Disclaimer- I don't own them nor do I claim to. I'm a poor college student, don't sue me.

Demons

Chapter three

When they got back to Relina's mansion they immediately went up and packed for their trip. Neither of them seemed to have anything to say so the silence lay like fog. Relina packed everything that she knew she would need plus anything extra that she could think of. The first thing that went into her bag though was her Savage Garden CD's. Somehow their music seemed to make her feel a little better. Heero watched as she packed the CD's and made a note to ask Quatra about the group before they left. At around Three thirty everyone gathered at the doors to say goodbye to Heero and Relina. While Relina was busy saying goodbye and leaving last minute instructions Heero pulled Quatra aside and talked to him about the band.

" Quatra, what can you tell me about the band called Savage Garden?" asked Heero.

" It's a good group, they have a lot of good messages. Relina really likes them and she has all of their CD's. That's what was on last night when she tried to commit suicide."

" Thanks Quatra." Said Heero finally making the connection.

" Heero," said Trowa," go easy on her. She's not used to taking orders and she's fairly hard headed when it comes down to it."

" I'll remember that." Said Heero as Relina finished her good byes.

Trowa and Quatra watched as Heero loaded their luggage in the trunk and they got in the car to drive away," Good Luck guys." Said Quatra softly.

" There go the two most hard headed people in the world." Said Noine." Heero is going to have his hands full with her."

" He'll love every minute of it though." Commented Quatra," He seems to love a challenge almost as much as he loves her."

" Trust me," said Noine," Relina will be more than a challenge for him."

~*~

" Do you mind if I put a CD in?" asked Relina when Heero got in the car.

Heero noticed the blue Savage Garden CD," Go ahead." Said Heero," It'll only be a few minutes until we reach the air strip though."

" That's okay." Said Relina softly," I just want to listen to one song for now."

Heero listened to the song she put on wondered about the group. At first the song she put on seemed to be encouraging suicide but then it took a drastic change and started telling her that time would help. He believed Quatra now that the music was probably good for her. As he listened he realized that he could get to like the group. When they pulled up to the airstrip he parked and took out their bags, placing them on a cart. He led Relina to a small plane that would take them to an airstrip about an hour from the cabin where they would be staying.

" Hi Guys," said Sally when they got to the plane," Wu-Fei and I will be ready to go in about five minutes."

" But I though that they were helping Noine and the others at the school." Protested Relina.

" They are." Said Heero," after they take us to the mountains."

" Okay," said Relina slightly stunned," How long will it take to reach the mountains?"

" About an hour." Replied Heero.

Relina crossed her arms over her chest and walked up the ramp to board the plane. On the plane she took a seat and immediately put her headphones on to ignore him. Heero found that he had hit a brick wall when he saw the headphone so he just sat down and looked out the window. They sat in silence with Relina listen to her headphones for nearly half and hour when Sally came through carrying drinks for them. She had just reached Relina with her cup when the plane experienced some turbulence and the pop spilled on her portable CD player.

" Oh no!" cried Relina.

" I'm so sorry." Said Sally using napkins to help clean up the pop.

" I'll get some more napkins." Said Heero getting up and going into the center station.

On his way back Sally passed him," You owe me one."

" Thanks." Replied Heero going back to sit down," Here you go Relina." He said helping her clean up her tray table and CD player. When the tray table was cleaned off He put it up and gave her the rest of the napkins so that she could clean up the pop that spilled in her lap.

" I wonder what caused so much turbulence back there?" said Relina putting the napkins into a bag that Sally brought her.

" I'm so sorry Relina," said Sally," If you want I can put your CD on the speaker."

" Thank you." Said Relina handing her the CD," Don't worry about the CD player."

For the rest of the flight Relina sat and listened to her music without making a sound. Heero was thankful that Sally had messed up her CD player and as usual guilt never even crossed his mind. He knew that Relina was upset but he would buy her a new one when they went home. Relina was upset at first but when she realized what she had brought it for she felt slightly guilty about bringing it along, it wasn't that she didn't want to spend time with Heero but she didn't like the way he went about it. By the time that the plane was ready to land Relina had fallen asleep and Heero buckled her in without waking her because she seemed to be exhausted. Sally came and sat next to him while the plane landed.

" Don't let her sleep more than usual." Said Sally," She is depressed and a lot of depressed people will try to escape through sleep or food. Watch for the S.A.N.E symptoms. S sleeping a lot or not at all. A appetite eating a lot or not at all. N no fun doesn't seem to get enjoyment from anything. E experiences find out what is causing the depression."

" Thanks Sally." Said Heero looking at Relina's sleeping form," I'd say she fits the first two but I don't know about the last ones. I'm not quite sure how to handle this."

" What aren't you sure about Heero?" she asked.

" How to deal with her at all. I don't think she remembers that I told her I love her last night. How could she, she was so out of it from the pills she took." Said Heero," Now I don't know how to react to her and she seems so different than when I last saw her."

" Treat her as you did before, just don't threaten to kill her though by the end you may want to. What did she take?"

" Her father's sleeping pills. She downed about eight before I got there and had another thirty ready to go. She also had a knife to slit her wrists with." Said Heero sadly," She was determined to succeed."

" You remember the deal with the sharps lock down right?" said Sally.

" Yeah. She seemed pretty upset about it but I'm gonna keep the lockdown on for a while." Said Heero," Quatra said that she hasn't been sleeping well. She woke him several times wandering the house at odd hours of the night."

" She lost a lot of weight since I last saw her." Said Sally softly," I know that you'll take care of her Heero. I can see it in your eyes, six months ago no one could read them and now, at least about this, it's like looking at an open book. Heero you've just gotta trust your instincts on this and you'll do fine."

" Thanks Sally you've been a big help." Said Heero as the plane rolled to a stop.

" Do you want a blanket to carry her to the car in or are you going to wake her up." Asked Sally.

" I'll take that blanket if it isn't any trouble." Replied Heero unbuckling Relina's seatbelt.

Sally grabbed a blanket off the shelf and helped Heero wrap Relina in it. She watched as he picked her up as he would a child and Relina for all her height weighed as much as a child. He carried to the car and put her in it taking time to buckle her in before he went back to get their bags. When he had the bags all stored in the back seat Sally gave him Relina's CD and he put it in the car player. He was just getting in the car when Wu-Fei came waking up.

" The cabin is all stocked up except for anything fresh you might want. If there's an emergency Nataku is hidden a quarter of a mile north of the cabin. You'll know how to find her." Said Wu-Fei," Take care of her Heero and we'll see you in a month."

" Thanks Wu-Fei."

" Hey it's no problem." Said Wu-Fei," Tell Relina not to worry about the school. We'll take care of it and the students."

" I'll tell her." Said Heero," We've gotta go cause it looks like there's a storm coming up. I don't want to get stuck on the road when it starts."

" Makes sense. We need to get going too." Said Sally," we don't want to get caught in the storm."

" I'll see you in a month then." Said Heero starting the engine and pulled out.

Heero drove up the mountains for about fifteen minutes before Relina started so cry in her sleep. Not knowing what else to do Heero reached over and gently shook her shoulder. Relina woke with a start and was immediately disoriented by her strange surroundings. Heero noticed her disorientation and spoke to her until she calmed down and woke up completely.

" How long have I been asleep?" she asked wiping tears off her face.

" About forty-five minutes." Replied Heero.

" Why didn't you wake me when the plane landed? It would have been easier."

" You seemed to be exhausted so I let you sleep." Heero answered," Do you feel better now?"

" Yes a little." She replied.

" Were you having a nightmare?" He asked.

" Yes." She answered," I have them a lot but I can never remember what they're about. It's always a vague haze afterwards but I can't go back to sleep."

" Quatra said that you haven't been sleeping much. He said that you would be up at all hours of the night wandering or reading." Heero told her.

" Yeah, I always tried to be quiet but he always heard me." Said Relina," I can't even remember the last time I got a full nights sleep. I didn't like waking Quatra but it was always a little better to have someone to talk to after one of the nightmares. Quatra was always willing to stay up with me but it was wearing on him. I couldn't ask him to do it anymore."

" He really doesn't mind doing things like that." Said Heero," He likes to take care of people and pushes himself to do so."

" Yeah, I remember when Mariah found out that her mother had a heart attack and died. He stayed with her, helped her make arrangements for the funeral, and went to the funeral with her." Said Relina then a sadness filled her voice," He stayed with me when Pagan died. I had forgotten about that, I can't believe that I forgot that."

" Sometimes we are blinded by our own emotions." Said Heero," I threatened to kill you out of fear. I was blinded by it…"

Relina caught the hesitation in Heero's voice," Are we nearly there?"

" Yes it's just around this next bend." Said Heero thankful for the change in subject. A few minutes later they pulled up to a small log cabin and Relina was out of the car before he had even turned it off.

" It's small but it will be okay I think." Commented Relina open the back door and pulling out a couple bags.

" Be careful and don't push yourself too far for a day or so." Warned Heero," The atmosphere is thinner up here your body needs to adjust to it or you'll pass out and wake up with a nasty headache."

" Alright." Said Relina picking up two bags and taking them to the door.

Heero watched her in amazement and he couldn't help but smile. He had known many princesses that would have expected him to carry all of the bags for her and weight on her hand and foot but Relina was different. She depended on no one for anything and in a way it was her downfall. When her life and pride had been shattered there was no one there to help her pick up the pieces. She didn't even know how to ask for help when she needed it. Heero was much the same though he would never admit it. It was that same stubborn pride that had made him such a good Gundam pilot. As he walked to the cabin with the load of bags he watched Relina go back for another load. By the time he had unlocked the door and gone back for the last load she was moving the bags inside.

" I think I need to sit down for a minute." Said Relina holding her head and sitting in a chair.

" Take slow easy breaths and it will pass in a few moments." Said Heero," I'll get the rest of the bags in."

Relina did as he told her until the dizziness passed then started explore the small cabin. It was smaller on the inside than she had imagined. The Kitchen and dinning room where connected and there was only a half wall divider between the living room and the Kitchen. There was a small bedroom connected to the living room with a pullout wall between them. A large fireplace was on the eastern wall and she decided to start a fire but Heero beat her to it.

" There's a big storm coming up so I'm going to get enough wood to last us a couple of days." Said Heero," You can have the bed I'll sleep on the couch."

" Thank you." Said Relina digging through her bag for a sweater. Finding one, she put it on and went to help him bring in wood.

" Don't strain yourself too much." Warned Heero.

" I'll be careful." She said being careful to take half the normal load she would have.

When they were done getting wood in Heero started making dinner for the two of them. Relina offered to help but he told her that he could do it but she understood when he took out a knife to cut the meat and vegetables. Relina felt like a child being told she was too little to help because she might cut herself. She also felt guilty about what she had done but nothing seemed to ease the numbing pain that she felt in her heart. The pain was all encompassing and nothing she had found had been able to cut through it. Like a vine wrapping its way around a sapling it strangled the will to live out of her. In an attempt to escape her pain she took out a book and began to read. At dinner Relina picked at the stew Heero made but found that once again she wasn't hungry. After dinner she helped Heero do the dish then returned to her book. She spent the rest of the night reading, completely ignoring Heero's presence.

The first couple of days were spent in near silence. Heero would try to start a conversation and no matter how he pursued it, it would die. Relina spent all of her time reading the books that she brought. Heero quickly found himself losing patience with Relina's silence. It was getting them no where but by the end of the third day she was out of books and Heero decided that he had had enough.

" Talk to me Relina." Said Heero sitting on the couch next to her.

" What do you want to talk about?" she asked looking him square in the face.

" How do you feel?" asked Heero," And for once can you answer me truthfully."

" How do you think I feel?" asked Relina trying to keep a hold on her emotions.

" I don't know Relina that's why I ask every single day and every time you give me the same answer." Replied Heero keeping his temper in check with great effort.

" I don't know how I feel anymore." Cried Relina wrenching her eyes away from his.

" Talk to me and maybe I can help you figure it out."

" Talk… what do you want to hear?" she asked as a sob broke the dam releasing the tears that she didn't know she had," Damn it Heero I don't know." She sobbed," What do you want to hear, that I'm angry because I am. I'm angry at them because they left me alone. They all died and left me alone. You left me alone too." Heero tried to hold her but she hit his chest with her fist," I hate them for leaving me." Heero gently restrained her until she went limp in his arms and he pulled her into his lap, rocking gently," Why does it hurt so much?"

" I honestly don't know Relina," he said rocking and gently stroking her hair," but we're going to get through this I promise."

Heero held Relina stroking her hair, and spoke softly to her while she cried. After a while She stopped crying and her breathing slowed when she fell asleep. He watched her sleep and longed to touch her soft skin but he didn't want to disturb the rest that she got so rarely. Finally temptation got the best of him and he lightly traced her jaw line with his fingertips. Relina, what am I going to do? I love you so much and your pain is so great. I still don't know what I would do without you or how to help you but I'm going to stay and give you all me heart can give. Thought Heero reaching over and hitting play on the CD player, You don't deserve so much pain. Heero shifted Relina's slight weight into a comfortable position and sat listening to the music and stroking Relina's soft blonde hair.

When Relina woke up she was cold and unsure of where she was. She could feel Heero's arms wrapped around her holding her so that she wouldn't fall if she moved too much. Carefully she grabbed blanket without waking Heero and pulled it over them before falling back into a troubled sleep. She was plagued by nightmares of being locked away alone, cold, and scared in a dark world. She was chased by a monster with her face but it's eyes were empty holes. While she cried in her dreams she cried in the real world waking Heero. Heero gently shook her awake and held her while she cried into his shoulder.

" Do you want to talk about your nightmare?" asked Heero when she stopped crying.

" I keep having this horrible nightmare where I've been locked away. It's dark and I'm alone at first and it's dark but then this monster with my face attacks me." Said Relina softly, Her face was pale," I can't ever escape because I'm trapped in the darkness. I can't believe that I forgot to turn on the CD player."

" Listen Relina, I'm going to try to help you get rid of the nightmares but you've got to talk to me." Said Heero softly," Why do you listen to the music while you sleep?"

" I always listen to it and it helps keep the nightmares away." Replied Relina.

" I'll keep the monsters away until you're stronger but eventually you're gonna have to face it." Said Heero," You get some more sleep Love and I'll keep the monsters away."

Relina lay her head down on his chest and listened to the sound of his heart. She let its steady rhythm calm her and lull her to sleep. It gave her something in the real world that she could cling to. It was like hanging on the edge of a cliff without a rope but she could feel Heero holding her. His silent strength held her up and she felt safe for the first time in a long time. For the first time in nearly six months Relina truly slept. Heero turned on the CD player and went back to sleep.

When Relina woke up the windows were covered in frost and she couldn't see more than a couple of feet in the snow. The storm that Heero had said was coming had hit making it nearly impossible to go anywhere. When Relina moved to start a new fire in the fireplace Heero woke up and moved to help her. Once the fire was started Relina went into the Kitchen and started water for tea. When she came back Heero was sitting on the couch waiting for her. As soon as she sat down he wrapped them in the blanket.

" How are you feeling today?" asked Heero softly.

Relina thought about it for a second," A little better actually."

" I'm glad," said Heero," Are you hungry?"

" Yeah, I am." She replied surprised.

" I'll make breakfast if you want to get a shower."

" Thank you." She said then on impulse," I love you Heero." She said before turning and grabbing her stuff out of her suitcase and rushing into the shower.

" I love you too Relina." Whispered Heero as she shut the door to the bathroom.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

AN- So, Whatcha think? There is more but you can't have it yet, it's not done.