Chapter Fifty-three: Anger Rising 

          "Heero's hurt, he hasn't woken up yet, and it's Relena's fault."

          Duo blinked at the quickly spouted out answers.  "Do we have a next move?"

          "When I come up with it I'll let you know," the smaller pilot growled as she turned and headed for the door.

          "That girl has had to deal with a lot in the past couple of weeks," a voice said from behind. 

          Duo turned to see Odin Lowe standing in the doorway that led to the hospital rooms.  He nodded an acknowledgement.

          "She's still a hurt little girl.  No one grows past something like what those two went through.  It could be ten years or one hundred and it wouldn't matter.  I've watched Elise-chan for a long while now.  She puts on a wonderful façade in front of the media's eyes and her fans, but she hurts.  Now Heero's come back and that hurt has started to dwindle back into the love that it began as.  Elise is a very fragile person, though she might not appear so too most.  Her emotions are unstable and she clings to her sanity only by a thread at times.  Cut her some slack."

          "Yeah, I know those two had it ruff, but don't think that Heero and I didn't have our run through too," Duo countered. "We were alone as well."

          "I'm sure you did," Odin replied, looking out into the pouring rain, "but I didn't watch you go through it."

          Chase sighed as she turned her emerald colored eyes toward the dark clouds and allowed rain to pour down her face.  "Come one step closer to me, and I will throw you over this bridge," she hissed as she heard Relena making her way through the rain.

          Relena Peacecraft – Dorlian blinked and stepped forward, not heeding the younger woman's threat, and joined her in leaning on the small bridge's railing.  "It's not my fault, you know."

          The brunet pilot turned hateful eyes to the blond. "Oh it is, Relena-san.  If you weren't as foolish as to get yourself involved in all of this, then we wouldn't have to be saving your sorry ass every little while.  You do realize that is twice now since we came here that I've had to bail you out."

          Relena cringed at the roughness in the younger woman's voice.  "Gomen nasai…"

          "You're apologizing to the wrong person."

          Relena nodded slightly, turning. "Shouldn't you come inside, Chase-san?"

          The petite pilot shook her head. "I love the rain."

          "Doesn't it remind you?"

          "Of what came back to me, and what I should be thankful for."

          "Aa," Relena responded as she walked turned and walked away.

          "Peace is never achieved, is it?" Chase mused out loud. "Never, though we fight with all we have…"

          "You should be more careful in battle than to allow your dear husband to be injured like that," a voice said from the shadows.

          Chase turned, emerald eyes flying open. "Ryu?"

          "Hello, Chase-chan."