Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing

"What's this about the doctor being here?" Heero hit the hallway with a predatory stride as he approached the taller man. "He's not scheduled to visit her again, until—"

"She's awake," Zechs said, cutting him off.

Heero stopped cold.

Zechs studied him. "She's asking for you," he said.

Heero continued forward, again, leaning against the wall next to Zechs. "Have you told her?"

He shook his head. "No. I think that's your place."

Heero nodded.

"Dad?" A young teen reached the top of the stairs, approaching the two men. His messy white blond hair fell into his blue eyes, nearly obscuring his features. "Is it true? Is she—?"

Zechs nodded, firmly. "Relena's awake." His voice almost cracked with an array of unfamiliar emotions. She was alive. She was awake. He had his sister back.

Heero jolted at the sound of the bedroom door opening. The doctor stepped out, closing it behind him. He addressed Zechs. "She seems to be in perfect condition neurologically. Her body, of course, is degenerated by the time and lack of use. Her voice should come back over the next few months, but her muscles will take significantly longer. I suspect that with proper physical therapy, she'll be mostly back to her old self within the next year or two."

Zechs cracked a small smile.

"Granted," the doctor continued. "I would advise counseling until she's back on her feet. For all intents and purposes, she's been transported over a decade into the future. Not to mention the mysterious circumstances of her—incident.

Heero shifted uncomfortably at the inference. Relena was not attempting suicide, regardless of what the news said.

"She's probably going to have some trouble along the way dealing with the changes. She'll need her family's support. I presume she can count on that."

Zechs nodded, signaling an end to the conversation. Once the doctor faded down the stairwell, he gripped Heero's shoulder, offering support. "She's waiting for you," he said.

Heero stepped forward, hesitating as he took the handle in his right hand, tucking his left in his pocket. With a sigh, he opened the door.

Relena lay on her bed, the IV and monitors finally detached from her body after thirteen long years. She had her face toward the windows, her eyes closed. The only sign of life was a small smile that spread across her face as his familiar scent reached her. "Heero," she whispered.

He pressed the door shut and walked toward her, slowly. Finally, she opened her eyes, revealing her sea blue irises. They focused on him, taking him in.

Heero had aged gently through the years. His face was as chiseled as she remembered his body being. She was pretty sure he'd grown taller since she'd been hurt, and he'd maintain his athletic frame. His hair was lightly dusted with a salting of grey. His eyes were creased with crows' feet from smiles and laughs she never got to enjoy with him.

With another nervous sigh, he smiled at her. "I never thought I would see you looking at me, again," he gushed. He was happy to have her back, but his eyes relayed a level of sadness. The years of mourning her had taken their toll.

"I used to have to pull teeth to get you to smile for me," she joked.

"It's been a while," he answered. Heero carefully took her hand in his as he lowered himself at her side. He ran a callused thumb over her knuckles.

"Thirteen years," she said as loudly as she could.

He nodded, silently, studying her fingers through misty eyes.

"You've really been visiting me all this time?"

His lips formed a hard line, biting back his emotions as he shook his head. "I love you," he said in a flat tone. "I'm sorry I didn't give myself time to say it more, but that doesn't make it any less true."

She laughed sadly, with tears pouring down her face. He finally reached up with both hands, cupping her face, pressing his forehead against hers.

Relena choked on a sob as she processed the blurry glint of gold coming toward her. "You're married?" She said between sharp breaths, trying to sound happy or relieved. She forced herself to smiled at him, but it couldn't hide her heartbreak.

Heero squeezed his eyes closed, fighting to feel his way through the moment.

"That's—great," she lied with a laugh. "I'm so happy for you."

"Relena," he started to argue, his eyes pleading with her.

She shook her head expressively. "Thirteen years is a long time, Heero. It's good. It's good." She sighed, looking away to regain her composure.

"I need to explain," he said softly.

"You don't have to."

"I do."

She finally looked back up at him through clouds of tired sorrow.

"When you got hurt," he said, struggling for words. "It took Zechs months to forgive me—for what had happened."

She looked puzzled. "But I told him you hand nothing—"

"What had happened—between us—the night of the accident," he clarified.

"How did he know?"

Heero's gaze dropped to the nightstand beside her. Tears filled his eyes, again, as his mind went back to that time in their lives. "Relena, you were hurt pretty badly in the fall, but it didn't stop you—from conceiving." He looked at her, again, biting his lip.

"Conceiving?"

He nodded. "Relena. We have a son."

Her eyes widened. "Wh—what?"

He touched her cheek, offering his support.

"I'm—I'm a mother?"

He shook his head yes, again.

Relena took a sharp breath. There were no proper words. Just questions she couldn't quite ask. "Wh—where—what—?"

Heero sighed, taking her hands in his, again. "His name is Aaron. He looks like your brother." He smiled, at the thought. "After the cesarean, they let Zechs take you home. He knows you, as best he can. He comes here, with me, every day. He's here, now. With Zechs."

Relena was trembling in his hands.

Heero looked away from her, again, fixing his focus on the wall. "Marybeth was his preschool teacher, when he was three." He sighed, praying she would understand. "She stepped in to help because you weren't—available," he said, apologetically.

Relena fought the rising anger, thinking of him loving another woman.

"Relena," he said, looking deep into her eyes. "I didn't love her, easily. I've never stopped loving you."

Relena wanted to pull away from him and hide. Her heart was breaking, and she couldn't even keep it from him. "I know," she whispered, trying to reassure him, but her strength failed her. Wretched tears gushed out, again, under his gaze. Her mourning was met with his own.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, pulling her into his arms. "He needed her," he explained. "And I—I don't know what happened. It hurt. It hurt to fall in love, again. I just wanted you to wake up. And every step of the way, I had to let you go, all over, again."

Relena sighed as he laid her back down, brushing the tears and damp hair from her face. His face was softer than she ever remembered. His eyes were red and tired.

"She's—um—" Heero kept searching for words. "She knows about you. She always has. She understands. She's always loved Aaron, like her own." He let his eyes wander along the wall above her bed, looking for nothing in particular. "We just had a daughter." He smiled, picturing his little brunette princess. "Her name is Relena. It was Marybeth's idea."

Relena absorbed the words passively. She was all out of tears, and too tired to smile, anymore, but she still tried. She just wanted to reassure him. She'd never seen him cry, after all.

"Heero," she whispered.

He focused on her, again. He could feel her need, and leaned in to touch his head against hers. "I love you," he whispered, placing a compassionate kiss on her forehead.

There were so many other things to say, so many stories to tell, but now, all he could do was sit with her. He just held her hand and looked into her gentle eyes in silence.

"I want to meet Aaron," she finally said, ever so softly.

Heero nodded, pressing her hand to his lips. "I'll send him in."

He stopped at the door, looking back at her, again, with a sigh. When she met his gaze, she gave him a small, genuine smile. Heero smiled back.

Nothing would ever replace their connection.

A few minutes later, Relena's door cracked open, and she looked up to greet a tall twelve year old boy. His uncles white hair was as unruly as his father's and his father's eyes sparkled in the afternoon light.

"Mom?" His voice was shy.

She beamed at him. "Aaron," she replied.

Tears came to the boy's eyes as he approached her bedside, studying her the way Heero always did. "Dad was right," he said.

Her brow wrinkled with curiosity.

"You have the most beautiful eyes."