Disclaimer: I am merely borrowing the personalities, names and surroundings of Gundam for this story and none of them are originally mine. (I wish!)
A/N: This is the part you've been waiting for! The eighth chapter of the Never Forgotten Saga. It has been exactly 21 days since you heard from me. Sorry for the delay. I've been real busy. I had to finsih a book, start my new series and finishing the eighth chapter of my story here. So enjoy and reply and wait for my next chapter.
Part 1 - Never Forgotten
Part 2 - The Dream
Part 3 - Silent Voices
Part 4 - Sign Of An Angel
Part 5 - Heero's Pistol
Part 6 - Relena's Loyalty
Part 7 - A Warning
He Loves You Not
By Hot Head
The rain beat on Heero's head making him dizzy, though he kept going. It was too dark to see and the freezing rain paralyzed him from time to time. The wind was fierce and the thunder roared loudly. Although Heero couldn't see or function properly, he knew where he was going and he was going to get Relena back for good. He looked at his watch as he ran, splashing in the deep puddles on the street, but it had already stopped at eleven-twenty.
Agitated and determined, he took off his soaked jacket and dropped it somewhere on the sidewalk, for it was weighing him down. He thought he could do without but as he continued he could feel the cold, sharp pain pressing against his chest. But that didn't matter. All he wanted was to Relena. He wanted to feel her warm, welcoming embrace, the gentle smile she always gave him and her love that kept him safe.
Heero had never received love, friendship and appreciation from anyone but Relena; not from Doctor J, the other pilots, not even Seung cared about him that much. He felt abysmal that he always pushed her away because he was unsure what she was doing and unsure of what he was feeling. All this would change, he decided. He was going to be honest with himself and brave enough to overcome his fear of commitment and trust.
The heavy shower of rain was bringing him down. The more he moved on, the harder it became. He fought with nature but sadly, lost. He knelt on the ground and held his arm tightly, for it was still bleeding. The loss of blood and the pouring rain made him sick and weary. Lying on the ground once more, he saw a pair of lights heading toward him.
~
Relena had woken up to another strang feeling in a strange place she remembered was Seung's. She felt like something wasn't right, as if Seung wasn't telling the whole truth about anything. Uncomfortable from the bed and her strange feelings, she got up slowly, still feeling a sharp pain in her stomach and now in her chest and legs. Minute by minute, she could actually feel herself dying slowly but surely.
Relena stood on her feet limping slightly to all corners of the rooms turning on Seung's many lamps. Then the room slowly got brighter but more awkward. When the dreary room was lit, she could see photos of every size covering the walls like wallpaper but these portraits were different than most photo that would be hung. They were all of Heero. They were pictures of Heero walking down the street, going to work, one of him eating in a diner, and much more. Relena gasped and relized what this girl, Seung has been doing for the past three years.
The wind knocked on the window and sounds of footsteps grew louder and closer. She carefully leapt onto the bed and closed her eyes as if nothing ever happened. Then she heard the door open and outbursts of regret and anger as she heard the lamps, one by one, click off. She cringed.
~
"Heero, wake up." he heard a faint voice say.
He opened his eyes and first examined his arm, drenched in red blood and then looked over at Trowa who seemed to be holding him up. Heero gave him an exhausted look and could feel more blood draining out of his body. With most the strength he had left, he lifted himself from Trowa's arms and took quick glances at the four other young men who stared at him curiously and pitifully. He bowed his head and brushed the wet hair off his forehead.
The car was supposedly moving but, to him it was floating. His head hurt so much that everything had begun to spin and became a big blur. He peered over at his arm again and Quatre looked like he was putting a clean bandage on it. Heero sighed and sat back, closing and opening his eyes lazily. At the same time, Trowa and Wufei sat in dismay, worried for their colleague and friend as Duo tapped Heero gently trying to talk to him; trying to keep him awake.
"Hey, buddy. How ya doing?"
Heero took a deep breath and nodded, telling him he was alright.
"You sure buddy?"
He noded again. He was becoming exhausted.
"Were going to the hospital to get your arm fixed. Okay, buddy?"
Suddenly, Heero sprang up, knocking Quatre away and pressing his bad arm against the seat, and held in a scream. He shook his head violently while Quatre and Duo tried to relax him and get him lay back.
"Heero, I know that you never give up what you're set on doing and all but if you lose some more blood you might not make it--"
"Relena!", Heero interupted.
"What?", Duo asked in amazement.
Heero gulped and managed to say, "I have to get Relena or she'll die."
"What?! Would Seung really kill her?"
"Seung is too cowardice to kill anyone, that's why," he paused and caught his breath." the head of the Resistance, Barton, discharged her."
"Then what do you mean?"
"When I was trying to bring Relena to the hospital," he paused again, struggling to speak." she told me that not only her legs hurt. That everything hurt. She looked pale and she was hold her stomach as if she had a stomach virus. Her eyes were wandering everywhere--"
"Hold on! What happened? What happened before we found you the first time?" Wufei demanded to know.
Heero took a deep breath, closed his eyes in pain and said," She was trying to save me. I was crossing the intersection. It was hard for me to walk. I heard Relena and told her to go home and then, " his voice began to fade. " then a truck slightly missed me when Relena pushed me out of the way. I hit the sidewalk by the park and my arm was peirced by a metal spike of the park fence and broke it on impact with the sidewalk."
"What happened to Relena?" Duo asked.
"She was under the truck, that hit other cars. When she prevented myself from being hit by it, I suppose the truck hit her legs and she was knocked under it."
"She broke anything?"
"One of her legs."
"Okay, back to when you went to the hospital?"
"Seung shot Relena twice and ran with her." he paused and seemed to regain his strength. "I have to go. Relena needs help."
"But what was the thing you were talking about with her stomach and everything."
"Relena has a deadly illness.
"She's sick? Is there a cure?
"Yes."
"What? What is it?"
"A drug."
"I see."
"I carry the drug in my pocket, just in case, but up to this day it's being tested. Seung probably spotted the illness already and is taking it to her advantage."
"What will happened to her if she takes it?"
Heero, annoyed by Duo's endless string of questions, replied, "Bad things."
"Who's been testing the drug?"
"Duo, I'm leaving."
"Just answer me."
"Colonists. Now I have to leave"
"Oh, good."
"Good?
"Yes, very good indeed."
"How?"
"Well, you see, colonist are born in space, well most of them. They are exposed to a light that acts as a sun and the radiation from Space's atmosphere, from ships and shuttles and other stuff. The air there isn't natural like here. It is made for them or transported from Earth. So, they can and might reacted differently, mostly negetively, to the drugs that Earthlings might take. And Earthling will react differently too."
For a moment, Heero was astonished by Duo explanation but got back to his senses and said, "I'll keep that in mind." He turned to Quatre's driver, who lowered the window that divided the front and rear of the car. " Drop me here, infront of this theatre."
"Right away, sir." the driver said, intimidated.
"And Quatre don't try and stop me." Heero said, just as Quatre started to speak.
He slammed the door behide him and waited for the car to disappear down the street and ran toward the shabby apartment building across the street.
~
Relena opened her eyes after awhile and saw Seung standing by the window, smiling. Relena raised an eyebrow. Curious and fully awake now, she sat up, quickly examining the room. The room was dim again with all the lamps off and a hanging light blub as the only source of light. The photos were hidden in the shadow and Seung began to pace happily. The wind kept banging against the window as it was coated will rain. From the corner of her eye, Seung glanced at her.
"Ah. Regina, I see you're awake." Seung said.
"It's Relena.", Relena corrected.
"Whatever, but do you want to know why I'm so happy."
"No, I want to go home."
"Too bad, I'm telling you."
"Your "knight in shining armor" is just downstairs. Oh should I say knight is wet blood."
"Heero? Here?I knew he'd come for me!"
"But he won't get to be with you long."
"What?"
"You have a few hours to live, to put it simply."
"But I feel fine." she hissed, feeling nothing but a mere headache.
"Sure. Now you do, but later on as your dying at your last hour, you're going to feel worse than hell."
"How can you take this so lightly?"
"Three years of pratice. I can live through disappointing and depressing moments very well."
"When I die" she paused and relized what she was saying. "Why I am gone, you're going to feel guility, murderer."
"No, I won't. You are dying of nature causes. I never layed a finger on you."
"You witch."
"Oh, I'm hurt." Seung said sarcastically.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Haven't I explained it to you already? You're a burden to me. You caused me pain and suffering and to lose my Heero. Now I'm going to have him and he's finally going to relize who he really loves."
"He'll never love you."
"And you think he'll loves you or ever did love you? I'm sorry because he didn't. He only protected you to protect the fate of the world. You are just a mission to him and nothing more, nothing less. That's why he is always pushing you; pushing you away from him."
"But--"
"He hates you for all I know. You caused many mishaps in his missions. Stupid, civilian, you hurt his pride and made him weak."
"I didn't do anything to hurt him."
"That's what you think. In fact, you think too much, you know. You think he care about you. You think he is coming for you but you are wrong."
"Liar! How could he not--"
"That's how the world work, Relena. You can't change him. He'll always be the same, think the same, and act the same."
"Change him? Why would I? I never wanted to change him."
"You wanted to change him so he'd fit into your world. You changed him to love you."
"But--"
"Face it, He doesn't care about you. He care about completing his missions and you are just a civilan who is the prime objective of his mission. That's all. Nothing more, nothing less. He doesn't care about anyone; not even Odin, or Doctor J. Well, except for me. I know how he thinks and what he'll do. After he gets you back to where ever you belong, he'll forget about you and brush you away. Do you know why he is always appearing and disappearing constantly?"
"Why" she weeped.
"Because he wants to get away from you. Do you think he wants to waste his time on simple casualities? No. He doesn't. He doesn't care about you, Relena. He doesn't want to love you."
"Stop it! Stop it! he does care, I know it.." Relena drowned herself in her own tears as Seung chuckled.
Could all she said true? That Heero never cared about her and considered her only as a mission to complete? No, it couldn't be. He cared for her. He cared because he saved her whenever she was in trouble while on the other hand, he could of let her to die. It was all a lie. Yes, it was all a lie. But she couldn't help but wonder.
~
It was good to be inside where it was warm, dry and alone. Heero took off his drenched shirt to reveal his traditional undershirt that was half-damp, half-dry. He dried his hair in the drenched shirt. After a minute or so, he climbed up the stairs, tossing the wet, blood stained shirt behide him. He stopped in the lobby where an overweight policeofficer was minding and sleeping in the front desk. Obviously, he hadn't seen Seung or Relena pass by. Impatiently, he tapped the man on the shoulder.
"What! What is it!" the policeofficer demanded angrily.
"I want to know where Seung... Seung..." Heero paused and tried to remember her last name." Liu. Do you know where Seung Lui lives around here?"
"Wait a sec, bud." the man said, typing the data into the computer next to him. "She lives in apartment three-o-nine on the third floor."
Heero noded and walked toward the elevator when the man called after him.
"Hey, you, kid! Whatchu want from her, eh? Who are you?"
"I'm just getting something I left in her apartment."
"Oh, I see. Go on, kid."
He went into the elevator to the third floor and searched for Seung's apartment. He walked down the halls with his hand in his pocket, holding the capsual of the drug. As he passed, three-one-five and three-one-seven, he wondered if Relena could ever forgive him for leaving her; leaving her when she needed him mentally; leaving her because he was ashamed of loving another.
Finally, he stopped at three-one-nine. He heard crying and yelling that disturbed him. I'm coming Relena, I'm coming, he said to himself and rang the doorbell