Disclaimer: Now if I owned these guys, why would I be writing the stories when I could just make them into episodes and make money off them.

Summary: After Relena's 18th birthday, she goes through her childhood memories that Zechs recovered. What happens when she finds a locket that has a picture of herself and Heero? What had happened so long ago?

A.N.: I'm sooooo sorry it's taken so long. Well threatening e-mail and reviews actually help I guess to inspire me. Honestly though, every time I would start in on my other fics, I would feel kinda guilty for not finishing this one yet. So lucky for you that I splurged to by the special edition Endless Waltz, and the Operation 10 DVD, just to get me back into the driver's seat on this whole GW thing. And guess what? It actually worked. I'm actually writing this thing as I'm watching the movie. So, hopefully I'll be able to by the other 9 DVD's. Anyway, I'm going to try and wrap this up by the end of the summer, and Last Words. Not that you care or anything, so I'm impressed if you've actually read all this.

P.S.: This week I went back and reread all the chapters and have revised them. Not enough that you need to go back and read them, but I just thought I would inform you.

Once So Long Ago

Chapter 8: Our Separate Ways

By ~Crystal Delphina~

Where was she? She was so confused; it felt as if her body and mind were separated; as if she was floating around or something. Was she dead?

No. Someone had promised her she would be safe - protected even. That made no sense though. She couldn't recall anyone promising her that.

Why did she look so old though? Her hair was so long, and she was actually taller. Ha, now she could tower over those stupid kids that always made fun of her. There was something different about her chest though...she had big lumps there...

Oh my god, I'm a freak. I must be growing extra arms or something. This is horrible. Her face looked down right horrified. However, of course it would be an advantage in hand to hand combat. She tried to lighten up with that, and just let the issue slid.

It wasn't long though before she was frightened when she took more notice of her current situation and not her new body so much.

She was all alone.

In the dark.

She was terrified of the dark.

Now what was she going to do? She franticly began looking around for anything that looked familiar, but there was only a surrounding blackness. She tried not to cry. Crying was not something that would get her out of difficult situations.

Odin taught her that.

However, Odin wasn't around right now. He had dropped her off at that man's office awhile back. Had she fallen asleep? Maybe this was all just a dream. That would make sense. She was just having a nightmare then. Lucky for her that Heero always seemed to know when to wake her up, just when it would get really bad. So he should be arriving then any minute to save her from the darkness. So she would just sit down and wait.

She waited.

Nothing was happening. Where was he??

Now she was really getting worried. Maybe if she started to scream or cry or something, he would wake her up. She opened her mouth to scream.

"Heero! Come and get me!!" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she became puzzled. Why did that sound extremely familiar?

Suddenly, without any warning, a light appeared, and she was pulled into it, but without resistance on her part.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Relena blinked a couple times, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness. As soon as her vision cleared though, she sprung up from her resting place, to only come face to face with Heero, or at least who she assumed was Heero, who had just awoken in the same fashion. He too looked considerably older then what she remembered of last seeing him, but oh well. He was here, and was someone she recognized.

She gave a sound hard right hook to his mid region.

Clutching a hand to his side, and giving a small gasp, he restrained the urge to hit her back. Neither of them even acknowledged the people gathered around them who were wincing. Relena might be the only person now that had actually hit him and not been retaliated against. Duo gave a small grunt of surprise and jealousy at the scenario. He had been knocked out when he had pulled that stunt.

"What was that for?"

"You big meanie. You didn't wake me up. It was dark, and I was scared, and you didn't come and get me you big jerk," Relena slightly whined while pouting, and her eyes nearly clouding with tears. Heero just looked stunned.

"What?? How was I supposed to know you were having a nightmare."

"But you always wake me up, cause you always know. You weren't there this time though," she whimpered.

"I'm sorry Lena, I really am. I'll try and wake you up next time."

"Fine." Relena gave one final sniff, before she straightened up. "So where's Odin?"

"I don't know. He dropped us off here in this lab. He's gone for good, remember? He said he was leaving us." Heero replied solemnly, hating to remind her of the bad news.

"You mean he left us? But he's not allowed to do that."

"You know that there's always the possibility that he'd have to leave us to protect us from the enemy. It's okay though, cause you know he cared about us and trained us well. He trained us to survive, when he's gone."

"He trained us to survive together too."

"Right."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Wait, I'm confused. Why are they talking as if we're not even here?" Catherine whispered to Doctor J.

"Because we aren't here in their minds. They are back in the lab ten years ago. To them, we're just part of the wallpaper. I also forgot to mention that how they act and talk is based only on what their subconscious would say to each other. When they erasing was complete, I actually kept them in separate rooms in induced comas until the Dorlians came and picked up Relena so that there was minimal interaction and stimulation.I gave the locket to the Dorlians so she would have something to remember him by. She even shifted in her sleep when the Dorlain's began to take her."

As if what he was saying was an introduction, Relena looked as if she was struggling against something.

~*~*~*~

"Heero, don't let them take me. I want to stay here with you."

"Relena!" Heero shouted, trying to grab for her. Moreover, even though they were only a mere foot apart, they couldn't touch, as if invisible forces held them back.

"Heero, we have to stay together. We promised each other," Relena declared, tears coming to her eyes.

Suddenly, Heero gave in though. To Relena's dismay, he just looked beaten and downfallen.

"You have to go with them Relena. It's the only way to insure both of our survivals."

"No, it doesn't have to be like that though." She desperately pleaded with him. He had to come back to his senses.

"Goodbye Relena..."Heero trailed off, closing his eyes in defeat.

"Heero..." Relena too finally gave in and stopped struggling.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Oh my gosh, how sad is that." Noin and nearly every other girl looked as if they could produce flowing rivers of salty tears.

"Heartbreaking really," Trowa added, though didn't nearly seem as emotionally moved as the girls.

"So that was the last time they saw each other then, huh?" Duo said more then asked. "Goes to show you that Heero was always looking out for her best interest from the very start, I guess."

"Hmm, very true. But the show isn't over yet," J announced.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Relena did a complete 360 in attitude, by flinging her arms around a now very rigid Heero, with a huge smile on her face and a dead set frown on his.

"Oh Heero, it's been so long. I can't believe it's actually you. I mean, you've grown up so much." She sounded much maturer now, as she continued to talk while hugging him to her. "And to find you on this beach of all places. You've given me quite a scare."

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" Heero finally spoke. His voice didn't sound warm or rejoicing at all though, unlike Relena's.

"Well, hugging you of course. I mean it's been nearly seven years since we've seen each other. I would think that you would be at least a little happy to see me," Relena said a bit taken aback by his lack...lack of well... anything really.

"Happiness is useless on the battlefield. If Operation Meteor is to be followed through, and you don't want to get hurt Relena, it's best not to get involved with me," he warned.

"Operation Meteor? Father told me some little tidbits about that. You're here to start a war? Don't do it please. Everything's going okay. I mean it isn't perfect, but people are taking steps to peace. It will only take a bit longer-"

"No, it needs to end with action. It's taken too long."

"What's wrong with you Heero? What happened to you, what did they do to you? Why don't you even care?"

"I have to warn you Relena that I've been ordered to eliminate any obstacles that get in my way. I have to go now." He didn't even bother to answer her well-placed questions.

"I won't let you." Relena squared her shoulders, and firmly stood her place in front of him. "You wouldn't dare to harm me or much less dispose of me anyway. Odin trained us better then that then to destroy our own comrades, or own partners. You know it too. I dare you even to even try to lift a hand to me," she said defiantly, lifting her head to expose her neck purposefully.

Heero whipped out a gun from nowhere, and brought it a breadth away from her, before quickly stopping the possible easy shot.

His hand shook a bit, before he finally lowered his gun and looked past her, refusing to meet her in the eyes.

"I'm right aren't I? I told you didn't I?" Relena said, but not in a condescending tone. Heero just merely seemed to begin to walk past her. "Will we be seeing each other again Heero?" Relena asked solemnly, a saddened look upon her face.

"Yes."

"And you are going to start this battle?"

"No, I'm just going to finally finish it so we can live in peace," he replied evenly.

"Then I will begin to fight in this battle too. I know I will be pulled into it, because that is what I've been trained for. To fight this battle alongside you."

"Fine, have it your way." He took a small pause though, and nearly gave a fond smile. " Besides, we promised we'd stick together anyway." Relena gave a small hopeful smile when she saw his mask fade away slightly with his acceptance.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They began to collapse, with heavy eyelids closing, and knees buckling under their weight. Zechs and Duo again sprang forward to support their unconscious forms.

A bit surprised at their own reaction time, Zechs and Duo, along with everyone else, turned their heads towards Doctor J.

"Don't just stand there and gawk at me, put them on the couches already. Unless of course you don't mind the extra poundage to carry around." J smirked.

"What happened?" Quatre asked puzzled.

"Oh, well the main confrontations between the two of them are over, so the body just shut down so it could finish processing. The rest would have just been little pieces here and there when they did interact, but nothing major. Besides, we know the rest of it anyway. I mean it just sums up into Relena helping him become more human, the winning of the war through thier combined efforts, and the general deal of them falling in love, blah di blah. No big deal if you ask me." Doctor J just shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as if he were talking about his lunch.

"Oh but the romance would be the best part."

"Oh please Catherine, give us a break," Sally replied nearly gagging.

"Will they remember everything they just said?" Zechs asked, deciding that changing the topic was in the best interest of his sanity.

Doctor J nodded his head.

"And are we to assume that they're going to wake up in a couple of minutes like last time?" Noin asked.

Doctor J nodded his head again.

" Well then I guess its back to the waiting game for us." Dorothy plopped down into a chair with a sigh.