Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing

_This chapter is kinda short, but the rest had to wait until later.

Mission of Mercy

Chapter 5 'Heart to heart'

Heero stood stock-still his eyes glued to the girl who'd introduced herself as 'Lena'. It was Relena. Her hair may have been shorter and her skin darkened by the sun, but it was her. The woman to her side was Hilde. As she extended her hand toward him he was unable to move. Thankfully, Quatre wasn't in a stupor like he was.

"Nice to meet you both." Quatre said shaking their hands and winking. "I'm Quatre Rabba Winner."

Heero quickly followed suit as did Duo, but he couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of Relena. She wouldn't look at him though. Her eyes remained anywhere, but on the three of them. He glanced to the side and saw Duo's eyes shining with, what happiness? He still hadn't mastered emotions, but he was pretty sure that was what he saw.

"Well," Hilde said, "we have school tomorrow so we need to turn in." She grabbed hold of Relena's arm and pulled her to her feet.

"Yeah, um nice to meet you guys." Relena said her voice forcefully cheerful.

Heero watched as they both disappeared into the night gloom. His emotions were going crazy and he didn't know what he was feeling. Part of him wanted to run to her and hug her, but another was angry with her for leaving, while yet another just wanted to ignore her completely.

"I don't know where those two came from." Tutain told the three pilots and drew Heero's attention once again. "But this place wouldn't be in as good of shape as it is now if it wasn't for their dedication."

"They teach school?" Duo asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Bulzer answered, "and they do most of the shopping here in town." He laughed and nudged Misty. "Just let me warn you don't get in a fight with Lena. She'd convince a bull that he was a milk cow." He laughed at his own joke and Misty punched them.

"Yeah, they're a God send." Misty said sarcastically. "You know if like practical jokes. Just three days ago while I was showering my clothes mysteriously disappeared." She grinned lopsidedly. "They deny it but I know it was them."

Duo grinned. "That sounds just like ow!" Duo groaned as Heero's elbow found it's way into Duo's side. "Just like me." He finished and sent Heero a glare. "I was going to say 'me'." Duo groaned and clutched his side.

Quatre laughed weakly and excused himself. "Well, I think I'd better turn in too." He said and stretched. He motioned for the others to follow.

"All right." Bulzer said, "but tomorrow we start night watch." They all nodded in agreement and went to their rooms.

Duo was the first to speak when the others were out of earshot. "I can't believe it's her. She's alive. She's been alive all this time." He spoke more to himself than anyone else. "Why didn't they tell us?" He asked this time expecting someone else to answer.

"I've got to talk to her." Heero said his voice low and giving no indication of his emotions.

"Me too." Duo piped up. "I just don't know what I'm going to tell her." Again talking to himself.

Heero didn't offer any guidance, but took off back the way he'd come, Duo close behind him. It didn't take long to reach the rooms each of them stood outside the curtain doors unsure of how to enter.

* * * * Heero+Relena* * * *

Heero pulled the curtain back and swallowed. 'What am I going to say.' He looked into the room and began to think she wasn't there. Then he sensed someone moving in the shadows. He narrowed his eyes and waited for whomever it was to make their move.

"Stop right there."

Heero knew the voice; it was Relena's it wafted from the darkness of the room and to his ears drowning him in her presence.

"I don't know who you are, but my friends always announce themselves."

He heard her shift and he turned to the corner nearest the back wall. He narrowed his eyes again, but couldn't make out anything, but he heard the dull click of a gun being cocked. Things certainly had changed. "It's me." He said hoping his voice was familiar enough to stop her.

"Dammit Heero, you scared me." She voiced from her corner. She quickly struck a match and lit a lamp. She was soon bathed in its false glow. "What are you doing here, in my room I mean."

He looked at the gun between her delicate fingers and back at her face that was covered partially by shadow. "Since when do pacifists carry guns?" He countered.

"Since they are no longer pacifists." She answered dully and put the gun on her dresser. "I don't' know why you came to talk to me, but I'm not going back." She told him defiantly. "And neither is Hilde." She pushed her hair behind her ears and moved her lamp to the center hook hanging form her ceiling. Immediately the room became brighter.

"Why did you leave Relena?" He watched her as she pulled on the end of her ponytail. He watched her with fascination. Some how she had become more beautiful then the last time he'd seen her.

"Don't call me that. That's not who I am any more." She told him angrily. "It's Lena."

He nodded. "Why did you leave 'Lena'?" He said her name mockingly and looked at her with just as much as pissed expression.

"Because I was no longer needed, alright. Just do your job and you'll be out of here in no time." Her sea blue eyes glared at him bitterly. "I found my purpose."

"Why are you avoiding the question?" He asked.

Relena stared at him. "Because you've never made an attempt to make my business yours and I don't think you have the right now." She turned away from him and looked at the wall. Her shadow cast an eerie glow on the wall that danced with the fire in the lamp. "Will you just go." She mumbled. "I don't need you here just go."

Heero stiffened he'd been foolish to think Relena would ever like him. Angry more at himself than her he spat at her hurtfully. "You gave a lot a people false hope and made them rest their dreams on a coward." He saw her shoulders stiffen but she didn't turn to face him again.

"Just get out Heero. Make life easy, do your job and pretend you never met me here."

Heero ignored the urge to tell her he hadn't meant it, but he knew it was too late. He had already let the words escape. Instead he stormed out into the hall and back to his room. 'Never should have believed.'

"I do need you." Relena whispered as Heero's footsteps faded. "I do need you with me." She slowly curled up on her cot and tried to sleep with only her tears to comfort her.

* * * *Duo+Hilde* * * *

Duo watched Heero disappear into the gloom of Relena's room and tried to build his courage. He didn't know if he could face Hilde after he'd believed she was dead for so long. 'What if she rejects me?' He wondered silently. 'What if she doesn't'. Another voice asked. It was the same voice that drove him to pull each and every crazy stunt he had during the war.

Duo swallowed and entered. The lights were still on and Hilde was lying languidly on her cot an arm flung over her green eyes. Her dark black hair had bleached to a golden brown form the African sun and her skin taken on a golden tan with only a few red places around her cheeks and nose, but it was her. "Hilde…" he started, but she stopped him.

"It's Hill, or Hillary." She corrected her arm not leaving her face.

"Hill I-I-…" Duo couldn't stand it. It had hurt so much when he'd thought she was gone. Not even realizing what he was doing he collapsed on her chest his eyes tearing. "I'm so glad you're alive. I never thought I'd see you again." Duo moaned into her neck as he wrapped his arms around her thin waist and pulled her up. "Why didn't you tell me you were alive?" He asked her and pushed her far enough out of reach to look at her. Hilde put her hands on his chest and shoved him back.

"We didn't know anyone thought we were dead." She told him truthfully. "We don't have a TV down here and we barely listen to the radio." Hilde turned away form his pleading violet eyes. "We only found out two months ago, by accident that 'we' were dead."

"Then why did you leave?" He asked desperate for an answer.

"Because I wanted to help people, Duo. I wanted to make up for the mistakes I'd made with OZ." She looked at him for a moment but couldn't hold his gaze. She couldn't tell him that she'd left because of him as well. That just seeing him everyday, at work, wasn't enough, and it had been killing her that he didn't love her.

"Will you come back?" He asked and Hilde missed the hopeful desperation hidden behind the request.

"No, I belong here. I couldn't leave Lena or these people. They truly need me."

Duo wanted to tell her that he needed her too, but stopped himself. "I'll help you as long as I'm here." Duo told her. "Will you at least write me?"

"Of course you baka." Hilde told him playfully. "You were my best friend, after all."

"Not anymore?" He asked giving her a playful pout.

"Nope position has been filled." She told him grinning.

Duo laughed and got to his feet. 'You don't need to tell her now. It can wait.' He told himself and told Hilde bye. As he was leaving he passed by Relena's room and listened to see if Heero was still in there. All he heard were muffled sobs. 'Idiot, can't get past his pride.' Duo seethed and went to his own room. Heero definitely wouldn't' be in the mood to talk.

Forgive me, I know it was short. The next chapter will be longer. Stay tuned.

I know that Hilde and Duo seemed to make up really fast, but Duo is a little more open with his feelings and can admit when he missed her, and Hilde missed Duo as much as he missed him. She's not in denial like Relena is.

Thanks for all the encouragement!