Eastern Mountians Under Western Skies           By shev

Mountains. No matter how hard the rain or how loud the wind, the mountians never bow, crumble, or fall.

Perhaps one day, when she had cried all her tears and drank all her fears until she was drunk on sorrow, she could chew life, chew the rawness of her empty eyes and refill them with her new joy. Her son.

"What are you thinking about?" Her companion, best friend, savior, asked on the other end of the telephone she balenced with one hand and the other stroking her sleeping son's forehead as she watched the sunset seep into the mountains that surrounded her home.

"I was thinking of how much I miss him."

"Is that all you think about?"

"Well, that and how much work I have."

"You need to rest and-"

"Eat properly and take care of my family first. Yadda yadda, don't be a weak women, blah blah, and don't forget to brush my teeth tonight before I go to bed."

"Well, with that said," Wufie shuffled the phone, "Look, see, your growing up all ready."

Relena laughed and if he was here with her she would have smacked him. "Your a mean person. Have some respect here. I'm having one of my pity moments and your ruining it."

"PMS mood-swings again?"

"No that was last week."

"But I thought you started every fourth of the month?"

Relena raised an eveybrow, "Excuse me? And why would you say that?"

"Your always grumper on the fourth."

" Ha-ha. Perhaps I should make you a calender of when I'm on and off."

"Not a bad idea, onna."

* * * *

It wasn't uncommon for the two twenty-year-olds and the three year old Mikey, Relena's son to go out for burgers on a Friday night.

Such as this.

Relena sat at the playground on the red chair, the ones that are so hard and stable making her rear end go numb as Wufie chased the exicted chocolate color- hair boy up the McDonalds slide and into the pool of multi-colored play balls.

"Heero, if only you were here." She rubbed her dry hands over her temples and shivered slightly. Would Heero still be here with her, with Mikey, if he was still alive?

Of course. Or at least, she would hope so.

Heero had left so suddenly. So painfully. The decease ripping through his lungs and taking him in a short notice. The long nights spent in the hospital had been mind-throbbing, but Heero fought on, telling his wife every moment he could gather enough strength how much he loved her and Mikey. How he felt he was losing nothing and not missing out on life because he got to spend the last four years knowing her.

His last breath took hers as well. But she had to continue. For Mikey. For Peace. For Heero. And for herself.

Wufie had moved in with Sally and at the same time falling in love with her no matter how much he resisited.

Her smile. They way she brushed her teeth. The way she would put away the forks and knvies. She was beautiful. He would come behind her and wrap his arms around her slim waist, letting his lips glide accross her scented neck.

They would hold each other just like that before falling into soft sway, dancing to the beating of their hearts, engaged with each other's mind.

However, his fairytale ended once again as Sally Po had been killed in a car accident leaving him shattered, alone, and depressed.

At the funeral Relena had shown up. Not surprisng. The gundam pilots, including Wufie even, were all exicted to see her. Even through their smiles and hugs they all had soft glow for the girl, feeling the pain of her loss husband....Wufie knew exactly since he just lost his love and kept a sympathetic glance her way.

Afterwards, Relena invited him to go out for coffee with her son and talk. Having nothing else to do and not wanting to be alone, Wufie had agreed.

He was so surprised. He had never noticed how alive and fun she was. She could make him smile even through the hazy depths what seemed to be hell. And she was such a mother.

Mikey adored her. That much was clear.

The two contined to hang out, always taking Mikey with them. Wufie fell into the big brother mode with the young boy who reflected his father's looks but had the soul of the Peacecraft mother.

At night they would talk endlessly about their days, their troubles. their fears. Sometimes they wouldn't even talk. Just go about their buisness knowing the other one was there on the other side of the phone.

They had become brother and sister. Soul mates. Wufie took Relena everyday to see her husband's grave. And everyday held her while she cried.

As he did today. After wards they all decided to eat to make them happy. It was their motto for life. "When your sad....eat!" Relena wanted a health food joint. The boys however wanted fast-food..and a playground for all ages.

They won.

Sitting down _panting like dogs_ the two slurped their cokes and took big bites of their cheeseburgers -without cheese- before shoving a few fries into their mouth.

A smile teased Relena's face. She wasn't alone. She was sure of that.

Crystle rain drops fell before crawling about the car window. Wufie rolled down his window letting the brisky air swirl their hair and pick up their souls into the night. Going down the empty road into the country side to Relena's 'get away house' they sung Beetle songs and ate cheap candy they bought at a seven eleven.

Mikey slept the whole way in his mother's lap.

Endless patterns of rain drops hit the wooden roof playing a prelude of the unseen dances of the sky. Taking a sip of her water, Relena stretched her legs like a lazy cat before letting her eyes drip.

Mikey clung unto her waist sleeping peacefully. She watched his chest rise and fall, a fear in the back of her mind that it would fall and not rise again. Wufie slept across from her, in his own sleeping bag, yet he was wide awake and watching her.

"You know," She whisphered, "He's going to be quite the snorer if his nose grows any bigger."

Wufie smirked.

"You snore women." Relena flung the negleted pillow of Mikey's at Wufie.

"I do not!"

Wufie rolled his eyes. "Right." -and rolled over before falling alseep himself. That night, he dreamt of making lazy, slow love with Sally, drowned in her eyes and in awe of her touch, forgetting that when he woke up, she wouldn't be in his arms.

They drifted over the soft waves of the enclosed lake, trees surrounding it as the soft sun kissed the sky and the world was waking up.

The three sat in a godly silence in the middle, floating up and down in a gentle beat. Cuddled all together, they listened to the birds and the water splashing against itself.

"You know Mikey," Wufie said in a sofiscated tone that a three year old could cleary understand, "My great grandfather use to tell me and my brothers and sisters that the last star to leave was extra special. They are the makers of the day. Therefore, if you want to have a good day or just ask a request of the day you ask that star right there."

Relena looked over at the chinese man. "You go first."

"Now?"

"Why not?"

Wufie looked back at the star and closed his eyes. The rough wood beneath his finger tips tickled his nerves as he took a deep breath in, the smell of fresh rain and pine. 'Star, give me a day of peace. That is all I ask. Give me strength.'

He lifted his head back up and opened his eyes. The blonde girl smiled his way before turning her attention to the tiny dot so far away that's glimmer was fading.

'Star, let me expand my world. Let me stretch and protect the ones who need to be protected.'

Mikey watched both adults who were both fading out with a slim smile on their face before he rubbed his nose and sniffed and then wiped it on his shirt.

The ride back was quiet. A dreadful spirit casted above the car and went along with them.

"I don't want to go back. " Relena finally said what was on both of their minds. "Back to work, back to the problems."

Considering his words before he spoke, Wufie replied slowly, "It doesn't have to be like that. Take your work as it is. Nothing more or less. And don't go back to your problems. Solve them."

"What did you ask that star this morning?" Relena asked changing the move of things. Wufie caught her curiousty and answered honestly.

"For strength and peace."

Relena was taken by surprise. "Wufie, you are one of the strongest person I know. "

"On the outside, I may seem so. Relena, I'm humen too, I'm hurting. I miss her so much." His last words were layered with pain and sorrow that Relena could understand. She watched as Wufie's eyes clouded with pain.

The car headed towards the deep, gray clouds that struck the sky in the distance.

Soaking in the hot tub, Relena let her eyes follow the steam rise and dissappear into thin air. She fiddled with drops of water on her nose before closing her eyes and falling into a deep sleep where Heero was.

Heero was dressed in a casual jeans and black shirt as he was playing the guitar. A hobbi he had picked up in his last few months. His husky voice rang through her ears as he sung her love sungs he had written or learned.

Through-out the hour the water in the tub turned cold fazing Relena back into reality...back to the silence.

But this time the silence didn't scare her.

Getting out of the tub she wrapped a towel tightly around her and went to Mikey's room. He was already in bed but playing with his GI-joe action figures.

She rolled her eyes mentally at the memory. Heero insisted every boy had to had his own set of GI-joe action figures. Relena wouldn't say yes to him. There would be no war icons of any kind under a pasifist roof top.

Heero had given her a back rub and a kiss that would make any girl change her mind.

Quietly she slipped into the bed next to the distracted boy. He glanced up from his playing long enough to smile real wide and whisper, "Mommy."

She pushed away his bangs gently before kissing his forehead. "Do you want to know a story?"

The boy didn't say anything but contiued to smile and play with his toys. Relena didn't mind and took that as a yes.

"There once was this girl. She was a dreadful girl. So blind to the truth and the troubles of today. She had long blonde hair and round blue eyes. Her father died and his last words to her were about how she was actually someone elses daughter. Can you imagine the pain that would cause? So this girl found out her real family was already dead and they were the royal family. So , she took over the job, being a pasifist and taking on the role. She found out later her brother was still around but he didn't pay much attention to her.

"One day, she fell in love with a gundam pilot. He was so mysterious and distant. He was always cold to everyone, even her,and yet, he could make her forget everything with the gaze of his eyes. One day he kissed her, right on the lips out of the blue when they were taking a walk on the beach. He started opening up to her more and more after that. They got married after awhile but he got very ill, " She clenched her fist to keep from crying but contiuned anyway, "But he couldn't fight for long and soon died. The girl was left with her only son who she loved very much. Do you know whather son called her?"

She brushed the boy's hair with her hand. He glanced up to her and smiled once agan. "Mommy." ...the only word he really knew. He would get the definition of it later.

"Yes, you are a smart boy. Just like your father." She gave him a final kiss goodnight before taking the small toys and putting them away. She gave him a warm smile before mouthing 'I love you' and turning off the light. She left the door half way open.

He was afriad of the dark.

He watched the bird peck at the pine-tree in the back yard. Wufie had always enjoyed taking Sally on walks through the forest. He finally had the strength today to walk through the same path without hesistation or tears.

He leaned his head against the window. The freezing hard surface created goosebumps on his arms. He turned on his heel and headed towards the phone.

"What did you ask the star this morning onna?"

"I wanted to stretch. Expand my world." She replied. She held her knees to her chest and took a deep sigh.

"Did you? Expand?"

"Did you recieve strength and peice?"

"I was able to do some things I did with Sally today with ease." It was a small achievement yet it was the highlight of his day none-the-less.

"I was able to open my heart to my son and tell him my story. I was lazy today. That was enough expandment there." She knew Wufie was smiling.

"Well, women, I should let you sleep shouldn't I?"

"If you must. Tomarrow I have work."

"Oh? I'll stop by."

"I can't wait."

"We'll do lunch together?"

"Okay Wu-wu. Good night I love you."

"Right back at you onna."

The two hung up the phone. Each in their own world, each in each other's.

Wufie, crawled into bed and hugged his pillow. He whipshered a chinese prayere before falling asleep as Relena went into the kitchen for a midnight snack.

"Yup," Relena spoke to herself peeling an orange, "Wufie is like the mountains. The eastern cutlure built with strength. I suppose I would be the sky but frankly I think I'm just a girl that misses her love."

She looked around the empty kitchen before laughing softly, "God, I'm so alone." She smiled as she took a bite of the orange.

The trees outside swayed in the wind and soaked in the rain as they disagreeed with the honey-blonde girl that made her way to her bed balencing a glace of water in one hand and the half eaten orange in the other.

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Author's Notes:: This isn't new. It got lost when BI moved. I'd love to get a nice little email in my nice little email box about my nice (or not so nice) little story above. Goodday a'mate.