a/n: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Just to make everything a little easier, I've decided to make these stories take place after Endless Waltz, but that the gundams were not destroyed at the end of the movie. Because if there were no gundams in this story at some point, it would be boring :D

The Albion Eastern Coalition was directly violating the economic bans that had been placed on Northern Morocco. Relena knew very well that the center of the terrorists was in that region, but until they officially made themselves known there wasn't much that could be done. If there as an attack without the public knowing the reason, the Preventers would be blamed for the fallout. But even with all of their efforts, the terrorists were using stealth instead of more straight-forward means of voicing their opinions. With Noin and Millardo gone, Relena lacked their knowledge of what should be done.

Well, she knew what should be done, but it involved dispatching a counter force and that was not an option. Sally Poe and Wufei Chang were still working on it, but they had been gone for a month pursuing leads. They were still trying to gather information.

Relena stood up from her desk and walked to the window. The top of her desk was covered with letters. After the attack had taken place at the Sahara Base, and old compound left over from Oz. Despite the fact that it no longer was an Oz base, but simply a research base that the Earth Sphere was keeping on hand, the AEC Awakeners force had attacked it without warning. A spy had placed bombs throughout the base, and destroyed it.

Fifty-four people died. She had been up writing letters to each of the families of the fallen.

The door opened, and Heero didn't bother to announce himself. She always knew where he was and when he was there.

"Here is the daily security report," he went to set it on her desk, and frowned, "What is all this?"

"Letters to the relatives of those who died at Sahara Base," Relena sighed, not looking at him, "I told myself I would send my personal condolences to all of them if it was the last thing I did."

"Something is going to have to be done soon," Heero replied. He didn't like the fact that they were a sitting duck. Most of the forces these days were greatly reduced since the battle with Mariemaia's forces in order to promote treaties and try to create a sense of peace. People were tired of wars and battles, and simply wanted to live their lives.

The gundams were being stored in a place that only the gundam pilots knew off. No one ever asked about them. One or twice a year, Heero would travel to Wing Zero's location to tune up the operating system, and then he would leave it to sleep. He was the head of security detail for President Relena Darlian, not a gundam pilot anymore, and that was the way it should be.

At least, that's what he hoped.

Relena still hadn't looked at him. Heero sensed that something was wrong, but he wanted her to be the one to reach out.

"Tell me, Heero," she clasped her hands behind her back, "Why did you deliver that report? You usually send your assistant."

It had been two weeks since the dance. She could feel his eyes on her every time they passed in the hallway. Relena would be lying if she said that she wasn't nervous around him, it was one of the rare times when he actually showed that he had some type of feelings for her.

"Quatre sent me a message and said that you didn't attend economic council, and Christina told me that you canceled all of your meetings for the last two days, and cancelled everything for the the next three days."

"Everyone is tattling on me, huh?" she chuckled, still facing the window. Relena found it funny that the person they went to when she did something they didn't like was Heero. Even Quatre ratted her out.

"You've spent all of this time on these letters," Heero told her, "You're planning on not doing anything until their finished, aren't you?"

Relena was silent.

She was never silent, and he didn't like it one bit.

"I have a duty to my citizens, Heero. I am their elected official, and I care about the fact that they are suffering. They must know that. If I have to cancel a few conferences, then I will do it. I won't sit in this big palace and twiddle my thumbs."

A pair of arms wrapped around her, and her back was pulled against Heero's chest. He was just at the right height to rest his chin on the top of her head. Out of all the times he had known her, Relena wore her emotions on her sleeve but she was always very good at control. In public, she was a rock and never wavered. But when he held her, he realized that maybe she was keeping that control to herself. Her entire body was shaking.

Relena, who had survive the massacre at the Sanc Kingdom, the same girl who survived that battle in space against her own brother. The same girl who was prepared to step in front of a bullet when Mariamaia was trying to kill her. The same girl that was willing to die for her ideals...she never cried in front of other people. At least not anymore. He remembered when they first met and she was still just a silly teenage girl going to parties. Now she was president and it was all about her practiced control.

But he felt her tremble as he held her. Looking at her reflection in the window, Heero saw the tears streaming down her face.

Perhaps the death of all those people reminded her of her Darlian father, as well as the Peacecraft family that died. No one had been there for them, but she wanted to be there for them.

"How many do you have left?" Heero asked her.

"Fifteen," she said, "I still need to address and seal them."

"I'll help you," he said, "Show me the finished ones and I'll take care of it."

"But-"

"Don't fight with me, Relena, just do it."

She stared at the window. Heero was just about to release her when she wrapped her hands around his arm over her chest, and she buried her face in his arm. He froze when he felt the tears on his coat.

She was there for everyone but no one was really there for her.

Except him.

Relena felt the sun on her back before she woke up. Her head was resting in the middle of her crossed arms, and she had been sleeping on her desk. With a yawn, she sat up in her chair. There was a rustle of fabric, she realized a dark jacket rested on her shoulders.

Heero's coat.

A tray of tea and biscuts sat on the desk, and all of her letters were neatly stacked. She remembered staying up all night, writing notes, and giving them to Heero to address. He had left at one point to check on security and she had fallen asleep in her chair. Pulling the coat around her shoulders, she buried her face in the material. Relena smiled to herself, she could still smell him.

Reaching forward, she took the steaming cup of tea and took a sip. It was lovely. Her eye caught the note that was left on the tray, and she picked it up.

You owe me another.

- H

She was fine with that.

Relena smiled, and took another sip of tea.