AN: Gah, the amount of time I made you wait for this is INSANE. My sincere
apologies, there's absolutely no excuse for such irresponsibility. For
those of you still reading, *thank you* for your patience, and thank you so
much for reading. I really appreciate it. One more chapter to go folks! Get
ready for a roller coaster in this one and, as always, please enjoy!
Chp12
It was morning when the guard entered her cell.
"Make yourself presentable for our leader." He spat.
Footsteps clicked down the hall mere seconds later, a figure entering Relena's cell.
Relena stood up straight despite the weakness in her knees. Standing before her was a slight, but fierce young women, with eyes so cold they burned. Relena tilted her chin up slightly. If she was going to reason with this woman, she'd have to earn her respect first.
Relena remained silent as the smaller woman sized her up. She had a sixth sense about these things and right now she was definitely getting the signals that it would please this woman if she was the one to start the conversation. Well that was fine with her. The woman spoke. Her voice was low, each word clearly pronounced.
"You're curious. My name is Aloys. You're 01's little whore. We intend to put you to great use in the future. But you've probably already figured that one out."
Relena shot a cold glance her way as she replied. "I'd introduce myself, but apparently you already my name. And yes you're right I've already figured that part out. There is one thing I am curious about. How did you know about Heero and myself."
"I thought you might be interested in that. Lieutenant O'Donnell." Aloys called behind her as a member of her guard stepped into the light.
Relena gasped. No. Her mind blanched at the thought. Conner's dear face blinked back at her. A face she had trusted - was a trap. Relena tried to erase all feeling from her face. Like Heero. Obviously she had failed because she saw Aloys smirk.
"I take it you know each other."
"I thought I did. But how did Conner know. I didn't even tell him." Relena stated, averting her hurt gaze from her former friend. Aloys looked more than happy to explain.
"I ordered him to attend therapy sessions after the loss of his sisters. He was easily distracted by his emotional trauma and I cannot have that in a solider. Imagine my luck when I found out that my most formidable opponent was in the same group as one of my own!
I gave him orders to befriend you, and learn as much about you as he could. The night he found out about you relationship with Gundam Pilot 01 was the night he was going to get new mission orders from myself, under the guise of a date. " She practically spat at the mention of Heero's codename.
"It was a twist of fate that he discovered your unique relationship with Gundam Pilot 01. He went to retrieve a forgotten item and became suspicious when he could not find you in the vicinity. One peek in your bedroom confirmed that you and Gundam Pilot 01 were more than just distance acquaintances."
Relena felt a lump grow in her throat. Her and Conner's beautiful, real, wonderful friendship was all a ruse. He never was her friend. All he had said to her...lies. She hugged her sides, her emotions shattering, imbedding the shards in her heart. She tried to stop the tears but when she closed her eyes one slid down anyway.
"You're a very good actor, Conner, I'll give you that. I actually thought we were friends." Relena gave a humorless laugh at her own stupidity and more tears spilled over. She missed the pained expression on his face.
"Why are you doing this." Relena asked turning toward Aloys.
"That's none of your concern," Aloys answered, a little too quickly.
"What do you have to hide?" Relena pressed, her gaze carefully taking her apart.
Aloys looked up to see aquamarine piercing into her eyes, probing her secret heart.
"What do you have against Heero?" She whispered softly, her intuition making a connection that her mind had missed.
At this Aloys snapped, stalking forward and struck Relena across the cheek. Relena stared at her unaffected as she watched the proud woman break.
"What do you know!? Little Miss Pacifist. Do you know what kind of monster you love? Damn him, he deserves none of what he has!" Almost instantly she realized what she had given away. Composing herself quickly she stalked from Relena's cell, calling Conner to follow her.
The master and the subordinate walked side by side down the sterile metal halls, in silence. Conner broke it, tentatively.
"Ma'am.forgive me for my intrusion on your personal affairs but.what DO you have against Gundam pilot 01?"
Instead of the anger Aloys had shown Relena, she cast a winsome smile in his direction. Deciding to indulge one of her favorite soldier's, she related her tale to him.
"I had a sister once, Lieutenant. One day she gave a flower to a boy who she said looked lost. I thought nothing of it. My sister was a kind person. I had a fight with my parents that night and ran away. Just as I was off the premises, I heard an explosion. I ran back as fast as I could. My family, my friends, my house. Gone. Demolished. That's when I saw that bastard, Heero Yuy. Sneaking away with a detonator and the body of my sister's dog. I hate him, Lieutenant. I hate him for taking away my life. I waited for him to die, and be rejected for the murderer he was. What a joke. Instead, he got the recognition and worship of his comrades, lover and the whole goddamned world." She shook her head sadly.
" No one saw him for who he really was except for me. Everyone loves him. I can't stand those that condone his sins. I'm going to make the world and everyone in it feel the pain that resides in my heart."
Conner looked at her wordlessly as they entered the main control room. Aloys nodded at him and turned her back as she began to broadcast her message to the Gundam pilots and their army.
*****
'Finally!' Heero thought as he saw his troops break through the almost impenetrable line of mobile dolls. Quickly he went through with the other pilots, fighting his way through dolls until he was mere yards away from the main base. He stopped short though, when a message started blinking on his screen. He could hear Duo make a noise of confusion over the com link. Heero hesitated a bare instant before pressing the accept button.
He stared at his Gundam's communication screen as the image of a young woman appeared, her hands folded in front of her.
"Gundam Pilots. We have hostages, Hilde Schbeiker, Iria Winner, Catherine Bloom, Sally Po, and Relena Peacecraft. Cease fighting immediately or they will be executed."
Heero's eyes widened. They had Relena? He could hear the outrage from his other comrades as they lay down their weapons, giving the orders for surrender. No. It couldn't happen this way. How had he been defeated so easily? He gripped his Gundams' controls tighter
The words Relena had spoken to him that night before he left came back to him. 'I know that when you go to fight, you'll fight for me. Don't. If you do you'll lose.' He knew what she was trying to say now.She was telling him to fight for his own sake and no one else's.
Waves of anger washed over Heero. He grit his teeth at the injustice of it. Didn't he deserve peace? Oceans could be filled with the blood of all those he had killed and still they fought. Didn't they ever get *tired* of it?
He had a right to a happy life free from massacres and wars, didn't he? He had the right to be able to give people his real name, to walk the streets without having to arm himself, didn't he? He had the right to fall in love and be able to show it, didn't he? Didn't he!?
Now Heero knew what Relena had meant. He was fighting for *his* life, *his* pain, *his* love. No one could stand in the way of that and that's why he would win. Relena would forgive him. She wouldn't leave him. He let out a battle cry that could have felled walls as he turned around and rammed his saber into a mobile doll behind him. He was fighting for *his* peace.
*********
Relena looked up as she heard the soft rustle of a whisper. Conner was at the entrance to the cell.
"What do you want?!" she spat, turning her head away to rest on her crossed arms. Relena was not in the mood to be gracious. The feeling of betrayal was still fresh.
"Relena. I'm sorry. Come with me you've got to reason with her! I can't. But when you talked to her. I don't know but you seem to have this affect on her. Please believe me. I never liked betraying you. But I thought I was doing the right thing. However this....this is not the way I thought it would happen. I was wrong. Please Relena. Help her. Help me."
Slowly she turned her face back to look at him. Biting her lip, she decided to give optimism one last chance. "You'll tell me why she has this grudge against Heero?"
Connor nodded eagerly.
"Very well." Relena stood, brushing off her wrinkled clothes. "Get me out of here so I can stop this thoughtless war."
Conner put the key in the lock and turned.
******
Wufei jerked his head up sharply. What was that insane suicidal idiot doing? Screaming like a mad man just because his woman- Wufei's thoughts screeched to a hault as he caught the images of what was going on outside on his viewer.
Yuy was fighting.
Taking down mobile suits with calculated ruthlessness, just like before. Didn't he care about his woman? Yes, Wufei realized with sudden clarity. He did. That's why he continued to fight.
Then he would continue to fight as well. He changed his orders quickly, his soldiers rallying desperately behind him, grabbing their weapons and readying for the coming battle. Relena would not want Heero to stop fighting for peace because of her. Wufei knew Sally felt the same way. One must be strong in order to serve justice. He was no exception.
One by one, the other pilots called back their forces as well. This time, the passion was in place instead of the mechanical swipes, and the righteousness was back in their hearts. They would not lose.
****** Relena stepped into the main communications room. She saw Aloys watching the battle with a deep frown.
"Aloys." Relena's voice rang hollow in the small room.
She stiffened at the sound of her name on her prisoner's lips. She turned around slowly, icy gaze locked on Connor. "You are a traitor lieutenant.Conner. But I already knew you would be one, someday. There's something different about her, isn't there?"
Relena's heart ached for the bitter girl standing in front of her. She knew what it was like to have your family wrenched from your life. It was worse than a thousand hells. But revenge was not the answer.
"Aloys can't you stop this!? Can't you let go of the past!? Live in the now!?" Relena's voice was worried, but there was a power behind it that had drawn people to her since she first stepped into the political spotlight. She glanced at a screen, the one broadcasting images of the battles with the Gundams. Heero was still fighting. He had understood her message. They would win. Relena let out a pent up breath.
"Live in the now Ms. Peacecraft?" Aloys cold cynical voice registered in Relena's mind, interrupting her elation. It echoed with sorrow and defeat. She was a warrior that had lost, and was now awaiting the killing blow. "In order to live you must first have a life, and mine ended a long time ago, dying with my family. All that exists now is an empty shell useful only for vengance and grieving."
"That's not true!" Conner yelled.
Aloys eyes widened at the boldness of her underling. It was obvious Conner had never spoken to her in such a manner.
"Aloys." Conner pleaded, an expression on his face that Relena had never seen before. "Listen to me."
******* "Alright!" Duo crowed, the inches gained in battle fast becoming feet. "Looks like those suckers are on the run!"
"Finish things up for me, Duo." Heero ordered, opening the hatch to his Gundam and sliding down the exit cord.
"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Duo shouted.
Heero turned to look directly at Deathsythe. "To get Relena, of course."
With that he ran off, to the one place he knew Relena would be. Right in the thick of things- in this case, the main control room.
Duo watched his friends' swift run, rolling his eyes and he turned to go round up the remaining enemies. "Men." He sighed.
*****
"This," Conner said, gesturing to the screens of the battles progress "won't bring them back. It won't soothe your pain, won't make you someone different. The only thing you can gain from this senseless war is more pain and more loss. They're gone Aloys. Let go."
She stared at him, tears overflowing from her cold, distant eyes; eyes that seemed to get all too human with each blink.
"I can't." she gasped, fighting for control over her emotions. "I can't let go. This was the only thing keeping me going." She fell to her knees, her forehead barely touching the cold cement floor, hands clutching desperately at her face. "There's nothing left for me. Nothing."
Sobs wracked the silent control room as Relena and Connor gazed mutely at Aloys' broken form.
"Aloys. Stand up." Conner ordered, walking up to her. She looked at him pitifully as he grasped her shoulders, pulling her to her feet.
"Connor." She whispered, touching a trembling hand to his jaw as the tears continued to spill down her cheeks. "Stop it."
Connor squeezed his eyes shut, and nodded slowly. "I'll stop the pain."
In a split second his gun was out of it's holster and pressed between Aloys' breasts. With one last warm smile he pulled the trigger, shooting the young woman straight through the heart.
Relena's eyes widened her mouth working silently as Aloys limp form fell to the floor.
Aloys gazed at Conner with glassy eyes. "Thank you."
Her breathing ceased and her eyes drifted shut as the crimson testimony to her death spread across the floor.
Conner turned to Relena, his eyes reflecting ultimate desolation. His face was as white as a sheet. "You know, Relena, you really were my best friend. And I'm not just bullshitting you this time." He looked down at Aloys wistfully and with regret before speaking again, though whether it was to himself or Relena was not clear "I really did love her."
Conner closed his eyes, and raised the gun to his own head.
"CONNER!"
***** Heero heard the gunshot just as he approached the main communications room. His heart leapt into his throat, and he immediately kicked the door open.
He skidded to a stop as he raced into the room. Relena sat in a giant pool of red cradling the heads of two lifeless figures, grief written all over her face. The light caught her hair making it seem as if she had a halo. A mortal angel, covered with blood.
Heero walked over to her, stepping carefully over the bodies beside her. He knelt directly in front of her, uncaring that the blood would stain his uniform. She was rocking back and forth, eyes staring straight ahead, unseeing. Her breathing was hitched and uneven. She had gone into complete shock. Heero wasn't sure that she was even aware that she was crying.
An unnatural fear gripped Heero. He had watched as Quatre was driven insane by such emotions. Relena was strong, but not as strong as Quatre. Would this new sadness finally break her mind? No! Heero knew he mustn't let this happen. He reached out cautiously and touched her shoulder.
"Relena?" He looked down at the bodies she held so gently in each arm.
One was Aloys, the confirmed ringleader of the whole Space Revenge organization. He looked at the other one. If he hadn't of had the image of Relena's "lover" burned into his mind from the picture he saw in the tabloid, he would have never guessed that the man with half his head blown off was Conner. What had happened here?
Heero gave Relena a gentle shake. "Relena!"
She blinked as if she finally realized that something existed beyond her own haunted thoughts . "Heero?" She whispered, her voice detached, horrified.
"What happened!?" Heero said fiercely. She looked at him and the utter emptiness in her eyes made his insides hurt.
"You killed her family. The little girl that gave you the flower. She was all alone! He was in love with her. He.he *killed* her. He.killed *himself*."
For once in her life, words failed to describe the feelings gripping her. Heero ached even more now that she had spoken. He remembered that little girl. He remembered how broken and guilty he had felt. How broken and guilty he *still* felt.
He glanced down at Aloys's peaceful face. This should have never happened. He didn't know exactly what had occurred in this room but now he could guess. What she had seen. God. He turned her head toward him gently.
"Relena...I'm sorry." he breathed.
She buried her head in his shoulder and started to sob. He put his arms around her and they cried, surrounded by the blood of the innocent. Healing would be hard, but not impossible. They would learn from other's mistakes and grow. Their tears flowed down their cheeks and splashed on their hands, washing away the blood that had stained them. Oh yes, they would heal.
*******
Relena stood at the edge of the two fresh graves. One for Aloys, one for Conner. She looked at the fine cursive on each stone.
"Your transgressions have been forgiven, your pain healed, the lessons you taught us remembered. Never shall we forget you." Relena sighed.
They were happy where ever they were now. She was glad. She would miss Conner, but she knew that letting go, just like holding on, was a part of life.
She looked over at the person standing next to her. The wind rustled the unruly brown strands of his hair. He glanced at her.
"Still gonna wait for me?" He asked, his eyes never once leaving the headstones.
"As long as it takes." She said, grinning, despite the tears that clogged her throat.
A sort of tiny lift of the corners of his mouth happened, and then he walked away, hands shoved in his pockets. Relena turned back to the graves and laid her white rose in between them.
"Good bye" She said softly. And then she smiled and walked to her car.
******
Chp12
It was morning when the guard entered her cell.
"Make yourself presentable for our leader." He spat.
Footsteps clicked down the hall mere seconds later, a figure entering Relena's cell.
Relena stood up straight despite the weakness in her knees. Standing before her was a slight, but fierce young women, with eyes so cold they burned. Relena tilted her chin up slightly. If she was going to reason with this woman, she'd have to earn her respect first.
Relena remained silent as the smaller woman sized her up. She had a sixth sense about these things and right now she was definitely getting the signals that it would please this woman if she was the one to start the conversation. Well that was fine with her. The woman spoke. Her voice was low, each word clearly pronounced.
"You're curious. My name is Aloys. You're 01's little whore. We intend to put you to great use in the future. But you've probably already figured that one out."
Relena shot a cold glance her way as she replied. "I'd introduce myself, but apparently you already my name. And yes you're right I've already figured that part out. There is one thing I am curious about. How did you know about Heero and myself."
"I thought you might be interested in that. Lieutenant O'Donnell." Aloys called behind her as a member of her guard stepped into the light.
Relena gasped. No. Her mind blanched at the thought. Conner's dear face blinked back at her. A face she had trusted - was a trap. Relena tried to erase all feeling from her face. Like Heero. Obviously she had failed because she saw Aloys smirk.
"I take it you know each other."
"I thought I did. But how did Conner know. I didn't even tell him." Relena stated, averting her hurt gaze from her former friend. Aloys looked more than happy to explain.
"I ordered him to attend therapy sessions after the loss of his sisters. He was easily distracted by his emotional trauma and I cannot have that in a solider. Imagine my luck when I found out that my most formidable opponent was in the same group as one of my own!
I gave him orders to befriend you, and learn as much about you as he could. The night he found out about you relationship with Gundam Pilot 01 was the night he was going to get new mission orders from myself, under the guise of a date. " She practically spat at the mention of Heero's codename.
"It was a twist of fate that he discovered your unique relationship with Gundam Pilot 01. He went to retrieve a forgotten item and became suspicious when he could not find you in the vicinity. One peek in your bedroom confirmed that you and Gundam Pilot 01 were more than just distance acquaintances."
Relena felt a lump grow in her throat. Her and Conner's beautiful, real, wonderful friendship was all a ruse. He never was her friend. All he had said to her...lies. She hugged her sides, her emotions shattering, imbedding the shards in her heart. She tried to stop the tears but when she closed her eyes one slid down anyway.
"You're a very good actor, Conner, I'll give you that. I actually thought we were friends." Relena gave a humorless laugh at her own stupidity and more tears spilled over. She missed the pained expression on his face.
"Why are you doing this." Relena asked turning toward Aloys.
"That's none of your concern," Aloys answered, a little too quickly.
"What do you have to hide?" Relena pressed, her gaze carefully taking her apart.
Aloys looked up to see aquamarine piercing into her eyes, probing her secret heart.
"What do you have against Heero?" She whispered softly, her intuition making a connection that her mind had missed.
At this Aloys snapped, stalking forward and struck Relena across the cheek. Relena stared at her unaffected as she watched the proud woman break.
"What do you know!? Little Miss Pacifist. Do you know what kind of monster you love? Damn him, he deserves none of what he has!" Almost instantly she realized what she had given away. Composing herself quickly she stalked from Relena's cell, calling Conner to follow her.
The master and the subordinate walked side by side down the sterile metal halls, in silence. Conner broke it, tentatively.
"Ma'am.forgive me for my intrusion on your personal affairs but.what DO you have against Gundam pilot 01?"
Instead of the anger Aloys had shown Relena, she cast a winsome smile in his direction. Deciding to indulge one of her favorite soldier's, she related her tale to him.
"I had a sister once, Lieutenant. One day she gave a flower to a boy who she said looked lost. I thought nothing of it. My sister was a kind person. I had a fight with my parents that night and ran away. Just as I was off the premises, I heard an explosion. I ran back as fast as I could. My family, my friends, my house. Gone. Demolished. That's when I saw that bastard, Heero Yuy. Sneaking away with a detonator and the body of my sister's dog. I hate him, Lieutenant. I hate him for taking away my life. I waited for him to die, and be rejected for the murderer he was. What a joke. Instead, he got the recognition and worship of his comrades, lover and the whole goddamned world." She shook her head sadly.
" No one saw him for who he really was except for me. Everyone loves him. I can't stand those that condone his sins. I'm going to make the world and everyone in it feel the pain that resides in my heart."
Conner looked at her wordlessly as they entered the main control room. Aloys nodded at him and turned her back as she began to broadcast her message to the Gundam pilots and their army.
*****
'Finally!' Heero thought as he saw his troops break through the almost impenetrable line of mobile dolls. Quickly he went through with the other pilots, fighting his way through dolls until he was mere yards away from the main base. He stopped short though, when a message started blinking on his screen. He could hear Duo make a noise of confusion over the com link. Heero hesitated a bare instant before pressing the accept button.
He stared at his Gundam's communication screen as the image of a young woman appeared, her hands folded in front of her.
"Gundam Pilots. We have hostages, Hilde Schbeiker, Iria Winner, Catherine Bloom, Sally Po, and Relena Peacecraft. Cease fighting immediately or they will be executed."
Heero's eyes widened. They had Relena? He could hear the outrage from his other comrades as they lay down their weapons, giving the orders for surrender. No. It couldn't happen this way. How had he been defeated so easily? He gripped his Gundams' controls tighter
The words Relena had spoken to him that night before he left came back to him. 'I know that when you go to fight, you'll fight for me. Don't. If you do you'll lose.' He knew what she was trying to say now.She was telling him to fight for his own sake and no one else's.
Waves of anger washed over Heero. He grit his teeth at the injustice of it. Didn't he deserve peace? Oceans could be filled with the blood of all those he had killed and still they fought. Didn't they ever get *tired* of it?
He had a right to a happy life free from massacres and wars, didn't he? He had the right to be able to give people his real name, to walk the streets without having to arm himself, didn't he? He had the right to fall in love and be able to show it, didn't he? Didn't he!?
Now Heero knew what Relena had meant. He was fighting for *his* life, *his* pain, *his* love. No one could stand in the way of that and that's why he would win. Relena would forgive him. She wouldn't leave him. He let out a battle cry that could have felled walls as he turned around and rammed his saber into a mobile doll behind him. He was fighting for *his* peace.
*********
Relena looked up as she heard the soft rustle of a whisper. Conner was at the entrance to the cell.
"What do you want?!" she spat, turning her head away to rest on her crossed arms. Relena was not in the mood to be gracious. The feeling of betrayal was still fresh.
"Relena. I'm sorry. Come with me you've got to reason with her! I can't. But when you talked to her. I don't know but you seem to have this affect on her. Please believe me. I never liked betraying you. But I thought I was doing the right thing. However this....this is not the way I thought it would happen. I was wrong. Please Relena. Help her. Help me."
Slowly she turned her face back to look at him. Biting her lip, she decided to give optimism one last chance. "You'll tell me why she has this grudge against Heero?"
Connor nodded eagerly.
"Very well." Relena stood, brushing off her wrinkled clothes. "Get me out of here so I can stop this thoughtless war."
Conner put the key in the lock and turned.
******
Wufei jerked his head up sharply. What was that insane suicidal idiot doing? Screaming like a mad man just because his woman- Wufei's thoughts screeched to a hault as he caught the images of what was going on outside on his viewer.
Yuy was fighting.
Taking down mobile suits with calculated ruthlessness, just like before. Didn't he care about his woman? Yes, Wufei realized with sudden clarity. He did. That's why he continued to fight.
Then he would continue to fight as well. He changed his orders quickly, his soldiers rallying desperately behind him, grabbing their weapons and readying for the coming battle. Relena would not want Heero to stop fighting for peace because of her. Wufei knew Sally felt the same way. One must be strong in order to serve justice. He was no exception.
One by one, the other pilots called back their forces as well. This time, the passion was in place instead of the mechanical swipes, and the righteousness was back in their hearts. They would not lose.
****** Relena stepped into the main communications room. She saw Aloys watching the battle with a deep frown.
"Aloys." Relena's voice rang hollow in the small room.
She stiffened at the sound of her name on her prisoner's lips. She turned around slowly, icy gaze locked on Connor. "You are a traitor lieutenant.Conner. But I already knew you would be one, someday. There's something different about her, isn't there?"
Relena's heart ached for the bitter girl standing in front of her. She knew what it was like to have your family wrenched from your life. It was worse than a thousand hells. But revenge was not the answer.
"Aloys can't you stop this!? Can't you let go of the past!? Live in the now!?" Relena's voice was worried, but there was a power behind it that had drawn people to her since she first stepped into the political spotlight. She glanced at a screen, the one broadcasting images of the battles with the Gundams. Heero was still fighting. He had understood her message. They would win. Relena let out a pent up breath.
"Live in the now Ms. Peacecraft?" Aloys cold cynical voice registered in Relena's mind, interrupting her elation. It echoed with sorrow and defeat. She was a warrior that had lost, and was now awaiting the killing blow. "In order to live you must first have a life, and mine ended a long time ago, dying with my family. All that exists now is an empty shell useful only for vengance and grieving."
"That's not true!" Conner yelled.
Aloys eyes widened at the boldness of her underling. It was obvious Conner had never spoken to her in such a manner.
"Aloys." Conner pleaded, an expression on his face that Relena had never seen before. "Listen to me."
******* "Alright!" Duo crowed, the inches gained in battle fast becoming feet. "Looks like those suckers are on the run!"
"Finish things up for me, Duo." Heero ordered, opening the hatch to his Gundam and sliding down the exit cord.
"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Duo shouted.
Heero turned to look directly at Deathsythe. "To get Relena, of course."
With that he ran off, to the one place he knew Relena would be. Right in the thick of things- in this case, the main control room.
Duo watched his friends' swift run, rolling his eyes and he turned to go round up the remaining enemies. "Men." He sighed.
*****
"This," Conner said, gesturing to the screens of the battles progress "won't bring them back. It won't soothe your pain, won't make you someone different. The only thing you can gain from this senseless war is more pain and more loss. They're gone Aloys. Let go."
She stared at him, tears overflowing from her cold, distant eyes; eyes that seemed to get all too human with each blink.
"I can't." she gasped, fighting for control over her emotions. "I can't let go. This was the only thing keeping me going." She fell to her knees, her forehead barely touching the cold cement floor, hands clutching desperately at her face. "There's nothing left for me. Nothing."
Sobs wracked the silent control room as Relena and Connor gazed mutely at Aloys' broken form.
"Aloys. Stand up." Conner ordered, walking up to her. She looked at him pitifully as he grasped her shoulders, pulling her to her feet.
"Connor." She whispered, touching a trembling hand to his jaw as the tears continued to spill down her cheeks. "Stop it."
Connor squeezed his eyes shut, and nodded slowly. "I'll stop the pain."
In a split second his gun was out of it's holster and pressed between Aloys' breasts. With one last warm smile he pulled the trigger, shooting the young woman straight through the heart.
Relena's eyes widened her mouth working silently as Aloys limp form fell to the floor.
Aloys gazed at Conner with glassy eyes. "Thank you."
Her breathing ceased and her eyes drifted shut as the crimson testimony to her death spread across the floor.
Conner turned to Relena, his eyes reflecting ultimate desolation. His face was as white as a sheet. "You know, Relena, you really were my best friend. And I'm not just bullshitting you this time." He looked down at Aloys wistfully and with regret before speaking again, though whether it was to himself or Relena was not clear "I really did love her."
Conner closed his eyes, and raised the gun to his own head.
"CONNER!"
***** Heero heard the gunshot just as he approached the main communications room. His heart leapt into his throat, and he immediately kicked the door open.
He skidded to a stop as he raced into the room. Relena sat in a giant pool of red cradling the heads of two lifeless figures, grief written all over her face. The light caught her hair making it seem as if she had a halo. A mortal angel, covered with blood.
Heero walked over to her, stepping carefully over the bodies beside her. He knelt directly in front of her, uncaring that the blood would stain his uniform. She was rocking back and forth, eyes staring straight ahead, unseeing. Her breathing was hitched and uneven. She had gone into complete shock. Heero wasn't sure that she was even aware that she was crying.
An unnatural fear gripped Heero. He had watched as Quatre was driven insane by such emotions. Relena was strong, but not as strong as Quatre. Would this new sadness finally break her mind? No! Heero knew he mustn't let this happen. He reached out cautiously and touched her shoulder.
"Relena?" He looked down at the bodies she held so gently in each arm.
One was Aloys, the confirmed ringleader of the whole Space Revenge organization. He looked at the other one. If he hadn't of had the image of Relena's "lover" burned into his mind from the picture he saw in the tabloid, he would have never guessed that the man with half his head blown off was Conner. What had happened here?
Heero gave Relena a gentle shake. "Relena!"
She blinked as if she finally realized that something existed beyond her own haunted thoughts . "Heero?" She whispered, her voice detached, horrified.
"What happened!?" Heero said fiercely. She looked at him and the utter emptiness in her eyes made his insides hurt.
"You killed her family. The little girl that gave you the flower. She was all alone! He was in love with her. He.he *killed* her. He.killed *himself*."
For once in her life, words failed to describe the feelings gripping her. Heero ached even more now that she had spoken. He remembered that little girl. He remembered how broken and guilty he had felt. How broken and guilty he *still* felt.
He glanced down at Aloys's peaceful face. This should have never happened. He didn't know exactly what had occurred in this room but now he could guess. What she had seen. God. He turned her head toward him gently.
"Relena...I'm sorry." he breathed.
She buried her head in his shoulder and started to sob. He put his arms around her and they cried, surrounded by the blood of the innocent. Healing would be hard, but not impossible. They would learn from other's mistakes and grow. Their tears flowed down their cheeks and splashed on their hands, washing away the blood that had stained them. Oh yes, they would heal.
*******
Relena stood at the edge of the two fresh graves. One for Aloys, one for Conner. She looked at the fine cursive on each stone.
"Your transgressions have been forgiven, your pain healed, the lessons you taught us remembered. Never shall we forget you." Relena sighed.
They were happy where ever they were now. She was glad. She would miss Conner, but she knew that letting go, just like holding on, was a part of life.
She looked over at the person standing next to her. The wind rustled the unruly brown strands of his hair. He glanced at her.
"Still gonna wait for me?" He asked, his eyes never once leaving the headstones.
"As long as it takes." She said, grinning, despite the tears that clogged her throat.
A sort of tiny lift of the corners of his mouth happened, and then he walked away, hands shoved in his pockets. Relena turned back to the graves and laid her white rose in between them.
"Good bye" She said softly. And then she smiled and walked to her car.
******
