I don't own Gundam Wing or any of its characters, I just like playing with them. Oh, and I'll warn you, this is my first fic so I apologize beforehand if it sucks.

Chapter 3

Sky blue eyes looked towards the ceiling. Golden hair was spread loose around its owner. And, just like her hair, her arms and legs were spread around the bed she was resting on.

Still clad in a pair of comfortable jeans, a baby blue sweater and white socks. She was too lazy to change into her pajamas. She probably wouldn't have any sleep anyway; her mind was awake with too many thoughts to relax. If anything, she would fall asleep from exhaustion.

This was rare for Relena. After all, sleeping had been her favorite activity throughout these last 4 months. Whether it had been to make up for all the sleepless nights spent as Vice Minister or just to simply avoid the cruelty of real life she didn't know. Maybe it was both. Frankly, she didn't care.

Tired of thinking about the mess that she called her life, Relena looked towards the window from her spot on the bed. Something was going on. It wasn't only that no crickets could be heard, and that Zero was unusually perky and alert (even for him) from his spot at the end of the bed. No, there was simply something in the chilly night's air that whispered trouble.

What kind of trouble, Relena didn't know, but she did know that that night something was amiss.

Years before, she would have only dismissed it as her imagination and paranoia, but tough years and life's reality had changed her. She was wiser and more alert, and she had learned to trust her instincts more than anything.

Said instincts were going crazy in her head at that particular moment, warning her that something big was going to happen. Still, she remained there, laying on her bed, waiting. Really, there was nothing else she could do but wait. Besides, somehow, it felt like the right thing to do. And like I said, she trusted her instincts.

Even if she had been particularly waiting for it, it still came as a surprise when she heard it.

It was the unmistakable creak of wood. The sound that was produced when weight was set upon a weak piece of wood, particularly wooden floorboards. The weight being someone's foot.

Without making a noise, Relena bolted upright in her bed, straining her ears to assure herself.

There was someone inside her house. She could even pinpoint the person's exact location, for the only creaking floorboards in her house were located on the first floor, in her living room, near the stairs that led to the upper floor.

The intruder wanted to go upstairs.

Relena forced down the panic that had started to grow in her, reminding herself that fear would do nothing to help her. So, determined to defend herself against anything, she stood away from the bed.

With trembling fingers she opened a drawer that was next to her bed. There, glinting under the moon's light, laid a .9 millimeters.

Forcing her hand to stop its shaking, she cautiously picked the gun. The weapon was heavy in her hand.

Duo had given it to her a little after she had resigned; for her own protection, according to him. She had denied it, but Duo had convinced her to 'at least do it for him'. Since he wouldn't be there to protect her as her bodyguard anymore he told her he would feel safer if at least she had it in her possession.

There had been nothing she could do against those blue puppy eyes so, in the end, she had complied. If only to assure her friends.

Now, she felt as if she could kiss Duo. Thank God for his paranoia.

Taking a last look at Zero, who had his ears perked up in alert to any sound, she took an inner breath and quietly stepped out of the room.

Outside the hall everything was deadly quiet. She had learned to control her breathing (thanks to Duo and Trowa) and so, now not even that could be heard. With inaudible steps she reached the stairs. Another deep—inner—breath and she started the way down.

The gun secure in her hands as she made her way down, her heart was beating so fast and loud in her ears that she was sure the intruder could hear it.

There, at the end, she could see the landing.

This was it.

He almost growled in annoyance the moment a wood plank creaked under his foot. He contained himself though, and contented himself with glaring at the annoying piece of wood.

The Perfect Soldier did not make mistakes. He was getting rusty after all.

He really, really hoped she had not heard him, even got as far as almost praying.

The key word being almost.

It wouldn't do any good anyways. He knew she had heard him. Something inside him was telling him that. Probably his soldier instincts.

So, glaring once more at the evil wood plank, he resigned himself to his fate and quietly stepped away from the stairs, directing himself to hide among the shadows while he waited for the princess to appear.

They were just a few minutes of waiting, but for Heero they seemed an eternity. Weird, because Heero had always been a very patient person. He needed to be patient; after all, he was a gundam pilot. And in his line of job, patience could sometimes mean the difference between success and failure. In other words, life or death.

Finally, Heero sensed the hairs on the back of his neck starting to stand up. This meant the afore-mentioned golden-haired princess was about to make her appearance. He moved his gaze towards the stairs.

He was impressed. He didn't know Relena was capable of moving with such stealth. So, after all, Duo hadn't been lying when he had said he had been teaching 'Lena' some new 'moves'.

Had Heero been an ordinary person he wouldn't have detected Relena's silent footfalls. But Heero was no ordinary person, and thanks to that he was able to hear her making her way down the stairs.

He could tell the fuzzy feeling was starting to form. Damn.

Finally, a golden head and a pair of little white feet appeared in his sight. Slowly, the rest of the body followed.

Heero Yuy felt his heart skip a beat at the sight before him.

Clad in a pair of jeans that exalted her long legs and curvy hips and in a sweater that did nothing to hider her lovely body; Heero suddenly felt the urge to jump through the window into the night's cold air.

Heero's nerves and discomfort only increased when he was granted a look at her face. He had always known Relena was a pretty specimen, but this was an exaggeration. Her beautiful features were more defined now. Gorgeous sky blue eyes, a straight, delicate nose and rosy full lips accented her lovely heart-shaped face. Her beautiful, long honey colored tresses almost reached her waist and he noticed she had grown her bangs. She had grown from a pretty, perky 15 year old girl to an 18 year old goddess.

And just where the hell had he been when all this growing up had occurred? True, he had been missing for the past 2 years, but she still was the same Relena he had known during the Eve Wars and, damn it all, he wasn't that blind!

Heero inwardly calmed, reminding himself that he had been too occupied trying to save both the Earth and the Colonies to follow his 15 year old raging hormones.

A new pride in his willpower was formed.

It was then that a flicker of light in Relena's right hand caught his attention and he realized that she was holding a .9 millimeter handgun; her long, manicured fingers were holding the weapon in a nervous but tight grip.

Heero frowned. What was Relena doing with a gun?

Comprehension dawned on him as he remembered that he was supposed to be an intruder. True, he didn't have any intentions of harming Relena, but she didn't know that. She only knew that there was someone unknown inside her house, and this fact alone, posed danger for her.

It was due time that he revealed himself. Deciding on his next course of action, it was at that moment that a pair of frightened blue eyes caught his in a steady gaze.

Damn it all.

AN: Ok, that was the third chapter. I really hoped you liked it. I tried to do my best, and I guess it wasn't THAT bad since it is my first story and all. Anyways, I really want to thank Inda and Cassie Yuy for being the very first two people to review me. You really made my day; made me feel more sure of myself, and for that I thank you. I'll soon post the fourth chapter, which is already done. Oh, and please please review, I really need to know if people like this story. Thanks and happy reviewing! -