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.

Thanks to: Ley, Jem Star, Sorrow, Foole, Magnum, Rei2, Silver Magiccraft, Midnight, the black Rose, Cat, Wing. I thank you all for leaving a review and I thank those that didn't leave a review yet read and enjoyed the story.

Sorry for the tardiness, Christmas is coming up and I've been flying about gathering presents, getting the menu for dinner ready and making cards. A very busy week indeed and I wasn't able to come back to the chapter and make the changes I wanted, yes it's shorter than normal but that'll change during Christmas break. Well everyone I wish you all a merry Christmas, for you and your family. Eat lots, get presents and boogie down!! As always enjoy.

Fade To Black

Chapter 7: Breaking

By Aku Tenshi

      Relena almost dropped her defenses for that moment, if there were one person she couldn't talk to at the moment then it was Quatre. Just by seeing that he had cared enough to put off his business to come to Earth to see her, almost made her vulnerable. Her violet eyes slowly went from a soft lost look, to a menacing glare.

"And why are you here Quatre, to spy for Une. What, have you already told her everything that I've ever told you, since you've become her little spy?" She asked vehemently.

"No Relena that's not it at all," he started but then trailed off finally realizing that there were other people in the room besides the two of them, once again he turned his turquoise eyes back to Relena, "Why have you been avoiding me, what have I done to deserve this from you?" he asked the turmoil evident in his voice.

Relena's shield cracked at hearing the pain in his voice but her violet eyes hardened, "I've told you before I don't need anyone butting into my private affairs!"  She shouted and immediately the familiar pounding returned and she touched a hand to her temple.

Her body leaned more heavily against the chair, as her mother darted her worried eyes to her daughter, yet Relena held up her hand and sighed. "I'm tired, and soon I will have to retire. That's all, mother." She said with a dismissive shrug.

      Heero continually stared at Relena, her pale skin; hadn't decreased her beauty over the years. But it somewhat dampened it, the tension between Relena and Quatre lead him to believe that the two had a relationship that may have been more than just friendship; and a pang of jealousy hit him. It was then her violet eyes languidly turned to him.

"Why are you here?" she asked her voice smooth and soft a blond eyebrow arched slightly, "I can see why the others are here but why you? Why after all these years Heero, not a word, not a note to even say you were alive. My guess it's your mission to protect me; but from whom is what I'm curious about."

He remained silent for a moment and turned his gaze away from her.

"Well I doubt you'll be able to protect me much if you're not in the same house with me." She said with a hint of humor in her voice, "Get out." She said coldly and without hesitation. "If I see you on my grounds again you may just be shot for trespassing." She said with a smirk a cold glare leveled at him. "In fact all of you get out, I no longer want to talk with any of you." She said as she stood and walked towards the doorway of the foyer, where Quatre lightly wrapped his fingers around her wrist.

"Relena, don't do this," he pleaded softly, his husky voice tickling her ear, "Please don't push us all away."

"Don't you see Quatre, it's to protect you." She whispered back as for the first time that night tears threatened to fall; she gently pried his fingers from around her wrist and continued to the stairs. "Morgan escort them out please." She called to the shadows.

A young man seemed to materialize from the shadows and smirked, " I didn't even think you saw me," he said with a laugh his sapphire orbs shining brightly. "I'll escort them, Ms. Relena. Have a nice sleep." He said with a low bow.

Relena stared at him steadily a look of recognition glimmering in her violet eyes before shook her head lightly beginning her descent up the stairs; her mother finally uprooted herself from the chair and followed after her.  

      "You heard the lady, I'm to escort you out, come now single file line children." He called mockingly.

The members of the seemingly cast out-group looked to him warily, anger burning in the eyes of three of them. When Heero spoke,

"I'm not leaving, my mission is to protect her." He said his arms crossed over his chest as he leveled his famous death glare at the seemingly weak bodyguard.

Morgan rolled his sapphire orbs at Heero's glare, "If you come now I promise I won't hurt you." He said with another smirk.

A low growl was emitted from Heero's throat as the others looked to him watching to see if he indeed was going to do something when he scowled and planted his feet, even more.

When it looked like Heero would take the first swing, the tension showing in his face, Duo came over and slung an arm around Heero's shoulders and shook him. "Come on Heero I'll buy you a beer." Duo offered with a lopsided grin, "You need one, desperately."

Heero turned to Duo and blinked slowly "I don't drink." He mentioned.

"Well that's obvious." Duo said with a laugh and began leading him out the door. Giving one last glare over his shoulder before passing under the threshold.

Morgan gazed after them and a slow malicious smirk crawled to his face as he closed the door,

"They will be an obstacle," He whispered as the smirk spread into a slow grin.

      Relena paced in her room her hands clasped tightly behind her back, her hair flowing freely behind her. Her face was tinted red and animated brightly more so than it had been in a long while.

"I cannot believe them." She muttered beneath her breath, her cheeks flushed and her eyes shining brightly with anger as she continued to pace. At the moment she was so full of energy that she didn't know what to do; until she threw up her hands exasperatedly. Until she paused and stared at her hands that were beginning to shake, "Why am I so full of energy?" she asked herself softly as her eyes caught sight of a silver frame.

She glanced at the photograph that rested within the frame and sighed softly, a photo of Duo, Hilde, Quatre and herself. They were vacationing at the beach, of course she invited everyone but Duo, Hilde and Quatre were the only three that made it, none of the others had even bothered to reply. And suddenly she knew why she was so angry the others had abandoned her and she wanted to push the three she loved the most away so they wouldn't get hurt.  She slowly walked over to the dresser and picked up the frame.  Running her fingers slowly over the smooth cold glass, with a soft sob she slid against the dresser onto her knees, drawing a hand to her rosy lips.

      Noin sighed as she slid into the booth after Quatre,

"We need to get wasted." She muttered as she let her head drop to the table with a thump.

"Not too wasted Noin, someone has to drive." Hilde said as she slid into the empty booth seat, Duo following her.

Heero silently slid into the seat next to Duo as Milliardo slid in the seat next to Noin neither of the two looking the least bit happy, true the booth was roomy enough. It had enough seating for ten and so the six sat comfortably in the back of the nearly empty diner.

"That, couldn't have been the same Relena that we know…it just can't" Duo said with a shake of his head.

A bubbly waitress came to the table, a red shirt and khaki shorts her attire the only clues of her being a waitress was the servers apron tied around her waist, the name tag with the name Betty pinned over her left breast, and the restaurants name scrawled over her shirt sleeve. Her hazel eyes lacked the happiness her smile displayed except for a distant twinkle, she looked to Heero first but was surprised as Duo answered.

"A beer for him and one for me too," he said with a smile and a wink causing for the waitress to blush slightly as she scratched the order own onto the writing pad.

"And for you?" she asked Hilde with not as much content.

"I'll have a cookie' dough milk shake, no syrup and make it very thick." Hilde replied with a small smile.

The waitress then turned to Milliardo and scrawled down his muttered request for a soda, and then turned to Noin.

       Noin picked her head up off the table long enough to give the waitress her order of scotch, before she dropped it once again onto the table. Milliardo glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes and his eyebrows furrowed slightly; usually she could handle pressure very well; but at the moment she seemed to be lost. The hazel eyes of the waitress then turned to Quatre, as he sat there his hands clasped together as he stared aimlessly at his thumbs; his face blank and his eyes cloudy.

"Eh what's the strongest drink that you have, Betty?" Duo asked and flashed her one of his infamous grins.

She giggled lightly "Why that would be the Coyote, would you like me to add that to your order?" she asked.

Duo nodded with a wink as the waitress scuttled off giggling lightly, Duo rolled his eyes as the serious tone came back into his voice.

"So what are we going to do about Relena?" He asked.

For the first time that night Quatre lifted his head before glancing back down at the table.

"We should do as she asks, and leave her alone." He said his voice a low rumble.

"But that would put her in danger." Heero stated calmly.

Quatre's head snapped up at the sound of his voice, his turquoise eyes leveling a glare at him so deadly that it even made Heero's skin crawl, "Why do you care, dammit Heero you were out of her life and she was perfectly fine. You're the only thing here that puts her in danger!" He stated his voice rising, his hands unclasping and slamming on the tabletop.

"But Quatre," Duo started

"But what Duo? What's the use if she won't even let use near her, to even talk to her?" he asked and it seemed as though he suddenly lost his energy and slumped back into his seat.

The others glanced to the distraught blond haired man and mulled over their own thoughts.

      As the grandfather clock chimed midnight and the Darlain house itself seemed asleep one soul was awake. The seemingly innocent bodyguard Morgan was perched outside Relena's bedroom door, his foot resting against the wall and his head bowed. At the final chime he glanced up, and turned to the door; placing his hand on the cool metal he slowly turned the knob and entered the room. Relena's unconscious form lay leisurely across the bed; the covers kicked off her small and pale form the pale moonlight washing over the white nightgown and her angelic face. Morgan's eyes momentarily rested on her making sure she was asleep before he gently moved over to the oak wood dresser and slowly pulled open drawer after drawer going through her dresser, smiling as he pulled out a date book. He slowly opened the leather bound book and slowly flipped past page after page his eyes finally lighting up with joy as he spotted the name Dr. Janice Armond. Relena was scheduled with the doctor for an appointment tomorrow, the last appointment the good doctor was ever going to make.

TBC

As always criticism welcomed.