An: So it took a little longer than normal this time, but oh well. Sorry guys I'm working and school's starting back. So if I don't finish this up ASAP it could be a while. Oh, and fyi, so you're not confused. I skipped a little time since we last saw our couples.

Ch. 17 – Goodbye For Now

"Oh crap…" Relena stared blankly at the magazine attached to Duo's hand. "You've got to be kidding me…"

"No. And look inside." He dropped it on her desk.

Inside the Relena pasted cover of yet another drag-mag were two pictures side by side with the captions "S.O. Switch" It depicted she and Duo in that fatal lip lock along with a matching picture of Hilde and Kevin, explaining how the two "couples" had parted and "done the switcheroo."

Relena stared at it mortified, and all she could get out of her mouth was "How did you get in here without showing this to Heero?"

"I had it in a manila folder with your name on it…as far as he knows it was some work papers or something…"

"Duo he's going to find out, and he's going to kill us both."

"You were drunk, you didn't know…but my life is over." His eyes drifted down to the picture of Hilde. –She was that angry…-

"Oh, Duo, I'm sorry. I didn't even think about-"

"I proposed to her…"

The breathe caught in Relena's throat.

"And she said yes! She trusted me! She'll NEVER trust me again…"

"What about…?" She gestured to Hilde's own tabloid moment.

"She was mad, because…" he stopped himself. –You can't tell her you thought about her- "I was being stupid. She got mad, I left, and she went out to eat with this other guy. She told me he met her, but she said his name was Jason. Surely she didn't KNOW it was Kevin Beaumont…"

"She couldn't have. I've seen him. You've seen him, but she never has before."

"We should have told them…"

'Told who what?" They hadn't even noticed the door open, and now Heero stood waiting for a reply, looking as cold and intimidating as Relena had ever seen him. She had never seen him in a light where he actually scared her. She had held her own against him for years. Weather he had a gun to her head or broke her heart again, she never fell to him, but now, the sight of him brought a new fear to her heart. "Well?"

"Heero…I…"

His eyes fell between them to the magazine on her desk, and he had to walk to it just to believe his eyes. "Relena, what's this?"

"I'm sorry…it was…that night. After you told me we were through, after you were going to annul the marriage, after I was very drunk indeed."

He just stared at it blankly. She could swear she almost saw teardrops in his eyes.

"I didn't know what I was doing. Duo came and got me from that party, and Kevin had me so confused. He was rescuing me, just like you always rescued me, and I didn't have any control over myself. I just fell into his arms and kissed him. It meant nothing to either of us. I didn't want to hurt you so I never…I thought I dreamed it…"

Heero looked at Duo with such hurt as Duo had never seen. "Man, you know I'd never take her. I love Hilde with everything, and I know you love Relena. Gosh, man, Relena loves you more than the air she breathes!"

"Great way to prove it…"

"It's all this Kevin freak! I swear he's manipulating our lives and our images! He's forcing us into lies and stories that ruin everything we've worked for!"

"Heero…I'm so sorry…If I could take it back…"

"Don't you wish you could?" Hilde burst in the door, flaming. "Little Mrs. Perfect Princess? You've made us all feel so sorry for you. Like everything was a mistake. Nothing was your fault. This is! You lied to me. How could you look and me and tell me I'm your friend. And demand my trust and my sympathy? When all this time you were dreaming about my fiancé! Well…he was…"

"Hilde! She was drunk. That pictures is from the night you sent me after her. She didn't know what she was doing. I just went to get her. She got up, fell in my arms, and kissed me."

"Well it doesn't look like you minded too much."

"I pulled away! I carried her back to you!"

"You were gone for hours…."

"I came back minutes after I found her!"

"Here..." She took the ring off her finger. "I don't want it anymore."

"Hilde.."

"Save it."

Relena tried to speak up. "Please don't blame him. He loves you. Blame me. If you never speak to me again, at least stay with him. He won't make it without you."

"You just shut up. Pretending to be so selfless. Unless you can go back and erase that night…but you can't. So both of you just stay out of my life."

Duo took her hand with tears in his eyes, but she let go, leaving the ring in his finger and walked out the door.

After a few moments, Heero spoke up. "Maybe you should go after her…"

Duo looked at him, so confused, expecting Heero to kill him or at least knock him out good, but instead, he had been kind. "Thanks." And he fled out the door.

Heero walked over and lightly shut the door, closing he and Relena inside. "Heero…I…"

"It wasn't your fault. It wasn't Duo's. It was Hilde's. It wasn't mine. I'm not even sure it's that Kevin guy's. It won't do any good to place blame and cause more heartache than has all ready been. If I scream at you, I'll break your heart, send you away, and possibly loose you. I can't do that again. And If I break Duo's nose…he's all ready in enough pain. I plan to get to the very bottom of who 'Kevin Beaumont' is, and what on earth he wants torturing you. But I just need a little time to think all this over. This isn't goodbye, it's just goodbye for now."

"Ok." She sat back in her chair and smoothed out her dress.

"I'm going to call Quatra, and put him on guard duty for at least today, and maybe tomorrow. If I'm not home tonight, I'm ok. I just…"

"I understand. Thank you." Her voice was so politically correct. She sat, back straight, with her most diplomatically stern face plastered on.

"Goodbye Relena." –You may never see inside me again. You'll always look at me and wonder 'what is he thinking,' but I gave you your chance. I'm not a trusting person. I'm not a loving person. Life is a mission, and I am only here to complete it. I must protect you. I must protect our child, but I have no need of trust or love ever again…-

An: Ooh…and where will this take us?

Special Thanks:

Chikifriend – Well, hello there! Thanks for all the reviews!

Moonlitesadness – No, sadly, nothing good lasts for long.

Rinny Leonheart – Well, thanks. You're a sweetie. No, it's actually not my dream proposal. I was just thinking "what would make a good proposal" and "what would be VERY Duo?" and that's what I came up with! Thanks for everything!

Samantha B – I think you express the feelings of every single reader.

Hououza – Hey, I'm happy whenever, wherever I get reviews. But I always love some from you, an original! I never thought about there being something wrong w/ the Tiramisu, though it is a great idea.

Two-BitGrotez – thanks!

Heaven'sgirl – thanks for the review.

Raizard333 – Well I'm glad you enjoyed the last chappies, they were for you. Sorry this one burst your bubble.

Youkai No Rin – Me too. Lol. I think every girl wishes for a dream proposal like that. Just probably not the aftershock Hilde and Duo just got.

Keeroshu – Very perceptive, and very true.