Heero stared at the tree in front of him and sighed a sigh better
suited for an old man then a man of twenty. He'd known that this day would
come soon but he'd none the less hoped and prayed that it wouldn't. She
would go now, she hadn't said so but he knew: he knew her better then
anyone else just as she could him. They'd always been like that,
inseparable and on the same wave link. The perfect partners, an unbeatable
team. But no longer.
"Trust you to be early." Heero said sensing her presence before he saw her. Like him she believed in being prepared for anything and never walked into a situation they couldn't walk out of. If it had been anyone else she'd been approaching they would never have known she was there until it was too late, she would have been highly insulted if they had. And you really didn't ever want to insult her; it was a real health hazard.
"Same goes." The dark haired woman said as she separated herself from the shadows she'd been hiding in. Like him she'd come earlier then the time they'd decided on, she wasn't really surprised to see that he'd come early as well, it was their way. Like Heero she stayed out of the light provided by the nearby buildings and streetlights, a probably pointless precaution but one they took none the less. They'd hid their connection for over five years now; not even their closest "friends" knew the connection they shared. Those who did were either dead or too afraid of them to risk bringing it to light. If they could kill off the great General Treize Khushrenada then they could eliminate anyone.
"You're leaving, aren't you." Heero said rather then asked. He already knew the answer, was simply waiting for her to confirm. He knew everything there was to know about her and he knew that her reasons for sticking around had been reduced to him.
"There's no reason to stay." She said answering his statement as she ran her fingers through her long bangs, which blocked her face from prying eyes. "The war's over, Preventers is set up and people in our profession are no longer needed. Why stick around? Besides, I've had enough of the army and trying to save a world that doesn't want to be saved."
"What about the life you've built here?" Heero said knowing it was useless to try and change her mind but trying none the less.
"A life built on a lie." The woman said with a twisted smile as she turned her head slightly so that her face was bathed in shadows. "You're the only one on this earth who really knows me, the rest see what I want them to see. I'm ready to go back to the life I would have had, I'm ready to be me again."
"But not everything was a lie. Sure your personality is a bit different and your tastes vary slightly but except for your name you are essentially General Lucrezia Noin. Maybe you weren't born with that name but she is you." Heero said forcefully. "You created her and she has a good life, one worth living."
"Maybe she was Heero and maybe she wasn't. I've been her for five years now, and I know what it's like to be her. She's as much me as you are Heero Yuy, Paris. How long do you think you can use that name before someone catches on and turns you in to the organization you and I helped create? We've been lucky so far but sometime in the future it's going to fall through, it always does no matter how skilled and evasive we are. What will Relena and the rest of the pilots say when they find out exactly who you are." The woman formerly known as Lucrezia Noin asked with a raised eyebrow. "Do you really think that they'll be pleased?"
"I can't make you stay can I?" The one called Heero said not willing to discuss what would happen if he were found out.
"No. But it won't be like we'll never see each other. Me leaving Preventers and this identity behind doesn't change the facts. Sure we won't see each other every day anymore but we'll keep in touch. Hey even when we were on opposing sides during the war we kept in touch didn't we?" She said with a touch of desperation.
Heero knew she didn't want to leave him and that he was only making it harder on her to leave with his pleading. But dammit he didn't want her to go. She'd always been the one steady thing in his life, the one person he could count on no matter what happened. Even during the war they'd kept close despite everything and in truth a life without her in it was a scarier thought then facing a hundred Gundams unarmed and alone. "When will you go?"
"I'm already packed and ready to go. I gave Lady Une notice, she promised not to say anything to anyone. I figure I'll head home for a while then see what happens. Come visit?" She asked with a grin that belayed the sorrow she felt at leaving.
"Yea. So I guess this is goodbye for now huh?" Heero said as he turned his head slightly as he pulled his familiar mask into place.
"For now yes. Good-bye Paris." She said understanding that there was nothing more she could say really. "Take care of everyone for me okay?"
"Yea sure Rome." Heero said using her real name for the first time in a long time. Walking over he slipped his arms around her for a moment then drew back. "Stay out of trouble."
"You know I won't." She said sassily as she placed a hand on his cheek. Leaning over she placed a light kiss on his other cheek then gently pulled away. As if on cue a cell phone went off and both automatically went for their jacket pockets. It was for Heero and listening for a few seconds he nodded then with a promise to hurry turned it off.
"I have to go." Heero said with a sad smile as he waved the phone before placing it back in his pocket. "I'll come visit you as soon as I can."
"Deal." The woman said then nodding they walked away from each other, backs straight and no emotion showing on their faces.
"Good-bye big sister." Heero whispered as he walked onto the path that would lead him out of the park.
"Good-bye little brother." She whispered as she once again joined the darkness of the shadows.
"Trust you to be early." Heero said sensing her presence before he saw her. Like him she believed in being prepared for anything and never walked into a situation they couldn't walk out of. If it had been anyone else she'd been approaching they would never have known she was there until it was too late, she would have been highly insulted if they had. And you really didn't ever want to insult her; it was a real health hazard.
"Same goes." The dark haired woman said as she separated herself from the shadows she'd been hiding in. Like him she'd come earlier then the time they'd decided on, she wasn't really surprised to see that he'd come early as well, it was their way. Like Heero she stayed out of the light provided by the nearby buildings and streetlights, a probably pointless precaution but one they took none the less. They'd hid their connection for over five years now; not even their closest "friends" knew the connection they shared. Those who did were either dead or too afraid of them to risk bringing it to light. If they could kill off the great General Treize Khushrenada then they could eliminate anyone.
"You're leaving, aren't you." Heero said rather then asked. He already knew the answer, was simply waiting for her to confirm. He knew everything there was to know about her and he knew that her reasons for sticking around had been reduced to him.
"There's no reason to stay." She said answering his statement as she ran her fingers through her long bangs, which blocked her face from prying eyes. "The war's over, Preventers is set up and people in our profession are no longer needed. Why stick around? Besides, I've had enough of the army and trying to save a world that doesn't want to be saved."
"What about the life you've built here?" Heero said knowing it was useless to try and change her mind but trying none the less.
"A life built on a lie." The woman said with a twisted smile as she turned her head slightly so that her face was bathed in shadows. "You're the only one on this earth who really knows me, the rest see what I want them to see. I'm ready to go back to the life I would have had, I'm ready to be me again."
"But not everything was a lie. Sure your personality is a bit different and your tastes vary slightly but except for your name you are essentially General Lucrezia Noin. Maybe you weren't born with that name but she is you." Heero said forcefully. "You created her and she has a good life, one worth living."
"Maybe she was Heero and maybe she wasn't. I've been her for five years now, and I know what it's like to be her. She's as much me as you are Heero Yuy, Paris. How long do you think you can use that name before someone catches on and turns you in to the organization you and I helped create? We've been lucky so far but sometime in the future it's going to fall through, it always does no matter how skilled and evasive we are. What will Relena and the rest of the pilots say when they find out exactly who you are." The woman formerly known as Lucrezia Noin asked with a raised eyebrow. "Do you really think that they'll be pleased?"
"I can't make you stay can I?" The one called Heero said not willing to discuss what would happen if he were found out.
"No. But it won't be like we'll never see each other. Me leaving Preventers and this identity behind doesn't change the facts. Sure we won't see each other every day anymore but we'll keep in touch. Hey even when we were on opposing sides during the war we kept in touch didn't we?" She said with a touch of desperation.
Heero knew she didn't want to leave him and that he was only making it harder on her to leave with his pleading. But dammit he didn't want her to go. She'd always been the one steady thing in his life, the one person he could count on no matter what happened. Even during the war they'd kept close despite everything and in truth a life without her in it was a scarier thought then facing a hundred Gundams unarmed and alone. "When will you go?"
"I'm already packed and ready to go. I gave Lady Une notice, she promised not to say anything to anyone. I figure I'll head home for a while then see what happens. Come visit?" She asked with a grin that belayed the sorrow she felt at leaving.
"Yea. So I guess this is goodbye for now huh?" Heero said as he turned his head slightly as he pulled his familiar mask into place.
"For now yes. Good-bye Paris." She said understanding that there was nothing more she could say really. "Take care of everyone for me okay?"
"Yea sure Rome." Heero said using her real name for the first time in a long time. Walking over he slipped his arms around her for a moment then drew back. "Stay out of trouble."
"You know I won't." She said sassily as she placed a hand on his cheek. Leaning over she placed a light kiss on his other cheek then gently pulled away. As if on cue a cell phone went off and both automatically went for their jacket pockets. It was for Heero and listening for a few seconds he nodded then with a promise to hurry turned it off.
"I have to go." Heero said with a sad smile as he waved the phone before placing it back in his pocket. "I'll come visit you as soon as I can."
"Deal." The woman said then nodding they walked away from each other, backs straight and no emotion showing on their faces.
"Good-bye big sister." Heero whispered as he walked onto the path that would lead him out of the park.
"Good-bye little brother." She whispered as she once again joined the darkness of the shadows.