A.N: I wasn't happy at all with the last chapter. I lost the feel for it after such a long hiatus and was really only left with the choice of either delaying it so I could sort out my shit or posting what I thought was somewhat passable. That chapter was awkward at best, especially my attempts at getting Heero and Relena to flirt because I suck at writing romance. But I blame Heero and Relena's reserved characters for that. Their relationship in the series was so subtle in its expression that at some point I figured Heero's threats to kill her were his misguided attempts at flirting. You could tell they had a lot of trust and respect for one another, especially later in the series, but it felt like they were always skirting around the possibility of a full blown relationship. It was mutual but at the same time it seemed like they both couldn't press the other for more because of their individual situations. So I'm just gonna chalk it up to inexperience and try it from that angle and see how it goes so expect a lot more awkwardness between them. There was also a lot of out of character-ness so I need to start reining that in as well.

Disclaimer: We all know that Gundam Wing belongs to beings greater than this one lowly fanfiction writer.

SOUL'S REQUIEM

Chapter 9: Rekindled

by: vegie-kun

There was an incessant rapping at his door, that much he could discern through the fog of sleep still clouding his mind. It had been there, a steady stream of knock-knock-knocks, for the better part of ten minutes and he, still exhausted from the week, was too tired to answer, hoping the visitor would give up shortly and leave him be. And honestly that was a rather foolish and naive assumption on his part. Because he should have known, had he not been distracted a dream that involved misty mornings, running shorts and infuriating cats, that the only ones to ever bravely test his patience were his friends and one slightly less tolerable coworker. And since that was clearly the case, then it was also a given that they were not the type of people to be easily deterred especially when faced with such halfhearted efforts of turning them away.

He groaned and cursed, recalling a similar incident a couple of weeks back. But just as he made to get up the noise came to an abrupt end. Had he guessed wrong? With furrowed brows he quickly sat up in his bed and listened intently. His ears perked and his shoulders tensed as he faintly heard the sounds of his front door opening and closing followed by shuffling feet and rustling fabric. Slowly, he leaned over to the nightstand on his right and pulled at the top drawer and, rather than dipping his hand directly into it, moved to reach for the underside. When his hand moved away it was holding a Glock 22, loaded and ready.

He slipped off the bed and walked silently towards his bedroom door. With a tentative hand on the doorknob he leaned in and pressed his ear to the wooden surface. Through the barrier he made out at least one intruder rummaging about in his living room. A moment later and that same body had plopped itself on his couch and, to his annoyance, decided to prop its feet on his coffee table. ::What the hell?:: He frowned, confused by the actions of this downright rude interloper. Heero shook his head, making ready to open the door and surprise his "guest" when more noise stopped him in his tracks. He tuned in a scrutinizing ear and tried to isolate the sounds and what he managed to identify were sounds of gunfire? And explosions? His teeth clenched and he turned the knob.

"Duo..." He seethed as he exited his room. "How many times have I told you not to break into my apartment?"

The American looked up from the mobile phone game in his hands, wide eyed and oblivious to the daggers Heero was shooting his way. "But you wouldn't answer." He stated in a matter of fact manner. "And I didn't want to wait out there in the hallway. Who knows what kind of creeps live in your complex." As his eyes flickered back to his game he finally took notice of the gun in Heero's hand. "Considering you brought a gun with you, I'm probably right in thinking that you thought I was one of those creeps."

"Tch." Heero took out the magazine and placed the gun on the coffee table and sat in the armchair adjacent to the couch. "I have half a mind to just clock you in the head with that to teach you a lesson about breaking into other people's homes."

Duo rolled his eyes and shut off his game. "Oh please, Heero." He waved his hand dismissively in the air. "That's like the pot calling the kettle black or something or other. How many times have you broken into an enemy base in the past, hm?"

"Hmph." The Japanese snorted as he leaned back into the chair. "That's exactly it. Enemy base. It's acceptable if you're infiltrating enemy territory, and even more so when it is done during a time of war. Where it is not acceptable is when you break into a comrade's personal dwelling."

The American sighed and leaned forward to prop his forearms on his knees. "Look I'm sure we can easily spend the rest of the morning debating about the finer details of the legality and morality of breaking and entering and still not make any headway on it." Heero considered that statement and gave an imperceptible nod in agreement. "So for now let's just both apologize. Me for breaking into your apartment and you for taking such a long ass time to answer the door."

Heero continued to stare his friend down with a withering glare before closing his eyes and clicking his tongue. "Tch. Whatever. Just tell me what you're doing in my apartment."

Now it was time for Duo to look puzzled. "Weren't you the one that said we had to go over the security measures for Relena's upcoming meeting?"

"Yes. And I also said to meet up at Relena's place so that we could include her."

Duo grinned. "Oh, I know that. I was just wondering if we could carpool."

Heero stared at his friend, dumbfounded and at a loss for words. "That's it?" His grip of the chair's cushioned arms tightened and his jaws clenched. "You interrupt my sleep and break into my apartment just to see if we could carpool?"

It was clear to the Deathscythe pilot that his comrade was having a hard time understanding. "Well, yeah?" He stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Have you seen the price of gas these days?"

Relena on the other hand woke with a pleasant sigh, eyelashes fluttering softly as her eyes adjust to the bright light spilling into her bedroom. It was such a foreign feeling, being able to wake up so peacefully. How long had it been? She'd all but forgotten that sleep wasn't always preceded by feelings of trepidation, anxiety and fear and mornings weren't full of stammering heartbeats and gasping breaths and sweat drenched brows. The young woman allowed herself a small smile as she relished the feeling of her soft bed and plush comforter, happy to stay cocooned within their protective warmth. But a sideways glance to her nightstand alerted her to the current hour and knew such a reprieve was an indulgence she had not the time to expend on. Heero and Duo would be by later this morning to iron out the security details for her upcoming meeting and it'd be terribly rude of her not to be ready. She stretched her arms above her and yawned, dispelling away the remnants of slumber before throwing aside the covers to get up and head to the bathroom for a quick shower.

Normally during the weekends she'd spend the morning soaking in the tub, the best method so far of easing away the week's worth of tension and letting her forget, if only for a moment, her nightmares. It was a luxury she could seldom afford, not with her hectic work schedule, and secretly looked forward to by Friday's end. But with Heero and Duo visiting she couldn't risk getting lost in her thoughts, as she often did when bathing. A small smile crept onto her face as an idea occurred to her.

::Afterwords, when all the work has been concluded, we could get lunch, maybe a picnic out on the front lawn, talk and reminisce about old times and get back to how we were... before the nightmares started...:: Yet again the now tangible prospect of living a normal life dangled itself before her and her fingers twitched with the desire to grab it.

Relena began to shed her pajamas, a pale pink silk camisole and matching shorts, as she entered the bathroom and made straightaway for the shower at the back of the room. She turned on the water then made her way to a cabinet to retrieve a towel. By the time she returned the water had reached her desired temperature and she stepped inside. Once under the water she closed her eyes and took a moment to just let the sleep wash off her; rivulets of unnecessary thoughts and worries cascading down her body and into the drain beneath her feet. When her eyes finally opened again there was a renewed sense of determination behind their oceanic depths.

::When I show them that I'm back to normal then maybe Heero will let go of his guilt... He tries to hide it but I can see that he still blames himself for letting the kidnapping happen... and with the way I've been, it's only made things worse. In the past I've always relied too much on him, it's now time for me to do my part. I'll show him just how strong I've become... And then we can move forward together...::

She shampooed and soaped herself quickly, eager to finish and get ready and five minutes later the young woman shut the water off and stepped out of the stall. The steam that had collected in the air made it difficult to see as she reached blindly for the towel. Wrapping it around her body, she walked over to the vanity and suddenly paused in front of the mirror, memorized by the blurry image before her.

::How often in the past couple of months have I felt like that? Felt like a person who was barely recognizable... to myself and everyone else...:: As the steam began to settle her facial features became clearer and more distinguishable. ::But things are different now. I've been given the means to fully recover the person I use to be... No, that's no longer enough... I shouldn't be satisfied with being that girl again. She was someone who could never move on her own, who was unable to stand against the tides of war and political strife. No, I can become even stronger than that person. I can be someone who no longer needs to rely on Heero for protection... Someone who can stand on equal ground with him::

[You can be more than his equal~]

"Wha-?" Relena blinked, startled out of her thoughts. Her eyes darted frantically around the room wondering if someone had sneaked in there before they settled once more on the image in front of her.

[You were always meant for so much more~]

"More?"

[Yes. You have been given the means. Do not hesitate any further and the world will lay prostrate at your feet~]

"I don't want the world." She stated softly to the young woman in front of her.

[Then what do you want?]

Relena's mouth opened and closed but no answer came out. ::What I want...:: "Want... I... want-" And suddenly her vision went dark and she collapsed onto the cold tiles below.

[Whatever it is you desire... you need only take it~]

"Will you stop that?" Heero demanded as he, for the fifth time since they began the drive to Relena's residence, reached over to turn down the volume on the radio that was blaring what he deemed obnoxious metal rock for which his passenger seemed to quite enjoy.

Duo pouted at the action. "C'mon man, don't be like that. I woke up incredibly early this morning so I could take the first flight out here." He glanced over to the driver and saw that his friend was unmoved by his words. "As I see it, I'm not the one at fault since I could have taken one of yesterday's flights but someone refused to let me sleep over."

"It's not that hard to book a hotel room." Heero countered gruffly.

"No." The American agreed as he leaned back and placed his feet on the dashboard. "But it requires money. Money Hilde and I need to save if we're going to expand our business and open up a second location."

Without even looking Heero reached over to slap at Duo's legs to force them off his dash. "You could have put the hotel cost on your Preventer issued card since it is reserved for business expenses."

"Official business expenses." The braided young man corrected. "At best, this can only be qualified as overtime, but it's an overtime of our own doing." He waited for a rebuttal from his companion and when none came he leaned forward once more to turn up the volume on the radio. "This could have also been avoided if you'd been a more gracious host this morning."

Heero rolled his eyes at the accusation. "And how's that?"

Duo fixed the Japanese with a lopsided grin. "You could have offered to make me some coffee. That would have helped a lot."

"I don't make coffee for people who break into my apartment."

The Deathscythe pilot threw a hand over his eyes and groaned. "Dude, I thought we already went over that-" His words died on his tongue when he opened his eyes and saw the Peacecraft mansion come into view. "Maybe we should just have 'Jousan judge this little matter for us." He suggested as they pulled up to the front entrance. "You'd accept her verdict without question, right?"

Heero aimed a threatening glare at the other. "Relena's got more important matters to deal with."

The American snickered. "Heh. You're only saying that because you know I'd never let you live it down if 'Jousan ended up agreeing with me."

The WingZERO pilot snorted. "As if that would ever happen."

The car was put into park but before Heero could turn off the engine Duo was already making his way out and up the steps to the front door. When the Japanese caught up with him at the top, carrying all the files that Duo conveniently forgot, Pagan was with him laughing and making small talk.

"Welcome, Mr. Yuy." The aged butler greeted when he noticed Heero. "Right this way, please." He ushered them both in and led them through the foyer and hallway and into the living room. "Miss Relena should be down shortly; I heard the showers earlier this morning. But in the meantime may I interest you in either coffee or tea along with some breakfast pastries if you two have not already eaten?"

Duo's face lit up so brightly, Heero swore he was looking at a light bulb. "Coffee please!" He exclaimed with excitement and adoration. "And as many pastries as you can pile onto a platter. Mr. Stingy over there didn't so much as offer me even a piece of gum. Can you believe that? Just plain inhuman, right?"

Heero grunted as he worked to organize all the files he'd brought with him. "I'm not in the habit of offering food to people who brea-"

"Argh!" Duo screamed with frustration. "Enough with that! I already said I was sorry."

Pagan, displaying all the grace, poise and patience from his many years of service, didn't so much as bat an eyelash at their antics. Instead he gave them a slight bow and excused himself to the kitchen only to return ten minutes later with a tray that nearly brought tears of joy to Duo's glittering violet eyes. The moment the plate of food and cups of coffee was placed onto the table, the American decided not to waste any more time on ceremony and immediately began plundering the offerings.

As he ate on with abandon his comrade continued to sit back, patiently awaiting the time when the third party would make herself known. Another ten minutes later when nothing of that nature happened, his foot began to tap out a monotonous tune to take his mind off the matter. As an afterthought Heero looked over to Duo and was stunned to see him still working on the food before him, having thought his fellow Gundam pilot would have already eaten his fill some time ago. But it seemed that Duo was determined to finish any and everything food-like that was given to him, a habit no doubt borne of having grown up with scant tidbits most likely pilfered from those who knew nothing of hunger.

Though not as starved as the other, Heero decided to liberate an almond croissant from Duo's possession anyway. He didn't know how much longer he'd be made to wait and he would rather not have his stomach interrupting their discussions when the time actually came.

"'Jousan sure is taking awhile, huh?" Duo commented as he licked off the remnants of strawberry preserve from the danish he just consumed. "It's not like her to make us wait this long."

"Hn." Came the quiet agreement as Heero stood up. "I'm going to head upstairs and check up on her." But before he could take another step his mobile phone beeped. He glowered accusingly at the device, seeming to blame it for a crime it clearly did not commit. "It's Dereks." He stated with displeasure. "I'll take this, you go upstairs."

The American stood in front of the double doors that served as the barrier to the inner sanctum of the master bedroom, hesitation and curiosity waging an internal battle within him. He didn't want to have to go inside if he could help it, knowing how dangerous a girl's bedroom could be to those of the opposite sex. His experience with Hilde when they first started dating told him as much. Instead he settled on a tactic designed to force the occupant out. With his right hand held up level with his face he soon began to pound out a loud but rhythmic tune on the door. Shouts of "'Jousan open up!" soon followed but after a few minutes with nothing to show for his efforts he gave up that endeavor. With a sinking heart he gulped, knowing that there was only one option left to him.

With shaky hands he gripped the doorknob and twisted it, half hoping that it was locked so he could excuse himself from the task, choosing at that moment to forget his lock picking abilities. But to his chagrin the door gave way, leaving him no reason not to proceed onward. Cautiously, Duo peaked into the room through the small crack of the opening. His eyes darted about frantically, looking to every corner. A sigh of relief made it past his lips when he failed to spot Relena. But soon enough that sigh transformed into a broad smile when he gleefully realized that he'd never had the privilege of being in her room until this moment, a rare opportunity granted only to a select few. He stepped across the room's threshold and took a moment to relish the feelings of wonder, anxiety and downright giddiness bombarding him.

::I need to be quick and efficient about this. Who knows how long I have before someone walks in... So what's the money area to go through?:: The first thing that popped into his mind was her dresser drawer, causing a rather lecherous grin to spread across his face. It was somewhat frightening, the amount of delight he was experiencing at the thought of discovering just what kind of underwear a woman of her position and power owned. Duo knew he was potentially risking life and limb doing so especially if Heero happened to catch him in the act. But upon further contemplation he realized that Relena catching him would be just as detrimental a consequence considering her current super soldier condition.

But despite all the warning bells and red flags his mind was throwing his way, the American would not be deterred. Upon reaching his destination he took a moment to show reverence to the piece of furniture that he all but likened to the Holy Grail at this instance in time. His hands quivered as he pulled a drawer forward – and later on when he recounted this tale to Trowa during one of their drinking excursions he would swear the drawer erupted with an ethereal golden glow – and it was as if a whole new world had opened up to him.

The sensible cotton whites were almost a given considering her practical nature and her life in front of the media. But what really piqued his interest were the sensual lacy hipsters and thongs that came in all sorts of colors and patterns. ::Those must be her weekend undies:: He smiled perversely at that thought, wondering if she'd bought them herself or if they had been gifted. He snickered at another thought. ::I bet Zechs and Heero would both have an aneurysm if they saw this treasure trove::

As difficult as it was he managed to pry his eyes away to redirect his attention to the plethora of bras that were neatly arranged to the right of the panties. Pulling up a lacy and floral number he turned it around in his hands until he found its measurements. ::Hmmm. 32C... not bad... not bad at all 'Jousan – Oh my god, are those garter belts? And a corset?!:: His mind filled with images of the Foreign Minister wearing those particular garments and soon the room was feeling quite a bit hotter than what he remembered.

Honestly, if he'd been given the choice he would have spent an entire afternoon exploring the inner contents of that drawer but he decided not to push his luck. At this point it should have been his cue to leave the room and report to Heero of his failure at locating their target but not moments after he began walking away did his hyperactive mind spot a well worn teddy bear sitting at the foot of her bed.

Taking a seat on the edge of the mattress he picked it up gingerly and studied its face. He remembered hearing something from Quatre about Heero giving Relena the stuffed toy for her sixteenth birthday. ::So this is the infamous bear...:: Staring into those glassy black eyes he saw all the nicks and scratches on its surface. The fur looked clean enough but its lumpiness was a clear indication of the many washings it had endured. ::I wonder if she's ever punched this thing and imagined it was Heero instead?:: As he continued to examine it he heard the faint click of a door opening. His initial instincts made him look to the bedroom's entrance as he braced himself for whatever physical harm Heero would mete out unto him. But it was still closed and a sudden chill ran down his spine. ::Aww man... I have a bad feeling about this...:: Slowly he swiveled his head around and when his eyes reached the bathroom the sight that greeted him left his throat parched.

There at the doorway she stood in only a white terrycloth towel, hair still damp and leaving droplets of water on the floor. She swayed on her feet uncertainly and slowly looked around the room, mesmerized by her surroundings. And when she finally spotted him the alarms in his head began blaring all at once. He would have run but the look in her eyes, glazed and hypnotizing had him rooted in place as she tread a slow path towards the bed. And seconds later she was right in front of him. His eyes widen and his breath held as she continued to bore into his violet gaze with eyes of cerulean blue. Duo could feel the heat rising within him as he tried to speak but found, to his dismay, that his voice had failed him. All he could do at that moment was gape like a fish.

She reached out and took hold of his free hand and slowly brought it up to her cheek to press against her flesh, seeming to revel in the warmth and sensation. She closed her eyes and savored the moment they were sharing in her too quiet room. When they opened again she began moving their hands down. First tracing the outline of her neck, then along the middle of her collar bone and further still down the middle of her chest. Even as it reached the loosely wrapped towel her hand did not stop their guidance and the cloth soon gave way, falling in a cascade of fabric to the floor. Duo gulped audibly, trying his damnedest not to let his eyes stray away from her face. The hand continued to travel down until it was right in the middle of her sternum before she shifted it to her left. There she pressed his hands firmly against her chest, willing him to try and feel the beating of her heart.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Heero seethed, his cold voice cutting through the tension like a sharp blade.

The intrusion quickly snapped Duo back to reality and his eyes widen in panic as he quickly pulled his hand from her grasp. In one swift motion he slipped off the bed and away from her, making a beeline for the door, cheeks burning red from what had transpired. But escape eluded him as a hand shot out and grabbed his shoulder, digging its nails into his flesh.

Duo winched. "I swear I didn't do anything, Heero." He spared a look back at the young woman before meeting his friend's hard glare. "There's something definitely wrong with her..." With that he pulled out of Heero's grasp and headed out the door and down the stairs.

Heero continued to glare at the empty space left by Duo, because with the thoughts swirling chaotically in his mind, he didn't know if he could face Relena with a level head. But when he heard a loud thump and turned to find a body on the floor, panic replaced those thoughts.

"Relena!" He was by her side in an instant. The discarded towel was carefully wrapped around her as he held her close and tried coaxing her back to consciousness. "Relena... can you hear me?" He implored, voice cracking and sounding foreign to his own ears. "Relena..."

But silent she remained. He hugged her closer, dejected by his own uselessness. After a time he pushed down those feelings and picked her up to lay on the bed. The comforter that she discarded earlier that morning was pulled up until it rested just below her chin. He spared her another glance before steeling his resolve; taking out his mobile phone to dial up the American. "Duo – We can talk about that another time. Right now I need you to go and call Sally and tell her to get here asap. Relena collapsed... and she's unconscious."

He shut off the phone and let out a heavy sigh as he knelt next to the bed. Brushing back her flaxen hair his mind was suddenly transported to another time, another incident that was eerily similar to this one. Dread bloomed in his heart and his stomach was a pit of unease because the last time this happened, Rei had been involved.

Elsewhere off in the peaceful and luscious countryside of the Britanny region of France, a small black limo waited patiently in front of a set of towering black iron wrought gates as its chauffeur was kept busy answering questions for the gate's security guard. When it seemed that things had been checked out to the satisfaction of said guard, the imposing gates were drawn back and the limo was allowed to proceed forward. With a polite wave, the driver maneuvered the vehicle through the winding path within the massive property. The land inside screamed wealth, with its sprawling forests comprised of trees chosen more for their picturesque quality than function and manicured lawns too perfect to be of nature's design. As the limo reached the end of the road a large and rather decadent water fountain came into view. And behind that laid the final destination, a glorious mansion, aged with time but remarkably still beautiful with details that only well trained eyes could appreciate. Yes, this was the sort of opulence that spoke of a lineage of aristocracy, of old money, of old power.

When the limo came to a halt there was already a butler at the bottom of the stairwell waiting to receive the vehicle's occupant. The chauffeur promptly exited the car and rushed to the passenger door, opening it. Out stepped a young man with striking platinum blond hair and eyes as clear and blue as the sea that banked the region.

"Mr. Winner, it is an honor to have you at our residence," the greying servant greeted. "Mistress Catalonia has been anxiously awaiting your arrival. Please do come this way."

Quatre smiled and nodded his greeting before his expression turned grim, his mind a nervous wreck. He looked on as the old man made his way up the stairs and the blond clutched at his side, at the old war injury that burned the whole way there. ::Geez, how did I let you talk me into this, Heero?::

Two hours later and Duo came rushing through Relena's bedroom door: Une's private aircraft had just landed out front. Heero's rigid form, slumped over in his chair and holding the girl's hand, perked up minutely at the announcement. Having finished relaying the news Duo rushed out again, leaving the Japanese to continue his silent vigil over the Foreign Minister. Heero brought her hand to his forehead and squeezed, heaving a sigh of relief; it had been one of the most excruciating waits of his life. The uncertainty of it all, of not knowing what her condition was, of whether or not it was worsening with every minute that ticked by, or wondering if he should have just taken her to the nearby hospital. Internally he was a downright mess even if his outward countenance remained cool, calm, and collected. But the fast approaching sounds of pounding footsteps suddenly interrupted his reverie and he looked up just as Sally and Duo entered.

"How is she?" The doctor huffed, catching her breath as she knelt by the bed across from Heero.

The young man's expression remained grim as he shook his head. "Nothing's changed since she initially collapsed. All my attempts to rouse her has had no affect, but so far she's still breathing normally and her pulse has been steady."

Sally hummed at the assessment and proceeded to retrieve her equipment from the bag she'd brought with her. "Okay, I'm going to start taking her vitals." She stated, the chest piece of her stethoscope already maneuvering underneath the blanket. "In the meantime I want you to tell me exactly what happened that led up to this."

From his seat next to Relena, Heero flicked his eyes towards the bedroom door where Duo had chosen to remain. The look of guilt in the American's gaze didn't go unnoticed; neither had wanted to discuss the incident, agreeing instead to wait for a more appropriate time to hash out their issues. Duo cleared his throat before recounting the story of how he'd come to check on her when she failed to make an appearance downstairs, though he wisely chose to omit the details of the exploration of the patient's wardrobe. Rather, what he did focus on was Relena's behavior when she entered the room from the en suite. How unsteady she looked on her feet, how little she seemed to care for her state of dress despite knowing that he was in the room, how her movements were reminiscent of people he'd seen in a trance, how intense though lacking in recognition her eyes had been, like she hadn't really been looking at him but something else. And when he reached the part about leaving the room after Heero barged in on their awkward encounter the Japanese finished up with Relena's collapse.

Sally remained quiet after the other two fell silent, letting the information sink in, all the while finishing up the notes she had been in the middle of writing. "Physiologically, there doesn't seem to be any visible problems though it appears as if she may have hit her head when she collapsed." She continued on silently under the gaze of the two pilots. "Is this the first time an incident such as this has occurred?" She finally asked once her pen had been set down.

"Hmph, hell if I know," Duo spat, bitterness dripping from his words, "considering you took me and Wufei off her case."

The doctor narrowed her eyes and looked towards Heero instead. "You've been around her the most. Has this happened before?"

The Japanese had intended to keep that last incident to himself, still embarrassed by it all, but in light of everything that transpired today, pride was the least of his worries. "Dereks noticed it first," he began, eyes focused on the young woman in question. "He told me that she had developed a tendency to... stare at me." Both Sally and Duo could see how uncomfortable that statement made him. "I thought he was just making fun of me but I experienced it first hand Friday morning when she invited me for a run. At one point something transpired and we ended falling to the ground. When I came to I found her looking at me..."

"Like how she was looking at me this morning?" Duo piqued, curious.

The stoic WingZERO pilot shook his head. "No, you mentioned that it seemed as if she didn't quite recognize you... At that time she knew exactly who I was... and she was staring at me like..."

"Like?" The doctor prompted as she turned a page on her notepad.

Though his face remained rigid, his eyes belied a broken man. "Like I was the only thing that mattered..." He brought a hand to cover his face and took a deep breath. "But when she snapped out of it... it was like she'd forgotten everything... as if the entire thing never even took place."

"You sure she wasn't just bluffin'?" The American mused. "I mean her day job pretty much requires her to slip on a poker face at a second's notice. Not to mention smell anyone's bullshit from a mile away."

"Yeah... that is part of the job description." Heero acquiesced as he replayed those scenes in his mind and frowned. "But truthfully, I'm not sure. I thought I had her figured out but that was probably the old Relena... this Relena is an enigma. She's more guarded than how she use to be, harder to read, more secretive too... definitely more stubborn... and just a bit more forward than what I remember."

Sally rifled through her bag once more. "Interesting... From what I was told, she'd grown up obedient and dutiful. But when her father was killed she was a bundle of quiet rage and fury, hellbent on revenge – Noin's description mind you... Eventually when she was instated as Sanc's ruler she underwent quite a drastic transformation." She pulled out a small device along with a bag full of electrodes and wires and a bottle of conductive gel. "Reined in her recklessness for one and became more reserved and calculating with her words and actions. Such a heavy responsibility usually does that to a person..."

The two pilots looked on curiously as the doctor proceeded to place the electrodes and wires onto various areas of Relena's head and then connect them to the device she had placed on the bed. "But now it sounds like she's losing a bit of that inhibition... no longer caring about the consequences or of how others perceive her and acting more on emotions and instincts." Her eyes flickered up to meet Heero's. "If I didn't know better, I'd say she was starting to act more like a certain Gundam pilot... but we can only speculate what's brought about these changes so the best thing we can do right now is monitor her condition. As it now stands her vital signs are all reading normal and she doesn't seem to have suffered any head trauma from the fall."

"So you want us to just wait for her to wake up?" The Deathscythe pilot queried.

"Yup. And when she does I would advise against mentioning this incident to her. Until we can figure out why this happened, we shouldn't worry her unnecessarily."

Heero narrowed his gaze on the doctor. "Haven't we been keeping too many things from her? We're not going to get anywhere by keeping her in the dark."

Sally hummed. "I can see your point. But she's got that meeting with the opponents of the Mars Terraformation Project this week and telling her about this might jeopardize her mental state. She's been working incredibly hard to prevent its shutdown and it would be another terrible blow to her mentality if that happened. So, are we in agreement?" The others nodded begrudgingly and when the last electrode was in place and the device turned on, Sally got up headed towards the door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I didn't get a chance at breakfast this morning and it's already close to noon so I'll be downstairs raiding the fridge." She paused before crossing over the threshold. "You guys should be thinking about doing the same as well. Continuing to brood by her bedside isn't going to make her wake up any faster."

"Don't worry about it," Duo spoke as he made to follow Sally, "I'll ask Pagan to make you something. Just stay there and look after the princess."

"... Thanks."

The day soon gave way to night and still Relena slept like the dead. Even with Heero and Duo in the room discussing the security details and Sally occasionally poking and prodding her with various instruments she slumbered on. It had been worrisome at first but as the EEG readings from Sally's device showed nothing abnormal they reluctantly moved on with their work. And by the time Pagan came around with dinner, their demeanor had become noticeably lax.

"Maybe you should give her a kiss," Duo offhandedly remarked as he polished off his pot roast.

"And maybe I should give you a swift kick to the head," Heero retorted with a sneer.

"Dude, lighten up," the American placated. "Haven't you ever read those fairy tales about sleeping princesses that wake up once their prince charming kisses them?"

The Japanese scoffed. "This is hardly a fairy tale and I'm no prince."

"But she is a princess," Duo countered back. "And she's probably just waiting on you."

Heero closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Duo," he warned, "your jokes are not funny and they need to stop."

"Fine, fine, fine," he replied dismissively as he got up. "I'm gonna go see what Pagan's made for dessert. Want to join me, Sally?"

The older woman looked up from her chart questioningly before she understood what had been asked of her. "Ah, that would be nice." She got up to join him. "I needed to ask Pagan about possibly staying overnight anyways."

As the sounds of their footsteps echoed and disappeared down the hallway, the stoic youth was now practically alone with only his thoughts to keep him company. He contemplated Duo's words, jokingly made as they were, and finally admitted to himself how much he wished such fairy tales were true. And it wasn't as if they'd never kissed before, but what they'd shared up to that point had all been fleeting and rather chaste. Done out of curiosity and slight desperation but still they sparked something deeper, awoken something that even Heero wasn't sure he was ready to control. And the more he stared at her the more the longing grew. ::What if it did work?... Gah. What the hell am I even thinking?:: "Tch," he admonished himself, "this is what happens when I spend too much time with that loudmouth." ::I can't believe I even entertained such absurd thoughts::

But even as those words left his mouth he still got up from his seat near the window, inexplicably drawn to her side. She looked so much younger like this, unconcerned by the waking world that surrounded her. After so many weeks and months of fitful and unsatisfying rest, seeing her like this almost made him reconsider wanting to wake her up. He knelt down and gently brushed aside her locks, careful not to disturb the electrodes, before resting his hand gingerly on her cheek. His mind sent him back to a time years ago, to a kiss that lingered far longer in his memory than it took for it to transpire. He remembered the pull he felt towards the girl at that time. It was a strange chemistry that existed between them. It drew them together and kept dragging him back no matter how many times he said he'd stay away for her benefit; just like it was doing now. And then he was reliving the memory of how pliant those lips had been and in that moment he suddenly felt something stir in the depths of his heart. Because her hair had been like silk and the skin beneath his fingers was soft and warm and Duo's stupid words were still ringing in his head. Redirecting his gaze to her lips, Friday morning's incident flooded his mind. Drunk on images of flushed cheeks and tousled blonde hair, his body subconsciously moved forward until he was scant inches from her mouth.

"Heero?"

He reeled back fast as lightning, immediately sobered by the utterance of his name. ::Shit! Was I really just about to take advantage of her like that?:: His conscience had him frozen in place as he berated his lack of control and willed his heart to calm down from its frantic beating. When he finally looked towards the bed once more he found her staring at him as innocently as ever. "Relena... "

"Yes?" she queried, moving to get up but stopping when the wires interfered with her vision. "What's going on? What is this?" With quick and nimble fingers she tore at the electrodes until they lay sprawled on her sheets.

"What do you remember?" He quickly prompted, all but forgetting Sally's words.

"Remember?"

"About today."

"Waking up?"

"And?"

"... Showering?"

"And then?"

"And then... your face."

"Whoa!" Duo's shout reverberated through the room, stopping Heero's interrogation. "You're awake, 'Jousan!" He bounded in excitedly, holding two plates of what looked to be a berry cobbler with ice cream. Setting the plates down atop the bed he leaned forward to inspect the young woman. "How's the old noggin?" He asked, tapping her head with the back of his knuckles.

"Er... fine?"

"Heh. Good to hear." He smiled with relief before shooting Heero a look. "Pagan found you earlier this morning passed out in the bathroom. Apparently you slipped and bumped your head. You had us pretty worried you know. Isn't that right, Heero?"

The Japanese said not a word, lips pressed into a thin line, but nodded in agreement.

"Yup. And when you wouldn't wake up, we just about lost it." The American continued on, setting one of the plates in Relena's lap. "The only thing we could think to do was call Sally over right away and have her look at you."

The young woman quirked an eyebrow at that admission. "You called Sally over? Hm... I guess that was the best course of action. Taking me to the local hospital would have meant dealing with the press and we all know how good they are at keeping secrets. And the last thing I want is for the opposition party to think I'm physically unfit for the job." She smiled wryly at the pair. "Thanks for not doing so."

"No, problem 'Jousan." Duo reassured her. "Now you must be starving, seeing as how you've been asleep the entire day. So start on dessert first while Heero and I get you something more filling. We'll also get Sally to take a look at that pretty head of yours to make sure everything's okay." With that he got up and dragged Heero with him out the room.

"What the hell man?" He hissed when they were well out of earshot of the bedroom. "Sally told us not to say anything."

Heero glowered as he wrenched his arm out of Duo's grasp. "Fuck, I know." He hissed back. "I just couldn't help it... I only wanted to see if she remembered anything... I... was afraid it'd be like the last time... "

"And?"

The WingZERO pilot could only shake his head dejectedly. "Nothing."

Duo sighed and started walking down the stairs to the kitchen, knowing that Heero would follow. "Which is exactly why we should leave it up to the professionals. Thankfully we're all done with everything for Monday, so let's just get in contact with Wufei and fill him in on the whole plan while Sally looks her over. Yeah?"

"Yeah..." The Japanese halfheartedly agreed.

Duo draped an arm around Heero's shoulder and gave the other his best smile. "Trust me, everything will be fine by the time Monday rolls around."

"Are you sure you're okay to go through with this meeting?" Heero asked for what seemed like the fiftieth time that morning since they left her house and drove to the airport to catch their flight to Brussels. That question had been asked intermittently at first but as the morning wore on and the hour of the conference drew near its frequency increased until it settled at a five minute interval. And the moment they got into the car he chose to ask it one last time just in case she had changed her mind since the last time he asked.

Relena rolled her eyes and huffed, exasperated by his overly protective behavior. Things between them had been a tad tense after she had woken up from the fall; he'd kept his distance and walked on eggshells around her for the entirety of Sunday. All her plans for mending and exploring their relationship had disappeared in the blink of an eye because of her clumsiness. It frustrated her to no end but she kept tight-lipped on the matter, bearing it all in silence for the sake of their work. So needless to say, all this extra attention now being lavished on her from the normally impassive young man only confused her further. And hadn't Sally already give her the green light, having found nothing out of the ordinary after the medical examination?

She was never one to be treated like fragile glass, especially not by Heero whom she has striven to emulate. ::*Sigh* How can I get you to understand these feelings?:: Leaning back in the passenger seat she tilted her head to look over at her bodyguard before reaching a hand over the console to caress his cheek. The unexpected contact startled him; he was akin to a deer caught in the headlights. It wasn't the reaction she'd hoped for and something within her cracked causing her to withdraw immediately. ::Rejection:: He was rejecting even the slightest of her touches now. Apparently his incessant worry had been borne from something else because it was finally clear that he didn't feel the same.

"Enough already, Heero." Came the terse command. "The fall wasn't serious. I'll be fine." She checked and adjusted her tie in the passenger mirror. "I can't afford to push back this meeting... So thank you again for not taking me to the local hospital... The press would have swarmed all over the news and most likely blow things out of proportion..." Her countenance darkened at the thought. "Vultures really," she muttered disdainfully. "They honestly don't know their place... And it's about time I showed them just how little I care for their methods."

Heero looked at her strangely, unable to comprehend what had just come out of her mouth. But there was no time to delve further into those comments as he pulled up to the designated building. Duo, decked out in a black suit, met them as the car parked and along with Heero, he escorted her inside.

"Everything all set up?" The Japanese asked, scanning over the floor.

"For the most part," Duo confirmed, "Wufei, along with Johnson's team, was here yesterday and all this morning making sure things were in place."

"Is anyone else here yet?" Relena questioned.

"Representatives Meyer, Dietler, Faulkner, and Krueger," the American ticked off. "They've all been check in, weapons confiscated and are now inside with their respective bodyguards. We're just waiting on Petrov."

"And Wufei?"

"He got called back to headquarters." Duo saw Heero's scrutinizing gaze and immediately followed up on the answer. "Apparently someone tried to hack into his computer. They need him to verify whether anything's been compromised."

"Shit," the WingZERO pilot gritted. "That's the last thing we need right now."

As they continued their trek to the conference room, another Preventer agent came rushing towards them. "Agent Maxwell, we have a problem," she whispered to make sure no one else heard. "Security cameras two and five are experiencing some sort of glitch. We need them fixed asap."

The American groaned. "Seriously?" He turned to regard his two other companions. "I'll be right back. Hopefully this won't take long." With that he left, following the female Preventer towards the security console room.

"Ah, Foreign Minister Darlian!" a deep, accented voice called out as they moved to wait by a potted plant.

They looked up to see a tall dark haired man in his early forties approach them, flanked by two imposing bodyguards. He extended a hand to grasp the young woman's right one and kissed it with great flare. He followed it up with a brilliant smile that never quite reached his steely grey eyes.

"It's a pleasure being able to meet with you again, my dear." He crooned, still holding her hand.

"Representative Petrov," Relena regarded coolly, unaffected by his charms. "Under different circumstances I may have said the same but since you're trying to block this project from proceeding further I'll reserve my judgments until after the meeting."

He let out a low chuckle and released her hand. "Your tongue gets sharper with each passing year as well as your beauty."

The man seemed to want to say more but Heero chose that time to interrupt him. "You're in violation of our agreement."

"Hmm?"

Heero nodded towards the men behind Petrov. "Article two of the conditions set for this conference states that you are allowed only one personal security guard and we would provide the rest." He pulled out his phone to check on the documents pertaining to Petrov before looking up once more and pointing to the man to representative's left. "We don't have him on file so he needs to wait outside."

"My apologies," the older man conceded. "That slipped my mind since I normally take these two to every meeting I attend. Demitri, you're dismissed until further notice."

Before he could go further, Heero held up a hand, bidding him to wait. "You're not allowed to go anywhere in this building unaccompanied." The Japanese scanned the room for any agents who'd be available to escort the man but found that none were.

"Why don't you just go with him?" Relena suggested.

He frowned at her words. "I'm not leaving you unattended."

She looked at him pointedly. "This meeting is never going to start if we all just stand here waiting for someone." They both held their ground, locked in an intense stare as neither wanted to relent. Eventually Heero grunted with displeasure and signaled for the other bodyguard to follow him.

"He's quite dedicated to his duty, isn't he?" The Russian commented. "You're quite lucky to have him in your service."

"Is that so?" Relena mused, lost in thought as she stared off at Heero's retreating form. "He can be a real pain though at times..."

"Hah. That's not too hard to imagine." He placed a gentle and unassuming hand on her back. Now, if she'd been thinking clearly Relena would have shrugged off the hand and given the man a cold hard stare at his forwardness. But in her distracted state she offered no protests and allowed him to guide her forward once more towards the conference room.

Petrov's remaining bodyguard made no move to follow them. With an air of nonchalance he began to discreetly scan for prying eyes as the two walked away. When his search came up negative he slipped a hand inside the potted plant they'd just been standing by and pulled out a gun. He placed it quickly into his jacket before moving to catch up to his employer.

Minutes later Heero was back at the spot they'd vacated, bewildered by the lack of people in the vicinity. His body tensed as red flags and alarms began sounding off in his head. ::Shit!:: He feared the worst. Everything that had transpired in the last twenty minutes, all of it, had conveniently lured them away from their ward. Adrenaline kicked in and he made a beeline for the conference room, gun already in hand. But just like a year ago he was once again too late and his blood ran cold at the first gunshot that rang out. All those fears had come to fruition.

"Relena!"

-to be continued-

A.N: OMG. A cliffhanger! *evil laughter* Sorry if it seemed rushed at the end, but at least things are finally picking up and I'm sure everyone's happy about that. Hopefully this will bring back the readers who have lost faith in the story because of the slow development. Expect lots of action. I've also been tinkering with the idea of putting out shorter chapters which would make updates more frequent. But I don't want a story with too many chapters which will happen if I do so. Let me know what you think.