This chapter will contain the biggest difference with the old version of the story that was on here. Back in the day I wrote a lemon scene, but I only posted that version of the story up on Lunaescence.

Enjoy! ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing.

For the heart I once had

Chapter 6

Aalia sighed wistfully as she watched the rain fall from the artificial sky. After being locked up in a basement for years, she enjoyed all kinds of weather, even the regulated kind from the colonies. But truth to be told, she'd rather be back on Earth to witness an natural rain shower. She was sitting on the covered patio of the house, enjoying the fresh scent of wet flowers. After two weeks she knew her way around the mansion, and Trowa was okay with letting her wander about by herself, as long as she didn't leave the shadows of the house.

She was fine with that. Even though she didn't feel like she was in danger, she knew she had to be on guard. Trowa had proven true to his word, and taught her many self defense techniques on a daily basis. He also had taught her how to use a gun and a knife. It was exhilarating to push her body to its limits this way. During the evenings she often was so exhausted, she slept through the night without problems.

But that, she figured, had more to do with Trowa's presence. She had tried sleeping alone on their first night in the mansion, she really had. But without his calming presence, the nightmares had crept up on her again. So she slept in his room every night, and pretended not to notice that he wrapped her up in his arms before he fell asleep. Every time he did, her heart nearly exploded from joy in her chest. Her hope that he returned the feelings she harbored for him grew stronger each day.

The rain fell harder, drawing her attention away from the book that she was reading. Trowa was inside, paying no mind to her enjoyment of the rain. He was busy talking to Wufei about the Razouli case over a secured vid-phone line. She could hear his voice drift through the open doors. Heero and Duo had left Brussels a week ago to chase a lead, and Wufei had been charged with preparing for the court case in their absence. She had dutifully read over the reports and her statements again, checking for any details that needed to be added.

It was a harrowing job that made her head ache time and time again.

But today, Trowa had promised her, she could do whatever she wanted. She had taken a stack of books with her from the library and was struggling her way through an old English copy of Pride and Prejudice. For a moment, she put the book aside and rose up from her seat. She could walk up to the edge of the patio. She held out her hand, letting the rain drops dance on her skin.

She no longer heard Trowa's voice, but she could feel his eyes on her. He was watching her. She took another step forward and stepped into the rain, turning her face to the sky with a smile. The rain wasn't cold and drenched her in minutes.

"You're going to get sick like that." Trowa's voice sounded right behind her and his hands came to rest on her shoulders.

"No, I won't."

His hands felt warm on her shoulders. She leaned back, until her back was pressed against his chest and his arms came around to wrap her up in his embrace. It was so natural for them to act like this, she mused. It had become a habit to snuggle up against him, to enjoy the feeling of his body against hers. She could feel the heat of his body through the tin T-shirt he wore. Her hands came up to caress the skin of his forearms.

They stood like that for a long time and Aalia didn't turn around in his embrace until she started to feel cold. And when she did so, she gulped. Water droplets clung to his face and hair. His eyes were dark, keeping hers captive with a look that made her feel warm all over and her heart jump in her chest. He leaned in and she held her breath in anticipation. Finally.

The first touch of his lips against hers was gentle. Her eyes drifted shut, and she rose on her tip toes so she could wrap her arms around his neck, kissing him back eagerly. His fingers tangled in her hair, while his other hand slipped around her waist to press her up against him. He deepened the kiss, his tongue dancing with hers in a seductive dance that left her whimpering with need.

"Trowa…" she moaned in his mouth.

She tasted like the honey she had put in her tea earlier. The scent of her wet hair filled his nostrils, making him drunk with it. Weeks of pent up frustration came back at him, instantly arousing him. Her fingers massaged the back of his neck, slid down his back, her fingertips pressing into his skin through the fabric of his T-shirt. The rain continued to fall down on them, but neither he nor Aalia paid attention to it, both being lost in the kiss. He tore his mouth from hers, dragging it over her jaw to her throat, where he worshipped the soft skin.

She gasped and clung to him as her head fell back in surrender to his ministrations. Sensations rushed through her, heating her desire. She needed him. She shuddered when he found her pulse point and left a mark on the skin there.

"Aalia…" He murmured her name against her skin, his voice husky and laced with desire.

He found her mouth again. His hands slid down to her hips to lift her up, and she was quick to wrap her legs around his waist. He broke the kiss and pulled back a little to look at her. Her lips were swollen, her eyes heavy lidded and dark with desire. It was all he needed to know. He walked back into the house, quickly moving through the hallway towards the staircase. He sucked in breath as she pressed her lips to his neck en let her fingers slide under the collar of his shirt to stroke his collarbone. He walked into the bedroom and tumbled onto the bed with her. He pushed the straps of her dress and bra over her shoulders. His mouth found her neck and trailed down to the top of her breasts and desperate little moans tumbled from her lips as he kissed the sensitive skin. She tugged at his shirt, slid her hands under it and up his back, taking his shirt up in the process. He sat back to take it off, dropping it on the ground next to the bed.

Aalia reached out and placed her hand over his heart, feeling it beat rapidly against her fingers. He took her hand and brought it to his lips, the touch of his lips tender as he kissed her fingers. A warm smile came to play over her lips at the gesture. He moved in to claim her mouth again, his hands pushing up her dress to her waist as he drowned her with his kiss. He was sending her up to a place she couldn't seem to come down from, her blood lurching wildly in her veins with every thrilling touch of his hands on her skin. And she wanted him there along with her. Her hands slid down over his back and grabbed his buttocks in a daring move. A groan escaped him as she pulled him closer towards her, cradling his hips between her thighs.

"I need you," she gasped when he broke the kiss to pull her dress over her head.

Her words made his blood run hot until it roared in his head. He cupped her breasts through the material of her bra, making her arch her back. Her eyes drifted shut and she shivered violently, pressing her hips against him. Her breath came in gasps, letting him know she was just as crazed for him as he was for her. And the way she reacted, so eager, yet so innocent, made one thing very clear. He would be her first.

His hands slid behind her back to unclasp her bra. It joined her dress and his shirt on the ground. His mouth found a nipple and she cried out as he gently teased it into a hardened bud with his teeth.

It was exhilarating, liberating… Oh, she never wanted it to end. He rolled over the bed with her as she got rid of the rest of his clothes. She ended up on her back again with him looming over her, her mouth once again taken captive in a deep kiss. His fingers found the centre of her need and she gasped as his fingers slid inside her to drive her crazy. Aalia grasped the headboard as she felt the heat build like a tidal wave, threatening to consume her completely. She felt the fire spread as she climbed higher and higher, and then shattered with a cry.

Trowa took her up again as he pressed kisses against her neck, lavishing her soft skin with attention. God, she was driving him absolutely mad. But he couldn't rush, didn't want to even. He wanted to tease, savor, leave her utterly complacent. She grabbed his shoulders with trembling hands, her voice low and husky as she begged him. Who would have thought? he mused. She was here in his arms, beautiful and all woman, utterly seductive despite her innocence. He pulled back his hand and grabbed her hips. He needed to claim her as his own.

"Please…" she gasped. "Trowa, please."

He positioned himself and filled her, trying to be gentle, to go slow. But it was in vain. Crazed, he lifted her hips until her back arched like a bow, her expression one of rapture.

She held onto him tightly as he moved inside of her, feeling the fire start again after the initial sting, and it was stronger this time. He would leave her utterly ruined and she found herself not caring one bit. It wasn't long before she shattered again. Her cry was joined by his groan as he too found release. He collapsed on top of her, his face buried against her throat, his breath caressing over her damp skin in a cool caress.

She held him, caressing his back gently, as their breathing slowly turned back to normal. She pressed kisses against his temple, expressing herself through touch rather then words. They didn't need words right now. His lips trailed over the skin of her throat, and he sighed contently, before pushing himself up on his elbows to look at her. The tender look in his eyes made a lump form in her throat.

She felt utterly safe and simply wonderful. She couldn't resist reaching up to cup his cheeks and drew him down for a tender kiss. A small, content smile spread on her face as her hands slid down, over his shoulders, and to caress over strong arms.

He leaned in for another kiss, just as gentle, savoring the after taste of passion. She was his now and that knowledge made his heart jump in his chest. His. And he'd do everything he could to keep her safe.

He rolled off of her and took her with him, so she lay sprawled out on top of him. She snuggled into his chest and made a content sound in the back of her throat.

"Finally," she whispered.

He kissed the top of her head and buried a hand in her hair, keeping her close as he drifted off to sleep.

-x-x-x-

The gentle, tickling sensation of callused fingers caressing over her back drew Aalia from sleep. She was almost disappointed. "Is it morning already?"

"Hmm." Trowa moved in to kiss her shoulder.

She felt the heat spark again. It was amazing how her body responded to the simple touch, despite the fact that she was sore. The memories of the previous afternoon and evening were sweet. He had made love to her so many times she had forgotten the count. He had done earth shattering things to her. And in return, she had explored, tasted, reveled in the feeling of his body pressed so tightly against hers.

She turned onto her back and stretched lazily. She ran a hand over his sleep tousled hair to smooth it and smiled at him. He pressed a kiss against her forehead.

"I have to call Quatre," he murmured.

The bubble burst and she was back in reality. Once again she was a possibly hunted woman. The passion of yesterday seemed far away all of a sudden, more like a dream.

"Are you going to tell him?" she asked.

"No." He gave her a small smile. "Let's keep it to ourselves for a little while longer, okay?"

She smiled back, but she felt uncertain. He hadn't said anything to her last night about how he felt towards her. His actions spoke of affection, but was it love? Because she was certain that she loved him and the idea that he might not return her feelings that way was devastating.

He pressed a lingering kiss against her lips. "Come shower with me."

She let him pull her out of bed and into the bathroom, where he turned on the shower and waited until the water had reached a nice temperature. He stepped under the cascade of water and she was quick to join him. He wrapped one arm around her and reached for her shampoo with his other hand. He washed her hair and bathed her body in such a gentle and tender way, it made all of her previous doubts vanish into thin air.

There was still desire, but it could wait. He knew she needed tenderness right now, had seen that brief flash of uncertainty in her eyes. She needed reassurance and he could give her that. He rained butterfly kisses on her face, enjoying the way she felt in his arms.

Aalia sighed and rested her head against his shoulder. He might not have said it, but his actions spoke loud enough for her to understand.

-x-x-x-

Trowa hoped that Quatre wouldn't notice anything as he dialed the number on the vid-phone. Quatre's perceptiveness could be a pain in the ass in situations like these. It was none's business what went on between him and Aalia. Or at least… that was what he was trying to tell himself. He damn well knew he'd have to tell Quatre at some point. He was her brother, and she was - in some way - his ward, so Quatre deserved to know. But not yet.

Trowa made sure the line was secure and waited for his friend to pick up. Quatre's face popped up on the screen and the worried expression on his face made tension creep into Trowa's shoulders. There was something wrong.

"What's wrong Quatre?" Trowa asked.

Aalia looked up from the book she was reading and promptly dropped it. She rushed to Trowa's side in an instant and sat down next to him, her expression mirroring her brother's. "Quatre?"

"Heero is in a pretty bad shape," Quatre said.

"What?! What happened?" Aalia grabbed hold of Trowa's hand, her face paling as her brother's words sank in.

"Duo and Heero caught up with the lead in the Razouli case. It was an assassin and he shot Heero." Quatre tried to keep his tone calm, but his anguished expression betrayed him. "He is stable now, but his condition was really critical throughout the night."

"An assassin, you say?" Trowa felt his gut tighten with worry. This was bad.

If Razouli had contacted an assassin, it could only mean one thing. He wanted Aalia dead, and didn't care about what lengths he had to go to in order to accomplish that goal. And Heero had been caught in the cross fire.

"Did they give you any information on who this assassin might be?" Trowa asked, trying to keep his wits about him. He needed to know what he was up against.

"Wufei will call you later today."

"Will Heero be okay?" Aalia's voice was small and trembled.

Trowa gazed at her in surprise and found tears running down her cheeks. "Hey now. This is not your fault, Aalia."

She sniffed and he was quick to wrap her up into his arms, no longer caring that Quatre witnessed it.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "This is… it's awful."

"He'll be fine, Aalia," Quatre said in a reassuring tone. "He's been through a lot worse than this."

"Trust me," Trowa murmured into her hair. "I know."

"I'm doing what I can to help in the search for this assassin," Quatre said. "We need to stop him. You two need to be really careful from now on."

"We won't leave the house anymore," Trowa said. "Keep me updated on your findings."

"I will. Take care of my sister for me."

Trowa gave a curt nod and Quatre broke the connection.

"Aalia… Look at me."

She reluctantly drew back to do so and her eyes were still swimming with tears. Trowa cupped her cheeks and kissed her.

"You're safe here," he said. "You will not worry about anything. This whole ordeal is not your doing."

"I can't help but feel guilty. I don't like people getting hurt because of me."

A tear trailed down her cheek and he caught it with his thump. "Heero will be fine."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I was the one to nurse him back to health after he self detonated his gundam."

"He… oh, my."

He gave her a wry smile. "Indeed. He is a terrible patient, so he'll be driving the hospital staff crazy in no time."

She sighed. "I don't want people to risk their lives for me. I don't want you to risk your life."

"I'll do it anyway." He pressed another kiss against her lips, just because he couldn't resist. "I'll do it because you're worth it."

She smiled at him. "Thank you."

-x-x-x-

Damn it, Preventer was on to him. And the agents he had confronted were not the usual kind. These had been deadly lethal men, and it had been pure luck that he had been able to get a good enough shot to take one of them out.

He'd been able to get away, and thankfully with a sliver of information on Aalia Winner's whereabouts. Rumor had it she was hiding away on L4. His guess was in one of the many Winner estates, so that was where he'd start. It made perfect sense to him. The Winner family owned a lot of properties in the L4 colony cluster and had a habit of securing them with top of the bill security systems. It was logical to think she had went there and think herself safe.

Well… she'd discover how wrong she was soon enough…

-x-x-x-

Aalia was firing away rapidly at a target, noticing how much her aim had improved. Trowa was standing next to her, his sharp gaze focused on the target. She lowered the gun to recharge it, while Trowa intently studied the target.

"Very good," he said. "Impressive even."

"You think?" she asked with a grin.

A small smirk came to play over his lips. "Your aim is pretty damn accurate."

She cocked her head to the side and regarded the target. "Hmm… Guess you're right."

The reloading of the gun was finished, and Aalia aimed it at the target again. She fired another round of shots and grinned. Dead on center. Perfect.

She lowered the gun. "I'm back."

Trowa took the gun from her and engaged the safety, before yanking her in for a kiss.

The past few days had been hard on her. She was more shaken up about Heero getting hurt than she pretended to be, and Trowa had often found himself comforting her as she crawled into his arms during the evenings.

He was proud of her. She was so determined to become stronger and he could only support her in her trainings.

His hands caressed her arms and Aalia shivered as heat sparked. He could set her on fire with one single touch. She knew his body now, had explored thoroughly, and knew how to make him want her. But that went the other way around as well.

Trowa watched the flush color her cheeks a light pink. Satisfied with the effect he had on her, he let her go after pressing a kiss to the sensitive spot behind her ear. She whimpered, desire flaming hot inside of her. She was disappointed when he let her go and glared at him. He grinned at her and walked out of the room. She followed him. He would pay for that.

But when she found him in the living room, the smile left her face. He was in front of the vid-phone and she could hear Wufei's worried tone.

"The assassin just left for L4."

"Fuck."

Aalia quickly stepped up next to Trowa and grabbed his hand. "Then he knows where we are."

"We're not sure about that yet. I'm preparing to come over myself," Wufei said. "Be on your guard. Hopefully Sally and I will be in time to catch him."

"Alright. Keep in touch," Trowa said.

"We've got agents watching the incoming flights. This man is a professional, and both police and Preventer have been wanting to get their hands on him for years."

"We'll prepare."

"Okay. See you soon."

The connection was broken and Trowa turned towards Aalia. He didn't want her to see how worried he was, but this was a situation where he had to make sure she understood the danger she was in. He tugged her closer and pressed a kiss against her lips.

"I want you to be very careful," he said. "I didn't get you out of that basement only to lose you again."

"Only if you promise me you'll be careful as well." God, she wished she knew how he managed to stay so calm.

"You have my word," he told her.

"And you have mine."

He pressed his mouth against hers in a deep kiss, full of desire. She murmured in approval and tossed her own desire back at him. He held her tight; there was not an inch between them. She could feel his determination to survive in the kiss. It gave her strength.

He broke the kiss and rested his chin on top of her head. She sighed and inhaled his scent deeply. "So what do we do now?"

"Reload your gun and keep it on you at all times." He nuzzled her hair. "We'll stay together from now on, okay?"

"Okay." She stepped back and reached up to cup his cheeks.

She didn't have a reason to be afraid if he wasn't, she told herself. She held onto that like it was a lifeline.

"He's alone and we're a team," he said, and tugged her in for a tender kiss. "Remember that."

"Hmm…"

I love you… She wished she had the guts to tell him. But right now it wouldn't be wise to force such a distraction on him. They'd get the assassin out of the way and then there would be time to address her feelings for him.

- End chapter 6 -