Author's Note: Thank you to all the people who PM'd me asking about this chapter. Yes, I know it's late. I'm sorry to keep you guys waiting. As always, thank you to my lovely beta readers, Revy679 and Wing's Landing for making my chapters infinitely more readable.

Party of Four

Marseilles, France

"A day after a terrifying assassination of a state's witness in broad daylight in the middle of the capital of the World Nation, the city is still under lockdown as the police and Preventers try to restore some semblance of security and order. Statements of solidarity and reassurance have been made by several prominent politicians, including Vice-Foreign Minister Darlian…"

"Terrible, isn't it?"

Kerestina snapped out of her trance at the sound of the old baker's voice. For a moment, she had been transfixed on the little television mounted in the corner of the bakery. With a quick shake of her head, liveliness returned to her face as she forced a compassionate and worried smile. She was good at affecting conflict in her expressions, an indispensable skill that she had perfected years ago.

"Truly awful," Kerestina said. "Haven't we had enough war?"

"Indeed," the old baker agreed as he packed up the loaves of bread for Kerestina. "Many here served and lost their lives in the wars of the Alliance. Including my son."

The first thing that Kerestina had noticed when she stepped into the baker were the walls. They were filled with old photographs, some of the countryside, some of the city, a few others depicting large gatherings, presumably family and friends. Several however were portraits of a young man in uniform that bore a striking resemblance to the baker.

"I'm very sorry to hear that," Kerestina said.

The baker simply nodded in acknowledgement before he looked up Kerestina and himself forced a smile.

"Here you are. Is there anything else I can get you?" The baker asked.

"That is all, thank you," Kerestina said.

Kerestina left the bakery feeling a little strange. An uneasy melancholy had clouded her otherwise cheery mood. As she walked along the empty streets illuminated only by the street lamps towards the hotel she couldn't help but think about the old man in the bakery. She felt an unexplained remorse that she couldn't shake. As if she had somehow been responsible for the old man's miserable condition. Yet she knew that that was ludicrous. She didn't kill his son. She hadn't fought a single battle in France during the war. Perhaps it was the fact that she was now part of an elaborate effort to drive the world back into war that gave her pause. But she quickly shook the thought from her head and dismissed it. That wasn't her concern. She was getting paid. And she was good at this.

The hotel that she had chosen to hideout in was a refurbished, yet still run down, colonial era apartment near the sea. It was probably used as an auxiliary barrack during the height of the Alliance's power judging by the condition it was in and its proximity to the main naval base not a mile down the road. Despite being a bit of a dump, Kerestina decided that it's exactly what they needed for the moment. It was half empty and there was very little traffic on the street on which the hotel was situated. The hotel manager never seemed to be around and the only person had seen since she arrived was the teenager girl that sat at the front desk.

She smiled at the young girl at the counter as she entered the lobby. The girl smiled back at her, clearly a little awestruck by the glamorous raven haired stranger. Kerestina smiled to herself as she made her way up the stairs.

She found Tristan still in bed when she let herself into the suite. He hadn't gotten out of bed all day. The room smelled of antiseptic wipes and despair. She dropped the bag of groceries on the table by the door and tossed Tristan the pain killers that she had picked up for him.

"Get up," she said as she made her way across the room. "Eat something."

Kerestina cracked open the window to let the fresh sea air in. It was a beautiful night. The stars sparkled above on an infinite canvas of the deepest navy blue. The city below was abuzz with activity. She could hear the faint sounds of children laughing, cars honking, and the general evidence of tranquility of life. In rare moments, she longed for such simplicity.

"Anything from Vincent?" Kerestina asked.

"Nothing yet," Tristan said as he slowly got up and out of bed and made his towards the table, still limping because of the injury he sustained from his near suicidal jump.

"Fuck."

The Court, Elgin

Relena and Heero both immediately stood up to greet Hilde as she made her way over. Heero decided in that moment it wasn't worth explaining Duo's new entanglements in the brief seconds before Hilde was within earshot. No doubt Relena would grill him about it later now that he had said the words. And for the notoriously tight-lipped soldier, the act of saying those words, an act of gossip as he later recognized, was for him one of the weirder experiences in recent memory.

Hilde looked beautiful and far more sophisticated than Heero remembered. She wore a dark blue blazer on top of a white halter top, with black jeans and black heels. For a moment, he wondered how Duo could've been so stupid to give her up before he remembered that most likely it was the other way around. Heero did his best to look happy and disarming although Hilde already knew him better than to be deterred by his stoic expression already. The girls greeted each other in a decidedly warmer fashion, first with a big mutual hug, then kisses on their cheeks.

"I'm so glad you could make it!" Relena practically squealed in excitement.

"I almost didn't," Hilde said as she sat down. "Quite the crowd you guys generated out there."

"Why do you think we're here?" Relena said as she too sat down. "This one didn't want to take any unnecessary security risks."

"It's good to see you again, Heero," Hilde said as she flashed Heero a pleasant smile of familiarity.

"Likewise," he replied.

Relena rolled her eyes at Heero's stolid disposition. Couldn't he show just a bit of excitement?

"So, how did the meeting go today?" Relena asked proactively, realizing that among them, it was she who would have to drive the conversation forward.

"Good, good," Hilde said. "Everything went well. Signed the papers today so it's official."

"Hilde, sold the scrap salvaging business," Relena announced to Heero. "Isn't that interesting?"

"Not really, it sounds like it's a good time to get out," Heero said in his usual muted tone. "There's still a lot of clean up to do, but most of Libra has been salvaged at this point. I think the market has peaked. I assumed you got a good price."

Relena shot Heero a deadly glare.

"I did!" Hilde said with some enthusiasm. Apparently the girl was not turned off by Heero's nonchalant attitude. "And I agree, the competition is getting stiffer and stiffer. All of the small independent contractors have mostly been bought up by the larger firms. The market is consolidating."

Relena sipped her water and placed her elbows on the table while leaning forward, momentarily forgetting her manners.

" So, what will you do with all your money and free time?" Relena asked enthusiastically. "Travel? That can be lonely."

Hilde refrained from rolling her eyes but did shoot Heero a knowing look before saying, "Boy, she's subtle, isn't she?"

Heero nodded. "Did you see her Vogue cover?"

"I think everyone did," Hilde said as she took a sip of her water, before returning her gaze towards Relena. "You were absolutely majestic by the way."

Relena had to force herself to smile at the compliment. If she had to be the captain of their conversation, she thought that she would at least have the privilege of steering it in the direction she wanted. But it had seemed that Heero and Hilde had just then formed an impromptu alliance to avoid her as of yet, unspoken subject, namely Hilde's relationship with Duo.

"Thank you—" Relena was just about to try to wheel the conversation around away from herself when she was interrupted.

"Yes, she was the picture of perfection, wasn't she?" That dreaded voice rang like a sharp bell in her ear.

They turned to look. Ainsley stood just behind Relena, looking her usual radiant self, smiling at everyone at the table. Apparently, the effects of her defeat that afternoon had already worn off.

"I do hope I'm not interrupting," Ainsley said.

"You're late."

The holographic projection of Vincent was not the clearest. The connection would occasionally drop causing the image to stutter and there was a constant greenish tinge about him indicative of the older generation of holographic projectors. Still, it was good enough for them to establish communication.

"We were busy," Vincent said in his characteristically callow voice. "Sorry, I couldn't be at your beck and call."

Kerestina, trying to contain her frustration, paced around him. His visage was the only light in the room. She had let Tristan go back to sleep and skip the meeting due to his injuries.

"I've got every police force in Europe and the Preventers on my ass," Kerestina said viciously. "Whatever you're doing can wait."

"Calm down," Vincent said.

"Do not tell me to calm down…" Even so, Kerestina did maintain a subdued tone. She hated it when he said that but she knew he only ever said to just to rile her up.

She held the silence for a moment as she counted down from ten in her mind before she looked up at Vincent again.

"I need a boat," she said.

"You need a boat?!" Vincent nearly burst out laughing. "Where the fuck am I supposed to get you a boat?"

"Figure it out!" Her temper returned although she did not raid her voice. "Because I'm sure as shit not taking my chances at an airport, especially with Tristan in his condition."

"That's what you get for taking an idiot to do a man's job," Vincent said.

"You're a real piece of work, you know that?" Kerestina said as she pressed her index finger into Vincent's ethereal chest. "This was your job! The old man sent you to kill Campana!"

"Bitch, you shot the man in broad daylight while he was being transported by the Preventers! It's all over the news!" Vincent shouted back.

"I did what had to be done!"

"That's always been your excuse for your sloppy work," Vincent said.

Kerestina turned away and looked out the window. She forced herself to remain silent before she said something she would regret. He could be so hurtful sometimes. He knew just how to prod and needle her, make her lose temper, and in the process; her dignity. Gradually her rage gave way to sadness. She suddenly realized how long it had been, how far she was from the war. And in contrast, how close to it he still was.

"Are you going to find me a boat or not?"

Ainsley was out for blood. Her flaming red dress declared her intentions to Relena clear enough, even if Hilde and Heero did not recognize the significance of it. She did look stunning, Relena had to admit, her short bob was curled in contrast to the razor sharp look she wore in the morning. Her makeup too was far more extravagant, accentuating her feminine side that she buried under a dour expression and piercing gaze that so often acted as her armour in the boardroom.

In their little game of manners, Ainsley had won. Relena invited her to join their table, and Ainsley demurely accepted after seeking the implicit approval of Hilde and Heero, who so dumbly gave it. If she had felt that she lost to Relena in the negotiations, Ainsley wasn't about to leave the colony empty handed. And if there were no more political gains to be had, she would have to settle for embarrassing Relena in front of her boyfriend and her friend.

The waiter came by and took their orders. Heero got himself a steak, rare, which Ainsley promptly mimicked. Relena ordered the brook trout, and Hilde contented herself with the chicken. Once they had finished ordering, Ainsley immediately launched herself into conversation, in effect hijacking Relena's ship. But she wasn't a fool. For the first half an hour, Ainsley did nothing but shower Relena with compliments all the while she told Heero and Hilde of the girl's brilliance, as if they didn't already know.

"But of course, Relena has always been that girl. Haven't you?" Ainsley said as she took a sip of her champagne and subtly shifted her gaze towards Relena.

Relena stared back at Ainsley with a look of rage. Hilde and Heero sat and listened politely for as far as they could discern, Ainsley's praise of Relena, while interspersed with a few teasing comments, was completely genuine.

"I can't explain to you the feeling of this girl stepping into St. Gabriel on the first day of school," Ainsley continued. "Everyone, and I mean everyone was staring right at her. Even the faculty."

That most subtle of implications; that she was spoiled. But it had been buried under so many layers of compliments and good will it would've been hard to discern her true meaning. But Relena knew it all too well.

"Oh please, it wasn't like that," Relena countered. "And I was still in my awkward phase."

"Well it was the most graceful awkward phase I've ever seen," Ainsley said. "Did she tell you all about how she bested me today?"

And there was the heart of her attack. Ainsley had prepared the battleground perfectly. There was no stopping her advance now. She paused for a moment to glance around at the table.

"It was quite brilliant, I must admit," Ainsley said as she took another sip of her champagne. "Somehow this clever little girl discovered that I had plans to run for the Council in the next general election and threatened to throw her considerable political influence and money against me if I didn't back down from my position here."

"Wow, that is impressive." It was Hilde who came to Relena's aid. She had picked up on what was happening between the two women. The snide remarks and backhanded compliments were all too familiar to her. "But I've known all along that Relena is a fighter. Even if she doesn't believe in violence."

Relena was thankful for the assist, although another accolade wasn't exactly what she was looking for. She looked down at her food feeling a little embarrassed.

"I was partly my fault," Ainsley seemed to retreat a little. "I came into the negotiations rather headstrong and I should have realized, given her history with Romefeller and OZ, she has no tolerance for heavy handed tactics."

She paused for a moment.

"Or perhaps, it's just something special about me," Ainsley said as her gaze returned to Relena. "Do you find me irksome, Relena?"

Relena was taken aback by such a direct line of attack.

"No, not at all," Relena just barely managed to say.

It wasn't that Heero wasn't paying attention or that he wasn't aware of the little war of manners and words that was being contested at the table. In fact, he found it all quite amusing. But he saw no need for him to step in on Relena's behalf given how thoroughly she had defeated Ainsley in the boardroom earlier in the day. He had complete confidence in her ability to manoeuvre and he figured he would only be in the way.

He found himself merely observing. He admired Relena as she fought her little skirmish and found it quite cute when Ainsley managed to fluster her. But he noticed something unusual while he sat there silently. He noticed some people a few tables away that didn't quite fit in with the rest of the crowd.

Mae Hong Son, Thailand

Vincent heard murmuring coming from within. Clearly the Merchant and Wolfgang were having another one of their private meetings that had become prevalent as of late. Something about this made Vincent angry. He hated being left out of the loop, he hated being treated like the help. But there was little he could do in his current circumstance other than suck it up. He was a wanted fugitive and there were no other big players in town. Plus, the Merchant promised that he would have his chance at Heero Yuy when the time was right. He took a deep breath and steadied his nerves before knocking on the door.

"Come in," he heard the old man say.

He opened the door and stepped into the room. The Merchant's private office was on the top floor of the villa. It was spacious, open, and severe. The Merchant and Wolfgang were sitting on the couches in the far corner of the room near the window. Both men had a drink in their hand while the Merchant puffed on a cigar.

"What is it?" The Merchant asked in his usual jovial manner.

"Kerestina and the boy are requesting extraction. They need a boat. They say it's too risky to try and return by plane," Vincent reported Kerestina's words.

"Fine, go find them a boat," the Merchant said.

"I thought you'd be more angry," Vincent said sounding rather surprised.

"Well, I would've preferred if they did the job more quietly," the Merchant said. "But I think the right people got the message."

Vincent didn't reply. The serenity in the Merchant's disposition caught him off guard.

"Off you go now," the Merchant said dismissively.

Vincent instinctively furrowed his brow. He caught his tongue just as he was about to say something insolent. Instead he merely forced a smile and silently exited the Merchant's office.

"If I were you, I'd be more careful of that boy," Wolfgang said after Vincent had slammed the door on his way out. "You can only keep a wild animal caged for so long."

"I'm aware, I just need him to stay put for a little while longer," the Merchant said as he took a sip of his whiskey. "Plus I've got a little present for him, to make up for all the boredom I've made him suffer the last few months."

"Why is it always the ones with talent that are the hardest to satisfy," Wolfgang mused.

"Are you referring to my little Rottweiler or your Poodle?" The Merchant asked.

Wolfgang turned in his chair and stared out the window. She was sitting there beside the pool alone in her teal bathing suit, a large sun hat, and sunglasses. Stacy had not said anything to him when he confronted her the previous night but she didn't have to. Her wordless expression of disgust let him know exactly what she felt.

"She'll be fine, give her some time," Wolfgang said with an exasperated sigh. "She'll come around."

"And you think I have a problem I'm not taking seriously," the Merchant remarked jovially.

"Stella is resilient, she will move on," Wolfgang said. "Campana on the other hand… was a little shit."

"He moved money for us," the Merchant said. "We still need that."

"Accountants are a dime a dozen," Wolfgang commented absently as he continued staring at Stacy.

"And what of our noblemen friend?" The Merchant asked. "The warlords on the outskirts of society are great for now but they'll run out of money or be crushed by the World Government sooner or later. If we truly want to make this more than a hobby, we'll need the Aristocracy to back us."

"I'm well aware," Wolfgang said. "I must admit I was might been wrong about Rinus. He seemed so solid when he was working for Dermail. But perhaps some people were just never meant to lead."

"But of course this has always been our dynamic hasn't it, Relena?" Ainsley asked.

Relena merely took a sip of her champagne.

"I do well in debate club and she comes roaring back with some brilliant foolhardy retort." Ainsley looked at Hilde. "I score the match goal in field hockey and she nearly throws me off my horse during polo next season, isn't that right?"

"You were just as competitive with me, as I was with you," Relena said.

"Quite right, perhaps we never quite grow beyond our high school fascinations," Ainsley said as she turned again and shot a knowing look towards Heero.

He wasn't sure how much Ainsley knew about him. She had already graduated the year he showed up at St. Gabriel for those brief but crucial few weeks at the start of his war. He surmised that because of the manner of his departure, everyone within those rarefied circles must have at least heard the rumours about the supposed Gundam Pilot that fought a pitched battle outside the school grounds and saved Relena from a collapsing building. Ainsley seemed too clever to have not connected the dots.

"I disagree," Heero finally spoke up. "We are constantly growing and changing as individuals, or at least the best of us do. I was a soldier during the war. I fought on all sides. I have killed more people than I can count. If I am still the person I was three years ago, I wouldn't be worthy of Relena."

There was a stunned silence at the table.

"Perhaps I am still not, but I'm trying," Heero continued. "I have to believe that I can and will be one day. She gives me hope."

Heero looked over at Relena. He could see the tears welling up in corners of her eyes and the loving smile that accompanied them.

"I think she gives everyone hope," Heero said.

Slowly, Ainsley began to clap.

"Well said, Mr. Yuy. Well said," Ainsley said as she turned to Relena. "I can see why you like him."

While Relena and Ainsley shot nasty glares at each other, Heero tapped Hilde's knee under the table. She turned to look at him but saw a serious look in his eye. She looked down at her knee and saw the light of his phone and a message that read; meet me around the corner near the bathrooms in five minutes.

Ravensthorpe Castle, Northamptonshire

Dinner was a stuffy affair, even by her standards. Or perhaps it was the uneasy familiarity of it all that Mareen found so tiresome. It was also strange to be sitting around the table of her in-laws without Robert there supporting her. Not that they were rude. The Darlians were far too well-bred for that. Even still, despite the years they had spent together as a family, despite the countless dinners and soirées she had attended at this very house, Mareen never felt quite accepted.

But forces beyond their control and a common cause drew Mareen and her in-laws together. And she could almost forget about their strained history, for as much as they differed, they both loved and cared deeply for Relena. They had to marshal all of their resources if they were to save her from the reckless decisions of youth and the undignified young man that had so stolen her heart. Beatrice and Stella were admittedly quite impressed that she had managed to snag the Prince of Wales and perhaps it was this fact alone that restrained any old tensions from simmering up to the surface during dinner.

But they had strategized all day and Mareen was just about all talked out by the time of dinner. Luckily, beyond a few terse comments, Arthur, Beatrice's husband and Mareen's father-in-law, seemed completely uninterested in their schemes and thus the subject was dropped.

After dinner, Mareen excused herself from her in-laws and snuck into the small library where the ladies had sat and discussed their plans all afternoon. She was alone in there. She needed that. Mareen sat by the fireplace for a little while, letting the dry heat of the flames caress her cheeks. Everything about this placed reminded her of him. Her beloved husband. The love of her life.

A single tear ran down her cheek.

She stood up, remembering how she and Robert used to leave each other little notes in the books when they came here. He was such a romantic in those days. How simple their lives were. In a way, she had been supremely lucky to find a man so loving and good when so many of the men in the Aristocracy were congenitally callow, cold, and self-serving. And if Robert had become harsh and distant in his later years, it was only because of the immense pressure of Alliance politics and precarious position that Dermail had put him in.

It took her a few minutes to find a book she whose spine was familiar to her. La Vita Nuova, by Dante. Her mind conjured up his sweet voice as she lay in his arms all those years ago, as he read aloud those first precious words.

In that part of the book of my memory before the which is little that can be read, there is a heading, saying, Incipit Vita Nova.

Here begins a new life.

How bittersweet those words were to her now. She flipped to the middle of the book where they had left handwritten letters in envelopes. To her surprise, they were no longer there.

"You won't find them."

Startled, Mareen turned around to find Beatrice standing by the door. Her eyes stared at Mareen with a perfect expression of pity and annoyance.

"After Robert passed, I collected them and put them in an album," Beatrice said, voice softening as if letting go of some long held tension. "You can have it, if you like."

Beatrice moved gracefully to one of the bookshelves and pull down a leather bound folio and brought it over to Mareen.

"I didn't think you knew," Mareen said as she accepted the bound volume from Beatrice. "He said he didn't tell anyone."

"Oh, he didn't tell me," Beatrice said. "But did you really think you two could keep it a secret from me?"

"You read them?" Mareen asked.

"Not all of them," Beatrice said. "But they were sweet. You made him happy. I suppose I should thank you for that."

She sat down on the couch beside Mareen and stared absently at the fireplace.

"You gave him 15 wonderful years," Beatrice continued. "And I have to admit he was at his best when he was with you."

"I was always under the impression that you didn't like me very much," Mareen said softly.

"Well that's a little dramatic," Beatrice said with a chuckle. "It is true that when Robert said that he had met a girl at the Romefeller Court, I wasn't quite expecting some unknown heiress from the backwoods of Normandy."

Mareen said nothing. She merely looked down at the gold engraved lettering. The Collected Letters of Robert and Mareen Darlian.

"Still, you were up to the task," Beatrice said as she turned and smiled at her daughter-in-law. "And for that I am grateful."

Mareen again said nothing and forced a smile.

"It's getting late, I'm turning in," Beatrice as she stood up and headed towards the door.

"Good night," Mareen managed to say in a clear voice.

"Good night, my dear."

As soon as the door closed, Mareen released the tension in her body and collapsed onto the couch. She clenched the album close to her chest. Her breathing was heavy and erratic, tears ran down her cheeks, as the memory of her husband came flooding back.

Etterbeek, Brussels

"Yes! Yes! Just like that!"

She panted and howled like a wild animal as she slammed her hips down onto him. She wasn't gentle. But he could take it. He was a god damn Gundam Pilot right?

"Ohh fuck yeah! Baby, you're gonna make me cum!" Hope growled.

Duo's hands gripped her hips as they violently bucked against him. He was surprised at her enthusiasm. She had been absent and listless all day, the last thing he had expected from her was this lustful passion.

"Ahhh!" She came the moment he did. Whether by chance or her raw aggression, she did not know. Or did she care. All she wanted was for him to fill her up. He did so, magnificently.

As her post-orgasmic euphoria faded, she collapsed onto his chest. She remained silently for a while as their heavy breathing synchronized into one harmonious rhythm. Duo, sensing that tiny portion of herself that was vulnerable, so subtle and insignificant, that she hoped he would not notice, wrapped his arms around her and began to run her sweat drenched back gently.

"Are you okay?" Duo asked cautiously.

If she meant to say I'm fine, in a confident casual way, trying to mask the pain of the loss of her brother once again, Duo's gentle caresses and the warmth of his chest would not allow her to do so. Instead she simply nodded her head, dragging stray strands of her brunette hair against his chest.

"Are you sure?" Duo asked again, even softer this time.

"I just can't stop thinking about… today." Hope couldn't even bring herself to say the words.

"Hey, it's going to be okay, he's going to be okay" Duo said reassuringly.

"Do you think they'll kill him?" Hope asked.

"Not a chance."

"How can you be so sure?" Hoped asked as she lifted her head to look at him.

"Experience."

"Huh?"

Duo stared into the girls expectant eyes, still foggy from her recent tears. He could tell that she needed reassurance. Anything would do. He thought about it for a minute.

"During the war," he began. "I was once captured by OZ. I was fully expecting to die. After they tortured me for information of course. Heero broke into the facility where I was being held. He came to kill me. To be honest, I kinda already knew what he was there for the moment I saw his face."

"And?" Hope asked, revealing in her voice a desperate need for him to say what she could already infer.

"He didn't do it," Duo answered.

"That's surprising," Hope said as she put her head back down on his chest.

"Surprised the hell out of me too," Duo said. "Point being, if they were going to kill him, they would've killed him in that moment like they did to Campana. Besides, your brother… He's got some moves. It would be a mistake to kill such a talented guy."

"Duo…" Hope said as she pushed herself off his chest and looked at him.

"Yeah?" Duo replied.

"Thank you… for being here." Her voice trembled. "For putting up with me."

"Hey, no problem!" Duo tried to brush it off as was his custom.

"No, I mean it…"

Her eyes revealed a sense of vulnerability in that moment that Duo had seen her instinctively try to hide. She wasn't hiding it anymore. At first the look confused him, but then he realized what it was. And it scared him. He wasn't who she thought he was. But it was too late and before he could react, she descended upon him, her lips to his. This kiss was different from the others, halfway between passion and surrender. How could he refuse? A softness enveloped him as all his reservations and hang ups melted away. He wrapped his arms around and pulled her close. He may not be the legend she imagined him to be, he probably wasn't the man she thought he was.

But for the first time in a long time, he felt as though he could be better.

She was stunned silent for a moment as she stood over the body of a man that, for all she knew, was dead. Naturally, Heero stood there in his usual inscrutable silence and waited for Hilde to process what she was witnessing. In his brief time among mere mortals, he had learned to at least give them a few fleeting moments to absorb what he instinctively seemed unfazed by.

"Oh my god?!" Hilde exclaimed.

"Did you finish basic training when you joined OZ?" Heero asked, evidently having run out of his patience for her the moment her shock morphed into a verbal expression.

"What did you do to him!?" Hilde continued, her eyes still darting all over looking for any signs of life.

"Do you know how to use this?" Heero said as he held out a gun.

Hilde's attention turned towards the gun, her eyes jumped up to meet Heero's. Again, his expression revealed nothing.

"What the fuck?" Hilde's voice was trapped somewhere between exasperation and anger. "What's going on?"

"Do you see the two men in grey suits in the far corner?" Heero asked with the slightest gesture of his chin over his shoulder.

Hilde focused on her breathing just enough to calm her down and look behind Heero. There were indeed two men looking in their general direction.

"Yeah, what about them?" Hilde asked as her breathing slowly started returning to normal.

"Look at the front entrance, do you see the guy pretending to talk on his cellphone?" Heero asked.

"Yes," Hilde said, forcing herself to calm down and pay attention.

Heero was asking for her help, without as many words, and she needed to step up.

"Something's not right," Heero said. "Those men, this guy. They're out of place. I think they are here for Relena."

Hilde peaked around the corner and surveyed the restaurant. There were guests of all ages, admittedly all apparently wealthy, dining and conversing. It all seemed so ordinary. Now she couldn't unsee the men in grey suits that Heero had pointed out. They weren't talking to each other and they definitely kept eyeing their table. Heero was right.

"What do you want me to do?" Hilde asked, stiffening her voice.

"Take this, keep it ready," Heero said as he placed a gun in her hand. "Go back to the table. Act normal. Give yourself five minutes. Then grab Relena and go to the bathroom."

"What are you going to do?" Hilde asked.

"I count twelve of them. That's too many to take on directly," Heero said. "I need to be able to outflank them."

Hilde slid the gun into the breast pocket of her blazer, and without another word, made her way back to the table. She sat down quietly, hoping that neither Relena or Ainsley, but more importantly, the men that Heero had pointed out, noticed her. She discreetly looked about to try to figure out where they were in relation to the table. She wondered if she stood Relena up, if she could even get her to the bathroom in one piece.

"I'm sorry, where are my manners, here I am blabbering on and on," Ainsley said. "So Hilde, how do you know the Vice-Foreign Minister?'

Relena and Hilde look at each other for a moment, wondering if it was proper to say where and how they had encountered each other for the first time.

"Well, we met on battleship Libra," Hilde said after seemingly getting the go ahead from Relena.

"Oh my, how dramatic," Ainsley said as she leaned forward.

"It sounds that way, but it really wasn't," Hilde said nervously.

"The circumstances of the meeting were extraordinary I admit, I was there to try to convince my brother to stop his madness and she was there trying to sabotage his plans… But the meeting itself was rather… normal," Relena said as she looked over to Hilde as if silently asking if that's how she remembered it as well.

"We just sort of… ran into each other," Hilde confirmed.

Hilde faded into the background once again as Relena and Ainsley continued to bicker. She found herself constantly staring at the men who Heero had pointed out as she mentally tried to count down five minutes. She wondered if they knew that she knew. She checked her phone again and again, each minute seemingly ticking away slower than the last. She concentrated on her breathing and tried to keep her heart rate down. She estimated the distance between their table and the bathrooms.

She checked her phone once again. Five minutes was up. She put her hand gently on Relena's.

"I need to use the bathroom, Relena," Hilde said awkwardly. "Would you like to join me?"

Kerestina sat by the open window, staring out towards the glimmering waves of the sea and enjoying the gentle caress of the midnight air against her face. She took a drag of her cigarette and slowly exhaled, letting the wind gently carry it away. She was in a daze, somewhere between awake and asleep, her mind empty of the guilt she felt earlier and the rage that had been induced in her by Vincent. She was at peace. And it seemed that increasingly it was only in these brief moments of solitude in the middle of the night that she could find it.

"Still awake?" She heard Tristan voice from within the darkness of the room.

"I don't sleep that much," Kerestina answered calmly without averting her gaze, as if she knew all along that he would say those words.

She heard him rise out of bed with a wince and stagger his way to the table. The swallowing of the pain medication and the subsequent gulps of beer to wash it down were also both quite audible.

"Our ride?" Tristan asked.

Kerestina turned her head silently towards Tristan and simply nodded.

"Tomorrow, a local fisherman will take us to meet a frigate in the middle of the Mediterranean," Kerestina answered.

"So that's it then," Tristan said. "We're home free."

"We'll never be home," Kerestina said with a hint of a laugh. "You understand that right? After yesterday, you will be hunted for the rest of your life. You will live the rest of your days always looking behind your back."

"Doesn't bother me."

"You're an idiot."

"If you hate it so much, why do you do this?" Tristan asked, suddenly sounding very irritable.

"It's what I'm good at," Kerestina said as she let the smoke billow out of her nostrils.

"There are plenty of soldiers out there. The government issued a general pardon to all combatants after the Armistice," Tristan said. "Why didn't you take it?"

"Why didn't you?" Kerestina asked, absently, as if completely uninterested in any answer he could give.

"I did… But then I realized what it meant for me," Tristan answered anyway.

"And what's that?"

"Obscurity, a lack of purpose," Tristan said. "To live anonymously, without glory, without honour, to die in an endless wasteland of peace."

"Tacitus, nice." Kerestina remarked. She couldn't decide if she was impressed by his education, he obviously came from some money, or if he was an idiot for throwing it all away in some vain quest for glory. "You're smarter than you look. Or rather, you're smarter than you act. You could've probably made yourself in this new world if you tried."

"I could say the same for you, beautiful girl with a badass front kick," Tristan said. "What's your deal? Why are you so fucked up?"

"Who says I am?" Kerestina asked simply.

"No one who does this isn't," Tristan said as he took another swig of his beer. "You've got history with Vincent."

"Good work, Sherlock."

"You guys…" Tristan finished his question simply by making a couple of kissing noises.

Kerestina gave him the finger.

"So what happened?" Tristan asked. "Couple of psychopath mercenaries couldn't make it work?"

"I'll tell you when you're older," Kerestina replied to his mockery in kind.

"I don't see what you see in him, he's an asshole," Tristan said.

"No arguments here."

"Then what?" Tristan pressed.

"Look, I've seen your file and I'm sure you're a hell of a pilot, probably better than you are with your fists, but…" Kerestina considered her words carefully. "You haven't seen him fly."

"Is he some kind of ace?" Tristan asked.

"He was the original pilot of the Wing Gundam," Kerestina said.

Tristan paused. For the first time since he had met Vincent, his attitude seemed to make sense.

"What happened?" Tristan finally managed to ask.

"Hell if I know, he's not exactly the talk through your feelings type," Kerestina said.

"So you like him because he's a good pilot," Tristan said.

Kerestina merely shrugged.

"Who the fuck knows anymore." Kerestina took another drag of her cigarette.

"Stay inside until I tell you," Hilde said as she shoved Relena into the bathroom stall.

Hilde then turned around, pressed her back against the stall door, pulled out her gun, and aimed at the door. Relena, shocked and confused, immediately banged on the stall door and demanded to know what was going on. For the moment, Hilde decided she had to ignore her friend's pleas and focus. Her decision proved right as just a few seconds later the door opened and one of the men Heero had pointed out came in.

They stood looking at each other in silence for a moment, all the while Relena banged on the door. Astonished and quite taken by surprise, the man stood frozen like a statue. Hilde furrowed her brow and tried to pull the trigger. But she hesitated. And noticing the reluctance, the man charged her and grabbed her by the wrist and pinned her against the stall door, scaring Relena on the other side. The man put his hand around Hilde's throat and began to squeeze. She felt her vision shrink as she lost air. Remembering just enough of her basic hand to hand training, she wrapped her arms around the man's choking arm relieving just enough pressure for her vision to return and by sheer instinct swung her legs up and drove her heels deep into the man's stomach, causing him to release his choke and stumble back.

It didn't take long for the man to recover. He lunged at her again. But this time Hilde had had enough. She put a bullet right in between the man's eyes, dropping him dead on the spot.

The deafening bang of the gunshot, took Relena by surprise. The ensuing silence filled her with dread. It took her a few minutes before she had worked up the courage to open the stall door. She found Hilde, collapsed on the ground, still gripping the gun so tight that her knuckles turned white. She saw the dead man, in a pool of his own blood and his brain matter slowly dripping down the surface of the bathroom door.

Seeing the shock in her friend's eyes, Relena knelt down beside her and gently placed her hand on top of Hilde's and slowly pushed the gun down. Hilde slowly turned to look at Relena with horror in her eyes. Hilde's breathing began to pick up and suddenly Relena could feel the panic in her friend. She instinctively wrapped her arms around Hilde and brought her close. It was all that she could think to do in that moment. Relena too suddenly felt the weight of the moment and her eyes began to well up with tears. They said nothing. There was nothing to say. Hilde had taken a man's life to save Relena's.

They heard a knock on the door and Hilde immediately aimed the gun at the door again.

"It's Heero."

A wave of relief washed over both of them as he opened the door slowly. He saw the dead man, he saw Relena cradling a shellshocked Hilde. And for the first time, Hilde saw Heero's expression soften. He knelt down, with Relena's help, and slowly got Hilde back to her feet.

"I've… I've never shot anyone before," Hilde stuttered.

"You saved my life," Relena said.

Heero nodded in agreement.

"Thank you," he said sternly, but earnestly as he stared deep into Hilde's eyes. "And I'm sorry."

The couple gave Hilde another few moments to calm down.

"Are you okay?" Heero asked.

Steeling herself, for she knew that they weren't out of danger yet, Hilde looked up at Heero with renewed determination, "yes."

"Good," Heero said. "Follow me."

The two girls, obeyed Heero's instructions and followed close behind. Out in the hallway, Relena and Hilde saw that the restaurant was in utter panic now. They noticed the two other bodies that had been dropped just short of the bathroom, presumably by Heero. He had to yell at the two dazed girls to get their attention and told them to keep moving. Heero shielded Relena as they tried their best to avoid the kitchen staff as they made their way towards an emergency exit in the back of the restaurant. Hilde followed close behind and covered their backs. As soon as they reached the exit, Heero opened the door and let the two women out. Heero turned to Hilde.

"Stay with her, keep her safe," Heero said.

"What are you doing?" Relena asked as a sudden burst of panic took over her voice.

"Ainsley is still in there," Heero said. "I need to get her out."

Relena and Heero stared at each other for a few moments as she conjured up the courage to let him go. She knew he would be fine. She knew that the man could handle himself. She knew that he was the most dangerous man alive. Knowing did nothing to quell her fears. Yet this is who he was. This was the man she fell in love with. And she knew deep down that she had to let him go.

She gave him the nod.

He nodded back.

And he was gone.

Time seemed to slow down and the distant muffled sound of voices seem to fade ever further and further into the background as he made his way out of the lobby and into the front of the hotel, where he could just make out the yellow of the police tape and that endless sea of cameras and onlookers beyond. He hadn't been on autopilot like this in a while and it was a strange feeling to revisit. Perhaps, he just wasn't used to others watching him work.

He had his gun in his hand aiming at the men that marched in front of him, their hands up and pressed against the back of their heads just as he had been taught so many eons ago. That was how you secured prisoners.

There was a weight on his arm as Ainsley clung to him like a child to a parent. It was a hindrance to his mobility but given that he had disarmed his prisoners and killed the others, he could afford the girl that comfort. He heard her whimper thank you thank you thank you, repeatedly all the way out.

Slowly, she was separated from him by a SWAT team member as they exited the lobby of the hotel into the street. They were soon surrounded by men in black uniforms and assault rifles. Heero had never been so happy to see the police before. Gladly, he obeyed their instructions to drop his weapon and put his hands up.

His senses only seemed to return to him, when he was uncuffed, half an hour later. Time seemed to return to normal and his outer body experience finally faded. The police had interviewed him and Heero had given his statement. And if they had not seen with their own eyes from the street through the hotel's window, they would not have believed his account. Twelve men total, six dead, three incapacitated, the rest surrendered and were taken prisoner. No civilian casualties.

He sat there at the edge of the ambulance for a while thinking about the men he had just killed. He remembered what he had promised Mariemaia and Relena three years ago. Surprisingly, he wasn't conflicted about what he had done. It was necessary. He was just sad. And he was sorry that he had put Hilde in that situation.

"Heero Yuy," her voice came ringing through the ambient sounds of sirens, police, and news crews.

He looked up at her. Gone was her shining brilliance, that aura of invincibility, that dauntless sense of self-assurance that seemed to comprise the whole of her being. She had a look in her eyes. One that he had never seen before. He saw something, something human.

"I know who you are now," Ainsley said as she hoisted her blanket over her shoulders, she still visibly shaking.

Heero merely look at her and said nothing.

"There's no mistake," Ainsley said, her voice, low and exhausted. Vulnerable.

Again, Heero said nothing.

"Why don't you tell the world?" Ainsley asked.

Yet again, he said nothing.

Ainsley closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. "Thank you."