Author's Notes: Constructive criticisms are welcomed and italics will denote character thoughts. This story is still being beta read by PimpMastaPopo who rocks! Go read her stories okay? The rest of my author's note shall be at the end of the chapter. I promise there's a good reason for why I did that. By the way, I'll try not to make you guys wait seven more months for my next update. Now on with the show!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or anything else associated with Gundam Wing.

Zechs had no problem dealing with disgruntled co-workers, former soldiers or terrorists. He did, however, have trouble dealing with women. At least that was the case for the women in his life.

He wanted to be closer to Relena, but he had no idea how to bridge the gap between them. Things were even more complicated, since she was finally dating Heero. Between her busy schedule and her boyfriend, he wasn't sure his sister would have time for him.

Noin was an entirely different problem altogether. He was practically a dead man walking. There was no way he was going to be able to weasel his way out of this situation.

At the very least, he was grateful that she decided to talk with him in private. The last thing he needed was for everyone to hear about his troubles at home. He was still a bit nervous, not to mention wary, of his wife's true intentions.

From the time they left the station, right up until they arrived home, Noin had been very quiet. She hadn't bothered to make any small talk with him. Perhaps what truly worried him was how terrible she looked.

During the drive home, her body language seemed to fluctuate between defeat and acceptance. She was a bit paler than normal and it looked like she had bags under her eyes. Maybe he was just imagining things, but it appeared as if his wife had been neglecting her health.

The car had stopped moments ago, but neither of the two knew what to say. For Zechs, he was still puzzled by Noin's behavior. Earlier when she came to see him, he could tell she was furious. Now there was an apathetic air about her. He began starting at her, wondering if she was going to make the first move or not.

His eyes once again took in her appearance. How could he have not noticed this before? She was always healthy. The only time he could ever recall her being ill was when she pushed herself too hard. Looking at her now, he was torn between being angry at her and feeling guilty.

He had a sneaking suspicion that he was the one to blame but at the same time, he knew that was hardly an excuse for her to neglect her health. He wasn't that important… was he?

His jumbled musings were interrupted by Noin's quiet voice. "Millardo?"

He grimaced as he waited her to speak. He was so used to her referring to him as Zechs that it always managed to take him by surprise when she called him by his real name. Although, at the moment, he was quite aware that she only addressed him by his birth name when she was mad at him or wanted to make a point.

This won't be good.

He turned to face her fully, looking directly into her eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes weren't as vibrant as they should be. This was wrong on so many levels. His wife was no quitter, nor was she a doormat.

He didn't know whether it was anger or adrenaline that prompted him to do so but within moments, his seatbelt was unbuckled and he was reaching out for her. He leaned over and kissed her passionately. His kisses were fervent, demanding and urgent. He was trying to convey a message to her.

She wrapped her arms around him to bring him closer as she returned his kisses with equal passion. She hadn't seen this coming, but far be it from her to complain. She was absolutely certain her lips would be bruised, but she could care less. Right now, she was in heaven. There was nothing that could ruin this moment.

His hands were currently fighting with her seatbelt. He wanted her and nothing was going to stop him. Completely satisfied when he heard a clicking noise, he pulled her even closer as he began kissing her throat and neck. Her hands were tangled in his hair as she moaned against his mouth.

The spell was broken when she murmured his name against his lips. Instead of paying her attention, he continued kissing her; the need to show her just how much he loved her still present. She pulled back from him, leaning her forehead against his. "As much as I'd love to continue with this, don't you think we'd be more comfortable inside the house?" She questioned.

He was many things, but no one would ever make the mistake of calling Zechs stupid. He wasted no time getting out of the car. Noin couldn't help the smile that came to her face as she watched him come around to her side of the car. He might have been in a hurry but he took his time helping her out of their vehicle. She was pleasantly surprised, however, when he picked up her as he quickened his pace to the front door of their home.

I should get mad at him more often.

She snuggled into his arms comfortably as he fumbled with getting the door open. After a few failed attempts, he finally managed, crossing their threshold as he shut the door with his foot.

"We still need to talk." She murmured as she placed several light kisses against his throat.

"We will." He responded back as he kissed the top of her head.

As far as he was concerned, they could talk later. Right now, he needed and wanted to show his wife that he still loved her.


He was absolutely certain that the next person that crossed his path would get the tongue lashing of a lifetime. He was tired of people thinking that he was weak and harmless. He was quite capable of looking after himself. If he hadn't been capable then he wouldn't have fought in or survived two wars.

He had every right to be angry.

He didn't have to prove himself to anyone, but for some reason, it looked like that was the only way people would respect him. Just because he had a youthful appearance and looked like he didn't know the first thing about the business or political world didn't mean he wasn't cut out to run his father's company.

Despite what people thought or said about him, he was by no means an angel. His hands were just as stained as everyone else's. The only advantage he had going for him was the fact that he could hide his inner turmoil better than most people. It wasn't fair that he had to suffer in silence just because he was actually thoughtful and considerate. Maybe if he started acting selfish, people would finally realize that he had feelings too.

He was so busy brooding that he hadn't paid attention to where he was going. He was now standing in front of the training room still angry about his argument with Trowa. This time, he was sure he wasn't blowing things out of proportion. It just felt like no one was listening to him. It was like he was speaking but the words were going in one ear and coming out of the other.

There's always a first time for everything.

Opening the door, he was greeted with the sight of Wufei meditating. Quietly shutting the door behind himself, he walked over to the rack of weapons and removed a staff. Placing the staff against the wall, he removed his jacket and tie then he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. Picking up the staff once again, he proceeded to the rows of practice dummies located at the far end of the room.

Taking several deep breaths, he closed his eyes as he began a slow and easy routine of thrusts and dodges. Gradually picking up speed, he began to lose himself in the exercise. Already he was beginning to feel the anger and irritation seeping out ofhim. This is exactly what he needed: a distraction to help him keep his mind off of his troubles.

Wufei had heard him coming before he even entered. He figured it might have been Heero or even Trowa coming in for some early morning target practice but when he didn't hear any gunshots, he became curious. Normally Duo would have wasted no time in greeting him, so he was left with only one guess.

Opening his eyes, he was slightly shocked to see Quatre instead of one of the others. Out of the five of them, Quatre was the one that used the training room the least. Judging from his body language, he could tell that something was on his mind, but he didn't want to press him for any information.

Still, it was interesting to watch someone like Quatre tear into the practice dummies. He was moving gracefully as he went through the session. Sometimes he would hold the staff with both hands and other times, he would switch to using one hand. The targets were constantly spinning as a result of each of his rapid strikes. It was almost like watching a waltz except he didn't have a partner.

Since his concentration was already broken, he got up from the mat and walked over to the weapon's case. He retrieved a staff from the cabinet and walked over to an unoccupied area in the room. He placed the staff down on the floor then he proceeded to do a few stretches. Once he was done warming up, he picked up his staff and struck without warning.

He swung the staff at Quatre's side knowing full well Quatre would be able to block it. True to his assumption, Quatre brought his own staff down just in time to avoid being hit. As their eyes met, Wufei tried to strike him again, this time coming mere inches from striking Quatre.

Their eyes never left one another as they began to circle each other. It was Quatre who lunged first, aiming for Wufei's left arm. Wufei dodged him easily, bringing his staff up and around to hit Quatre in the back. On and on, the two went as Wufei kept Quatre on the defensive. Every now and then Quatre would be able to put Wufei on the defensive but their sparring match ended abruptly when Quatre's staff went sailing across the room.

Neither of them spoke for a moment until Wufei broke the silence. "You needed that."

Quatre couldn't help the small grin that came to his face as he went to retrieve his weapon. "I suppose I did. But you could have at least given me a warning."

Wufei smirked as he walked back over to the weapon's case. "Perhaps, but then you might have not have been willing to accept."

By now Quatre had joined him by the weapon's rack and was handing him the other staff. After locking the cabinet back, he turned around and walked back to the mat. Both of them took a seat on the mat as a companionable silence fell between them.

While the silence was indeed comfortable, Wufei was curious. He wanted to know what would bring Quatre to the training room, but he was too prideful to just come straight out and ask him. Luckily, he was saved from having to pry when Quatre began speaking again.

"I can't remember the last time I was actually in here. I think it was six months ago but I could be wrong."

"Eight months." He replied casually.

Quatre raised an eyebrow. "Keeping tabs on who comes in here?"

He frowned as he answered the question. "After that last stunt Maxwell pulled, what else did you expect?"

Quatre couldn't help chuckling. "Ah, now it makes sense. Lady Une wants to make sure Duo doesn't come near the weapons anymore unless he's authorized to use them for missions."

Wufei nodded, still frowning slightly. He remembered quite clearly how Duo had "accidentally" grabbed the rocket launcher instead of one of the standard hand guns when he had come in to do some target practice. He was unlucky enough to be passing by when the door to the room came clean off its hinges. He was able to avoid harm but he hadn't been too pleased when he saw Duo stumble out of the room with soot all over his clothes, holding up a badly damaged weapon, with the widest grin on his face.

To this day, he still claims he wasn't paying attention when it happened, but his friends knew better. That particular device had been declared off limits to everyone because the trigger and firing system were still unstable. If someone even so much as tapped the trigger, it would fire then automatically begin setting up for another shot. Needless to say, it had taken a lot of time and more money to repair both the training room and the rocket launcher thanks to a certain long haired friend of theirs.

"So why are you in here so early? Normally you're on your way out for a field assignment or you're starting the paperwork for your latest assignment."

"I was a bit distracted."

Quatre didn't miss the resentment in Wufei's voice. He knew he was going to have to tread lightly with Wufei, otherwise, he'd only end up making things worse.

"I was too but what happened? You're the last person to get distracted so easily. Something went wrong on your last assignment?"

This time, Wufei was the one to raise an eyebrow as he crossed his arms over his chest. He shot a quick look at Quatre, taking in his relaxed demeanor. He certainly didn't look like he was distracted. At least he didn't anymore.

He was surprised when he suddenly found himself speaking. "Sally has been on my mind lately. Far more than I'd like actually… And it's not helping matters that she has a friend visiting. Last night, during the written examination for the trainees', I saw her reading a book on makeovers. At one point, she was even taking notes!"

Quatre bit his lower lip to keep from smiling. After all, it wasn't every day that Wufei decided to confide in him. It wouldn't do him any good if he started laughing at him. He knew along with everyone else that Sally only had eyes for him, but it was almost like an unspoken rule amongst everyone else that the two of them should figure things out on their own. Taking a quick glance over at Wufei, he didn't miss how stiff his body seemed to be or the scowl on his face.

"Did you try asking her if she's interested in her friend? Maybe he's just a really good friend?"

He could feel the tension slipping away for a moment. "No I haven't asked her. I didn't…" He trailed off uncertainly.

"You didn't what?" Quatre asked, caution still evident in his tone.

Wufei turned his head away as he muttered, "I didn't want her to get the wrong idea about... About us…"

The simple revelation in those words dawned heavily on Quatre as he stared at Wufei.

He's afraid of hurting her. He thought to himself, completely understanding Wufei's situation.

He placed a comforting hand on Wufei's shoulder as he spoke, "I think you're not giving her nearly enough credit. She knows you better than that."

He turned back to face Quatre expecting to see pity and sympathy in his eyes. He was very relieved to see encouragement instead. "She hasn't stayed with you this long just because it's her job."

Just like that the tension was gone. "Now I see what Barton meant about you."

Quatre removed his hand from his shoulder as a confused look crossed his face.

Wufei smirked again as he stood up. "He said that you tend to have a calming influence on people. He was right."

Quatre could only stare in disbelief at Wufei. It wasn't until he realized that Wufei was already gone that he knew what he needed to do.

It was time he started following his own advice instead of everyone else's.


He had witnessed many strange things in his lifetime but nothing could have ever prepared him to find his girlfriend waiting for him in his office. As their eyes met, he quickly noted that she seemed angry.

She couldn't still be mad at me for canceling our date could she?

He was frowning heavily, lost in thought until Relena spoke. "Heero, do you know the best method to exact revenge upon someone?"

His frown quickly deepened if that were possible. He began walking to his desk as he asked, "Where is this coming from?"

Relena narrowed her eyes as she began to frown. "Dorothy."

Her tone of voice had just enough edge in it to almost make him flinch. She was definitely angry, but at least it wasn't his fault. Before he could even ask her to elaborate, she was out of his chair and pacing.

"She decided to cancel all of my appointments. Behind my back mind you. Then she went as far as to insinuate that I should clear up any problems with you. Honestly, I wonder why I even bother putting up with her. Clearly she is insane, and needs help. Perhaps I should have paid her more attention during the Eve Wars. Maybe I could have helped curb her devious tendencies."

Heero could only watch in mild amusement as she walked back and forth as she gestured wildly with her hands. She stopped momentarily to take a deep breath. As she was getting ready to speak again, she suddenly found herself being enveloped in strong arms. She let her head rest against his chest as he murmured in her ear, "You can't save everyone."

"I don't want to save her. I want to kill her." She mumbled.

He chuckled briefly before kissing her on the top of her head. "And you claim to be a pacifist."

She pushed away from him, glaring at him in mock annoyance. "Any violent urges I might suffer from can be traced back to you."

He grinned at her for a bit before he picked her up and walked over to his desk. He sat down in his chair as he placed her on his lap. She returned his grin with a small smile.

"I thought you were supposed to be a sweet and mild mannered woman."

She smacked his arm playfully. "Comments like those will only cause trouble for you Mr. Yuy."

He shrugged nonchalantly as he wrapped his arms around her again. She turned in his arms just enough to kiss him on the cheek. "I suppose I should let you get back to work."

Even as she said the words, he knew she didn't really mean them. He was well aware of the fact that she actually wanted to stay with him today. He couldn't exactly take the day off, but perhaps he could take a long lunch break. Maybe then he would finally be able to enjoy some quality time with her.

"You're not interrupting anything important."

She couldn't resist smiling again. She was quite aware of the subtextin his words. She nodded as she once again leaned back into his warm embrace.

It was tender moments like this that helped to remind her just why she loved him so much. She knew he wasn't exactly the most romantic or emotional man on the planet but his actions tended to speak louder than his words. Loving him was definitely a full time job but she wouldn't have it any other way.

Author's Note's Part II: At this time, I'd like to address a few concerns that I keep seeing in the reviews. The first concern is how I'm portraying Relena. Recently, there was a review that said she was a little OOC in the last chapter. I stand by the belief that Relena is more than just an annoying and helpless diplomat that constantly has to be rescued and protected by Heero twenty four seven. In this story, I'm trying to present her in a more believable and likable manner. Her interaction with Dorothy in the last chapter was supposed to highlight the differences between her and Dorothy. Relena strikes me as the type to be quite effective at fooling people (as in she wears a mask). Around her fellow politicians and diplomats, she's not going to be her true self. I don't expect her to really cut loose around them. They would never take her seriously if she actually acted her age around them. But if she's around say Duo, Hilde or even Dorothy, then I tend to believe she would have no problem loosening up. As I said before, I don't mind constructive criticisms at all. However, I'm not going to write Relena as a whimpering damsel in distress when clearly she's so much more than that. My beta and I have been taking every precaution to make sure no one is out of character. I might not have stated this but I'm trying to portray all of the relationships as well as the characters themselves in a realistic manner. Most GW non-yaoi romance stories end up with a happily ever after and quick solutions for their problems. It's my experience that the romances are often portrayed without any struggles and instead focuses on just how quickly each couple can get into bed. Of course I don't want anyone to think I'm attacking them or singling them out. I just wanted to clear up a few things about this story that's all.