AN: I feel like I'm at a point in my other story where I want to take a bit of an intermission, or something like that. So, I've had this thing cooking in my head since, like, chapter 5 of How Soon Is Now? But I didn't know what to do about it till now. I've decided to write this and have it out there, just for my own sake. Now, I've written a fic like this before, only in that the characters are in bands, but this story has a different approach. I also don't like the idea that I wasted this kind of story on a fandom that I've since soured on as opposed to Gundam Wing, a series I will NEVER stop loving. So here this story is, and I hope you like it.

Track 1: All Apologies

"I don't get it." Heero stood there, head shaking. To say that he was perplexed would be an understatement. Here, in the middle of his apartment, looking down at the woman who confronted him with the most out of left field news he'd gotten in some time. "This doesn't make any sense. Sylvia..."

"Heero…" Her green eyes focused up, giving a melancholic smile at his confused expression. "I'm sure it looks that way. But… I don't know. It's just something I have to do for myself."

"Hn." He ran both of his hands through his untamed head of hair. He shut his eyelids and kept his head tilted upwards as he bumped his head on the wall behind him, keeping it there.

"I have to leave Heero." Sylvia continued. "I'm sorry, but… this feeling I have… I can't stay. I just feel unfulfilled here. This band, this life, this… relationship." Heero wasn't moving from his current position. It was his way of telling her to keep going. He was listening. He never spoke his thoughts, and that was part of the problem if Sylvia Noventa was being honest.

She continued to look at him as if he were glaring back. "I thought I would be fine like this. Everything seemed right, but then… all of a sudden, I just started feeling hollow. This is nothing but me being completely honest with you."

She could hear Heero breathing, eyes still shut. She could see him opening and closing his fists. She'd seen that action before, a clear sign of stress and frustration exhibited by her soon to be ex-boyfriend, Heero Yuy. "I know you weren't expecting this tonight. I feel awful telling you, but after this... After I finish recording this last song for the album, I'm leaving. I'm packed up, ready to go. To where? I'm not sure. I can only say for certain that I won't be here anymore."

Heero remained silent, his eyelids opened, but his mouth remained shut, eyebrows furrowed.

"Is there anything you have to say?" She gave him the floor, wanting him to speak.

Heero's brain wasn't having the easiest time processing this. It was crunching all the numbers but nothing made sense. He wouldn't argue that their relationship was perfect, but he didn't see this coming. Not at all. He hadn't thought any of their issues warranted this kind of conclusion to their union. He loved her and he thought that went both ways.

They were two music junkies who found each other in the world of the local independent scene and connected with each other over many different albums and opinions of music. They were both in bands, each of which were creating a substantial amount of buzz in the national indie music world. Heero actually considered her a genius with the music she created with her band.

And here Sylvia Noventa was, telling him all they were a part of was over. At least for them as a pair. She was leaving him and this world they created together. Nothing made sense. He continued to look for answers, but nothing materialized.

He resumed his silence, eliciting a sigh from Sylvia. "It's that kind of emotional unavailability that's always bothered me."

That statement irked him and he snapped his head to look at her, his face translating his irritation.

"But maybe my absence will help you better yourself. Maybe I allowed you to be too comfortable." Sylvia continued. "Perhaps you couldn't change because I wouldn't let you."

Heero couldn't understand that. She was easily the most challenging person he had met in his life. That was part of the appeal. "Is that your way of saying this is all my fault?" He broke his silence.

She released a humorless chuckle. "No, this is all on me. I made this decision to leave." She looked at the clock on his wall. She had to get going. "Look… Heero. I'm here for one more day, then I'll be on the next flight out." She watched him shake his head, still not liking what he was hearing. "I have to get down to Peacemillion. We have one more track to record before we're finished with the album." Dorothy and Hilde were going to be really mad at her when she told her band-mates that this was over. "If there's anything you want to say or do before I leave, please…"

"Is there any way I can change your mind?" Heero asked, almost pleading.

Sylvia could only shake her head at him.

"Then no." Heero flatly responded. "This will be the last time we see each other.'

"Okay, then." She nodded, accepting of his answer. She studied his face before lifting a hand to caress his cheek. She felt his body go stiff as she made contact, but he eventually softened up. "I'm leaving to find myself, Heero. And… who knows? Maybe that means I realize something that leads me back to you." He gritted his teeth at that statement, refusing to make eye contact with her. "Don't think that I believe all this time we spent together meant nothing. There will always be a part of me that still loves you."

Heero's body shook at that and raised a hand to cover the one that now rested on his face. "Don't say that."

"I know, sorry. But if I'm being truthful, if I find myself coming back, knowing you'd be here waiting would make me happy." Sylvia explained with a smile.

He squeezed her hand in a gentle grip. "You can't be that selfish. For all I know… I might find someone." He didn't believe that statement went it left his lips, but it's all he could think of for a response.

"True." She nodded. "I have to say, hearing you say something like that.. It does kind of hurt. I'll have to get over that, but you with another girl? It's a little crazy." She almost laughed at her reaction to that.

Heero finally turned his head. His blue colored orbs peering down at her. Sylvia noticed something as she looked at his eyes. "You know, you have the most striking color of blue I've ever seen, and yet…" Heero waited for her to continue.

"They're still the darkest eyes I've ever stared into."

Two months passed.

Heero took a swig of whisky from his glass. He sat at the bar in Club Barge, a place where he and his band, Do You Remember?, frequently performed. He leaned over the counter, arms crossed in front of him. It was surprisingly slow Friday night. There were patrons still here and there walking about, having a drink or dancing to the music playing through the speakers, but It wasn't the usual Friday night where you could barely walk around. Maybe it was because the weather was starting to get slightly colder, he thought. He then shook his head, never stopped anyone before.

He took another careful gulp of his whisky, allowing it to slowly burn his throat. He swallowed the hard liquid before placing the glass back down. Maybe it was because the Jezebel's had been on hiatus for the past couple months. They were easily the biggest band from around, eclipsing his own in popularity. He wondered if, had Sylvia not left, they would have signed to a major label. They were definitely getting the attention for it prior to his ex's departure from the group.

He had a feeling that Dorothy would have been okay with that kind of power move. He sighed, wondering if he could do the same with his own group if the opportunity arose. He swallowed the rest of his glass before signaling to the bartender for a refill. He gripped the fresh glass and took another sip.

"Is this seat taken?" Speak of the devil.

The empty spot beside him suddenly became occupied. He looked over and saw Dorothy Catalonia sitting beside him, her incredibly long head of platinum blonde hair falling behind her.

"You're back, huh." Heero nodded at her.

"Just arrived a few hours ago." She signaled for the bartender who knew what to get her.

"How was vacation?" Heero said in his usual monotone.

She shrugged. "Just needed some time to clear my head, trying to figure out my next move. A couple weeks in Italy can be very helpful in that regard."

"Hn." Dorothy came from money, and you could tell. This would automatically raise some red flags for someone like Heero, but Dorothy proved herself to be more than just some trust fund baby. After finishing school, she had a clear focus in mind: Much like Heero, she loved music and wanted to be in a band. She was wealthy, she didn't need to come down here and play small to medium sized clubs with people not even close to the same tax bracket as her, but that never registered in her mind.

As far as she was concerned, this was where the action was. She knew this place was a hotbed for musicians and artists. This was the home of G-Team Records, where a lot of notable bands had made their name. Dorothy wanted in and she did what was necessary to create her group. She came to this town as a stranger, all alone. But being the social butterfly that she was, she mingled her way into the scene, coming into contact with Heero and Sylvia. After befriending them, Dorothy convinced Sylvia to start a band with her. They both played guitar and had a similar taste in music. They needed a drummer and they got one when Heero introduced them to Hilde Schbeiker, who was a drummer and the girlfriend to his good friend Duo Maxwell.

From there, they went and created the trio known as the ridiculously named... The Jezebels. Heero didn't have to ask to know that Dorothy came up with that name. That was three and a half years ago when they were all roughly about 22 years of age. They were 3 albums in and were the hottest group in the scene, probably in indie music as well.

Heero didn't get his band started till a year after the Jezebels formed. It took a while before he got members that he was content with being in his group. He had Duo who, like him, played guitar and backed him on vocals. They found Trowa Barton to play bass through some ads they posted online, and Wufei Chang who they were introduced to through other bands. They became Do You Remember?, a group that was mostly a vehicle for Heero's creativity. They all knew their place in the band and were comfortable as Heero being the leader.

"So, did you come up with anything?" Heero continued the conversation.

"Actually, yes." Dorothy gave a wide grin before the bartender arrived with her cup of chamomile tea. She had to be the only person in the world who drank tea at a bar, Heero figured, She lifted her cup and took a sip before answering. "After a two month absence, the Jezebels will continue."

Heero turned to her with a raised eyebrow, he knew what that meant…

"You might not like this, Heero, but I have found Sylvia's replacement." Dorothy responded to the look he was giving her. He did not want to hear about someone taking her spot. She figured Heero hated the idea of another female singing his ex-girlfriend's songs. Dorothy was well aware how stuck on Sylvia Heero still was. "Oh, enough with the looks Heero. It's my band and I will do as I please."

Heero grunted and looked away, tossing some more whisky back. He knew that. But, that still didn't mean he had to be happy about it. It didn't matter how much of a fan he was of their music, as far as he was concerned, Sylvia made them who they were.

"Hmm." Dorothy put a finger on her chin and looked up. "Actually, it won't be my band for much longer though."

Heero gave her a curious look. "Huh?"

"Well, you see dear, my friend from my old art school days will be arriving here next week and I've decided that I will be giving her complete control of the band."

"What?" Great, now some girl will have say over Sylvia's catalog, too. This did not sit well with him.

"Now I'm sure you like that even less, but that's what I've decided." Dorothy went back to take another sip of her tea. "But in all honesty Heero, if it were up to me and I could turn back time, this band would have been Me, Hilde and Relena from the start."

'Relena… So that's her name.' Heero's voice echoed around his head, analyzing Sylvia's replacement's name. Not liking her already.

"Nothing against Sylvia, I loved her. But I'm sure you know how much we clashed creatively." Heero knew that two headstrong people like Sylvia and Dorothy were certain to bump heads, but they made it work and created amazing songs in the process. "Relena and I operate on the same wavelength. I won't have to worry about these silly arguments with her. That's why I have no issue ceding control over to her."

"You don't think that's a bit much? You don't strike me as the kind of person who just surrenders power like that." Heero went off what he knew about Dorothy over these past few years.

"That's because you don't know Relena like I do. We would jam together and create songs back in school. She's just as much of a music geek as the rest of us." She heard Heero snort at that, mumbling something that sounded like 'not like Sylvia'.

"My goodness Heero, It's been two months, move on." She watched as Heero's grip tightened over his glass. He could probably break it if he wanted to. "Has she even reached out to you since she left?"

"No…" Heero turned away. Having no contact with her since she left really bothered him. She didn't try to contact him… ever. He wasn't a social media guy, but he even checked that and nothing. She hadn't posted much either since then. Maybe she went off the grid? "How about you?"

Dorothy shook her head. "I'm sure she's fine." She turned over to look at Heero who just started at the glass of brown fluid in front of him. His attachment to that woman was really annoying her. "You should start dating." Heero immediately waved that thought off. She watched him pick up his glass and start drinking again. She produced a devilish smirk and turned to place a hand on her chin, elbow propped up on the bar counter. "Heero, why don't we start dating?"

Heero damn near spit up his whisky all over the counter. Luckily nothing came out and he swallowed the rest of it, the burning sensation more rough than usual. "The hell is wrong with you?"

Dorothy cackled at his reaction, getting dirty looks from him in the process. "Do you truly find the idea of courting me so appalling?"

'Courting me.' Heero shook his head at those strange choice of words. "Yeah."

Dorothy only laughed again. "How come?"

"Numerous reasons." He shot back.

"Ah, yes, not the least of which being that it would probably last a week, tops." Dorothy loved having fun at the otherwise serious Heero's expense. "But I'm sure the sex would have been amazing."

Heero gave her a horrified look. "The whisky is supposed to make me vomit, not you." Once again, Dorothy's laugh could be heard throughout the club. Heero grunted in annoyance. He didn't find Dorothy ugly or anything, not at all. But… it was Dorothy. No, never.

"Okay, okay…" Dorothy was trying to recover from her hearty laugh, coming down into just giggles. "Anyway…" She exhaled after taking a breath. Laughing took a lot of you, Dorothy noted. "Let's talk shop. How's the new album coming along?"

Heero rolled his eyes at her before responding to her question. "It's going fine, I guess."

"So, am I right to assume it'll sound more like what you hinted at in Metal Circus?"

Heero nodded. "Something like that."

"How many songs are we looking at?" Dorothy turned to give her tea some attention.

"Over twenty I think. Recording is far from over." Heero was working on something far more ambitious than anything he had worked on before. This was looking like some sort of double album.

Dorothy placed the cup back on it's glass tray. "Wow, sounds like this has been quite an undertaking. How long have you been working on this record again?"

"Hmm… I know I started writing songs when we toured behind Metal Circus." He recalled the initial stages of this current records creation. "So like maybe 8 months now."

"Ah, and when do you think this album will be available for public consumption? It seems like that's the only way I'll hear it, you never let anyone other than the band in Peacemillion when you guys are recording." She gave him a pout.

"Hopefully sooner rather than later. And sorry, no distractions. I have a mission to complete." Heero stated bluntly.

"And I'm a distraction?" Dorothy knew the answer he would give.

"Absolutely."

Another Dorothy laugh filled the room. She may be a good friend, but damn did she know how to bug him. "Well can I at least get an album title?"

Heero was about to finish another glass before giving her a side eyed glance. "Hmm…" Well, he figured giving her the name of the record wasn't too big of a deal. "The name of the album is Zen Arcade."

"Zen Arcade?" Dorothy mulled over that name for a second. "I like it."

"I appreciate the approval." he delivered sarcastically.

Dorothy giggled. "Well, I am quite excited to hear the final product. Listening party or anything planned? I know that's not really your thing."

"It isn't. No need to make a big deal about it." Heero swallowed the rest of his glass while Dorothy consumed the rest of her tea.

"You're no fun." Dorothy stated as she rose from her seat. "I think I'll be on my way home. Still have to get my body back to working with this time zone again. That's always a pain. Just wanted to see my good friends before getting settled. See you around, Heero." She leaned over to give him a peck on the cheek goodbye. She chuckled as he tried to pull away. It never worked. "Have a good night!"

Heero shook his head as he watched her exit the establishment.

So, the band was back… and with a new front woman.

'Relena…' His head repeated her name. 'Sorry, but you won't ever replace Sylvia.' He was sure of that. He pulled out some money from his wallet and paid for his drinks. He grabbed his jacket and decided to take off as well.

He had an album to work on.

AN: This combines my two favorite things: GW and Music. I was both a huge Wing and Music nerd back in my teen years and honestly nothing has changed lol

Bonus Points to anyone who knows the origin to my stupid title.

In this story, Heero's band will be based off of Hüsker Dü and Relena's will be based off of the amazing Sleater-Kinney. Hüsker Dü means Do You Remember?, so I'm calling Heero's band Hüsker Dü without calling them Hüsker Dü lol :-)