Trowa felt shame simmer in his chest. They stared at each other in silence for a moment, until Relena tore her eyes away and signaled the waiter.

"This is my treat, by the way," she told him, her expression stern. It felt like an order. Trowa frowned, reaching for his wallet.

"That's nice of you to offer, but let me."

Relena dabbed her mouth delicately with her napkin before turning her icy blue eyes toward his. "You were kind enough to give me tickets to your show, so please. It's the least I can do." Her words were warm, but her voice had gone cold.

Before he could think better of it, Trowa reached across the table and clasped her hands.

"Relena," he admonished, controlling his voice to keep it level. "I've got this."

She leveled his gaze and carefully withdrew her hands from his. When the waiter arrived, with a simple nod of her head, Relena said, "Just put it on my tab. Thank you."

"Of course, Miss Relena," the waiter said with a bow.

Relena thanked him again, handing him a generous tip. Trowa watched this exchange, his face burning. It irritated him that she had clearly assumed he couldn't afford the meal.

Their power struggle over, she looked back at him. "Shall we?" Relena withdrew the keys to her car from her purse and stood up abruptly from the table, nearly knocking over the chair. Trowa's momentary irritation was replaced with concern.

"Nice try." He came up behind Relena, placing his hands on her waist to steady her. "I'll take these," he added, snatching away her keys. She opened her mouth to protest, but Trowa turned and led the way out of the bistro. He felt her follow behind him in a huff.

Before they reached the car, he felt her hand close around the sleeve of his shirt.

"It's been two years."

Trowa stilled his steps.

"I haven't seen or heard from him in two years."

He chanced a look over his shoulder. Relena's gaze was averted, her lips creased in a deep frown.

"I'm sorry," he answered automatically. He winced as soon as her eyes misted. Trowa turned to fully face her, the fabric of his sleeve slipping through her fingers. Her hand dropped to her side, heavy with a weight Trowa hadn't realized she was carrying. "Relena…"

"It's nothing," she snapped, attempting to step away from him, but Trowa rested his hands on her shoulders, keeping her in place.

"It's perfectly valid to give in to your emotions," Trowa murmured. Relena glared up at him.

"Yes. So I've heard…"

"You don't have to tell me anything, if you don't want to." He looked past Relena's parked car, down the tree-lined street, the colorful awnings of cafes and shops dotting the landscape. The sun was sinking further behind the horizon, and white lights strung through the trees began to switch on, bathing the area in a warm, golden glow.

"Want to walk?" He thought perhaps a change of subject - and scenery - would do them both good.

Relena looked glumly at her poorly-parked vehicle. "My car will probably get towed here."

Trowa chuckled, slipping an arm around her shoulders as they started off. "Probably."

Gradually, he noticed that Relena's mood lifted, and soon she was chattering happily about work. Which Trowa thought was ironic, but adorable. It was obviously a passionate topic for her, although he surmised Relena buried herself in her projects as a distraction tactic.

"Would you ever go to Mars?" she was asking.

"In a heartbeat." Her eyes widened at his quick response.

"What about your job?"

Trowa shrugged. "First circus on Mars? Not a bad a gig…"

Relena let out a peal of laughter.

"What?" Trowa deadpanned. "Assuming, of course, they don't already have one."

"I'll inform Milliardo that none of the construction workers are allowed to start up a circus, then. The honor will go to you." She giggled behind her hand.

"Is that what you're doing next?" His tone turned serious.

"I'm not starting up a circus, no." Relena's eyes twinkled.

"Going to Mars, I mean."

She sighed. "Well, I have seriously considered it..."

"Hmm." Trowa had to wonder, just for a moment, if Relena had come to his show to say goodbye.

"... But I'm not sure, at this point," she continued. "I still have so much work to do here, and that would mean I'd have to relinquish my duties as Foreign Minister and start something new. Although it would be nice to get to live with my brother, and Noin, albeit in very close quarters…"

Trowa inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. The thought of her leaving the planet stirred something within him. She'd probably been kidding, but if she had asked him, seriously...

"Heero and I had talked about moving up there to help with establishing the government, but…" Relena cut herself off, her eyes wide. Trowa assumed she hadn't meant to say that much.

"Right." He nodded curtly. She probably didn't want him to address it from there, but he wondered how much longer they could go on dancing around the subject.

"He didn't…" Trowa started, glancing at Relena's face to make sure it was all right to go on. Her gaze didn't waver so he took that as consent. "He didn't go without you, did he?"

"No. My brother would have told me," she answered, then sighed deeply. "He had shown up at my house to celebrate my twenty-fifth birthday but said he couldn't stay long, and, in his usual fashion, he was gone before sunrise. I assumed it was another Preventers mission, as always. But Une said she hadn't given him anything." Her shoulders sagged. "It's been radio silence ever since."

Trowa couldn't say he was shocked by this. "That sounds like Heero," he admitted.

Relena nodded slowly. "It's nothing that I didn't expect, honestly. We never… had a formal agreement or anything. I just wasn't prepared for it when it actually did happen. But I guess one never can be."

"Well, I don't know Heero as well as you, but I wouldn't be surprised if he showed up again, just as unexpectedly as he left." Relena made a low noise in her throat, but didn't say anything else.

"Unless of course he's dead."

Shit. He'd said that out loud. Maybe he'd had too much alcohol, after all. He waited for the inevitable slap to strike his cheek.

He felt Relena's shoulders start to shake under his arm but, to his bewilderment, she hadn't started crying. She was laughing, darkly.

"I'm sorry," he started. "That wasn't funny…"

Relena clutched her sides. "I know," she gasped. "It's just something Duo once told me. He said… He said it was the only way Heero would ever get away from me…"

Trowa smirked. "You were pretty aggressive when you tracked him down in Antarctica. I was kind of freaked out, but also impressed."

"I think you were the only one," Relena deadpanned. Trowa shook his head.

"You impressed the world," he said reverently. "The only one who really needed convincing was Wufei." Relena laughed, a hand pressed to her chest.

"You may be right about that," she chuckled.

Their laughter faded into silence as they continued through Brussels, toward the Parc du Cinquantenaire in the European Quarter, which Trowa recognized from a few brief tours around the city. He glanced at Relena, her face tilted up to the sky, watching the stars, or maybe the colonies or Mars. There was still so much he didn't know about her, and yet the more he learned, the more he wanted to uncover.

"This is me," she said suddenly.

"Huh?" Trowa realized he'd been watching her face more than the street in front of them.

Relena grinned. "I've always wanted to say that, and since you've never been to my place… Here we are." She waved her hands and mouthed, "Ta-da!"

They stood before a stately, pale yellow brick townhouse. It was part of a larger building structure with similar homes on either side, but it was surrounded by its own stone wall, with an ornate iron gate built into it. A small row of trees and shrubberies lined both sides of a stone pathway leading up to a small but impressive marble staircase.

"Wow." It was obviously a posh neighborhood, but Trowa couldn't help but wonder if Heero had approved of Relena living so out in the open. The residence was still fairly private, but certainly no castle fortress, like she'd had in the Sanc Kingdom.

"You like it?" Relena began punching a code into an electronic pad on the gate. "I was so excited to find a place in Etterbeek; it's kind of a trendy neighborhood, so it's getting harder to find old townhouses like these, with so many original features. Of course, I've had to make some modifications…"

"What about your car?" Trowa interrupted as Relena stepped through the open gate.

She waved dismissively. "We can go back for it later. It's only a ten-minute walk."

Their walk had felt longer than ten minutes, but then they had been taking it slow, and Trowa wasn't exactly keeping track of the time.

"Besides," Relena added as she climbed the stairs, "if my good friends at The 27 Club actually do have my car towed, after all the business I've given them, well…" She waggled her brows in a mock threat. "There will be words exchanged."

They paused at the front door, which was painted a deep shade of green. Trowa placed a hand on it, admiring the handiwork and the cold, hard steel. He rapped his knuckles against it for good measure. "Pretty solid," he remarked.

"It's Gundanium alloy," Relena quipped. Trowa quirked an eyebrow. "Kidding. But watch out for the booby traps," she warned playfully.

Trowa doubted she was kidding that time. Knowing Heero, the place was probably rigged.

The foyer was just as impressive as the outside of the house, with a marble floor and a spiral staircase, and surprisingly high ceiling. A glittering chandelier hung overhead, but it was small and delicate, and didn't seem ostentatious.

A brief tour of the downstairs ensued, with Relena excitedly pointing out details such as the granite countertops and custom cabinets in her kitchen, which she admitted to hardly ever using.

"I'm at The 27 Club far more than I care to admit," she sighed, stroking the smooth, white granite. Trowa didn't want to ask if the kitchen had come that way, or if Heero had done all of the upgrades for her.

"Anyway. It might sound silly, but this is the first place I ever bought on my own- not something I just inherited. So I'm pretty proud of it." Relena flushed. Trowa did know her well enough to know that she didn't go around flaunting her wealth.

He folded his arms and leaned back against the counter. "And yet you would give all of this up, and go live in a pod on Mars."

She laughed. "Not a pod. They're very sophisticated micro-housing units, I'll have you know. Or at least they will be... Right now poor Milliardo, Noin, and the crew are kind of roughing it, until the atmosphere changes enough to support more comfortable dwellings." Relena pulled down two glasses from her cabinets and retrieved a pitcher of iced tea from the refrigerator.

"How long will that take?" Trowa asked. Relena shrugged after she handed him one of the glasses.

"Probably a few more years. Terraforming technology improves all the time, but we always have setbacks, so it's difficult to determine a viable timeline."

"That sounds frustrating," he commented, but Relena gave him an easy smile.

"We expected this," she replied. "Overall, the project is moving along just fine." Trowa sipped on his iced tea - it was very good - and glanced around the kitchen. He didn't really want to admit to himself that he was looking for touches of Heero; perhaps a photo, or an actual booby trap. But nothing stood out. If he was honest, it almost seemed like the house was a model for a magazine, rather than a home where someone lived. It was too pristine, too organized.

"What's wrong?" Relena's words forced Trowa out of his thoughts. Her gaze followed his critical eye around the kitchen. "You hate it, don't you?"

"'Hate' is a strong word…" Trowa took another sip of his tea. "It's not my style, but then I have no basis for comparison. I live in a trailer."

Relena tipped her head at him thoughtfully.

"I suppose the nomadic lifestyle suits you," she offered. "But do you think you'll live that way forever?"

Trowa often wondered this himself. "Maybe. It's all I've ever known, never really staying in one place for too long. I'd probably get restless." Like Heero, he almost added, but didn't. And, anyway, he knew she understood that all too well. She just nodded, taking a slow sip of her iced tea.

"So, where are you off to next?"

"We have a limited run in Marseilles. Then we'll finish up the summer in the U.K. and Ireland... Glastonbury, Cardiff, Belfast…" He ticked the city names off with his fingers.

"I love Marseilles," Relena sighed. "I haven't been there in so long… and it's beautiful this time of year. Not too hot, with the mistral winds…"

"You should come out for a weekend," Trowa found himself saying. "I mean, if you have time." He quickly turned his head toward Relena's living room to find something else to look at. His gaze landed on a framed photograph, but it appeared to be of Relena and Zechs as children. Still no signs of Heero anywhere. "I'm sure Cathy would love to see you…" he continued. "Especially since she had to miss tonight's… get-together." Whatever it was.

His head turned when he heard Relena stifle a giggle.

"Oh, please. We both know she wasn't ill."

Trowa concentrated on swishing around the pale brown liquid in his glass.

"This was a setup, if I've ever seen one," she added, playfully rolling her eyes.

"Hm," was all he said in reply.

"But what I'm still not clear about…" Relena took a few steps toward him, jabbing her pointer finger at his chest, "Is why you sent me those tickets in the first place."

"Why not?"

Relena smirked at his response. "You have to admit, it was out of the ordinary. I can't even remember the last time we ran into each other, at a Preventers function or otherwise."

Trowa focused on keeping his tone even. "We were in the same city, so I thought you might like to see a show. That's all."

"You didn't plan to take me out afterward?" she asked. Trowa shook his head.

"I wasn't even sure you'd show," he said, trying to keep himself as nonchalant as possible. It was becoming more and more difficult under Relena's practiced politician's gaze. She continued to stare at him, as if she expected him to crack at any moment. Is this how politicians felt when they went head to head with Relena Darlian? Trowa didn't envy them one bit.

Just when it seemed he would spill all his thoughts he wasn't ready to share, the trill of a ringing phone broke through the silence. Relena left the kitchen to find her phone. Trowa exhaled in relief. He'd almost lost it.

The ringing stopped, and Trowa could hear Relena's side of the conversation.

"Hello, Gold… Yes… Understood. I will… Okay. See you soon."

Trowa frowned. Why had Relena called Une by her Preventer codename? Relena appeared back in the kitchen. She was frowning.

"Something's come up."

Trowa nodded. "I see. Is it… serious?" The lame question fell out of his mouth before he could think twice- it was probably the same thing he'd asked her about earlier, which she had brushed aside.

"Not exactly…" Relena seemed to hesitate. "But I should probably go. Just in case."

Trowa stilled his features, refusing to give away any emotion he might feel over having their evening cut short. "Let me at least walk you back to your car," he said.

"Sure. I just need a few minutes." She disappeared up the stairs. Trowa stood awkwardly in her kitchen, waiting for her to return. He could hear her moving around on the second floor of the townhome, and he had to force his mind not to wonder what she might be doing up there.

After a few minutes, he heard her descend the steps in what sounded like heeled boots. When she entered back into the kitchen, Trowa's jaw went slack.

She was wearing skin-tight leather pants and a fitted black top, over which she'd pulled a loose leather jacket. On her feet were shiny black boots with a tall heel. Somehow, she moved gracefully through the kitchen and into the hallway, where she picked up her purse. After zipping her jacket, she looked up at Trowa expectantly.

"Shall we?"

Trowa followed after her in a daze. They left her townhouse and headed down the street, presumably in the direction of The 27 Club. Trowa was desperately trying to find the right words to use to ask her what was going on. And why she was wearing that...

Her phone rang again. He watched her frown at the screen and answer the call.

"This is Rain," she said quietly into the phone, and Trowa's mouth dropped once again. She had her own codename? "Okay, thank you." She hung up abruptly. Trowa couldn't stand it anymore.

"Relena, what are you getting yourself into?" he asked, stopping her with a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, confused.

"What do you mean?"

"All of this!" he cried, gesturing to her outfit. "And you have a codename?! What's going on?"

"Oh." She looked startled. "I assumed you all knew." Trowa rapidly shook his head. "I started going undercover for Preventer a few years ago," she explained, shrugging one shoulder. "Just on occasion."

"Why?" Trowa asked incredulously.

"We all have our own special skills," she answered, a sly smile on her lips. She stepped out of the grasp of his hand and continued down the sidewalk.

Trowa stared after her, mouth agape. How much time had she spent with Heero?

Relena's car had not been towed - it was still parked at an odd angle, partially on the sidewalk. Before Relena climbed into the driver's seat, something Trowa was not looking forward to, she waved to the hostess at The 27 Club, who waved back with a smile.

"Come on," she said. "I can drop you back off at the circus." Trowa hesitated before getting in the car.

"I should go with you," he stated. "I would… I would never forgive myself if something happened to you." Relena tilted her head and smiled sweetly at him.

"I appreciate that, Trowa, but nothing is going to happen to me. I've had training and am more than capable of protecting myself." She smiled. "Haven't you noticed that I no longer have a bodyguard?"

Trowa had noticed, and thought it was peculiar that she had come to the circus alone. He had heard whispers that Heero was no longer around, for whatever reason, but he had at least expected Relena to come with some security. And the way she walked around the city, unaccompanied, nonchalantly leaving her car in very public places… He'd always considered the former Queen of the World to be fearless, but this? This was a whole new level.

His curiosity was piqued- he wanted to see this new Relena in action.

If she'd let him.

"Maybe I could serve as backup," Trowa offered.

Relena didn't answer him until she had successfully pulled out of her makeshift parking spot and started down the street.

"It's not the type of situation where that would be warranted," she explained, obviously trying not to give anything away.

"Like what?" Trowa pressed.

"Well, it's not like we're infiltrating a terror cell," Relena answered.

"That still tells me nothing."

After a moment, she sighed. "The truth is, I don't know exactly what I'm walking into. We've been trying to get intel for several months now, and only recently got a good enough lead to act on. Putting anyone else in excessive danger would be irresponsible."

"That's still not a very good reason, Relena," Trowa said. "And anyway, you've told me this much already." With her lips pressed into a pout, she groaned.

"Fine," she grunted. Reaching down, she picked up her purse, swerving a bit on the road as she did so, and pulled out a smaller bag from her purse. To Trowa, it looked like a makeup bag. She tossed it in his lap. "This should give you a good enough explanation as to why you cannot come with me. But you have to promise not to say anything to anyone."

Trowa opened the makeup bag and dumped the contents out onto his lap. Colored contacts, dark eyeliner, dark lipstick, and an ID badge, showing a picture of Relena, though her hair was much darker, with the name Faye Oaks. The company name on the badge read Abbott Memorial Research Institute. Trowa swallowed hard and glanced at Relena.

"You're an undercover agent?" He frowned. "How is that even possible?"

"You'd be surprised," she said with a shrug. "You should know more than anyone that it doesn't take much to alter one's appearance. Look in the glove box." Trowa reached over and opened the hatch. A black wig tumbled out. He picked it up and shook it out. The wig had the same bobbed hairstyle as Relena, but in jet black - the same hairstyle she had in the ID photo.

"Do you understand now?" she asked. "Why I can't have you come with me?"

"No. Heero approves of this?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"He doesn't know. I told you, I haven't seen him in two years," she said. The car swung off the road and onto the dirt lane that ran up to the parking lot area of the circus. The big top fluttered gently in the near distance.

A thought entered Trowa's mind, and he smiled inwardly. To Relena, he said, "All right. I will let you go alone. But you have to promise to call me if you get in any kind of trouble." The expression on her face told him that she regretted telling him about her double life.

"I'll be fine, but thank you, Trowa," she said. Trowa put his hand on the door handle, but before he left, Relena leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you again for a lovely evening."

Trowa's face burned, but he managed to keep his cool. "Same to you." He nodded to her and stepped out of her car. As soon as the door was closed, Relena peeled out of the dirt road and onto the two-lane highway, back toward the city.

Trowa had to hurry. He only had a few minutes before he'd lose her.