Symee-sama – You'll just have to read on to find out about Peygan. As for Relena trying to kill Heero, you do remember why he's called the perfect soldier? There's going to be a lot more Heero comments along those lines.

Chikyuu-Defender-Beyblader – Thanks I love praise. I can understand the whole losing the urge to write. I can only start a chapter if I really want to, otherwise it sounds, for lack of a better word crap. Hope this chapter lives up to your expectations. Hoping to have more Heero Relena interaction in the next one.

c-vega – Poor Relena indeed. I'm glad you like

StalkerofDreamz – Peygan says he appreciates the moment of silence but you should read on before jumping to conclusions. Glad you liked the chapter, hope you like this one.

Hikari Aijuntani – I'm interested to see how their relationship pans out too, and I'm the writer. It's kind of disconcerting.

Cool mercury - I did update, eventually. Glad you like my story,

Wantinlife – Well here's the next chapter.

Morrighan of Crimson and Sable – Yes big trouble, you'll find out what's happened to peygan here. Keep reading.

Redaura – Shut up I'll lay the smackdown on your ass.

Harpee-Lady – Thanks I really need the inspiration, reviews help motivate. Read on to find out about peygan and the puppy.

Black-Gundam-Child – Thanks, glad you like it. I have updated.

TearsoftheInnocents – Yeah I kick ass, thanks. I have updated as you can see. Hope you like it. Keep reading and reviewing.

Security Detail

"I really don't see any other alternative." The foreign yet familiar voice stated, firmly.

Relena made a vague mental note that he had repeated that very sentence twenty seven times in the last hour or so she'd been confined in Preventer HQ. It was a brief thought, an interlude between the argument she and her companions had been waging since she'd roused herself from the empty numbness and shock she'd fallen victim to after tonight's revelations. "What do you mean you can't see any other alternative Heero?!" She demanded, striving to keep her voice down. "There are always other options!"

"Not in this case." He replied.

"What do you mean not in this case!" She reiterated, clenching her fists. They'd been in this god awful interrogation room for over two hours, two hours left to contemplate how many of her staff had died in the blast, to think about the severity of Peygans injuries, to ruminate over who the hell would hurt so many innocent people just to kill her, two hours to consider all this and stare at the plain grey walls while arguing with her companions. It was two hours she could have spent sitting by the bedside of Peygan, who had been found alive but who was now in the ICU unit at the local hospital. She shivered involuntarily at the thought, she wanted to visit him but her protectors had chorused a resounding "No!" And then proceeded to paralyse her with a list of "Why nots.". Two years of peace, and death still seemed to haunt her.

"What Heero means Vice Foreign Minister," Lady Une interjected. "Is that your personal safety outranks your wishes to remain in the public eye and continue conducting business."

Relena snapped her gaze to the front of the room, observing the other woman as she tried to inject a dose of sense and rationality into the tense atmosphere. Relena with held a frustrated sigh, Heero may have stripped her of some of her more obvious political sensibilities but she would be a poorPolitician if she couldn't restrain her emotions.The part of her brain that controlled logic told her that they were merely performing their duty as bodyguards, but another more irritating feeling was screaming, they only want to protect their peacekeeping pawn.

Relena glared back at the Ppreventer Lieutenant. "So you all approve of Heero's plan?" She asked, breaking the stare down to cast her eyes around the room. "That I should run away with my tail between my legs and let the professionals handle my would be assassins?"

"That Peacecraft, is exactly what we've been saying." Wufei confirmed, leaning nonchalantly against the wall behind her.

From what Relena understood he had been on standby for the Preventers this evening, hence his attendance in this little situation, .His beau wan't as'lucky'. Sally had missed this 'discussion' as business had called her away to MO3 just after the attack. "You're so eloquent Wufei." She retorted, looking over her shoulder to accost the Preventer agent. "Tell me, if you were in my position would you turn and shirk your responsibilities?"

His glared back at her.

"Come on Rei." Duo interrupted, breaking of the potential showdown before his friends could turn each other to stone. "It's not like Heero's suggesting going into hiding indefinitely, I mean we could be talking a week or two here." He continued, a smile reaching his violet eyes. Relena could now fully appreciate what Hilde meant when she said that Duo plus his Devil-May-Care smile was the most irritating form of disarmament she'd ever encountered. " Think of it as a vacation," he advised. "You're always saying you'd like to take a break from the pompous speeches and equally pompous politicians."

"That's not the point." Relena argued. "If I go into hiding now the people will lose all respect for me. I'll be the Vice Foreign Minister who turns and abandons them in the midst of a crisis. I should stay in the public eye so I can support and guide the people."

"You'll be abandoning them permanently if you get yourself killed"

Caught off guard Relena turned her attention toward the back of the room where Heero stood, cool blue eyes capturing her gaze.

Damn him! As a politician she was well aware of when she was being undermined, in this case, not only was she being undermined but her response was being made redundant.

The tense silence that followed held a ferocity that was matched only by the staring contest that ensued Any bloodshed was spared by a tentative knock at the door.

All eyes landed on the messenger"Ma'am, we have a call for you from Agent Barton ,he's reporting from the blast site."

"Patch it through to the vid -com." The Commander said, nodding a dismissal to theagent and closing the door to accept the call. Relena wasn't surprised to hear that Trowa and Quatrehad driven straight to thewreckage of her estateto assist in the rescue and current investigation.

Relena pushedher way through a wallof Preventer uniforms to view the vid - monitor, dreading the incoming repot" Situation?" Lady Une ordered.

"The remains of the explosive device suggests whoever installed it in the Vice Foreign Ministers home was a professional. There are no witness reports of anyone acting suspicious and considering the wreckage there is very little evidence to be found to implicate anyone." He paused, looking off somewhere to his right. " Up to now there are 11 confirmed mortalities and five casualties." With morbid fascination Relena wondered forthe umpteenth time how he could see out of his right eye.

Lady Une nodded. "Anything else of relevance?"

"Nothing else. " The agent replied, looking off to the right again as the sound of a muffled voice interrupted. A pregnant pause as Relena swallowed the bile that rose in her throat. She was starting to feel like Atlas; only instead of the world propped on her shoulders what she had was the world plus all of it's suffocating guilt, and then some.

Bottle green eyes returned to the screen. "Quatre want to know what you plan to do concerning Relena's safety?"

Relena fumed, if he should be asking anyone about her security it should be her. "I wish all of you would-"

"Heero has suggested that Miss Peacecraft should maintain a low profile and retire to a remote location until we have quashed this potential threat." Lady Une informed him.

Stop talking about me like I'm not here. Relena finished, her fury on the rise as she was, once again, hindered in her protests.

"That sounds like a good idea. " The platinum blonde head of Quatre replied as it popped into the screens range of vision. "She'll be much safer away from her usual places of residence, especially until they're checked for more incendiary devices."

"Just stop!" Relena cried, losing all semblance of her polite political vestige. "Whether you all realise it or not I am still here. How do you even know it's me they're after, this could just be a random…" Her voice trailed off as she observed a fleeting glance between Lady Une and the ex Gundam pilots. "What? What aren't you saying?"

"We didn't want to upset you anymore Rei," answered Duo. "But we got a letter after the bombing."

"And?" Relena implored, gaze darting around the room.

"And nothing Peacecraft." Wufei interjected, voice stern.

"What do you mean and nothing Peacecraft?! This is my life Wufei, it concerns me and I want to know about it."

"No Relena you don't." Heero's measured voice replied. "When you chose your life in the public eye you signed your safety over to your body guards. You put your physical and mental health into their hands so you have to trust that they know what's best for you." He continued, eyes once again fixed on hers. "You get to do your job everyday with the help and support of all those around you, even your security. Now return the favour and allow those who protect you to do there job!"

It was true, all of it.

She was being selfish… she knew it. It was her determined nature that was insisting that she argue against the logic of it all. So much for her having changed. And what if she wore down their argument and went back about her business, how many more people would die in the crossfire "Fine, " she conceded. "I'll go into hiding. For awhile."

"Finally she see's sense." Wufei actually rolled his eyes.

"Wufei, make the arrangements, you, Mr Maxwell and Yuy will be acting as the Vice Foreign Ministers bodyguards during her time on sabbatical" Lady Une instructed, Relena almost gave her brownie points for the tactical phrasing, maybe Une would have been a good politician

"Yes ma'am.' Wufei complied, heading for the door and closing it behind him with an audible click.

Duo raised an enquiring eyebrow. "Um, may I ask why me and Yuy are assigned to protect the peace queen when we aren't even agents?"

With a flick of her healthy brown head she looked toward the smart assed American. "Because Maxwell, it is imperative Miss Peacecraft is left in the care of those she trusts most. Considering your past connections with her I assumed you were the perfect persons for the job."

"Wow, I'm feeling special." Duo announced, smiling wide and winking at one of the most intimidating women Relena had ever encountered.

"Hey we're still here." A voice broke in, sounding slightly disjointed from static.

"Sorry Quatre, Barton. Was there anything else?" Lady Une asked, ignoring the inanely smiling Duo.

"Just that we've found Relena's puppy." Quatre piped up. "We've sent him off to the vetenarian but he should pull through."

Relena gave a sad smile. "Thanks Quatre."

The fair-haired ex pilot smiled back. "Don't mention it. We'll see you soon."

Trowa could be seen smiling minutely behind his partner. "I'll report to you as soon as we discover anything of relevance ma'am." He intoned, saluting.

With that Lady Une turned the vid – com off and began dispatching orders to Relena's new bodyguards.

The Vice Foreign Minister could only sit and listen vaguely. For someone who had been so in control of her life only hours ago she was starting to feel somewhat numb from the revelation that her control had just been decimated. Perhaps she was in shock again; perhaps she wanted to be.

The sounds of a polyphonic jingle jolted her from her daze. She frowned, looking at the offending pouch on the table. Just who the hell would call at a time like this?

"Relena are you alright?! I just heard from Noin about the explosion." A deep melodious voice asked as she snapped the phone open, the tone laced with heavy concern.

"I'm fine Milliardo." She answered with a sigh. It was going to be a long night.

AUTHORS NOTE

Thanks to Redaura for her Beta skills.

Wow so I finally updated, sorry it took so long, I did actually start this chapter awhile ago but then I kind of lost the inspiration to finish it. But I have finished. I hope you liked it. It seemed a bit long-winded and to me all about safety and the lark. But Heero's good at convincing Relena, I think his people skills have improved. Go Heero. Keep reviewing people, like I said it was your reviewing and Redaura's haranguing that helped me finish.