Disclaimer: I don't own GW, and I'm getting nothing but a kick and a head ache from this, so there is no need to SUE. Seems like that is what everyone is turning to nowadays. . .

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Wings of Last Impression

Part 5

"Heero," she quietly uttered.

"This is the same yard owned by Duo Maxwell, right?" his voice cut across her thoughts. "Yes, it is," Relena said, looking into the orbs of confusion.

"I was wondering if anyone was home since no one was in the yard," Heero said, staring down at her.

"Right, I'll get Duo out there soon, sorry," Relena said, turning away to hide the brimming eyes.

Heero stood there for a moment as the door shut in his face. Did he know this woman? He shook his head, and walked down the steps towards the backyard. Relena let out a huge sigh as she walked back to the kitchen, seeing Hilde feeding Duo. She smiled a bit and cleared her throat. The two looked at her and smiled sheepishly.

"You have a customer waiting for you in the backyard, Duo," Relena said, sitting down at the table.

"Okay, back to business, I suppose," Duo said, winking at the two ladies.

Hilde patted Duo playfully as he walked past her and through the door, getting up herself.

"Hey, Relena, I'm gonna go shop for some food. Would you like to come along?"

"No, thanks, Hilde, I'll just lay low for now," Relena said, her mind occupied by the earlier event.

"Alright, if you say so. Do you want anything in particular? After all, you are staying here with us," Hilde said, rummaging in the fridge.

"I haven't had any turtles for a while, if it isn't any trouble to you, Hilde," Relena said. "Turtles?!"

Relena had to laugh at this, "Yes, turtles. No, not the live ones that kick and snap, but it's a chocolate confection, very good, I might add. I'll pay you back for it once you get back," she said.

"No, no need. I'll do my very best in obtaining your turtles, Miss Relena," Hilde said teasingly.

Relena smiled as Hilde walked through the door, leaving her alone. Suddenly, the vidcom on the wall crackled and hissed. Duo's face appeared as his eyes searched for Hilde. "Hilde!" Duo nearly shouted.

"GAH!!" Relena yelled, startled out of her mind.

"DUO!! Must you be so loud? Nearly scared me half to death!"

"Sorry, Relena. Where's Hilde?"

"She went to the store a few minutes ago to buy some food," Relena said.

"Oh," Duo said, biting his lower lip, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Could you do me a favor, Relena?"

"What is it?"

"I need you to get me the auto-form that's in my office. . . I sorta forgot it as I saw who the customer was," Duo said.

"Typical," Relena said under her breath.

"Hey, I heard that!"

"Hehe, sorry, Duo. Sure, I'll be there in a few," Relena said, biting into the last of her sandwich.

"Okay, thanks a lot, Relena!" Relena sighed, not sure what she would find in Duo's office.

She thought it'd be way too messy beyond recognition, but she was surprised as she stepped into a little room titled "Duo Maxwell-Yard Shipper & Salvager." More like Duo Maxwell-A-Class Nutcase. She snickered as she made her way through the very clean and very organized office. She glanced briefly at the photos on his desk and grabbed the gray metal clipboard. She held it to her chest as she opened the door to the back yard. Relena saw Duo's black clad figure nearly at the end of the yard.

There standing beside him was Heero, or rather, Odin Lowe, Jr., Relena thought bitterly. Fighting the urge to fling the board down and running back into the house, she forced herself forward towards Duo.

"Relena, over here!" Duo shouted and waved a hand.

Relena cringed as Heero turned around, his Prussian eyes shooting through her. Step by step, she reached them. Relena stood there while the two talked about mecha parts. Relena soon grew tired of it as she cleared her throat. Duo looked at her blankly, then placing one hand over his head.

"Sorry, forgot about the form-" Duo's watch beeped and showed the image of another man, older than him with graying hair.

Duo spoke heatedly into his watch before he turned to the two, who were watching him. Duo took Relena by the arm, walking away a few feet from Heero.

"The big man just asked to see me, and I can't refuse to see him. So could you wrap up this transaction? Please, Relena!! I don't wanna leave this undone. . . and I know it'll kill you inside. . ."

"Duo, you talk too much," Relena said as Duo explained to her what to do.

She sighed and stalked towards Heero.

"Th~anks!" Duo sang out, rushing into the house.

Here goes nothing, Relena thought.

"Sorry for that, Duo was called away on some important business. Anyhow, just sign here and I'll check the credits. Then you'll receive a statement as soon as you reach your destination," Relena said in her delegate voice.

Heero just stared at her, wondering why his heart was contracting at an abnormal rate. He began seeing doubles of everything, and the yard suddenly began to spin around him.

"He-Odin," Relena said after seeing his face, "is everything alright?"

"Y-Yeah," Heero said, his chest heaving.

"Alright, if you say so," Relena said, handing him the clipboard.

For that lone second, their hands met and brushed each other lightly. 'I-I know that touch. . .' Heero thought as he clasped the board with his right hand, falling forward.

"Heero!" Relena shouted, her arms shooting forward to support the man falling before her.

The staggering weight of Heero forced Relena on her knees as he slumped forward, his arms thrown carelessly over her shoulders. His body was shaking and breaking out with sweat as Relena buried her face in Heero's hair. She cradled his head and rocked back and forth. "Relena! Duo!" Hilde's voice rang through the house. "I forgot my credit book-" "HILDE~!!!!" Relena shouted as loud as she could. Hilde followed Relena's voice outside and gasped at what her eyes saw.

Without a second thought, Hilde ran to where Relena and Heero were.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. One minute I was handing him the auto-form to sign. . . the next. . . he collapsed," Relena said.

"Let's try and get him into the house, then we'll call a doctor," Hilde said, taking Heero's right arm and flung it across her shoulders.

A few minutes later, the two women slowly made their way towards the house. Many minutes later, they placed Heero on the sofa, Hilde running out to retrieve a blanket. She put it over him as soon as she got back.

"Watch him, and holler if anything changes!" Hilde said, running into the kitchen to call a doctor, no doubt. Relena sat close to Heero, her eyes taking his fragile form in. She reached for his hand, but pulled back by fright. Heero groaned in his sleep, still shivering.

"Heero," Relena whispered quietly.

Again, Relena's hand advanced forward, clasping his hand shakily. Heero's breathing calmed down a bit, and Relena led her hand and his to her face, crying silently again. 'What happened to you, Heero?' In all her years of knowing Heero, this has never happened! Heero was the strong one, always the one to lead, always the one with the soft touch. Relena closed her eyes.

'What's happened to me?' Heero thought silently in his mind. He found himself walking in a dead forest, fog swirling and swallowing his legs. Heero looked about him warily, and came across a man of thirty or forty. The man walked towards him, his eyes staring straight ahead. "Son, you must do as you are told," the man said, "it's important we finish this mission! Understood!?"

Heero thought wildly to himself, "What mission?" He pushed the man away and kept walking ahead.

"Are you lost, mister?" a girl's voice asked him. Heero whirled around to face a young girl in a white dress, holding a leash and a yellow flower.

"Are you lost, mister? I'm not, I'm here with my dog, Mary," she said.

"I've been lost since I was born," Heero heard a familiar voice say.

"Here," the little girl said, placing the yellow flower in his hands and being dragged away by her dog.

'AHHH! I know her, also!! What's this supposed to mean?!" he shouted mentally and the mist and forest faded into blackness. Heero felt his sides burn with pain, and closed his eyes tightly. He opened them again, only to stare into the wondering blue eyes of a beautiful girl.

"The ambulance will be here soon," she said. He struggled out of her arms and raced up, his hands covering his face.

'Why am I doing this?' he thought as he stared at the bewildered girl. 'She couldn't be more than fifteen.' The ocean view and sand spun around him, forcing him to clutch his head. He bent his body under the agony and pain.

"Heeeeeeeeeero," a voice shouted to him over and over. "Come and get me!"

Heero woke with a start, sweat beads on his forehead. 'A nightmare,' he thought, breathing heavily. Something warm held onto his hand, and he looked at the one holding his hand. 'It's the same face I dreamt about,' Heero thought. 'I know that touch from somewhere.' He clenched his teeth as he forced himself to remember.

"Remember what?!" Heero said angrily, startling Relena from her nap.

"You're awake!" Relena said. She noticed that she was holding his hand, and let go hastily as she blushed.

Heero looked at his hand that she held, and wondered why he felt the way he did when she let go. Heero looked into Relena's eyes, startled at the pools of emotions he saw. The front door slammed shut as shuffling feet raced towards them. An elderly man with a white coat and a black handbag was accompanied by Hilde. Relena quickly got up and removed the chair, letting the doctor do his job. Hilde and Relena retreated to the kitchen as they heard the protests from Heero. Hilde busied herself by making some hot chocolate.

"Would you like some?" Hilde asked as soon as she was finished.

"Yeah," Relena said absently.

"What happened between you and Heero?" Hilde asked as she set her cup down.

"It was as if my touch poisoned him," Relena said, remembering the fallen face.

"What do you mean?"

"As I handed Heero-I mean Odin-the board to sign, our hands met. . . and he collapsed."

"You're not blaming this on yourself, are you?!"

"NO! I'm not! But I'm just wondering what had happened to him the last year and a half. What has the world done to him?" she asked quietly.

"Oi!! What's this black car doing in our driveway?" Duo asked as soon as he walked through the kitchen. He fell silent as he saw the looks on Relena and Hilde's face.

"What happened? How'd the transaction go?"

"It was never finished. . ." Relena said.

"Where'd Heero go!?" Duo asked wildly.

"He's in the living room, getting checked by a doctor," Hilde said.

"What happened to him?" Duo asked curiously. Relena told him the event and Duo smacked himself. He then walked away and into the living room to check up on Heero himself. "This day has been too much. . ." Relena said, shaking her head.

"What about Montel? Weren't you supposed to meet him for dinner tonight?"

"Oh, I forgot all about him!" she said, slapping herself lightly. "He promised me. . . and I won't forgive myself if I missed it. I'll just take a little nap. . . please wake me up at six if you don't see me come down around that time, okay?" Hilde absently nodded her head as her eyes followed Relena up the stairs.

"Maybe it was a bad idea to let her come here," Hilde said aloud.

"Ahem," Duo said. "Duo!" Hilde said, startled out of her thoughts.

"The doctor said that Heero shouldn't be moving anywhere or going any place soon in the next two months. Seems like Heero fucked up his internal system, and the doctor was able to trace it back to at least a year ago. Heero's resting right now so we shouldn't worry about him wondering off. Damn it, Heero," Duo hissed, his fist hitting the counter. Hilde wasn't able to say anything but shake her head.

'Poor Relena.'

~~~~~

I'm sorry-no, I'm not sorry-if the charas are OOCky. Please e-mail if you have any comments or flames.