Well here it is the moment a lot of you have been waiting for. I was able to bring this to you after a great adrenaline-like burst of creative juices got flowing. I had a page and a half written on this chapter when I posted the last chapter. It isn't every day that I write six-and-a-half pages in one sitting. Lucky you. Right now I feel like J. K. Rowling. Without the fame and money of course. I even cried when I had to kill a character. I don't like to cry. A lot of you may ask, why I used Hilary Duff's song: Come Clean and made this chapter into a songfic. The song just seemed to fit with what I had planned. I am NOT a fan of Hilary Duff and I only like this one song.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or it's characters nor do I own the song Come Clean.

Chapter 12: Coming Clean

By: Tojot

It had been a couple of months since Sam had bailed him out of jail; all leads ended in no Relena. Heero had sent Sam out to investigate a few. She only did it for the heck of it, returning empty-handed, frustrating Heero. Sam knew she couldn't read Heero's diary when Heero was in the apartment, it was difficult to keep Heero from suspecting her. So the time away made it possible for her to get further into the particularly thick volume. The diary told Relena of Heero's past, it included his thoughts on each particular problem or situation in full detail. It surprised her and intrigued more every time she read it. Sometimes she would go over what was written and read it again, just so she wouldn't miss any detail about Heero. But it was one particular night, when Heero was gone on yet another lead hunt, when she read the last and final entry.

Dear Relena,

I am well aware that you have been reading this, since I did give it to you. You have probably been asking yourself during some of these entries of mine "Is he in love with me?" Well, the answer to your question would be a "Yes, I am in love with you. But there are just a few things that need to be done before I can ask a question that has been burning inside me since I made a discovery inside my soul. Just follow the arrows.

Love,

Heero

Underneath Heero's signed name was an arrow pointed to the next page; then another arrow and another. The arrows led her to the inside back cover of the hard leather, little book. On the white paper part that held the leather in place was an outline of a right hand. Relena put her hand on it curiously and felt that it was uneven in places, like there was something hidden in the binding. She took a knife out of the drawer in the bedside table and slit open the bindings of the back cover. She peeled back the lining to reveal a sealed envelope. Written on the outside was a location. Colony X-151333 shuttle port, locker Y253. Relena quickly opened the envelope to pull out a card key. What was in that locker? Relena asked herself. She then remembered something that made her groan: Heero might have cameras on that locker. She was in two minds, curiosity gnawing at her and freedom keeping her bound. Wait! She then remembered Heero saying vaguely after he gone to check on something that she had not been there yet. She reasoned that the thing that Heero went to go check up on was the contents of the locker. If he had had cameras on it, he would have known that she had not been there yet and not bothered on checking. She smiled to herself, but wondered why Heero would've bothered to not put up cameras, in the first place, to her it was the only logical thing to have done.

She heard a door open on Heero's side of the apartment and quickly stowed the cardkey in the envelope, the envelope back into the book and the book between the mattress and the bed frame. She heard a brisk knock on the door that led to her side of the apartment.

"Sam, can I come in?" Heero's voice penetrated the door.

"Come in then." The door opened a Heero came in, looking tired and frustrated, and sat down on the couch.

"'Nother dead end?" Sam asked cautiously.

"Yes." Heero groaned.

"I though' so. Care fer some coffee?" Sam asked as she walked over to the small kitchenette in the corner.

"Please." she pulled two mugs out of the cupboard and poured some freshly made coffee from the coffeepot.

"Care t' speak yer mind?" Sam asked as she handed Heero a mug and sank into a chair across from him.

"Is this all worth it?" Heero asked quietly after a few minutes of silence.

"Wha'!" Sam exclaimed, "Wha' d' ye mean?"

"I've wondered recently, is Relena worth all the trouble that we have gone through so far?" Heero repeated more clearly as he stared into is cup. These words seemed to cut into Relena at that moment. Guilt was definitely gnawing at her.

"Are ye just givin' up?" Sam asked when she was able to find the words to speak.

"I would like to, but my heart won't let me." He told her.

"Yer in love wit 'er." It wasn't a question.

"Yes."

"Then me answer fer ye is, She is definitely worth all the treble in the werld." she told him strongly. Heero looked into his cup and sighed.

"Thanks Sam, I think I'll turn in. Good night." Heero said as he placed his cup down, stood up and left.

"Good nigh' Mr. Yuy." She said as the door shut. Processing the conversation through her mind, Relena stood up and stared at the door in a Heero fashion.

"It's time." She said softly.

Let's go back
Back to the beginning
Back to when the earth, the sun, the stars all aligned

After Heero had returned to his side of the apartment after having the conversation with Sam, there was one thing he felt like doing. It really wasn't something he wanted Sam seeing him do. Or anyone for that matter. Heero felt that crying in front of people showed a sign of weakness. He fell to his knees and let his body be wracked with uncontrollable sobbing. He truly, madly, deeply missed her. He would never be complete until he found her. Relena. The only thing that had kept him sane all throughout his trials and suffering. At this point he would do anything to have her back at his side or know where she was and if she was safe and well. He knew he couldn't hate her for disappearing, nor blame her. That much responsibility was a little too much for someone like her to handle.

'Cause perfect didn't feel so perfect
Trying to fit a square into a circle
Was no life
I defy

Sam was riding over to the space terminal. The watch on her hand read 12:45 AM. She was on a mission. In her pack were a few items that she needed to aid her. Before she left the apartment she had left Heero a note that she had found a lead and was checking it out. This lead, Sam knew if she was courageous enough, could lead to Relena in the end. It was time. Those three words resounded in her head. Sam knew the terminal to be open 24/7 so she wouldn't have the trouble of waiting till morning. Without missing a beat she strode over to the locker wing, though she kept her eyes open for cameras. She also wore her helmet. She found locker Y253. She felt panic and unease. Slipping the card key into the lock, she quickly grabbed the latch. She heard the gears turn. Her heart was pumping faster than usual. She looked inside the compartment. It was empty. Empty except for a small box and a letter. Relena picked up the letter first. Slit it open and read it. It was dated for the day they came to that colony.

Dear Relena,

If you didn't know by now, I am searching for you. I miss you terribly. If your reading this you have already read my journal completely though and you know who I am. Just to reassure you I did not put cameras anywhere near this area to give you your privacy. If at this point you still wish to not return, take this letter and leave the box, I will not hate you and I will not force you to return. That is your choice and your choice alone. And I will know that you are alive and well.

To inform you of what is happening in my life. Duo and Hilde are married and are expecting a girl. Quatre and Dorothy are room mates and friends with benefits. They don't know I know. And right know I am searching for you with the help of a girl from Bantry Bay. Her name is Sam O'Malley. We came here on her information that you had left for the colonies.

If you do wish to return, take the box with you and come find me, I am on the colony.

Love,

Heero.

Relena was near tears as she read the letter. She picked up the box to see what was inside. It was a ring. The words 'Will You Marry Me' were written on the top.

"Heero, I didn't know you where this creative." She said to herself.

Let the rain fall down
And wake my dreams
Let it wash away
My sanity
'Cause I wanna feel the thunder
I wanna scream
Let the rain fall down
I'm coming clean, I'm coming clean

Heero tossed and turned his blankets and bed sheets were like a straight jacket. He kicked off his bed linens and sat up. He had had that nightmare again. The one with the ball of light and the maze. He was covered in sweat and shivering. He stood and went into the bathroom to dunk his head into a sink full of warm water. He grabbed a towel off the rack dried his wet hair and face with it as he left the bathroom. He heard a small jingle come from his laptop that signaled that he had a message. With the towel still on his head he crossed the room and opened the laptop to read the message.

She is coming back. This is not a lie. – Kate, the sender of the Bantry Bay message.

This was all it said. The Bantry Bay message was the only lead that actually led very close on Relena's trail. Heero had heard the name Kate before. It was the name of the maid that cleaned the Motel that Relena had stayed at before she completely disappeared. The words 'She is coming back. This is not a lie' were very vague and very cryptic. It sent cold shivers up Heero's spine. His heart was beating very fast and he felt slightly lightheaded. He needed to tell someone. He knocked on the door to Sam's side of the apartment. No answer. He knocked again. Still no answer he went in. Sam wasn't there. A single lamp was on beside a short note in Sam's handwritting.

Mr. Yuy,

I have found a lead and have gone to check it out. I have a feeling that it might be the real thing. Hope to be back soon.

Sam

Heero went over to the window and looked out onto the colony and into space above.

Old man Ire had gotten up to take his sleep medicine. Kate had returned to the house a month after Relena had left due to her bad health that had made her unable to work. Kate was his true granddaughter. She had his tenacity and love for life but she had her mother and grandmother's bad health. Ire felt sorry for her. She had lost a lot of weight and looked very thin and pale. As he walked down the hall he noticed Kate's light was on.

"Kate are ye okay?" Ire said after he had opened the door. He got no answer. She was sitting at the desk in front of the computer her head slumped to the side of the keyboard.

"Kate are ye okay?" Ire asked Kate again as he shook her gently. She didn't stir or wake. She just lay there and was as cold as ice… She was dead. Ire looked at the computer to find a cryptic message written 'She is coming back. This is not a lie. – Kate, the sender of the Bantry Bay message.' He knew this message was the last thing Kate had done before she had passed away. At once Ire knew that this was the site that had been set up to find Relena. He looked back down at his dead granddaughter. She had the same peaceful expression her mother and grandmother had when they passed away. He knew Kate never regretted her life, never complained about her illness and always lived life to the fullest. Ire cried. He had lost the last of the three people that had made his life a joy. But he knew that they had not died in vain. Though struggling with their illness they all did something of their lives.

"Fare thee well Kate," Ire said through his tears. "God be with ye on yer journey and till we meet again."

She had gotten herself a motel room for the night. Sam knew what she had to do. It was time. She pulled a bottle from her pack. This would change everything. It would remove the black dye from her hair and eyebrows and return it to the color she had before. Her hair was still short but it didn't matter. I wouldn't mess up her mission. She had realized that she had been living another lie.

I'm shedding
Shedding every color
Trying to find a pigment of truth
Beneath my skin
'Cause different
Doesn't feel so different
And going out is better
Then always staying in
Feel the wind

Relena had stayed up all night refining her confession and execution of her mission. She also knew that her nerves wouldn't let her sleep. She had decided that it was time. Time to come clean.

Let the rain fall down
And wake my dreams
Let it wash away
My sanity
'Cause I wanna feel the thunder
I wanna scream
Let the rain fall down
I'm coming clean, I'm coming clean

Breakfast came at 8:00 AM. The doorman that had delivered it looked at her oddly. His face went white. But once he had looked at her eyes his paleness disappeared and told her that she looked very familiar. She hadn't removed her hazel contacts yet. It went with part of her plan. She dove into her breakfast knowing that it was going to take all she had to bring up her courage and confess. It was raining on the colony that day. She didn't mind since there was chaos raging inside her head anyway.

Nine o'clock rolled around and she was ready to go. She placed her helmet on carefully, making sure that no hair could be seen. The only part of her head she could see was her eyes. She flipped down her visor, grabbed her pack and left the room. The leather that she wore was already drenched wet when she stepped out into the rain. Inside she was dry. She started her motorcycle and drove off into the direction of the apartment.

I'm coming clean
Let the rain fall
Let the rain fall
I'm coming...

Heero heard a loud hurried knock at his door. He got up from his bed and answered the door in his boxers.

"Mr. Yuy!" Sam exclaimed. She was dressed from head to toe in motorcycle gear. The visor of her helmet was up revealing her hazel eyes. She was drenched. "I've found her!"

It took a moment to register exactly what Sam had just said. "What! Are you serious!"

Sam nodded enthusiastically making the visor of her helmet fall down. She hitched it back up. "Now git yeself cleaned up an' dressed an' I'll take ye t' 'er." Sam said as she came in and went into her side of the apartment to drop off her pack. By the time he was ready Sam was waiting for him outside on her motorcycle. Her visor was down. She told him to climb on behind her and that it would be much easier that way than taking two motorcycles.

Let the rain fall down
And wake my dreams
Let it wash away
My sanity
'Cause I wanna feel the thunder
I wanna scream
Let the rain fall down
I'm coming clean, I'm coming clean

She stopped just outside the park and quickly parked the cycle in a space. Heero took off ahead of her. 'Great.' Relena thought sarcastically and went chasing after him. It was really wasn't a day that she wanted to chase Heero all over the park.

"Mr. Yuy. Wait." She pleaded behind him. She figured that he had completely closed his ears. "Mr. Yuy please wait." He still didn't listen.

"For Heaven's Sake, Heero! STOP!" She yelled completely abandoning the Irish accent. He stopped and went ridged. He turned around as his face lost all color and his eyes were wide.

"It has been a long time hasn't it Heero?" Relena said as she raised her visor so he could see her eyes. When he was getting ready she had removed her hazel contacts.

"Relena?" Heero asked in complete surprise. She nodded and removed the helmet completely. Her hair was soaked in a matter of seconds.

"Heero, I have a lot to say right now and it won't be easy for me to say it, so let me say it and get it out of the way." She said. Heero nodded. "First of all, I want to say I am sorry for putting you through all this madness for the past two years. I have been watching you since you walked into the coffee shop in Bantry Bay. Samantha O'Malley is really an alter ego that I had created and assumed to get away from my miserable life. The reason I left was the fact that I couldn't handle it all anymore without running myself into the ground. It was all too much for anyone to take. My health was fading my social life was lacking and I was running on empty most of the time. I didn't have you to talk to when my soul was feeling downtrodden. I fumbled through it all not knowing exactly what I was doing. I had created a life for myself. A simple life. Then you showed up in that coffee shop that night, I had thought I'd been caught. I didn't know until you asked for coffee that you didn't know. I lied to you when you asked if I had seen Relena. I didn't want to leave the life I had created. But it wasn't until you left Bantry Bay that I actually started having second thoughts about my actions. Those thoughts led me to open a birthday gift that you had given me two years ago, which I had ended up bringing with me anyway oddly enough. It was reading your journal that made me reminisce and miss the past that we shared together. It was your journal that brought me to join Preventers. Believe me when I say I was definitely nervous being around friends and family again under a new persona. It wasn't until last night, the night I read your last entry in that journal and then that conversation with you that everything crumbled leading to my decision to stop the runaround game. Lastly, I might tell you that even though I am back, I do not wish to return to my old life as Vice Foreign Minister. I wish to continue on with the new life that I have created with myself already, but with a couple differences."

"And they would be?"

"I want go back to the beginning, back to before all the fame when I met you on that beach on Earth. Secondly," She continued as she pulled the ring box out of her pocket, " I wish to be your wife."

Heero smiled at her. "Agreed." He said as he brought her close into an embrace.

"My name is Relena Dorlain." She stated. "What's yours?"

Heero smirked, "Heero Yuy, the man who is in love with Relena Dorlian and is glad to have her back." The moment for words had come and passed. Their lips met for a sweet and passionate moment. Two souls having been separated for too long, reuniting under the soaking rain. She dropped her helmet with a thud.

Let the rain fall down
And wake my dreams
Let it wash away
My sanity
'Cause I wanna feel the thunder
I wanna scream
Let the rain fall down
I'm coming clean, I'm coming clean

During the kiss, Heero had taken the ring box out of Relena's hand. Breaking off the kiss he bent down on one knee.

"Relena since you already told me your answer, I am elated, but I still feel that I have to do this properly. Relena will you marry me?" Heero said as he looked into her aqua green eyes that he had missed too much.

"Yes you silly." She said as bent down and kissed him once more.

Let's go back
Back to the beginning

Author's Note:

I tried to make this as emotionally powerful as I could. Hope you liked it. I still have one or more chapters planned so this isn't the last chapter. Please be patient with me while I try to hammer out the details of it. In the meantime, Please Review. They totally make my day. Thankyou for all those who reviewed last.

Tojot