I do not own Gundam Wing.

Also I just want to say thanks to all those that have been reviewing.

NOW ON TO THE NEXT CHAPTER!


Chapter 5

What happens is not as important

As how you react to what happens

Ellen Glasgow


She was cold that was the first thing Relena became aware of as she rejoined the land of the living. She was cold and in pain, god was she in pain her whole body felt stiff and on fire.

"Where was she, what had happened, why did she feel like shit?" all those questions and more ran through her tired, pain filled mind.

Opening her eyes only to close them again and turn her head away sharply when the blinding light hit her sensitive eye sockets Relena stifled a groan of anguish as pain raised through her body from her slight movement of head.

Laying there for a few minutes just breathing evenly and using all her might not to scream from the pain that was coursing through her body like a poison, Relena hurriedly tuned herself into her surroundings hoping that trying to find out where she was would help take her mind off the pain.

After all she had no idea where she was or what the hell was going on, for all she new she could be somewhere very unpleasant; such as in the hands of her past enemies or even her present ones.

For even though she was now known as a pacifist and a politician Relena was by no means naïve enough to think that she hadn't made enemies with a few of her fellow colleagues.

Colleagues she new for a fact that wouldn't mind to see her head mounted on a wall somewhere.

So with those thoughts in her mind she tuned out everything else and focused on her surroundings by using her six senses and the first thing that she became aware of was the smell.

Where ever she was, it smelled clean with the faint trace's of antibiotics and the smell of death heavely in the air, next she became aware of the noise.

Outside her room or what she thought was a room, there was the quick foot steps of many people going back and forth talking fast and hurriedly.

Breathing deeply and steadly she then turned her senses toward the room she was in since she was pretty sure it was a room because the noises outside were slightly muffled as though a wall was helping keeping the racket down.

Focusing on the room she guessed that it was big due to the fact that a small room would be a little bit warmer since the blankets, comforters and any other equipment that was in there would help hold more heat.

Next she focused on the sounds in the room,to her left she heard beeping noises and to her right soft dripping blurps as though water was slowly dripping down to land in a puddle.

After listening a few more minutes to the noises in the room she became aware of slight breathing and movement to her right.

There had to be other people in here with her and more then one person if she heard the breathing and slight movement's right.

True they were all quiet but to someone who from the age two had been trained to be aware of everything and everyone around her and to use everything to her best abilities it was almost to easy to find the source of the breathing and guess how many people were there, and by the movements and air being sucked into their lungs almost greedly she had to say there were probably about five people in the room with her at the moment.

She should have been nervous after all her she was hurt and in pain. An she had no idea how she had become injured in the first place. It was almost unconceivable that she should still be laying here, after all from the time she had started her training as a soldier it had been drilled into her head that she should never ever show weakness for her enemies would not hesitate to take advantage of her momentary show of pain.

However here she was laying in an unknown bed surrounded by machines and blankets that neither belonged to her or were familiar to her.

She should be thinking of a plan to get the hell out of here but for some reason she wasn't because one, there was no longer a war going on. Two, she was no loger a soldier and three, something told her the people in the room with her were friends and meant her no harm.

But who were they that was the question, focusing on her senses again especially on her sense of smell Relena concentrated and tuned herself with the very air that was circling the room.

Sniffing out the people she was pleasantly shocked to realize that Milliardo was here and so was Heero.

Forcing down the pleasant feeling that was racing down her spine at the thought that Heero was here she tried to focus on the other occupants in the room but no matter how hard she concentrated she just couldn't pinpoint who they were so distracted was she by Heero's masculine scent that seemed to perfume the whole room and overwhelm her senses.

With an inner sigh Relena decided the only way she was going to get answers was by opening her eyes and seeing and asking questions so deciding not to put it off any longer she decided to open her eyelids.

Opening her eyes slowly, Relena was ready this time for the blaring head lights that would sting her eyes terribly but even though her eyes watered and her eyeballs felt like they were on fire Relena forced herself to keep her eyes open so that they could adjust to the light.

After a few minutes of allowing her eyes to adjust to the lights Relena slowly looked around taking care not to jar herself to much for fear of causing new pain to assail her already throbbing body.

As she looked around left to right her she became aware that she was in a hospital.

Slowly she looked around taking in all the details and checking for escape routes and possible tools that could be used for weapons for even though she was surrounded by familiar people breaking old habits died hard.

As Relena slowly turned her aching head toward the right side of the spacious hospital room she saw three couches a window and a T.V. but what really caught her attention were the people sitting on the couches.

There on the comfy looking black couches sat all quiet and eyes closed were Milliardo, Heero, Trowa, and Cathy.

Relena couldn't help but smile at the picture all of them represented for all of them were asleep or Cathy was asleep at least.

The rest were just resting their eyes for falling asleep was something no soldier did and like she had said earlier it was hard to break old habits especially habits that could save your life in a time of war and always being alert was one of those habits that no soldier ever lost for in the long run being aware could save your life.

Her eyes moving over them slowly, almost lovingly she couldn't help but linger on Heero for an extra few seconds.

looking closely at Heero she couldn't help but let a dreamy sigh escape her lips for she did so love that man.

Focusing her mind on the present for it was no time to day dream. Relena quickly turned toward Cathy who was slightly snoring on the love seat spooned up agianst Trowa. Quietly watching her a few minutes a humorless smile fell upon her face.

Her mind lost in black humor she couldn't help but laugh in her mind at the irony that was her life for it was almost as if the gods themselves were agianst her.

It was terribly funny in a sick twisted way that not only did she have Pagan in her life but someone else from her past had somehow found away back into her perfect hell.

It was as though the fates were laughing at her and though she wished she could blame Cathy for intruding in her life she new she couldn't because Cathy being back in her web of lies that was her Relena PeaceCrafts life was by pure accidant.

Catherine Bloom when she had finally met her again about three years ago after the Mariemaya incident she had been almost shocked speechless and for a minute there had no idea what to say or what to do for the situation that had arose had been one she had never given much thought to, for there standing in front of her was her old Gundam mechanic.

You see Catherine Bloom as she is known now was part of the original Gundam project.

Her name back then had been Jamie Mckenzie and she had been part of the original mechanic team consisting of thirty-five of the best mechanics in the whole galaxy.

Their job was to keep the Gundams in working condition and to work with the pilots and the scientists who created the Gundams to help create new technology to help better run the Gundams.

An when the whole project was shut down by the higher ups the whole mechanic team was let go after all what good is a Gundam mechanic when there is no Gundams to fix or work with.

In fact the last she had heard before she met Cathy again was most of the Gundam Mechanics were dead killed by the government for not keeping there mouths shut or killed in the wars and skirmishes that broke out in the following years.

So when years later she saw someone she thought was dead you could see why she would be surprised but though she had been surprised she hadn't allowed her mask to slip she had greeted Cathy as she would someone she had never met before and Cathy had done the same even though Cathy had almost ruined the game there for a minute.

The surprise and shock that had registered across her face was evident, but like a pro she had quickly got her emotions under control before anyone had noticed.

Relena curious had given Cathy a hug in friendly greeting and whispered into her ear when no one was looking to meet her for a chat and a drink in a bar down the street that Relena had seen a few times passingly when she had been on her way to different meetings.

God Relena still recalled that conversation to this day.

Relena had been the first to arrive at the noisy, dark bar where she new no one would pay attention to two innocent tourists out for a friendly drink and as soon as she had entered she secured a table in a dark corner where she could watch all that was going inside for it would do her no good for a brawl to break out and interrupt there conversation or have someone over hear there talk and become suspicious.

She had just ordered her drink a scotch on the rocks when Cathy had arrived.

Cathy quickly ordered a drink and they sat in silence until her drink arrived since again it would do both of them no good to have the waitress interrupt their conversation or worse have her hear something she shouldn't hear and then force Relena to have to kill her.

When Cathy's drink finally arrived Cathy quickly took a huge gulp of the hard liquor, now to be truthful just because Relena new who Cathy was didn't mean she was close to her or even new her well.

Ten years ago they had just been comrades Cathy the mechanic and Relena the soldier but even though she hadn't known her well she still had taken the time to study her after all at the time she had been suspicious of everyone and so had learned a little about each mechanic that worked with her Gundam since each Gundam had its own team.

An though it had been six years she could still read Cathy like a book not that Cathy was ever good at hiding her emotions but still she could tell nervousness when she saw it.

"I thought you were dead," Cathy finally said.

Quickly falling on long ago habits Relena leaned back letting the mask of always being happy and full of optimism down.

"Funny I heard the same about you, Jamie," Relena said with a smirk on her other wise emotionless face.

Relena looking at Cathy closely saw her shudder and couldn't help but feel a little pride that she hadn't lost her edge even after all this time of peace and harmony.

"I guess we-we were misinformed and my name isn't Jamie anymore it's Cathy," Cathy stuttered.

"If you say so," Relena quietly answeredback.

Cathy looked around nervously then turned back to face her, "So what have you been up-up to lately," she continued nervously.

Relena could feel her eye-brow lift and sarcasm was heavy in her tone,"you mean what have I been up to since I stopped killing people with your help."

Again Cathy flinched and looked away; Relena let out a sigh "I'm sorry Cathy I didn't mean that. I no that you did only what you were told to do, you only did what any other person would do in the military at a time of war."

"So did you" Cathy whispered softly without looking at me.

Relena let out a cold emotionless laugh that sounded more like a bark then anything else, "Don't kid your self Cathy, I was a murderer, I still am a murderer and I always will be. I didn't kill because of orders I killed because that was all I new, and I enjoyed it for a time."

An that was all there was to say , that was the end of their conversation.

Quietly finishing their respective drinks in silence both got up and left never talking about what they had been doing since they had left the military or the trials they had both faced since, for both had come to the conclusion that bringing up past memories would cause more pain then healing.

Relena coming back into the present decided now was not the time to be reminiscing and closing her eyes once again.

Relena decided that now was the time to try to remember why she was in the hospital in the first place.

What had happened going through her memories she went over all that had happened since she had awoken the following morning or what she hoped was the following morning for she had no idea how long she had been asleep.

Turning back the hands of the clock she remembered having a nightmare, talking to her brother and getting into the limousine to go to the meeting with another minister, hell she even remembered meeting Wufei but after that it was a blank.

Stifling a groan of pure frustration Relena concentrated she had to remember what happened she had to for something inside of her was telling was whispering toher that remembering what had happened would help her in the long run.

So taking deep steady breaths she concentrated and concentrated she remembered Wufei and then like a bulldozer going through a brick wall the memories broke free, and it took all her willpower not to scream in fear and pain as the memories of the incident that landed in her in the hospital came rushing through.

For minutes she lay there breathing steadily and going through her memories of the crazed man with the gun but the more she thought about it the more she was confused by it for something wasn't right with the whole incident but before she could mull over the fact some more she became aware of movement to her right.

Opening her eyes and turning her head she saw her brother and Heero awake if they ever were sleeping to begin with for you could never tell if those two were sleeping.

Looking at them both closely she realized that both seemed tired and stressed though both hid it well.

"Did I miss the party," she said her voice hoarse from lack of water and use.

Milliardo whipped around shock and hope on his face while Heero's head jerked up only a hint of surprise on his other wise emotionless face.

"Relena," Milliardo whispered shock still on his face.

Quirking an eye-brow she couldn't help but tease her brother, "well unless you no some other Relena that I don't know of then yes I'm Relena."

With a shout of happiness that awoke everyone in the room Milliardo practically ran across the hospital room and gave Relena a hug that brought a quick groan to her lips as new pain assailed her.

Milliardo hurriedly moved away profusely saying he was sorry. Relena tried to tell him she was fine but it was taking all her might not to scream.

"God damn-it I've had worse pain then this, god I'm getting weak," Relena widely thought.

Suddenly she felt a cool hand on her face. Forcing herself to pay attention she became aware of Sally Po standing over her in her Hospital clothes calmly talking to her asking her the routine questions that Doctors always ask when a patient awakes in a hospital after a grievous injury or injuries.

She asked the normal questions such as if she new her name, how old she was etc. Since all her energy was on forcing herself to breath easily and forcing her pain down she answered without thinking almost mechanically.

That was until Sally asked if she new how she became to be in the hospital taking deep breaths Relena croaked out an answer, "I believe I was shot, at least I think I was."

Sally smiled kindly that was when Relena realized that they were alone and that the rest of the occupants including her brother and Heero were gone probably shooed out by Sally herself when she had arrived.

Quickly returning her thoughts to Sally she was just in time to hear Sally say that she was right and that she had been shot.

Sucking on her tongue to bring saliva forth Relena quickly swallowed it hoping the saliva would help her terribly parched throat and though it helped someher throat was still horribly sore.

Sally seeing her dilemma quickly moved to the side table that Relena just now realized had a pitcher of water, Sally quickly filled a small Paper cup and moved toward Relena.

Working quickly and with surprising little pain Sally was able to move her into a half sitting position and then holding her up brought the cup to her lips.

Trying to not act desperate and swallow the whole cup of water whole Relena forced herself to take small sips. After a few sips Sally removed the cup and helped her lay back down.

Drained of strength and bone weary with fatigue Relena was ready to pass out right then and there and in fact as soon as her head hit the pillow her eyes were already starting to become heavy with sleep.

Sally seeing this quickly rearranged the blankets around her and told her to get some sleep.

Not needing to be told twice Relena was all to glad to be able to rest since coming from an x-soldier that had her share of injuries new how important it was for the body to sleep and heal.

So without another word Relena succumbed to sleep with the knowledge that she was safe and surrounded by people who would allow no harm to come to her but even though she new this a little voice in her ear couldn't help butwhisper, couldn't help but wonderhow much longer would it last.


I just want to thank everyone for waitng patiently for this chapter, I mean I no how frustating it is to wait for a chapter to a story you really like. So thanks agian for your patients and I promise the next chapter will be out a lot sooner.

Also just so everyone knows the G-boys are going to find out about Relena's past in the next chapter or two I'm not really sure. Anyways I just thought I'd mention that since I've gotten quiet a few reviews asking if the G-boys will find out about Relena and when.

Also tell me what you think of me putting Cathy in the story and the role I've givin her. tell me what you think was it agood idea or bad idea.

Also feel free to review me and give me sugestions or make comments about the story that you think needs to be improved and what not. I'm always open to suggestions.

Review Please...