A/N: Another chapter! I'm still saying this should be 3-4 chapters, but knowing me the 'interim' here might go a little longer. We'll have to wait and see how it goes!

As always, enjoy!
-picimadar

Broken
Chapter 25

The flight was relatively uneventful, with no one recognizing or even noticing the couple in row E. Relena slept soundly, resting her head against Heero's shoulder, her golden hair trailing down his arm. He worked as she slept; despite trying to 'work', he found more and more of his time online devoted to learning how to baby-proof a home and the best way to promote early language learning. By the time the plane landed, Heero's brain was inundated with so much information his temples ached.

Heero woke Relena gently, helping her get her things together in her bag and leading her out of the plane. "What now?" she asked as they entered the lobby of the airport and headed away from the terminal.

"It's all in here," Heero said. "Do you have any change?"

"I brought whatever cash I had," Relena said, "It's not all that much, though. Here," she said, passing him four small coins. "What do you need that for?"

"Locker," Heero said, spotting a group of them just ahead. He jogged up to it, found one that was the very last in the row, and opened it using the change. Inside was another, different locker key.

"Well, this is surreal," Relena said from behind him. "You coordinated this in two days?"

Heero shook his head, a smile creeping into one corner of his mouth. "You underestimate how entertaining Wufei finds this stuff," he said. "Setting up this kind of puzzle? It's likely the most fun he's had in years."

"He seems like that type," Relena said, stretching her arms over her head. Heero stared at her blatantly, watching her body curve as she stretched out her back before she looked back at him and smiled.

"Like what you see, Mr. Wilson?" The woman asked coyly, smoothing her hands over her sides.

"As always, Mrs. Wilson," he answered, making her blush. "This key belongs to one closer to the lobby," he said, holding it up, "one that's blue, to match."

"Right," Relena said, looking around, her brow furrowing. "Then let's go find it."

They wandered further into the airport, finding the blue lockers. "Keep an eye out for anyone suspicious," Heero said, finding the matching lock and opening it. He frantically put his hands up and caught a few small items that fell out of the locker, gravity pulling them to the floor, and Relena dove in to help.

"He couldn't have just used two lockers?" she asked, taking hold of two small bags and placing them on the floor.

"What would be the fun in that?" Heero replied, pulling out a larger bag and handing it to her. "This must be everything." A note fluttered out as he took the fourth and final bag.

'267 Deane Drive NW,' it read, 'have fun'.

"Keys are in the smaller bag," Heero said, pointing to it, and Relena unzipped it and fished around, finding them as they finally left the airport.

The humidity was low for Atlanta in November, but combined with the heat, Relena gasped as they left the climate controlled space and stepped into the sunlight. "I think I almost preferred the rain," she said, holding a hand up to shade her eyes. Heero reached into one of the bags he carried and passed her a set of sunglasses. "Thanks," she said, smiling. "Maybe I could get used to this."

"Just wait until the summer," Heero said, "it's twice as hot and ten times as humid."

"You've been here before?" she asked, following him into the parking lot, the black tarmac throwing waves of heat into the distance, their effect like mirages.

"Not in Atlanta, but I've visited Florida a few times, in the past." Heero lifted his dark glasses for a second, peering around the lot before heading to his left. A few moments later, they stopped near a medium sized deep blue SUV. "You drive," Heero said, leaving Relena with the keys.

He loaded the bags up in the back, shutting the lid. "What's the matter?" he asked, watching as Relena stared at the set of keys in her hand. Relena laughed lightly, stuttering her reponse. "What is it?" Heero asked again, stepping closer.

"I can't drive," Relena said, looking up at him. "I don't know how." Heero stared at her, a look of disbelief plastered on his face. "I'm not kidding, don't look at me like that," she wailed, half embarrassed but still smiling. "I've never had to drive anywhere and by the time I could even get a license, I never had time to learn."

"Well, you do now, so get in," Heeor said, and Relena looked after him, dumbfounded, as he climbed in the passenger seat. "You're insane," she muttered, climbing in the driver's side.

She hit one hand off of the steering wheel clumsily and muttered to herself before looking at him. "We're going to die, you realize," Relena deadpanned.

Heero stared back at her with similar seriousness. "We'll die someday anyway. You aren't going to kill us in this thing."

"You have a remarkable amount of faith in someone you have literally never seen operate machinery." Putting her hands on the wheel, Relena put the key into the ignition and started the SUV. It purred to life with ease, the gas-tank full.

"If Duo Maxwell can pilot a Gundam, you can pilot this thing," Heero said, gesturing toward the engine. "Besides, it has the best safety rating available."

"You picked it?" she asked, and Heero nodded. "Okay, well, at least I don't have to back out of this spot. Is this even legal?"

"You have a license," Heero said.

"A fake one!" Relena rubbed a hand across her forehead, groaning before she pulled on her seatbelt. "Alright. Okay. Are you sure this is safe? What if we get into an accident?"

"Relena, just drive the damn car," Heero said, pointing to the road. "There's no one here. Drive out to the end of the lot and practice if you want. You're a grown woman, you can drive a car."

Relena glared at him, put the car in gear and pressed on the gas, shrieking as the car moved backwards.

"You put the car in reverse."

"Oh, thanks for letting me know!" Relena yelled back, fixing her error and driving forward. Though she was nervous, her typical self-assured demeanor pulled through and after a half hour, she stopped, backing into a parking spot.

"Had enough?" Heero asked.

Relena nodded. "I think so, for now. Maybe later I can try again… this area is just too populated, I don't want to risk it."

"That's reasonable." Heero stepped out of the car and changed places with Relena. As soon as her seatbelt latched he hammered on the accelerator, maneuvering the car around so much that Relena grabbed onto the door handle and dashboard to stay in her seat. The car swung around a tight corner, rocking slightly on its axles as it skidded to a stop.

"What… what in the hell was that?" Relena asked, panting as she tried to collect herself.

"Just seeing if the safety rating was true," Heero said. "Now we can be sure you won't kill us, even if you are a terrible driver."

"Of course I'm terrible, it was my first time!" Relena yelled, growling as Heero smiled. "I give up. Let's just find this house and see what it looks like." They rode in silence for a while, getting away from the airport and onto the highway, until Heero reached over to turn on the radio.

"Don't," Relena said, reaching in front of him to block the button. "If the news comes on, I'll lose my mind, I swear."

Heero nodded, understanding. "You'll get used to it," he said, hoping to calm her anxieties.

"I don't want to get used to it," Relena said forcefully, her small hands clenching into fists. "I just wanted to be able to do my job."

"Relena… No one can promise that things can go back to the way they were," Heero said, watching her carefully out of the corner of his eye. "Is there anything else that you wanted to do? Or that you thought you'd like to do?"

"What I want to be when I grow up?" Relena asked, her tone sardonic. "I don't know… there's not a lot I can do, really. I'd thought about leaving my job before, what would happen. I'd really have to depend on my resume and do something similar, public sector work… without that, I've got nothing." She sighed. "I barely graduated high school. Everything I wanted to do would have required going to university."

"So why don't you do that now?" Heero asked. "Take it by distance, or at the university here. That way you can lie low, be part of a group… it's worth considering. You can get the credit transferred to your actual identity when we go."

"If we go," Relena corrected. "I'll think about it, I'm too tired to deal with that right now."

Heero nodded. "We'll rest when we get home."

Relena felt her body warm at his use of the word. "Are you happy?" she asked, turning her head to face him.

"As happy as I can be running on two hours of sleep," he answered, before meeting her eyes. "I'm here with you. I'm happy."

Relena smiled and closed her eyes, relaxing into her seat. "Let me know when we get there."

The drive took fifteen more minutes, and he pulled onto the subdivision where their home lay. Relena opened her eyes as they took the turn, looking around. "Wow," she whispered, "what a pretty neighborhood."

The houses were of slightly bigger than average size, some having circular driveways over their long green lawns, large trees planted on either side of the street. A few children played on one lawn, chasing each other; on another, a few neighbors stood, turning to watch them drive by with curiosity.

Number 267 finally arrived, and Heero drove up the driveway, parking the car. He looked to Relena, hoping she approved of the new house, but she was already halfway out of the car, smitten. It was a large, two storey building with creamy yellow siding, peonies and ivy planted beside a large white door. Huge trees grew in the front yard, shading it.

"Can we go in?" Relena asked, and Heero stifled a laugh.

"You like it?"

"It's perfect already," she breathed, watching as he took a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. Relena cooed and commented to herself about any number of details as Heero took in the house first person for the first time. A grand foyer opened to the second floor, the cream-colored walls leading into a deep red dining room, the kitchen and large living room leading off that.

"Heero, this is amazing!" Relena said. "It's like you just pulled this out of my head. Is there a pool? There's a pool, isn't there?" She took off into the kitchen and he could hear her open one of the back doors, smiling at her squeal as she took in the back yard. He caught up with her on the back deck, overlooking the pool, a garden and shed in the back of the yard.

"Did you pick this?" she asked, and Heero nodded.

"We had a few options, but I thought you'd like this one the best."

Relena threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, grabbing his face and holding his lips against hers. "You are fantastic," she said. "I haven't felt this good in a long time."

"Well," Heero said, looking back into the house, "I realized something really unfortunate about this place."

"What's that?" she asked, frowning.

"It's got four bedrooms," Heero said. Relena looked at him quizzically. "That's four beds that have not once been slept in, or… anything."

Relena laughed. "I guess we'll have to remedy that, won't we?" She kissed him again, but she was frowning when she pulled away. "Heero, have you ever thought about getting married?"

Relena braced herself for his answer. "I didn't think I would live this long, Relena; it's honestly something I've never really thought about."

"Not even with me?" Relena tried again, searching his eyes for an answer. "I mean… Never mind," she said, pulling away. "I'm sorry, I'm killing this mood. Are you hungry? I need to eat, I can't stand plane food and I-" She stopped out of surprise as Heero took hold of her wrists and pulled her back to face him.

"Why do you always do that?" he asked her.

"Do what?"

"Back down from me." Heero stepped closer to her, backing her against the counter. "You are willing to fight tooth and nail for anything in court or Parliament, but you won't ever just ask me for what you want." He stood toe to toe with her, their breaths mingling. "Ask me."

"I can't," Relena said, her voice sad.

"Why not?"

"Because," she offered lamely.

"Because why?"

"Because if you say no, it would break me," Relena whispered, her voice trembling. "I'd rather be ignorant and remotely happy than have you say no and be stuck here with you knowing that you don't want any of this to be real."

Heero straightened as Relena sidestepped him, walking upstairs.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To pick my room."

"I thought you were hungry," he called, following her out to the foyer.

Relena looked over her shoulder at him from the top of the stairs. "I'm not anymore." She picked the first door she came across and stepped inside, slamming it behind her.