Author's Note: Simple Drabble for "Thirty Minutes" if you haven't read that this may be a little confusing to you. It all depends on pointing things together. There's the possibility of it being on its own, you decide. Also, this is mostly in Duo's point of view, figured since I didn't really have any input from the them in "Thirty Minutes" I aught to do that for you all. Well, enough said, read for yourself, and please review. It simply makes my day when I get word that someone has liked my stories! Au revoir!

Personal Note: This is for you Snickers! No worries, I used some of your suggestions but others I didn't. Nothing personal to it, I liked some and others I didn't. Love ya, Sis!

Heartstrings

The man was mental. It didn't exactly matter whether or not that my friend was chained to the wall in front of me. He had just confirmed that what little sense he had left was now gone. I shook my head slowly as I turned my back on the once proud "Perfect Soldier".

"Duo, I need you to do this. It's got to be you and the others,"

"Why? It's not as if we've got enough on our minds right now; you're wanting us to pull the triggers is just the icing on the top of the cake," I retorted sarcastically as I spun back around as I heard the clinking of chains as my best friend stood up slowly. He seemed so much older to me now, like he had aged ten years just within the past few months.

"Because I don't trust anyone else to do it right…besides I would rather be looking down the barrel of my brothers' guns than some soldier that I've trained myself," Heero answered softly. I sighed as I knew that my carefully constructed walls were crumbling around me.

"I just don't understand why they are so eager to kill you. Isn't there any way to get you out of this?" I couldn't help myself I had to ask even though I already knew the answer.

I had been witness to the meeting that Relena had called for not long after the first cry for our blood, I remember that day clearly as the delegates had bartered for our lives saying that if they couldn't get the location of where I and the other three pilots were then they would have the pilot that they already knew was. I had taken that first step out to put my own life on the line, but I was stopped by Heero's arm. I glanced over just long enough to see his shake of head before he stepped forward.

He sacrificed his own life and happiness for ours.

"You know there's not. They don't want me around any longer and if it means that all of you can continue living in peace than so be it. You have your wife, Duo. Trowa you have to take care of your sister, and Wu Fei you have your own destiny to discover with the Preventors. Quatre even you have Dorothy and your company to look after. Enjoy this peace that we fought so hard for," Heero stated, I watched him glance up to the window where the concrete wall was in plain view for him.

The delegates were sadistic bastards.

"Will you do it?" he finally asked looking back at the four other men in the cell.

"I will," Wu Fei answered as Trowa nodded his head.

"I wish there was another way, but I will agree with your terms," Quatre muttered, ever the kind-hearted businessman.

I couldn't look at him as he turned his gaze on me so I kept my eyes staring at the floor in front of him. I absently closed my eyes as I sighed.

"Alright, I'll do it. I don't want to, but I understand your reasons. I'll do it," I breathed signing my own soul's death wish. I still don't know how I could call myself a friend and brother to the man in front of me, even after all this time.

"Thank you," Heero bowed his head with a sigh that spoke of his own heartache at asking them this terrible request. He looked back up to catch my gaze.

"You'll take care of Relena?"

"Of course, we will," Quatre returned softly.

I couldn't believe it. There I was standing in line to kill my best friend and brother just because the fucking politicians didn't want the supposed dangerous man to stay alive. They didn't want him poisoning their precious Dove of Peace. Didn't they realize that if it wasn't for the man they were about to kill that they would probably be dead?

My anger I'm sure was evident all over my face when I looked over the aisle of suited men that made up the lining for Heero to pass through, but when I watched as he stood tall and proud I seemed to lose some of my temper and gained the sorrow that I knew would come over me just as soon I saw Relena. They had finally found each other and found their happiness.

What did he mean that she would need all the help that she could get now more than ever? Of course she would need help; she was losing the love of her life.

I heard the drum roll absently and only lifted my rifle because I saw Trowa lifting his. The look on his face was of joy as I watched him look up at the birds and the sunrise. I couldn't help but remember the one time that Heero had ever told me anything about his past or how he was feeling. It had been that he had always loved sunrise. He had said that it was a new start for a person to attempt to make the most of their life. I couldn't believe it at first, but then I soon began to pay more attention to the sun that I had slowly started to take advantage of.

My mind was instantly brought back to the present as the drum roll stopped and my finger reflexively pulled the trigger. I watched in horrified fascination as the life left his eyes and his legs as he slowly fell to his knees and back against the concrete wall. Adding more blood to the splotches then streaking it down with his back.

I couldn't watch any longer as his eyes stared holes into me; I stepped forward slowly then knelt down. I closed his eyes as the others came up beside me. I glanced up to them to see the same heartache in their eyes that I knew was in mine.

We all agreed not to tell Relena that we had been the ones to pull the trigger on him, we thought it best that we didn't tell her that. It wasn't long after that when I understood the meaning to his last words.

It has been eight years to this day since Heero died, and to say the least the two children running around were the pinnacle of their families' affection. Odin with his unruly black hair and brooding Prussian blue eyes and Hope with her easy laughter and sparkling sea green gaze, her long black hair curled softly around her oval face.

There is no denying my love for the twins or their mother, but I have my own wife and kid to look after. So I'm keeping my promise to him and living in this peace that we had created, that he gave his life for.

Fin