Love Always
by SkItZoFrEaK

"You know, you really make me feel so glad I'm a woman. I can't imagine why I put you off for so long, but it's a big step - our living together - when you consider we just met and I don't even know your name yet." She touched a finger to the dark fuzz already beginning to sprout on the baby's head. Dark, like Heero, she thought, and smiled. "What do you think of Ariella? It means lioness."

The baby stirred, and an irritated-sounding whimper escaped her tiny mouth. Relena laughed a little, tiredly. "That bad, huh? Okay. I won't push any name on you that you're not happy with. By the way, my name is Relena, and you'll see I'm pretty progressive, as mothers go," she titled her head. "Although I must insist that you always call me Mother, or Mom, because I'm the adult and you're the child..." she bent her head lower and whispered, "and I'm expecting you to love me."

She bit her lip and gazed at the small, pale form in her arms. "Please love me. I love you...well, I don't really. Yet." she added truthfully. "But don't tell anyone. I don't want them to think I'm a bad mother. But I think it takes more than three minutes, and I'm working on it. I do love you. I mean, I don't feel in love." She sighed and leaned her head back against the propped up pillows. "I don't know what I'm talking about. You're my first baby. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to feel..."

If this keeps up, this child is going to grow up permanently confused. I hope this is just the after affects of all those medicines and drugs they shot me up with.

"How about Eve? She was the first woman. Who cares huh?" The baby curled up a tiny pink fist to her mouth, and Relena felt a sudden pang as she realized that those were her lips, just in miniature form. She whispered. "I'll tell you something that'll probably surprise you...I'm scared to be a mother. Did you happen to hear anything I said while I was carrying you? I heard that infants are sensitive to their mother's feelings, so I forced myself to only be positive." She closed her eyes as a sudden sweep of nausea left her feeling weak and shaky, and then it passed. Stupid drugs and their stupid after affects.

"I would really recommend natural childbirth to you, when you're ready and you're married." She paused, and opened her eyes again, looking back down at the delicate-featured, tiny face. "Not that I'm against a boy and a girl living together if they're in love. I did, for about a month, but then again, we were engaged. Those circumstances aside, though, I'd prefer it if you didn't. Live with a man, you know."

Now I know I'm babbling, she thought sourly. But at least talking didn't take so much energy out of her as before. That was a sign she was getting better, right? She wondered where Heero was, probably still out there talking to the doctor. Or maybe Lu and Milliardo had finally gotten him to relax and catch a few hours sleep. Goodness knows he needed it as much as she. Almost as much, anyway. Of course, Milliardo would have to relax himself before he could convince Heero to do any such thing. Poor Lu, having two stressed out men on her hands. I suppose Mother will help...

"How's Eunice?" She turned her attention back to her baby. "I don't know what it means. I only suggested it because it's my adopted mother's name." She waited a minute, because it looked like the girl was considering it. "Eunice?" And then she opened her tiny mouth -my mouth - and wailed. Relena chuckled. "Okay, at least I can tell her I tried, eh?"

Her baby shifted again, waving tiny curled fists in the air, and then settling again. "How do you feel about having a working mother? I plan to go back to work in three months, and I'm telling you now I like having my own career, and I think I'm entitled to a life, too. If you want the best of me, you'll get the best of me if I work. We'll see, though. I'm open."

She thought for a minute. "And I'm not giving up going out in the evening. We go out often, it's part of the job first off, you know, formals and such...although I don't really care for them, and I know Heero hates them. He just goes to make sure I'm okay; even now he's still partially in 'bodyguard on a mission' mode. Heero's your father, by the way. I'm not sure what you'll end up calling him. Dad, or Daddy, or Father, or maybe whatever any of those words are in Japanese. He's Japanese, although he doesn't speak it much. He doesn't speak much at all, come to think of it. To other people, anyway. I don't know how he'll react to you; he hasn't actually met you yet. He's seen you, of course, but like I said, I think it'll take a little bit more than a few minutes."

She paused again, and looked closely. "You're shaped a lot like me, although it's pretty hard to tell now, I guess. But you're colored exactly like him. Your hair, your skin. I'm glad you look like him too, even though you're a girl." She traced the round little cheek with her fingertips.

"How's Robin, for a name? It means pretty bird..." Another sudden sweep of weakness. Relena groaned. "Eech, I'm exhausted." I should sleep now she thought. But somehow, this was more important. Talking to the baby, her baby, her daughter, was important. She couldn't sleep until something was resolved, some confirmation, she guessed, although what needed confirming she wasn't sure. "It's not easy being a mother," she admitted. "I hope you'll have patience. You like Patience? Hope? Charity? Candy? Venus? Salome?" she giggled. This was getting ridiculous. At the sound of her laughter, her baby stirred again, and opened big, dark blue eyes.

Oh, you have such beautiful eyes...like Heero's, dark blue and so deep. A person could get lost in eyes like that, you know...

"Amani."

The word just slipped out, startling her. She leaned closer, and felt her mouth curl into a genuinely happy smile.

Her daughter smiled back.

"Amani," she said it again, relishing the sound. "It means peace," she added, but that wasn't particularly important. "It's a lovely name. I'm glad you chose it..." she giggled again. "We're both silly, aren't we? Amani?" Her eyebrows rose up, and her smile softened. "I think I'm in love with you too."

Amani sighed a baby sigh of contentment, and snuggled her head back into the soft blanket. Relena carefully adjusted the edges back from her face, and stroked one soft cheek gently. "Maybe I could get my leave of absence extended a few more months, anyway."

She leaned down, and kissed the small, pale forehead, brushing back a few short, wispy strands of dark brown hair. Amani closed her eyes and fell back asleep, and Relena followed shortly behind, a smiled still twisting her lips slightly.

Heero slowly closed the door behind him and stepped further into the room, once he was sure she was asleep. He sat on the edge of the bed and brushed a few tangled strands of gold hair back from her face. Even now, all pale and exhausted, she was strangely beautiful. Her arms were still wrapped protectively around the baby, also fast asleep.

Slowly, he reached out and carefully extracted the little bundle from her mother's grasp. The baby kicked a little in protest, but he cradled her in his own arms the way he'd seen Relena do, and she settled immediately.

"Amani," he said aloud, and the baby opened her eyes. Relena was right. She is colored like me. He didn't know if that was good or bad...the idea that some child, some other being, could be so much a part of him, both scared and thrilled him, and despite all his time with Relena, all his time with his friends, the other pilots, he still wasn't totally sure how he was supposed to react.

Amani's eyes seemed to focus on him, and she raised a hand for his face. He caught the tiny fist in his own, and the small hand wrapped tightly around his finger. He stared back at her, struggling to name the myriad of emotions that tumbled in his chest like glass in a kaleidoscope. Amani yawned suddenly, unimpressed with the world at large, and fell back asleep, still clutching her father's finger.

"Heero?"

He looked up sharply, then relaxed as Duo poked his head into the room.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt, buddy, but 'Jousan's mom has to leave in about ten minutes to catch her flight. She wanted to see the baby first."

Heero nodded, and rose to his feet as the tall, blonde woman glided into the room. Mrs. Dorlian hadn't slept any more than anyone else had in the last twenty hours Relena had been in labor, but somehow, the stately woman managed to look as if she's only just woke from a long, refreshing nap and was now ready to attend to the day's important business.

She held out her arms to Heero, and he silently handed the baby to her, ignoring the sudden spate of reluctance to do so as the baby's tiny hand slid off his finger. Mrs. Dorlian smiled down at the child. "I wish my husband could have been here to see her," she said softly. "He would have been thrilled." She glanced briefly up at Heero. "But I suppose things would have been much different if he were here."

"No kidding," Duo muttered behind her, peeking over her shoulder at the small baby. So that's what they looked like, eh? He hadn't expected something quite so...squashed looking. Well, after all, he must have looked a bit squished too when he came through his mother, whoever she was. He wondered if his daughter would look anything like that, or if she'd be totally different. Ah, well, he'd find out in a month or so, when Hilde's time came.

Mrs. Dorlian was speaking again, and Duo came back to earth to listen. "...what is a kiss but a gentle pressure here?" she touched one hand to her lips, and Duo wondered how they had gotten from the baby to this? "It's the love behind the kiss that makes it special, and my husband's love cannot die. It's everywhere, and best of all, it lives on in his grandchild."

The woman seemed to have forgotten the two men in the room, she was looking right at Relena, ignoring the fact that by all appearances the woman was dead to the world. But then her eyes narrowed slightly and she turned her head sharply to Heero. "You know, she dreamed the baby as a young girl? I always thought she was being fanciful and silly, but she would lie on her back in the gardens, watching the clouds and imagining her life. She dreamed all of you, and it was her amazing capacity for love that brought you into being."

"Mrs. Dorlian?" Quatre appeared at the door. "Your car has arrived. Shall I escort you to it?"

"One moment, Mr. Winner." Her eyes focused on Heero again, who looked back steadily, face blank. "She knew you before you met, did she ever tell you that? No, I suppose she wouldn't. She's not one to live in the past, or parade her virtues around for the world to see. But she knew you; she described you, or someone very much like you, to me once. Do you remember what she said to you, Mr. Yuy, when you asked her to marry you?"

There was a small pause, and then Heero said quietly, "Well, it took you long enough."

Mrs. Dorlian smiled gently. "Yes. She'd been waiting for you, Mr. Yuy." The woman held out the small bundle, and Heero took his daughter back. "Waiting her whole life long." She whispered, and then turned and swept out, taking Quatre's politely offered arm.

Duo grinned at Heero. "I think the lack of sleep got to her." His friend didn't respond, but that was normal. "Hey, buddy, you want anything? Drink, food, a good slap to bring you back to reality? Shinigami can provide!"

Heero shook his head.

"Well, okay then, I'm gonna take off, okay? Go spread the news and all that. And don't worry, Dorothy already took care of the press, she dispersed the gathering masses in less than ten minutes. It's a record. So don't worry about 'em hounding you when you leave."

Heero nodded, and Duo headed for the door. "Oh, hey, Heero? What did you name her? Er, you have named her, right?"

Heero looked down at the tiny creature in his arms, and felt his heart thud a little harder. So this is what it was to love a child. "Amani."

"Amani? That's a pretty name. I'll tell the others, okay?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Bye, buddy, Say Hi to 'Jousan for me, eh?" The energetic pilot left, and Heero settled himself in the chair next to her bed, still watching the baby sleep. On the bed, Relena sighed, and he slid his free hand into hers.

It was a magnificent beginning.