Disclaimer: Not my stuff. If it was, I'd be making profit from this. And as my bank account's balance is currently indicating: I'm not. :D

Chapter Three: Seclusion

It'd been a week now. He wasn't Travis Arrington anymore. He was just a face in the crowd, living in a small apartment in one of the ghettos deep in the L1 colony cluster. No one asked who he was or about his story. Just another face. And it didn't really matter, he supposed. Why should it?

After his shuttle had landed, Heero quickly navigated his was to this particular apartment building. He had thought of it immediately when he'd first make the decision to come. In all the years he'd lived on L1, this had been the place he slipped into when things got hectic. No one ever bothered looking for people in this area. There was no point in it. People here didn't want to be found, and they usually weren't. It suited the situation.

The building owner didn't ask for a name when Heero asked for a room. He gave him a set of keys and told him rent was due on the first of each month. And here he was. There wasn't a line in to connect his computer to, but he quickly solved that problem. And before he knew it, he had settled in.

He had some money with him that he'd saved, but he knew it wouldn't last forever, so, he got a job with a construction crew. Things weren't too bad. He had his job to help pass the time, and he was usually so exhausted when he returned home that falling asleep became a problem of the past. He still had nightmares, however.

They weren't the same though. In fact, he never had the same one. They were all different except for one thing: they always involved her. Always. Something always happened to her and it was always his fault. 'Why?' He couldn't figure it out.

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It'd been a week. Relena returned to the office after the second day. She couldn't stay locked up forever. People needed her to make decisions. Lots, she soon found. Two days of absence left her with some overtime. It was amazing how much stuff was piled onto her desk in just two days time. It didn't matter though. Why should it? She had nothing better to do. He'd disappeared again.

She felt like forgetting. Doing so was an entirely different matter. Two years was hard to throw away. 'Stop it, Relena. You can forget. You are strong. Look at where you are! Look at who you are! You can forget one tiny person.' That's what she told herself, day in and day out, hoping it would work. It wasn't like she could talk to anyone about it anyway. This, she'd have to do alone.

As it approached midnight, Relena decided to call it a day. She only had a small stack left, and she could finish the rest later. She'd wanted to have all her makeup paperwork done, but all her thinking and brooding had turned a two day job into five.

"Miss Peacecraft?"

Relena looked to the door. It was her new security guard, Larry. She didn't like Larry. "Yes?" she called out over the room.

"Are you ready to depart, Miss Peacecraft?"

Things were so formal with him. With Heero, well… they were on more friendly terms. And she was comfortable around him. Larry was just like everyone else that ever spoke to her. Proper. Respectful. Dead inside. She picked up her briefcase and let out a short yawn. "I suppose. It is getting a bit late." She smiled, hoping she might get some human reaction from her next comment. "No one likes a cranky Vice Foreign Minister." He didn't even crack a smile. Relena sighed.

Larry waited as she exited the office, holding the door for her. Then, he instructed her to stay close, as all good security guards should. She did, but she didn't care to. What was the point?

Relena returned to the office the next day, a little late, but rested and ready to take on the last stack of papers. She shouldn't get anymore today, it was Saturday and most people were nice enough to give her a break. So, she had that last stack and then she'd be done. She hoped. Things slipped through sometimes.

Upon entering her office, Relena found a familiar face sitting in her chair.

"Dorothy."

"Ah! Miss Relena!" the blonde directed her attention to the one who's seat she'd stolen. "A pleasure!"

"As always." Relena walked to her desk and sat down as Dorothy surrendered the chair.

"You never returned my call. In fact, you haven't returned any of them." She handed Relena a stack of post-it notes that read "call Dorothy."

Relena sighed. "I've been busy. You should have seen the stack of papers I had to get through." She paused. There really wasn't an excuse for not calling. She just hadn't wanted to. She couldn't tell her that though. "I'm sorry."

Dorothy sat on Relena's desk and sighed. "It's okay, Miss Relena."

"So why were you calling anyway?" she asked as she counted the folders on her desk. There were more. 'Ugh…'

"Well… if you recall, you are throwing a party in two weeks and we were supposed to be planning it." She picked up a pen and examined it before looking over to Relena, who seemed to have not heard her. "Remember?"

"Oh… that's right." She'd totally forgotten about it. She was having a party celebrating the 'time of peace' that she'd supposedly led. She really didn't care too much for it, but, it was a publicity thing. People liked to hear about it.

"So…" Dorothy put the pen down. "Want to get started? We can go shopping for dresses first if you want."

Shopping could uplift her spirits, she thought. Maybe. With a half-smile, Relena stood from her chair and gave her friend a nod. "Sounds good."

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It was time for lunch at the construction site. There weren't many places to sit on the high beams of the skeleton like building, so Heero was forced to sit near his co-workers. They were nice enough people, he just didn't feel like talking.

"Whatcha got ther' Bruce?" one of the men asked his co-worker as he compared his sandwich to Bruce's. "Your gal spoils your ass! Man, I'd kill for a girl who'd make me a sandwich like that!"

Bruce chuckled. "Yeah, I got me a good girl."

"Wait until you're married," one of the older guys chimed in. "You won't get sandwiches like that anymore."

The men laughed. Heero even managed to grin a little.

"Hey, you, new guy," Bruce called over to Heero. "You got a girl at home waitin' for you?"

He didn't hesitate. "No." He was lying. He knew that Relena was probably waiting for him to return, but, he'd rather not get into it now. He was trying to forget.

"No, huh? Hrm. Well, that's a shame. I never would have guessed. Oh well, keep your chin up and your eyes open. You'll find a girl to make you a better lunch one day," he glanced at Heero's sorry excuse for a sandwich: peanut butter and jelly. "One like this!" He held his sandwich up for them all to see and they all laughed again.

Heero didn't.

That night turned out to be a restless one. That obnoxious sandwich metaphor wouldn't leave his head. He sat up in his bed and turned to the little table he had set up for his laptop next to it. With a few strokes of the keys, he had his security camera program running. The picture was a little fuzzy, but he could still see. He switched through a couple cameras, not finding anything and then switched to the ones he had in her office. 'What the…' What was Relena doing awake at this hour?

He smiled. Hard at work as always. She looked tired though. And not just because it was late, she just looked like she wasn't doing too well. It made his heart sink a little, but he knew it was for the best. She'd be better off without him around. A lot better. The thought was interrupted by another figure on the screen. Dark black suit. Sunglasses. Pistol tucked away. Her new security guard. He switched to another camera. Relena didn't look too enthused to see him. 'Who is that anyway…?' Another camera change revealed the answer. "That moron?!" He couldn't believe it. They gave his position to that ignorant punk he'd greeted with a punch the other morning. The man who didn't think they needed security took over his position?

The following day, Heero picked up his last paycheck. He didn't trust that guy one bit. And so, he began spending his days watching his cameras and hacking into the data base. He'd left because he thought she'd be more safe. Larry the moron was not more safe.

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Relena placed the phone back on the receiver as she said goodbye to Dorothy. She wasn't thinking about anything they'd talked about. Not the party tomorrow. Not the guests. Not even about the gorgeous dress she'd bought. Not at all. Only Heero.

Her restlessness had grown ten fold in the past week. It'd been three. She anxiously watched the door, waiting, hoping for him to walk through it. She needed him. Didn't he know that?

With a long sigh, Relena turned to her window and peered out over the city. One could only stare at one object for so long. She leaned back into her chair. Then began her reflection of the night he'd left.

He'd calmed down by the time they reached her estate. His eyes still darted around wildly, but he wasn't convulsing anymore. Instead, she was the one shaking. He'd gazed at her softly, seeming to take in all that he could as if he'd never get to do so again.

"Goodbye, Relena." He cupped his hand on her chin and rubbed his thumb across her cheek before he turned to leave.

"Wait…" she'd been confused. "Where are you going?"

He pulled his car keys out from his pocket, keeping his back facing her. "Away."

Tears swelled up in her eyes. Moments ago, he'd been in her arms, trembling. Now, he was as cold as ever. "When? Why? What's wrong? Heero… you can tell me! Don't keep it inside…"

He started walking towards his car. "Everything's going to be fine…"

She watched as he reached his car and silently opened the door to get in. The lump in her throat barely allowed her to speak. "Don't go… please…"

He looked at her from behind the car. "I'll be back when you need me." He paused, maintaining his stoic stare. "Just like before."

That's when he'd left. "But I always need you…" she repeated that final line that he'd never heard to herself. She'd thought about it a thousand times, but that last conversation they had didn't add up. Nothing he'd said explained his spazzing out, or his sudden urge to leave. She hadn't even believed him that night. But he did leave. Just like that. Just like he said. She still didn't understand. She wouldn't have time to figure it out, either. The phone rang again.

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Heero finished reading through the final security report for Relena's party. It was a day away and the report he read was… insufficient, to say the least. And he couldn't recall seeing Relena's new personal guard anywhere near her in the last hour. In fact, he wasn't in the building. Not that he cared what happened to the moron, but he didn't like Relena to be alone.

He let out a frustrated sigh. She'd probably be better off without him around anyway. If anything, he'd get in the way. Relena could handle it if something happened. And if she couldn't, he'd be there as soon as he could.

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End chapter three.

Wow, the first chapter that didn't end with a question n.n;; I noticed that as I was reading through it all once more. Anyway, if things end up working according to the outline I've made up, the fun stuff should be next, followed by fluff, more fun, and then a conclusion! Whee!!

As always, I enjoy your feedback. As a matter of fact, it's already influenced some decisions I've made so far. Keep 'em coming!

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Footnote: The line "I'll be back when you need me," was taken from the graphic novel, Endless Waltz.