Chp 9
She shut the heavy oak door to her bedroom slowly. All was dark. She stood there for a moment. Then slowly the tears sprung out of her eyes, clinging to her lashes as she slid down the length of the door, sobbing her misery.
She felt a hand on her shoulder. Relena tensed against it for a minute then relaxed. She knew who it belonged to. The person hesitated for barely a second before turning her into his embrace. Heero rubbed her back soothingly as she cried against his shoulder, and listened to her broken whispers.
"I couldn't protect you, I'm sorry. I've failed you." The hand stopped rubbing her back.
"No. Never. You could never fail me."
She pulled away to look at him. She was shocked. Tears lined the rims of his eyes. Some even fell. She wiped them away, frozen to the core. 'Look what they've done,' she thought. 'It's my fault.all my fault.'
"Relena.I leave tomorrow to fight again." He said gently.
"No... Don't go, you might..." she couldn't finish.
He stroked her hair, in a soft, quiet fashion, as if he wanted her last memories of him to be such. He answered her plea.
"It's my way. You keep fighting here, and I'll be fine. As long as you don't give up, I won't. The battle's far from over. You've only suffered one defeat. Keep going."
She knew he was right and a sort of melancholy calm enveloped her, laced with dread for what was to come. "Stay here." She felt him begin to protest but she cut him off before he could start. "Just for the night. It could be the last one I have with you."
Heero smiled gently. And so they lay on her bed, just holding each other, afraid to speak, to shatter what was unfolding. Heero knew Relena was falling asleep. That was ok with him. He didn't want her to cry when he left. He heard her whisper something and leaned it closer to hear.
" I know that when you go, to fight, you'll do it for me. Don't. If you fight for me, then you'll lose."
These words confused him. He was about to ask her what she meant by that, when the sound of deep breathing met his ears. He sighed sadly. She was asleep. Now he had to leave.
He extracted himself from her very carefully so he wouldn't wake her and kissed her forehead, before leaving out the window. He landed on the ground with a soft thump.
"I thought you might be here."
Heero whirled around, gun cocked. There Trowa stood in the half light, arms and legs crossed, leaning nonchalantly against a tree. The leaves rustled in the wind, as a breeze ruffled Heero's tousled hair. He let the gun drop. Trowa looked at him blandly.
"The scientists are working together, which means we'll train at the same base."
"What!?" Heero asked sharply.
"It makes sense. Think about it. There is no need to be separated. We all know about each other and they all know that they've followed through on their mission. Having the bases far apart puts us at a greater risk for discovery by the enemy. And there's no need to be secretive anymore. This time we are not the rebels. We have the full consent of the World Nation to fight. We can learn from each other. So, I figured since I was in town I'd just stop by and we could go there together."
Heero nodded. It made sense. Leave it to Trowa to think things through.
"Then let's go" Heero said "It's a little ways to my car."
Trowa fell in step with Heero, both looking at the ground. Suddenly Trowa's voice punctured the silence that had fallen between them.
"Did you tell her?"
Heero looked at him, confusion evident on his face.
"Ah," Trowa said, reading the expression, "So you haven't figured it out yet. Oh well, you will."
Heero decided not to comment. The rest of the walk to the car was silent.
******
The little devise on the steel door scanned in the fingerprint of Heero's pointer finger.
"Access granted. Please proceed."
With a whoosh the massive doors opened. Heero and Trowa stepped inside.
A familiar voice called to them from on top of an upgraded Deathsythe. "Hey there guys! Thought you'd never get here! Whoa Trowa , man, you've gotten taller!" Duo said and then under his breath, "If that's possible."
Of course he said it loud enough for the rest to hear. Quatre started laughing, while Trowa chuckled good naturedly. Even Wufei laughed. Heero allowed a smile to cross his face. It felt like old times again.
Well.only this time he was enjoying his comrades' company rather than despising it. Dr. J and the other respective scientists walked into the room.
"Alright ladies, let's get into action."
********
She shut the heavy oak door to her bedroom slowly. All was dark. She stood there for a moment. Then slowly the tears sprung out of her eyes, clinging to her lashes as she slid down the length of the door, sobbing her misery.
She felt a hand on her shoulder. Relena tensed against it for a minute then relaxed. She knew who it belonged to. The person hesitated for barely a second before turning her into his embrace. Heero rubbed her back soothingly as she cried against his shoulder, and listened to her broken whispers.
"I couldn't protect you, I'm sorry. I've failed you." The hand stopped rubbing her back.
"No. Never. You could never fail me."
She pulled away to look at him. She was shocked. Tears lined the rims of his eyes. Some even fell. She wiped them away, frozen to the core. 'Look what they've done,' she thought. 'It's my fault.all my fault.'
"Relena.I leave tomorrow to fight again." He said gently.
"No... Don't go, you might..." she couldn't finish.
He stroked her hair, in a soft, quiet fashion, as if he wanted her last memories of him to be such. He answered her plea.
"It's my way. You keep fighting here, and I'll be fine. As long as you don't give up, I won't. The battle's far from over. You've only suffered one defeat. Keep going."
She knew he was right and a sort of melancholy calm enveloped her, laced with dread for what was to come. "Stay here." She felt him begin to protest but she cut him off before he could start. "Just for the night. It could be the last one I have with you."
Heero smiled gently. And so they lay on her bed, just holding each other, afraid to speak, to shatter what was unfolding. Heero knew Relena was falling asleep. That was ok with him. He didn't want her to cry when he left. He heard her whisper something and leaned it closer to hear.
" I know that when you go, to fight, you'll do it for me. Don't. If you fight for me, then you'll lose."
These words confused him. He was about to ask her what she meant by that, when the sound of deep breathing met his ears. He sighed sadly. She was asleep. Now he had to leave.
He extracted himself from her very carefully so he wouldn't wake her and kissed her forehead, before leaving out the window. He landed on the ground with a soft thump.
"I thought you might be here."
Heero whirled around, gun cocked. There Trowa stood in the half light, arms and legs crossed, leaning nonchalantly against a tree. The leaves rustled in the wind, as a breeze ruffled Heero's tousled hair. He let the gun drop. Trowa looked at him blandly.
"The scientists are working together, which means we'll train at the same base."
"What!?" Heero asked sharply.
"It makes sense. Think about it. There is no need to be separated. We all know about each other and they all know that they've followed through on their mission. Having the bases far apart puts us at a greater risk for discovery by the enemy. And there's no need to be secretive anymore. This time we are not the rebels. We have the full consent of the World Nation to fight. We can learn from each other. So, I figured since I was in town I'd just stop by and we could go there together."
Heero nodded. It made sense. Leave it to Trowa to think things through.
"Then let's go" Heero said "It's a little ways to my car."
Trowa fell in step with Heero, both looking at the ground. Suddenly Trowa's voice punctured the silence that had fallen between them.
"Did you tell her?"
Heero looked at him, confusion evident on his face.
"Ah," Trowa said, reading the expression, "So you haven't figured it out yet. Oh well, you will."
Heero decided not to comment. The rest of the walk to the car was silent.
******
The little devise on the steel door scanned in the fingerprint of Heero's pointer finger.
"Access granted. Please proceed."
With a whoosh the massive doors opened. Heero and Trowa stepped inside.
A familiar voice called to them from on top of an upgraded Deathsythe. "Hey there guys! Thought you'd never get here! Whoa Trowa , man, you've gotten taller!" Duo said and then under his breath, "If that's possible."
Of course he said it loud enough for the rest to hear. Quatre started laughing, while Trowa chuckled good naturedly. Even Wufei laughed. Heero allowed a smile to cross his face. It felt like old times again.
Well.only this time he was enjoying his comrades' company rather than despising it. Dr. J and the other respective scientists walked into the room.
"Alright ladies, let's get into action."
********
