Chapter 6: Public Relations

"Ohhh, uhhhh, ahhhhh." A dreadful wailing breaks into the hearing of a man listening, freezing his blood.

"Huh? What? Who--who's in there?" Fred, the portside baggage unloader, in all of his sixty years with the company, loading and rechecking the luggage compartment of more passenger aircraft than the number of his 72 years quadrupled, had never once upon opeing the compartment of the 1149 passenger shuttle been greeted with such a startling sight.

Almost by clockwork now, he checked for clearance, unhitched the hangar doorway with his executive passkey code, scanned the already x-rayed luggage once more for any dangerous devices or weapons. Then, before setting up the air jet system that would send the parcels safely and easily to the platform awaiting inside, "Old Reliable" Fred would stealthily enter the pitch black darkness of the shuttle's compartment the moment after it's been x-rayed and just stand there amidst the luggage in silence, listening.

Listening for any sounds that were foreign...

The attendant watches in horror as a black shadow, heretofore lying motionless, slowly, suddenly begins to rise, eerily waving it's shadowy arms, as a cloak of ebony devil wings spring out, flapping about the demon's monstrous height. He watches the groaning, wailing creature's icy gaze pierce right through the darkness. And this attendant wishes he had cashed in his retirement plan right about now, the devil demon descends upon him, evil wings spread and soar right towards him as the screeching bat's horrible screams grow louder and louder....

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" A screeching echoes through the spacious compartment as the creature's graceful killing dive upon its prey all of a sudden begins to go wrong.

SLIP!! CRASH!! SMASH!!! YELP!! CRUNCH!!!!!

And down, down, down, several flights, the devil comes tumbling, until with a breath taking final finish, lands with a thunderous crash impact, in one big huge heap amongst so much luggage and baggage, that the attendant has to do a double take.

"What the---?" Fred looks down in disbelief. For lying in the rubble was not a beast, devil, nor creature at all---just a young boy with brown hair dangling down in an askew braid. He was wearing an all-black outfit---along with two or three purple sheets twisted around his arms and legs. Those "wings" the cause of his blunderous fall.

"Are you all right, boy? Wake up! Wake up!" Dragging the downed "demon" out into the fresh air and sunshine, a few not-so-gentle slaps and the boy blinks. The glare of the sun in his eyes blinded him after all the hours spent in the pitch black darkness.

"Hey, there, Big Blue. For a second there, I thought I'd never see you again, old buddy!" Before there's consciousness, with Duo Maxwell, there's the mouth.

Concerned for the boy's well being after such a fall, Fred was glad to hear him speak--even if just to the sky.

"That was quite a fall, boy! What in tarnation were you doing up there anyway, screaming like a banshee in the dark!? How'd you get up there in the first place, little buddy?" Concern and kindness had already wiped away any anger or suspicion. Besides, that big silly grin on the boy's face was enough to make anyone with a good heart want to smile along with him.

Fred helped Duo to his feet.

Amazing....not a scratch on the fella.

And Duo begins to explain. "Well, you see, it's a long story, but to make it short..." Duo says, patting the bench for the man to sit next to him, like they'd been friends for a long time. "We were going on this trip, see? To some boring old peace summit thingy. Me and a couple friends, that is." Duo takes a breath, his brows furrow as if trying to recall, with great difficulty it seemed, what exactly had happened next.

"Oh! And my girl, Hildey? She starts picking on me! For no good reason whatsoever. I didn't do nothing wrong! And she starts chasing me through the airport, screaming she's gonna get me. And next thing I know, I was scooped up by some conveyor I must've accidentally leaned on or something. And---whoosh! Here I was. Unconscious, on my backside in this black refrigerator, without heat, or light, or anything to eat! While my cute little firebrand of a girlfriend is on the shuttle's first-class deck, no doubt, being wined and dined by my supposed friend, who's quite a ladie's man. I mean, this was supposed to be OUR vacation trip together! And just look how she's left me, high and dry! I mean, what did I ever do to deserve this--I ask you?! Nobody cares. Here, pass me that cookie tin. I'm starving!"

"DUO MAXWELL!!!!!!!!!!" A voice rings out through the airport's runway. The cookie tin saved as Duo's hungry fingers were just about to grab and devour it.

"Your girl?" Fred murmurs to Duo suddenly, who was wearing an over beaming grin like a cheshire cat who ate the canary.

"My one and only." Duo just manages to murmur back.
"Cute." Fred gives an approving word, not knowing it was the wrong one that had just happened to start the whole wild fiasco of today.

Hilde walks up, giving them both a sideways glance. "So here you are at last, Duo. I'm glad to see you're still in one piece at least. There is nobody, absolutely nobody in the entire universe who can totally screw up a perfectly wonderful vacation to Earth like you can. If this is the way it's going to start, I don't think I want to stick around for the rest of your three-ring circus show. Pardon me, Cathrine, Trowa." Hilde Schbeiker was one of the few people who could match Duo Maxwell's unhinged in the middle tongue.

She glances at the couple who were kind enough to let her join them on the shuttle trip, considering her intended traveling companion was otherwise detained. She had several hours to store up her anger and frustration at him and now Hilde was ready to vent.

Hands on her hips, she was about to have another go at beating up Duo. "And now, you've no doubt been pestering this gentleman with your tales!"

Hilde turns to Fred. "Sir? Please forgive him. He has a brain deficiency---it's mostly empty." Hilde's sweetest smile to elderly Fred switches into a fanged glare at a chided Duo in one second flat. Fred can't help but laugh.

"You are right, Duo my boy. She is a cute little firebrand." He chuckles.

"Oooooh, don't." Duo's shaking head and signaling hands don't catch Fred in time.

"WHY WERE YOU TALKING TO HIM ABOUT ME, DUO MAXWELL?!?!" She yanks Duo's stuttering collar forward, sticking her hands into his pants pocket and takes out the set of tickets he's had on him all this time.

Trowa had already paid for her new fare but Hilde was an honest businesswoman. So, no stowaway worker would be on her conscious as she sticks one ticket into Fred's surprised hand.

"Kindly turn in this boy's ticket at the front desk. Thank you. I wouldn't want him to be called a "stowaway" though there are a quite a few other things I would like to call him." Hilde grabs Duo by the ear, dragging him down the airport runway, disappearing into the building. The two were still angrily barking at one another as they go, the whole way.

"Hildey, I'm hungry!"
"Shut up, Duo! You have to wait!"
"But, Hildey, babe--"

Hilde tugs his braid in the distance.

"Are those two always like that to each other?" Fred muses to the otherwise silent pair watching their friends bicker in the distance.

"Oh, yes." Trowa nods up and down with that good-looking smile. Both Cathrine and he had seen this scene played over and over in the Schbeiker junkshop residence.

"Don't they make a lovely couple?" Cathy sighs, wishing (oh, don't wish it! What am I thinking?!) as she blushes up at Trowa slightly, giving Fred a wink that Trowa doesn't see. Then she links arms with Trowa and follows where Duo and Hilde were noisily treading a path.

"Yup, I think that goes for y'all, too." Fred sighs at his adventurous afternoon, thanks to one wild boy and his cute little---

Fred stops his thought, looking around in guilt, making sure she wasn't around to hear. To him, living with her, now that was heroic.

"Ahh, kids these days." He smiles with a sigh.

~~~~~~~~~~

The convention center was coming quite alive now with the many tours of representatives from the nations of the world crowding within. It made quite an anxious and bustling event. A large hall was now overflowing with peoples of all races and countries of the Earth, as well as more than a few from the Outer Space colonies.

Quatre R. Winner had taken the role elected to him by then---to be their chief spokesman and liasion to the Earth Sphere.

"Amazing, isn't it? The commanding effect a determined honest face and strong-willed smile can have on people. That---and those big baby blue eyes---behind which is hiding the brains of a genius with the heart of an angel. Yes, I suppose it's not that hard to believe."

Lucrezia Noin comments aloud, watching upon entering the crowded center the people flocking especially to one corner of the room, around one certain person.

"Sweet and strong-willed genius? An angel?" Zechs murmurs the question back questioningly to his wife. His view of the timid Winner boy across the room being hoarded like a trophy by one Dorothy Catalonia (familiar old face) bringing terms like "weak" and "sheepish" to mind, rather than strong-willed and determined. "Noin, the Winner heir isn't exactly my idea of commanding." Zechs finally says, his brow puzzled, noting how Dorothy's clenched claws were dug deep into Quatre's arm, as if she were afraid her prey might escape if she loosened her grip. But the smile pasted on her face was there none-the-less. (Yes, I remember THAT as well. How annoying.)

"Uh-oh, Noin. Looks like your Zechsie-pooh woke up on the jealous side of the shuttle today. I wouldn't ooze so much over our little Quatre if I were you."

Oh no, more annoyance. Zechs' steely eyes turn from eyeing Winner to meeting the laughing, half-insane eyes of Maxwell. Oh, great. Zechs' eyes roll to the ceiling.

"No, Duo, I don't think that's who Miss Noin was referring to in the first place." Trowa Barton's deep green eyes and soulful voice cut into this little misunderstanding with the intelligence of a wiseman. "Were you, Miss Noin?" Trowa's eyes almost smile at hers, knowingly stating more than questioning.

"Right again, as usual, Trowa Barton." Noin turns, smiling back with admiration at this boy's wisdom beyond his years. Why can't all men have the intellect you do? Noin silently smirks and sighs to herself, shaking her head at Duo in greeting and taking firm hold of her oblivious husband's square jawed chin, turning his blind, blond head in the opposite direction. (From where Dorothy was currently holding court. Her yellow haired male "slave" was ordered to bring her a glass of punch and had crawled away like a jellyfish more than a manful representative.)

And so Zechs' eyes travel the path his wife directs him to, focusing instead on someone indeed honest, determined, strong-willed and commanding. That someone with those big "baby blue" eyes that could entrance even him if he dared look long enough.

"Amazing, isn't she?" Noin repeats now with a certain pride for a cherished sister.

"Yes, she is that." Trowa answers the question Zechs left unspoken. His eyes were glued to the little sister who had gained his complete respect, along with millions of others, as the true heir to the Peacecraft name he finds himself to dirty to claim.

Applause begins to splutter, building as Relena Darlian finishes an impromptu conversation/speech with one curious delegate as to her views on interplanetary development.

"We all must strive to help in whatever small way we can. Those pioneering souls who have ventured before us to create homelands in the future for generations to come." Relena looks up, as her blue eyes catch sight of another's. She smiles politely to those still applauding around her and the prestigious Foreign Minister attempts to excuse herself from the press scene, but finds it impossible as a gaggle of reporters swarm in around her and her fellow delegates. Each one had his or her chance to verbally spar with the revered politician she had become.

Even as she is almost physically dragged away, amidst the crowd about her, Relena's eyes lock with Zechs' for a long moment. She wanted to say so much to the dear brother fate never allowed her time to be with it seemed. Dragged into the main hall of the convention center, Relena watches her brother's eyes growing farther and farther away. Just like in those countless dreams that haunted her nights sometimes, of the youthful brother leaving with their mother, outside the window, as she was left behind. All alone, safe inside from the big world he was going out into without her.

I am not a slave to my fate. I am the master of it.

"Please, everyone!" Relena raises her usually soft-spoken voice an octave or two with that commanding presence that suddenly makes the whole crowd stop their corraling of her away.

All ears listen intently now. "Please." Relena smoothes her pony-tailed hair with calm. "Before we enter the meeting room, there are already two people here who are in the midst of forging ahead on the terraforming colony project I was speaking of. Pioneering souls who deserve our deepest pride and respect, for their spirit and courage on these oh-so-important roles in Outer Space's future. Both of them are wonderful and one of them is very very special to me. Please, with all the kindness you've shown me," Relena extends a hand out, along with one of her loveliest smiles, "--please give a warm welcome to my brother, Milliardo and his wife, Lucrezia, who are the founding terraformers of the New Colony XX006, and are, in my eyes, both courageous heroes."

Shocked, Zechs looks to Noin and then down. Their eyes lock again, Relena's were so full of warmth, kindness and love, the people around could almost touch it. The crowd separates making a path for the minister as she begins to stride towards where her astounded brother stood.

"Relena, you didn't have to---" Zechs' low voice doesn't rumble this time. Noin hears that soft, tender tone that was not so often heard. Even in this year of peace, these two Peacecraft children had not seen each other but once. With Relena the Foreign Minister, she was often busy and in demand, and Zechs felt that she was doing just find on her path without his presence. After all, he was a dead man, and better off that way.

"I didn't mean to come here so that you'd have to---" Zechs tries to explain his emotions--something he was never very good at, even as a child.

"I know I didn't HAVE to Milliardo, I wanted to." And with that smiling line, distinguished Miss Darlian becomes a little girl again for a moment, throwing her arms around the tall form of Zechs. "Dear brother..."

Relena hugs him lovingly, as if there were no one else there, just as she did to her big brother when they were tiny babes and she had not felt free to do since--up till now.

And Zechs surprises even himself as he hugs her back with all his heart.

SNAP! FLASH!! SNAP!!!

Noin looks on at the pair, tears welling in her eyes. She had always wanted Zechs to come to terms with his past--his family, his life. And Relena's warmth was one more step up the long ladder back for him.

The audience seems to take Miss Relena's sincerity to heart, though some doubters wonder about her brother Milliardo's past. But most of them were ready to put the past in the past.

"That was a kodak moment if I've ever seen one." Hilde comes up, punh drink in hand, just in time to catch an about-to-abscond Duo by the scruff of his neck. (Ewww! Mush!)

"Yes, it was beautiful." Cathrine replies, accepting the glass Trowa offers her. Her own mind flashes back for moment. She wished her own brother had lived through the horrible war of her childhood that was now but a memory away. Nothing was more important than family. She looks up to Trowa. He seemed totally unaffected by the scene being played before him.

Of course, my poor Trowa. You never had any family did you? Not to worry, little brother, I'm your family now...and forever.

Cathrine's thoughts cause her to unconsciously wriggle her slender palm into Trowa's unsuspecting one and squeeze it tightly.

Trowa looks down at the sudden squeeze and then up at Cathrine's face with a puzzled look. She blushes, pulling away.

"Well, wasn't that just touching?" A sarcastic, high-pitched voice comes up from behind them. Cathrine jumps back in guilt, Hilde feels her blood freezing, and Duo feels suddenly sick, as Noin rolls her eyes and Trowa---well, Trowa simply smiles politely at the newcomer.

"I love reunions, don't you, Quatre?" Dorothy, like black magic, appears beside the little group, and behind her long, flowing platinum blonde hair, a timid, little familiar face pops out.

"Yes, of course, Miss Dorothy. Oh, we'd better get going. The conference is about to---Oh, I mean, oh, whenever you're ready, Miss Dorothy." Quatre cowtows meekly. Everyone wasn't too sure of who was hanging on whose arm as the pair leaves for the conference hall. Quatre offhandedly waves a greeting to his friends as Dorothy possessively whisks him off.

Noin nods back as the rest of them just catch up to where Zechs and Relena too had been spirited away by reporters.

"Hey, hey!" Duo says all of a sudden as he follows Hilde, Trowa and Cathrine into the drones of crowds going towards the separate spectator's area seats. "Can't we skip this boring part? Hit the burger joints instead, huh?" Duo asks with a hopeful grin, sitting and listening to boring, old speeches was just not his cup of tea.

"Keep walking, Maxwell." Hilde wonders if that icy Dorothy Catalonia woman may have some magic spell over men that makes them do just as they are ordered to. "I sure could use some of THAT." She sighs as the large doors close behind the final crowd of audience stragglers streaming into the place where the Peace Conference would begin.