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Chapter 10:

Peace Of Mind

Lea looked out over the top of the hangar.

"What a sight for sore eyes..." she said and lowered her head onto her hands. In front of her was the same green grass, lightly blowing in the breeze, the trees hadn't changed at all. Birds were singing their lovely melodies and filled the air with such life and happiness that Lea, too, felt like singing. She closed her eyes and began to hum to herself.

Suddenly she stopped. In the sky, there were black clouds forming.

"A storm's coming..." she said quietly.

Yes.

Lea closed her eyes once more and concentrated on the thunder.

"Five miles. It's about five miles away."

You should go inside. It's moving very fast.

Lea nodded. "Okay." She turned and quickly stepped down the stairs. Suddenly, a piercing pain shot through her leg and she stumbled. She screamed as her footing was lost, but then, almost as soon as she had begun to fall, someone had caught her. She looked up into the face of Trowa.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking worried.

"Yeah... I'm fine..." Lea said

Heero stared up at the huge mecha in front of him.

Lea is in pain...

"I know, but there's nothing more I can do for her."

The robot's cold gaze now fell on the boy in front of him.

How long?

"What do you mean?"

How long have you been able to understand me?

Heero shrugged. "Since I was young, I guess."

That's right, you were with Dr.J...

Heero nodded. "Before he went against Romefeller."

He was helping to develop this machine with Romefeller before he learned about Operation Meteor.

"I remember seeing you always watching the robot as it was being put together."

I had no idea what it would be used for.

Heero lowered his eyes. "I know you didn't. They didn't tell me about it until it was too late. I'm sorry I was never able to do anything."

You owe me nothing, so please, stop beating yourself up about it. What Sakio wanted you to do... Well...

"What Dr. J trained me to do, you mean." Heero said with distaste in his voice.

Lea told me you were having a nightmare, was it about Dr. J, giving you those orders?

"Yes, he told me what it was I was supposed to do." Heero's face suddenly softened. A slight smile broke out on his lips. "I remember also, seeing you with Lea... you two were so happy and care-free..."

You didn't carry out your very first mission. Killing Lea, that is.

"I... I just couldn't do it. I couldn't kill that little girl... she was so pure and happy..." Heero's smile suddenly faded and his eyes filled a little. "But I... I killed him. I killed her brother..."

But once again, you were too young to realize what it was you were doing.

Heero balled his hand into a fist. He shook with anger and sorrow. "Why didn't I stop myself? Why couldn't I realize what I was doing?"

They told you he was a potential terrorist, and he was. He had already seen the robot and the day after the race he was supposed to pilot it for the very first time. They told him a similar story... That he could bring his parents back if he did exactly as Sakio said.

Heero sat on the ground and wrapped his arms around his legs.

"But I had no idea that Lea would be the one to pilot the robot... instead of Damon."

Suddenly the giant robot moved it's head, as if gazing at the ceiling of the hangar. Then, it began moving.

Let us take this conversation outside. The air is much clearer out there...

Heero nodded and moved over to the control panel beside the main hatch door leading outside. Slowly it opened and Heero walked out into the night, the giant robot slowly following him.

"Have you told Lea yet... that it was me?"

If she knows that you were the one who killed her brother, then that would bring her even more sorrow. She doesn't need anymore reasons to wish death upon herself...

Heero sat down in the cool grass. A light breeze picked up and ruffled his hair.

"I know but... she does have a right to know..."

The robot turned it's giant head downwards.

Yes, but not now. And not anytime soon. She will eventually figure it out even before you tell her. You're face is already familiar to her, though she does not know from where.

Heero stared up at the vast sky as one by one, tiny stars began to appear. In the distance, thunder rumbled.

"Damon's heart was already corrupted by Sakio by the time I met him... it was pathetic to listen to his rambling about bringing his parents back so that he and Lea could be happy."

Rambling?

Heero shook his head. "Sakio tricked him, just like he tricked Lea."

Did you watch him die?

Heero froze. He had raced against Damon, and supposedly the newspapers reported that the accident was caused by a Mister Shibo, who mysteriously disappeared as soon as the crash happened. He closed his eyes and thought back on exactly what had happened...

"Heero, I mean, Shibo, it's almost time to fix this race." Dr. J said. Heero was busy adjusting his racing suit.

"Roger." he mumbled, fretting with one strap which was silently protesting against his efforts.

"You better get a move on, before the race starts, or you'll miss your chance."

"I know..." Heero said, clasping the strap and grabbing his helmet. "I'm going now."

Dr. J nodded. Heero turned and walked towards where Damon's car was. Dr. J followed him. "You know exactly what it is you have to do?"

"Roger." Heero answered.

"And you're alright with all this?"

Heero stopped, his hand on the handle of the door leading to where Damon's race car was.

"With killing another human being, whose only intentions are to bring his parents back from the dead so that he and his sister can be truly happy together? With killing someone whom I've gotten to know so well, that I consider him a good friend? No, Dr. J, I am not, in any way, alright with any of this."

Heero's face hardened. "But it must be done, and that's all that matters."

"Then good luck." Dr. J said quietly. Heero nodded and opened up the door. Lea was casually leaning on Damon's car. Heero jumped.

"Lea! What are you doing here? The race is about to start."

Lea glared at him. He stiffened. Does she know?

Lea immediately turned and walked towards the door. Heero grew suddenly extremely tense. With shaking hands, he pulled a pair of wire cutters out of his back pocket. He hadn't even noticed that the door hadn't been opened or shut, which meant Lea was still in the room. He ducked down beside the car and gently placed the wire cutters on the brake cable.

Damon... I'm sorry...

And with that, Heero broke the wire.

A little while later, the crash had happened. Heero immediately stopped his car and pulled himself out of it. He stared at Damon's crippled car and ran towards it. There was Lea, with her arms wrapped around Damon's crushed and bleeding body.

"What... what have I done?" Heero whispered. Damon's eyes closed, and Lea's tears became visible on Damon's pale face. Heero turned and ran from the scene, tears welling up in his own eyes.

"What have I done!"

"Yes..." Heero said, standing up. "I did watch him die."

I see...

Heero stared up at the sky. "I felt as if... when I cut that brake cable, I was cutting his life in two."

Such is what life is, a mere thread, which is as easy to snip as it is hard to pull apart.

Suddenly, the breeze shifted and became fierce. Thunder banged and lightning flashed. Then, slowly at first and then strongly, the rain fell. Behind Heero, someone was yelling.

"X, Heero!" Lea cried out against the torrent. She was running towards the two, tired, but happy.

"Lea!" Heero said, surprised by the drenched girl who was now standing in front of him, her hands on her knees, panting. "You're going to get sick if you stay out here."

"And what about you?" Lea inquired, straightening herself.

Are you sure you should be running, Lea?

"I'm fine, really! Stop worrying." Lea said, smiling up at the giant robot standing over her.

"How is your leg feeling?" Heero asked, sitting down underneath the robot. Lea followed suit and sat down next to him.

"It feels alright. I'm a little tired, but other than that, I'm aces."

Heero smiled slightly. Lea sighed happily. "I guess we've all finally found peace of mind, right?" Heero watched Lea as she tilted her head upwards and stared at the stars.

Yes. At this very moment, life is very peaceful.

Lea nodded and lay down in the cool grass, Heero never took his eyes off of her. Then, almost as soon as she had lay down, Lea was asleep. Heero again smiled slightly.

She's had it so rough from the start... poor girl...

"Yeah... but she's strong. I know she can get through this in one piece."

The robot bent over and scooped the wet, sleeping girl into his large hands.

It's pretty dreary out here.

Heero nodded and followed the robot back towards the hangar, all the while staring at the ground, thinking to himself. Peace of mind... Heero sighed. When I find peace of mind...

Flowers. All around Lea were bright yellow flowers... daisies. She scooped one flower up and breathed in it's fresh scent.

"Daisies... they're your favorite, right Damon?"

Damon smiled at her. He was leaning up against the large oak tree that the two were underneath. In front of Lea sat a large meadow, all of daisies.

"Yep. Nothing is quite as pure as a newly bloomed daisy..." Damon leaned over Lea and placed a small bud in her hair. "And daisies look best on pretty girls."

Lea smiled and blushed slightly.

"Lea?" Damon said, poking her arm rather painfully. "Wake up, Lea..."

"Yo, Lea! Wake up, darnit!" Duo said and yanked at Lea's arm. Lea blinked against the light that flooded the room during mid-day and sat up.

"What is it?"Lea said, yawning loudly. Duo scowled.

"We have to leave. Now."

"What!" Lea exclaimed and jumped out of her bed. "What's wrong, what's happened?"

"Whoa, calm down! Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so alarmed."

Lea raised an eyebrow. Duo shrugged and smiled. "Trowa has just decided that it'd be good to move, since Sakio already knows where we're stationed. So, get your things together, okay?"

Lea smiled and nodded. "Where's Heero?" she asked her generic question for at least the fourth time that day. Duo sighed loudly.

"I don't know, he's probably sleeping. You and him sure sleep a lot..." Duo mused to himself when Quatre walked in.

"Ah, good, you're finally awake. Could you do me a favor and go get Heero?" The blonde-haired boy asked, flipping through a pile of papers next to the many computer screens.

"Sure thing." Lea said and was gone in a flash. Quatre smiled to himself. She and Heero are really quite alike...

Lea quietly slipped through Heero's half-open bedroom door.

"...Heero?" she asked quietly. Low, quiet, slow breathing could be heard on the other side of the door. "Still asleep, are we?" she said a little louder and slammed the door open. Heero didn't even flinch in his deep slumber. Lea blinked several times in confusion. "Heero? Heero!"

Heero, as if in response, mumbled something and turned over.

"Heero?"

"...Lea... I'm sorry..."

Again, Lea blinked with a confused look on her face. "What? Heero, wake up already!"

"I... I killed him... I killed... Damon..."

Lea stopped dead. It felt to her as if Heero had pointed his gun to her head and pulled the trigger.

"Y-you're kidding right? H-heero?" Lea's vision blurred when a sudden thought struck her: Heero doesn't joke. He never jokes. Especially not about Lea's brother. But then again, whenever the subject of Damon was brought up by anyone, Heero would up and leave on the spot. Was what he was saying the truth?

Lea shivered and she grabbed onto Heero and shook him violently. "Heero! Heero, wake up, Heero!"

Heero's eyes slowly lifted open. "Huh?" Lea quickly jumped backwards and Heero sat up in bed. "Lea? What're you doing here? What's wrong?" He rubbed his eyes a little, and then slipped off his bed. "Were you... crying?"

Lea quickly turned so that Heero couldn't see her face. "No, I'm alright. This place is just pretty dusty, you know?" She ran out of the room.

"Lea, wait!" Heero called, but then sat back down on his bed. Why does she keep running away from me like that? He shook his head and walked out the door.

Lea ran, and ran, all the way out of the compound and into the nearby forest, passing by the small pond and field without a second glance.

Why? What does this all mean? Did Heero... did Heero kill my brother?

Lea finally stopped running. She was in the heart of the forest now, and it looked like it was about to rain, but Lea didn't seem to notice. It was getting later, and a chill wind blew. Lea shivered and looked about her.

"Where... am I? What am I doing here?" she fell down onto her knees in her exhaustion.

"Oh, good, there you are Heero. Look, I've just informed the proper authorities about our departure and they'll be sending in a cargo plane..." Quatre began. Heero walked right past him, his eyes on the ground.

"Heero?" Quatre said meekly. Heero paused and turned towards his blonde-haired friend. "What's wrong, Heero?"

"Where's Lea? I need to speak with her..."

"I don't know... in fact, it's been hours since I saw her last."

Heero raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Yeah, I sent her to fetch you, because I wanted you to know about the cargo plane and... Heero, wait!"

Heero bolted.

Where could she have gone? Heero thought angrily to himself. I've got to find her...

He ran throughout the compound, checked all the rooms, but Lea was nowhere to be found. Finally, Heero ran outside. It was once again pouring rain.

"LEA!" he yelled, but the sound of thunder and rain was deafening. "LEA!"

But no answer came. It was as quiet as death. Heero shivered and said quietly, "Lea, where are you?"

TO BE CONTINUED

AN: YAY! TENTH CHAPTER! WOOHOO! I've never before, in my ENTIRE LIFE written TEN CHAPTERS! So, for staying with me for so long on this story, here's something a little more light-hearted! Thanks for reading, and enjoy!

TENTH CHAPTER ANNIVERSARY PARTY!

Duo: Yay! Ten chapters! Woohoo!

Mendel: It's the most I've ever written!

Lea: I am so depressed... -

Mendel: Aww, cheer up!

Lea: But you MADE me depressed...

Mendel: Oo Oh... right... So Heero! Having a good time:)

Heero: I killed him... I killed him... ;;

X: passed out

Duo: Man, this party stinks...

Wufei: Yah, you just HAD to accidentally drop the cake into the toilet, didn't you?

Duo: ;; And it took two hours to make, too!

Wufei- Idiot...

Mendel: Hey... where's Trowa-chan?

Trowa: OMG! Lea is like, totally CRYING! I MUST DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Mendel: No... Trowa, it's best if you just leave her alone... really man, she'll bite your head off...

Trowa: walks up to Lea LEA! I WILL COMFORT YOU NOW! puts his arms around Lea

Lea: o GET AWAY FROM ME! punches him starts crying ;;

Trowa: She hates me! ;;

Duo: Two hours, TWO WHOLE HOURS! Gone, WASTED! ;;

Heero: I can't believe I actually did that... how evil am I? ;;

X: still passed out

Wufei: pulls out some pocky I like this story!

Mendel: Me too! Sadness and angst for all! takes a stick of pocky and starts nibbling on it Yuuumm... this is the best party ever!

Wufei: Tell me about it! Duo's got my sword, I think he's gonna kill himself...

Mendel: No, wait, now Heero's got the sword... Oh darn, now Lea's got the sword!

Wufei: No, Trowa's got it now!

I'll end this disturbing party now... ; But it was fun...