Chapter Seven
Destination: L1

One week, that's what he had promised her. Heero required the time to make arrangements. Even though he had to go against Doctor J's order not to inform anyone, Heero needed to inform Une of what was happening. To her credit, Une had helped him arrange protection for Relena but also had arranged his flight to L1. Under the pretense, he was heading out of town for a work-related issue.

Heero had told Une everything he knew and his plan after arriving on L1. The goal was to bring Serena back to Earth, but if she chose to stay in Space, there wasn't anything more they could do. Une didn't want Serena pushed into a corner, one she'd ultimately run away from. Une reminded him again before he left not to insist that Serena return with him.

"I mean it, Yuy," Une scolded him. "If her memory returns, she decides whether or not to return with you."

"Yeah, I know."

"Do you?" Une placed a hand on her hip. "Serena is free to do as she pleases. While ideally, having her on Earth is the better option, she has to be willing to come. From what I know about her, Serena hasn't had the luxury of having any control over her own life. I want her to have that opportunity."

"I know," Heero growled. "I'll handle it, but I need to go. She's expecting me to arrive in a few hours."

"I expect you to keep me posted on her status. Is that clear?"

"Yeah." Heero had turned away from his Commander, walking towards his private shuttle. Hoping when it returned to Earth, there would be two occupants rather than one.

Heero's flight had been uneventful. Arriving on L1 hadn't been an issue, and getting his rental had been too easy. Heero half-expected there to be some issue, delaying his arrival at Doctor J's lab. As he pulled alongside the building, Heero reminded himself of his mission. Regardless of what anyone thought, he needed to get Serena back to Earth. She wasn't safe here, not by a long shot. Heero didn't know how many people knew where J's lab was… or worse, that Serena was being kept there. There was always the possibility that others were looking for her.

Slinging his duffle bag over his shoulder, Heero made his way down the barely lit hallway to a set of stairs. He would've taken the elevator, but it wasn't working. After pressing the button a few times, he wondered if Doctor J had deactivated it for some reason. Lucky for him, he remembered his last trip to the lab. Heero knew the stairwell would take him down to the ground level, but he'd need to get off on the bottom floor and head to another room that would give him access to the lab.

As he made his way through the stairwell, Heero noticed security cameras on almost every landing. The blinking light gave away their position, but he didn't pay them much attention. It was clear by now that he was inside the building and making his way to the lab. But as always, Heero kept his pistol on him.

Hitting the last landing, Heero pushed through the single door that led to another corridor. At the very end of the hallway, J stood waiting for him. A grin formed on Heero's old mentor's lips the closer he got to Doctor J.

"I've been expecting you," Doctor J said, adjusting his cane. "I apologize for the elevator being out of service. I'll be sure to have it up and running for when you leave."

"It's fine," Heero grunted. "You should change the security cameras. They're too noticeable."

"Those old things? They barely work, and besides, no one ever comes down here." Doctor J lifted his claw-like hand. "Now, why don't we head to the lab? She's been waiting for you."

Heero wasn't thrilled with the remark that the cameras barely worked. Especially if Serena was staying there, but then again, J could be lying to him. He probably had some kind of protocol if someone broke into the building. Following Doctor J, they made their way through one of the doors on the floor. The building had once been an office building, possibly pre-war; desks still occupied some of the rooms. From their placement and the thick layer of dust accumulated over the years, no one would think twice that someone was living there.

A single door sat in the far right corner of the ample office space. Doctor J stopped, pushing a few dust-covered folders to the side. Behind them was a control panel. Utilizing his hand, J flipped up the cover, pressing a few keys. Heero heard a ding sound ring from the door. Doctor J closed the lid to the panel before he moved the folders back into their place and proceeded through the now unlocked door.

Following J, Heero's eyes scanned the lab, searching for her.

"I'm sure Serena's around here somewhere," Doctor J said as he walked over to his desk. The lab was empty, other than themselves. Serena was nowhere in sight. "You can put your things down over here for now. I'll have Serena take you to your room later," Doctor J said as he sat down at his computer.

"Where would she be?" Heero asked as he set down his duffle bag, still scanning the lab for any sign of her.

"Could be anywhere," Doctor J said as he resumed whatever he had been working on before Heero's arrival. Heero turned hardened eyes to J.

"I asked you where-"

"Heero?"

Heero spun himself around at the mention of his name. Serena was standing mere feet away, staring at him with a questionable look on her face. Heero's eyes quickly scanned her for any signs of distress. Her hair was down, and she wore a dark navy sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. Everything seemed normal, and she looked healthy. No dark circles under her eyes, and Heero thought maybe he saw a hint of makeup on her face.

"Heero?" Serena asked again, this time with an edge of concern to her voice.

"Yeah," Heero cleared his throat, trying to recover himself. Then he was at a loss for words. Heero hadn't even thought about what he would say when he saw her in person for the first time in five months. In a few weeks, it would mark six months since the day Serena sent not just herself but Kibou into Ischyrós. Heero had felt helpless then. There hadn't been anything he could've done to help. He had tried, but looking back at everything, Heero wondered if he had said the right things back then, would it have changed the outcome?

Now he was standing in front of her. There was so much Heero wanted to say to Serena, but she'd never understand. Even when they spoke the week prior… Heero knew he owed her an apology. He needed to make things right between them because she trusted him again, without hesitation, as she always had. Heero knew he needed to rid himself of the guilt he carried for his actions towards everything he had done to Serena. Even if she didn't understand everything just yet.

Trowa had told him that Serena was a good person and that her heart was in the right place. Trowa hadn't been wrong. Heero wondered if Serena had always been this way or if being surrounded by them had changed her.

Heero's thoughts stopped as he noticed the corner of her lips turning up.

"Hi," she said, taking a few steps towards him. "Let me show you to your room."

Heero nodded his acceptance. Picking up his bag, he eyed Doctor J, who didn't seem to be paying them any attention. Heero tried not to question it. Instead, he took it as an opportunity to speak to Serena alone, without J eavesdropping on them.

Serena took him down another hallway that was off of the central area of the lab. Serena pointed out a tiny kitchen, the bathroom, and a small storage closet. As they neared the end of the hallway, she showed him his room, informing him hers was right across the hall. All of which Heero remembered from when he had come to Doctor's J lab the last time with Serena.

"It's not huge, but it's better than nothing," Serena said as she opened the door, flipping the light on. The room was tiny, to say the least. It looked more like a closet that had been converted. "As I said, it's not big. My room is the same, but at least you have some privacy."

"It's fine," Heero said as he set his duffle bag down on the cot that he would be calling his bed for the time he'd be staying. Heero looked around the room, even if there wasn't much to look at. The white walls left little to be desired. And with no windows, Heero wondered how Serena had been handling living here. But it wasn't much different than what he had experienced when he had been with J.

Turning back to face her, Heero found Serena leaning against the doorframe. Her arms crossed over her chest with a hardened expression on her face. Heero eyed her carefully again, checking for anything to indicate how Serena was feeling or what she was thinking. The stone mask on her face gave nothing away. Heero wasn't sure if Serena was just irritated with him or if there was something more going on. Serena had been grateful that he was coming, but the last time they spoke was a few days ago. Did something change between then and now? And if so, why hadn't she told him?

"Are you just going to stare at me, or are you going to say something?"

"Huh?" Heero was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't paid attention to what she had said. If Serena wasn't irritated with him before, she probably was now. "Sorry."

"It's fine." Serena uncrossed her arms, letting them fall to her sides. "I'll let you get settled-"

Not letting the opportunity slip by him, Heero's hand shot out, seizing her arm. He pulled her into the room, closing the door behind them. Whatever was going on with Serena, he wanted to find out. Not to mention, Heero wasn't sure he'd get the chance to talk to Serena without J being around.

"What the hell was that about!?"

"I wanted to speak with you."

"You could've just said so instead of pulling me in here!" Serena said, glaring at him. Heero tried not to roll his eyes at her.

"Sit," he told her as he moved to sit on the bed. To his surprise, Serena sat down without so much as a word. But she quickly crossed her arms over her chest. "I wanted to see how you were doing. I know we haven't talked in a few days."

"I'm fine," Serena said flatly. "Nothing new has happened."

"No new memories?"

"No." Serena turned her head to face him. "Same as before." Heero sighed.

"J's treating you-"

"Stop, seriously. Doctor J didn't do anything to me for the last time." Serena looked pointedly at him. "Why do you keep asking me this?"

"I'm just making sure nothing is going on."

"Is there something I should be concerned about when it comes to Doctor J?" She asked, tightening her eyes.

"No," Heero said, even though he was lying.

"I get the impression you're lying to me, which is why you've continued to ask me that question every time we speak."

"J isn't going to do anything to you. I just wanted to make sure you're being taken care of while you're here," Heero said.

"Why are you so concerned?" Serena lifted a brow. "What did he do to you? Or better yet, what did he do to me that makes you so worried?"

"The training can be tough," Heero shrugged. "Make sure you're eating well and getting enough rest."

"Okay," Serena said after a moment of eyeing him. Heero wondered if Serena wasn't buying what he was saying just by the look she was giving him. But she seemed to understand that he wouldn't comment further on the topic.

They both fell silent as Serena turned her head away from him. Her demeanor changed as she stared at the floor. While none of the conversations had been long, the longest being the first time she video-called him. Serena kept things brief, asking questions or discussing something unrelated to her feelings. Heero had asked her a few times, but Serena had refused to discuss her emotional state. It made him question things, which led Heero to ask Serena if J was treating her okay. He didn't want her shutting down if something more was going on, and even though she trusted him, Heero tried not to push her, but he was still concerned for her wellbeing.

Heero wondered if he was overthinking things once again. Surely Serena would've said something was going on and informed him. Going back over their last discussion before he arrived on L1, Heero wondered if he wasn't fully considering that perhaps it was something else bothering Serena. Was she nervous about everything? Or was she-

"Doctor J doesn't think we should move forward with this plan," Serena spoke, interrupting his thoughts.

"Why?" Heero glanced at her. Serena sat with her hands folded in her lap as she stared at the floor.

"The headaches I get. Doctor J thinks this will fuck me over more than I already am," Serena chuckled sadly. "I'm already a mess. What's the worst that could happen? I don't remember?" She turned sad eyes to him.

Heero stared at her for a few moments. She was finally showing him how she was truly feeling. Lost, defeated, the list could go on. Heero wanted to say something, but what could he say? That everything would work out, and using the ZERO System would make things better for her? Heero didn't have the answers to those questions. There was no way to know that any of this would work.

"It's worth a shot," Heero said. "If you still want to try it."

"That's if Doctor J retrieved the data from the system. I don't even know if he's tried yet."

"You haven't asked him?" Heero questioned. He had been under the impression that J had been working on everything so that when he arrived on L1, they could get to work on helping Serena.

"I haven't been allowed to do much the last few days, which is why I didn't call you," Serena said, frowning at him. "While I'm allowed in the lab, Doctor J refused to let me do anything. He told me that I needed to rest. No training, no nothing."

"You haven't done any kind of training?"

"I ran on the treadmill this morning," Serena shrugged. "Got yelled at, but I've been bored. There's only so much reading one person can do. Not to mention I started to annoy Doctor J when I kept playing music he finds irritating on the piano," Serena lightly laughed.

"What were you playing?" Heero didn't know what style of music Serena played on the piano. But when he had learned that J had taught her, Heero knew now that it was something other than classical.

"It was some song I heard on the radio," Serena shrugged again. "Classical music gets boring. Doctor J gave me a book filled with sheet music, but I enjoy recreating melodies from songs I've heard."

"I didn't know you could do that," Heero said. "Have you always been able to play by ear?"

"I don't know, or did you forget that I don't remember anything?"

"Sorry," Heero shook his head. Feeling foolish for asking a question Serena couldn't answer. "I can play the piano, but I can only play songs I've learned."

"Did Doctor J teach you?"

"Yes."

"I should teach you different songs than the ones Doctor J taught you," Serena smiled. "Even if he calls them horrendous." Heero laughed. He could only imagine what kind of music Serena had been playing that would warrant J to say such a statement.

The two fell into casual conversation. After a while, Heero suggested something he hadn't done with Serena. He had played around with the idea, but maybe it was worth a shot. Serena seemed to be in a better mood than when they had first sat down to talk. She had laughed and smiled more, and Heero was happy to see her acting carefree around him. Not to mention, they hadn't argued, which was a nice change of pace.

"Want to see some photos?"

"Photos?"

"Hang on, let me show you," Heero said as he turned to rummage through his duffle bag. Pulling out his laptop, he started it up. Once logged in, he moved quickly, locating a folder. "Here," Heero said, holding the computer out to her. Serena moved closer, taking it from him.

"Who are all these people?" She asked as she raised an eyebrow at the screen.

"All the people I told you about when you first called me. Maybe by seeing their faces, you'll remember something," he said. Serena clicked on the first photo, examining it for a while before moving on to the next.

"She's pretty," Serena commented.

"That's Relena."

"That's Relena?" Serena questioned. Heero still found it odd that Serena didn't know who Relena was. He was starting to believe that J had limited what Serena was able to research on the computer. She knew next to nothing about the truth when it came to the Gundams. And she didn't even know who the current President was when they first spoke one-on-one.

Heero waited a moment, hoping she'd say more. When Serena shook her head, Heero felt a frown form on his face.

"She's pretty. How do you know her? Other than you're head of her security." Serena asked as she turned her head to face him.

"I'm in a relationship with her."

"You're in a relationship with her!?" Serena's eyes went wide. "Why didn't you tell me that before?"

"It didn't seem important at the time," Heero shrugged.

"I would say that's important information when explaining to someone who doesn't know anything about an individual."

"I'm a private person," Heero said.

"I gathered that, but something like this would've been helpful."

"Sorry."

"It's okay. When did you first meet Relena?"

"During the Eve Wars."

"That doesn't tell me much."

"As I've said, I'm a private person. But you know how I met Relena."

"The old me does. The current one has no idea who you are or who Relena is," Serena frowned.

Heero frowned in return. He didn't feel as if he was helping Serena in any form. In some ways, it was easier when Serena knew so much about him. He didn't need to explain anything in great detail to her, but now… things were different. Heero didn't enjoy giving more information than necessary. But with Serena not knowing his past, he knew he would have to elaborate more. This time, however, Heero didn't plan to do that. Instead, he had Serena return her attention to his laptop.

"Who's this?" Serena asked when the next photo came up on the screen.

"That's Dorothy Catalonia," Heero started to say slowly, trying not to laugh. Serena was staring at the screen with a strange expression on her face. "Quatre and Dorothy are in a relationship. She also-"

"Wait," Serena said, cutting Heero off. "She's dating Quatre… Gundam pilot zero-four?" Heero nodded his head. "How? Why?"

"Why are you asking?"

"Between her eyes and eyebrows, I'd be scared to trust someone like her. Let alone date."

Heero lost it. He could contain his laughter not only because of what Serena had said but the expression on her face. She had gone from being confused to shock by the information he was telling her.

"I'm still unsure of myself, but Quatre and Dorothy have a history, and they seem to get along. Despite how Dorothy may appear on the outside."

"Is she trustworthy?"

"Dorothy is questionable at times, but she's not a terrible person. Why don't you view the next photo? It's of Quatre."

"Okay…" Serena gave him a strange look before returning her attention to his laptop.

Serena hadn't recognized Quatre. Or Duo, Hilde, Sally, or even Wufei. Heero told her each of their names, hoping something would click. But Serena would only shake her head before continuing on to the next photo until she got to Trowa's. Her hand froze over the touchpad.

"It's him…" she whispered. Heero could see her eyes scanning the screen, her face leaning closer. "Who is this?" Serena asked, her eyes never leaving the photo.

"That's Trowa," Heero slowly said.

"Trowa," Serena repeated. "I know him." Serena swung her head to look at him. "I dream about him. He's the person I keep seeing." For a brief moment, there was hope in her eyes. "It looks just like him... how do I know him?"

Heero was startled at the admission she made. Serena hadn't informed him that she was dreaming about anyone. He had purposely made Trowa's photo the last one in the folder. Figuring if anything, maybe Trowa's would be the one to trigger something. Thinking over his words, Heero answered Serena as best as he could.

"You spent most of your time with him when you were on Earth."

"That doesn't tell me-" Suddenly, Serena's hand shot up to her head. Heero quickly grabbed his laptop from her, placing it down next to him.

"Serena, are you okay?"

"Yeah, just… a headache," she said. Heero stood, grabbing her arm and helping her to her feet.

"You should lie down," he said. Heero helped guide her across the hallway and into her room. She wasn't lying when she said the rooms were the same. They barely made it to her bed when she pressed her hands against her head.

"Ser-"

"I'm fine," Serena growled, opening her eyes slightly to look at him. "I just need to lie down for a while. I'll be fine." Heero frowned as he helped Serena into her bedroom. Once Serena was lying on her bed, Heero left her room, closing the door behind him. He stood outside the door, listening for any indication that Serena was in more pain than she was letting on.

"You tried pushing her," Doctor J stated from behind him. "I warned you not to."

"How else are we supposed to know if she'll recover if we don't try?" Heero spun around to face him.

"We don't, but as you can see, it causes Serena to have severe headaches."

"She's still in there. She remembers-"

"Are you sure? Or are you hoping that she remembers?" Doctor J cut him off. "Do you want her to remember her past that badly? All the horrible things that happened to her?"

"You mean all the things you let happen to her?" Heero shot back. Doctor J stood silently, staring at him for a moment.

"Maybe you should take the night to think about all of this. Is it truly worth putting her through the ZERO system?"

"She deserves the right to know who she is!" Heero balled his hands at his sides. Doctor J was ignoring everything he was saying. Not only did he not respond to the allegations Heero threw at him, but J continued about how they shouldn't try using the ZERO system on Serena.

"But is the risk worth the reward? Something you need to think about, and I truly mean that. You've seen that she is alive and well, but is her overall health worth what could potentially happen to her if we allow her to use the ZERO system?"

"I understand that, but what about what she wants? She wants to remember, to know who she is, and by not letting Serena, you're only hurting her!"

"That may be," J said, his claw hand coming up to his face, the metal fingers clicking together, "but the ZERO system will do far more damage than I ever did."

A/N

Happy Chapter Seven!

Let's sum up this chapter real quick. We learn Une knew about Serena even before she ever returned to Earth with Heero. I'm going to say that it's a safe bet to say the moment Une learned about Serena, she probably decided that if Serena returned to Earth, she would offer Serena a job. We also learn that Doctor J has been chilling in the same lab. That's not the best idea, and Heero's pretty on point with his anger towards this, as well as the cameras not working. J doesn't seem worried that just anyone could come into that lab. Regardless, it works out in Heero's favor because he knows where he's going, and even after seeing Serena in person, he follows her to where his room will be. But it seems that he hadn't looked at these rooms when he visited J for tea the last time.

If you're asking yourself, "what else did we learn in this chapter?" well don't you worry, I got the answers to that!

Moving on, we learn since Serena first contacted Heero without J knowing, Heero and Serena appear to have spoken a few more times since then. Next, we find out that Heero has been questioning the shit out of J's intentions and it seems Serena has picked up on this. Considering Heero has asked her more than once about how Doctor J has been treating her. After all of that, Serena and Heero have a bonding moment, I guess. it's more of an awkward conversation at times but also Serena trying to open up to Heero and Heero in return does the same. The best way to explain this whole scene where they're sitting in Heero's room is more about the ups and downs of their relationship, even with Serena's memory loss. It can be uncomfortable at times, but there are moments when they get along and are on the same page. It also helps to give information... such as Serena may or may not be dreaming about some guy. Take that as you will, it's original to the story but as far as what Serena's dreaming about... your guess is as good as mine.

Before we get too ahead of ourselves, Heero is smart in showing Serena pictures. Why he didn't try this before, who knows. I guess don't, but either way, Serena seeing a picture of Trowa triggers something. Not before Serena learns that Heero's in a relationship with Relena and that bit of news is shocking to her, to say the least. But note; Heero didn't say that he was engaged to Relena, only that he was in a relationship with her. Hehe. Anyways, Serena gets a migraine from hell, if you suffer from them, you know all too well how horrible they are. They fucking suck. After Heero brings Serena into her room to have her lie down, and then J, ahh yes, Doctor J returns to remind Heero that maybe this isn't a smart idea. Heero fights for Serena's right to try their idea of using the ZERO system, which I almost for to point out we find out that's what they're going with. Heero's arguing his case, but Heero also reminds Doctor J of his fuck up. He didn't protect Serena from Edwards.

Boom. Mic drop.

Doctor J doesn't seem overly fazed by this, but after some more talking, it seems J plays into what Heero said by saying the ZERO system will do more harm than he ever could. Wonder what that means? Will Heero still agree to everything after Serena is better? Will he try and talk Serena out of this crazy idea that we still don't know anything about? Or will Heero continue to advocate for Serena? Find out next week in chapter eight, ZERO.

Until then, I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your week!
-MM

PS. If the title doesn't tell you anything... I'm once again failing you fabulous readers.

B&B4L - I hope you enjoy the addition I threw in. Hehe.