Thank You

This story is AU. Relena's lost after the Sanq Kingdom fell. The world is at war and the Dove is unprotected.

Disclaimer: Gundam wing belongs to ©Sotsu Agency * Sunrise*ANB

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I am walking. It is raining, hard and the fog is incredibly thick. The downpours have been happening more often than usual. The wind is harsh and biting cold; it stings my face. As I walk, I watch the ground around me and I see the hundreds of pairs of shoes that go by me. I should watch better though; I have already run into three people. I was going to apologize, but before I could do anything they would respond by saying, "get out of my way you maggot," and the second one said, "watch where you're going you idiot!" The people hate me, and I understand why. I have accepted to their wishes and I hide alone in my home. So I just put my head back down and continued walking. When I hit my third person, I didn't even look at them, aware that they would also be rude or cross with me, so I just keep walking. I continue walking, continue ignoring the biting wind, ignoring the rain, the car horns, and the angry shouts from the angry people; I ignore everything.

As I walk, the rain falls cold and hard on my head, neck and shoulders. I ignore the pain. I watch the water splash on the ground around me and only me because everyone else has an umbrella as protection. Protection. I used to have my own protection. The rain around me suddenly stops. I raise my head and look up to see an umbrella; the color is black as a midnight with no moon. All I think of it as is temporary protection, not intended for me directly. I'm probably just in someone else's way. I glance sideways, out of the corner of my eye, and although I see no face, the chest shows of a well-built man walking next to me. I look back down and continue walking, and I continue to ignore the man. I suddenly remember that I was heading home and I hope that I hadn't missed my street. I stopped at the corner to turn to the left, down the road to my home.

The rain has still stopped falling on me. I feel the presence of the man behind me. I realize that I am in his way and I start walking down the sidewalk to my home. The rain is still stopped, even as I walk. I become worried, as if it is a stalker, or another assassin. I start out into a dead run for my home. I splash through the mud puddles and try my best to run my hardest and not to trip. As I started, I heard the umbrella close and I now hear him running after me. I get to my house and open the door. I don't bother to lock it any more, the guards can handle it as long as they are around which I doubt will be for much longer. Ever since the wars, everything, all hope, has been abandoned. The Kingdom has fallen, again. We tried our best, but we can't stop the inevitable. As much as we try we can't. I think the worse thing is, is that I have lost my hope. I should have been the last one to lose hope, but there are still others that have it. I should be one of them. I think of this instead of trying to run from my follower.

As I hear him walk up to the door, he tries to be silent, but I hear him step in a puddle and I bolt through the door pushing it closed behind me. The guards have left. All hope is annihilated. I run through the house, trying to find a place to hide, but he follows to quick. How I wish I had my protection with me, but he is now gone. He left when the Kingdom fell. And I was again alone. He is thought to have been killed in battle, but I know he is alive, he just cannot face me now, for I have given up and he cannot bear to see me in such a dreadful state; no one can. I can hardly stand it. I need my protector back. Is all I think as I find there is nowhere for me to hid in this large house. I reach the top of the stairwell and he is at the bottom but closing fast. I run down the hall to my room.

The house is empty, I realize, besides my follower and me. I enter the room and run to the balcony doors. As I throw them open I hear the intruder enter my room. 'Stop.' Is all he says to me. The voice seems distant and I feel as if I know it and as if I have never heard it. I try to move, but my legs are numb from being in the cold and from the running. I can feel a tear fall from my eye and it burns my cheek. I hear him walk towards me and I fall down onto my hands and knees. As I fell, he stopped. He walks up to me after I freeze on the floor. He kneels beside me and I feel an urge to fall into his arms and cry and never stop. I have to fight it though. I glance to the left, where he is, and I notice he has a gun tucked into the waist of his pants. I look back down. It seems that is all I can do in my present state. I lean off my hands and sit back on my feet. I close my eyes and wait. Nothing happens. I open them and look at nothing. I look out the window now, and I see the rain. There is nothing but the sound of the rain. I feel tired. So tired. Tired of everything, tired of living this horrible life. I look at his gun out of the corner of my eye. He doesn't notice so I reach for it and I jump to my feet as soon as it is in my hand. He jumps to his feet also. I don't look at him; I only look at the sleek black gun in my hand. I turn it over and get the feel of it. I have only fired a gun a handful of times. But I could do it again. And if I do, it will end all my suffering, I swear to myself that it will.

'Give me the gun.' It's that voice again, the one that makes my heart clench and my legs numb. I decide to finally look at him. I tilt my head up to the face of my lost protector. 'Heero.' I say it as a statement more than a question. I say it with no emotion, like he does. I look back at the gun in my hand. I place my finger on the trigger and he takes a step closer. I lift the gun up and point it at my head, right under my jaw. He pauses instantly. 'Please, give me the gun. I won't do anything to hurt you, I never would and you know that. Put the gun down. Everything will be okay.' He says it as though he cares. I rethink my decision and I start to lower the gun. He takes it as a sign of my surrender so he lunges for the gun, but it goes off. We both hit the floor. He gets up and looks at me and sees the blood.

With my last breath I whisper 'Thank you, Heero.' And I close my eyes as he gathers me into his lap. I vaguely remember him talking to someone, on a phone maybe. He's calling for help.

'Thank you.'

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Angel Yuy