The Year: After Unitification 10 Heiro had made himself content here, he had a job, a small cottage and no worries, but lots of heartache. He missed her, Railena. He dreamed about her, thought about her, wished to talk to her. It was odd, he loved her true, but he had convinced himself that it was not that passionate love. He'd never understood it himself, he just needed her. That was the problem, he needed her, she had no need for him. She was President of the United Alliance. Yes he played a major part in unifying, but it was accidental at best. There was no time to think about this any further, he had to go to work. The landing strip was busier than usual--one plane in, another out. The pace could easily drive a lesser man crazy, but Heiro thrived on it. He'd worked on this piece of junk all day, for a moment he had a flash of his beloved Gundam Wing, the time and care he'd put into it. A faint smile graced his normally sad face, not that he was really sad it was just the way he carried himself. He gave up, no amount of new parts was going to fix this thing. His stomach grawled at him like some wild beast and the smell from the airport's restuarants was calling to him. He hated being so close to the restuarants in the airport. He entered for moment worried he smelled like sweat or grease, but when a nicely dressed couple walked by without comment he knew he was safe. He found a seat in a booth nearest the window, he liked to watch the planes land while he ate, childish yet statisfying. He'd placed his order and was waiting patiently when a family came in and sat across from him, a large family. He hung his head, knowing, his hope of a peaceful lunch had been shattered. An old man wheeled past him, he had thick silver white hair and an unite cigar hanging from his mouth. He was old clearly, but when there eyes meant for brief moment he saw the eyes of a warriors who still had some fight left in him. Heiro nodded a hello to the old warrior and in return he gruffed back and went towards the bathroom. He looked at the family seated at the table across from him, a man and woman both about 40 or so, three teenage boys arguing over who was going to sit where on the plane and a 13 year old girl with a sad look on her face. She'd blankly staired in the direction of where the man was headed. He smiled at her, she only smirked back and turned around to face her brother. Her sad eyes reminded him of Railena. His face darkened at the thought of her name. He went into his pocket and withdrew his wallet. Opening it he examined a picture safely stored behind a piece of plastic. It was from the newspaper, it was of Railena. "Pretty girl, she yours," a chorse voice asked? Without looking up Heiro knew it was the old man, at that point the girl ran over and parked herself on the man's lap throwing her arms around him. "No she's a friend," Heiro said sadly. "I had a friend like her once," the old man said,"I let her get away too. Name's Logan, But you can call me Wolverine." The old man extended a hand and Heiro shook it. His grip was too strong for an old man. "Go on now Jubilation, order me a plate of ... well you me pick somethin'," he said pointing in the direction of the table. The pair watched her walk away with a smile. "She your granddaughter?" Heiro asked. "Naw, just... well, hell she might as well be." Heiro was now confused. "Ya see boy, her Grandmother...Great grandmother was the light of my life for eighty years. Then she died, and I had to carry on. She got married, kid named Angelo, they had kids, and their kids had kids. I was like the family friend or uncle. She saved me boy, she was my friend, brought me back from the edge." "Really," he said, flatly humoring the old man's conversation. It had been so long since he'd had a real one. "I shouldn't been such a dang fool, she loved me too, once," the old man let out a whoop and a cough, "I ran from her, she scarred me with those damn eyes of hers. But, it was for the best... Angelo was perfect for her, perfect for my little Darlin'."Heiro could tell the man was fighting tears. "I am sorry for your loss," Heiro gently said looking at the man square in the face. the old man straightened, put the pride back in his face. "Don't be sorry for me, I may have lost her to better man, but I got to keep her on all the ways that matter. Got a family too," nudged his head over to family loudly talking amongst themselves, "...or nut house depending on how you look at." Logan looked down at the picture, "Don't tell yourself you don't love her 'cause you do, Boy," Logan said somewhat angy, pointing his finger at Heiro. "It's okay to be an old warrior mouning the lives you took, trust me I do it everyday, just don't be an old fool who thinks the blood on his hands makes him undeserving of ..." he paused and looked at Jubilation, *so much like the her grandmother* he thought,"...undeserving of love." At that the old warrior joined his adoptive family and began to look over the menu. Never once did he look over at Heiro again. Three days passed, the old man's word weighted heavy in his mind. Heiro began to think about all his actons, his move the capital, his apartment located near her home. He did love her. He walked off his pad, explained that there was a matter he had to attend to at home to his boss. Railena entered her office it was dark and alone. She thought about Heiro, as she always did when she was alone, as she turned the light on, there he was standing there silence. She blinked, unsure to believe her eyes, he had to be a dream. He reached a hand out to her and she took it. He took her up in his arms."Railena..I.." she placed a finger over his mouth, had he been too late? He thought about the old man, Logan. "I knew how you feel, Heiro," at that she kissed him, passionately. end ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// I wrote this in response to Allykat's story "Twisted Inside". I thought about what would happen to Logan and Lee over the years and how their lives turned out, if Logan had regreted his decession to leave when he did and if Jubes was able to carry on. Not to mention I LOVE GUNDAM WING!!!! candy [email protected]
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