AN: Chapter 28. Okay everyone, I lied. This is the chapter with the killer climax. I'm sorry when I write I am unpredictable. Well let's get going.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

"So this is the great Heero Yuy," said Mavica grimly. "The Gundam Pilot who saved both the Earth and colonies, the Perfect Soldier. Emotionless, cold, and uncaring…"

Heero glared at Mavica. He noticed that the man was badly injured. His flight suit was torn, and he had a deep gash on his head. As a result, his hair was blood streaked and his face a mess. Heero guessed he had seen a great deal of battle.

"…or do you truly car about something? Perhaps a certain someone?" said Mavica as he pointed the gun directly at Relena who stiffened.

Heero could feel his anger growing. He watched as Mavica walked towards her with the gun.

"Pretty little thing isn't she, Yuy? It's a shame she has to die…" said Mavica as he cocked the trigger back.

An explosion went off taking Mavica off guard. Relena screamed and lost her footing and fell to the ground. Heero took the opportunity and lunged for the man. He tackled him to the ground and began to grapple with him for the gun. Heero punched him and the gun went sprawling across the floor. Mavica head butted him back and Heero fell off of him slightly dazed. He retaliated quickly however when he saw that Mavica was reaching for the gun once more. Heero picked himself up and kicked the gun away before Mavica could grab it.

Heero picked his opponent up and off his feet. He kicked him several times in the ribs, causing the man to cry out in pain. However, Mavica grabbed Heero's wounded arm and with his hand dug deep into the wound, causing Heero to cry out in pain and drop him. Mavica seized the opportunity. He grabbed Heero and gripped his hands around his neck and began to strangle him picking him off his feet. Heero was silent as he grunted and swung his feet trying to get out of the death grip. Heero gathered up his strength and head butted the man, sending both of them to the ground.

Mavica pulled a knife. He approached Heero. Pouncing on top of the Gundam Pilot, Mavica placed his knee on Heero's chest and the other on his throat. Holding the knife in the other hand, Mavica smiled viciously at Heero,

"So this is the Perfect Soldier? I might have expected something more," he said as he started to draw the knife down towards Heero's throat.

Suddenly, Mavica stopped and jerked his head and fell over unconscious. Heero looked up to see Relena standing over him, the handle of the gun in her hand.  Heero stood up and looked at her, right into her eyes. His lips parted and he was about to speak but a second, stronger explosion rocked the entire space station and both of them sprawled in opposite directions. Relena landed roughly by the doorway and Heero slid over the edge of the platform into the pit. He grabbed the edge just in time.

Debris began to fall every where. Parts of the control panel were beginning to fall apart. The whole space station would soon be destroyed. Relena watched in horror as Heero struggled to hold on to the ledge. He cried out in pain when his wounded arm could no longer take it. He held on with one arm.

"Heero!" screamed Relena from the safety of the doorway. She tried to take a step forward to reach him but heavy pieces of the station began to fall from the ceiling, making the path deadly.

Heero grunted. He looked down into the black nothingness. So this is what it had come down to?

"Relena? Relena, I want you to listen to me," he cried from the edge.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Tell me how much time is on that clock!" he shouted to her.

Relena peered over at the bomb,

"Four minutes!" she replied.

Heero sighed. That would do just fine,

"Relena, listen to me, I've programmed Wing Zero to fly you directly back to the Preventers! I want you to go now! Do it while you still have time!"

"Heero I won't I can't just leave you like this!" cried Relena desperately.

"Do it!" he screamed at her. "I made a promise to get you back alive at any cost! Do it! The world needs you, Relena Peacecraft!"

Heero sighed. He would not see her die like this. He felt his fingers beginning to slip. Remember me Relena.

Relena breathed heavily at the doorway. It was now or never. She ran forward dodging the metal debris that flew down from above. She slid and caught Heero's hand just as he was about to slip and fall. Grunting she struggled to pull him up.

"Relena!" cried Heero angrily. "Get back!"

"I'm not leaving you, Heero Yuy, and by the looks of it right now you should not be complaining!"

She grunted and held onto to his hand with all her might as she pulled him to the safety of the ledge. Heero pulled himself up and grabbed her shoving her towards the doorway. Once there he grabbed her roughly and shook her emotion burning in his Prussian blue eyes,

"Damn it Relena! Why? Why did you do it? You could have saved yourself!" he cried desperately as he held her arms tightly.

Relena just looked into his eyes and cried out at him,

"Because I never could have lived with myself knowing that I could have tried, Heero!"

Heero looked at her and suddenly found himself crushing his body against hers. Relena held onto him as he hugged her and as tears ran down her cheeks. He quickly pulled away however and looked at the bomb. A minute and a half left.

"Run!" shouted Heero. He and Relena took off down the hallways the way they had come. A third explosion knocked them off their feet. Heero recovered first and picked up Relena and they continued as the whole space station shook. There was only one minute left.

They reached the hanger. The remaining soldiers ignored them as they climbed into the Gundam Wing Zero. They sat in the cockpit, Relena in Heero's lap. He fired up the engines and turned the Gundam towards the closed hanger door.

"Hang on," said Heero.

He raised the beam cannon and blasted through the door.

Meanwhile…

Bret Mavica awoke his head throbbing. Yuy and Darlian were gone but that didn't matter. He rose to his feet. He would show them. He would show them all. All he had to do was blow up the entire Preventers station. That's what he would do. He would show them all. Then he would be the genius one. No more following in Pentane's footsteps. He was the leader now.

Mavica smirked and turn around. But, something caught his eye. It was only then did he realize that time had run out.

Heero and Relena had barely left the hanger when they felt Wing Zero begin to tremble. Heero began to urge all speed out of his Gundam but he knew it may not be enough.

The space station exploded like a giant supernova. It was magnificent and glorious and deadly beautiful.

The waves of heat and fire were rapidly approaching them. Heero began to feel the force of the heat inside of the cockpit. The Gundam shook and trembled as if it were in an earthquake. Relena held on tightly to Heero as the cockpit shook tremendously. Heero held onto her frail form. The fire from the explosion soon covered them.

Preventers…

Cheers arose from the Preventers crew as the four Gundam pilots returned. Not only that but they had seen the enormous explosion on the television monitor. People hugged and laughed and cried. The pilots who had survived the battle arose from their cockpits joyously.

Quatre helped Trowa out of Heavyarms. He was unsteady on his feet still from the blow he had taken earlier. But the former acrobat insisted that he need not go to the infirmary and that he was fine. Quatre simply smiled.

Duo on the other hand rushed out of the Deathscythe and over to Hilde's mobile suit. He tore open the cockpit and lifted her limp body out.

"I need a medic over here!" he screamed.

He placed Hilde gently on the ground and her eyes fluttered open,

"Duo?"

"Yeah babe?"

"Did we get them?" she asked meekly.

Duo couldn't help but crack a sad smile.

"Yeah, babe, we got them."

"Good, for a little bit, things didn't look so good…" she said as her eyes closed once more.

"Hilde?" cried Duo in alarm.

Sally and a team of medics rushed over. Sally checked Hilde out quickly. Duo watched with worried eyes. Finally Sally sighed, looked at Duo, and to his surprise smiled,

"She's going to be fine. She just needs to rest. You can go with her to the infirmary if you like."

Duo breathed a sigh of relief and smiled for the first time in a while. He looked over at Quatre and Trowa who had been watching him intently. Quatre smiled at him reassuringly, and Trowa nodded his head. Duo jumped up and held Hilde's hand as they carted her off.

Sally smiled happily as she watched Duo walk off. She turned around and before her was Wufei. For a moment all she could do was look at him. He stared straight back at her, right into her eyes. And the next thing they knew, they were hugging each other relieved and overjoyed that all was well once more.

Lady Une was on the phone with Milliardo and Noin,

"Has there been any word from Heero and Relena yet?" asked Milliardo intently.

"No, I'm afraid not," replied Lady Une gravely. "We have been trying to contact them for a while now, but there is no reply. We fear they may not have made it out in time."

Milliardo sighed. Noin shook her head and covered hr hands with her face.

"Well," said Milliardo, "if that is the case then there is nothing we can do."

"I'm afraid so," replied the Head of the Preventers heavily.

One hour later…

The remaining four pilots looked out of the window into outer space. Their faces were all full of concern and worry. Heero and Relena had not yet come back and there was no word on them. Lady Une feared the worst as did many others. Milliardo and Noin were on their way back to the station.  They would arrive within the next couple of hours.

Wufei stood with his arms crossed over his chest. A foul expression was marked on his face. They had conquered the enemy today, and there was much cause for celebration, however, the loss of a companion was too much at the moment to even think of anything else. Yuy you've done it before, I know you can do it again. I know that you would survive. If not for you, it would be for her.

Duo was unusually quiet as he thought about his stoic friend. Heero was the first Gundam pilot he had come to know other than himself. And possibly one of the first friends that Duo had met in the past couple of years. Although it had been difficult to be a friend to someone who didn't even feel the need for one, Duo knew that deep down Heero would be missed should he not make it. The thought of losing Relena was also on his mind. She had been a pillar of strength for all of them. A symbol of hope.

Quatre kept looking out of the window desperately for any signs of the Wing Zero. He squinted his eyes, peering into the distance. He would not give up until it was for certain that they were both gone. He would not give up.

Trowa was silent and expressionless. Heero was a good companion and a good soldier. He was the best of them all. To lose him would be a great loss. Trowa bowed his head. Heero had done, after all what he had also told Trowa to do. He followed his emotions and they led him to Relena. Trowa knew Heero loved the girl, even if his mind denied it, his heart could not. There were moments when Trowa and the others could catch Heero lost deep in thought, or times when he would stare at Relena with threads of emotion burning in his eyes.

They were all just about to turn away when Quatre cried out loud,

"Look! It's Wing Zero!" he exclaimed as he pointed to a mobile suit approaching the base.

They took off running for the docking bay, as fast as they could. When they pulled in there was a huge commotion and excitement. Wing Zero stopped and the cockpit opened. Sure enough, out jumped Heero Yuy. He returned around behind him and helped Relena out. Cheers arose from the entire docking bay. A roar that rose up like a wave. The last of the Gundam pilots had returned.

Quatre, Duo, Wufei, and Trowa ran up to meet Heero as he jumped to the solid ground of the hanger. Duo slung his arm around his should and clapped him on the back grinning from ear to ear. Quatre shook his hand and smiled so warmly that he lit up the whole room. Trowa simply nodded to Heero with out any real expression on his face. But at that moment, if you looked into Trowa's eyes you could see that he was smiling. Wufei took one look at Heero and smirked. Heero smirked back, one of the closest things to a smile he had ever come.

Heero looked behind him as his fellow companions led him away at Relena. She was being surrounded by throngs of people. Lady Une finally led her away with Sally towards the infirmary where Relena would be treated for minor injuries. He caught Relena's eyes as she was on her way out. She stared right back at Heero, and unwritten emotion on her face. But her eyes were gentle and warm.

"Heero buddy, you are bleeding like a stuck pug!" exclaimed Duo as they examined his right arm.

"It's nothing," replied Heero quietly.

"Well whether it's nothing or not, I think we should just get it checked out," said Quatre as they too, made there way to the infirmary.

Heero simply nodded. He followed his fellow pilots to the hospital wing.

On their way over, Heero glanced around him. Everyone was cheering and excited and happy. He did not feel the same however. Thoughts of past events were flooding through his mind. Thoughts of Relena plagued him. He was silent as the others chatted happily and clapped each other on the backs for a job well done.

Later…

Relena sat in the infirmary as Sally examined the lump on her head. She had a number of cuts and bruises but nothing serious.

"Well, Relena, you don't appear to have a concussion. All I can say is go to your room and get some rest," Relena nodded her head.

"Thank you Sally," she said as she hopped off the examination table.

Relena began to walk out of the room when someone called her name. Relena turned around and saw Hilde lying on a hospital bed. Relena smiled and walked over and took Hilde's hand.

"Hilde! I am so glad to see you're getting better," said Relena softly.

Hilde smiled warmly.

"Me? Why I heard that they were worried sick over you! I can't imagine what you have been through. I'm just glad that you are okay."

"I'm fine," said Relena. She turned as a tall figure strode up to Hilde's bedside. Relena looked to see Duo staring down at Hilde with intent eyes. Relena saw that Hilde was staring back at him the same way. Relena smiled,

"I will just let you two catch up on things," she said as she moved away.

Duo knelt down beside Hilde and grasped her hand,

"Hey babe, how you feeling?"

"Better," replied Hilde softly as she looked into his eyes.

Duo covered his face with his free hand for a moment. Then he looked up once more and said,

"Why did you do it babe? Why did you come all the way out there? I almost lost you and I can't bear the thought of almost losing you again or worse."

"Oh Duo, I did it because I'm so crazy in love with you," she replied smiling.

Duo embraced her and kissed her gently.

Relena in the meantime was making her way out of the infirmary. She stopped as Heero walked towards her. He stopped and stared at her, both of them unable to do anything but absorb one another. She noticed that his right arm had a clean bandage on it. She was glad nothing more had happened to him. Finally Relena spoke,

"Heero, I just wanted to say thank you for what you did. You saved my life."

Heero looked at her with burning blue eyes,

"Relena, I made a promise to you. I will always be there for you."

Relena looked at him and nodded her head. She then brushed past him as she made her way out the door.

Heero watched her go. The expression on her face was one of sadness. He felt as if he should call out for her and go after her. But he let things be the way they were. He couldn't shake the feelings that were beginning to burrow up inside of him. He had a knot in the pit of his stomach. He had to get away. He had to get some air.

Heero left the hospital wing and walked away from the world so that he could be alone. He didn't want to have to think about anything at the moment but his head was so full of thoughts that he felt as if he would burst. There was only one place to go at a time like this: Wing Zero.

Heero made his way to the hanger and opened the cockpit. He sat inside and placed his fingers lightly over the controls. He couldn't understand what he was feeling. A sudden sadness engulfed him. Memories from the past raced through his mind. Relena floated through his mind. There was something that he couldn't place about her that he couldn't find or understand. After sitting for a few more moments, Heero decided to consult one of the only people who may have the wisdom to help him.

Meanwhile…

"Relena!" shouted Milliardo Peacecraft as he entered her living quarters.

Relena jumped up excitingly and hugged her brother tightly. She smiled and smiled and never felt so much comfort and security and security in all her life.

"Milliardo it's so good to see you!" she exclaimed as she let go of him. She then proceeded across the room to give Noin the same warm welcome.

Milliardo grabbed his sister once more,

"God, Relena, I thought we lost you forever."

Relena smiled sadly as she hugged her brother tighter, the only real family she had left.

"For a while, Milliardo, I thought so too. But all is well now. The organization has been destroyed for good and we begin to pick up the pieces and rebuild both the colonies and Earth."

"As well as the Peacecraft family," added Milliardo with a smile.

Relena's heart leapt at his words and she smiled sadly as tears began to form in her eyes. She knew from now on that things were going to be all right.

Meanwhile…

Heero was now locked in the room that had been given to him. He checked the line to make sure it was clear then dialed the number to the one with all the answers. He waited and soon an old man with frazzled white hair appeared on the screen.

"Heero, my boy, how have you been making out? I here you just completed another successful mission," said Dr. J

"How did you know?" asked Heero coldly.

"Have you forgotten already? You must remember that I am a "mad" scientist. I have my sources," replied the man with a smile. "'I know much more about people than they may think. It helps, I suppose, when the entire universe believes that you have passed on to nothing more than a memory."

Heero nodded his head at his former instructor. He had to get to the point though,

"Dr. J, lately my mind has been unsound. I feel as if I am being torn in two and…"

"I knew this day would come to pass," said the scientist somewhat sadly. "Heero, the worst impact that life will ever have on you will be the fact that you have to live it. You have never known what the value of life meant until the day you met your fellow Gundam Pilots and a certain blonde haired young woman. Or you to become human and live life will be a hard task. You were programmed to never feel, to never just be. But ever since you met the people you are with now, all of that is changing. The people around you have loved ones, a home, and sometimes a family. They feel and they live and that is what makes them humane."

"How can I become human if all I have known is the life of a soldier, the way of death?" said Heero coldly.

"Ah, Heero, even a soldier feels pain and heartache though he may not wish to admit it. You do not believe that you have emotion because nearly all your life you were told you had none. But Heero, the secret is that you do. They are buried, deep inside of you, just waiting to be let out. You keep fighting with them and struggling with them because you do not understand what it feels like to feel."

"What should I do?" asked Heero.

Dr. J smile at the young man before him,

"Do what you would tell anyone else to do: Follow your emotions."

With that, the connection shut off and Dr. J was once again a memory to the world, a thing of the past. Very few knew about his existence except for Heero.

Heero drew a long sigh and stood up. He walked over to his bed and lay down. For a while he stared at the ceiling and began to think about his past and what had been taken from his life. He had never thought about it before. Dr. J was right he hadn't really lived at all. He was like a machine just doing what he was programmed to do. Until Relena and the others had come along and he began to slowly open up his mind.

Heero searched for the answer deep in his soul, if indeed he did have one. And he began to believe that he did. He began to believe that he did carry emotion. He began to believe that perhaps he could start to live his life. To really live it and not feel so alone. Heero drifted off into sleep.

AN: So that was the last chapter! AHHHHHHHHHHH! What did you all think? Next up is the epilogue I hope you enjoy!

Email: WildRose1404earthlink.net