The White Lady

TIME FRAME: just after "Tallgeese Destroyed" in the series.

-----part 1-----

With a delicate yawn, the young woman opened her eyes, gazing at the ceiling fan that rotated, slowly, over her head. 

"How long have I been unconscious," she questioned the man who walked in. "HUH?! My voice..."

"It's quite all right, young woman," the man wearing the rather ornate shirt smiled at her, "admittedly, this will no doubt take some time getting used to. But I can assure you, there was no other way to save your life."

"Then I wish you would have let me die." the blonde stood up and went over to the mirror.

The reflection that looked back at her was as alien as it was familiar. Pale blue eyes looked back at her from under soft waves of platinum blonde hair. 

"My name is Howard," the man told her as he stepped up behind her and smiled. "Quite attractive, don't you think? They say I can fix anything, but I must admit you're my greatest masterpiece. The problem was that your lower body was badly damaged and you suffered irreparable damage to your urinary tract. I don't normally fix human beings, so it's in my nature to use what's available to make repairs when I'm in a hurry. Naturally, the only way to do that was to change you into a woman and use..."

"I get the idea. So, what am I supposed to do now?"

"Well, you could marry me," Howard grinned. "You'd make a fine wife.... Millicent Peacecraft."

A moment later, Howard was on his back on the floor with the former Zechs Merquise on top of him, glaring at him and holding him by the lapels of his Hawaiian shirt.

"Whatever you might have done to me, I am still the pilot of the Tallgeese and you will treat me with the respect I deserve. Got that?"

"Oh, that reminds me. I've made alterations to Tallgesse as well. She is now a fully fledged Gundam. And by the way, her new name is Swandive.

"What makes you think I'll join the Gundam Pilots?" Millicent asked.

"What do you think will happen to the honor and dignity you cherish so much if you go back to OZ?" Dr.J asked as he walked into the room.

"What's that meant to mean?" Millicent spun to face the new arrival.

"OZ wants control of the colonies do they not?:" 

Zechs listened as Dr. J continued to speak, 

"Imagine if one days Treize presents the world with his newborn baby son, a child genetically linked to the Peacecract family? With that child, he could simply walk right into the front door of the Peacemillion and set himself up as world ruler without firing a single shot. And since you're supposed to be dead, no one would even know you were his prisoner until after the baby was born. Millicent, you know we speak the truth. Regardless of what your relationship with Treize Kushrenada was in the past when you were Zechs Merquise, as Millicent Peacecraft you would be nothing more to him than a ticket to his plans for conquest. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is. I... What's this?!" 

Dr.J peered closely at Millicent's face, noticing the tears that fell from her eyes. 

"Okay, yes, I'm crying." Millicent snapped at him. "I'm a girl now, so there's nothing wrong with that, right?!"

"There was nothing wrong with it before either," Dr.J pointed out. "We should all be strong in this war, but tears are okay when there is a reason for them. If we stop feeling, and let ourselves be hardened, we will lose the very thing we are fighting to preserve."

"I thought the colonies were fighting for independence."

"We are." Dr.J agreed. "But we fight for that and for peace so that we have the right to think for ourselves, to be human beings rather than machines whose thoughts and actions are governed by the Alliance or OZ. The minute we start thinking like machines, that fight will no longer matter."

Millicent nodded, then made her decision.

"I want to join the Gundam PIlots."

-----part 2-----

The sweet smell of roses hung in the air over the bath. Treize had just spend several hours on the practice range. Needless to say, he was quite relieved to be able to relax for a short time.

His heart ached, however. He regretted the loss of his friend and colleague, Zechs Merquise. 

"That's just how war is sometimes, I guess." he had sighed, gazing at a picture of himself and Zechs taken during a rare moment when the two of them had been having fun together. Zechs had had a bottle of something alcoholic raised up in a cheerful fashion and Treize himself had been drunk enough to be making Bunny Ears behind the pale-haired pilot.

Now, as he sat in the rose-scented bath, he wished he had never given Zechs the order to die for OZ. 

"I'm sorry, Zechs" he said, closing his eyes and allowing the bath's fragrance sooth his mind and heart. "I hope you'll be able to forgive me some day."

*****

Chang Wufei steadied himself, finding his balance as he stood alone in the center of a large field. "With the others busy elsewhere, I have no one with whom to spar. I could ask Sally, but she is a woman. I do not fight women." 

He took his gun out, deciding to do a little target practicing. As he was shooting, a figure dressed in a long blue cloak leaped down from a tree across the clearing. 

He drew his gun and aimed it at the figure. "Who are you?" he asked.

The figure moved swiftly, dodging several shots fired in their direction, then kicked the gun from Wufei's hand, knocking Wufei to the ground and neatly pinning him.

The hooded figure stood and removed her robe, revealing her hair which was tied up in a bun behind her head. 

"Too bad," she smiled down at Wufie. "Shall we try again after lunch?"

"Normally I don't fight women," Wufei told her, "but you certainly appear to be a worthwhile opponent. What is your name?"

"Millicent," the young woman replied as she stood and held out her hand. "Gundam Pilot O6."

-----part 3-----

"Sir," Lady Une saluted Col. Treize as soon as she was standing at attention in his office, "I received news this just a short time ago which I thought you might be interested in hearing."

"Why did you not come to me sooner?" Treize was displeased with Une's lack of punctuality.

"I'm sorry, Colonel," Lady Une bowed, "I had not wished to disturb your bath."

Treize smiled. As much as he disliked dillydallying, he was quite prepared to overlook it, if such a thing was done in the interest of politeness. "You are forgiven."

"Thank you, sir." Lady Une got to the business at hand, "Sir, there is talk of a new Gundam Pilot. I don't have any specific information at this time, nor am I certain the news is anything other than rumor. However..."

"That is enough for the moment," Treize waved his hand at her in a dismissive fashion, "Keep me notified if any new information about this pilot should come your way. Dismissed."

"Yes, sir." Lady Une saluted Col. Treize, then turned, briskly, and left his office.

"Pilot 06," Treize mused, thoughtfully, "Who are you?"


*****

The same thought had crossed the minds of the original five Gundam pilots.

"My name is Millicent," the fair-haired woman told them. "This is Swandive, my Gundam."

"It's all right, my young friends," Howard stepped into view, "I can assure you, this young woman is on our side. Isn't that right, Millicent?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Well," Duo decided, "Howard's never pulled anything on me in the past. If he likes her, that's good enough for me."

"I agree." Quatre nodded, though something about the woman troubled him. She was holding back a secret. Even so, he had the feeling he could trust her. "Welcome to the team." he held a hand out in a gesture of acceptance.

Millicent Peacecraft shook Quatre's hand, smiling cheerfully at him.

The other pilots all joined in the handshake. 

After supper, Millie turned to Heero. "I could use some practice with my new Gundam. How about a little match to work the bugs out of the system?"

Heero nodded. "I..."

"Sorry," Quatre cut in, "I already planned on showing Millicent around the city." he turned to Millicent, "we don't like fighting this late, the lights from the weapons is too visible."

"Of course," Millicent apologized. "Very well, an evening on the town it is."

-----part 4-----

"Admit it," Duo teased, grinning at Heero, "you like that new pilot, don't you?"

"Hn...." Heero continued tapping on his keyboard.

"Actually," Trowa confided, "Heero's in love with someone else."

"Ah... still harboring a crush on the Queen of the World are we?" Duo smirked, teasingly. He had long ago given up hope on winning the Perfect Soldier's heart. 

"Someone better." Heero said, simply, returning his attention to his laptop.

"You mean...?!" Duo's eyes went wide and for a moment, Trowa thought the Shinigami pilot might realize what he meant to Heero. "Heero... I had no idea you felt that way about that laptop of yours. I mean, I know you spend a lot of time on it, but..."

Heero threw a notebook at Duo.

"Just kidding," Duo laughed. "So, who are you in love with?"

"Gundam Pilot 02." Heero replied, tonelessly, continuing his work.

*****

In the back seat of a rather nice limousine, Quatre Raberba-Winner sat with the new Gundam Pilot, Millicent and the Manganac Leader, Rashid.

"How are you enjoying the evening?" Quatre asked, smiling hopefully at the woman sitting beside him. He had hoped to gain her trust and friendship with this act of simple hospitality.

"I'm enjoying it a lot," Millicent replied. "This city is extremely lovely."

"Millie, I need to ask you something. I'm sorry if I'm prying, but I want to be friends, and in order to do that, I need to know that you trust me."

Millicent became apprehensive, but Quatre's smile assuaged her fears and she nodded. "What do you wish to know?"

"Millicent," Quatre said, clasping her hands, "I sense the sincerity in your wish to join the Gundam Pilots. I believe you want to be our friend. But I also know you're hiding something, not out of malice, however, but out of doubt and uncertainty. What is it?"

"If I told you, you wouldn't want to be my friend anymore." Millicent told him.

"Yes, I would," Quatre assured her. "I've already told you, I can sense your sincerity . That's good enough for me. I just need to know that you feel you can trust me."

"Trust is something that must be earned," Millicent told him. "Please, let's just enjoy our date."

Quatre blushed at the suggestion that this simple tour of the city was a date. 

-----part 5-----

"Really?!" Duo threw his arms around Heero, "That's terrific! I love you, too, you know. Hey, you know those guys who cloned you, maybe they can make some kids from our DNA or something, wouldn't that be great?"

Heero's eyes went wide as he suddenly had a vision of being knee-deep in a room of wall-to-wall chibi-Duo's with eyes like Heero's and chibi-Heero's with eyes like Duo's.

"Heero?" Duo asked. "Look, we can wait on the kids if you like.... it was just a thought, ya know."

*****

Millicent was going to ask Quatre a question, then noticed he'd fallen asleep gazing out the window.

"He was tired from a long day of battles, and he took me out just to be kind," she mused, drawing the sleeping heir from the window and settling him down so his head rested upon her lap. "Shhhh," she told Rashid. "Let the poor darling sleep. He needs his rest."

"Driver," Rashid began.

"It's all right." Quatre said, sitting up. "I just dozed off."

"You need your sleep, friend," Millicent told him. "We can go out tomorrow night when you're better rested."

"Thanks." Quatre smiled gratefully. "But I'm not sleepy anymore. Really."

"Well, okay, we'll stop off at one little restaurant and grab a bite to eat." Rashid decided. "To be honest, I'm a bit hungry and I have no intention of letting you go to bed without supper."

Quatre grinned. "Rashid's one of the best friends I've ever had."

"The same could be said for Master Quatre." Rashid smiled.

On impulse, unable to check himself because he was far more tired than politeness would allow him to admit, Quatre leaned over and gave Millicent a little peck on the cheek.

Millicent blushed and Quatre found himself doing the same.

Rashid smiled. "I suspect she'll make you a fine wife," he said, meaning at a joke.

"I believe you're right," Quatre was far from joking, "there's something regal about her. As if she were...."

"A queen?" Rashid asked.

Quatre shook his head. "No, a queen or princess would be far too stiff and proper. No, more as if she were someone of the sort who had a title and could enjoy it rather than be hindered by it. Such as a Duchess or..."

"A baroness?" Rashid suggested.

With that word ringing in his ears, Quatre stared at Millicent as if seeing her for the first time.

-----part 6-----

Duo sighed and rested his head on Heero's shoulder as they watched television with Trowa and Wufei.

"I wonder what Quatre and Millie are up to."

As if on cue, Quatre and Millicent walked into the room at that point and sat down beside Duo and Heero.

Millicent sat there stiffly, as if expecting to be rebuffed by Quatre. A look of surprise crossed her face when he pulled her over to him. A moment later, she copied Duo and rested her head on Quatre's shoulder.

"But why?" she asked in his ear. "Why are you still being so kind to me after finding out...."

"Do you believe in love at first sight?" Quatre asked.

"Quatre..." Millicent began.

"I love you, Millicent," Quatre told her, turning and placing a chaste kiss upon her lips.

"So, what did Quatre find out?" Duo asked, his curiosity piqued by Millicent's earlier statement.

"Go ahead, Millie." Quatre assured him. "You can tell them. I'll be here for you."

Millicent took a deep breath, then freed her hair from its bun.

The other four pilots gaped at what they were seeing.

"Zechs!" Heero leaped up and pressed his gun to her forehead.

"Easy there, Perfect Soldier. I'm on your side, remember." Millicent reminded him, not drawing her weapon.

"A former OZ pilot would be a valuable asset to this team." Duo pointed out. 

"Hn..." Heero was about to lower his gun, seeing the girl had no intentions of attacking him, even when her life was possibly at stake, when the door was kicked in.

"I know she couldn't be trusted." Wufei glared at the woman who had been Zechs Merquise.

"Actually, we followed him." the foremost soldier pointed at Quatre.

"Sorry, everyone." Quatre blushed. "I was so enamored, I wasn't paying attention."

Millicent aimed her gun at the OZ soldiers and opened fire, the other Gundam pilots soon following suit.

During the following melee, one OZ soldier escaped and made it back to Treize's HQ.

"Sir," he saluted hurriedly, "I've discovered the identity of Pilot 06."

"Go on."

"It's Zechs, sir." the soldier reported.

"WHAT?!" Treize was livid. "How *dare* he betray me!"

"She, sir."

"Come again?" Treize's anger gave way to amazement. 

"Zechs is a woman now, sir."

-----TBC-----