Mission Accepted: Last Chapter & Epilogue
Relative disclaimers apply.

One week later, in the hallway near room 217 in Saint Gabriel International Academy...

Heero took a deep breath, unnecessarily brushed off his two-piece midnight blue suit and straightened his black silk tie, shifted his leather briefcase from one hand to the other, exhaled slowly, then walked over to the door, grabbed the knob and turned it.

Thirty students of various ethnic backgrounds and between the ages of about 14 and 30, and the teacher, Professor Miles Ridge, stood up to greet him.

They bowed. He returned the gesture.

"Good morning, Adjunct Professor Darlian," they chorused as one.

Heero restrained a devious grin.

All these innocent minds. They don't know what they're in for.

"Good morning," he said, and walked into the room.

The professor hurried over to shake his hand.

"Welcome, Mr. Darlian. Please..."

He indicated the blackboard.

Heero nodded, shook the man's hand and walked over to the blackboard.

The students sat back down and the professor walked back over to his desk and leaned against it.

I hope I'm worthy of the faith that you have in me, Relena.

"My name is..."

He wrote Mayoke Darlian on the blackboard.

Very cute, Relena. A charm? You know I'm nothing of the kind.

He turned to face the class.

"I'll be assisting Professor Ridge in teaching this history class."

A hand shot up in the back.

"Professor Darlian?"

Heero froze before aiming his chalk at the hand.

Duo? In a classroom? Impossible.

"Yes...and you are..?"

He blinked twice, rapidly, as Duo, looking out of place in his official Saint Gabriel International uniform, put his hand down and stood up.

The two young men exchanged a quick knowing and affectionate grin.

"Dante Max, sir."

Heero's lip curled.

Let's see how far you get with that new name.

"Sir, would you happen to know anything about the man they say is responsible for ending the war between this planet and the Colonies?"

Heero grinned deviously.

You truly are a devil.

"You're referring to the legends of the Prince of the Star and of the Heart of Outer Space, aren't you, Mr. Max?"

Duo clapped his hands together with slightly exaggerated glee.

This should be good.

"Yes, sir."

He sat back down, put his elbows on his desk, placed his chin on his palms and batted his eyes at Heero.

Heero restrained the urge to bounce the chalk off his head.

"Would the rest of you like to hear this?"

The response was quick and affirmative.

"Yes sir!"

"Please tell us!"

"Yes please!"

The corruption's beginning ahead of schedule. But that's all right.

Heero walked to the center of the classroom and spread his hands expansively.

Duo winked at him.

So did Quatre, from the middle row.

On a hunch, Heero looked out of the nearest window into the garden and saw Trowa, in an official New Saint Gabriel head gardener's uniform, resting his weight on a shovel and pretending that he didn't know that Heero was nearby.

Heero looked away, closed his eyes and "saw" Wufei give him a quick wave from the cockpit of a HEION Space Force jet.

Heero grinned.

We never actually said that we'd back each other up for the rest of our lives, did we? But here we are, again.

He opened his eyes.

"The legends are two views of one person. A boy, Heero Yuy. He wasn't born with that name. It was given to him because it was intended for him to complete the task started by the Colonial pacifist Heero Yuy, who, along with King Peacecraft of Earth, died while laying down the foundations that would eventually unite Earth and Space."

His audience was fascinated. Heero was a good storyteller.

They'll remember this all of their lives. Good.

"They valued life and freedom above everything, as you yourselves must..."

His eyes widened.

Uh-oh. Why do I suddenly feel so damned happy?

He stopped the sheepish grin that threatened to change his mood.

Duo gave him an evil grin and a quick thumbs-up.

Quatre gave him a small smile, then bowed his head.

Trowa suddenly felt the urge to finish whatever he'd been doing before taking his "break".

Heero cleared his throat.

"Heero — the boy — would soon learn that other people had been selected by Fate to join his path. Without all of them, we wouldn't be here. Each of the people responsible for this existence had their own distinct role to play..."

Sunlight bounced off of writing instruments as students scribbled notes and questions to ask.

Heero restrained another devious grin and thought about the wonders of life.

And so it begins.

Nearly eight months later, Peacecraft General Hospital...

Heero, Duo and Quatre took turns speeding Relena's wheelchair down one of the Maternity Department's hallways towards the Neonatal Ward.

Relena, exhausted and sore, winced.

"Slow down," she commanded in a whisper.

Heero couldn't slow down. He was on a mission. He soon ran ahead of the others and burst into Neonatal Unit 2.

The surprised staff tried in vain to restrain him and get him out of the room.

"Sir, you can't!"

"You must leave!"

"You're disturbing the babies and risking their health!"

"Sir!"

An alarm was set off. Doctors were summoned via the intercom system and security guards rushed over.

Heero didn't care. He barely felt the bumps and bruises gained from the trip and the brief grasps of the staff, the doctors and the guards. He refused to be swayed from his goal.

How dare they put him in here! He should be with us. He's just fine. He's perfectly healthy.

The cot he was seeking was near the back of the room and was label-marked Darlian, 7lbs 5 oz.

The as-yet-unnamed newborn was sleeping, but he woke up as his father approached.

Heero's hands shook as he scooped up the baby, who had his face, eyebrows and nose, Relena's hair color and mouth, and Milliardo Peacecraft's eyes.

Here's trouble, Heero thought wryly.

The baby studied Heero, then gurgled and grabbed his chin.

To his own surprise, Heero hitched in breath and began to cry. His knees went weak; he sank to the floor and rested his head against what soon turned out to be Relena's chest.

"What...what'll we call him?" he whispered through his tears.

She chuckled and kissed him on the top of the head.

"Why, 'Heero', of course."

Heero tried to laugh. He coughed instead.

"We'll call him 'Heion' for short."

She nodded and held father and son close.

"Rest now, my darlings."

Heero closed his eyes and dozed.

Until we're needed again...

He faintly heard Relena telling someone that she was seriously considering filing charges against the Ward's staff for hitting her husband.

Don't bother, Relena. Besides, shouldn't you wait until after the ceremony before you say things like that?

It didn't really matter now. What did matter was that he was alive and able to enjoy what Fate had finally given to him: A peaceful existence, his friends, his love...and his life.

~ ende ~

Epilogue

The letter from an Interplanetary Post Office box was part of the morning's near-mass of mail and congratulations-related letters and gifts, delivered as usual by Wufei before he left to go on patrol.

Relena knew who it was from before she excitedly (and accidentally) snatched it from Thomas' hand as she ate breakfast in bed.

"He's contacted me at last..."

My dear sister.
Words alone cannot express how proud I am of you. But they are all that I can give you, as it is not yet time for my return.
By the time you read this your future husband will have left to pick up the gifts that I have sent for little Heero. He should be back before you eat lunch - if he doesn't get distracted by the sight of an injustice. I'm joking, of course.
Please give my nephew my love. And I have already warned his father of the consequences he will face if he dares to make either of you frown, but you are free to remind him if you choose.
Do not concern yourself about my welfare. I am well, and she and I are continuing to do our part to keep existence at peace.
You do not need to write back. You are obviously alive and well. But I am keeping an eye on you and yours. Distance and time have not lessened my responsibilities to you, or my dependence on your strength.
B.

Wufei carried her response and a photograph of her and Heero holding the baby with him the next morning.

Beloved brother.
Hurry back. He's already asking for you. And he wants to finish the fight that you two started before the war ended, in a location of his choosing. (Sigh) How well do you fence?
S.

Wufei heaved a long sigh as he placed the letter and photograph in an envelope, sealed, weighed and addressed it.

"Those two could start the battle all over again...."

~ ende ~

to home page • back to Awake • back to One Returns • to Heero Loves Relena fics • to Interludes