PART SIX

"Sayonara, Heero"

Heero cursed softly to himself and jerked away from a very dissapointed Duo, yanking his cell phone out of his pocket and flipping it open at his ear. "Moshimoshi?" He listened intently to the voice on the other side of the line while Duo propped himself up on his elbows and watched curiously.

"Ne, Heero, who is it?"

The Japanese boy held up a silencing finger and talked into the phone, a worried frown creasing his face. "You're sure? You searched for the bodies?" He listended again, then nodded, concern lighting in his eyes. "All right, I'll get there as soon as possible. Emma is okay, right? She's not injured?"

Duo started. //Emma? I thought Heero was anything but straight...//

Heero nodded emphatically. "Hai. Ja ne." He closed the cell phone and stood, making to leave the room.

"Matte, Heero!" Duo launched himself from the couch and grabbed the other boy's arm, holding on to it firmly. "Where the hell are you going?"

"Business."

"What the -- I thought you worked at an orphanage! You were talking about-- about bodies!"

Heero nodded. "Hai, I do work at an orphanage. Emma's foster parents were killed in a fire. I'm going to go get her; she probably doesn't even realize what's happened."

The American glared at him suspiciously. "Who's Emma?"

The other boy smirked. "She's five years old, Duo. Hardly competetion. I'll be back with her as soon as I can. The red tape may take a while."

Duo sighed and picked up something from the floor. "Well, at least take a jacket. I can't believe you're still wearing that spandex thing in the dead of winter..."

Heero glanced back at him gratefully and allowed the American to help him into the jacket. "I'll keep in touch." He pulled Duo in for a long, sweet kiss, then turned and left, giving his hand a quick squeeze before he let go.

"Sayonara, Heero..."

*~*~*One week later...*~*~*

//Dear Duo...

Things are taking a little longer than expected; I'm trying to go for the whole way with Emma :: Adoption. She is the sweetest little girl you've ever seen; I think I mentioned her in a letter to you. I only expect the procedures to take at most a week more, though; I do still have some contacts, you know. Not to mention my own hacking skills. Damned red tape... I could swear this damn competence trial has been going on for days already...oh, wait, it has.

I don't know what they can find wrong with me. They tell me that I am not capable of rearing a child; that I'm too young and too emotionless. They don't think they can trust a little girl to the care of a war veteran; that I'll somehow scar her for life with my ideas and memories of the war she so barely escaped being caught up in. She WAS caught up in it. Her parents were OZ pilots. I know what you're thinking, but it's not true. She was too young to be indoctrinated in their ideals; I assure you that she is her own person and no one elses.

Are you doing allright? How's Wufei? I'm sorry this is all taking so long; I truly didn't expect it to. But then, you know the beauracracy. They're all like Relena, believing that they're all so perfect in their perfect worlds, and not noticing the discprepancies and faults of them and their peers. Not noticing that the people they govern and 'protect' are dying because of their protector's ignorance of the way life really is.

Because life is not perfect, no matter how much they try to make it. Life hurts; life itself is pain. The only way to make it bearable is to rise above the pain, as I've done, and as I know you've done. Live for now, live for today, live for life. To make yourself better than those who beleive they are the best.

This girl has also risen above the pain. She was strong when she was informed of her original parents' death, and I know she will try to be strong when she realizes what has happened to her foster parents, but I have to be there for her. Just as I will always be there for you. I hope you can grow to love her as I do both you and her.

I do love you, you know.

~Heero Yuy~//

Heero pressed the send button on his laptop, and then slid the slim machine back into it's case dangling from his shoulder. He heard light running footsteps behind him and turned around to see a small girl hurtle herself towards him.

"Heero-sama!" A ball of auburn-haired energy sprang into his arms and gazed up at him with glistening green eyes. "They said you were coming, but I didn't believe them... cause they said my new mommy and daddy were coming, too, but they didn't come...so I thought you weren't gonna come...and I was scared...and it hurt...and...and..."

Heero lay a quieting finger on the little girl's lips and hugged her close to him, witholding his own tears as he realized that he was going to have to be the one to tell her about the fire. "Your new parents won't be coming to get you again, sweetie..."

Her lower lip trembled and she buried her face in his chest. "They're dead, too, aren't they?" She whispered in a tiny voice.

Heero nodded, not wanting to lie to her. She burst into tears, and Heero stood, still holding her in his arms, gently comforting her, then turned and walked into the next room where the justice of the peace was waiting. He wiped away the moisture on his cheeks before looking up and sitting down, allowing Emma to remain on his lap.

The tall man before him cleared his throat uncomfortably at witnessing such an emotional scene, the slid a sheaf of papers across his desk and pointed to a single line at the bottom of the last page. "Sign here."

Heero signed.

TBC