Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or the song "Groovy kind of love" grooviness . and if you don't like RelenaXHeero romance then…well, that's none of my concern…

Chapter 16

"Trowa, is she. . .okay?" Duo asked, seeing that his skin was perfectly smooth again. Trowa ambled down the ramp, stumbling a bit as Heero walked up to him and gave him some support.

"I don't know. She woke up but then she healed me and passed out again. I think it might have hurt her, she looked like she was in pain." Trowa said, feeling a little lightheaded.

"You should lye down, you don't look like you're well." Heero said, slipping a hand onto Trowa's side for more support. He nodded slowly and Heero helped him over to his plane. Trowa put a hand on Heero's chest halfway there and looked over his shoulder at Duo, saying, "Duo, Rachel wanted me to tell you. . .nothing happened."

"With. . ." Duo glanced over at Quatre who was oblivious to the talk. Trowa nodded and moaned, rocking back and forth as his head spun.

"Come on before you pass out and I have to carry you." Heero said, helping Trowa along into the plane. With a sigh, Duo looked over at Quatre, feeling bad for what he had said and done.

But. . .if he didn't. . .then what the heck was he talking about in there? Nevermind, I don't wanna know. . .Duo thought as he walked over to stand by Quatre.

"I hope she's alright. . ." Quatre said sadly, looking back at the plane.

"Yeah, me too." Duo said. He slipped his arm around Quatre's shoulder, surprising him a little. But he just smiled and touched Duo's hand to give some comfort. Relena came out of the plane next and walked up to the boys, saying, "I don't know what's going on here but would either of you like to explain it to me?"

"I will." Heero said as he walked back over. She looked a little shy as he walked her over to sit down for the long explanation. Duo grinned softly and whispered to Quatre, "Let's leave the lovebirds alone. . ." Quatre nodded and walked away, saying over his shoulder, "I'm gonna see how Trowa's doing."

"Okay, see ya." Duo waved and jumped up into the plane, heading straight for the cockpit to visit Rachel. He peeked in first to make sure she was wearing something since Trowa came out still shirtless. She was clothed.

"Rachel?" Duo whispered. He stepped into the room and closed the door slowly, letting it click shut behind him. He paused a minute at the door before walking over to her side, bending down and sitting. He gently brushed back some loose strands of gold hair in her face and tucked it behind her ear, slowly sliding the side of his finger across her cheek. It was soft to the touch, bringing a calm smile to Duo's lips as he pet her hair lovingly, lightly stroking her cheekbone with the back of his hand, pulling it back over her ear and petting her hair again. He did this again and said, "I love you. . .every time I think of you my heart pounds. When you look into my eyes it skips a beat, chills running down my back when you hold me in your arms and hug me. I melt every time you whisper sweet words softly in my ear, tickling me with your every breath. . ." He closed his eyes and let his hand drift across her shoulder and down arm, resting on her side. He leaned forward and caressed her cheek with his lips, kissing her lightly in different places. He stroked her hair again and whispered in her ear, "You make my soul sing every single moment I'm with you. . .by your side. I want to sing to you and show you how deeply and truly I long for you to be in my arms and never leave my side. . ." He sighed and thought to himself, She's probably not even gonna remember me saying this. . .why am I talking to myself? He looked sadly at the floor and laid down, gently scooting up next to her and putting his arms around her. With a yawn, he closed his eyes and snuggled his face into her hair, enjoying its soft texture. As her soft breathing lulled him to sleep, he dreamt of them playing together in a field. . .and doing other things. . .

"So that's basically it, any questions?" Heero finished his explanation of the journey from beginning to end. Relena was staring wide-eyed and wondering, hanging on his every word. She blinked and said, "About what. . ." Heero frowned and said, "Weren't you listening to me?"

"Something about another dimension and Gundams and fields and battles and explosions. . .did you really start this whole rescue mission to save me?" Heero blushed and said, "Well. . .uh. . .they were compromising our secrecy by claiming to be the gundam pilots so I had to stop them."

"Oh." She looked down and tried to hold in a sigh. Heero felt a pang of guilt in his stomach and he stood up, saying, "We can take you back to your home or another safe drop off point so you can explain that they were just imposters. I'll tell the others we're leaving. . ." She looked around at how tired the group was and jumped to her feet, grabbing his hand gently. He looked back, slightly uncomfortable about her hands around his as she said, "Wait, Heero. . .they're all so tired, can't you take me back later?"

"But won't anybody be worried?"

"Well. . .yes, but they don't know I've been rescued yet. . .what's another hour?" She begged, looking into his eyes. He clenched his jaw and pulled away, saying in a cold and quick voice, "Fine, I'll be over there." He stalked away and Relena stared at him, a little confused by his rudeness. She sighed and said in innocence, "I guess he still wants to kill me. . ."

You idiot, she probably thinks you want to kill her still. . .wait, I do want to kill her! No I don't. . .oh this is so confusing. . .Heero shook his head and pushed his bangs back with a sigh, looking up at the cloudy skies.

"Hmm, looks like it might rain. . ." He mumbled, stopping to test the breeze. A passing gust rustled his hair and he took a deep breath, smelling the scent of rain in the air.

I give it 15 minutes before it downpours. . .Heero thought, walking on toward the plane with Quatre and Trowa in it. He stepped into the cockpit and crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe as he looked at the two boys sleeping in the seats.

I guess she was right. . .maybe we can stay a few more minutes. But I won't stay to the point it compromises her safety. He thought as he turned around to walk back outside. He sat down on the ramp and leaned a hand on the metal, relaxing in the quickening breeze. He closed his eyes and let the wind dance through his bangs and play with the edges of his tank top, pulling and teasing it like a little child. He almost let a smile crease his lips as the breeze cooled him and sent a shiver down his spine.

"Enjoying the breeze?" Wufei said as he walked up. Heero peeked open an eye to watch Wufei as he took a seat next to him before closing his eye again.

"It's going to rain soon. . .10 minutes by my guess. . ." Heero commented in a calm and quiet voice. He looked wise sitting there on the ramp, admiring the strength and undying persistence of the wind that pushed at him playfully.

"So we're staying longer?" Wufei asked, sounding disappointed. Heero nodded and said, "I don't want to stay either but we can't take off, let alone fly in this weather."

"Hmm." He looked out at the field and saw small drops of water pittering on the ground, hitting the grass blades and making them dance around. Heero looked up and said quietly, "The wind changed. . .here it comes." Gradually the rain came down, starting as a light sprinkle and moving to an even shower. Heero looked out into the rain and saw Relena standing in the middle of the field looking up into the sky. Furrowing his brow, he stared at her and said, "What is she doing?"

"Looks like she's trying to get sick. . ." Chang commented, rolling his eyes at the girl. Just then, Chang stood up and stretched, saying, "I need to get over to my plane and do some repairs on my Gundam since we're going to be here a while." Heero grunted and watched Chang jog out into the rain while it was still rather light and make his way over to his plane. Left alone, Heero stared at Relena, watching her just staring at the sky.

What's she looking at? Heero thought. The rain began to get heavier and Heero stood up with a sigh, walking out into the rain. He jogged up to Relena and said over the hum of the downpour, "What are you doing, you'll get a cold if you just stand out here in the rain!"

"Have you ever caught a raindrop on your tongue?" Heero blinked and stared at her.

"Huh?" She smiled and opened her mouth, letting the rain roll down her tongue and into her mouth. She closed her mouth and made a happy sound, looking over at him and saying, "You should try it, it tastes good. Like the sky is tickling your tongue from the heavens. . ." Heero blinked and glanced up, not seeing the point to it. Her smile faded a little and she turned, slowly roaming across the field taking big steps and turning, spinning her arms out to catch the rain. Heero continued to watch her, fascinated by her innocent play. She stopped and folded her hands behind her back, staring at Heero. She toed the ground as she said, "What do you see the rain as?"

"Wet and dismal." He quickly answered. She looked up with her eyes closed and said, "You know what I see it as? Really, it's not trying to make you sick, I think its trying to bring people together by making them think it's bad so they'll flee to shelter to hide together and huddle up to stay warm, that's why it's so cold. It can cause magical things to happen and you wouldn't think to thank the rain for your happiness. I don't know why people think of rain as something to hide from. If it weren't for rain there wouldn't be rainy days that you spend with friends or family, there wouldn't be movies with romantic scenes of couples meeting in a storm to confess their undying love for each other. Can't you see it? There's so much more to it. . ." Heero was mesmerized by her speech, half-forgetting about the rain as he listened to her.

"I don't see things like that. I see them as they are, not as they could be." Heero stated coldly. Relena looked blankly at him as the rain filled the silence, looking into his eyes as she tried to understand his thinking.

"Will this be how you kill me? On a dark rainy evening like this? Maybe now would be a perfect time, there's no one around to stop you."

"What?" Heero was caught off guard by her question.

"By your thinking I guess you see me just as what I am to you: A threat to your safety. Nothing more, because you don't see what I could be. . .but I don't know myself what I could be, all I can do is dream of being something else."

"That's not true, I do see you as you are." She blinked in surprise.

"And. . .what's that?"

"You're the daughter of a foreign minister, diplomatic in every way. Everything you say is like giving a speech to an eager crowd, you take an initiative like no other, filling in wherever leadership is needed."

"But do you see me as anything else? Is that all I am to you, a politician's daughter? I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything else." She looked down at the ground and let the rain pull her hair down over her face to conceal her sadness. Heero just watched her.

Why's she sad about that? Does she want me to see her as something else? What does she want from me? Heero thought, stepping forward. She saw his orange sneakers peek into view in front of her and she closed her eyes, saying, "Make it quick."

"I'm not going to kill you." Heero said. She looked up into his eyes, challenging the sharp fearless glare he gave her.

"You're not?"

"No." She felt a little chill shoot through her body and she shivered, reaching up to rub her arm. He was closer than she was comfortable with him being alone with her.

"Than. . .what is it?" She asked timidly.

"You want me to see you as more but I don't know you, so how can I?" Heero said to her.

"That's why people talk to each other, to get to know how people are and what they like. . ."

"Have a. . .conversation?"

"Yes, that's the traditional way. . ." He looked over at the plane and said, "I think you've been in the rain long enough, I don't want to take you back sick." She looked down shyly and said, "Okay." He walked back toward the ramp with her not far behind, following at a slower pace. He stepped up into the shelter of the plane's tail and looked back, waiting for Relena to catch up to him. She stopped at the edge of the ramp and stared up at him warily. He sat down and leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees and looking into his lap. Slowly, Relena walked up the ramp and turned, cupping her hands behind her legs and smoothing out her skirt as she sat down a few feet from Heero with a sigh. They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the rain carry on outside and water the world with its drops of life. Relena looked tired as she slouched, not something she did very often. Heero looked over at her and said quietly, "Are you feeling ill?"

"No, I'm just tired. They wouldn't let me sleep in that place, they kept questioning me and. . ." She looked down sadly. He blinked and put his hands on the ramp slowly, pushing off as he scooted over closer to Relena. She looked up at him as he settled down again and resumed his position. He looked up, gazing out across the field as he listened to make sure it was still safe to be there.

Ever the soldier. . .Relena thought as she smiled at his surveying. With a sigh, she took a chance and leaned over to the side, resting her head on his shoulder. He looked unsure at first, not too keen on being used as a pillow but couldn't find the words to protest.

"Do you still want to talk?" Heero asked. When Relena didn't answer, he looked closer to find her breathing slowly and steadily.

She wasn't kidding. . .Heero thought as he let her continue to sleep on his shoulder, deep inside enjoying her soft breath on his skin.

Finally, the rain stopped and Quatre woke up in the cockpit. With a yawn, he looked over to see Trowa still sleeping. He smiled and got up, looking out the window.

I guess it decided to rain while I was out. Quatre thought, walking over the cockpit door which was hanging open. He quietly stepped out and peeked around the corner of the Gundams to see Heero laying on the ramp with Relena's head resting on his stomach, his arm draped over her shoulder as she clutched his arm gently.

"Awe. . ." Quatre couldn't help but smile at them.

They're so cute there. . .the soldier and the peacemaker. . .what a couple. . .Quatre thought, returning quietly to the cockpit to leave them alone. As he stepped in the doorway, he heard the comlink beeping and closed the door, walking over to the control panel and pressing the com button.

"This is Quatre." Quatre said cheerfully.

Is Heero around anywhere? It was Chang.

"Um, he's. . .indisposed at the moment. Anything I can help you with?"

Well, I kind of needed to speak with him but I suppose it can wait. Tell him to call me back whenever he's free. Chang out. The transmission ended and Quatre nodded, sitting back down in his seat. He started to run some checks on the system to pass the time.

Oh my head. . .I think I overdid it a bit. Huh? What's. . .what's that warm feeling I have? Rachel slowly opened her eyes and reached up to feel an arm around her, running her hand up it to the rolled up sleeve a little past the elbow. She smiled and whispered, "Duo. . ." The body moved a little and the arms around her squeezed her gently, bringing a sigh of happiness out of Rachel.

"I wasn't sure if you'd ever wake up, it's been a while and you didn't look well. . ." Duo whispered, his face still buried in the nap of her neck. He inhaled deeply and tickled the hairs on her neck, causing her to giggle.

"So I assume you're not mad at me anymore?" Rachel asked. Duo sighed and said in a low voice, "No. Trowa told me you said you didn't do anything so I finally stopped being a jerk and believed him. I came in here to apologize but you were asleep. . .so I just fell asleep next to you."

"I noticed." She said jokingly. She sat up, letting Duo's arm slide limply down her side, falling to rest on her hip as she looked over her shoulder and smiled at him. He softly and sleepily smiled up at her, rolling onto his back and resting his arm across his stomach while tucking the other behind his head to prop his head up.

"So, how are you feeling?" Duo asked in a sweet voice.

"My head hurts a little and I'm kind of achy all over. I guess I overdid it a little. . .I don't even remember losing control back there, I could have killed Trowa." She said, looking sad. Duo's smile disappeared and he reached over, stroking her arm softly with the back of his fingers, saying, "But he's okay now, don't worry about it. . ."

"But what if it happens again? I don't want to hurt anyone. . ." Rachel looked like she wanted to cry but sighed instead, holding in her tears in an attempt to stay strong. Duo sat up and hugged Rachel, resting his cheek on her shoulder as he said quietly, "It was an accident, you were just trying to protect them."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, you couldn't hurt us, we're your friends! You love and tolerate every last one of us!. . .right?" Rachel chuckled and said, "Yeah, I guess so. . .but I only tolerate Chang and Heero, I don't mind the rest of you guys." She put a hand on his arm as he sighed and said, "That's good. . .I don't know if they deserve your tolerance but okay. . ."

"Might as well if I have to be around them for any period of time."

"True." They quietly sat together, enjoying the warmth from each other's bodies as the rain had dropped the temperature a few degrees below what Rachel would have liked it. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Duo began to sing quietly.

"♪When I'm feeling blue, all I have to do is take a look at you, then I'm not so blue. When you're close to me, I can feel your heartbeat, I can hear you breathing in my ear. Wouldn't you agree? Baby you and me, got a groovy kind of love, we've got a groovy kind of love." Rachel giggled and whispered, "I didn't know you knew that song. . ." With a grin, Duo continued.

"♪Any time you want to, you can turn me on to anything you want to, any time at all. When I taste your lips, oh I start to shiver, can't control the quivering inside. . .♪" Duo snuggled close to Rachel and hugged her tightly.

"♪Wouldn't you agree? Baby you and me got a groovy kind of love, we've got a groovy kind of love. When I'm in your arms, nothing seems to matter, my whole world could shatter, I don't care. Wouldn't you agree? Baby you and me got a groovy kind of love, we've got a groovy kind of love. We've got a groovy kind of love.♪" Rachel smiled happily and said back, "Oh I do, I do. . ."