Heero guided Heavyarms toward the L4 colony cluster, trying to slow his racing thoughts. He still had a lot to process, but he needed to focus on the mission at hand.

He had checked in with Une again and made a plan to rendezvous with the others. For the most part, the four other Preventers on the scene appeared to have things under control. They had all been working with local law enforcement agencies to analyze any found evidence and had even rounded up a few suspects for questioning.

Based on what Relena had told Heero, though, the suspects may have only been patsies, or no one of any significance to the actual case.

Relena. Invariably his thoughts went right back to her. He had left her on the Aventinus with a long, lingering kiss, and a promise to call her as soon as he could. As he'd predicted, she had been upset that he wasn't taking her with him; she'd wanted to visit the colony herself, meet with victims of the bombings, and make a speech to reassure people. Heero argued that people would have more reassurance knowing she was safe, and she had reluctantly agreed. He promised her he would bring her back to the colony himself, once he'd secured the situation.

That was not the least of their disagreements before Heero left on his mission. At first, Heero had been furious to find out Relena had been keeping so many things from him. Especially matters that related to her personal safety. Some of her subterfuge he understood, since they were no longer a married couple when she became more embedded in her investigation. What angered Heero more was that she had started investigating the trafficking ring five years ago, while they were still married.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Heero bellowed at her, unable to keep the hurt from his expression. "I was your husband."

"True," Relena spoke more calmly. "But we weren't exactly communicating much in our last year of marriage."

That was true, and Heero knew a lot of that was his fault. But then he'd never been great at communicating in general. Maybe if he'd been better, he thought, they might have be able to avoid getting divorced in the first place.

"Not to mention," Relena added, "if you knew, you would have hampered the investigation."

"You're damn right, I would have," Heero seethed. "You shouldn't have gotten involved in something so dangerous; you could've been killed! What about Ellie? Don't you want to stick around for her sake? For mine?"

That had not gone over well. Relena threw his words right back at him.

"What about all the times you left us at home to go on dangerous missions?! It's only acceptable when you do it?!"

"Yes," Heero growled. "Because I've been trained to handle certain scenarios. Every job I take involves a calculated risk, but I know what I'm doing. I'm not going off to die."

"Neither am I," Relena said softly, once her temper had cooled. "And I do know what I'm doing. I may lack certain skills, but that's why I put a team together. I know I should have asked you, and I'm sorry about that; but I was worried if you got involved, you would have tried to forbid my involvement. It would have been one more thing we would have fought about."

Heero had gone quiet, taking everything in. He decided then and there that he didn't care if they argued from then on; they could argue about any and everything, and he would love her all the same. He would rather fight with Relena than keep anything from her, or find out she was keeping things from him.

They needed to stop hiding from one another.

"This is something I have to do," she added, and her conviction was admirable. "I'm trying to make the world a safer places for little girls like Ellie."

Her words stirred Heero. He knelt before her and took both her hands in his.

"Then let me help you."

His hurt and anger toward her had all but evaporated. As truths came to light, he only grew angrier with himself.

Again, he wished he had been there for her. He was only grateful she was giving him a chance to redeem himself, now. He felt especially guilty when she explained that her relationship with Paul was more of a professional one that anything else, even if it sounded like the guy had developed strong feelings for her. Heero was relieved to know she not only didn't return Paul's affections, but had a noble reason for considering his marriage proposal. The truth was not what Heero had expected.

However, it only made him feel guiltier about the things he had done while they were apart.

Relena hadn't been that upset, at first. She had listened calmly as he told her about Raquel, although he'd omitted the name, and even about the string of women he'd been with before her. Relena exemplified patience, understanding, and forgiveness in that moment, as Heero explained how he had foolishly tried to replicate what he'd had with her, but always came up short. He thought, perhaps, that would help ease the sting of what felt like betrayal.

It was only when Relena realized that the "other woman" was onboard the very same ship that she lost it. Heero had told her he had ended things, and Relena had assumed he'd called the woman; but revealing he'd done it in person was a dead giveaway.

"She's a Preventer?! She's here?! I'm going to have to see her?!"

Heero had worked to calm Relena down, assuring her that their paths didn't have to cross. Perhaps Heero could ask Trowa, or Sally, to run interference and make sure Relena wouldn't have to interact with Raquel at all while he was away. But Relena pointed out that that was probably impossible.

The Aventinus was a big ship, but Relena indicated it may not have been big enough for the two of them.

Heero tried not to let the thought bother him as he piloted Heavyarms. He knew Relena could handle herself in the tensest of situations, although he hated to put her in an awkward position. Just in case, he'd had a quick word with Trowa before taking off in his Gundam. The other man predicted a "cat fight." Heero made him promise he wouldn't let that happen.

But Heero refused to dwell on the situation with Raquel any further. It was over; he'd seen to it. Now, he just needed to finish cleaning up the mess on L4 so he and Relena could go home to Ellie, and they could all be a family again.

The Gundam's center console lit up with an incoming call. Thankfully it was from another Gundam.

Duo's upbeat face appeared on the screen.

"Heya, Zero-Three! You look... different. You used to be so much better-looking!" Duo chortled.

"Funny," Heero quipped.

"Come on, you know I'm just kidding around. How's it hanging?"

"Fine. I'll be landing shortly. The Aventinus is docking at the nearest port."

"Well, we're ready and waitin' for ya. I gotta say, though, things are a little quiet around here now." Duo's voice dropped. "Maybe even too quiet..."

"Hm." Heero wondered what Duo could mean by that. But he also knew not everything was as it appeared. "I've had some new intel come to light recently. I'll fill you all in when I get there."

"Yeah?" Duo perked up. "From where?"

"Relena."

"Nice!" Duo broke into a grin. "And where is the pretty lady?"

"Back on the ship."

"Bummer. I'm sure her presence would've livened up the joint."

"I didn't want to risk her getting hurt again," Heero said warily. "She's been through enough."

"Yeah, I know," Duo sighed. "But people are antsy. I'm sure seeing Relena would do them a world of good."

"And I'm sure she'll make some kind of speech when the time comes," Heero said more forcefully. "I'm not bringing her there now. Not until I get a better handle on things."

"All right, grumpy pants, calm down," Duo said with an eye roll. "Sheesh! You'd think I suggested we feed her to cannibals or something! Anyway, I'm ready to take a much-needed lunch break, so I'll see you when you get here. Over and out, buddy boy."

Duo's usual chipper tone had diminished, and Heero was filled with a sense of impending dread.


Relena needed to blow off steam. Badly.

She knew she was supposed to stay in bed, but after Heero left, she found she couldn't stay still. And so she had taken to wandering the Aventinus, not knowing who or what she was looking for. Heero had given her little information about the agent he'd been sleeping with - who sounded like a bona fide stalker, at this point - and the whole thing had set Relena on edge. She'd pried for at least a first name, but Heero wouldn't budge. Even after she'd pointed out that he knew the name of her boyfriend, he had said it didn't matter since neither of them were in "real" relationships.

Heero argued that he didn't want Relena knowing and getting more upset. The important thing was that they had been honest with each other about things they had done while separated; there was no need, in his mind, to go into detail.

Relena had agreed at the time. But she was a detail-oriented person, and there was more that she needed to know. Even if knowing would drive her crazy.

She figured if she wandered around long enough, she would probably run into this woman, and she would know the second their eyes met exactly who she was. She was hiding around here, somewhere.

Relena was not one to shrink from confrontation. She also wasn't looking to start a fight. Not necessarily.

Only if provoked.

She stormed into the ship's gymnasium and spotted a group of agents milling about, mostly male. Trowa was one of them. Several other agents of both genders were fanned about the room, using various fitness machines. The group surrounding Trowa shrunk back as she strode right up to him.

He quirked a brow in her direction before his face went back to its usual mask.

"Trowa," she greeted him breathlessly, ignoring everyone else. She wasn't in the mood to make meaningless small talk.

"Relena." His face faltered. "You should be in bed." Relena waved a hand dismissively.

"I feel fine, honest." Many of her senses were numbed from her most recent dose of painkillers. But just like last night, she felt anxious and jumpy. "I'm going to go stir crazy if I stay in that room any longer," she explained.

"All right," Trowa said evenly. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Yes." She smiled sweetly at him. "Yes, you can." Without further preamble, she reached for his arm and dragged him from the group.

"What's this about?" Trowa asked as he traipsed behind her.

Relena led him over to another corner of the gym where a line of punching bags were suspended.

"I need a workout buddy," she said. Trowa stood gaping at her as she peeled off the sweatshirt she'd changed back into, revealing a hot pink sports bra. Her abdomen was bare, aside from her bandages. Relena could feel several pairs of eyes on her, but she didn't care. Then she shed her sweatpants, revealing a pair of fitted black shorts. She placed her hands at her hips and looked up at Trowa expectantly. "Well, can you help me or not?"

Trowa's eyes widened before his features relaxed. "Depends on the kind of workout you want to do. If it's what I think it is, then I'm very flattered, but I don't want Heero to kill me."

Relena rolled her eyes and took hold of the nearest punching bag. "Will you just hold this for me, please?"

"You really think this is a good idea?" Trowa didn't move from his spot. "You're injured."

"So are you," Relena retorted. "And you're in here."

"I'm a Gundam pilot," Trowa said flatly. "I've been trained to continue fighting even after sustaining serious injuries. I can't say the same for Foreign Ministers."

Relena's eyes burned. "If I don't do something, I'm going to lose my mind. I can't stay holed up in that room another minute, or I'm going to snap."

Trowa seemed to be watching her carefully. "Heero told you, didn't he?'

Relena didn't answer as she began assaulting the punching bag with her fists and feet, ignoring the pull at her abdomen. She would stop, if necessary, but in that moment, she wanted - needed - to keep going.

"I'd recommend you wear wrist guards for that," Trowa said calmly. "That's going to hurt later."

"I don't care," Relena glowered, continuing her assault. She landed a mighty kick on the bag, sending it careening to the side. Trowa reached over and steadied it for her. Relena caught his eye and nodded her thanks before resuming her fighting stance and starting all over again.

"Sally's not going to be very happy with me," Trowa said.

"Sally," Relena said through gritted teeth, "would understand."

"I don't understand why you're so upset."

Relena paused to glare at him before leveling more kicks and punches on the bag. "Apparently you think you know what upset me so much."

"I do."

Relena abandoned the punching bag briefly, spinning around to face Trowa. "You knew?! How long?"

He shrugged one shoulder. "A while."

His words were like an icicle to her heart. "You knew," she whispered in disbelief, "and you didn't tell me?" She fought back the tears that threatened to well up. "Trowa…" She reached up and scrubbed at the moisture with the back of her hand. "I thought we were close? Why would you keep something like this from me?"

Trowa lowered his eyes. "I didn't tell Heero about Paul, either," he said quietly. "I didn't think it was my place. I'm sorry," he added, slowly raising his eyes back to her.

Relena took in a shaky breath. "That was different, though. Didn't you think I should know that Heero was sleeping around? You knew I wasn't."

"I didn't know that," Trowa said, frowning. "I knew you weren't sleeping with Paul. That didn't mean you weren't sleeping with anyone…"

"Oh, please." Relena rolled her eyes. "You know me well enough to know better."

"So I definitely missed my shot then, huh?" Trowa deadpanned. Relena glowered at him.

"That's not funny."

"Right, well. Forgive me," Trowa said, not sounding nearly sorry enough. "But I think you may be overreacting."

Relena tightened her eyes at him. "Overreacting?!" she seethed. "Remind me how long you've been married, Trowa?"

She saw him blanch, but he reached over and repositioned the punching bag. "Touché," he said simply.

Relena went back to attacking the punching bag until she had nothing left. After several minutes of aggressive punching and kicking, she dropped her hands to her knees, her chest heaving, her whole body slicked with sweat. Her abdomen was crying out in protest, the pain radiating throughout her core.

"Had enough?" Trowa asked. Relena lifted her head to see him smiling down at her. "I think you did pretty well. I'm impressed, actually."

"Thanks." It was worth the pain, Relena decided. Trowa disappeared to another part of the room and came back a moment later with a towel and bottled water. Relena thanked him again and took a long sip.

"You look like you could use a drink," said Trowa. "A real drink."

"I could..." Relena said, wiping her face with the towel. "But…" She dropped her eyes to her stomach. "We're trying to get pregnant."

Trowa startled her as he threw his head back and laughed.

"Why is that so funny?!" Relena demanded.

"So that's what you two have been up to?" Trowa sputtered between laughs. "I mean, I figured it was sex, but-"

A sudden clang of metal resounded from a nearby corner as a set of weights crashed to the floor. Relena jerked her head up to see a petite brunette bending to pick up the weights. The girl raised her head, and their eyes locked.

The younger woman's expression was mostly unreadable, but her gaze was far from friendly.

"Shit," said Trowa.

Before Relena could respond, the girl tore her gaze away and bolted from the room, leaving the weights scattered on the floor. Relena's heart raced as she watched the retreating figure.

Beside her, Trowa cleared his throat. Relena reached out and gripped his arm.

"Trowa," she gasped. "That was her, wasn't it?"

He didn't seem to hear her. "How about we grab that drink? You can get a virgin cocktail, if you want…"

Relena leveled him with a hard stare. Then she stooped to pick up her belongings and strode out of the gym. She heard Trowa following close behind.

Relena wanted to take off in a run, although she knew it wouldn't be wise. What did she stand to gain from confronting this woman? Surely an encounter with her would do more harm than good.

But the next person she ran into, as she exited the gym, was Sally. In fact, Relena had to stop short to avoid plowing right into her.

"Hey!" Sally gave Relena a sharp look. "Last I checked, your twenty-four hours aren't up, missy."

Relena was too wired to be chastised. "Sorry," she said flippantly. Sally gave a labored sigh.

"Looks like your meds are working. And while it's good to see you're up and about, I wouldn't advise you go full 'Rocky' just yet." She looked pointedly at Relena's bandages. "We don't want you tearing a stitch. Everything's holding up so far?"

"Uh-huh," Relena said as patiently as she could. She looked past Sally's shoulder to see if she could still spot the other woman, but she was long gone.

"Looking for something?" Sally asked, quirking a brow. "Or someone?"

"We're looking for something to do," Trowa said, coming to a stop just behind Relena. She turned and glared at him. She had planned on asking Sally about the younger Preventer, but evidently Trowa was trying to divert her.

"Good," said Sally, giving them each a smile. "Then you can come with me. I may have a job for you."

Relena and Trowa exchanged curious looks and followed after Sally.


A/N: *cough* Team Trowa! *cough* Trowa is one character I never say "get off my ship" to; helllll no. I say get the crap on board, buddy! ;) ANYWAY. You guys are egging me on and I love it!

Thank you to all you lovelies for your continual support! Only two more weeks till Weddingmageddon, as I am coming to call it... And boy, am I feeling it! I'm ready for a lonnnnng nap. But I'll try to get at least one more update out before I disappear for a few weeks!

Hugs!

- RFP