Kurenai

He had been keeping an eye on her ever since he had noticed her interests in his comrade and wanted to make sure that nothing was going to come of it at a crucial moment for him and Heero Yuy. They had escaped from OZ and now were in a kingdom that promised peace to all but was being looked at as a threat to OZ and the Romefeller Foundation. He knew all too well about the events at the moment and felt uncomfortable minute by minute knowing that the monster he helped bring into this world was currently in the hands of their enemies. His hands quickly balled into fists in his pockets as he stood outside near the gardens of the complex. Everything, in his view, was going to be his fault. If things had been different, if he hadn't become so obsessed with vengeance, if he didn't give life to the gundam that had nearly took over him and killed several people and almost his friends... Everything leading up to where he was at that very moment, was all because of him. Nothing but grief and heartache was left for him at the time with only the small glimmer of hope brought by the arrival to the Sanq Kingdom. Noin had informed Heero and him of the problems they wer facing and now with their arrival it would only become worse, this he was sure of. With their arrival in Sanq Kingdom things would only get worse and it was all because he had suggested they go there in the first place, to maybe save that speck of hope. Now this plan seemed to be going no where now that a young girl had arrived as well and became interested in Heero automatically. If she knew about Heero, did she also know about him and his ties to the events caused by WingZero? Several questions had been going through his mind and the only way to answer them would to confront her about them, but that would also make things worse...she would know for sure he was a gundam pilot. The last thing he wished to do was to destroy his family's name and hopefully it would never get out that he was involved with any of it, this was wishful thinking at least.

Quatre had lost track of everything while trying to sort out all the questions in his head that he hadn't noticed that he was no longer watching the long haired blonde but instead was being watched by her carefully. She could tell from the distance that he was disturbed by something and had stopped watching her like he had been through out the day. This was the exact thing she needed if she wanted to investigate him as well. She walked up to him without him even paying attention to the sound of foot steps coming up to him and decided to break the silence.

"You're from the Winner family, are you not?" she looked at his surprised face knowing that he had realized that his guard was let down.

"Yes, is that all you came to ask?"

"Oh, I was just trying to satisfy my curiosity. You see, I've never really met someone from your family before. I heard that there was a couple of deaths in your family recently."

Quatre hesitated on whether or not to continue this conversation or not, "Yes, my father and one of my sisters."

"That is indeed sad news. If the rumors are true then... you are in fact the heir to the family's businesses. So much responsibility yet you make time to come to Earth to study?"

"Yes, I've left everything in the care of the vice president of the company until I return."

"I see, then when does Mister Winner predict he shall be returning?"

"I'll return when the time to do so is appropriate."

"That is good to hear. Tell me Mister Winner, what do you think of the gundams? Surely being from the colonies you must have a view of your own on the matter."

She was finally trying to dig the truth out of him in a round-about way which quickly signaled to him not to act out of the ordinary about the question. He took his hands out of his pockets, looked at his watch and smiled, "I'm sorry Miss Catalonia but I need to be leaving. One of the young ladies here asked if I could assist her with something." He started to walk past her noticing the glare in her eyes as he dodged the question.

"Well then maybe we can continue talking at another time, Mister Winner."

Quatre looked at her and smiled, "Maybe we can, Miss Catalonia."

Dorothy kept her eyes on him as he slowly started up the stairs, "I do find it interesting how someone can walk around after destroying a colony."

"...Yeah...me too," he slowly said as he continued up the stairs, trying to act as natural as he could. The attempt was obvious to Dorothy as he quickly left after hearing that said. A smirk came across her face as she came to the conclusion that she had gotten to him much more easily than she had with Heero Yuy.

"Its too bad that he still isn't in that gundam. He would have created quite a larger stir in this pathetic excuse of a fight, and maybe even a beautiful war."

Quatre had ran out of breath as he collapsed on the bed. In all truth he was suppose to meet with a young lady and help her learn to play a piece of music that was aggravating her, but on his way to his room he had quickly informed her that he wasn't feeling well at the moment and would make up for it at a later time. The plain truth was told as he clutched his chest and tried to keep from throwing up. The memory of destroying the colony, of killing people not out of necessity but just for pure vengeance made his stomach turn in several different ways. Tears started to pour out as he tried to calm himself and laid down to stare at the blank ceiling. The nausea was starting to subside and his breathing was going back to normal, the only thing left was for the vivid memories to stop haunting him. Dorothy had hit him mentally, knowing exactly what would grab his attention and causing him to become even more alert. If he told Heero about the event what would the Japanese pilot think of him nearly caving in because Dorothy had got to him? Quatre thought about this and felt that Heero would tell him simply that they need to be more careful around her even more now, to keep away from her and focus on protecting the Sanq Kingdom. To him, these were the things Heero would say and they were exactly the things he was thinking as well. To be bothered by this wasn't an option at the moment and letting her know that she had gotten to him would only become worse. Everything was riding on the fact that if they could keep this corner of hope alive then everyone else may follow suit and do the same.

"We've been rejected by so many and I've only made it worse with WingZero, but this place... I know that as long as this place remains more people will listen and maybe we can put a stop to this fight. I can't lose sight of this goal, not for anything. Father, Sister, I've disappointed you two by becoming the monster everyone saw us as. This is our chance to show them that we aren't who they think we are," he trailed off as he loosened his grip on his shirt and started to fall asleep in the quiet room.

Noin quickly walked up to Heero in the hall and tapped him on the shoulder to grab his attention. Heero stopped and turned to look at her as she caught her breath.

"What is it," his monotonous voice asked while he stood there, staring blankly at her.

"One of the girls here said that Quatre wasn't feeling well a few hours ago. He was going to help her with some music and cancelled at the last minute. I was wondering if you've seen him."

Heero picked up the concern in her voice, "No, I haven't. If he wasn't feeling well it would make sense that he would be in his room."

She sighed, "Yeah, I figured as much though I thought you may have seen him already."

"I didn't have any reason to do so," he turned back around and continued walking through the halls.

"That boy," Noin shook her head, "Relena sure knows how to pick them."

Noin started walking in the opposite direction to Quatre's room worrying that the young man had seriously fallen ill and would become unable to help protect the Sanq Kingdom. She felt that doing so was much more important to him than it was to her and Relena together for whatever reasons. All of the things the two of them had gone through before coming here was completely useless. No one was claiming them to be on their side any longer, not even the colonies that they had started fighting for in the first place. From the start everything had gone down hill and possibly still would be. Out of the five pilots, who had lost more? The thought had crossed her mind at one time and even now she didn't know the answer to it. She had come to know only two out of the five pilots, one that was less open than the other and one that was still recovering from a brush with possibly insanity. Noin stopped at the correct door and knocked softly on the door.

"Quatre, its me. Are you alright," she asked and waited for a reply that never came. Slowly she turned the handle on the door and pushed it open to peak in. With his back to her slept the blond haired young man, apparently asleep. She crept inside and walked over to the bed to touch his forehead. A air of relief overcame her as she found that Quatre had no fever and was possibly just tired out from the long day that had been filled with reviews of where enemy forces currently were and what their course of action was at the moment, all told in secret away from Relena's ears. Noin started to leave as the boy started to talk in his sleep.

"I... I didn't mean to...I'm...sorry...," Quatre said as he stirred in his sleep, unaware that his words reached someone else in the room. Noin walked through the door and closed it quickly behind herself. It upset her that even in his sleep, the events that happened in WingZero still lingered. To her, no one should have to live with such memories plaguing their thoughts and dreams, especially those that she considered to be children still. But they weren't children anymore, the cold touch of war had left its mark on all of them in one way or another and if it hadn't yet, it would do so soon enough. It had made her consider where she had gotten her faith from, what made her continue to be part of this meaningless fight. All this time the answer was in front of her. These young men, in their own way, were pillars of strength that shouldn't be ignored or admired but bring hope to everyone even if they've turned their backs to them before. A smile came to her as she thought of what Zechs had thought of these young men and felt that where ever he was, he was keeping an eye on them along with everyone else.

Relena looked outside and slowly walked out onto the balcony to get full view of the twinkling stars above, becoming almost hypnotized by the peacefulness that it brought. The trance was broken as she felt a hand touch her. She looked at the spiky haired young man in front of her, knowing ahead of time that it would most likely be him. Heero looked up at the sky that had placed her in a trance just moments ago and seemed to had fallen for the hypnotic power of the sparkling dots in the sky as well. Not a word had passed between the two of them for the longest time, only the gentle breeze moving some of the leaves in trees below and sounds of bugs buzzing around and filling the air with their chorus. She had wanted to ask him so many things, talk with him, learn more about him but never found that he would give her the time. Now he had appeared to her without even her asking and was staring at the stars above possibly in deep thought himself. She kept herself from ruining the moment and decided to enjoy it as well by continuing to look up at the stars.

"You realize this peace that you seek will not last," Heero said breaking the silence and still looking up.

Relena sat down and looked from the stars to Heero, "Even so, I still want to try to obtain peace no matter what happens."

"And if you do obtain peace and it breaks again, what will you do?"

"I'll just try to get back that peace again. I know that there will always be wars, people will always fight one another in one form or another, but even so... I want to obtain peace and continue obtaining it even if it is for a short while. Hours, days, months, years, it doesn't matter how long it lasts as long as we have it for awhile. Unlike everyone else... I wish that we can have peace without the need for fighting at all. Fighting only brings more fighting and then sadness," she stopped and started reflecting on the death of the man she had come to know as her father then to Heero. As far as she knew, he was fighting for peace in his own way... wasn't he?

Heero looked down at Relena as if he had made up his mind on something that was bothering him, "If what you say is true, then I'll continue to be on your side as long as you continue chasing after peace."

Relena's face lit up instantly with the finishing of this sentence, bringing a smile on her face, "Thank you, Heero."

Heero stared at her as she got up and hugged him, unsure if he should do the same and eventually choosing not to. Her happiness was overwhelming to him and the smile on her face assured him that this was something she wanted to hear from him. She started to let go of him and looked into his eyes as she let go of him, becoming as entranced as she had been with the stars now with his prussian blues. Heero looked over at some girls walking through the gardens late at night slightly disappointing Relena as she let go of him completely and began to walk in.

"I'm happy that you're on my side, Heero," she softly said to him as he followed her in and went directly to the door, leaving her, "Yes, I'm happy for now."

Yeah.. don't know where i'm really goin with this right now.. might just turn into an AU fic... or follow the series. Very blah right now... yeah... tries to get back into the swing of writing fanfics again... Love you all:D

- ChibiChibi-chan