An:Happy 4th Everyone!I just wanted to say a very very special thanks to Hououza. I went back and checked because I thought it was the 5th or 6th chapter that you came in on in Too Wrong or Too Right, and it was the 6th. Wow, you've stuck with me and my stories a long time. That really makes me feel special when I know that someone is that interested (especially after I took two six month breaks…sorry…). Anyone else who's been reading along, thanks so much, too. It's you guys that keeps me writing. Anyway, enough blabbing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing…still…

Ch. 9 - Appreciation

"Relena….Relena!" Heero caught her just before she hit the ground, while Milliardo stared at the papers fluttering to the ground around his fainted sister. None of this seemed fair to him. His sister had always done her best to do everything she could to help everyone else. All she'd ever really asked for was Heero Yuy, which he couldn't understand; but it WAS her choice. Now, she finally had the one thing she had wanted, and it seemed she could no longer help anyone, including herself. – Maybe it is all Yuy's fault. –

"Don't just stand there, get her some water or something!" Heero growled back at Milliardo who was still dazing off in the doorway.

"Sorry." He came to and rushed down the hallway.

"Heero?" Relena squeaked, fighting to open her eyes.

"Shh…" He put his finger to her lips. "You're not going in to work today."

"I have to…didn't you hear the tabloid? People are going to talk worse than ever!"

"People always talk, you just have to learn not to listen to them."

"But Heero…"

"Shh…" He quieted her again, and this time she did not protest.

Relena felt both physically and emotionally drained. Her life had become a roller coaster. She loved every moment with Heero, but ever since he had been back in her life, life had almost not been worth living. She wanted to just give up and die, so the world could go on without her. – Surely there is someone better than me to do my job, now. No one will ever trust me again… -

"Relena, I need you to talk to me," Heero looked straight in her eyes. "Who is Kevin Beaumont?"

Relena looked away, blushing. – It had to come out… -

"Is he an old boyfriend, or what? Whatever it is, I need to know."

She took a deep breath and began. "Remember in Aruba when you told me we were going to get an annulment? All I could think about was, 'Heero thinks I am so helpless, so predictable. Well, I'll show him who I am. I'll go get drunk, very very drunk.' So I went to the cleanest looking bar I could find called La Luna. It was early, so there was only one bar tender working. His name was Kevin Beaumont."

"He said you were friends!"

"Heero, let me finish… So I reluctantly drank beer after beer and eventually loosened up enough to tell me sob story about us. I have no idea how much I told him or even what I told him. I just remember talking…a lot." She swallowed, hard, trying to block out the little portions she remembered as soon as they slipped from her mouth.

"And then Duo came and got you?"

"No…" She shook her head and tried to block Duo from the story, from her mind. "I think maybe somebody came and got us, Kevin and I, or I left with Kevin, or something. We went to…Cocomo Bay, at least Hilde told me that's where Duo found me. It was….I don't remember much about it except sitting on a couch, a blue couch, laughing, when Duo came in…"

"So you don't remember anything you did?"

- Oh, Heero, should I tell you? – "Not with Kevin…"

"What does that mean?"

"Duo…Duo…"

"Someone call for me?" Duo's head suddenly appeared around the doorway, smiling with his usual Cheshire grin. "How you feelin' princess?"

"Duo, get out of here, Relena and I are talking."

"Soh-ree!" He handed her a cup of water. "Your dear big bro sent me upstairs with this. He's down there giving Hilde a full investigation. I don't know what he thinks she knows!"

"What part of leave don't you get?" Heero snarled.

"Geez, buddy!" Duo winked at Heero and leaned down to hug Relena. "Whatever you remember about us that night…don't tell him. He'll kill us both." He whispered extremely quickly and smiled back at Heero. "See ya! Hope you're back in tip-top shape in no time, princess!"

'Thanks, Duo." Relena smiled pleasantly, fakely. – I won't…I can't tell him. –

"What did that moron say to you?"

"Get well soon."

Heero grunted. "And that night at Cocomo whatever. What about him then?"

"He saved me, thankfully, before Kevin had a chance to make any plays on me. I think. I don't remember most of the night, but I think I would have known if anything had happened."

- I pray that's all. If he laid one hand on you… -

"Heero…please, please don't be angry with me. I never knew this…this would all come back. I was just so upset. I just love you too much to loose you." She buried her head in his chest, trying so hard not to cry. – Save what little energy you have, Relena. –

"How touching," Milli grimaced, handing Relena her cup of water.

"Finished with the interrogation, sergeant?" Heero retorted.

"Oh, the bumbling buffoon told you what I was doing with his significant other, did he?" Heero thought he saw Milliardo actually smile.

"And was she of any help to you?"

- You'll never know, will you? – "I suppose."

"And what if I told you I had all ready talked to her, and I know Hilde knows nothing."

"It would change nothing."

"However, she was at Kevin's."

"I all ready knew-"

"That she took Relena TO Kevin's."

"Are you proposing Hilde has some sort of insider information, Yuy?" Milliardo didn't like the way this was going. Heero was being far too helpful and not allowing Milliardo to bask in the glory of all the information he had learned from Hilde. Plus, - Why didn't I think of that? –

"I'm only suggesting the idea that if Hilde and Duo could sneak around behind mine, yours, and Relena's backs to somehow fuse Relena and I into a relationship, then they have to be a little craftier than we give them credit for."

"Hilde would never…" Relena began, but stopped. – I used to think she'd never lie to me…hurt me…go behind my back, but…she did. –

"You can never rule out anything entirely." Milliardo reminded her.

"Duo has been acting a little funnier than usual since we returned from Aruba." Heero pointed out.

"I'll put Maxwell on a few low-priority jobs that are close by to monitor him. I'll keep him tapped and make sure there's nothing outwardly stranger than normal Maxwell."

"Relena, will you help us in keeping up with Hilde?" Heero put his arm around her and squeezed her reassuringly.

"As best I can…"

Milliardo nodded. "Good, then we should get our answers as to weather those two pests are for us, against us, or just positively useless."

"Thank you for coming, Milliardo. Hopefully we can soon put this all to rest." Relena put back on her diplomatic face and tone, then hugged her brother.

"Of course, my dear, anything to protect your safety." And while they were in their embrace, he mouthed to Heero, "Yuy, screw with me and you die."

Heero saluted him in a mocking way, and Milliardo turned to leave.

"So will you agree to go back to bed and rest today?"

"I have meetings…"

Milliardo's voice echoed from down the hall, "I expect her ready in fifteen minutes!"

Heero stomped out the door. "What on earth for!"

Milliardo turned around, sighing. "She is not to be lolly-gagging around with you. She is very, very busy."

Heero came traipsing towards him. "She is obviously not herself. She fainted just this morning, and yesterday. She tried to throw me out last night-"

"Pity she didn't…"

"Shut up! She's barely gotten any work done at work. She's obviously barely gotten any sleep by the looks of those black smudges under her eyes. She of course covers it all up with makeup for the sake of the public, but her health is failing."

"That was what her vacation was supposed to cure."

Heero's blood went cold. – I deserved that… -

"However, along came you."

"I…I love her."

"Oh do you now? I never thought I'd hear those words come out of your mouth! Since I wasn't invited to the wedding, I didn't get to see you say it at the altar, and I thought once you drug her there so you could get it on with my sister you'd never say it again. I'm shocked."

"How dare you degrade me to that level! I would never think of Relena as some sort of sex toy! She's a beautiful, intelligent, vibrant young woman who…who I love!"

"You still can hardly get it out of your mouth."

"It takes some getting used to, admitting you have emotions. I was trained never to have them, and if you did, forget them, suppress them, and certainly never speak them."

"Yuy, I have to give you a little credit. You've come a long way."

"Now I'm the one who's surprised."

"Well, don't get used to compliments. They've few and far between for you."

"Yes sir." They both parted and went their separate ways.

"Oh and Yuy?"

Heero turned back.

"Tell Relena she'd got the day off…"

An: So? You like? Anybody reading anymore? Anybody care? I sure hope so! Cause I'm not writing this stuff for myself!

Special Thanks:

Hououza – Thanks again for keepin' me going! I'm really anxious to know if I'm playing out to your theories or not.

TheEvilAshleyness – Thanks for sticking with my story! It means a lot! And yes, Kevin is a jerk.