Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.
Relena thrashed and strained to pull herself out of her protector's grasp as he dragged her out of public view and into the underground tunnels. When he finally let her go, she fell hard on the ground, still scrambling to try to pull herself to her feet. Her legs wobbled and failed to hold her, making her attempts at escape resemble more a wounded animal than a grown woman.
"Juliet," she choked out, still struggling to breathe. Her voice was so badly damaged from the explosion, very little of what she said was at all audible.
She started to crawl toward the exit, but Heero wrapped his arms back around her waist, pulling her back and pressing her to the wall so he could lift her shoulders with his free hand.
Her arms pressed impotently at his, still trying to free herself. Her eyes watered as she continued to choke and struggle as much for air as she did to escape the safety of his grasp.
"Relena," he called but she couldn't hear him in her panic.
"Juliet," she continued to mouth, even when her broken, raspy voice would not come.
Heero finally released her waist and cupped his hands around each side of her head, leaning his forehead against her own. "Relena," he called again, more loudly than in the previous failed attempt.
She clawed at his chest and arms, squeezing her eyes shut as her tears broke and smudged the ash on her cheeks. "— daughter," she choked. Her lips tried to form words, but it was too hard to get much out.
"Look at me," he said in a softer voice, holding her skull in a near-crushing grip.
Relena's body finally fell limp as she gasped harder for air. Shaking breaths made their way past the smoke-inflicted burns and tears in her throat, finally getting oxygen to her hysterical body. She stilled in his arms excepting a few weak, dry coughs.
She finally opened her eyes and met his gaze, still shaking uncontrollably.
"Can you hear me?" He asked. She was obviously in more shock than he would have expected but there was also the risk of actual hearing damage.
When he could feel her trying to nod in his hands he finally let go. He lowered himself back a small way so she felt she had more room to breathe, but he kept one hand on the back of her neck.
"Where's my daughter?" She was finally able to ask in a weak and broken voice.
He shook his head. "There's no way to know that, yet. I'm sorry."
His words were empathetic but his tone seemed indifferent. Between the stress and the years they'd spent apart, she had to consciously think about this verbal pragmatics for a moment and remind herself that his tone was hardly a reliable indicator of his feelings.
She watched him run his eyes over her limbs and torso before meeting her gaze. "Can you walk?"
She blinked. "I —" She didn't feel any pain yet, but she'd struggled to stand moments ago.
He leaned in close, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her close to him until he was fully supporting her, again. He slowly drew up so she could straighten her legs underneath her. She clung to him with shaking arms as she felt her weakness.
"It's okay," he assured her. "It's just shock."
"When will we know?" She asked in her broken voice. "Can we reach out —?"
He touched her chin, lifting her face so he could see her eyes. "Relena."
Her strength was still failing her. It was impossible to fight his touch, nevermind fight with him. She looked up as he directed and blinked.
"There's a protocol for this. I have no way to contact the Colonel. She has to contact headquarters herself."
He felt her body pull downward in his grasp, as if the little strength she had was giving up on her.
"I've got you," he reassured her, pulling her body flush against his as she buried her face in his shoulder.
Relena's trembling slowed in his embrace. Minutes seemed to drag by as she realized her helplessness in his grip. His left arm was still wrapped tightly about her waist as his right rested on her should, fingers tangled in her hair as they incidentally just brushed her neck for his proximity. She fought futility to stand in her own strength. It was useless.
She groaned into his jacket.
Heero cupped her face, again, bringing her away from his chest so he could ask her his previous question again. "Can you walk on your own?"
She lifted herself onto her feet weakly, falling back into him nearly as quickly as before. She frowned. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just feel so —"
"Don't worry about that," he said, cutting her off. He looked down the dark corridor and tightened his embrace. "It's a few blocks. I'll help you, and you can start leading when you're ready."
He turned his eyes back on her as if to ask her if she understood. She nodded and let him help her along and carry most of her weight until her strength returned.
After the entrance that had emptied them into the dark tunnels was well out of sight, she finally was able to step away from him, following slowly behind. She folded her hands in front of her as she walked along, lost in worry over her daughter's whereabouts and condition.
Soon he let them into a small room with a heavy, armored door and a state-of-the-art entry lock. There was only one door in and out, she noticed, as he locked it behind them. They found themselves surrounded by empty concrete walls, and in the middle was a single desk with an older model computer and a single office chair. He plopped himself into the chair and started working on the computer.
She found herself hoping that he was searching for her daughter, despite what he had said.
Relena mindlessly rubbed the burn on her arm under the fabric of her shirt as she paced the underground bunker. "Any word?" She asked. Her voice was still hoarse and broken from the smoke damage and yelling.
He shook his head subtly and continued typing away on the computer. His posture seemed cold and indifferent toward her.
"Could you call?"
"Relena," he answered in a monotone voice. "I've tried. There is no one to call. We have to wait for her to touch base with us."
The anxiety grew, making it hard for Relena to breathe. A spell of dizziness caused her to stumble again, steadying herself against the wall.
Heero moved to his feet and crossed the space between them, seizing her by the elbow to steady her. His chair spun backward in his wake. "You should sit," he said. "And drink some water. You're going to wear yourself out."
She couldn't even try to argue with him. She was lightheaded and her body felt suddenly cold. He set her down in his chair and squatted before her, reaching up to pull the sweat-matted hair from her forehead.
"Let me see," he said softly as he touched her wrist, pinching the fabric to pull it back, but she jerked her arm away.
Had she been in a better mood or better circumstances, she might have reveled in the surprise her behavior triggered in his expression. As it was, her mind scrambled for an explanation.
"Juliet," she whispered, redirecting his attention again. "Where's my daughter?"
He pressed his lips together and looked away. "Relena, we haven't heard anything."
He likely assumed her repetitive behavior was shock, but at this point she was being intentional.
"You haven't even tried to find her," she scolded, tucking the wrist he'd touched under her opposing hand. "You would tear the colony apart looking for her if she was your daughter."
His shoulders tensed and his eyes shot to hers.
She blushed and looked away. The distraction was successful but now her anger was slipping in. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't mean that."
His slow breath brought her face back to him. There it was. Kindness. It was a look he'd given her so many times — so long ago. Nobody ever seemed to understand how kind he really was, but when they were alone he would let her see into him, like she could see into his soul right now.
Her heart lurched.
He closed his eyes and grunted as he moved up and away from her. "You're frightened. That's understandable."
Relena hugged herself and settled into the silence to wait.
Almost an entire hour had passed before Zechs finally walked into the room. Relena rose to meet him.
"Are you alright?" He asked, giving her a quick glance.
She nodded slowly. She noticed that she'd finally stopped trembling by the time he came along. "Is there any word about Juliet?"
He nodded. "Prichard checked in from Delta-5. She's not able to move to a more secure location yet, but she'll let us know."
"And she's alright?" Relena pushed. "Juliet isn't seriously hurt, at all?"
The Chief dropped his shoulders. "I'm afraid there wasn't enough time to get all of the information," he said in an empathetic tone. He walked over and gripped her shoulders, looking into his sister's eyes. "I know you're worried. We should have more information in the next few hours."
Relena raised a hand to her face and looked away. She wasn't satisfied with the news, but their hands were tied.
Milliardo straightened and turned to face Heero. "Do you have anything to report as far as how he pulled off this attack?"
Heero shook his head. "I'm afraid there was nothing out of the ordinary at the apartment."
"And you're sure you missed nothing coming or going?"
Heero looked to Relena, which silently triggered her memory about the conflict with Leland. He had been focused on her husband's behavior instead of the entrance, and she knew it. She opened her mouth but did not speak.
The General turned back to his superior. "If I missed something then I will take full responsibility for it, but it's a public building. There was too much access." He leveled his superior with a chilling glare. "You miscalculated."
Relena sighed quietly and turned away.
Milliardo frowned and moved to the chair that Relena had vacated, ignoring Heero's pointed remark. "This is frustrating," he said. "Even the investigation into the secondary device at the conference center shows rudimentary skill. It just doesn't make sense that he's able to out-maneuver us." He glanced at Relena then gave Heero a long, meaningful look. "You're not distracted?"
Heero frowned, giving no verbal response.
The Chief of Staff sighed and rolled his eyes away. "We need a break in this investigation."
"Did you get the identities of the men in the conference center?" Relena chimed in.
Zechs nodded. "Trowa said we only have identification photos of the first hundred, right now, but it's a start."
Relena started to speak but was interrupted the door as Trowa joined the group. "Chief?"
Zechs only looked at him silently in response.
Trowa scanned the room and went on. "We've received another report on the Colonel's location. She's gone off the grid, leaving calculated breadcrumbs. She's trying to set a trap."
Relena gaped. "Not with Jules in her care?"
Trowa's silent glance answered her question easily enough.
"Surely she can't do that without authorization?" She pressed.
Trowa held her gaze. "It is against protocol, but she's radio silent. There's nothing we can currently do."
Relena's expression became cross and she moved to speak but Milliardo stopped her with a gesture of the hand.
"Is there any way to know where she's headed next?" He asked.
Trowa shook his head. "She seems set on handling this without interference. I assume it's to ensure that our terrorist doesn't catch wind of the counter-operative nature of her maneuver and get cold feet. If she has a secondary rendezvous point, we're not aware of it."
Relena folded her arms and looked away. This woman had taken her daughter's life in her hands without clearing it with headquarters, and on top of that she's avoiding backup.
"She has one," Heero chimed in. By this point he had gravitated back to the outskirts of the room and was leaning characteristically against the wall.
Relena looked back at him, hoping he was going to get her daughter out of harm's way.
He seemed to sense her thoughts and shook his head. "There's an abandoned home on the south side of the city, just past the farms. No one has lived there in a decade, but it would give her a tactical advantage. She's a smart operative. She would seize that opportunity."
Relena turned to her brother, emboldened. "Then we'll go there and get my daughter back."
"No," Heero answered, earning a venomous look from the diplomat. He ignored her glare and went on. "If she's already moved forward with her op, she'll have already set the clues. She'll make it look like she has the Vice Foreign Minister with her, I'm sure. I suggest we lay back and let her make the play. If we move in now, we're not only taking the risk of blowing her cover." He stood tall and moved back toward the center of the room, looking down into her eyes as he approached. "If we get the timing off and the op fails at the wrong moment, the child's life will be in danger. We could get her killed."
Relena felt deflated, as if all the air was drained from her by a punch in the stomach.
The Chief clarified before making a decision. "So we let Prichard proceed with her rogue op to avoid endangering Juliet?"
Heero turned to him and nodded.
"But that's not acceptable," Relena said weakly. "There's got to be another way."
Heero lifted his head and looked thoughtfully away. "If we find him first, there won't be a problem," he said.
Zechs shrugged and nodded. "So we continue with Plan A in hopes of beating Prichard to Plan B?"
"Yeah."
"And what about the possibility that it's being a team of people trying to kill me?" Relena asked.
Heero shook his head, shrugging off the suggestion. "There's no reason to believe that's the case at this point."
"But if it is the case, then Prichard could fail and my daughter could end up dead regardless."
He looked at her seriously. "I'm sure Colonel Prichard can do her job."
She turned to her brother. "Let me go back to the dock. Maybe I missed something. Maybe it'll jog my memory —"
Trowa agreed with Heero. "I don't think that's necessary. There's not any reason to assume you missed something. If you want to be useful, we should go back to the original strategy and look for the first suspect you saw."
Before Relena could argue again, the Chief had his answer. "Very well. Relena, you go back with Trowa and sort through the identification pictures we have. If you can beat the Colonel, then your daughter is spared the risk of being involved in a high risk mission."
Relena swallowed. She was still visibly unhappy with the options, but she agreed.
