Author's Note: Yayy I've got my momentum back! A special aside + thanks to my reviewers, especially those repeat offenders ;-). Y'all are so flattering - I really appreciate it! So here for you now, the fifth installment is complete – the meeting/reunion/transition chapter---

Iron Lung Serenade

Chapter 5 – Surrendering

He is anyone's dark rebel to drown in.

Relena slid out of her seat and stretched delicately. She slipped into her sandals and flashed a flustered smile at Duo, who held the door for her with a mock bow and a grin. She felt a pang of anticipation and dread as she ducked under the airplane exit and faced the sharp light of morning.

Relena's lush hair was left loose, and it swirled across her face and neck in the wind. She leaned on the banister of the folding staircase of the aircraft, and shielded her eyes with her hand as she scanned the bluish pink glow of the dunes under the light of dawn.

"They should be arriving soon, Princess," said Duo hesitantly, sensing her remoteness and sensitivity. Relena turned her head halfway to face him and smiled weakly, nodding. He disappeared down a corridor and she released an unwitting sigh; it was all she could do to keep from breaking down into sobs. She had scarcely had a few moments of silence and reflection before Lieutenant Jaquith approached her, tapping her shoulder.

Relena jumped, then turned and stuttered an apology, struggling to regain her breath. Lt. Jaquith saluted briskly, trying to ignore his sense of concern at her actions.

"Minister Peacecraft, I think it should be brought to your attention," began the lieutenant, sighing, "the search for Mr. Winner will have to be delayed. With this…situation at hand, our time and resources are already stretched too thin. Rest assured that several private organizations are also actively searching for your friend Quatre, and it is my hope that we'll be able to resume our efforts in the very near future." Relena stiffened with a flood of guilt at the thought. She parted her lips to address the commander, then panicked slightly when she saw two figures clad in Arabian military garb, trekking down the dunes and approaching the helicopter just beyond the lieutenant's head. Lt. Jaquith turned slowly to follow her fixed, alarmed stare.

"At ease, men!" she heard Lieut. Jaquith yelling to his soldiers. He excused himself quickly and ran down the airplane stairs. Relena relaxed and shifted her position, and tried to quell the trembling of her lower lip. Now she stood, quietly suffering and helpless, yet determined to find the needed loophole and convey the necessary information. Would you listen, Heero?

~

The first thing Heero saw was her pale silk skirt, which swirled about her legs in the sandy breezes and nearly him drove him mad. Then her slim hands, knitted together in anxiety before her, and her long tresses that flowed gently about her face. But her eyes were her most arresting feature, gleaming soft blue even from where he stood, and radiating recognition and worry. With slow fingers he reached up to untie the piece of cloth that protected his face from the sand. Heero wanted her to see him, pick him out, recognize him.

"Yuy, slow down," muttered Wufei, who kept pace with a weak but composed Sally. Heero paid Wufei no heed, stepping ever-faster and swifter against the hindering wind toward the white airplane that perched bird-like on the incline of the towering dune.  Sally smiled knowingly, and groaned slightly from the exertion. Wufei turned to her, and wordlessly swept her into his arms, allowing them both to speed up and match Heero's pace. Sally scoffed and squirmed a bit.

"This isn't necessary, you know," she said, frowning at her own helplessness. Wufei nodded, staring into the distance. He glanced down at her for a long, still moment.

"Then I'm sorry," he finally said, readjusting her in his arms so that her head was propped against his shoulder. Sally looked up at him quietly, secretly. She admired the firm line of his jaw, and, after a final struggle, sighed and allowed herself to go completely limp in his arms. Wufei raised an eyebrow and swallowed thickly, but said nothing.

Relena watched, dazed, from the platform. The space between her and Heero continued to shrink, as the sun rose slowly in the sky. The moment was eternal, timeless, and static.

Lt. Jaquith quickly dispatched his men to retrieve the Preventer's truck, which had long since coughed to death a few miles back. The lieutenant approached Heero first, shaking his hand and delivering a terse sentiment of appreciation before quickly delving into a discussion about D'Abur and his suspected whereabouts. Heero nodded and blinked in concentration, trying to focus on the commander's words. Relena stood only a few feet above, with her skirt still billowing and her eyes still frozen and lovely, like a statue or a vague memory from a dream. He would not, could not meet her questioning, wondering gaze.

When they reached the clearing, Wufei quickly set Sally on her feet as he walked towards the small encampment where Jaquith's soldiers were poring over a map. Sally wobbled a bit, trying to regain her balance on legs long kept in disuse. She made her way to where Relena stood, gazing and forlorn.

"Sally," said Relena listlessly, and she smiled expertly, mechanically. Sally could see through it immediately.

"Let's go inside," said Sally, taking Relena by the elbow, and casting a last worried glance below.

~

Heero's eyes flicked back to the lieutenant's expectant stare. He ran a hand through his hair and murmured, "We should be leaving soon. The situation here isn't safe."

"We've experienced a fuel leakage," said the lieutenant, shaking his head. "We've decided to dock here for the time being. Fuel reinforcements are already on the way."

Heero's face darkened. "With all due respect, sir," he slowly began, "We're in the middle of the Namibian desert. You haven't taken many measures to keep this aircraft concealed," he motioned to the obscenely large, gleaming whiteness of the plane, "And D'Aburs forces can't be more than a few hours away. We have recovered something of theirs that they consider very valuable."

Lieutenant Jaquith shifted his weight to one foot and studied Heero. "You mean to say, they're still in pursuit?"

"That's my belief," said Heero tersely, saluting to be excused. "If you don't mind," he said over his shoulder, "I'd like to go with the men to recover the truck. It'll give me a chance to scan the terrain for any Arab soldiers."

The lieutenant cupped his hand to his mouth and called, "Forget that commander. They're already miles ahead by now."

But Heero had set out regardless, strapping his gun across his chest and taking off in the direction of the tire tracks. He sought something, anything, to shake off his distraction and keep him focused on the mission.

~

Afternoon light streamed through the windows of her jet, as Relena picked at her food delicately with her fork. She didn't quite know what she was waiting for. Sally had left her in frustration a few hours before, unable to extract the true cause for Relena's detachment and depression. But Relena had determined long ago that she would not endanger Sally's life or anyone else's by disclosing her mistakes, her foolish entanglement with Sivehn, D'Abur, and their cronies. Sivehn would stop with her, he would and must be content with her sacrifices. If she didn't take risks, if she didn't seek help, she could save the world. Relena shut her eyes tightly, briefly. Her own life was the only one she could tolerate sacrificing.

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I picked up this project again after waaay too long – kindly excuse any discrepancies/inconsistencies amidst the chapters, kay? Sorry if this wasn't the tears-embrace-kisses-type reunion that some of you may have been hoping for – that's just *far* too out of character for them, in my opinion. 'Sides, that all comes later. ;-p