. I was also starting to show some of my organizational skills. It seems I was the only one in the entire school with a neat room." Thomas chuckled at the memory and sipped his champagne while Relena poured another glass for herself.

"Then the two had a bright idea. Why not market me as both? I get a higher salary for them to leech off that way. And they still kept saying 'nothing but the finest for our little boy', which translates to 'nothing but the finest so that we can maximize your income'."

"I see," Relena said. She started to see where this was going. And the tale was starting to provide some insight into Thomas' character. Engrossed, she poured herself another glass of champagne.

"So anyway. They got me the finest job they could finagle out of their old comrades, all the while still buying away. My first place of employ was a business. One of those large, multi-colonial corporations with trillions of dollars to waste on CEO's year long vacations." Thomas paused as a thought occurred to him. "I wonder what they pay a CEO's secretary. They're the ones who run the company, it would be interesting to see how they are compensated. Anyway it's not like I'm going to change jobs anytime soon."

Relena blinked. "Why not?"

"You'd be lost without me. And I," he added, a blush rising to his cheeks. "Would be lost without you."

A flush also raised to Relena's face, though she wasn't sure why. Some of the things Thomas was saying this evening were totally unlike him. It must have been the champagne. But as she looked at this young man, Relena found that she rather liked some of the words spouting out of his mouth. They made her feel wanted, desired. It was far more than Heero ever gave her.

"Where was I?" Thomas began again. "Oh, yes. My first job. Well, thing started out rather well for a mere boy. My language skills obviously needed work, but the higher ups were willing to give me some training in order to expand my Latin to more practical tongues. And my ability to organize files and time management were stellar, even at that age. But I didn't last more than six months."

"Why not?" Relena asked, pouring herself yet another glass of champagne.

"Well, to be frank, I didn't know what a secretary's job fully entailed. Oh, I knew about files and day to day planning and business transaction. But no one told me that I was also supposed to plan events. I was given six months to put together a banquet reception for someone or other. Well, I did what I could. But I had forgotten the music, the seating arrangement, and-and this is what got me fired-I forgot to invite the guests."

Relena burst out laughing, the champagne making her giggles even louder. "Oh, Thomas!" she giggled. "I'm sorry, hahahaha I don't mean to laugh! Bu-huhuhuhuhut the pihihihihihihihcture in my mind! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah! Oh my gohohohohohohohohohd!"

"Yes. When one looks back on it, it is rather entertaining." Thomas himself was grinning very broadly. Relena noticed that the secretary had a gentle smile. It looked good on him. "I was called into the banquet hall. No one was there, so I assumed that the festivities were over. Imagine my surprise when I was told that I was fired. I couldn't understand it! It took one of my fellow secretaries, trying very hard not to laugh herself, to inform me of my error. I nearly died of embarresement. And my parents were even more shocked, if that was possible. Oh, the lashing I got from them."

Relena stopped laughing immediately. "They did?" The poor man!

"Yes indeed they did. The insults ranged from 'how could I do this to parents who have done everything for me?' to 'you must not love us enough to keep down a job' to even 'you must not be good enough to be our son'. That one hurt the most. My self-esteem shrunk to the size of a pencil tip. And that can't be good for an eleven year old."

"You bounced back, though," Relena said encouragingly. If nothing else, Thomas had always had confidence in himself. It was hard to picture him with a low self-esteem.

"As I said, I was only eleven. Children can bounce back from worse pretty well if they want to. And I was thrust upon the adult world, remember. I had to learn very quickly to be an adult. I think that's why it's taken me so long to…" The brown eyed man's voice trailed off as he gazed at Relena with soft eyes. The blush from before returned, and Relena beckoned him to continue. "Any way, my next job was at a hotel. It was a small place; everything was all in the family. It was there that I learned and became what I am today." Thomas made an expansive gesture and sipped his glass.

"My employers were incredibly kind in comparison to big business. They understood that I was only eleven at the time and treated me with kid gloves, if you'll pardon the expression. And a hotel is the ideal place to learn how to be a good secretary. The guests I tended to be from all over the sphere and it was in actual conversation that I was able to hone my Latin to French, Italian, Spanish, etc. And they also allowed schooling for me in other languages as well, such as Russian, the Germanic tongues, and Japanese. Paperwork was large and changing daily, so my skills in that field also improved greatly. It was there that I started to learn how to speed read."

"And boy do you speed read," Relena murmured, remembering just HOW fast the youth was in such a task. She found that she liked this youth. His childhood was tough, but not nearly as tough as others were. And he turned out well despite it all. He had taken his challenges and overcome them.

"Also at the hotel I learned step by step how a reception is planned. I was able to pull off several, and in record time, too. Once I had everything down pat, the head manager and my employer took me aside and taught me what I consider to be my greatest lesson. He told me that to know how to do things for a boss is one thing. But in order to be really god at your job, you have to really KNOW your employer. You have to know their likes, interests, things that affect them, how they like to be treated, what they can't stand. As much as is possible. It is with that knowledge that one can work for their employer. If you know all that, you know how to prioritize things and how to plan things and how to make your employer happy."

"In that case, you must know me very well," Relena noted, drinking from her glass. "After all, you keep-"

"Interrupting you, I know. It's a bad side effect." The two laughed. "After that, the head manager made arrangements for me to transfer. Somewhere along the way he learned that politics interest me, so he got me a new job as an assistant to the mayor. The rest, as they say, is history. I slowly worked my way up the ladder, becoming better and better at my job. When I was thirteen I saw you for the first time. You were the head of the Cinq Kingdom at the time and delivering one of your many speeches on pacifism."

"And what did you think?" Relena asked. Her head seemed to be floating.

"I must admit, I didn't really listen to your speech so much as I just stared at you. My parents had made sure I was employed since I was ten. I had often thought I was the only one in the world with that burden. Then I saw you and realized that I wasn't alone. There were other people as young as me working. And they were doing much more than I was." Thomas stopped and put his hand over his mouth. "I really shouldn't be saying that. I have had much too much champagne in me to bring about any good!" The secretary finished his glass and put it away. "That's enough out of me. I had no idea how long that would take. Where were we?"

"Oh, I don't know," Relena answered. "It's warm in here," she added as she took of her jacket. The flaxen haired youth tried to put it on her chair but in her inebriated state she could not do it and if fell to the floor. For some reason she found that funny and started to giggle.

This was how Thomas noticed that she might have had too much. The secretary picked up her designated bottle and found it empty. Concerned, he put it and his bottle away. Then he looked to her. "Mlle, are you alright?"

"Of course, Thomas," Relena said expansively. "I'm just a little tipsy, that's all. I feel tingly all over. It's not bad."

"You head isn't floating, is it?"

"Oh, no! Of course not. I've just had a little more than I'm used to. My inhibitions are free, that's all."

"That's all?"

"That's all. C'mon Thomas, why are you so worried? We're only doing paper work. Even if I have had too much, what's the worst that could happen?"

Thomas narrowed his eyes and gauged his boss. He knew that he was off, but not so much that it hampered his judgement too much. He was a little more forward; a little bolder; but no real harm could come from that. Relena was indeed certainly very giggly. But her speech was not slurred and she still seemed lucid. In his definition there was a fine line between tipsy and drunk, and Relena seemed very close to that line. But her eyes were still clear. Thomas gave in.

"Alright," he said slowly. "We'll finish with this report. But then I'm driving you home. No all nighter tonight."

Relena got up from her seat. "But Thomas," she whined. "We only just started!" Her secretary looked so handsome. He was neater, more vocal, and certainly more sophisticated. But he had his own charm. He was a poet, a master of the word. His intelligence was of academic and literary works, not militaristic. And his brown eyes were so gentle and honest. Relena had a sudden wish that he would take his glasses off. He would look so much better without them. In those eyes expressed every emotion the secretary felt. The cobalt eyes were always so cold and stoic. So hard to read. This one though made very clear his thoughts. He loved her. Very much. And at the time Relena needed to be loved.

"Tell me something?" Relena asked as she moved away from her desk and all that annoying paper work. "Do you think I'm attractive?"

Thomas blinked as a flush ran to his cheeks. "Mlle Relena, I hardly have an objective opinion." The secretary started to wring his hands.

"Do you think I'm attractive?" Relena repeated. To prove her point, she struck a pose. Her body temperature rose again, why was it so warm in here? Fumbling slightly, she unbuttoned her collar.

"Mlle Relena, je crois que… À mon avi tu es… Mlle Relena, you are the most beautiful person I've ever seen, inside and out. You are an idealist in the purest sense. You move mountains with all those heartfelt words you use. Your eyes are clearest than the bluest sky you hair finer than silk. Mlle, I…" Thomas' voice trailed off as he realized what he was saying and to whom he was saying it to. [Mlle Relena, I believe that… In my opinion you're…]

"Please, continue," Relena urged. She needed to hear this. She wanted to hear this. Relena needed to be told she was beautiful, that she was needed that she was loved. Her father told her that but he left her. Milliardo told her that but he was gone too. And Heero never said a word. He promised to protect her but he never said anything more. Everything was always implied but never declared. She needed at least ONE man close to her to tell her these things. A woman needed to be loved, damn it! And now she was being such. To hear Thomas say these words made her heart beat faster, her breath rush in and out. The flush in her cheeks no longer showed her inebriation but of her flattered character at the use of such gentle words. Thomas was the one, she thought. Thomas would be the one who was always there, not Heero. Thomas would comfort her, he would spout poetry at random moments, and he would love her unconditionally. And that was what she wanted to hear.

"Mlle, I think both of us have had too much," Thomas said to Relena's dismay. "I don't think either of us are aware of what we're doing and I don't want to do anything to hurt you. I don't want to regret anything that happens."

"No."

"I'll take you home. You'll wake up in the morning with a head ache, and I hope no clear memory of what I just said."

"No!"

"I've embarrassed both of us enough as it is. I don't want to hurt you further."

"NO!" Relena couldn't stand for it! Another man was going back on his word! Someone she cared for was breaking her heart again! It wasn't fair, it wasn't right! Was Relena destined to be alone all her life? Would she have one of those tragic stories where the star searched for love desperately but only found broken hearts? She wouldn't stand for it! She wouldn't!

In her drunken state she was unaware that she was screaming her thoughts to Thomas, accusing him of being just another man who meant well, but just toyed with her heart. She hated him! She H A T E D him!! How dare he work his way into her heart, make her love him and then break something she thought would be long lasting! That was all she wanted! A man who would be there for her, stand by her and NOT leave her alone! Damn it she was tired of everyone running away from her!!

"RELENA!!"

Her shouts were interrupted. The silence was deafening, and it took her several minutes to get her bearings. There were hands on her arms. Strong warm hands giving her a gentle but firm grip. There was a body next to her. They matched the hands. Indeed they were connected. The proximity was enticing. And there was a face to go with the body. Warm gentle eyes laced with worry. Deep brown, not cobalt blues. The glasses were gone. The hair was messed up. Now that she looked at it, it seemed very soft. Almost silky. The face was round, as gentle as the eyes. There was a red mark on the side, just under his cheekbone.

Relena blinked. "Thomas?" Her gaze expanded beyond him. Papers were scattered on the floor; files were strewn everywhere. A chair was toppled over. "What-"

"Mlle Relena, you never told me you were part Irish," Thomas said slowly. His words, though light, were firm and well pronounced. "When I suggested that I take you home you threw into a fit such as I've never seen."

"I did? I was so mad-"

"So I gathered. You have a mean right hook."

"I hit-"

"It's nothing serious, Mlle."

"But I-"

"I can fix this after I take you home. It will only be a few-"

"Stop interrupting me!"

"Oui, Mlle Relena."

Flustered was the first thing Relena felt. Embarrassed was another along with shocked, confused, bewildered, angry, upset, and a whole host of other emotions that she could not identify.

"Let go, Thomas."

"Oui, Mlle Relena." Her secretary complied and took a healthy step back. "I'm sorry, Mlle Relena. You were becoming so worked up that I feared you would do yourself harm." He paused, his brown eyes uncertain as he asked his next question. "How do you feel now?"

"Better," Relena answered belatedly. "Sober for certain." She put a hand to her head as she felt the throb. "I didn't even notice how much I had. That was stupid of me. And then you told me to forget what you said…" Relena paused as she thought back. "Rainbows and mountains… I got so mad. Were you reciting more poetry?"

"…Oui, Mlle Relena. In a… way"

Relena fought her mind's fogginess. That answer didn't sound right. She wouldn't have gotten mad if he were reciting. She tried to remember what had happened. They were going over some progress report. Thomas talked about himself. She had gotten giggly and… and… and what? It was important, otherwise she wouldn't have gotten so worked up. Relena had asked a question, that's right. It was his answer that dealt with rainbows and mountains. She was blushing…

"Thomas, what did I ask you?"

"Mlle?"

The Vice Foreign Minister sat down at her desk. Her head was throbbing, but she was starting to thing much clearer. "What was the question I posed to you to make you answer with rainbows and mountains?"

"Mlle, please don't ask," Thomas said, his cheeks rising in their red color.

"Thomas."

"It was an unimportant question. I-"

"Thomas."

"Please, Mlle. I don't want to answer the question."

"Thomas," she repeated again. Answer the question."

The secretary picked up his chair of the floor and slumped onto it. "You asked if you were attractive, Mlle Relena. And heaven help me, I answered honestly. I was too forward. I had had more than I was used to as well."

"You were drunk."

"Oui," Thomas said. "Non," he corrected. "I've never once been drunk. When I get tipsy, I tend to get very forward. And when that happens I stop. I wasn't paying attention to how much you were having."

"Well, it worked through my system pretty quick. We can thank heaven for small favors." Relena held her head as she absorbed the situation. She remembered quite clearly now. "Do you know why I was angry?"

"Un peu. You were yelling about men leaving and needing to be loved." [A little.]

"The story of my life is much simpler than yours, Thomas." Relena leaned back in her seat and sighed. What she wouldn't do for an aspirin right now. "I lived a rich, sheltered life right up until almost ten years ago."

"A.C.195," Thomas said softly.

"Yes. My father loved me deeply. But he always had responsibilities as a Foreign Minister. Meeting, late night phone calls, you name it. He tried-very hard mind you-but he could never set aside time for me. He told me he loved me several times. But in the eyes of a child that can be a little hard to believe when you hardly saw him. Then he died."

"The supposed Colony Terrorist Group."

"It was actually an officer from Oz. She hid a bomb in her make up and placed it by the door to my father's room. I found it and returned it to her. But it was about to go off, and she threw it into my father's window. I watched him die."

"Mlle Relena. I'm sorry."

"A man that I loved and said he loved me back had left me. Oh, I knew it wasn't his fault, but he was still gone. And I was alone. I have a brother, Milliardo. His other name is Zechs Marquis. He tells me he loves me and misses me. But he never comes to visit me. And during the war he would appear and disappear. He even 'died' once and came back to life. I could never count on him being there for me. Even when Milliardo was around, I would feel alone because I didn't know which name he was going by, which guise he was wearing. It's sad to say, but I hardly know him. And then there's Heero Yuy."

"The man who gave you the birthday present."

"Yes. We have a tenuous relationship at best. Like my brother, he would come in and out. In and out. He saved my life. Several times over he did. He told me that he would protect me. And in the state I was in, I needed that desperately. He's not nearly as vocal as you are. But he told me, in his own way that he cared for me. If saving my life wasn't obvious enough, the fact that he never killed me was another."

"I don't understand." Thomas' voice was soft.

"It's a looooooooooong story. But suffice it to say that he did a lot of little things for me. Now that I think on it, I probably read into them. I was in my early teens. I was going through a lot of emotional change, to say nothing of the added burdens placed upon me. I needed to know that I was loved. That at least one person out there cared about me for me, wanted me around unconditionally. For the longest time, I thought it was Heero."

Thomas started ringing his hands.

"Every time I saw him I'd get all worked up and happy. I'd drool over him and hang onto his every word. I freely confess I acted very childish around him. I was just so happy that he loved me and that he wouldn't go anywhere." Relena let a sigh escape from her lips. A lot of these things she was admitting for the first time to herself. It was hard. The flaxen haired woman took a deep breath. "Then he went somewhere. He disappeared after the war. I saw neither hide nor hair of him for a year. Then Marimeia kidnapped me. Heero saved me again. I thought then that he would stop running from me. I would have him all to myself and he would love me freely."

"But he disappeared again, leaving you alone," Thomas stated. His hands continued to ring. "Mlle Relena, I'm sorry. No one should have to endure abandonment over and over."

Relena laughed. "It appears that I'm still a child though. I find another man who I've attached my heart to; and as soon as I'm drunk enough I have illusions about him leaving me."

"It's understandable. And my fault as well. Love is something that's freely given; but it hurts if it is not returned."

"That's an understatement," Relena murmured. "When you told me to forget what you said, I just snapped. I saw it, as you telling me that you weren't going to be there for me, like all the others. It was a stupid assumption, I admit. One that can be attributed to a drunken mind."

"The blame was on me, too. I've felt this way for a long time now. But I haven't done anything about it. I didn't know what to do, honestly. I've loved people, but not in this way before. And I thought that you did not return the feelings. Such doubts were certainly reinforced on your birthday when Heero showed up and you barely noticed that I was even in the room. Did you know he gave you the same gift I did?"

Relena shook her head.

"You tossed it aside and never opened it. You instead went off chasing after a man who told me to treat you well."

"Is that was he said?" Relena asked surprised. The comment he made about not needing to run away anymore that day suddenly made sense.

"Well, it hurt. You had tossed me aside. And then afterward you mourned over him as if he had died. I was there for you-how could I not be? -but I convinced myself that you wouldn't feel the same way about me."

"Then what happened tonight?"

"I had been wanting to share a bottle of champagne with you for the longest time." Thomas shifted in his chair, belatedly picking up papers and reports and organizing them. "I drank almost an entire bottle of the stuff to get the courage to ask you. I chickened out on sharing the bottle, and I got you your own. We saw the result."

"Hn. It would appear that we both made mistakes, assumptions." Relena gazed at her secretary.

"Some quite serious ones," Thomas agreed. "You do know how I feel about you by now though, right?"

"Yes. Now that I look back I've seen it for a long time now. And after my eruption, you should know how I feel."

"Yes. And I want you to know that I would never to anything to hurt you."

"I know."

There was a long moment of silence between the two. Thomas continued to file through the papers on the floor, trying to reorganize them despite him being lost in thought. Relena merely sat and thought. This was the first time, as far as she could recall, that she took a good long look at herself. She was a strong woman, very independent in certain areas of life. In others, she was still daddy's little girl, desperate for attention. That part of her she didn't like, and she resolved to change that.

"I think we started off on the wrong foot," Relena said finally.

"Yes. Very much so."

"Let's start again."

"Yes, let's."

"I'm Relena Dorlin."

"I'm Thomas LaRue."