That Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Gundam Wing. Please don't sue.
Duo: Even if they sue, they won't get any money from you, anyway. You're such a miser.
Melrose: SHUT UP!!! *gets her pen of destruction and chaos* Do you want me to write a yaoi story about you and…Dr. J and the other Gundam scientists?
Duo: EYAHHHHHH!!!! *speeds away*
Free talk: Yes, this is the uh, fifth chapter where will find out why Relena ended up with Trowa! Just a few more and we're finished. There's a flashback here, too!
Warning: There is a bit of…lime here. For the lemon version, please go to www.blissfulignorance.com to get it. It's in the fanfiction forum, on the first box you see.
Special thanks to: Eden888: *hug* Thank you! *too overwhelmed to say anything else*
Aya Yuy P.SII: Well, here's the continuation! Thanks for reviewing!
Anrui Shiro: You got the Heero-Alexander name right! As for Freya and Relena, well, I interpreted Relena's name as a variation of Helen, who in Greek mythology was the most beautiful woman in the world. In Norse mythology, Freya was the goddess of beauty and was considered the most beautiful of the gods. See the connection?
Computer geek michelle: Thank you! Here's the update you've been waiting for.
Ladybug: Hmm…we'll see what happens with Trowa, Relena, and Heero.
Wing_stars07: I've explained above the relation between the names. As for how Relena ended up with Trowa, we'll get to that in this chapter.
Maria star*: I'm blushing. ^^ Anyway, of course Freya's a kick-ass girl! She should be! Yey! You got the relation between the names quite close. ^^
This fic is dedicated to my cats, Draco, Sirius, and Harry*. Yeah, I named them after Harry Potter characters. ^^;
Chapter V: To Love or To Protect
"That was admirably done, Miss Freya."
Freya Peacecraft-Barton had been staring blankly at the empty screen before her. At Neiman Conroy's remark, she turned and gave him a contemptuous look. Even imprisoned in this steel box of a room, Freya never showed any hint of fear or submissiveness.
Neiman Conroy just laughed at her. "Your contempt has no effect on me, Miss Freya. I'm used to such treatment from people like you."
Freya said nothing, merely stared at Neiman, taking in his appearance and not for the first time wondered why men like him were allowed to exist on this universe.
She had heard of him, of course. Neiman Conroy was one of the most wanted men in both the space colonies and Earth. ESUN and the Preventers suspected him of having masterminded more than a hundred terrorist attacks. He didn't seem to work for any singular cause–one day he was working for Muslim fundamentalists in bombing a synagogue, then the next he was training Christian extremists in guerrilla combat. Where there was chaos and strife, Conroy thrived, seeming to feed on the destruction and pain caused by conflicts Freya's mother had tried so hard to resolve. He was the perfect anti-thesis to her mother's ideals.
Nothing much was known about him. No one had been able to catch his face on film, so many people did not know what he looked like. Sitting here, watching him, Freya surmised the public hadn't missed much in not knowing how Neiman Conroy looked.
Neiman Conroy was an unremarkable-looking man, so ordinary looking that he might sit next to a person and one wouldn't think anything special about him. He resembled an office employee, with his clean-shaven, slightly weathered face. He wore a white, loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirt and dark blue pants. He was of average height, just several inches taller than she was. He had sandy blonde hair that was beginning to thin and turn gray at various parts. Freya estimated he was in his late fifties.
He doesn't look like terrorist, Freya thought. But then, one shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I have to get out of this place, before anything else happens.
Conroy smiled at her. "Have I passed your examination, Miss Freya?" When Freya didn't answer, he laughed in a mocking voice and left the room, the steel door sliding shut behind him.
*******
Relena stared numbly at the blank, dark screen, oblivious to everything around her
"Promise? What promise is Freya talking about?" Duo wondered. He looked questioningly at Relena.
Relena said nothing. She rose from her seat and glanced at Trowa and Alexander, who nodded gravely at her. They knew about the promise as well.
Her daughter's voice came back to her. Freya had been thirteen years old then. Promise me, Mother. If ever I get captured or held hostage by enemies, you will not exchange anything for my life. Even if it means my death, you will not negotiate. Even in such a young age, Freya understood the importance of her family's role in maintaining world peace, and the subsequent dangers that came with the role.
Relena had protested, but Freya would not have it. I cannot live knowing that the peace you and the people have worked so hard for would be shattered because of me. Promise me, Mother. Promise.
In the end, Relena gave that promise. She had never thought the time would come she would fulfill it, but now, it had. May God give me strength for this, she prayed.
*******
Heero stood in the back, his eyes still fixed on the screen. Though he was hidden by the shadows and his voice was altered, the man who abducted Freya seemed very familiar to Heero. Could it be him again, after all these years? Had he come back to wreck havoc again?
Heero closed his eyes, and remembered. It had been sixteen years ago, but it seemed only yesterday.
Sixteen years ago…
Twenty-year old Vice-Foreign Minister Relena Darlian glanced nervously around her room in the cabin they were staying in, eyes searching. She let her duffel bag slid to the floor.
"Don't worry, Trowa and I have made sure this place is secure," Heero said calmly, entering the room with purposeful, confident strides.
Relena gave a relieved sigh. "Where's Trowa?"
Heero jerked his chin towards outside. "He's patrol duty tonight." And I'm your personal bodyguard for tonight, he didn't add. He didn't have to. From the way Relena's eyes widened slightly, he knew she knew.
Silence reigned in the room for a few seconds. Relena, staring at the polished wooden floor, suddenly said, "I shouldn't be hiding here. I should be out there, addressing the people."
"No."
Relena looked up at Heero, startled by the angry tone of his normally deadpan voice. "Excuse me? What's with the tone? And why are you glaring at me that way?"
Heero clenched his fists, trying to control his anger. "And get killed? Relena, until the bastard is found and dead, you're not doing any public appearances. Zechs has ordered you not to. It's too unsafe."
Had she completely forgotten what had happened to her a few weeks ago? A man driven by the need for power and revenge had kidnapped Relena. Hiding her away in a god-forsaken desert, the man had demanded that the control of the world be turned over to him or else. The Preventers, led by her brother Zechs, rushed to find her. However, the abductor had other aces in his sleeves.
They didn't know who the man was; only that he was a former associate of Dekim Barton (even Mariemaia could not identify him), someone who had supported the megalomaniac Barton in his bid in conquering the universe. Seething with resentment for not having fulfilled his 'destiny', the man had proceeded to wreck havoc on the lives of those he considered responsible for his predicament, chief of them being Trowa, Relena, and himself.
He targeted Trowa first. A bomb exploded in the circus where Trowa worked, killing nearly 300 people. Catherine Bloom had survived, but not their ringmaster, who had died in Trowa's arms, murmuring that the show must go on.
Other bombs also exploded. One was in Duo's scavenger shop, injuring Hilde. Another one detonated while Quatre was inspecting a construction site in L1 space colony. Thankfully, his injuries were minor; a fragment grazed his head. A bomb was thrown at Wufei and Sally as they headed for an inspection. Both suffered severe cuts and bruises, but they lived.
Then Relena was abducted. She had been snatched from her office one sunny day while no one was looking. Zechs had been beside himself in worry and anger. The world was in chaos. One of the key people in restoring peace was missing, and God only knows where she was.
Heero immediately came to the scene, not knowing that was the man's intent all along. He knew all he needed to do to draw Heero Yuy from hiding was to kidnap or harm the Vice Foreign Minister, Relena.
The kidnapping had proved to be only a diversion. Armed men took over a military base on earth that hid intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads. They should have been disposed years ago, but bureaucratic red tape prevented it. Now, not only did he have Relena, he also had nukes.
The Preventers were then split into two teams. One would penetrate the military base and destroy the missiles while another would look for Relena. Heero, Trowa, and Zechs were the ones assigned to find Relena. Duo, Quatre, and Wufei would handle the destruction of the missiles.
Both missions were both successes. Relena was rescued, just minutes before she was about to be shot and the missiles were destroyed, but the man who instigated it escaped. Worse, Zechs was seriously injured when he was shot in the chest by one of Relena's guards. As he was wheeled into the operating room, he ordered his sister to be hidden away until it was safe for her to go public. So, just after Duo's wedding, Relena, Trowa and Heero left for the cottage.
Relena glared at Heero, but said nothing. Heero know Relena would never disobey Zechs, not while he was lying in the hospital.
Relena took a deep breath and surveyed the room. There was queen-sized bed to sleep in, a wooden closet for clothes, a dresser, and a couch where Heero would probably sleep. She turned to Heero again. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but she closed it. Then she said, "I'm just going to take a bath and change my clothes."
Heero nodded impassively. As he watched Relena unpack her clothes, carefully hanging them in the closet, he noticed how thin she looked. Spending nearly two weeks in the desert had its effects on her–she had been weak to begin with, having been given little food and water during her incarceration in a cell in a small shack in the desert. Though she had at least a week to regain her strength, it was not enough.
Heero clenched his fists, remembering the way she looked when they rescued her. She was huddled in one dark corner, blonde hair in disarray. Her lips were chapped, her eyes with fear dark and almost sunken in their sockets. She gave a hoarse cry of pleasure at the sight of him, and to his shock, she embraced him tightly.
He would never forget it, the way she trembled in his arms, the way his heart raced as he held her, how his heart soared with gladness knowing she was alive, and safe in his arms. He also remembered how he wanted for her to just stay there, cradled in his arms.
"Heero?" Relena called, drawing him out from his reverie. Turning, he found himself staring at a vision.
Relena wore a nightgown–a wine-colored silk slip dress that attractively fit her slim frame. The air in the cabin took a sweet, fresh scent. Heero gazed at her, unable to say anything. Then abruptly, he looked away, and headed for the door. He could not stay here.
"Heero," she called again. His hand froze in the act of turning the door. Heero faced her, a grim look in his eyes. Relena walked towards him, stopping a foot away from Heero, and said, "Thank you for saving me. I never got to thank you during the rescue."
"I vowed to protect you, Relena. I was merely fulfilling it."
Relena smiled sadly. "Is that what I am to you, Heero? A promise, a mere vow to be fulfilled?" she asked softly, taking a step closer. Their eyes met.
They both knew that was not it. It wasn't merely because of a promise, but something else, something deeper. Heero knew it, but could not, would not acknowledge it. His training made sure of that. "Relena. I think–" he began, but Relena was already speaking.
"When I was there," she began, her blue eyes intent, "all I did was think–would I live? Would I die? Would I see you again–and God, I am tired of thinking. Can't we just feel, even just for tonight? We don't need to label what we have. We just have to feel it. Can't it be just that way?"
As Heero opened his mouth to speak,
Taken aback for a few seconds, Heero closed his eyes and soon let himself be drawn into the sweetness of the kiss, losing himself in the sensations it evoked. He felt Relena run her fingers through his hair. His hand cupped her nape, then his hand drifted into her petal-smooth shoulders, down to her arm, causing the tiny strap of her nightgown to slightly slip off her shoulders.
A slight smile curved Relena's lips when she broke the kiss. She lightly traced a line down from Heero's lips to his bare chest, silently admiring its muscular slimness. "So, do you still want to sleep in the couch?" she asked teasingly, fingers flicking over his male nipples, causing Heero to groan at the boldness and delightfulness of her touch. "Or do you want to sleep in the bed?"
Heero stared at her for a long moment, Prussian blue eyes grave. Relena thought he was angry, then treading his fingers through her hair, he nuzzled her neck, savoring her fragrance. "I'll stay in the bed," he whispered, placing tiny kisses on her neck. He heard Relena gasp, arching her back slightly. "But I don't think I'll be sleeping on it."
Slowly, as not to break the fragile mood between them, they headed for the bed. They sat on the bed, staring at each other for a moment, just feeling, waiting.
And then…there was ecstasy.
When it was all over, Heero fell into her arms, and for a while, they lay there, breathing heavily.
"I love you, Heero." The words were soft, barely above a whisper. Heero tensed slightly. "I wish…will you stay with me?" Relena murmured.
Heero did not reply.
*******
Lying on the bed, Heero was conscious of Relena curled beside him, her warm body pressing close.
"I love you…will you stay with me?"
Love. It was such an alien word to him, but he knew it accurately described what he felt for this woman. He loved Relena. He should have known long ago, but he denied it. Why else did he hesitate to kill her? Why else would he come repeatedly to aid her? Peace be damned. Even if she hadn't been Earth's and the space colonies only hope for peace, he would have still been there for here. Why else would he be lying here with her?
There. He had admitted it, but it came with a bitter taste in his mouth, because he knew that this love would bring pain to both of them.
Heero had been the reason why Relena was kidnapped. The man somehow knew what he felt for her, and used it against him. Heero had vowed to protect her, but how could he protect her if it were he himself who brought danger to her?
Slowly, he slid out the bed and put on his clothes. There was only one way–he would disappear forever from her life. That way, she would not be used as a pawn against him, so that she would not be harmed.
The thought of never seeing her again brought pain, but not as much the pain he would feel if Relena was hurt because of him. I can't Relena. I can't stay with you. I'm so sorry…I vowed to protect you…
*******
Heero opened his eyes, bringing himself back to the present. He never came back after that night, except once…just once.
It was the day Relena and Trowa wed. He had watched from a secluded spot as Trowa and Relena took their vows.
Heero tried to tell himself it had been all worth it. He had chosen between loving and protecting. Had he chosen wrong?
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Trowa take Relena into his arms, kissing her forehead. It could have been Heero holding Relena, but he wasn't. Closing his eyes, he knew the answer to his question.
~T.B.C.~
Free talk, part 2: Whee…I've finished this chapter. I can't believe I wrote that! Please don't hate me!
See? I told you there was a reason why Relena and Heero broke up. Can we now all say, "Heero is stupid?"
Heero: I'm not stupid.
Melrose: Oh really? *then hides behind Relena*
Heero: Coward.
The terrorist thing: I apologize to any Muslim or Christian I might have offended. No malice was intended. Terrorism comes in many forms and under many guises.
The lemon: This is my first 'published' lemon (be gentle!). The lemon part is actually based on an original fic I made when I was in my second semester in my first year in college. I remember getting the idea from several fanfics and romance novels I had read. To those authors, thank you (Don't sue!). I rarely write lemons nowadays and I think this actually turned out pretty well.
Next chapter: Freya tries to get out. Heero, Relena, and Trowa confront each other, while Neiman Conroy may have another trick in his sleeves.
*Harry died before I finished this fic. *cries* I miss my cat.