DISCLAIMER: I only own the plot.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: As usual, sorry for taking ages. And thanks to Marai for the encouragement, this chapter's dedicated to you!

Chapter 4

Quatre sighed and touched a finger to his temple. "Guys," he said in a placating tone, "Don't you think we've argued enough for one day?"

"Yeah," said Duo stifling a yawn. "I'm gonna collapse soon."

Trowa sat silently, watching his fellow pilots as they continued their discussion. He had to admit, after nine solid hours of discussion he had definitely had enough. He looked at meaningfully at Heero.

Staring back at Trowa's visible eye, Heero nodded and said, "It's getting late. Let's continue this in the morning." With that he rose and exited the room.

"Look at that," Duo said. "Without so much as a 'see you later.'"

"He must be in hurry for some reason," Quatre replied.

Trowa glanced at the pair. "It's his business," he said simply.

Wufei said nothing. He merely watched Heero's retreating figure moving up a flight of stairs and smirked.

"What's so funny Wufei?" Duo asked.

"Nothing. I'll see you guys later."

* * *

"Hilde! Where are you going?"

"Um…"

Relena stared hard at the girl in front of her. "You should be in bed," she said firmly. "You hit your head on the floor, you've only just regained consciousness."

"Really Relena, I'm fine," Hilde in a desperate voice. "Please, let me get out of bed."

"No."

"Relena," Hilde started.

"It's for your own good," Relena interrupted.

"You know," Hilde said in exasperation, "You're getting even more protective than Duo."

"I'll take that as a complement."

Hilde narrowed her eyes and was about to retort but stopped when she heard someone knocking on the door.

"Come in," she said.

"Hey Hun," Duo greeted her.

"Hey Duo."

"How're you feeling?"

Hilde glared over at Relena. "I'm fine Duo, but Miss Peacecraft here wont let me out of bed."

"Rel's right you know Hilde. It's better you rest. Besides, it's too late to be up now anyway so I'm gonna hit the sack. See you both in the morning."

Before Hilde could reply Duo was out of the room.

Relena smiled smugly. "You were saying?"

Hilde said nothing, but sighed in defeat. Then she heard footsteps outside the room. "Duo probably forgot something," she said to her blond companion. There was a knock at the door. "Come in," she said again.

But it wasn't Duo. The door opened almost timidly and a lilac-haired boy poked his head into the room.

"Excuse me," Trunks said softly. "But I came to apologise to Hilde." He opened the door wider to let himself through, then closed it gently.

Hilde looked over at him, a faint blush coming to her cheeks as she remembered the earlier incident.

"I'm sorry," Trunks said. "I didn't mean to scare you." He was blushing profusely.

"That's okay," Hilde replied.

"And I must apologise," Relena said then. "To both of you. I really should get that lock fixed."

"No problem Rel, don't worry about it. Anyway, now that's been sorted, can I get out of bed?"

"No."

* * *

Heero stopped outside a door on the way to his room. He had heard voices and with his instincts taking over, he listened carefully to them, trying to distinguish between the voices. He quickly identified Relena, but there was another voice that he couldn't quite place. It was a male voice, not one of the pilots, that much was obvious. With a start he realised that it must be that boy Relena had permitted to stay – Trunks was his name.

Heero growled softly to himself and placed his hand on the doorknob. He turned it slightly but then stopped and pulled his hand away.

What's wrong with me? Why am I acting like this? I trust Relena…don't I?

Heero stood completely still for a moment and then he heard laughter filtering through the door from the room behind. Hilde's laughter. Heero let out a breath he had not known he was holding and visibly relaxed. He sighed softly and continued to his room, his thoughts in turmoil.

From his vantage point in the shadows on the stairs, a boy watched the confused pilot leave. "Heero," he murmured, a small smile on his lips. "You find it so hard to trust." Quatre allowed his smile to widen. "But Relena is one person you can trust."

The next morning Wufei rose early and left his room seeking a place in which to meditate without fear of distraction. As he walked at a leisurely pace through the mansion, Wufei passed the butler, Pagan. After learning from him where such a room was to be found, Wufei made hastily towards it.

"At last," he murmured, opening the door. He was surprised to see that the room was already occupied.

Trunks sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed, with a calm expression on his face. He opened his eyes as he heard Wufei entering and smiled as way of greeting. He then closed his eyes once more.

Wufei sat a few metres away, sitting in the same fashion. Taking a few deep and calming breaths he fell into concentration.

* * *

Heero sat blinking in the morning sun. Despite the fact that he was outside with his friends and was supposed to be relaxing, he held his laptop in front of him, typing his thoughts on the prospect of the possible new mobile suit.

"Hey Heero!" Duo called out. "Come on in, the water's fine!"

Heero looked up and smirked as the braided boy was mercilessly set upon by Relena and Hilde. The two respectively pushed and pulled him under the water's surface. When he came spluttering back up he stood for a moment gasping for breath, then immediately dove at Hilde, who shrieked with laughter as she attempted to get out of his way.

Trowa sat by the pool watching the melee as Quatre laughed at their antics, almost spilling his drink over the taller pilot in the process. Trowa's face contorted into a pained expression whilst Quatre looked at him apologetically. Without warning, Trowa suddenly grinned mischievously and pushed Quatre into the pool.

Heero couldn't help but laugh. Finally setting his laptop down he stood, stretched languidly and knelt down at the water's edge. Relena swam over and placed her arms on the pool edge, holding herself steady in the water.

"Heero," she began quietly, "Are you alright?" Heero glanced at her.

"What do you mean Relena?"

"You seem to be very distracted of late," she said, raising an arm to shield herself from Duo's next aquatic attack.

"It's because of what Trowa and I found yesterday," he replied matter-of-factly.

"Heero… are you sure there's nothing else wrong? You didn't come to say goodnight yesterday. Have I done something to upset you?" Relena asked earnestly, concern showing in her clear blue eyes.

Heero bit his lip. Then he looked at the blond girl in front of him and murmured softly, "You haven't upset me… I just assumed you were already asleep."

Relena looked at him carefully but Heero's face wouldn't betray his thoughts. Seemingly satisfied with this response, Relena turned back to the others in the pool. Heero stood and went back to his laptop. He opened a file and entered a password as prompted. Sighing softly he continued with his work.

* * *

"So, the sword is also your weapon of choice," Wufei said approvingly.

Trunks nodded, lilac strands falling into his eyes. "For a long time now."

"Perhaps you'd care to duel with me sometime. I am in need of new challenge."

"Sure," Trunks replied grinning. "Whenever you're ready."

Wufei smiled. "Tomorrow morning," he decided, getting up to leave. "I've got some things to take care of right now."

Trunks nodded in acceptance and watched Wufei as he turned and left the room.

Now's my chance to work on the time machine. Good thing this room is out of the way. It wouldn't help me very much if someone saw the machine, or my other capsules for that matter.

Trunks pulled the container holding the capsules out of his jacket pocket and uncapsulated Bulma Briefs' greatest work. He quickly entered the password into the computer so he could access the machine's memory banks.

"Whoa, this is gonna take a while." Grimacing slightly, the teen from the future set to work. "Oh mom, you had to make this hard," he muttered.

A few hours later, the mentally exhausted demi-saiyan collapsed in an unceremonious heap on the floor. He reached back into his pocket and recapsulated the time machine. Placing the capsules back into their original place, Trunks felt his fingers brush against something. It felt like a scrap of paper. Carefully, he pulled it out of his pocket to take a look.

His hand trembled involuntarily as he looked at the photograph. It had been taken a few years before – there he was, in the middle. Definitely younger, but with the same look of determination he still wore. His mother on the side, smiling as she held her son in her arms, and on the other side, his mentor and best friend, Gohan.

Gripping the photograph with stiff fingers, Trunks let a solitary tear trace its way down his cheek.

* * *

Quatre was walking through the hallway towards his room when he felt a tremendous surge of mental pain and anguish. He gasped and fell to his knees, hit full force by the wave of anger and regret. He took a deep breath and then shaking, Quatre got to his feet. Taking a shuddering breath he whispered, "Trunks…"