Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters. This was written purely for entertainment purposes and I receive no profits whatsoever.

Fade To Black

Chapter 2: Decisions

By Aku Tenshi

      Slowly Relena began to rearrange her schedule, her life. To accommodate these recent developments, she began little by little shifting assignments to different delegates so the work for her decreased every day. As she was sitting at her desk reading over the stack of papers that had reduced 10-fold she sighed slowly.

"Now this I may not miss," She murmured placing down the highlighter; slowly she stood and came from behind the desk. Walking up to the large bay window she threw back the curtains and peered out; from here she had the view of the whole courtyard. The view was beautiful but bland in comparison to places that she had seen before but that wasn't what had her attention the most. Really it was the people and how they went about their daily activities from day to day never stopping to think about living up to their name, or what war to pacify next. With her hands clasped behind her back and her head tilted to the side she watched; to her this was better than any television show.

"But I will miss this." And there she stood as a lone tear slowly trailed its way down her cheek.

      Meanwhile miles away from Relena's office her brother paced his small quarters, his back rigid and his hands clasped together tightly. Three days and no word from anyone, not even Noin and now he began to fret forgetting about Emily's warning of the lack of communication. Panic had taken a hold of him and seemingly for no reason at all except that he knew that something was wrong. But at the moment he had no solid proof and that was the only thing stopping him from leaving his mission and returning home. He stopped pacing as someone knocked on the door; at hearing the second knock he pulled open the old wooden door on its squeaky hinges. His subordinate saluted and awaited his return salute before addressing him.

"Sir this just came for you today." the soldier said as he produced from his pocket a slightly crumpled manila envelope.

In return Milliardo took the envelope in his hands and closed the door without a word to the soldier. He walked across the floor studying the handwriting on the envelope and gently touched it with his fingers.

"Noin." He sighed with relief as he tore open the envelope and an unnoticed small folded piece of paper fluttered to the floor as he did so. Taking a seat in the old wicker chair in the room he began to read the letter, the folded piece of paper becoming lost and forgotten.

      As Milliardo read his letter a man perched in a not so far away tree of Relena's office; watched as the young beauty peered out the window.

"Unsuspecting prey ready for the kill," He murmured to himself and almost smirked "How fitting for a pacifist." 

With the scope on the snipers rifle he aimed for her head armored with beautiful honey blond hair. It was then that she turned to him her violet eyes looking at the muzzle of the gun. Shocked he almost fell out of the tree,

"She can't possibly see me." He gasped as she nodded her head and closed her eyes waiting patiently for him to do his job.

Already startled and flustered he began to fumble with his weapons this was to be the first time that his victim had actually seen him and accepted death. And now he was the one thrown off guard by this young woman who was so ready to die. And this puzzled and intrigued him to know the reason why. With the shake of his head he concealed his weapon and jumped from the tree, a bullet clip dropping and being forgotten as he did so; running off the property as fast as he could so not to be seen.

      Relena sighed, "So you're not going to do it then," she touched her hand to the smooth glass "And here I was ready to die, all you needed was to squeeze the trigger and I would be out of my misery."  She murmured to herself as she turned back to her desk and sat down getting back to work. The alarm on her watch began to bleep on and off a warning for her to take her medication, well medications. She sighed as she glanced at the small trinket around her wrist; the pink wristband a tad bit childish but the gold hour and minute hands added a nice touch. Her index finger clicked off the alarm and then her hand moved to her purse, she dug into the very bottom until she found the rectangular box. Slowly she pulled it out and popped open the lid, inside in a very arranged order lay her pills, all of them. She withdrew four; each a different and vibrant color and each causing her to become nauseous by just looking at it.  She shook her head and swallowed thickly before she placed the largest one on her tongue and grabbed the nearby water bottle.

      Emily Une sighed as she reviewed over the notes handed to her by Noin; she worked by the light that streamed through her blinds. They were records of Relena's workload, true Milliardo wasn't here and so the two women took it upon themselves to watch over Relena. The fact that very discretely Relena was handing off her workload alarmed Noin and so she brought the paperwork to Emily; who herself was puzzled.

"This could be trouble," She murmured to herself "If she's doing what I think she's doing then…" she trailed off calculating the events in her mind. Her hand moved to the phone as she dialed a memorized number waiting for a bright and spirited young man to pick up.

      Quatre at the time was just about to call it a night and leave his office when his phone gave a shrill cry. He turned back with a low groan, "Now what," he muttered but shrugged as he continued out the door. "I'm sure that whoever it is can reach me tom…" before he could finish the sentence however a chill struck his spine. "I think I'll answer it." he murmured just above the interval of a whisper.

His pale hand picked up the receiver causing the phone to stop its shrill cries. "Hello." He whispered precariously.

"Quatre I need to speak with you about Relena, is there any chance that you can make it here?" Came the voice of Emily Une.

Quatre laughed softly, his voice no longer soft as Emily had remembered it but deeper yet even more melodious. "Why hello Emily, I see you're still the same," He greeted he couldn't help but smirk or keep the laughter from his voice. "Not even a hello after all this time eh? Well you were never one for hellos anyway. So what is it about Relena that I can help you with?"

"This really isn't a matter over telephone lines for discussion," she paused "And hello to you."

"Well if you could wait a moment I could get on a secure line, will that be to your liking?" he asked ever so politely.

"Yes I can wait." She said although she really couldn't she wanted to discuss the situation right now, and rather in person so he could try to talk with Relena. Although everyone seemed to lose touch after the war, Relena and Quatre remained good friends through thick and thin.

"Done now what is it that I can help you with?" He asked as there was a soft click like sound over the receiver..

"Quatre I think Relena is planning on leaving, she's handing off her workload from herself to other delegates." She said only now realizing how superficial her whole statement seemed.

"She may just want lighter workload, maybe she's planning on going on vacation Lord only knows she deserves one." He said being the calm voice amidst chaos, as always, "You just seem to be overreacting Emily."  

"Oh really then did she tell you anything?" She asked cynically not awaiting his reply she plowed on, " And if that's so why is it on Tuesday she had a doctors appointment, she showed up but there is no record whatsoever of what was going on? What is it that she has to hide with that?"

      Quatre remained silent for a moment as he licked his upper lip as he pondered, "Still your argument is shallow, other than wanting a vacation and wanting privacy there's nothing linking the two," He paused once again deciding if the words he were about to say were chosen wisely "And I think that's what you should give her, privacy and just leave her alone."

Emily remained silent as she mulled over this, he was right in the more logical sense but call it women's intuition or instinct but she knew something was horribly wrong. "I suppose you're right," she said softly "Good night Quatre." She hung up the phone before he could reply. Quatre replaced the receiver onto its cradle as he shook his mane of blond hair his turquoise eyes clouded over with doubt; as he wonder if he were the one wrong. "I'll call her tomorrow, she'll tell me I'm sure of it." he said yet his words rang to himself hollow.

      He traveled across the lush green fields as his azure eyes looked to the sky, the grass crunching beneath his feet. As he fell onto his back and laughed, not a hint of cynicism in his voice only innocence his face alit with joy. Propping his arms behind his head he watched as the clouds rolled by, taking on various shapes ranging from rabbits, to the great elephants of the east. "So pure…" he murmured as the white from the clouds reflected and bounded off his dark irises. After a brief respite of laying there something roused his interest as he rose from the lax position, the young man glanced across the way as soft footsteps padded towards him. A smile crawled to his features as he lay back down in his lax position and watched the clouds. A figures shadow crept over his face as his smile grew wider.

"You know if you were wearing a skirt I'd be able to see up it," he mused. "So why don't you wear skirts?"

A hand came down a smacked his forehead leaving a bright red mark, "Why must you be so perverse?" a feminine voice asked as the young lady took her place next to him. "Final exams are drawing near and you're relaxing on a grassy knoll?" She asked.

"Technically it's not a knoll, more like a field. And I've studied enough babe, I don't need to study anymore." He stated an undertone of his whining evident to her.

"Duo sometimes I wish you still had braid so I could yank." She muttered as her inky eyes looked to him, love and compassion apparent.

"Yeah well I wouldn't of had to cut it if it hadn't had been for that fire, a while ago if you remember" he muttered, losing his braid saddened him not because of his vanity but because of losing it's symbolism.

She gently touched his cheek with the back of her hand as she turned her head to look at him. "Of course I remember Duo, I almost lost you." She said grief crawling into her voice "We lost some friends to that fire as well."

Duo sighed he hadn't meant to bring down his own mood or hers; after all she had lost her sister and best friend in the fire. Getting an idea he rolled over, his hands supporting him as he hovered above her, planting butterfly kisses all over her face.

"I'm sorry for bringing that up, say why don't we go visit Relena this weekend when school's out." He suggested looking deep into her eyes as a smile came to her small face.

"Yes let's, and we'll be graduates Duo. Can you believe it we'll have our degrees and be able to get a job; a successful one. Everything that we've ever wanted will be ours." Joy entering her voice as she thought of their future together.

"Yes, all ours," he said softly as his lips pressed against hers.

      A lone figure watched the two lovers together, and slowly turned and walked away. Noin sighed, she had meant to talk with Duo and Hilde but the two seemed to be busy at the moment. The sight was bittersweet to her; it made her think of Milliardo and what she shared with him, rather what she wanted to share with him. She overheard that the two would visit Relena maybe that would uplift her spirits and put Noin's mind at ease. She thought back to the letter that she'd sent to Milliardo, about the folded up note and how half of her wanted him to find it the other wanting it to remain hidden. She stopped and looked to the sky as her conflicting heart and mind fought over logic and love.

      Meanwhile as the lovers rolled in the field and Noin mulled over her thoughts Relena sat in her office. The paperwork finished and her lunch lying uneaten and off to the side. The curtains were drawn shut as she stared at the crème colored ceiling, her eyes watered over with unshed tears, as she knew what she must do. Her shaking hand reached over to the intercom as she pressed the button opening a communication link with her and her receptionist. She softly cleared her throat and wiped her eyes before she spoke, "Martha, I want you to schedule a press conference."

To Be Continued. I'm glad that you have enjoyed the story thus far and I will continue shortly as always criticism appreciated.