Chapter Fourteen: Let's Just Fight

So let's just fight

Maybe you could find some tears

And I could feel something real again

You and I know we need to figure this out

Tell me, is it too late now?

'Cause too many nights, we're falling asleep

With all of these doubts stuck in between us

Being polite is getting us nowhere now

– Joy Williams (formerly of the Civil Wars), "If You Wanna Go"

"Heero!" Relena shrieked, her face burning, gun still aimed at his head. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

Heero stood, raising his hands, although he was smirking at her. "Relena," he said by way of greeting.

Relena's eyes zeroed in on him. Unconsciously, she tightened her grip on her weapon. "Is this some kind of joke?"

Heero lowered his hands and took a step forward. "No. I came to talk to you, and see Ellie." He frowned and looked past Relena. "Where is she?"

"She's not here."

Heero's frown deepened as he repeated the question. "Where is she?"

She scoffed. "I believe I'm the one who should be asking the questions here? I'm the one holding a gun, after all."

To her utter annoyance, Heero had the gall to roll his eyes at her. "And I'd appreciate if you would lower your weapon. Remember your training? You really shouldn't aim a gun at anyone, unless you're prepared to use it."

Relena snorted. "You're one to talk."

Heero's eyes narrowed. "Put the gun down, Relena."

She gave him her the wickedest smile she could conjure. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Well, now you know how it feels."

He rolled his eyes again. "Yeah, okay. You've had your fun." He took another step forward, holding a hand out to her. "Give me the gun."

Relena's smile broadened. "You didn't say 'please'."

Heero didn't give her any more time to toy with him. He closed the distance between them, and snatched the gun out of her hands with seemingly no effort. All Relena could do was glare at him in response.

"If you really wanted to shoot me, you should have taken the safety off." Heero's smirk was back. Relena wanted nothing more than to smack the arrogant look right off of his face. Instead, she folded her arms over her chest and fixed him with her iciest glare.

"Now," Heero said as he moved back around to his desk, setting the gun down carefully, "I'll ask you again. Where is my daughter?"

Your daughter? Relena wanted to retort. "She's at my brother's house."

Heero gaped at her. "Why didn't you just tell me that in the first place."

"Because," Relena spat, "you would've tried to go over there, and–"

"And what?" Heero cut in, his eyes burning. "Tried to see my daughter, who I haven't seen in months?"

Relena sighed and planted herself in the leather armchair on the other side of Heero's desk. "I know how badly you want to see her, Heero; you've made that clear. But I would've appreciated your respecting my boundaries, instead of breaking and entering and scaring me half to death."

Heero cut a glare in her direction. "Yeah? Well, you scared me half to death, too. Earlier, when you were screaming your brains out at me on the phone."

Relena rolled her eyes, then decided to focus on the ceiling for a moment while gathering her thoughts. Heero sighed.

"And you left me no choice but to break in, changing all the codes and locks on me."

"Which you obviously had no trouble dismantling," Relena pointed out, shifting her gaze back to his.

Heero shrugged. "I set up the system. What did you expect?"

"Then why haven't you tried anything up till now?"

"Because I was trying to respect your boundaries. Believe it or not."

Relena scowled at him. "Well, I still think you could have found a better way. I already agreed that you could come over tomorrow."

"Yeah, well I wasn't sure your offer still stood, after the way our conversation ended."

"I can't say you've done yourself any favors, after pulling this little stunt," Relena retorted. Newly angry, she leapt back to her feet. "Now get out."

Heero was nonplussed. "Go ahead, try to throw me out again."

Relena balled her fists at her sides, bearing down on him. "Fine. If you won't go willingly, I'll call the police and file a restraining order."

Heero snorted. "On what grounds?"

"You're threatening me," Relena said hotly.

"I haven't threatened to do a damn thing, other than stay right here, in the house I own with you," Heero said evenly. "But hey, tell them what you want. Lie and say I've been abusing you. That'll look great, splashed all over tomorrow's front page."

Relena could feel the rage building inside her. "I would say this qualifies as harassment, Heero."

He shrugged one shoulder. "Call it what you want. I don't care. I just want to see Ellie. If you're saying I'm going to have to lawyer up to do it, then I guess that's the way it's got to be." He looked at her askance. "It's too bad, though. Here I thought we could talk like reasonable adults."

"Reasonable?" Relena shrieked. "This is your idea of reasonable?" She threw up her hands and spun away, toward the door. "You are unbelievable!"

She stormed off, well aware that he would only come after her. "Don't you dare follow me," she called over her shoulder. "Leave me alone."

But Heero clearly wasn't listening. Relena picked up her pace as she cleared the hallway, turned back into the foyer and headed for the staircase.

Relena had barely gotten one foot on the first step when she felt Heero snatch her sleeve. She whirled on him. "I said, leave me alone!"

His eyes flashed, but he let her go. "Stop making this so difficult," he murmured. "We need to talk, Relena."

She spun back around and mounted the stairs two at a time, but Heero was right on her heels.

So Relena took them off. One at a time.

And threw them at him.

Heero caught the first one, and tilted his head to dodge the second one, which sailed past him and landed on the foyer floor, skidding across the marble. And Heero just stood there, completely unfazed, as if guarding himself from a shoe attack were an everyday occurrence.

Relena unleashed an unladylike string of expletives and stamped up the remainder of the stairs.

Heero would have been laughing his ass off, if he wasn't angry and frustrated as hell.

Although part of him was amused that his wife was trying to murder him with footwear, the rest of him was determined to bring this nonsense to an end.

He followed Relena to their bedroom door; she didn't have a prayer in outrunning him. He wasn't trying to scare her, but he was done putting up with her antics. She slammed the door in his face, but Heero wrenched it open before she had the chance to lock it. Not that it would have stopped him for long, anyway.

Keeping her back to him, Relena scrambled toward the bathroom. Another door for her to lock. Another momentary obstacle. Heero was tempted to let her go lock herself in there, have her tantrum, and wait her out in the bedroom. She couldn't stay in there forever...

But Relena didn't even bother shutting the door behind her. Heero watched as she made a beeline for the toilet, flipped open the lid, and all but shoved her head inside as she emptied the contents of her stomach. Heero was momentarily thrown – he had not been expecting that – but quickly recovered and sprang into action.

Heero knelt behind Relena, and carefully swept her long hair over her shoulder, where he continued to hold it back while she finished. She groaned and slumped back against his chest. Heero began rubbing her back in slow circles. Whether she wanted him there or not, whether she truly hated him or not, she was allowing it, so Heero continued to caress her, gently and methodically.

"When did this start?" he murmured.

"Earlier," she rasped. "Dinner." Her cheek was pressed to his; her skin felt warm.

"Hm." Heero's brow creased. "What did you eat?"

"Ah… some kind of white fish."

"From where?"

"Michel's."

Heero paused. "You went to Michel's? With who?"

"With whom," Relena corrected him. But then she sighed and answered his question. "A work colleague."

"Hm." That sounded… suspect. He let it go, for now. "And who else was there for security?"

He knew he had her when she didn't answer right away. "Relena..." he prodded.

"I don't need a bodyguard everywhere I go, Heero."

"Yes, you do." He could feel another fight rising between them, but he did his best to cool his temper. Still, she should have been more careful. "You could have been poisoned," he added.

"If that's the case, I'm sure this is nothing more than routine food poisoning," Relena sighed. "Happens all the time."

Heero grunted. "I'll need to know who you were with, Relena."

She sighed again, shifting against him. "His name is Dr. Paul Montgomery."

He frowned as his mind scanned over the name. "Wait… that guy?"

"Yes," Relena said, sounding defensive.

Heero's chest constricted. "Was it a date?"

"That's none of your business," Relena said coolly.

Heero's grip on her tightened. "Yes, it is. We're still married."

"Technically."

"Technically, my ass."

"Like you have any room to talk," Relena grumbled.

"I'm not dating anyone," Heero retorted.

"Well, I'm not sleeping with anyone," Relena shot back. "Happy?"

"No," Heero groused. He rose to his feet, bringing Relena up with him. "For all I know, this guy was the one who poisoned you."

Relena turned around to face him, planting her hands at her hips. "Oh, really? Well, since I'm alive and well, I'd have to say that was a pretty piss poor assassination attempt, wouldn't you?"

"I wouldn't say you're well, right now." Heero frowned as he looked her over. She was deathly pale, and beads of sweat had broken out across her forehead. She was sweating through her silken dress, too. "We need to get you to the hospital."

Relena looked at him as if he'd grown two heads. "I'm not going to the hospital, Heero."

He hated playing this game, but for the moment, he humored her. "All right. Then how about some water?"

He moved to the cabinet where they kept their glasses, selected one and ran it under the motion-sensored tap. He'd installed a state-of-the-art water filter and faucet in the bathroom sink years ago, and added a custom glass cabinet, all because Relena liked having a fresh glass of water at night and didn't want to have to go all the way downstairs.

His wife. So spoiled.

Heero filled the glass and handed it to Relena, who immediately grimaced and held a hand to her stomach.

"I'm not sure I could keep it down…"

"You need to stay hydrated," Heero insisted.

Relena's face was pinched, but she took the glass from him and raised it to her lips.

One sip, and she was rushing back to the toilet. Heero crouched down beside her, once again trying to shield her hair from the onslaught.

"We're going," he said firmly.

Relena spent a minute coughing, her chest heaving, while Heero held on to her shoulders, before she twisted around to look at him. She frowned.

"Don't look at me like that."

His brows lifted. "Like what?"

"Like you're going to throw me over your shoulder and carry me to the hospital, caveman-style."

Heero's lips twitched. "Tempting."

Relena sighed. "Fine. I'll go. But no manhandling."

Heero released her. "As you wish."

Relena gave him a look he wasn't sure how to interpret. Hell, this night was nothing if not confusing. But no matter what had happened between them, one thing was for certain.

Heero was not about to let the mother of his child die on him.

And whichever bastard had poisoned her was going to pay.

A/N: Teeheehee... that was almost too much fun. I hope you had as much fun reading this chapter as I did writing it! It's still pretty much my favorite so far. Thanks to Mistaken-Miracles helping to inspire the shoe scene. SHOOOOOOOES!

I hope to be back with another update soon, but NaNoWriMo is in full swing and my original sci-fi/fantasy novel has taken over my brain for the time being. Thank you as always to all the readers and reviewers!

- RFP