WARNING: This is a darker fic. It's not a comedy. It's something that's been on my hard-drive for a while, itself a sliver of an idea that's been on my mind for years, and I finally managed to chisel out an ending of sorts, so it's probably not all that great either. <_<
Nevertheless, I hope you can enjoy it anyway!
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“Even beloved national heroes are allowed to have bad days.”
Song turned from the railing where she had been leaning, staring out past the majestic view of Beijing into a world that no-longer existed, except between her ears. She dimly recognized the dour-faced soldier who now stood behind her; his face had been one of countless others marching in formation or patrolling hallways. Only once had she heard his name, when someone had addressed him as Lt. Hao.
“Tell me,” she said quietly, “which is worse: to sell someone into slavery, or to buy them and keep them enslaved?”
An alarmed look crossed his face, for which she couldn't fault him. “The people love you,” he said at last. “You do a lot of good here, and have saved billions of innocent lives.”
She didn't miss that he slightly emphasized the word “innocent”. “Would you do something for me?” she asked him.
He tilted his head at her, and the frown almost left his face. “What do you want?” he replied.
She hesitated a moment, then, in a voice so small that she wasn't even sure it was hers, asked, “would you call me Claire?”
He took a deep breath in through his nose. “What you ask is troubling,” he said.
“I know I don't owe any love to my old country,” she assured him, “and believe me, I don't harbor any. But, my parents—my first parents—they were innocent. They gave me that name, and...” She trailed off, certain that she was blushing. Her cheeks felt warm, and she felt completely stupid.
“I understand...Claire.” His voice was softer than it had been; she wondered if a normal person would have even heard him. She looked up into his serious face.
“Thank you,” she whispered, smiling.
For a brief moment, he smiled back.
A metallic crash and dozens of young, terrified screams tore her attention away. “I'd better go,” she told him.
He gave a curt nod, his frown once again back in position. “Duty calls,” he commiserated, and they went their separate ways.
**********
She was sitting by a fountain, so drained she could feel her nerves fraying, and was only dimly aware of the footsteps approaching.
“Another bad day, Claire?”
She looked up into the frown of Lt. Hao. “Please don't call me that anymore,” she said.
His eyes widened without jostling the frown.
“My mother found out about it,” she explained. “She was very upset, asked if I didn't love her, if she'd failed me...” She sighed.
Lt. Hao looked uncomfortable. “I'm sorry,” he said.
“Don't be,” Song replied. “I heard you getting reprimanded, too. It was my fault, so I'm sorry.” She paused. “Do you ever smile?” She asked him.
“Sometimes,” he replied, his expression not changing, “when I'm happy.”
“You were smiling that day when you first called me Claire,” she noted.
“Only because you were smiling,” he answered, flatly.
Song looked him over. “Do you like me?” she asked.
“I barely know you,” came the surprisingly honest reply.
She delicately raised an eyebrow at him. “Do you think I like you?”
“I think,” he said, “that you know less about me than I know about you.”
She turned away from him, looking up at the waning moon that hung in the sky. “It's already been decided that I'll eventually end up with the younger cousin of councilor Fang, anyway,” she told him. “So, there's really no point in being nice to me.”
“If it makes you happy,” he said, “then there is a point.”
She met his eyes again. “Thank you for taking my feelings so seriously.” She looked once more at the fountain, watching the water play. “You should take up golf,” she announced.
“Golf?” he echoed. His tone was confused and held a faint trace of amusement that caused her to turn around, but his frown was still in place.
“Yes,” she said simply. “councilor Wong is addicted to the sport; he tees off every morning at six a.m. at a large course just north of the city. If you like me, you'll want him to like you.”
For a moment, he only stared at her. Then, he gave a curt nod.
**********
The guards posted outside the office saluted when she approached, and she nodded her acknowledgment before going in. Once the door was closed behind her, she took her seat across the desk from councilor Fang.
“Our nation's most beautiful treasure,” he greeted her.
“Sir,” she replied. “You wanted to see me?”
“The United Nations can be such a misguided organization,” he began. “Oh, they did right by liberating you and your brothers from the American government, but the pact to not let any of you have children is clearly because they only see you all as weapons. So shameful! We believe a young woman should have the right to settle down, get married, raise a family.”
“Who is he?” she asked, bluntly.
His smooth expression faltered only briefly. He reached for a file already sitting on his desk and pushed it toward her. “We do have some suggestions regarding who would be suitable for you.”
When she opened the manila folder, Lt. Hao's face frowned up at her. Song mentally breathed a sigh of relief, then noted the rank printed next to his name. “General Hao?” she remarked in surprise.
“An up-and-coming young military man,” councilor Fang explained with a sniff. “Also a close, personal friend of councilor Wong.” He said the name with just a hint of distaste.
She suppressed a smile.
“Of course, you do realize that everything must remain classified,” he continued, airily. “The U.N. can be so unreasonable about these things. I suppose you must have heard about the—ah—steps the Europeans took with your younger brother?”
“He didn't mention it,” she said. In fact, the last time she had ever seen him, he had been so quiet...
“Well, nevermind,” Fang dismissed with a wave of his hand. “All you need to remember is that this is of the highest clearance level. I wouldn't even know about it if I didn't have to tell you.” He laughed at his own little joke.
Song didn't.
Fang shifted uncomfortably, then tapped a stack of papers against the top of his desk. “Well, I suppose you should go see your mother,” he told her. “I know she's very excited at the possibility of grandchildren.”
**********
“A general, hmm?” She leaned against the doorway, one eyebrow raised.
General Hao looked up from his paperwork. “It seems that a mere Lieutenant is not qualified to associate with you. On the plus side, my golf-game has much improved.”
A smile tugged the corners of her lips. “So I hear.”
He stared down at his desk, his frown deepening. “I'm sorry you have to settle for me.”
“Don't be,” she said softly. “I learned one of the best lessons in my life because of you.”
His dour expression gave way to a puzzled one. “Oh? What is that?”
She strode into the tiny office, placed her palms on the top of his desk, and leaned close to whisper in his ear. “Even 'national assets' can have good days.”
