Seeking

It was mid afternoon when Heero forced himself to his feet, despite his stiffness and the pain of his injuries. He just couldn't remain as he was, laying on his stomach in the bed, one second more. It felt far too vulnerable a position, his body tense, unable to completely relax. Heero's life up until now had been one of action, near constant activity. Remaining still with nothing to occupy his mind made Heero feel restless and uneasy.

Relena had been with him for most of the morning, just sitting on the floor near his face, a smile almost always playing on her lips as she spoke to him. Heero found he welcomed her presence, even though he didn't understand the emotions and sensations she seemed to stir in him. He'd been unable to stop thinking about how her lips had felt against his, and the electricity that had sparked through his entire body at such a simple touch.

A part of Heero very much wanted to try again, he wanted to know if that reaction was a fluke. Or was that intense sensation something to experience time and time again? After a moment of logical thought, he quickly supposed it must be. During his time observing people within the city, he had witnessed more than one set of people exchange such connections, but not enough of them for a kiss to be a common greeting.

Sitting on the edge of the mattress, Heero took hold of the loose drawstrings of his pants and drew them taunt before tying them together. He felt the pressure of the waistband against the wound on his back, but it was something he could easily ignore. Keeping more of his weight on his left leg, Heero pushed himself to his feet, managing to suppress a groan as he did so.

Carefully, Heero eased a little of his weight onto his right leg, and while he could feel a deeper ache in the back of his thigh, he was pleased to see the limb would hold him. Heero shifted his right foot a bit in front of him, taking a cautious limping step, before he slowly made his way towards the door. He stopped on the threshold for a brief moment, hands at his sides as he glanced up and down the hallway.

Hearing the sound of water running from further down the hall, Heero knew that was Relena. She'd been reluctant to leave him when Sally had come into the room and insisted that she really should take a bit of time for herself, and clean up. Heero had been shocked to discover he was equally reluctant to see her leave.

It made no sense to him that he should feel anything towards Relena. Certainly she had helped him, and he had protected her with his own body, but how did any of that actually lead to her stirring emotions in him, emotions he hadn't known were there? Those feelings rose up within Heero at just the thought of Relena's open eyes and beautiful smile. And he found his eyes looking towards the sound of the shower, wanting to see her face again.

Heero felt his heart rate climb at the thought of Relena, to the point where he could feel his pulse in the wounds on his body. Tearing his eyes away from the closed bathroom door, Heero looked down the hall towards the main part of the cottage and took a step towards it. Passing a piece of art hung on the wall, Heero caught sight of his hollow reflection in the glass, and stared for a moment at himself.

What was this he was experiencing? He didn't have names for these feelings that she stirred in him, and he couldn't help but wonder if he should be distrustful of them. Perhaps he needed to build walls against them, as he'd learned to do from his training, protect himself from what could be a costly distraction.

Strangely, Heero felt his heart clench at the thought of forcing himself to shut Relena out, and that reaction sent a cold shiver down his spine. It was a sensation he knew all too well; it was fear. He may have learned to master his fear as a small child, but that didn't mean he couldn't still feel it. Heero stared at his reflection, seeing sharp angles and hard lines, eyeing the weapon they'd crafted.

Suddenly Heero's eyes focused beyond his image, to the picture displayed within the frame. It was a photo of Sally and Wufei, and Heero found himself leaning a little closer as he took the image in. The two of them stood arms around each other, near a evergreen tree that had been brought indoors and hung with lights and ornaments. The tree made Heero wonder, and a spark of memory flashed through his mind.

Tiny hands held the angel tightly as he felt himself leave the ground. He stretched out short little arms, towards the top of the tree, placing the angel in its proper place, as hands clapped with delight...

Heero gasped, stepping back from the picture on a good leg that now felt unsteady, and he looked away from the photo. Where had that memory come from? He couldn't help but wonder. Heero thought, felt, there might have been a time when he remembered more than he did now. Perhaps back to a time before he was what OZ had created. But Heero wasn't sure that was something he wanted to be remembering, there was a reason he'd shut it away in the first place.

He made to take another step down the hall when his eyes caught sight of another photo that hung near the first. He took a moment to read the expressions he saw there. Wufei and Sally both looked relaxed, although Wufei's expression appeared slightly pained, Heero could only assume from the strange red and white hat Sally was placing on his head.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sally's voice asked, with evident alarm as she came into view further down the hall.

"Looking at the picture," Heero replied, though he felt certain that should have been obvious. Then he wondered if he wasn't supposed to look or acknowledge the photos, but he couldn't see another point to hanging them at all, if they weren't meant to be shared.

Sally huffed a soft breath as she came closer, "I can see that," she said, voice a little sarcastic. "What are you doing out of bed?" she demanded, for obvious clarification.

"Can't stay there forever," he told her bluntly.

"You need to give yourself time to heal," she said pointedly. Heero glanced her way. He saw her arms fold beneath her breasts, and she planted her feet as if preparing for a fight.

Heero gave his head a slight shake, looking Sally in the eyes, "I don't have time for that, I need to keep moving." Heero had learned long ago how to push aside pain and continue functioning.

Sally's arms unfolded immediately at his words and spread the width of the hall, as though he'd tried to push past her. "You aren't going anywhere as you are right now," she said adamantly.

"The risk in remaining is too great," he said levelly. Surely after what he'd told her in the car, this woman could understand why he couldn't, or more importantly, shouldn't, remain with them. Heero's heart clenched at the thought of leaving, and not seeing Relena again. Those protective barriers popped to mind again, and he wondered if he shouldn't reconsider their construction. Or, he supposed he could merely consider this ache as another form of pain, and simply thrust it aside like the rest.

…

Dark eyes glanced down at the screen of his phone, as the seemingly lone man regarded the pulsing dot overlaid on the map. He was coming ever closer to the target's location. Knowing he was no match to bring the boy back himself, he didn't bother glancing at the support trailing an inconspicuous distance behind.

Looking up from the phone's screen to the empty field he was currently cutting across, the man's eyes glanced at the swift flowing river that butted against the far edge of the fallow field. The signal he'd been tracking had come to rest just on the edge of the river bank, it seemed.

Slipping his phone away briefly, he climbed the fence and dropped down to the bank on the other side. He wasn't expecting to find a body floating face down in the water, that would have supremely disappointing. None of them were eager to restart this process from the beginning, not when they'd made such advancements with the current subject. So it came as no surprise when he saw a plastic water bottle bobbing in the crook of a tree branch jutting from out of the river.

He gestured subtly with his right hand to the men watching, before bending to retrieve the bottle. Glancing at the contents he could see a pair of bloodied blue surgical gloves, which no doubt held the tracking device. So 01 had figured it out, and managed to remove it. This one was by far their most clever creation, though they could certainly have stood to keep a better hold of him.

Still, the man smirked as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and brought up the map again. Selecting a small side menu on the tracking software, the map suddenly zoomed out showing a continuous line of the path the tracking device had taken over the last twenty-four hours. He pinched and zoomed the map, easily able to tell where 01 had stopped for rest.

Swiping up from the bottom of the screen, the man pulled up his contacts and dialled back to base. As much as he might want to proceed immediately, he knew he needed to report in first, so plans could be put into place. It was high time they brought 01's little holiday to an end.

…

They drove down the winding country road in an unmarked black car, shadows of the setting sun casting a strobe effect through the corner of Dorothy's right eye. She regretted not insisting from the start that she be the one to drive, as it seemed her partner was determined to follow the exact speed limit. She was positive it was all—even this far out from their target—a subconscious act to appear 'normal' so nothing would draw attention to their mission.

Dorothy made a sound in the back of her throat as she cast a seething look Alex's way, before leaning towards him to get an eye on the speedometer. This was ridiculous. They were simply the vanguard for this mission, but if Alex didn't pick up the pace, they'd be the last to arrive. "Do you honestly thing he's somehow watching the road?" she finally demanded, unable to contain her frustration any further.

Alex jerked in his seat at her harsh tone, casting a quick glance her was before he had the decency to sheepishly accelerate the car. "You know better than I do what he's capable of," Alex said, his tone defensive.

Tossing long blond hair over her shoulder with a frustrated sigh, Dorothy refocused her attention on the road ahead. This wasn't supposed to have happened, 01 wasn't supposed to break ranks. Perhaps he'd been allowed too much independence throughout his training. Dorothy's lips compressed into a line at the thought of what had been done to create this tool. She believed in what OZ was doing, even if she found their methods distasteful.

She touched her left ear, and Dorothy spoke in low tones. "Distance to drop point?" she asked.

"We're about two minutes out," a masculine voice spoke through her com-link.

"I want a tight perimeter established around the cottage," she said firmly, even though she knew it didn't need to be stated. They'd all been briefed before the start of this mission, and they all understood what was at stake.

…

Heero lowered himself slowly down onto the mattress with a frustrated breath. He didn't want to be back in bed, but was unable to deny his exhaustion either. Relena knelt before him, untying the laces of his shoes, and the light from the setting sun spilling through the mostly closed curtains caused her hair to look auburn. It spilled loosely over her shoulder, for a moment shielding her face from Heero's view.

His hand moved of its own accord towards those loose golden strands, and before he'd given it any real thought, he was trailing callused fingers through the silky length. Relena's head came up as she untied his second shoe, and a smile lit her face. It wasn't a carefree expression, Heero could recognize a tightness around her eyes.

She was worried, but whether it was about him, or their current situation, Heero wasn't sure. He'd tried to impress upon them the danger they were in, and that it would be safest for all of them if he'd simply left. Heero's heart constricted traitorously at the thought, and he tried to crush down those unfamiliar feelings. He'd been taught to be hard, distant, and unfeeling, but as he stared into those concerned aqua eyes, Heero just couldn't seem to force that back on himself.

…

Shadows blanketed the road, as Alex finally pulled the car along the shoulder and shut off the engine. Dorothy leaned forwards a little, pale eyes glancing across the empty country road to the rutted driveway that lead to their destination. All was quiet, idyllic, downright peaceful.

"All teams, check in," she ordered softly, her blue eyes scanned the forest as she slowly got out of the vehicle.

"Alpha, in position."

"Bravo, in position."

"Charlie, in position."

Dorothy nodded to herself in satisfaction, they had the cottage completely surrounded. "Alright," she said, looking to Alex across the roof of the car, "we'll go in as a couple whose car broke down." Her words were blunt, and she knew her mouth twisted in distaste as the very thought of even pretending to be in a relationship with this man.

For his part Alex threw her a flat look. "No one would ever believe we were together, if you don't stop glaring at me like that."

Her features smoothed immediately as Dorothy stepped around the hood of the car. Alex turned towards her with a cautious expression, and a raised eyebrow when she extended her left hand towards him. "Come dear," she said sweetly to him, her eyes flashing, "let's see if these nice people can help us."

Alex accepted her hand with a scowl, but he too smoothed his features before they crossed the street and began their way up the driveway. As they neared the cottage, the trees appearing to part around them to reveal the cozy home. Dorothy felt her lips tip up in a tiny smile to see lights on within.

She didn't bother glancing around at the shadowed forest as they continued towards the front door. Dorothy knew she wasn't going to catch sight of the men out there, keeping a solid perimeter on the house. These men had been well trained and were extremely careful.

…

"Lay down," Relena encouraged softly, as she moved his shoes aside and took hold of the covers she'd tossed down the bed before he'd even sat down.

"We should be moving," he said, despite knowing his insistence wasn't going to get them out the door tonight. Sally had been beyond adamant, and it didn't appear that anyone was willing to argue with the doctor when she put her mind to something, not even Wufei.

Relena placed a hand on his left shoulder, trying to gently guide him towards the pillow. "Tomorrow will be soon enough," she tried to assure him, with a smile.

"You don't know these people," he tried to protest. But he'd done all he could already to impart to them what they were up against, and it hadn't gotten him far. Relena put a little more weight behind her hand pressing on his shoulder. Heero finally relented when their eyes met. He could easily recognize the worry in her eyes, and knew it was worry for him.

"You're right, I don't," she agreed, not breaking eye contact with him, "but I do know you're exhausted, if we have to run, you need to rest first."

Her face was so close to his as she spoke, Heero could feel the touch of her breath against his skin. His eyes darted to her lips, he wanted to feel them again, found himself thinking of that moment they'd shared whenever she was in front of him. Tearing his eyes away from her mouth, Heero looked back into her eyes and noticed a flush of colour had entered Relena's cheeks. His own felt strangely warm to him as he watched her.

Relena nudged his shoulder once last time, before Heero finally made to stretch out on the bed. She lifted the sheets for him as he reluctantly turned to settle once more on his stomach. It was still the only position he could maintain for any length of time without significant pain. He was just about to settle his head on the pillow when he heard a distant pounding on a door.

…

Alex's hand pounded sharply against the front door. "Hello?" he called, his voice containing an obvious note of worry. "Can you help us? Our car broke down..."

They waited together in silence for a moment, before Dorothy released Alex's hand as she strained to hear sounds of movement within the cottage. "All teams, move in," she ordered after a moment, and took a step back from the door. Dorothy withdrew the gun she kept holstered at the small of her back, and saw Alex reaching for his as well.

She and Alex stood as the last line of defence, as the men swept in the surrounded cottage. There was the sound of glass breaking a second before Dorothy heard the explosions of flash bangs tossed into the rooms. Alex threw his shoulder hard against the front door, breaking it open, as Dorothy raised her weapon keeping her stance ready.

"Clear," a voice announced into her ear, quickly followed by another, and another, her eyes narrowed angrily.

"Dammit," Alex hissed, tossing a look back her way, "we're too late."

…

Relena smiled at him as she turned back from glancing towards their locked and bolted motel room door. The sounds of voices drifted off, as whoever had been locked out of their room was finally let back in. Her fingers moved to trail through the hair at his temple. "Relax," she told him softly, "they can't find us here."

Heero stared at her, wondering how she could speak with such confidence when she freely admitted she didn't know who they were up against. One thing Heero knew with absolute certainty, was that they couldn't risk lingering too long in any one place right now. It wouldn't take long for those searching for him to spread out from the cottage.

Shifting slightly on the bed, Heero felt the wound in his left hip flare up, and he could curse for having not caught the tracking device sooner. He knew how much OZ wanted him for their research, and further study. They may not have cared for him beyond the basic needs to keeping him alive, but Heero had worked out his value to them long ago.

He'd let his guard down, and now three people were pulled into this mess. As much as Heero felt he should be moving on his own to protect them, Relena especially, he couldn't be certain that his presence hadn't already contaminated them. Did OZ already know who they were? Would OZ leave them in peace if he were to just slip away? That Heero didn't have answers to those questions bothered him.

Relena switched off the overhead light before moving around the bed. Heero felt her pull back the covers beside him, before sitting down one the edge of the mattress to remove her own shoes. Raising himself up slightly despite the pain, Heero shifted so he was facing Relena as she slowly stretched out beside him.

For a moment they lay there staring into each other's eyes. Evening light illuminated the room with a grey-blue glow, and Heero could see Relena's lips curl upwards in a smile that seemed slightly unsure. Heero just continued to watch her, studying the lines of her face in the dim light. Relena's lips quirked up higher, and she reached out a hand to his temple again, as she brushed bangs from his eyes.

"Sleep," she whispered, and Heero let his eyes fall closed, keeping the last image he saw of her warm smile firmly in his mind as he let himself drift.

…

Heero's eyes opened suddenly, and he felt himself shiver, his arms feeling decidedly cold. Rolling onto his back, Heero's eyes swept the confines of his unfamiliar room. It didn't take much to remember what had brought him here. The memory sent a jolt of adrenaline through his system, and Heero quickly pushed himself up into a sitting position.

Looking to his left, Heero regarded the blanket ensconced bundle beside him. Relena lay on her side facing him. The sheets and blankets of their double bed were nestled tightly around her, so only her face peeked out of the mass of them. Heero had only really been left with enough to cover his feet, and he suspected that was only because they'd been tucked in.

He took a moment to roll shoulders stiff from sleep, and immediately felt the spark of an itch spring to life on his right side. Reaching across his body, Heero stretched his left hand over his right shoulder and trying to scratch at the bandage there. With a soft growl Heero took hold of the back neck of the scrub shirt and hauled the material over his head, before dropping it on his lap.

Heero shivered as gooseflesh sprung up along his torso, and he wondered why the room felt so bloody cold. Clearly it couldn't just be him, if Relena's bundle of blankets was any indication. Those thoughts were quickly pushed from Heero's mind as the itch sprung up again with greater determination, not just in his shoulder but near his waist and the back of his thigh as well. Heero reached for the beside lamp, switching it on with his right hand.

"Mhmmm..." Relena's sleepy voice mumbled, and Heero caught sight of her pulling a little tighter into her cocoon, before her lashes began to flutter as her eyes opened.

"Cold?" he asked curiously.

Relena stretched as much as her blankets would allow, and a sheepish chuckle escaped the bundle she made. "I'm actually a little too warm," she admitted, struggling to free herself.

"Imagine that..." Heero muttered dryly, as he once more twisted towards his right side, trying to take hold of the bandage on his shoulder and peel it back. His fingers found it difficult to get any sort of purchase on the medical tape.

"What are you doing?" Relena asked, her voice sounding decidedly less sleepy as she sat up beside him.

Heero glanced over his bicep, briefly meeting her eyes, as his fingers continued to work. "I need to get the stitches out," he told her simply, the itching gnawed at him, and was a clear sign they'd been in too long.

Relena's hands were there suddenly, trying to stop his. He shivered again at the touch of her skin where it met his, felt cold to him. "Heero, you can't afford to open the wounds now, they've only just begun healing," she told him, her right hand moving to turn his face towards her own.

As his eyes met hers, Heero's fingers halted their attempt to peel up the bandage, and he saw a light of worry in her aqua gaze. A second later both Relena's hands were cupping his cheeks, before her right moved to his forehead. "You're awfully warm," she declared, with some obvious alarm.

"Room feels cold to me," he told her bluntly.

Relena was off the bed in an instant after that, making her way hurriedly towards the door. "Just wait here," she told him firmly, "I'm going to get Sally." She was out the door before Heero had even had a chance to form a protest.

With a sigh, and still unable to pull the bandage free from his shoulder, Heero gave up on that one and looked to his waist. Rubbing back an edge of the tape, Heero got hold of the corner and, without hesitation, tore the covering off the wound. The room door opened a second later, admitting Relena and a rather sleepy looking Sally.

"What do you think you're doing?" the doctor demanded, as she switched on the overhead light for the room. She didn't bother giving Heero a chance to answer as she crossed to his side. "I didn't go through all that work, just to have you pull it out," she told him hotly as she knelt down beside the bed and immediately pulled his hands away from his waist.

Heero didn't try to suppress his sigh of frustration. "It itches."

"Means it's healing," Sally was quick to return, but her voice had lost some of its indignation, as her eyes found what Heero had uncovered. Without warning, hands—colder than Relena's had been—were touching his waist, probing at the stitches there. "That's not possible..." Sally muttered, and her eyes darted up to Heero's face.

He jerked away slightly as the doctor's hands were suddenly cupping his face. She held him fast for a moment, before her left hand released him and twisted to press the back of it to his forehead. "Are they infected?" Relena asked from where she'd come to sit beside Heero on the bed again.

Sally shook her head slightly, her eyes intently studying Heero's face, as he again tried to shake off her cold hands. She finally released him, but didn't move away, rather her attention returned to his waist. "Lay down on your stomach," the doctor ordered, "I'll be right back," and with that she quickly left the room.

Heero didn't immediately move to comply with the order, but looked over to Relena, seeing a great deal of concern in her gaze. He noticed immediately that her lips were pressed into a thin line as she watched him, and her eyes flickered towards the door, clearly impatient for Sally to return. "Do you feel okay?" she asked after a brief moment, those lips tipping up into a worried smile.

Rolling his right shoulder which was still itching, aggravatingly, Heero nodded his head once. "I'm fine," he told her, just as Sally came back into the room. The doctor was carrying her medical bag in hand now, and came up short when she saw him.

"What happened to you following orders?" Sally quipped, motioning with her free hand for him to get moving, before she placed the bag down on the mattress beside him.

With one last look Relena's way, Heero twisted himself on the bed so he could stretch out on his stomach again. He lowered his head down towards his right side on the pillow, wanting to keep Relena in his line of sight. This vantage point also better allowed him to see what Sally was doing. The doctor came to Heero's waist, her hands once more coming to rest near the stitches there, lightly probing.

"Sally, what is going on?" Relena asked, while shifting a little closer to the head of the bed, her right hand coming to rest on top of Heero's.

The doctor reached inside her medical bag and withdrew a pair of scissors, "If I didn't know any better," she began, bringing the pointed tip towards the first stitch, "I'd swear these stitches have been in for more than ten days, possibly going on two weeks." Sally's eyes flickered up to Heero's face as she took hold of the first suture working to pull it free.

Heero stretched his side slightly as the first stitch came away. It felt strange, but was a relief at the same time. Relena's fingers gently squeezed Heero's as Sally continued her careful work. Heero looked up into Relena's eyes as he took a hold of her cooler feeling hand in his own; he appreciated the distraction of her presence as the doctor worked.

"He healed fast?" Relena questioned after a moment, her eyes bright and wide, looking at him as if seeing him for the first time.

"Extremely fast," Sally's voice seemed to correct as she kept working, she'd finished at his waist and moved up to his shoulder. "When they implanted the tracker," she said, peeling aside the bandage with a quick motion, "how long did they leave the stitches in?"

Heero tore his eyes away from Relena's face, to regard the doctor through the corner of his right eye. "About twenty-four hours," he replied, unsure why this seemed a shock to either of them.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Sally demanded as she began working the first stitch free, Heero's shoulder pulled away from the sensation involuntarily, as the suture came free.

"It's noteworthy?" he returned, as his attention flickered from Sally's incredulous face to Relena's shocked expression.

"Human's don't heal this fast," the doctor told him bluntly.

Heero's eyes closed at that statement. He'd known for a long time he was something other than human, but didn't like being reminded of it. At least, he supposed, neither Relena or Sally had looked at him with that cold calculation he'd seen in the eyes of OZ's trainers, and what scientists he'd managed to catch sight of. Their expressions had always seemed just this side of disgust, while also a craving for more from him.

It was Relena's hand coming to rest on his forehead that drew Heero out of his dark thoughts, and brought his attention back to her face. She smiled down at him, and it appeared a sad expression to Heero, before her eyes flickered to Sally, still working at his shoulder. "Could that by why he feels so warm?" she asked.

"Could be," Sally agreed as she worked the last stitch free, "for the body to accelerate healing like this, a natural fever might be a side effect." She straightened for a moment, her eyes considering Heero thoughtfully. "Do you feel anything else?" she asked.

"No," Heero said, feeling slightly guarded under the doctor's considering gaze.

Sally seemed to shake herself from her thoughts. "Alright, now your leg," she said, moving down the bed a little. "Lift your hips," she commanded, her hands going to the back waistband of the blue pants he wore.

Heero did as he was told, lifting his hips off the bed while at the same time reaching for the drawstring of his pants with his left hand to untie it. Sally quickly drew the material down to his knees, and reached for the bandage on the back of his thigh. Settling back on the bed, Heero shifted his attention to Relena, unable to suppress a wince when Sally tore the bandage free.

Relena's eyes were watching him, as though seeing him anew, and Heero wasn't sure if that was a good thing. She hadn't released his hand, her cool fingers still holding tightly to his. Heero found that he wanted that contact, a part of him might even have needed it. He'd answered their questions as best he could, but perhaps this was the first moment that they'd truly seen him for what he was.

Her free hand reached out towards his shoulder blade, slender fingers lightly tracing along the near completely healed scar there. Heero felt himself shiver at the ghosting touch, and he cleared his throat, bringing her eyes back to his face. "I told you I was an experiment..."