30 (Epilogue part I): Just remember . . .

Relena sighed in dismay as she hung up her phone again, there was still no answer but at least Duo and Hilde's phone was hooked up again. There was no doubt in her mind that Heero didn't want to speak to her still. It was what she had expected from the Japanese teenager, he wasn't one for speaking unless he had something to say, like Trowa. Relena sighed traveling down the hallway slowly toward the door that resided at the end of the hall past the stairway, she felt her wrist hurt all over again the closer she got to it.

Jin had been so close to a comatose state when Relena had taken him inside the Mansion, he seemed to be unaware of anything going on around him. Jin mumbled incoherently to her once he was laid upon the bed he slept on before they went off on their trip. About his parents and how they made him promise he wouldn't kill himself because they were dead. Relena wasn't sure to believe this to be truth or not so she simply nodded her head while she applied pressure to his bleeding side while she waited Pegan to return with the house doctor Mrs. Yukari Meredith. Someone Relena had known to be her personal doctor since she was only 5. Her mother thought it would be best if she'd have one since either of them (her parents) were hardly around when she got sick. Being only five Relena objected to this idea of a personal doctor and begged her parents to reconsider their decision. Mr. and Mrs. Darlain did not budge they insisted that it was for the best and kissed their daughter on the head.

Relena remembered that she spoke bitterly to Dr. Meredith and blamed whenever she fell ill upon the female doctor. Yukari did not pay any heed to the spiteful girl's words, she took care of her when her parents could not and stayed with her whenever Relena didn't feel like being around others. And as she got older Relena began to appreciate Yukari's presence and welcomed it whenever she could. Sighing the 17-year-old girl paused in front of the door her hand loosely gripping the door knob. Before Relena left the room to call Heero, Yukari had entered the bedroom with haste and kneeled down beside her with the intent eyes of a doctor. Jin had spoken something to the woman in Korean obviously questioning her presence.

Yukari didn't respond to him she removed Relena's hands from Jin's reopened injury and asked if the girl could get soap and water so she could clean the wound. Relena removed herself from the bed and entered the bathroom; she filled a empty glass bowl full of semi-hot water and soap before grabbing a sponge and heading back into the bedroom. Yukari thanked her while rummaging through her bag for her syringe and a sedative. Relena returned to Jin's side careful to keep her bloodied hands away from his sight, he was unaware of the tears that were falling down his face. He kept repeating to her phrases in Korean while he clutched her arms desperately until Yukari asked her to leave, Relena did as she was told and never looked behind her when she left the room. Now standing before the door, Relena was unsure to even enter the bedroom.

Part of her was telling her to enter while the other worried she would anger a busily working Yukari (who happened to of Korean descent as well). Raising her fist Relena tapped on the door twice then awaited a response, it was awhile before Yukari responded to Relena's knock with a small "Come inside." Relena entered the bedroom unsure what to expect, her blue-eyes fell upon her friend kneeling beside the bed. The older woman's shoulder length brown hair hung her face as she removed the gloves from her hands then tossed them into the garbage next to the night table. Yukari looked in Relena's direction with a weary expression, Relena nodded in Jin's direction. He laid on his back his hands laid upon his stomach, his feet sticking upward. "Is he okay?" She whispered.

Yukari's eyebrows furrowed when her green eyes averted toward a drug-induced Jin. "Aside from the sickness he gonna be experiencing when he wakes up?" Yukari said blandly. "Yeah, yeah he's fine. I had to disinfect his wound but it was nothing compared to some of things I've fixed up." Relena made a face envisioning wounds much worse than Jin's, Yukari nodded in agreement noticing this. Closing up her bag the 36-year-old woman headed toward her young friend in a normal but tired pace, she handed Relena two bottles of medication in which Relena stared down at puzzled. "The pills in the brown bottle are for the pain, the pills in the orange bottle is to relieve his sickness. You have to keep him in this bed for at least two weeks or more, its important that he does. Any more pressure on his torso I can't ensure his wound will stay closed for a third time. Also give him lots of fluids because he won't be able to hold down any solid foods. Keep him off his sides as well, have him lying on his back."

Relena nodded taking the two bottles the woman reached to her, she looked past Yukari at Jin and for a moment she could've sworn he was staring at her, she shifted her attention back to her personal nurse just as the woman walked away saying that she had to get back home before her daughter worried about her. Relena simply nodded and let the woman leave, the room was lit for one brief moment before being plunged back into the dimness of the table lamp and the afternoon light that was softened by the closed curtains of the large window that lead to a balcony. Relena walked over to the side of the bed. Her blue eyes stared down at the Korean boy below her proceeding to set the bottles down onto the table beside her, there was a sort of tension in the so-called calm expression Jin bore upon his face Relena placed a hand upon his sweaty face and watched his eyes slowly crack open, Relena flinched when her wrist was grasped by Jin's hand.

Relena only budged slightly when tired he tugged her toward her, his grip was considerably weak but Relena obliged to his silent request and sat down beside him. Jin coughed roughly attempting to slide himself closer to her until Relena herself moved close to him and laid down on her left side facing him. Wrapping her arm around him she kept him from turning on his side. "S-s-safe?" He rasped hoarsely to her, staring at her through his barely open eye lids. Relena pulled her right arm from under her and slid it up under Jin's head. "Yes Jin, your safe. Nothing can hurt you here. Your safe," Relena whispered quietly. Relena felt Jin relax into the bed when she sat up and kissed him on the cheek, her eyes wandered aimlessly throughout what part of the bedroom and wondered how Heero was fairing with his broken leg at the very moment she was lying in the bed with the bruised Korean teenager.

Relena smiled secretly at the image of Duo and Heero bickering at each other irritably because of their mishaps, neither of them were probably feeling like themselves. Hilde was probably suffering a headache from trying to get the two to calm to down before they killed each other. Sighing Relena studied her current position suddenly remembering she was attend the rescheduled party she was supposed to go to New years eve, she had been going over her speech (which she would be giving at the Sanc Kingdom's institute beforehand) in the limo when she spotted Jin trudging through the snow just minutes before he collapsed from exhaustion and cold. Relena's eyes examined the chapped lips upon Jin for but a brief moment then carefully slid out of the grasp of the 13-year-old and headed for the bedroom door, she would finish looking over her speech and return before he even noticed her absence. Hopefully.

Swallowing the Europan girl stepped out of the bedroom in a ghost-like manner shutting the door behind her. Once she released her grasp upon the door knob Relena averted her glance toward Pegan who stood beside the door with a look of concern. "Relena, do you think its wise to leave him alone?" Pegan whispered. Relena stared at the door listening out for any sounds that signaled Jin's arousal of slumber but there were none. Exhaling the girl replied, "No Pegan, I don't, but I have to get something out the way first. He'll be fine on his own for a half an hour," With that the 17-year-old made a brisk retreat down the hall towards the stairs. Pegan watched his master vanish behind the stair rail with a furrowed brow. There was no denying that her absence would disturb the boy a great deal but he trusted Relena to make the right choice and wouldn't interfere in anything she did. Unless of course the time called for it.

Katsuya sat quietly in the passengers seat of his father's van his brown eyes transfixed on the piece of paper in his hands, they darted from side to side unable to tear away from the truly heart stabbing words left to him by his Mother Margaret. There wasn't a word inside of him that could describe the emotion he was feeling now. The simple fact that his mother had involved herself in this sort of business when she had told him on his 10th birthday that she was no longer in contact with the military or government made Katsuya wonder if his mother hadn't been lying to him through his entire life.

It was mind shattering, Katsuya no longer had a firm grip on who his mother was anymore, the smiles and her entire personality that was shown to him had no special meaning to him any longer. He averted his brown-eyes away from the paper just for a second only to find them drawn back to the drizzling inked words, his finger nails priced the edges of the paper and cut into the palm of his hand. He paid no attention to the self-inflected injuries he was too busy whipping the tears from his face and holding back the sob inside his chest.

Gene Cypher did nothing to comfort his son knowing there was nothing to be done, the pure anguish in his son's face reminded him that there was a part of Margaret that he could never trust, especially if that part of her could crush her son's heart. The 53-year-old man managed to keep his eyes on the road as they entered a traffic jam, the car moved along behind several cars and Gene stole glances his son's tear-streak face as he played with the edges of the paper. Katsuya's lips were red from his chewing on them and if his father didn't know any better Katsuya meant to injure himself purposel. Moving the car up upon noticing the progress of movement in the traffic Gene reached over and took the letter from the 13-year-old.

"AhDad give it back!" Katsuya cried pushing against his father's hand that was against his chest. He tried with all his might to reach for the wrinkled piece of paper in his father's hand but Gene obviously had the upper hand in this entire ordeal, Katsuya felt himself being shoved back into his seat just as the car lurched forward. The two of them left the freeway free to move a normal speed across the downtown street, Katsuya shifted his brown eyes towards Gene; he still held the paper in his grasp as he drove. The boy could make out some of the sentences despite the crumbled state of the paper while in his father's hand. The 13-year-old folded his arms cross his chest and rested his head against the window. His eyes wandered the passing environment outside the car while his father scanned the letter from time to time. Gene unable to make out what his wife was trying to accomplish through this letter by telling her son her wrongdoings. Did Katsuya really need to know all of these things so early in his life?

Wasn't her death enough to leave on the boy's mind? "How are you holding up, Kat?" Gene asked unable to stand the silence from his son. Katsuya never moved his eyes to acknowledge his father's question, he simply replied in a monotonous voice, "I'm holding up just fine, considering everything's that's happened." There was a chuckle from the 13-year-old that greatly disturbed his father. "Funny... I never got to give Mom her Christmas present. It was a good one too. It was a new leather jacket and a pair of boots." Katsuya looked down at the box below him wedged between his feet to prevent any movement. "At least I have her ashes with me." As the car turned the corner the father noticed a gleam in Katsuya's eyes that he would usually see in Margaret's eyes in the early days of their marriage after she would return from working.

The gleam was that of a soldier just returning from the battle felid with the taste of blood upon his tongue, it was another trait of Margaret's he wished Katsuya had never acquired. As their car pulled up into the parking lot below across the hotel they were spending the night in, Gene reached over and ruffled his son's thick short red hair, Katsuya looked at his father in question. Grinning Gene shut the car off then unbuckled himself. "We'll make it through this son, I promise," He uttered. Katsuya smiled in response unable to find the strength to form words. The two of them stepped out of the car at the same time shutting the car doors behind them. Gene let his son walk ahead of them, he needed room to think about everything Margaret had written.

Dearest Katsuya;

Words cannot express the grief I feel if your reading this. I don't have to explain to you that if your reading this, it means I've died. I never meant to leave you my sweet child, my only light in this world. To get to the point, I truly wasn't involved with government not even when the war was going on. So what I told on your birthday was no lie, it was only after the Mariemaia incident I was contacted by someone's ghost. Their daughter to be more blunt. Gabrielle Shore wanted me to do a job for her; I was ordered to gather a group of children, Orphans to find out any information on a project a friend of mine was involved in several years ago concerning the mad scientists that constructed the Gundams, and if they knew anything about this project I was to immediately send them to my employer who would put the information to good use (This should explain to you my absences around the house for long periods of time). However if they did not know anything, I was to kill them to ensure no one would know about this plan until we revealed it.

Mind you I did just what I was told, I killed each and every child that knew nothing of what I was talking about, save one. Her name is Ryuusei Kanzaki, now an orphan because I killed her parents, Lillian and Hiram Kanzaki, people I've known since childhood. And there was also another child you should know of; His name is Jin Toshino, my late friend Rei Toshino's son, he would be about the same age as you and your are only... 13 as it was? Silly me, I'm forgetting your age already! But that's besides the point; some time ago I destroyed his entire colony by the order of a man named Duke Dermail of the Romafeller foundation because my friend Rei caught me trying to steal information on the project she was perfecting. I believed her, her son, and husband, Taku, to have died by my hands.

But alas, the past has a funny way of catching up to you; I was informed that there was rumor that a child that survived the L3 179XE22100-massacre was still alive and traveled around with a group of Orphans lead by a young man named Tomeki. I never believed her of course, but while I was in a bar I overheard that the Preventers were looking for a child, the news caster described the very image of Jin, and that's when I knew he wasn't dead. So I headed off to search for him. Surprisingly I, at the moment I'm writing this to you, I'm in the very city Jin is suspected to be in.

I search for him still because I know he knows something about his mother's project. If you ask, I'm sure your father will tell you much about the job already and if the Preventers of the ESUN have already caught onto me and my employer's scheme, they would be more than glad to tell you if your beloved father will not. You may think me cruel for even telling you this, for killing those children, and you may even hate me forever to tell you that deep inside me, I feel that may never return from this mission, it hurts me so to even think I may not come back to you my sweet child, my only love. I can only hope that you'll forgive me for my wrong doing... Kami knows many people won't. I just hope you can.

Your loving mother,
Margaret Ora Cypher

PS: If you ever happen to run across Jin, by any chance I don't find him...

(December 30th, A.C. 199; Maxwell/Schbeiker residence):

Inside the unusually silent house, Hilde sat at her desk staring down at renewal papers for the house. They were still renting it out since Hilde was unsure if she even wanted to live on Earth for as long as she had, Duo never seemed to have taken notice that they had left the L2 Colony and settled on earth. Besides he told the German teenager that he was never a true native of the L2 colony he just sorta migrated there after some type of event that happened his in life, another thing he wasn't ready to tell her just yet which was fine with Hilde for the time being. She tapped her pencil against the paper while her fingers wrapped against her cheek, there was something about it that made her want to reconsider filling out this paper.

Hilde averted her aquamarine eyes toward the foggy window of the office they held the same expression Heero had a year ago; she wanted to return to space. The colonies might not have been Duo's true home but it was home to her! Swall-owing roughly the girl arose from her chair and headed out of the office to find Duo. As she passed through the living room Hilde wondered how Duo would react her sudden need to leave earth a place she supposedly called home for over three years now.

Of course the German girl narrowed down the American's reactions to dumbstruck, raving mad, upset, and numb. It was about all she could do to comfort herself as she approached the bedroom door, her hands trembled nervously once she was at the door. On the inside she could hear Duo listening to a news report on the AM station of the radio concerning the two large companies that were going to merge on Christmas day if she remembered correctly, from what she heard they had broken off the deal and were no longer in contact with each other thanks to last moment details on Gravitation's motives from the Preventers chief in command, Lady Une. Deep inside Hilde felt a swell of relief rise up in her chest as she entered the bedroom without hesitation, Hilde smiled softly at the half-sleep Duo lying on the bed looking bored despite the excitement coming from the radio.

"Hey Hilde," He mumbled scooting up into a sitting position. Duo had his back resting up against the headboard of their bed as Hilde made her way over to his side of the bed (the left side) he eyed her curiously while trying to keep them open. "Hey Duo, what would you say to going back into outer space...?" Hilde asked when she was sitting beside the young man. The braided teenager stared at his friend in a puzzled way raising his hand up to scratch the side of his nose with his finger, he pondered on the question for a moment before answering her. "I've got no objections to going back into outer space, I mean it is where I spent most of my natural life, It'd be nice to visit it again," Duo said happily. Hilde would've smiled had not been for the one word Hilde had hoped Duo wouldn't have used; Visit. It was obvious that Duo had no intentions of leaving earth to go back to live in space.

Swallowing she placed a hand on his bare leg causing the American to jump in surprise, Duo shifted his cobalt eyes toward the girl showing for the first time just how puzzled he was becoming because of her hesitant behavior. You might as well just come out and tell him, Hilde thought exasperated. "What I mean to ask you is that . . ." The German teenager licked her dry lips nervously as she gathered the nerve to say it to her. "Would you like to go back and live in outer space?" She finished. The response Duo prepared for her suddenly fell silent inside of his throat and he stared at her as though she had grown two heads. His mouth was slightly agape and his bangs seemed to fall in his face to hide the shock in his eyes. "I-I didn't mean to make you upset, I... just wanted to see my home..." Hilde whispered leaning in closer.

The 17-year-old blinked at her. Although he thought it was just a bit crazy and too much to ask of Relena, but the two of them asked if they could have everything that was in the scrap yard including the house (excluding the fence) to be shipped to earth in a place that resembled the small boxed neighborhood. Relena had no problem consenting to this and ordered the best moving company that concerned themselves with moving all sorts of items from the colonies to earth; of course she had to strike a deal with the landlord who owned part of the house and all interests but that was dealt with easily. So when everything was shipped to earth, the moving company had their construction workers rebuild the house to its original state and the scrap yard workers bring in all their items brought in by the sweepers stored in a large yard behind the house, Hilde was ecstatic and Duo was sceptic as to how their business was going to fare since most of their customers were in space after all. But like always Hilde reassured him that everything would work out in its own way and like always it did.

Duo shifted his eyes back to the radio and listened to a unimportant new report that streamed out of the speakers of the object that rested on the floor beside the window, he could feel Hilde's hand trembling on his leg and he reached over grasped her small hand with his own. Silence engulfed the bedroom for what seemed to Hilde like forever until Duo turned to face her with a genuine smile on his face, she was slightly taken aback by this emotion upon his face. "But I thought you liked it here on Earth?" He yawned resting his head on her shoulder. "I do. I just wanna see space again... maybe going back to live there is going a bit too far but I wanna see the stars," Hilde mumbled in response. Duo stared out the window for a moment Hilde felt him exhale heavily.

"I guess we can go back to space someday Hilde," He mumbled quietly. "But right now I just a little too well-adjusted on Earth, plus our business is going really good here. Not to mention that the sunset..." Duo never got to finish his sentence he found his lips being silenced by Hilde's delicate hand pressing against them, he felt his face turn red with embarrassment the moment she leaned in and pressed her lips against the back of her hand. He felt his lips pucker under the soft pressure of her palm just as she removed her hand. He stared at her blankly trying to force back the blood rushing to his cheeks and replace with a look of sternness. But to avail. Duo's mind couldn't find its bearings on no level whatsoever as he stared into the ocean that was Hilde's Aquamarine eyes. Of course this was before she stared laughing. It wasn't rude loud laughter he got from OZ soldiers when they saw him outside of his Gundam, but the cheerful laughter he heard so little of.

"Hilde your confusin' me," Duo blurted. "First your all sad stating you want to go back to space, then you change your mind!" Hilde's laughter soon boiled down to girlish giggles she knew annoyed Duo to no end when she didn't tell him something. Watching him remove his head from her shoulder Hilde sighed. "Duo... I'm not sure what I want; part of me wants to go back to space and stay there. But then there's that part of me that just wants to be here on Earth because I feel connected to you more than I did in space," She said. "I'm feeling restless for some reason. You've felt that way haven't you?" Hilde whispered.

Duo nodded in response remembering all the times he spent outside sitting on the wall of the colony looking up at the moon for hours on end practically worrying the girl sitting beside him, but in retrospect he wouldn't have thought about Hilde's sudden request to return to space in a way that she actually missed being there. When they both decided to move from the economy duped L2 colony they were currently living on Duo had thought Hilde would not have any wishes to come return to the colony or space for that matter, so he never really brought the subject of returning up. But after what Hilde had said to him, all the memories of these thoughts he once harbored returned to him like a punch in the gut, it wasn't a pleasant experience.

Flexing his wrist Duo returned his cobalt blue gaze down to the hand that Hilde kept on his bare leg noting that his face was still red from the would-be kiss. "I've felt that way many times Hilde," Duo stated tiredly. Hilde stared at him for the longest time before smiling. "Let's not talk about going back to space . . . I think it was just a spur of the moment feeling," She said nervously. Duo chuckled in response. "I highly doubt that Hilde, but if it makes you happy, I'll be more than glad to drop the subject," The 17-year-old yawned sliding down off the headboard and lying his head down upon the pillows. Hilde joined him with a small sigh of her own, Duo averted his eyes to the ceiling occasionally stealing a glance at Hilde who continued to study each strand of hair sticking off his unruly bangs. "Where do you think Heero is now?" Hilde asked. The American shrugged shifting the weight of his head fromthe pillow towards the mattress, he smiled slightly.

Heero. Now there's someone he hadn't heard from least of all his name mentioned around the small house. Duo wasn't sure where Heero was and at the moment he couldn't care where Heero was, because he knew it was absolutely pointless worrying about one of the best ex-Gundam pilots of the Wing Zero. If he could handle a machine like Wing then a snow storm was just a walk in the park for his Japanese friend and he knew he would return once he found Jin, wherever the boy was. Groaning Duo felt his mind jump from one subject to the subject of Jin. Yes it was obvious that he had more a connection to the Korean descended boy than Heero could ever have. But some part of Duo told him that Jin related more to Heero because they had the same temperament. Almost the same problems. Almost.

The half-cocked resemblance between the two despite their different nationalities was uncanny save for the bone structure in Jin's face that made it appear a lot more mature than Heero's. Jin was almost as tall as Heero who was only just an inch shorter than Duo was, their personalities were same with difference in Jin's unstable family life... if he ever had one. And then there was Relena. Both of them seem to have the same conviction for Ojousan than he had ever seen in his life. Of course there were differences, Jin seemed to look to Relena as more a mother figure than someone he thought to be his potential girlfriend.

Duo could understand just by looking into those strange colored eyes of that 13-year-old that he wanted nothing more than to be loved by that girl Duo thought of as angel. Whereas Heero... he had yet to figure that guy about when it came Relena. Maybe it was conviction or loyalty Heero felt toward Relena, maybe a sort of trust that not even Heero shared with the rest of them. Maybe no one would ever know why Heero continued to protect Relena or for that matter care for her (or any of them for that matter) the way he did, it was just one of bonds that were better left unexplored, Duo guessed. The American just hoped that Heero wouldn't hurt Jin when he found him. Groaning the young man turned his head to look at the soon-to-be sleep Hilde Schbeiker, her eyes still remained on his face or at least his bangs. He grinned sheepishly at her reaching over to brush her hair out of her face.

"Duo...?" She whispered causing him in mid-reach. "Hai, Hilde-san?" Duo he replied grinning. "You didn't answer my question...," She said. Duo's hand withdrew nervously before he chuckled remembering the question Hilde asked him before he was pulled into his thoughts, swallowing roughly he prepared to answer her question. "He's probably in some café huddled at the table," Duo replied honestly. "Really Hilde, don't worry so much." Hilde laughed. "I won't worry if you won't," She whispered.

The German teenager stuck her right arm underneath Duo's back careful not to rub against his injury, she then threw her left arm over his stomach and her fingers intertwined. Duo recognized this as a hug and smiled. "You've got yourself a deal," He mumbled resting his chin upon her head. Hilde sighed happily her locked on his jaw-line, she had the feeling that wherever they wanted to live the two of them would live as a family. Now all they had to do was find Heero, then Hilde could put her troubled mind at ease.

(Aspect Diner; Sanc Kingdom):

Heero rubbed his bare hands together in an attempt to ward the chill from them as he patiently awaited his breakfast to come. He sat inside the diner that had seen better days. Its wallpaper was peeling, the fan barely rotated all the way anymore, the bar seats looked just about ready to go under, the marble floor was worn and sticky, and the rest surrounding area save the tables next to the window and chairs were in need of serious sprucing up.

Heero obviously wasn't the only one thinking this; several people had came inside the diner for only about a moment before running outside gasping breath because they had made a pit-stop inside the bathroom, Heero decided then and there he wasn't using public restrooms anymore unless persuaded otherwise. The diner was practically empty from a certain perspective but the Japanese teenager couldn't care less, he was cold and tired from his journey from the small neighborhood Duo and Hilde lived in, through the city and to the Sanc Kingdom.

What he needed right now was something to eat and something hot to drink then he was well on his way outside resuming his search for Jin. Heero scratched the back of his neck with his cold hands just as the waitress came up to the bar with his pancakes and coffee, she placed them in front of him and nodded in his direction. "Ohiyo," He mumbled without thinking. The waitress stared at him strangely before leaving to serve the few other customers. Heero's eyes followed her for a brief moment before averting back to his pipping hot breakfast, suddenly a thought or rather . . . memory came to him the instant he touched the coffee cup.

"What's your name, kid?" Heero spoke pretending to look unfazed by what the little boy had told them. The boy shrugged playing with the end of his braid he supported himself against the couch's arm as he placed his feet firmly on the ground.

Duo didn't bother to help the kid because he had a feeling that the kid's ego would probably restrain him to ask for help, he remained still and observed him. "Why do you wanna know my name so badly?" The boy asked staring up at Heero. Heero pulled out a gun and placed its barrel against the boy's forehead.

"I'll kill you if you don't tell me your name, spill," Heero snapped. A sudden panic washed over Duo, he made an attempt to grab the gun from Heero but the Japanese teenager grabbed the braided sweeper by the wrist and twisted his arm behind his back pulling it upward sending a pain up Duo's shoulder.

The 16-year-old American growled scolding himself mentally to think twice before trying to jump the 'perfect soldier.' "Damn it, that hurts Heero!" He hissed trying to wrench his arm free of Heero's death grip. Heero glanced over to his comrade with a stern expression before turning his attention back to the little boy in front of him.

The trained assassin noticed he was shaking like a leaf under his heated gaze despite the face that Heero never had his finger on the trigger, the gun itself frightened him. "My name is... Jin," He quivered.

Jin, Heero repeated the name in his head in almost fond way chewing away at the last pancake, he knew his name was a Chinese word, however it didn't help him think on any places where Jin would be hiding or where he was most likely to go. Not that he had any place to go; from what Trowa had told him from Ryuusei's explanation all the orphans that were captured by Margaret were long dead so that would mean wherever Jin had gone to in the beginning was no longer a valid place to stay.

The only other places Heero could think of him going to was straight to the Sanc Kingdom itself or outer space, he groaned swallowing the last morsel of his breakfast. His fork played around in the remaining syrup upon the white place while his right hand turned the coffee mug around in a circular motion. A few minutes later he placed the fork down onto the plate along with the amount of money he owed the diner for his breakfast and Coffee which he swallowed down in one gulp, rising from his seat Heero headed outside of the diner heading up the sidewalk. His mind wandered for sometime before he found that he traveled all the way over to a what children would call a winter wonderland; the park.

Being a child of no fond memories he could not say the same for the cold white area he stood in. The 17-year-old trudged across the hidden grassland passing the occasional child pulling a sled behind him until he reached his desired destination. He sat himself down on the dry park bench with a sigh. He pulled his jacket collar up higher around his neck then shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, his eyes watered at the intense cold air that blew around him. The Japanese teenager took notice that the children, despite the cold, never seemed to be bothered by it one bit; a forigen and almost ignorant thought echoed throughout his mind: Had they gone through all that he had? Or were they stronger than him because they had something to keep them going? Heero scowled at the frame of thought and shifted his eyes skyward as the snowflakes came waltzing down from their heaven, he felt them latch onto his face as well as his eyelashes when he blinked.

Loneliness . . . despite the presence of his friends it was something he had continued to sense in his very soul, it didn't matter how much Duo reassured him that there was something, someone worth living for, there was no stopping the emotion he was most familiar with. He felt so alien when everyone was crying, smiling, or had something to be happy about. But Relena always was the one that awakened the fleeting emotions that everyone else expressed around him and some part of him was eternally grateful for her. Unbeknownst to him tears were silently falling down his already numb face. And maybe even Jin... because he knew if Relena could make feel wanted, human, hell even loved then he probably help Jin, sighing the young man leaned back onto back of the bench. He closed his eyes for a brief moment visualizing Relena's sunshine smile until the brief touch of someone's fingers against his cheek brought him back to reality.

His head snapped in the direction of the person sitting beside him. "Don't look so surprised, I'm no threat to you," A woman with the brownest hair he had ever seen and the same colored eyes as Jin sat beside him. She leaned over and placed her chin upon the back of her gloved hand. Heero glared at her but did not move from his spot, everyone had told him Korean women were ugly but this woman that sat beside him was saying otherwise. Her hair was long and wavy, her face had a strong feminine statue structure, her lips were full and her nose resembled his, her chin was much like Une's, her eyebrows were thick untrimmed and her eyes were shaped like large almonds. The woman appeared to be no older than 30. "What do you want?" He asked regaining his composure. The woman shrugged placing her hands upon her lap one on top of the other.

Heero eyed her in the corner of his eyes feeling uncomfortable around her suddenly. She laughed shortly then said, "You know, you remind so much of my son; always brooding over something," Her tone was that of a casual speaker, but Heero's Prussian blue eyes narrowed at her description. "If you've got something to say to me, then say it," Heero grumbled annoyed. The woman's smile soon faded away into a deep sorrowful frown and before Heero knew what had happened her hands cupped his face, his head was forced to meet hers. "I cannot stand to see my son the way he is now... this is not what I wanted for him. I am begging you to help him!" Heero grunted when he felt her fingertips rub against his face he pulled away from him. The terra-cotta haired woman recoiled realizing what she had done.

Her head bowed in obvious shame, Heero, however, could care less; he was too busy trying to conjure up a reason as to not get up and leave her where she sat. "I'm sorry that was wrong of me," She whispered. "Itsjust that I don't want him to be sad about us anymore, please if you can find it in your heart, help him. We'll never find peace if he keeps clinging to us..." Heero straightened his jacket out pulling the collar back up in the position he had in before the woman jumped him, he stared at her long and hard unsure he understood her correctly. "Lady, I don't even know who your son is, so how can I help him?" Heero stated firmly. The woman smiled bitterly running her hands through her tangled hair.

She was getting nowhere this stubborn boy, she stared at him when he wasn't looking and recognized the same loneliness she sensed inside of her son, he needed help as well. "His name's Hino," She whispered. "He's currently living in the Sanc Kingdom captical New port city." Heero turned his attention towards the woman at the mention of the Sanc Kingdom; he blinked never remembering a boy living with Relena. "How do I know him when I," Heero stopped in mid-sentence. The woman was no longer siting beside him Heero's eyebrows furrowed in confusion before he heard the approaching sound of footfalls, he turned his head just in time to see Zechs Merquise stop in front of him carrying a box wrapped in Christmas paper finished off with a green ribbon tied into a bow. Heero eyed the box then eyed the platinum blonde 22-year-old.

"Fancy seeing you here, Heero," Zechs said blandly. Brushing the encounter with the nameless woman off his mind Heero focused his mind on the Sanc Kingdom. "Zechs are you headed to the Sanc Kingdom?" Heero stated never returning the greeting. Zechs' eyebrows narrowed in slight disapproval but stated to the young man that he was indeed headed for the Sanc Kingdom to give his sister a over-due Christmas present he had picked up over two hours ago. Heero eyed the box again and nodded. "So much pleasantries," Zechs brooded. "Follow me." Heero grunted and followed the older man across the cleared off sidewalk toward his SUV.

(ESUN Space Port):

Catherine stared outside the shuttle window at the falling snow that was slowly beginning to let up after several days, her pale blue eyes counted the snowflakes that had latched onto the window she sat beside, the ones that hadn't been smooshed together and managed to get as high as 89 then quit counting. Somewhere down the aisle Trowa was carrying Ryuusei upon his back through the narrow walking lane while carrying his luggage in his hands, the Latin-American sense that Ryuusei was excited by the simple aspect of heading into outer space, her legs tried her best to keep still while they were straddling Trowa's sides and her hand continuously bothered with the spiky ends of his hair.

This was something Trowa was quite capable of preventing but instead he decided to just let her play with his hair until he was seated beside Catherine and he had found Ryu a place to sit. Catherine peered up over the seat spotting Trowa making his way over to their seats, she smiled secretly and rested her back against the chair. When Trowa finally made it over to his desired destination he turned his back to Catherine and Ryuusei climbed off into the seat beside the knife-throwing 19-year-old, he then turned around and proceeded to place his luggage in the compartment above their seats.

Ryuusei hummed a cute little tune to herself as she counted the loose strands of fabric on her polyester fur trimmed winter jacket, she peered over at Catherine watching her drag her finger across the foggy window drawing funny faces. Flexing her fingers Ryuusei averted her gaze over to Trowa who sat himself in the chair in front of them next a balding man, she wondered partly why there was no seats facing each other. Ryuusei didn't think it right to just have to look at the back of Trowa's head instead of his green eyes and face, groaning the girl leaned back in her chair. "Something the matter, Ryu?" Catherine asked kindly. "No," She mumbled in English scratching the back of her hand. Catherine nodded slightly and set back in her chair pondering on past events up before this point. It was true that Trowa was usually called the heartless one of the entire toupe, but because of this recent development of emotion he felt towards her it was Catherine that felt like the heartless one.

She remembered clearly that she had practical cried herself to sleep in Trowa's firm embrace; he had continually apologized to her as he tried to calm her down, he kept whispering that he never wanted anything like the love he felt for her to happen it just had and there was nothing he could do for her except comfort her and be the best friend he could. Catherine couldn't help but want to cry more but she couldn't find the strength. Silently she removed herself from Trowa and laid herself down on the small bed whipping her soaked face, Ryuusei sat down beside down beside her and talked to her about what she wanted to do on their colony when they were ready to leave. Catherine was only partly listening to the girl her attention was diverted on how she could make things better for Trowa and herself while ignoring the strong feeling of his eyes upon her back.

For one, Catherine promised she would not flirt with him and she would not cry in front of him anymore, she would keep him happy and never dwell on the past events less he brought it up. Blinking the 19-year-old woman raised her arm over Ryuusei's head and pulled her close, the small girl jumped in surprise but she welcomed the older woman's arm around her. "Arigato, Catherine-sama," Ryuusei whispered smiling. Catherine nodded in response averting her eyes to Trowa who hung over the back of his chair, his chin propped up on arm. He stared at her with his one visible eye his face remained impassive as he did so. "Are you alright Catherine?" He spoke so quietly, Catherine had a hard time hearing over the just now starting engines of the shuttle.

Trowa sensed this and repeated his question a little louder, but no louder he than he would've liked to speak, Catherine heard him this time and she managed a secret smile of hers the two of them had shared since he had started working with her. The shuttle will now be taking off, please fasten you seat belts and remain seated, thank you for you cooperation. The voice of the hostess echoed through the shuttle and the passengers began to buckle themselves in. Trowa however, remained in the same position simply staring at Catherine Bloom. Sighing the young woman brushed her bangs out of her eyes.

"Yes, I think I am Trowa," Catherine replied as loud as she could. Trowa remained where he was for a moment longer just examining the two women in front of him before finally sitting down in his chair proceeding to buckle himself in. "We're goin' to space!" Ryuusei cheered happily as the shuttle began to move across the ramp that would eventually lead them up back into the ocean of stars called space. Trowa stared outside the window at the moving scenery that soon vanished beneath them as the shuttle averted upward upon the ramp, he reminded himself to contact Duo and Heero, as well as Wufei as soon as he and Catherine had settled down in their home. He felt it rude never to tell them that they had left for space. Closing his eyes he let himself be lulled to sleep by the vibrations of the shuttle as it flew through the atmosphere.

(TBC) Author's note: This is the first part of the last chapter. It was 55 pages long so I split it into two parts. The last part; ". . . You are notalone.."is coming soon. Patience! Sakura123