Disclaimer: I don't own *sniff* Gundam Wing *sniff*, or any of the *sniff* characters, so don't*sniff* sue *wails*! Don't rub it in already, wahhhh!

Warnings: OOC, language, mental craziness, blood, psychotic tendencies, scenes of a disturbed nature…heh heh heh!

Chapter 7

Resurgence of memory

"So you put her with Heero!!" I really didn't want to end up shouting at my boss, but this was ludicrous!

"It was the most rational choice. He has an excellent record, astounding abilities and an almost unswerving devotion to duty," Une countered, the only sign of anger being the slight narrowing of her eyes.

"And the fact that he's been missing for two years!?" I shot back, "We have absolutely no idea where he's been or what has happened to him. He could be a psycho for all we know, he could have been brainwashed…"

"That is what the psych tests are there for and the wave modulator would have detected such tampering…Duo," she sighed exasperatedly, leaning forward on her desk and clasping her hands to adopt her business manner, "Heero is the best possible choice to look after Councillor Jaden's daughter."

"I don't think you know what you're saying…" I started but she cut me off before I could even begin to define the reasons for the doubts rolling around in my mind.

"Special Agent Maxwell if you continue to question my authority I will have no option but to suspend you until your sense of discipline is restored," Une's glasses flashed and her eyes narrowed further.

"Ah Une, you know well fine I didn't have one of those in the first place," I smirked shoving my hands in my pockets and returning Une's glare.

"Unfortunately I am well aware of this," Une sighed and removed her glasses, rubbing the bridge of her nose in agitation.

"Look, Commander, please," I put on my best pleading face and stared hard into her eyes, "just let me and Wufei go with them, to supervise, please."

"No, absolutely not," Une almost growled, becoming more defensive by the second, "I am not going to send two of my best agents out on a field reconnaissance mission which can easily be handled by Heero Yuy and his partner Melissa Jaden! Listen Maxwell, you have three reports to hand in by five tomorrow, one of them has an extension and you want to go play baby-sitter for Heero Yuy! Think again. Now get out of my office before I throw you out."

"Fine," I snarled angrily stalking to the door and flinging it open, "I can tell when I'm not wanted."

I was not exactly in the best of moods when I flung myself back into my office five minutes later. Well I mean Une of all people! She should know damn better than to do a stupid thing like this! I began to wonder if maybe Melissa's father had specially requested Heero to be his daughter's partner or something equally as horribly annoying. After the war, even though he wasn't there to see it, Heero was praised as a worldwide hero along with the rest of us. I mean he did do just as much to save the planet as all of us after all, if not more. He was idolised, his ideals put up on a pedestal and gaped at. So it wouldn't surprise me if stupid Councillor Jaden had decided "That's the man for my daughter!" Asshole.

Not long after I got back Wufei turned up, striding into the office as if he wasn't three hours late for checking in. I looked at him for an explanation, but instead he ignored me and threw himself into his chair, an all too satisfied smile on his face. I decided that my stare wasn't working and so just asked him instead. Oh come on, since when have I been subtle!

"So, on another mission with Sally, huh?" I grinned teasingly cupping my face in my hands and leaning on my desk.

"That is classified," Wufei lied blatantly, enjoying every minute of it, "but what about Heero's new partner? Have you met him yet?"

"I know your just trying to change the subject Wu-man," I continued teasing, ignoring his deadly growl at the mention of his pet-name, "but I'll tell you anyway. Well, they seem nice enough, for a green, wet-behind-the-ears, inexperienced rookie. Oh and it's not a guy, it's a girl."

"A girl," Wufei scoffed, "with Heero Yuy. This should be interesting. I don't think he'll be able to stand working with a girl, you know how Heero is with weakness."

"Hey, she's not weak, alright, or she doesn't seem to be," I know I hardly knew the girl, but Wufei's sexist statements always got my back up, they were just so…sexist, "I would have thought that you'd have changed all this "weak woman" stuff after working with Sally."

"Sally Po is a very unique woman," Wufei snapped, becoming all defensive and terse as he always did when someone took a dig at his lovebird, "and she is not weak, unlike some."

"Are you trying to tell me that you think Une is weak? Or Noin for that matter? What about Reelena?" I said spreading my arms questioningly.

"They are all special cases, and anyway, they all have the womanly affliction of weakness when it comes to love," Wufei turned on his laptop and opened an old report, obviously trying to get me to drop it.

"Ohhh, and Sally doesn't have that with you?" I smirked crossing my arms and snickering.

Before he could reprimand me for my bold statement the sound of polite knocking resounded through the tense air. I shook my head at Wufei's fuming gaze and pushed off the desk towards the door. Well, weren't we just the popular one's getting so many visitors. I wondered who had come to annoy me now, hoping that it wasn't Une to lecture me about handing in my report late, or not signing something in triplicate, or something equally as dull. I was however pleasantly surprised as I opened the door.

"Quatre! Hey buddy, what are you doing here?" I grinned from ear to ear stepping aside to let the small blond enter, only to notice that Trowa was standing just out of sight, "hey Trowa, quit hiding back there and get in here too!"

I swear that guy was so quiet sometimes that you didn't even notice he was there. Kinda creepy at times, but it was always good to see him; especially at a tense moment; he could cut through it like a knife and dissolve any malice, even in Wufei which was a feat to be praised, I tell you!

"Hello Duo, Wufei," Quatre smiled at us both and leaned back against the wall, his ankles crossed, "how are you?"

"Fine, just indulging in some friendly heated discussion," I smiled; Wufei rolled his eyes and shook his head, nodding to Trowa in greeting as the brunette looked at him questioningly.

"But you haven't answered my question," I said sitting on my desk so as to give our guests a seat, "what are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming for another couple of days Trowa."

"My mission ended earlier than expected," the brunette answered quietly, "so I decided to come down earlier than I had intended."

"Well, that's time off then! Why aren't you lazing about beside some pool, or at the circus or something infinitely more interesting than work?"

"We were in the neighbourhood," Trowa smiled slightly as he set my little kinetic ornament on my desk to work.

Sometimes he and Heero were so alike in mind it scared me, yet there was always more interest in Trowa's eyes when he did something, fascination; Heero's always seemed…dead.

"Well, we had to come into town to get some things, and we had to come and pick up some files for Trowa's report, so we thought we'd come visit," Quatre explained shrugging his shoulders.

"Glad you did Q-man, or I would have been Wufei toast," I sniggered, "but, well, this gives us a chance to catch up huh?"

"Sure," Quatre shrugged, "as long as I'm not keeping you from work, Une can be rather, um, foreboding at times."

"Nah, I'm not busy," I said scratching the back of my head, "hey, why don't we go grab Heero and get something to eat?"

"Do you think about nothing but your stomach Maxwell?" Wufei chided, his eyes not moving from the screen in front of him.

"Sure I do!" I pouted, flicking an unruly bang behind my ear, "I give my hair my undivided attention."

"Is that why is looks like some birds are nesting on your head?" Wufei smirked.

I opened my mouth to retort, but Quatre interrupted me with a laugh.

"How do you two ever get any work done, never mind work together," Quatre shook his head in disbelief as Trowa stood silently at his side, humour flickering in his one visible eye.

"Ah we're only kidding around, right Wu-man?" I winked; Wufei sighed and did his best to ignore me, "so let's get Heero and go."

"Would you like to join us?" Quatre offered to Wufei; he's always the gentleman, which I always forget to be so it's handy to have him around.

"Unlike Maxwell I actually have some work to do, so thank you but no," Wufei said inclining his head to Quatre who returned the gesture.

"Alright!" I said a little over enthusiastically, "Let's go!"

----------------------

I couldn't believe it. Couldn't be her. Why not, everything else that had happened to me, why couldn't this happen.

Blood, covering my hands, everything…red. Make it stop! Why wont it…the pain, oh…god!!

But not now, everything's alright now, just like before the dark. Walking down the street you couldn't see the blood smearing the alleyway, I'm safe…safe,safe,safe. No one here to hurt me.

"Except me," came the all too familiar croon.

"Leave me alone!" I silently screamed clutching my hands to my temples.

"Sorry, can't do that."

"Get out. I don't want you!"

"No choice."

"You made me do it!"

"Don't try and blame this one on me Mr. Perfect Soldier. Try taking responsibility for your actions this time."

"I didn't want to hurt anyone," I cringed as I realised my tone had become a whimper of pain.

"Too late for that now."

"It's all my…fault," I felt my head spinning and tried to repress the reflex to throw up.

"Yes, it is."

"No…"

"Wake up…"

I snapped my eyes open and the darkness in my mind lifted like a curtain. I found myself curled in a ball, huddling up against a wall in my new office. I had been shown to it by Harry, the ever helpful equipment guy, and had taken it as a good enough time as any time to have a mental breakdown. I was just glad that I came to when I did, it gave me just enough time to get up and compose myself before she came back to haunt me. She knocked before entering, her gaze shy but friendly.

"Hi," she said, annoyingly cheerful, "I wondered if you would like to work together, you know, planning for the mission."

I couldn't tear my eyes from hers. All I could see was…blood, running, hands shaking, hair matted with gore. I couldn't take this!

-Shut up and snap out of it!-

"Whatever," I said thankfully keeping my voice from shaking.

"Oh, okay," she said a little unsurely, laying her things out on her desk.

Quietly she set about positioning her things neatly out on the polished wood. Her easy grace was quite entrancing, the way in which she moved seeming to take no effort at all as she moved her little keepsakes around, trying not to look shy and vulnerable. Vulnerable, just like her. Can't do this. Have to go, have to go, have to go…

…then there he was…

"Hey Heero! Getting settled huh?" Duo's overly cheery tone spread through my mind like a tidal wave, quenching the rising flames of my momentary madness.

"Hn," I replied turning my back on him and closing my eyes tight shut, more thankful than I would like to admit that he had turned up when he did.

It was almost as if I feared that the rage and fear I felt inside would come bursting out if I didn't hold my eyes shut as hard as I could. Why was this happening, why wouldn't she leave me alone? I needed…to be sane…I needed my strength…my old strength, my will…I needed…

…Duo…

"Well," the voice of said person enthused, "I have a surprise for you."

I turned to him then, finally pulling my raging emotions under control, and found myself staring at a smiling Quatre and a silent Trowa. I tried to smile back but failed miserably. I guess just don't use those muscles enough for them to respond under pressure. And don't think that I didn't notice Trowa's stare boring holes into my face. I guess we'd have to talk, but there is always a place and a time to dig open old wounds; now was not that time.

"Hello Heero," Quatre beamed, "how are things? Settling in okay? Oh, is this your new partner?"

"Pleased to meet you," I heard her honey sweet voice ooze through the air, hurting my ears as if it were tangible, "my name is Melissa Jaden."

"I'm Quatre Winner, pleased to make your acquaintance," Quatre said shaking her hand.

"Trowa Barton," the tall teens smile was slight, but Melissa didn't know how much of an honour it was to pull that much emotion from Trowa on a first meeting.

"So, you guys want to get something to eat?" I heard Duo suggest and then stop, "oh yeah, I mean guys and girl, heh heh, you're welcome to come as well if you like Melissa."

"That's very kind of you, but I really have to start preparing for our mission, I don't want to leave anything out," she said determinedly.

"Uh oh, another Wufei I think," Duo sighed with a smile, rubbing the back of his head, "just don't work yourself to death 'kay? Heero? What about you?"

I wanted to go. I need to get out of that small, stuffy, claustrophobic office before I went crazy. I couldn't stay here with her. I couldn't…wait, wait a minute who's telling me I can't? I can do what the hell I like! I won't back down for anyone, especially not you! I glared at Melissa hard and was satisfied as I watched her grow uneasy under it. I wanted to see her suffer. Yes, she wouldn't rule over me any longer. No more.

"I have to prepare," I said in my best monotone, turning to Trowa and Quatre, "it was nice to see you again Quatre, Trowa."

With that I sat down and began to unpack my files and papers and other such office refuse. I heard Duo grunt impatiently.

"Heck, everyone works too hard around here!" with that he left, Quatre waving goodbye before following Duo closely.

Trowa hung back a little longer, his presence becoming harder and harder to ignore as the others footsteps began to fade. Slowly I turned my gaze up to meet his intense emerald stare. I swallowed.

"It's good," he almost whispered, taking a few hesitant steps toward me, standing in front of my desk like a monolith, "to have you back…Heero."

"Thank you," I ground out, my mouth suddenly as dry as Wufei's wit.

Then with that he was gone. Sweeping through the door like a ghost, silently leaving the room as if he had never been in it. I was left alone with her. It took a lot to hold myself under control, I could feel the rage boiling inside of me, threatening to burst out like a volcano erupting. I fell back on my old self, on my training. Oh…god this isn't good.

"So," she began, her voice boring holes into my defences, threatening to break my fury loose, "would you like to work on this together?"

I couldn't stop the slow smirk that formed on my face.

AN: Mwoohahahhahaha! MWOOOAHAHAhahahHAHAHA! Oops, sorry about that ^-^! Got a little carried away there..hcrmm! Well, more of the evil mystery of Heero's whereabouts next chapter hopefully! Hope the blood and gore didn't put you off too much, *mwooahahaha!* Okay, enough with the evil laughs! Feedback is always welcome, please R&R. Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed so far, you guys rock! Woohoo!