A/N: One more chapter until the big reunion! Brownie points (read: get the reunion chapter early!) to the person/people who guesses how it happens! Read and review, I like having my ego stroked :P

-picimadar

When You Run Among Shadows
Chapter 9: First and Last

October 31, A.C. 200: Brussels
Relena sat in the office of her home, poring over paperwork. The last few weeks had been long ones; full of arduous speeches, addresses, meetings and galas, and little progress had been made. Frustrated, she shoved the papers aside and reached for her glass of water, taking a long drink. The vidcom icon flashed on her nearby computer screen. Few people had the number, and Relena was curious who would be calling her at home in the middle of the day.

Jesse Linton's face turned up on screen. "Heeeeeey, Lena," he said, smiling gently as she began the video link. "I was hoping you'd be around. Called your office but they said you weren't in, and I didn't want to rouse too much attention."

Relena nodded, taking another drink. "Well, you found me," she said, looking back at the man tiredly. "What is it you need?"

Jesse furrowed his brows, his dark bangs falling into his deep brown eyes. "Who says I have to need something to talk to you? Can't I just care about how you are?" The woman sighed, conceding that his opinion was correct.

"Just going by the typical. Your brother only calls if he needs money, Middie only calls to harass me about seeing her, you only call if something's wrong. What happened, Jesse? And don't elaborate too much, I've got some place to be."

The young man noted the strain in her voice, but decided not to pursue it. "We've gotten some news from X-18997." Relena sat up straighter in her seat, giving her friend her full attention. "It appears they're planning some kind of attack, probably aimed at Quatre again."

Relena sighed forcefully, rubbing a hand on her face. "Just like before…" she said, glancing away from the screen as she remembered that tragic moment.

October 198, Brussels

It had been months since Quatre had been elected as the Vice-President over the colonies, and so far he'd been having a hard time time with it. It was tiring work, and between visiting the civil colonies and making round-trips to Earth and back to be present for meetings of Parliament, as well as running his business, his personal life was haphazard at best.

Upon his being elected, Dorothy Catalonia had taken it upon herself to become his 'personal assistant', taking over the day-to-day worries of the Winner Corporation, delegating to his sisters and helping him better understand the way he should approach his new position. He appreciated the woman's help, and over the years the two had grown closer, him easing her sharp demeanor and her teaching him how to use his money and power more effectively. The two had an informal relationship, neither willing to stay as simply "friends" or coworkers, but also both reluctant to take the next step.

It was frustrating.

His life had changed since 198, and he was still unsure about so many things: why he had been elected, who had nominated him, whether or not he even now wanted the position. Sitting in Brussels, Relena at his right side and Dorothy on his other, he waited to give his speech. He had been practicing it for weeks; an address he hoped would end the hostilities between the independent colonies and the representatives from Earth. Relena turned to him, her eyes sunken, looking too thin and tired to even be awake. He could feel the tension radiating off her, but still she smiled at him, taking his hand to reassure him. He stood up, getting ready to approach the podium.

A shot rang out, and suddenly Quatre was sure of one thing: he was going to die.

Relena had nearly screamed, standing to rush to Quatre's side as he fell, the bullet entering and exiting his chest right before their eyes. Dorothy was faster, and she grabbed Relena by the arm, gripped hard, and hauled the other woman off the stage and behind the surrounding curtain. The uproar coming from the other side of the curtain was intense, and Relena had to fight the urge to panic.

Dorothy glared, standing up and straightening her dress before grabbing ahold of the slightly shell-shocked foreign minister and pushing her out the back entrance of the stage. "Get moving!" she shouted, jostling and forcing the girl down the back stairs. Relena, finally having had enough, smacked Dorothy across the face.

"Touch me again, and we'll have a problem," she ground out, turning back around and running down the stairs as fast as her heels would allow. Dorothy, temporarily stunned, let the woman get out of arm's reach.

Relena continued running, knowing the emergency exit well. Every day I go to work expecting to die, except this one, she thought harshly, running down a dimly lit corridor, down another short flight of stairs, and threw open a back fire exit. The light entered her eyes from the afternoon sun, blinding her temporarily. She immediately threw her back against the door, closing it behind her, and continued running through the back parking lot. Trowa intercepted her as she came around the front corner of the Parliament building, pushing her back against the wall roughly and taking hold of her head between his hands.

She could hear him questioning her, touching her, checking to make sure she had made it out unscathed. Relena could barely process what he was saying, mesmerized by the sight of Quatre's body being wheeled into an ambulance. She gasped, her hand coming up to her mouth as she pressed her back against the wall and started to sob. Trowa tried to comfort her.

"He's going to live. It was a clean shot, through and through, they hit him in a rough spot but they said he'd live. Relena, we're leaving, now," her bodyguard said, shaking her gently, and then guiding her quickly towards her town-car.

Dorothy finally made it to the door, and, throwing it open behind her, saw Quatre's body and assumed the worst. "You bitch!" she screamed, turning toward Trowa and his charge. "You selfish fucking cow!" she continued, running towards them now. "This is all your fault!" the furious and strained woman cried out, now fighting with the guards who tried to restrain her, more for Relena's safety than her own. Relena sobbed, turning towards the car and slipping inside.

"I gave you everything, you cowardly piece of shit! You've been hiding behind us all, and look what happened! All the money in the world won't save him! You hear me! If he dies, you're dead!" Dorothy finally finished, after being shoved roughly into another Preventer cruiser, the door slammed behind her.

Relena sat, silent, the entire ride back to the Preventer headquarters, knowing her friend was right. This is entirely my fault.

A sudden beeping brought Relena back, and she shook her head slightly before checking to see what the sound was. An icon blinked on her vidcom screen, indicating an incoming call. CREED, SAM, it read, ACCEPT, OR DECLINE? Relena almost smiled before turning her eyes back to Jesse.

"I understand, Jesse," she said quietly. "Gather everyone. We'll meet in Sanq. Tell everyone we need… I need them," she corrected herself, her eyes darkening slightly. Jesse nodded, smiling the same sad smile before terminating the connection.

Relena quickly clicked the still blinking icon, and connected the call with Sam. "Hello, Miss Relena!" he said, smiling broadly at the blonde woman. Truthfully, it was not the friendliest of circumstances, but Relena Darlian had grown on Sam Creed over the few months since he had moved to Earth. His mission was to know her life inside and out, and she had given him the perfect reason to intervene.

Acting as an official from the hospital, he showed up under the ruse of acting as a new "companion" for Relena after her initial suicide attempt. Although he could not understand what had driven the girl to the point of such reckless emotion, he could empathize now, understanding how difficult her life could be. Relena was a difficult woman to get ahold of, but he had managed to gain her trust and that of her guards, a feat that surprised even himself. Now all he had to do was get her to the colony, and—

"Is there something I can do for you, Sam?" Relena asked, tiling her head slightly, as though confused by his silence. Sam, thankful he was still at least smiling, laughed a little bit.

"Oh, no, Miss Relena! I was just distracted by how healthy you're looking today," Sam said, moving closer to the computer screen. Relena blushed slightly, looking away from him. She really is beautiful… he thought, before mentally slapping himself. Remember the plan… "I was wondering if you were busy later this evening? You see, I've heard of this great Hallowe'en ball at the Rushmore, and I thought-"

Relena cut the young man off. "Unfortunately, Sam, I am busy this afternoon. I've actually got someplace to be very shortly, so I've got to let you go," she said, apologetically. Typically she enjoyed a good chat with the young man, but Relena had an appointment she could not miss. "I'll call you back as soon as I get back and we can discuss the ball, alright?" she said, smiling at him as much as she was able.

Sam sighed, not letting his mask crack too much. "Alright, Miss Relena. I'll talk to you soon."

Relena terminated the connection just as Trowa knocked on her door, calling her. "Relena? It's time to go, Doctor Hart's expecting you soon," he reminded her quietly, not entering the room. Relena stood, took her jacket off the nearby chair and opened the door, locking it behind her as she joined her companion in the hall. "Who was that?" Trowa asked.

"Just Sam. He said there's a gala on tonight, he wanted to know if I'd accompany him, I guess." She elaborated no further, and Trowa decided it was best not to ask. Sam was the only man Relena had shown any interest in in years, and he and the others were determined to let the relationship play out. Relena was still fragile, and they tread lightly concerning anything with her personal life. We can't risk her life like that, again, Trowa thought, guiding the Foreign Minister down the hall and out into the grand foyer of her home.

The ride to the therapist's office was short and quiet, Trowa driving while Relena sat up front with him, reading over some papers regarding more red tape about the Mars Terraformation. Arriving at the office, Trowa opened her door and the two walked in.

The lobby was heavily decorated, tiny jack-o-lanterns, orange and black streamers, and large decals posted around on the walls and shelves. Even Stephanie appeared to be caught up in the spirit of the holiday, dressed up as Raggedy Ann, her hair pulled into two lose braids and her cheeks made up heavily with blush.

"Hello, Miss Relena!' she squeaked, fumbling as she pushed the page button. "Doctor Hart was just waiting for you, you can go right in."

Relena thanked the girl and proceeded into the doctor's office, closing the door behind her.

Middie stood before her, her hair restored to her original blond, her face hidden behind a cat-eared hood. The whole costume came together seamlessly, a full-body suit of some kind of black latex coating her body, a tail attached to match.

"Well, don't you look… interesting," Relena said, raising an eyebrow as she removed off her jacket and took a seat.

"Thanks, I thought it'd be nice to celebrate a holiday like a normal person. Gotta keep up with my 'cover', doncha know," she replied, winking as she sat down across from her friend. "So, what's with the emergency meeting?" Middie asked, putting her feet up on the coffee table in front of them. "Got a lot of bitching and moaning from Carmen and the others up in space, they're flying out today, apparently."

Relena looked somewhat surprised. "Jesse told me today he got wind of another attack being planned on X-18997. I wanted to figure out what's really going on there, and I have a feeling I'm going to need help doing it. Someone is targeting us, and we need to know whom. I've got a feeling I know who it is, but I can't go to the Preventers with a random name of someone they likely don't know exists."

"Why not tell Wufei? He's got his head up his ass, but at least he's useful. He could talk Une into getting you what you what you need."

"What I need are people I can trust. I'm not convinced all the Preventers are ideal employees, and I'd rather not involve Une. No offence," she quickly corrected herself. Middie just laughed.

"Absolutely none taken. Where did you think I got the pain-in-the-assery from?" Relena laughed along with her briefly before remembering the gravity of the situation. Middie seemed to come back to reality as well, grabbing her pen and notepad off the desk behind her and looking at Relena.

"Well, down to business. Hilde told me some interesting things about her wedding," she began, watching her patient stiffen as she mentioned the day. "She said you've got something to tell me about that night, something that could explain why you're here, talking to me."

Relena narrowed her eyes. "I'm not here to talk to Dr. Hart," she replied tartly.

"If it makes you feel more in line, I could put the glasses on," Middie replied hotly. "You're going to talk to me, whether you like it, or not."

Relena scoffed, folding her hands in her lap. "Middie, I've been trained my whole life at keeping things to myself. Try me."

"You were the last person to see Heero Yuy. The police don't know, but Hilde does. You're lucky she kept your secret this long, otherwise they would have interrogated you over it for weeks, and you'd likely be dead instead of sitting in this office. I think one appointment telling me exactly what the hell happened that night is a lot better than me having to explain it to your little guard dog," Middie said threateningly, pointing her pen toward the lobby.

Relena stared at her friend in shock, her blue eyes wide open and unblinking.

"Relena, you have to tell me. We know he tried to kill your guards; he shot down his own friends! What if he's the one who tried to kill Quatre? What if he's the one Jesse's worried about? What if he comes back to finish the job? Anything you could tell me will help us." Middie looked at her friend as deploringly as she could through the mask. "Tell me, Relena. You have to tell me."

Relena sat still, silent for a few moments, digging to a place in her mind she had kept locked away, buried deep where she had hoped never to find them again.

"Fine," she whispered. "I'll tell you what happened that night."

Relena stood arm-in-arm with Heero, walking down the aisle of the cathedral, keeping perfect time with the musicians.

"I know what you did," Relena said coyly, using the hand that wasn't holding Heero to straighten the skirt her deep blue dress. It was tighter than she was used to, but she had conceded to allow Hilde to choose the styles and colours of the dresses, bouquets and decorations, and so she had ended up shoehorned into a floor-length, sleeveless gown, her shoulders covered by the wide straps, the bodice cut low and squeezing tight around her waist and hips before falling loosely to the floor. Heero was mesmerized temporarily, taking in her form, before shrugging off her instigation.

"The tickets to Cancun? The house just down the street? You were very generous, you know. I was looking at that place for them, myself."

Heero didn't seem surprised. She had already set up Trowa and Wufei in the city, ensuring they were safe and invisible. They didn't mind the way they lived, but something about it didn't sit well with Heero, so she had avoided making any plans or arrangements for him.

"I had the money, and they need someplace to stay that isn't your place," he replied quietly, still guiding her along the rows of pews.

Relena laughed lightly, her spirits lifted from the escape of planning the wedding and seeing her friends so happy. "What, Duo keeping you up at night?" she asked. Duo looked like he was about to fall over with anxiety, a look on his face somewhere between panic and sheer horror that she'd never seen before. Gosh, I hope he doesn't say anything ridiculous.

The two reached the altar and parted ways, Relena taking her place at the right, waiting for the bride, Heero standing next to Duo, patting him on the back slightly and whispering something to him. Duo immediately calmed down, straightening his tie and relaxing visibly. I wonder what he said, Relena thought to herself as Hilde entered the chapel and began her march. He always picks the right times to say something, and not to say anything. It was a trait she admired. Relena was not the most even-headed of young women, and running her mouth had caused its own share of complications for her.

Hilde approached the altar, dressed in the exquisite white gown she and Relena had chosen, and for a moment Relena wondered what it would be like to be in that dress, walking to meet the man she loved… Her eyes met Heero's, and she realized quickly she'd been staring at him. Blushing, she turned her eyes back to her friend and resolved to ignore him for the rest of the night.

She was incredibly unsuccessful.

The ceremony finished, the group began to get into their cars and head to the hall Relena had booked for the reception. Decorated everywhere with flowers, draperies and nearly overflowing with food, the few friends Hilde had invited piled inside, ready to let loose a little stress. Relena found her way to the champagne rather quickly, downing one glass before filling another. Sitting down at her place next to Hilde, she smiled broadly.

Heero clinked his knife against his glass, causing Duo to nearly jump out of his skin. The room quieted quickly, a few people who, not knowing Heero well, were surprised he would draw attention to himself at all, let alone actually speak.

"I wanted to thank you all for coming tonight," he began, standing. "We've been waiting for this guy," he said, pointing to the groom, "to make an honest woman out of Hilde for so long, we had to get them married within the month or we knew it might never happen." A few friends laughed, and Relena smiled, taking another drink of her champagne. Heero had a sense of humor, albeit a sarcastic, scathing one.

"I've known Duo and Hilde for a long time, and I've never seen two people fight so much for so long and not end up killing each other. That's got to be a sign that fate's intervened, and I hope you two have a long and happy life together," Heero finished, raising his glass to the couple. Classes clinked all around, friends sharing in the toast, before being served their food and rousing up conversations. The meal was delicious, and was finished all-too-soon. Shortly after the cake was cut, more speeches were made, and couples began heading to the dance floor. Relena remained at the table, but jumped slightly when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Dance with me," Heero said, extending his other hand to her. Relena nodded, somewhat dumbstruck, and taking his hand, followed him to the dancefloor. Dancing formally, Heero led her around the floor, and Relena felt her mind wander back to the first time they had danced together. It had been years since then, and Relena had felt herself grow more and more attached to the young man, as well as attracted. Looking at him now, Relena couldn't help but admire the man he'd grown into. The two were friendly at best, and it frustrated her greatly, but she was unsure how to take the next step.

The song ended and the couple stopped dancing, Heero releasing Relena's hands. "Will you be here long?" he asked, watching her.

"I don't see why not. My meeting doesn't start until the afternoon, so I imagine I'll stay until things wrap up here."

Heero nodded, seeming to get the answer he wanted, and headed off to talk to some of the other pilots. Puzzled, Relena decided he must just be concerned about how she was getting back to her home; he was on guard duty tonight, after all.

Finally, after hours of intoxicated rants by Duo, toasts, dancing and cavorting, the guests said goodbye and headed home for the night, thanking Relena for her planning and their safe transportation home. Relena worked alongside the banquet hall's staff, clearing up dishes and taking down decorations. After most of the work was done, the staff left for the night as well.

Relena fumbled on a ladder, slipping on one of the steps. She gasped slightly as she felt two strong arms seize her around the waist, lifting her and placing her down on the floor. "I didn't even know you were there… thank you, Heero," Relena said, her hands resting on his arms, looking into his eyes.

"I think we should get you home," Heero said cryptically, his hand fixing a stray lock of her hair before continuing down the skin of her face. Relena closed her eyes, savoring his touch. Taking his hand, the two walked out of the hall into the humid summer air. Heero hailed their car, and, helping her into the back seat, climbed in next to her.

His hands continued to rest on her, one stroking the knee nearest him while he stared at her, his eyes heavy-lidded and his breathing deep and heavy. Relena enjoyed his touch, only slightly aware that she was definitely still intoxicated, and only a bit more aware that it was absolutely insane that she even consider being with Heero Yuy.

The thought stopped as soon as his lips met hers. It was a soft, gentle kiss, as though a question were attached. Pulling away from him, Relena looked into the young man's eyes, which were brewing with a mix of emotions she couldn't identify. Relena could only think one thing: a soft, gentle kiss was not at all the kind she wanted.

Grabbing him, one hand on his face and the other in his hair, she pressed her lips back against his, kissing him fervently and deeply. Their breaths mingled, hands exploring bodies, Heero's touches and caresses eliciting small moans and gasps from the blonde woman as their car continued down the road. By the time they reached the home, the pair were nearly inseparable, tongues exploring each other's mouths, Relena undoing the buttons of Heero's tuxedo and loosening his tie without breaking the kiss.

Fumbling for the door handle, Heero opened it, breaking the kiss quickly and stepping outside. Relena followed him, disappointed. I guess that was too good to be true, she thought, sighing as she followed him up the stairs and into her house. Heero opened the front door, and she followed him in. Heero walked away from her quickly, taking of his jacket and hanging it over the banister before continuing his once-over of the home, walking upstairs. Relena felt crushed at his sudden detachment, but wasn't terribly surprised.

Sighing again, she walked upstairs after him, heading into her bedchamber. She slipped off her heels and put down her small bag before continuing over to her vanity. Sitting down, she began to unpin her hair, tousling it and brushing it until it shone, running down her back in waves of golden blonde. She walked over to her large closet and unzipped her dress, slipping out of it. She'd worn her favorite negligee that day, a black lace brassiere with a matching pair of closely fitting panties. Relena loved the way a good set of underwear could make you feel. Even if you were wearing the most beautiful gown, if you had on ugly panties, you'd still feel like you were underdressed. Her mother had taught her that.

A knock sounded at the door. "Just a minute!" Relena called, reaching into her closet to grab a dark green satin robe. Tying it around herself tightly, she walked over and opened the heavy wooden door. Heero stood before her, and she let him in.

"You're not supposed to come in here until I make sure it's secure," he said, almost chastising her. Relena rolled her eyes, closing the door in front of her. Suddenly, Heero's arms were beside her, preventing her from moving. When she turned around, he caught her just in time, pushing her against the door and continuing what she thought he had forgotten in the car.

Their kisses became gradually more and more frantic, Heero's hands tracing the lines of her cleavage visible above the line of her robe, fingering the edges of the fabric. Halting the kiss for a moment, he pressed his forehead against hers, holding her head in his hands. Relena didn't waste any time, fumbling with the buttons of his dress shirt as his hands reached around her back, feeling along her shoulders and down to the small of her back, tracing along her hips before cupping her rear and hoisting her up into the air slightly, pushing her back against the door and pulling open her robe, the tie falling to the ground. Pulling the halves apart, he stared at Relena's figure. She blushed slightly, unsure of how to judge the look he gave her until he picked her up again and carried her over to the bed.

She realized two things. The first was that she and Heero were going to have sex. The second was that she had absolutely no problem with that.

She woke with the morning light streaming through her blinds. Relena groaned, her head and body aching from working muscles she'd never before used, and immediately regretted both forgetting to close the blinds and sitting up. She pushed herself out of bed, swinging her feet over the bed.

Realizing she was naked, Relena gasped, suddenly recalling the events of the night past. She jumped out of bed, and realized Heero was no longer there. Looking at the clock, she wasn't surprised. It's almost 11 already, she thought, running a hand through her hair. She gathered up a towel and headed into the bathroom, taking a scalding hot shower. Some blood ran down the drain as she washed herself, and Relena was in pain, but overall it still wasn't as bad as she had expected.

Stepping out, she dried her hair, put on some plain street clothes and headed down to the kitchen, hoping to find some kind of breakfast. Her morning staff was back, welcoming her and starting to make her something to eat, but there was no sign of her guard anywhere. She walked into the common room, and Trowa was waiting there for her, reading the paper while he drank a black coffee.

"Morning," he said as she walked in, folding up his paper. "How you feeling?" he asked, a coy smile on his face. Oh, god, Relena thought frantically, he knows.

"Fine, fine," she replied quickly, trying to play it off, running a hand through her hair and averting her eyes from his.

"You were pretty drunk last night," Trowa continued, taking another drink of his coffee. "Figured you wouldn't be up for another hour, at least."

Relena released a breath she didn't know she'd been holding before joining him on the couch. "I don't feel too bad, to be honest. Although I'm wondering where Heero went. Isn't he supposed to be taking me to the conference tonight?"

Trowa put down his drink. "Relena… no one's seen or heard from him since last night." Relena looked at him, not understanding where he was leading. "You were the last one to see him, I'm supposed to question you… but I won't. Either way, we can't get ahold of him, he never reported in this morning. That's why I'm here. We thought you were alone."

Relena shook her head, still not understanding. "He just left?" she whispered.

"Looks that way. Relena, don't worry," Trowa said, putting a hand on hers. "You know how he is. He'll be back."

"But he never did come back," Relena said, nearly in tears. "The only other time anyone saw him, he tried to kill Duo and Wufei. He just disappeared."

Middie looked at her friend, trying her best to remain calm and supportive while secretly wanting to cry along with the poor girl. "He broke your heart," she said, maintaining eye contact.

Relena started crying, burying her face in her hands. Middie walked over to her chair and, sitting on the arm, held the broken girl until she stopped sobbing. Middie kissed her on the top of her head, grabbing a nearby box of tissues and offering it to her comrade. Relena took two, dabbing at her eyes before looking at her friend deploringly.

"Please, Middie, you can't tell anyone," she said between sniffles. "If they knew… I can't go through reliving it again. Please."

Middie understood. "I won't tell anyone that doesn't need to know. Frankly, we're not interested in your personal life, just where he went. I hope, though…" she paused, heading to the door. "I hope that putting it out there makes you feel better."

Relena nodded, heading back out into the lobby. Watching the Foreign Minister head out to her car, she whispered to herself, "I hope even more that we find the bastard who did this to you."