Don't Push Me Away

by Neon Fantasy

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Gundam Wing which are used in this story, they rightfully belong to Sunrise, Bandai and Sotsu Agency. This was only written for entertainment purposes. This is a 4+R story.

Chapter 15

"TEXT"- Speaking

'TEXT' - Thinking

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Rushing into her house, Relena slammed the door behind her and made sure to double lock it. She didn't want anyone bothing her right now, not now. She leaned her back against the door and stared down at the ground. How was she supposed to take this? She felt as though it was a really bad dream, or perhaps someone was playing a cruel joke. Relena can't see her father dying like this so soon. Not when she would have expected this when he was in his seventies or eighties. He was too young to die but no matter what she thought, he was gone and nothing could be done to bring him back.

Relena started to cry then, causing the aquamarine colour in her eyes to turn glassy. She had such a close bond with her father. Even though he was on business trips a lot, they always made sure to make up for the time he was away when he got back home. Things were always so great with him, while she couldn't open up to him completely she just enjoyed being in his presence. Being with him like real family, but now it's over. She has nothing left but her mother... Her mother...

This caused Relena to cry more, she couldn't bare to think how life would be with that woman. She could tolerate her only because she could get along so well with her father so in ways it made up for their lousy relationship. But now that Mr. Darlian was gone, all her hapiness left along with his soul.

There was nothing she could do about Mrs. Darlian though, she hated Relena with a passion and no matter how many times Relena tried fixing things with her it always went from bad to worse. But what could she do? Relena would just have to put up with her right? After all she was her mother... Although, perhaps she didn't have to... 'Oh no..' Relena realised as she slid down to the ground. Her eyes went wide with fear as she realised what may happen to her from this point. Since Mr. Darlian was the one who supported this family, there will be no one to take care of them both... Which means...

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"No... NOOOO!" Relena screamed as she placed her hands over the sides of her head, "I don't want to go back! I don't! I don't want to!" She started shaking then, thinking of past memories which she wished she could get rid of. It was starting to consume her, making her dread life itself. She thought she could escape it. She thought she could forget it. She thought she could try starting again. But she can't, not while she still lives. "Although..." Relena said to herself as she lowered her hands, "I can change that..." She said this with an emotionless tone while slowly rising up from the ground. "I can escape this..." And with that, she started walking towards the kitchen.

Quatre sat silently in the church with Duo and the others as they listened to the serman being given to Mr. Darlian. While Duo and everyone else was sitting to his left, Mrs. Darlian was sitting to his right. She was taking this very badly, she was crying her heart out on his arm and she had continued doing this when she arrived here. It was understandable though, it showed she loved him dearly and it was a shock for him to die so soon. When he heard it was because of lung cancer it all made sense. He could remember Mr. Darlian hardly breathing when he went over Relena's place for dinner that time. And at that time, Quatre knew something was wrong but he just dismissed it as a passing thought. Now look what happened.

He couldn't help but feel depressed about this, he could have done something to save him. Mr. Darlian could still be alive now if he mentioned something sooner. Now both Mrs. Darlian and Relena were suffering as a result. And here he promised to make things better for Relena, in ways he was just making things worse and worse. But it was then that Quatre's heart gave out in aching pain, causing him to quickly put both hands over his chest. He felt as though someone had just stabbed him.

"Q-Quatre? Quatre what-what's wrong?" Mrs. Darlian asked as she continued weeping. Duo looked over Quatre at that moment as well, growing very concerned as to what's happening to him. Duo placed a hand over his shoulder for comfort as she quietly asked, "Hey are you alright? Do you need some help?" Quatre wasn't paying any attention to both of them, he stared at the ground in shock as he continued feeling his heart ache. Something's wrong, he could feel it but what was it? His heart tightened again, making him feel even more agony. This caused him to fall forward onto his knees. This started grabbing more and more people's attention.

"Quatre?" Duo got up and tried pulling him up off the ground, "Do you need some air or something? Come on, talk to me!" Quatre still wasn't listening, he knew something has happened and he needed to figure it out. This happened with Mr. Darlian so he wasn't about to make the same mistake twice. His heart didn't hurt this badly with Mr. Darlian though, this was making a bigger affect on him. The feeling was deep, so that meant it had to be something he held dear to himself. Then it hit him. "Miss... Relena..."

"Huh?" Duo questioned, wondering why he was mentioning Relena's name. When looking around the church Duo began wondering where the hell she was, she was here not too long ago. "Eh? Why didn't she tell anyone she was going out for a moment? You would think she would be here for her Mr. Darlian's serman no matter how much it may pain her to hear it." Quatre's eyes widdened with his words, Relena wasn't here? That's when Quatre broke free of Duo's hold of him and started staggering to the exit. Duo watched him with shock as he went to catch up with him. Mariemaia and the others watched them as well, wondering what was going on. They wanted to get up and see but they didn't want to cause a bigger scene than what was already made.

As Quatre made it to the doors, he went to walk out but he felt Duo grabbing hold of his arm. "Quatre wait! Tell me where you're going! You can't go anywhere alone in this condition!" Quatre tried pulling away from him but Duo kept a firm grip on him. That's when Quatre turned to face the braided boy, showing the deep sorrow and pain he was feeling right now. "Duo, if you are my friend... You will let me go... Right... Now... I need to go..."

"But where?" Duo questioned, still not understanding what was going on.

"To Relena..." Quatre pulled away with more force then as he exited the room, leaving Duo massively confused. Was Relena in trouble or something? Why did he always want to help Relena on his own? It wasn't like he was the only one who cared... Sighing to himself, he figured that Quatre will explain all of this later when the matter was fixed, he always did so this shouldn't be any different. As he turned to head back to his seat, he stopped when he noticed someone else walking out. They had a long dark grey coat on with a black button up shirt and black pants. He couldn't tell who they were since they were wearing black sunglasses over their eyes but that dark brown hair seemed very farmiliar. 'Is that...'

"Duo," Hilde said as she walked up to him, "What's going on? Where is Quatre going?" Duo looked at her then and shrugged. He didn't have anything to say since he was just as confused as she was. But as respect for Mr. Darlian, Duo walked back to his seat and sat back down again. Hilde did the same but she was still concerned over this whole situation. Relena and Quatre were no where to be seen and Duo seemed to be in deep thought as well.

While Duo continued wondering where Relena was, he jumped slightly when he felt someone holding his arm. Looking over to see who it was, his eyebrow twitched when he found it being Mrs. Darlian. She was still crying except now she was crying over his arm now that Quatre wasn't here. God she hated him with a passion yet she doesn't seem to mind using him for emotional support. Duo almost felt like shoving her off him but he could understand her pain, it was the only reason he was letting her continue. But her next words left him speechless, "I'm just like you now..." She said softly, between sobs, "I'm... I'm like you... Again..." The minute she said that, she shook her head and broke into another crying fit.

Duo couldn't handle seeing a woman like this, even if it was someone who dreaded his very prescence. No one deserved to suffer like this, not even her. Bringing his other hand over to her slowly, he hesitated a bit before resting it over one of her hands. He patted it softly for comfort, not really knowing what else he could do. He was expecting her to slap his hand away or something but she didn't do anything of a sort. She just continued crying while holding onto his arm a little tighter. He was still wondering about her words though, normally the only things she would say to him were mere insults on either his appearance or life, so what did she mean by 'just like you'?

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As Quatre raced out of the church, he wasted no time in getting to his car. Quickly getting inside, he put his belt on and started the ignition. Quatre could feel that something was definately wrong with Relena and needed to see her before she did anything bad. Her father had just died and considering how bad her relationship is with her mother, Relena would feel as though she had no family anymore. Who knows what she might do. Quatre reversed the car out of the parking lot and quickly exited the place so he could try finding her. Relena couldn't have left too long ago, she would have to be close but it would depend on where she would go.

"Come on Quatre, think. Where would Relena go?" He hasn't known her long enough to find out if she had any secret places she would like to go to on her own. But considering the state she would be in, she wouldn't want anyone to see her. Relena had a thing about keeping her problems to herself. So the only other place he could think of that allowed her to have her privacy was her house. No one was there so it would be the best place. He had a gut feeling she would go there and his instincts never let him down so he wasn't going to deny them just yet.

It was annoying to come across so many red traffic lights when you were in a hurry. This was the third one he had come to in less than five minutes. Quatre was never really the type to be so impatient but in times like this it couldn't be helped. Why was he feeling so scared? With everytime he had to stop the car because of traffic lights, he could feel himself shaking more and more as the time passed. He could feel sweat forming up on his forehead as well. Quatre continued watching the lights but they remained exactly the way they were before, red. His heart was racing then, something bad was going to happen and all he could do was sit here without being able to do a thing!

"I can't waste time on this!" Quatre said to himself as he put his foot down on the petal, causing the car to speed forward. Other cars passing through needed to stop suddenly with Quatre speeding pass so it was lucky no accidents happened. Still, Quatre knew he would get a fine for this later with the amount of cameras on the road now. Hopefully he won't run into any police officers on the way. Since unlike cameras, they won't be settling things with him later.

A few minutes had passed until Quatre had reached Relena's house. Usually it would have taken longer to get there but considering the speed Quatre was going at, the time of arrival was cut in half. He noticed Mrs. Darlian's car was at the front so Relena must be home. Turning the car off, Quatre quickly got out and raced for the front door. Once he was there, Quatre reached for the door knob and tried turning it, only to find the door was locked. He tried ringing the door bell a few times but still the door remained closed.

"Miss Relena! Are you home?" Quatre shouted as he tried banging on the door. It didn't seem as though anyone was going to answer. Was Relena ignoring him? She could be, maybe she was just crying too hard for her to hear the door. No, there was no way she would be crying that loud for the door bells to not be heard. It seems his only other option was to break in. Checking over the front windows, he noticed they were also locked from the inside. If he were to get in, he would have to break down something. Considering his options, he decided on the door since windows were more dangerous. This was wrong he admitted but unlike a door, Relena's life can't be replaced.

As he went back to the door, Quatre took a few steps back and started gathering strength and determination within himself to break the door down. But before he could charge he suddenly collapsed to the ground with excruciating pain. It was taking all his will power to not scream out in agony. His right hand was clenching his chest tightly while his other was resting on the ground supporting his body. He was shaking violently while he began sweating a lot. His face on the other hand was full of shock and fear. 'No... No... Please don't let this be...'

He was scared for Relena's safety, this pain he was feeling had to be what she was going through and knowing her, she would want to end it the easy way. Backing up from the door a bit, Quatre got a hold of himself and tried with all his might to push the door down. Once slamming the side of his upper body into it, he managed to bring the door off it's hinges, leaving him with access to enter. This deep feeling within his body was so strong, this depression. It was unbareable. If he didn't have such a strong urge to live, he would feel like commiting suicide right now. 'So... This is what Relena is feeling right now...?'

Quatre had to help her, she had to understand that this doesn't have to rule her life. Things will get better for her in time, she just needed to be strong and patient. Nothing can be perfect all your life. So all you can do is live through it and learn from it. It's what life was all about. But without wasting anymore time, Quatre took a few steps inside and looked around. He couldn't hear anything in the house, everything was so quiet. This scared him even more, he was hoping to hear a bit of crying or some form of movement but there was nothing. Nothing at all.

"Miss Relena? Where are you?" Quatre called out. Seems she wasn't going to come out to see him. This caused Quatre's heart to beat faster and faster with him getting the feeling he could be right. Quickly running down the hallway, Quatre looked into every room he passed in hope to find her before it was too late. He found every room empty and was about ready to give up before he spotted another room close to the back of the house. The door was closed. Relena could possibly be inside. 'Oh god...' Quatre thought in his head as he approached the door. This door was locked as well and while Quatre knocked on it a few times, no one came to open it.

"Miss Relena? Please open the door! MISS RELENA?" At that moment, Quatre heard a thud coming from behind the door. Besides that sound there was nothing but silence. 'Oh god no...' Quatre started colliding his shoulder into the door as hard as he could. He would kick it down but he was too scared about the door collapsing on top of her if she was near it. It took a few attempts but he finally got it open. Once he was inside however, he went into deep shock. There she was. Lying on the ground, with a bloody knife in her hand as blood was oozing out of her body while laying unconcious.

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Staring down at the sight of Relena's fragile form, Quatre slowly walked up to her bed feeling a mix of different emotions right now. He didn't know what to think, or what to do, or even say. Then again what could he say to someone who was unconscious right now? Sitting himself on a chair beside the bed, he stared down at Relena's face and noticed how pale she was. She was almost ghostly white, her lips were dry and if anything he was surprised she was still alive with the way she looked. Still, he was thankful she was but he didn't know how to take this. Bringing his hands to his face, he tried keeping himself calm but nothing was helping right now. Seeing her like this was not helping, and as a result it started making him cry.

"I'm sorry," Quatre whispered between sobs, "Miss Relena, this is all my fault... If only I... If only..." He started crying harder then, unable to keep control of himself. It was all his fault, he could have done something to prevent this from happening but he was useless in the end. It hurt, it really hurt seeing her like this. He could feel his heart clenching ever so tightly like someone was squeezing the life out of it. He could feel Relena's pain, he could feel what she was suffering from and he was in agony over it. What was worse was that it was started to make an effect on his own pain, his suffering which was suppose to remain hidden but...

"No.." Quatre said out loud to himself as he got up from the chair, wiping his face clean of his tears. He began pacing the room then, trying to regain his composture. He needed to be strong after all, he needed to be strong for Relena. Although was it in his place to lie to himself? Quatre was hardly in the mood to try acting positive. Of any time he needed to be, he just couldn't do it right now. Not now, not when someone was fighting for life all because he couldn't do a thing to help.

"Miss Relena.." Quatre said softly as he looked back at her on the bed again, "I've been useless, from the beginning haven't I?" Walking back over to her side, he kneeled down on the ground and looked over her face. Nothing had changed, but at least now he could look at her without breaking down. He raised his hand then and started stroking her hair. Some of it was silky soft like her hair usually was but some of it was a little hard and sticky, mainly because of the blood puddle she was lying on. Images of Relena were flashing before him again, images of her on the ground covered in blood. His eyes were going teary eyed again but he was doing his best to hold them back as best as he could.

"Your condition, the condition you shouldn't be in... I said I would help you, but in the end, what use was I to you? I have done nothing, nothing to help you at all... Your problems at school, family, friends, past relationships..." Resting his forehead on the matress, Quatre closed his eyes and continued, "Miss Relena, I have something I need to say to you. When I first met you, you reminded me of myself. The way you portrayed yourself made you look strong. You looked fine as though nothing was effecting you at all but I could see through that. I could see the pain you were going through since, I am in exactly the same position." Glancing up at her again he added, "You intrigued me, I wanted to learn and see how you went about life knowing you had to carry such heavy burdens."

Getting himself up from the ground he tilted his head up and glanced at the ceiling, "I wanted to help you because, you were going about things the wrong way. While knowing you have your inner demons, keeping them in mind does not help you get any better. You need to try thinking positively, not that you may feel like it but you need to look at some good things about life to keep you going." Lowering his head, he shrugged to himself and continued, "Like me for example, what I think about i-is..." Having that thought in his head, he looked over at Relena again and quickly shook his head before walking over to the window, "Sorry, don't worry about that last bit."

Staring out at the sky for a few moments, Quatre took a deep breathe and thought for a moment why he was about to confess something as emotional as that just now? She didn't need to hear that, she was in no condition to hear about how he felt. Although it didn't help him much, knowing he spent so much time with her everyday, it made things worse for him. Hanging onto a false hope it seemed.

'I'm no better than Heero...' Quatre thought to himself.

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Leanning his head against the window, Quatre sighed to himself and continued thinking for a while until he heard the door opening. He turned to see who had entered and noticed it was Mrs. Darlian, crying on the shoulder of Duo. Duo closed the door when they had both walked in and helped Mrs. Darlian to a chair beside Relena's bed. Her crying didn't stop there though, one look at Relena made her cry even harder. She folded her arms on the bed and rested her head in them as she allowed the tears to keep falling from her eyes. Duo stared blankly at her for a while before walking over to Quatre.

He looked over him for a moment and said, "This isn't your fault.." Quatre jumped when he heard Duo's voice and looked at him for a moment, not really registering what he had said. Duo noticed this and patted him on the shoulder in order to be sure he had his attention, "Quatre, this was not your fault. There was no way you could have stopped this from happening." Quatre remained silent, he knew Duo was just trying to make him feel better but he couldn't. Not with what has happened today. Just watching Mrs. Darlian crying like this was making him feel even worse. He could feel it, he could feel the pain she was suffering from. It was as though everything she had ever suffered from in her life has now surfaced, making her feel and experience it all in one hit.

But why today? Why did life have to be so cruel as to make someone like her experience everything she had always feared so close together like this? He was asking himself questions which no one could really answer. It was just the way of life, during it's bad times. But where was the good when you needed it? He has always believed that things happen in life for a reason, and that good will always come out of bad situations eventually. Although so far he hasn't seen anything get better, just the continuation of things getting worse and worse.

Duo watched Quatre for a while, not really knowing what he could say or do to help him feel better. It was just like this guy to blame everything on himself, even when nothing could be done to prevent it. Why couldn't he see that? It's not like Quatre was god, he can't stop bad things from happening to people. It was just like himself, wishing he could have prevented his father's death. Sure it was hard to bare, not to mention hard to get over but in time you learn to accept it. There was nothing he could have done to stop his father, even if he did stop him from entering the office, it would have only delayed his death. It was going to happen since it was his father's will to do so, he killed himself because he was just a weak person.

"Mrs. Darlian..." Quatre softly said as he walked up to her, "I'm just going to go get you something to drink alright?" Mrs. Darlian didn't answer, she still had her head in her arms and didn't sound as though her sobs were going to stop anytime soon. This was becoming harder for Quatre to deal with, knowing that her pain was a result of him. Patting her gently on the shoulder, Quatre bowed his head in shame and slowly looked back to Relena once again. Tears were beginning to swell up in his eyes again, resulting in him turning to leave the room. He needed to clear his head, he needed to get control of himself since right now he was a nervous wreck.

When Quatre left the room, Duo turned his gaze to Relena and watched her for a while, not really knowing what to think. He was upset to see Relena like this, but in someways he was slightly annoyed. She was better than this, she was better than how she always saw herself to be. Just because her mother or some people at school never saw the good in her, others like himself and Quatre could. They have done everything in their power to try and help her see that but she just doesn't seem to believe it. He almost felt like asking, 'If you hate yourself so much, why shouldn't we hate you as well?' To be accepted by others, you need to first accept yourself...

"Then again, I have to admit I was no better myself..." Duo mumbled to himself. But like all people, they can change if given the chance. Like he has for example, his thoughts on Relena had changed completely. Actually, they made a complete 180 degree turn from how he originally felt. From hating her he has gone to liking her and even... even... Duo suddenly blushed and quickly shook his head at the thoughts in his head. 'God damn it man! This is no time to be thinking like that!' The point he was trying to get through to himself was that like him, she has the opportunity to change. That is, if she can make the effort to do so.

'I wonder if they will be coming...' Duo thought to himself as he stared out the window.

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He stayed like that for a while, not saying a word as he continued hearing Mrs. Darlian cry. Duo turned his glance to Relena and noticed she was still the same. It saddened him to see her like that, it began to make him feel it was his fault as well. If he wasn't being so hesitant in letting Quatre go, would he have made it in time to stop Relena from doing this to herself? If he would have, this would mean none of this would have happened. But Duo brushed that thought aside and started walking to the door. Thinking 'what if's' wasn't going to help anyone. But he was only thinking this way since he had nothing to do. Usually keeping active kept his mind off of things so he thought about going out for a walk.

Once walking out of Relena's room, Duo thought about ringing Hilde. She and the others needed to leave after Mr. Darlian's serman so they had no idea as to what happened to Relena. So being Relena's friends, they could help her wake up sooner. Sure she was unconcious, but Duo figured having them all there would make Relena happy once she woke. Yes, Relena was going to wake up and nothing was changing his mind otherwise. She had too much to let go off right now, it's not her time to leave. But as Duo walked down the corridor, he stopped when he saw a farmiliar face walk around the corner.

"... I'm seeing her now." The person with the dark grey coat said as they talked through their cell phone, "Yes, room 104." Nodding at that, the figure turned their cell phone off and paused for a moment, noticing Duo standing before them. Duo wasn't at all surprised to see this guy here and just by the room number he mentioned, Duo knew he was here to see Relena. The guy staring at Duo lowered his sunglasses and narrowed his eyes on him. He was in no mood to talk to Duo so he started walking towards him without so much as another glance.

As he was about to pass Duo, they heard the braided boy say, "So, they will be coming to see her after all, huh Heero?"

Once Duo said that, Heero stopped where he was and continued looking straight ahead. Duo simply put his hands black pant pockets and added, "You know, they have no place to come and see her like this. Not after what they have done to her."

"Whether you like it or not isn't any of your business," Heero simply replied.

"Ah so it is who I'm thinking," Duo said as he smirked to himself.

Heero's eyebrow twitched when he realised he gave away who he was talking to. But no matter, it wasn't any secret. They would be here shortly anyway. And once they are, hopefully things will go better for Relena. They will make everything better and hopefully give her what she deserves.

"You know, this is going to make things worse," Duo mentioned, annoying Heero even more since he was hoping Duo was finished, "If you cared you would know this isn't going to work out. They are just complete jackasses and deserve to go to hell."

"I would watch my tongue if I were you," Heero said as he brought out a gun from his coat and pointed it right at Duo. The braided boy glanced at it for a moment and wondered how he got one of those. Was it even allowed here? Did he get it through the black markets or something? But thinking on it some more, being close to high ranked people got you things like this all the time. Needing it for protection or to simply gain control over any situation.

"Heero, if that is supposed to threaten me than you have another thing coming." Turning to face Heero completely, Duo stepped right up to the gun and stared with his cobalt eyes straight into Heero's prussian blue ones. However Duo was finding himself slightly intimidated by Heero's cold stare, it was so emotionless and its glare seemed to burn holes straight through you. But Duo continued standing his ground, he had to speak up for Relena's sake.

"I might not have known her for as long as you but I know what would be better for her. And having those heartless morons coming to see her isn't going to help. She has told me what has happened between them and she has been better off. Relena hates them and she is going to do nothing but suffer if she is to reunite with them. Come on Heero! For someone who loves her you should be able to understand her pain!"

At that moment, Duo felt the gun slap across his face causing his head to turn to the side. He had to admit the force of the hit hurt, but Duo wasn't about to show it phased him. Instead he turned his head back to Heero and noticed the dark haired teen glaring angrily at him. "Let's get something straight Maxwell! One, you DON'T know what would be best for her. Two, what Relena says doesn't matter because she doesn't even know what she wants right now. She is in a state where she needs all the help she can get so right now her opinion doesn't count. And three, I would understand her better if she merely talked to me!"

Duo was speechless at that moment, never before had he seen Heero get so emotional before. It was such a shock he didn't know what to say, he was saying so much that he wasn't even sure if Heero knew what he was saying. He definately struck a nerve in Heero's system that's for sure but anything regarding Relena got him in these types of states. But by watching him, Duo was beginning to feel a little sorry for the guy. He looked so upset, so alone, so guilty, as though HE was beating himself up for what has happened to Relena.

"So it isn't just Quatre..." He said softly, pulling Duo out of his thoughts, "She's opening up to you too..." Putting away his gun, Heero stared at the ground for a moment before turning to leave. He had nothing more to say to Duo but before he could leave, he came face to face with Quatre - the last person he wanted to see. Quatre had a cup of coffee in his hand for Mrs. Darlian and was going to go give it to her until he noticed Duo talking to Heero. What caught his eye was when he noticed Heero looking very upset about something, he wasn't sure what it was but he was hoping to help in some way.

"Heero, are you alr-"

"Shut it Quatre!" Heero interupted as he glared at the blonde, "Get lost before I decide to hurt you." Quatre was taken by surprise with Heero's words, he had no idea where that outburst came from but one thing was for certain, something was bothering him. And Quatre wasn't the type of person to leave someone like that either. He started walking up to Heero, hoping to try comforting him. Heero on the other hand was beginning to feel uncomfortable as he watched Quatre walk closer. Did he not understand a word he said a moment ago? Duo was feeling uneasy about this as well, he knew what Heero was like and judging the look on his face he wasn't going to hold back, "Quatre, just leave him be."

Quatre stopped in his tracks as he heard Duo's words. He watched Heero and wondered if he really should leave him alone. It wasn't going to solve anything if they just left things the way they are. True they weren't exactly on good terms but if he could help Heero in any way than he wouldn't care if he got punched or kicked. "But even so," Quatre said as he looked to Duo, "When you wanted me to leave you alone that time, I didn't did I? And even when we weren't getting along, we solved the conflict which was happening between us. As a result we became friends again, much closer too. So Duo, please understand that I want to help Heero out in any way I can."

Duo was left speechless. Was Quatre hoping to become friends with Heero? The guy who could win a fight with a simple glare? The fight he had with Quatre was completely different to this situation. Duo was a little more understanding than Heero. No correction, he was 'A LOT' more understanding than Heero. While Duo accepted what Quatre was saying and doing in order to help out, he realised he overreacted and grew to understand Quatre more. But Heero was not the type to let go of a grudge so easily, nor was he the type of person to let others have their way around him. He has been like this for years and it's practically the way he is as a person. Yet Quatre still thinks he can change that and even be closer?

When hearing Quatre's little speech of hoping to be friends, Heero felt his anger boiling. Quatre seemed to keep ignoring what he was saying. Usually people got the hint after being told the first time but not with Quatre. So, it seemed he would have to express himself in a different way if he was going to be this difficult, "What makes you think you can help me Quatre?" The bolnde boy turned to look at Heero then before he continued, "Why do you assume you can do anything for someone? Especially when they haven't even said anything?"

Quatre simply answered, "I have a feeling you may be concerned over Relena's condition so I was hoping to help make you feel better..."

"Why?" Heero questioned, "Why do you want to help me? Especially when we hardly know one another."

"No matter what we are... Friends, enemies or complete strangers, I would still help you all the same. Because everyone shares the same sort of emotions and with the ones we suffer from, others may be able to lend a helping hand to perhaps ease the person's pain." Looking down at the ground for a moment, Quatre continued with a softer tone, "After all, no one likes to be left alone when you... are suffering... from something..."

Heero watched him for a moment and noticed his eyes fill with many mixed emotions, not understanding why but Heero ignored it and questioned, "What makes you think I'm suffering? What makes you think it can be solved by simple talk? What makes you think I will even open up to you? What nerve do you have asking me about my problems when the main thing causing them is you?" Without realising it, Heero had suddenly grabbed Quatre by the neck and threw him against the wall. He pushed him up and tightened his grip as he left Quatre there completely helpless. Noticing Quatre was finding it hard to breath, Duo rushed up towards Heero to try and stop him but Heero kicked him away before he could get too close.

Turning back to Quatre, Heero held him up a little higher and glared angrily at him, "You want to help me? Then get out of this city. It's as simple as that. If you care that much than you will do as I say, got it?" While awaiting an answer, Heero watched Quatre close his eyes for a moment while raising his hand up over Heero's wrist. He didn't know what Quatre was going to do so he tightened his grip on his neck a little more, causing Quatre to choke even further. Noticing this, Duo quickly got up from the ground and went to approach Heero again but stopped when Quatre held his other hand up to halt him.

Quatre simply smiled and opened his eyes to Heero then, showing nothing but a tender loving glow to them. Heero blinked in question over this and wondered why he was smiling at a time like this? Seeing this as some sort of trick to catch him off guard, Heero tightened his grasp again. You could see clear white marks over Quatre's neck with the amount of pressure Heero had on him. Even his knuckles were beginning to show a tinge of white as well. But Quatre continued smiling at him and trailed his hand from Heero's wrist to his hand, causing Heero to flinch.

"Heero, don't be so ashamed of yourself. Don't feel that we are in competition." Bringing his other hand up around Heero's, Quatre held it gently and continued, "Heero, you are great person. You watch out for everyone, you listen to what people have to say, you even help those who need it. I know on the outside you portray yourself as a cold hearted guy but really, you are the most caring person I have ever met..." Leanning his head down a little closer to Heero, Quatre started bringing his arms out, "If anything, it is me who should be admiring you. I admire your strength, you do whatever it takes to help those closest to your heart. You stick to your own decisions and thoughts and keep progressing with them. You don't let others get in your way, you have your goal and you want to fulfil it no matter what."

Heero's grip must have loosened dramatically on Quatre's neck since Quatre was suddenly very close to Heero and even began hugging him. Duo almost felt like his eyes were going to pop out with the amount of shock he was feeling. He has never seen anyone get within a feet of Heero let alone have them touching him like that. Heero didn't know what to do either, he was just as shocked as Duo and didn't know how to react. Quatre on the other hand continued hugging Heero and said in a low voice, "Heero, Relena still cares about you. She always has, and always will. Don't linger on past regrets and mistakes. Focus on what you can do in the now. Focus on what YOU can do. You and only you... Because there is much you can do which others can't, including me..."

Duo didn't hear what Quatre was saying but after a few moments, he watched as Heero's hand slowly removed itself from his neck. He then witnessed something he never expected to EVER see. Heero cry. A few tears were forming in Heero's eyes, hard for even Heero to believe. When that started, he pushed Quatre away from him and backed away. He was right, and he couldn't believe he allowed himself to fall under Quatre's spell. But in the end, it didn't end up being so bad. It helped, and it took a lot off his shoulders. Wiping the tears out of his eyes, Heero looked down at the ground for a moment, pondering over something.

Quatre on the other hand was wondering if he said something wrong. He was about to apologize but stopped when Heero began speaking, "... If you try pulling any more stunts like you did just now, I swear I will kill you got it?" Looking up at the blonde with a serious glance, Quatre simply smiled and nodded his understanding. With that being sorted, Heero nodded himself and turned to approach Relena's door.

Once he entered, Duo walked up to Quatre and said, "Geez, he could have at least said thanks for whatever it was you did. I didn't hear the last things you said but from his tears I assumed it touched him."

"He is grateful," Quatre confirmed, "He thanked me in his own way." From Duo's silence, he figured his friend still didn't understand so as a result Quatre began to chuckle, "He didn't make a move to hurt me. There shows his appreciation."

When Heero entered the room, he noticed Mrs. Darlian lying with her arms folded on the bed. When walking up beside her, he noticed she was sleeping. Seems she cried herself to sleep with the amount of tissues she had around her. Looking over to Relena's unconscious form, Heero thought about how lucky she was to still be alive. If it weren't for Quatre, she might not have made it. And for that he was thankful, but it made him wonder how Quatre knew she would be there. How did he know she would do this to herself as well? Even knowing her for as long as he does, Heero wouldn't have expected this. Then again, he hardly knew the vulnerable side to Relena. Not that she wasn't like this when they were together, but she never opened up to him about it.

Bringing a hand down to the side of her face, Heero began to speak softly as though she was awake to listen, "I... Wanted to help you... Like Quatre does... I wanted to be the one by your side... Not him... But my approaches were wrong weren't they? While I did care, I tried doing everything you wanted so you could be happy. I wanted more than anything for you to open yourself up to me, which was why I tried doing everything for you. And you were happy to an extent, but it wasn't fixing anything. Everytime I tried being there for you, you never opened up. Not even once..." Pausing for a moment, Heer stared at Relena deeply and asked, "Why? Why didn't you ever say anything? While you were depressed with me, things got worse the moment I left you. But I thought it would be best. You needed to be stronger, which was why I... Why I..."

That moment Heero began to clench his fists, trying to contain his anger. He brought them up to his hands then and cursed, "Why did I depend on Wufei? I thought he would help you. Instead he made matters worse and treated you like shit..." But it was then that Quatre's words began flooding into his mind, "... I still might not be able to help you completely, but I will do what I can when the time comes... When the time comes..."

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Rubbing a hand over his neck, Quatre began pondering over the words he spoke to Heero. As logical as they seemed, would Heero still follow his advice? He seemed as though he understood but it didn't mean he would go along with it. After all, Quatre knew Heero had good reasons to be edgy towards anyone who came close to Relena. Everyone she seemed to get close to would hurt her in the end. Especially the people Heero trusted most. "It's no wonder he's the way he is..." Quatre said softly to himself. Duo heard him speak but he couldn't make out what he said. He felt like asking but with the dazzed look in Quatre's face, he could tell he was deep in thought.

Sighing to himself, Duo began wondering about things too. About what will become of Relena with Mr. Darlian gone. Quatre still had no idea about any of this too. And he had a right to know as well. But it was Relena's business. It wouldn't be right if he spoke about something she held very personal. But at this point of time, where things could turn from bad to worse, she would need all the help she could get. "Quatre..." Duo started as Quatre turned his attention towards him, "Do you remember a while ago when we had that fight? During that time when you were still new and getting to know Relena?"

Quatre smiled, "How could I forget. It will be something I'll never forget." Duo looked to Quatre in question while the blonde continued to speak, "After all, it was from that that our friendship grew stronger. I got to learn more about you. Not to mention I helped you understand Relena better."

"Not really," Duo suddenly blurted out. Quatre looked at him with confusion then, causing Duo to turn his head the other way, "Your words did make an impact I admit, but it wasn't what got me accepting Relena in the end..."

"I see..." Quatre simply said as he looked down to the ground. He didn't feel disappointed or anything but this new information surprised him. Why didn't Duo mention any of this earlier? All this time he assumed his talk got through to him. If it didn't... "Then what did?" Quatre asked, looking back over to his friend again.

"..." Duo paused for a moment before changing the subject, "It was true that that fight got you understanding me a lot more. But, after all these months of us being friends. I still know nothing about you..." This got Quatre feeling uncomfortable, making him the one look in the opposite direction now. "Quatre, you are a really great person. If anything, you are practically perfect. You have hardly any flaws and that's what scares me." Watching him carefully, Duo asked seriously, "What's bothering y-" Before he could finish, he was stopped with Quatre's hand being put over his mouth.

"Duo, don't ask me that question right now. Not now okay? We are here for Relena..." Realising what he just said, Quatre tried correcting himself, "I mean... Nothing is wrong." With that, Quatre pulled his hand off of Duo's mouth and hoped he wouldn't try asking again. But now he felt like an idiot. Why didn't he pretend not to know what he meant? It was such a stupid question on Duo's behalf so really, anyone would have been confused with that. Although, the reason why he couldn't pretend was because he was never asked before.

'What's bothering you?'

'What's bothering you Quatre?'

He began shaking a little then, hearing this question repeat over and over in his mind. Why was it making such an impact on him? It was a simple little harmless question. Why was he making such a big deal about it? 'Get a hold of yourself Quatre,' he began thinking to himself. But as many times as he tried repeating this in his mind, the question Duo asked kept flooding in. Memories, so many memories came flooding into his head. Things he didn't want to know and wished would go away. "No... It's not my fault..." He started saying, causing Duo to worry a little. Quatre brought his hands to his head and started leanning against the wall, "Please, I'm sorry. I didn't want this to happen. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry. Please just forgive me. Please stop judging me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"

Duo reached out to him but Quatre suddenly shifted away towards a corner. He huddled himself into a ball with his legs up against his chest and his arms wrapped around his knees. His face was pale while his eyes showed nothing but fear in them. He was scared of something but Duo had no idea what it was. He has never seen this side of Quatre before. As Duo began walking a little closer, he watched Quatre suddenly burst into tears. It was so out of the blue that Duo didn't know how to take it. What could have made Quatre so emotionally unstable? He always seemed so strong, so in control of his feelings.

"Quatre! Get a hold of yourself!" Duo reached down and grabbed the blonde by the shoulders. "Quatre? Are you listening?" He began shaking him a little before bringing his hands to each side of his face. But with the contact he just made, Duo was surprised to feel him so cold. But more importantly he needed to get a hold of Quatre. Bringing his turquoise coloured eyes towards his cobalt ones, Duo stared him in the eyes. He hoped to get through to Quatre as much as possible. Duo had no idea what may have caused this but until he knew more about him, there was nothing Duo could do to help. All he can do for the moment is follow Quatre's earlier advice before this all happened.

"Quatre, Relena needs us. She needs us here for her. You know she wouldn't like to see you like this. She would blame it on herself and probably try commiting suicide again. If you cared for her at all, you would get yourself up and be strong for her. After all if you're not strong, than she isn't." Duo continued holding onto Quatre while he waited for some sort of reaction, hopefully a good one. It wasn't long until Quatre blinked, erasing the fearful look in his eyes. His features began to brighten while Duo could feel warmth returning to his face once more. Duo was relieved that Quatre was back to normal but Quatre on the other hand began staring at Duo blankly.

"Um, Duo? What are you doing?" That question brought Duo to realise he still had his hands on Quatre's face and was positioned very close to him. Duo panicked and quickly backed away from the blonde. He didn't want Quatre suddenly thinking he was gay since he sure as hell wasn't, but now he grew very confused. Quatre didn't remember what just happened a few seconds ago?

"What am I doing down here?" Quatre asked, more so to himself than Duo. When getting to his feet he began dusting himself off, leaving Duo baffled. As much as Duo would love to ask, he knew now wasn't the best time. He didn't want that little incident repeating itself. Quatre looked to Duo then, noticing the troubled look in his expression. Before Quatre could ask, Duo cut in and started, "We were talking about both of us with that fight that happened back then. About the fact that something else got me forgiving Relena besides your words..." Duo wanted to get Quatre's mind as far away from that last conversation as possible and as much as this wasn't fair on Relena, he was sure it would help her in the end.

"Quatre, about Relena... The reason I was able to forgive her was that... She told me..."

Before Duo could say anything more, both of them noticed some people heading in their direction. One look at them and Duo instantly knew who they were, 'Damnit, not now...' Quatre continued watching them. One of them was a man who looked to be a doctor. He had a long white coat with a clip board under his arm. The man looked to be in his mid twenties, having long silvery blonde hair tied back with ice blue eyes. He seemed almost farmiliar though, his eyes. The woman next to him had an arm linked with his and had a note book under her other arm. She wore a dressy type suit which consisted of dark blue pants, jacket and a white shirt with a blue tie. She had blue eyes and her hair was a mustardy brown colour with two plaits over each side of her shoulders. She looked very kind and had a nice smile. Was she perhaps his wife?

The next couple behind them seemed about middle aged and looked very sophisticated. With the way they presented themselves they looked very important. The older man had silvery hair much like the doctor and had a mustache and beard. He was wearing a dark blue business suit and looked as though he held a lot of pride in himself. His wife had sandy blonde hair and was wearing a dark green suit. She had her hair up in a bun and looked to be wearing the most expensive golden jewellery he had ever seen, they seemed to shine brightly in the light as though she was some sort of goddess. She looked to be just as confident about herself as her husband was.

Duo's rage boiled with the sight of the middle aged couple. Even after all these years he knew exactly who they were. The people who had brought nothing but sadness to his family. The people who had made his life a living hell. The people who he really wished would die. Quatre could almost feel the rage illuminating from his form and it was intimidating him a little. Never had he seen Duo so angry, so full of hate. That time when Quatre witnessed his rage at his home was nothing compared to this. But why? Just who were they?

"This way please," the doctor said as he opened the door to Relena's room. He held it open for the middle aged couple to enter and waited for his wife to enter as well. She was about to until she noticed Duo and Quatre nearby. Smiling she walked up to them and greeted, "Good afternoon, are you two friends of Miss Relena?"

Duo didn't answer, Quatre on the other hand couldn't see how he could ignore such a beautiful yet kind woman. Smiling he nodded and said, "Yes, my name is Quatre Raberba Winner and this is Duo Maxwell." When introducing them, Quatre couldn't help but notice the doctor suddenly draw his attention to Duo. He watched Duo carefully like a hawk, making Quatre wonder if they knew each other. But then the doctor looked over to Quatre and began staring at him. Quatre stared back, wondering why he was doing that. With the look on his face, it looked as though the doctor was assessing him or something. After a while the doctor simply turned back to the room and walked inside, closing the door after him.

The woman simply smiled and held her hand out to him, "And my name is Sally Merquise. Nice to meet you." Dismissing the doctor's actions for now, Quatre shook Sally's hand while she continued smiling, "It is an honor to meet someone like you Mr. Winner. And an even finer honor knowing you are friends with Miss Peacecraft."

Quatre stopped shaking her hand then, feeling somewhat confused with what she just said. Was she referring to Relena? Wasn't her last name Darlian though? Before Quatre could say anything more he suddenly heard yelling coming from Relena's room.

"NO YOU CAN'T! SHE IS MY DAUGHTER, SHE IS ALL I HAVE LEFT!" Quatre recognized that voice to be Mrs. Darlian's.

"What are you talking about you filthy woman. She is MY daughter," a woman argued back.

"We will be taking back our daughter since you won't have the ability to take care of yourself let alone her," a man said.

"This will be better for her, at least it might give us a chance to be a family again." A younger man said.

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Author's Note: Yay yay, got this chapter done finally :) Thanks to the easter break I had the time to work on this. And I must say, about time too hehe :P Hope you enjoyed it. I know it didn't feature much 4xR but I needed to get this stuff out of the way. With this out in the blue, Quatre will have to be closer to Relena than ever before right? ;) That's right hehe. Please please please review once you finish reading. I want to at least reach 100 reviews. Pretty please with a cherry on top:P If I can get more I would be even happier:D I wonder if I can get this story done within 20 chapters? Hmm, I wonder... We'll see what happens. I know for a fact it won't go over 25 so there is no need to worry about that ;) Anyways, I shall see you around when I get Chapter 16 out. Thank you again for reading. Please tell me what you think and what you would like to know so I will be sure to include it in the chapters to come. All the mysteries will be unravelled in the end I promise. Thanks to Hotoshi Kid and Crystal for helping me with proof reading (since I was a bit lazy too :P) Although I think I need to proof read this myself soon. But later when I can be bothered. Bye bye for now though :D