Afterthoughts (Chapter 4)

Chapter 4: Complications

Heero's mind raced. Vixen? She keptWing Zero? And repaired it? He had thought it was too far gone to see another day. That Christmas Eve... he had sworn not to fight anymore, because he didn't have to. He thought it was over. Why had she held onto the Gundams? He looked at her slim form that sat in the corner.

She felt like she was being watched, so she lifted her head. Her eyes met his momentarily before she ducked her head back down.

He allowed his gaze to wander back to Zero. Zero... it's been almost another year. I never thought I'd see Vixen again, much less you... Yet here we are.

Vixen looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He was doing it again, staring up at Wing Zero like they were having some sort of conversation. She turned her head a bit and caught a glimpse of Solo. Why did I keep you? Bother to fix you, preserve you? Why did I ever bother calling someone to fix the pack for you in the first place? Is it because...she fixed her gaze on Heero again. I wanted to see him again? Or was it just that I...she let her head drop. I was scared........

"Vixen."

He was calling her. Not harshly, like he would have before. Gently, but firmly. She raised her head slightly.

As he approached her, he saw her face lift and her shining eyes gaze toward him. Suddenly, he felt a responsibility to protect her. But from what?Shaking it off, he proceeded to tell her what he had decided. "Vixen," he said as he neared her, "listen to me now. These," he gestured to the Gundams, "have to be destroyed. Without anyone's knowledge. And now."

Destroy Solo? and Zero?Why couldn't she just accept it? She didn't say or do anything, just stared at him helplessly.

He felt it again, but threw it aside. No response. What had he done before when he got no response? Be harsher, Heero. "Vixen, listen. We are going to destroy these. Now."

She gave a start. Standing, she bristled. Her defenses once again raised, she resorted to what she knew how to do best, arguing. "No. I kept them, they're mine. Just get out."

For once, Heero was stunned. He didn't know what to say. "But, Vixen..."

"NO!" she shouted. Her eyes glistened with tears that she bravely fought to control. "Just... just get out," she said again, turning her back to him and successfully stopping herself from crying. All at once, she felt a strong hand on her shoulder. Surprised, she drew her breath in sharply.

"Vixen. We are going now. Both of us, to find someone. He'll know of a way to get something we can transport these with," he said. He turned her to him and steadied her with both hands. "Let's go."

He looked into her eyes, and she could see a sincerity that she never would have guessed was in him. She caved. "... O... okay."

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Heero breathed in and out twice before knocking on the door.

"Hang on!!" came a muffled reply from behind the door. There was the sound of scuffling, then a THUD. "Dammit!" The exclamation was just as indistinct. The door opened slowly to reveal none other than Duo Maxwell, rubbing his elbow.

"Well, what do you- hey!" Duo said, recognizing his visitor. "Heero! Never thought I'd see you coming to my door voluntarily!!" Peeking around Heero, he did a double take. "WHAT?Uh, Heero, you DO know WHO is behind you, don't you?!"

Heero nodded. "You remember Vixen."

Duo gawked. "Um, uh, yea," he stammered, unsure of what to say.

Vixen kept quiet. She didn't even know why Heero had dragged her here. What could this guydo? She remembered him, vaguely. It was the braid, mostly.

Regaining himself, Duo brought around the point quickly. "So, you wanna come in or what?" he asked, shifting his main focus back to Heero, since Vixen didn't seem to be saying anything.

Heero asked his question straight out. "No, I'm not here to hang out with you or anything. You can do that by yourself on your own time. I need a truck. A big one, and I need it now."

As odd as the favor was, Duo sensed that he shouldn't ask many questions. "Sure, fine. Lemme check with Miss Know-it-All and I bet I can arrange for you to leave here and go straight to pick it up." He turned his back on the visitors for a moment and shouted up the stairs. "HEY! HILDE!" The girl came thundering down the steps, bottle of nail polish in one hand and the other hand slowly drying. "What?" she asked irritably. Noticing her visitors, her attitude changed. "Um, Heero! And... Vixen, isn't it? How are you both?" In a lower voice, she continued her conversation with Duo. "What are they doing here?!" "They need a truck, babe. For transporting something pretty big, apparently. Can ya do something?" Hilde ran to the phone as Duo chatted with the uninterested Heero and the silent Vixen. In a few minutes, she returned, whispered something to Duo, smiled politely at her visitors, then hurried back upstairs to continue her grooming. Duo grinned. "Boy, are you lucky. I got you the truck, go get it. You sure came to the right guy for help!"

Heero grunted, though he was appreciative. "Thanks, I guess, but you may want to give Hilde a little credit. All you seemed to do was bore me. Later, Maxwell," he said, turning and walking down the steps.

Wordlessly, Vixen turned and followed. Once they were out of sight of Duo and his house, she began to speak. "Do you really want to go through with this?" she asked. She received no answer. She resumed being silent as they strode along, the day fading.

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They had taken the truck back to her house and silently and swiftly loaded the massive machines onto it. Since they had both once been masters at sneaking around, no one noticed them. She had wondered where they would take them, but could not get any answers out of him. Once preparations were finished, he got in the driver's seat and they drove away.

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As he drove through the starlit night, he looked down occasionally at her sleeping figure. He knew he didn't have to take them so far away, but he would take no chances. Taking a deep breath and reassuring himself that it was all for the best, he continued toward their destination. When day broke, they were an hour from where they were going. He let her keep sleeping, she must have been exhausted. They arrived at the remote desert area late the next afternoon, and he gently shook her. "Vixen, come on. We're here."

Groggily, Vixen sat up. "What?" she asked, still half asleep.

"We are going to destroy the last two Gundams now," Heero said, knowing that those words would wake her completely.

His knowledge proved correct. Immediately she sat up straight and opened the passenger door. Jumping to the ground from the high step, she began to help him remove the straps and cloth that covered the Mobile Suits. Not many hours later, Solo and Zero stood on the sand.

"I hooked up a detonation device to each so we can destroy them from a safe distance," Heero said to her. He received no answer, not even a look. She was staring at Solo intensely, not phased, not even blinking.

I don't want to...Tears began to form in her eyes. I can't do it.She took off running for Solo.

"Vixen!" he shouted, starting after her. Her slight figure proved quicker than his build, however, and she reached Solo's cockpit before he could stop her.

Jumping in, she resumed her familiar place as a fighter. She took hold of the well-known controls and brought Solo to it's full height, looming over Heero. Looking down at the small figure, she realized that he still held the detonation switch for her Gundam. He could destroy it now and be done with it.

He knew his options. Destroy Solo and kill the girl. Do nothing and be destroyed himself. What would he have done a year ago? He wouldn't have given it a second thought, his mission was not to be destroyed. No matter the casualties, no matter if it was someone he knew, someone he cared about. But now...

Her voice came from the cockpit.

"Heero! If you don't stop me right now I'm going to have to kill you. I know that you want to destroy these Gundams, and you are in my way." She was talking with a ferocity in her voice that was almost unthinkable for someone as sweet as she was, he thought.

She watched his movements carefully, knowing that a certain one meant death for her.

Suddenly, the detonation device lay on the ground next to him. "I'm not going to kill you, Vixen," he said.

Tears brimmed over, her grip on the controls was released. Solo slumped, and the door to the cockpit opened. Heero stood in front of her as Solo fell to the desert sand.

As he pulled her from the cockpit, she was crying.

"I... I just couldn't beat it!" she choked out between sobs. "If anything ever happens again... I couldn't sit back and watch! If Solo was gone... I'd have no way to help and..." she trailed off and her sobs subsided as his arms wrapped around her. As he held her, she felt a safety that she never had before. Not ever during her years of fighting, not when her parents had protected her as a child. Not even when the war had ended and she had thought it was all over for good. It was a completely new kind of feeling, she was protected. She lifted her head and looked into his face.

He gazed down at her, more sincere than he had ever been in his life. "Vixen," he said softly, gently, kindly. "It won't happen again. We're safe now..." he brought his face closer to hers. "You're safe now..." And he kissed her.

She savored the gentle touch she had always imagined he'd have. Fierce and tough on the outside, kind and gentle on the inside. Just like she had to be. Now she could really be herself... he'd seen the real Vixen, and she had seen the real Heero. She could feel the real Heero now, the past was gone, done with, over.

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The soft explosion broke the silence of the desert air, and they were gone for good.

Goodbye, Solo. I'll miss you.She bade her final farewell to her partner and moved closer to Heero.

Farewell again, Zero. Thank you.He wrapped his arm around her waist, they walked slowly away from the sunset, to go back home. Now he knew where his home was, not Earth, not the colonies, but protecting those he loved and cared for, protecting what he believed in. His home had been found at last.

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((*END CHAPTER 4*))

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((*END AFTERTHOUGHT*))
*THANKS FOR READING*
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