Disclaimer – I don't own Gundam Wing in any shape or form.

AN: Well, kids, this is it. I find that it's fitting that I started this story when I was a freshman in college and now I'm completing it when I'm graduating. Gundam Wing has always been a big part of my life, but I feel like this story really let me grow up and become the writer and person that I want to be. I appreciate all of you and thank you for accompanying me on this journey. It's been a long and meaningful one.

For Richer or Poorer

It was an April morning when they told us we should go
As I turn to you, you smiled at me

How could we say no?

If one bell should ring, in celebration for a king

So fast the heart should beat,
As proud the head with heavy feet.

Chapter Thirteen: Achilles' Last Stand

Relena walked briskly down the monochrome hall of the jail, doing her best to ignore that dull ache that still existed in her abdomen. During the planning stage, she hoped she'd never have to set foot inside the jail, and now she on her way to see its most valuable criminal.

She felt like a bit of a criminal herself. She was let into the maximum-security wing of this prison by negligence and one officer who seemed to be a bit in love with her. All she had to do was insist Gisborne had given her permission to enter and bat her eyelashes a little. The guard practically fell over himself to open the door for her. Relena didn't mind, it was the one time she didn't feel bad for taking advantage of someone. She briefly hoped she didn't run into another officer who stopped her.

She had to see him. She knew it was risky and she knew it was wrong. But she had to see him.

Every officer she passed in the hallways gave her a solemn nod, like she belonged there. No one questioned her. A chill ran up her spine; soon she would be the new Mrs. Gisborne. She would soon command the same respect and fear from the officers that Gisborne did. It made her uncomfortable.

She rounded the corner and found a young man standing in front of a heavy metal door. Instinctively, she knew Heero was behind it.

"I must speak with Heero Yuy."

The young police officer stood at attention as she spoke, his respect for her evident in his posture.

"Ma'am, I can't let you do that. I have to check with my superior."

"I am your superior." Relena said, trying to push the guilt of lying out of her conscience.

"Yes ma'am." The officer said, but he didn't move.

It took all she had to not feel deflated as the young man stood at attention. "Officer Scarlett," she said, glancing at his name badge. "I would like to speak with the prisoner."

He noticed the change in her tone of voice. He relaxed a little bit. "Ma'am, I can't let you do that. I have strict orders not to let anyone in or out of this cell."

Relena knew she was defeated. The kind look in Officer Scarlett's eyes was deterring her from using any more power she didn't have. He wanted to help her, but he couldn't.

"Officer Scarlett," Relena started the sentence, not knowing where it would lead her. Her heart ached with sadness as she struggled to find the words. "Do have anyone in your life that you would do anything for?"

Scarlett didn't answer for a moment. "My father." He finally answered.

"If your father was imprisoned, what would you do to help him?"

"Anything." He said quickly and with fervor. "Ma'am." He added as an afterthought.

She smiled softly. "That's how I feel about that man in there. I can't help him. All I want to do is see him."

Scarlett looked pained. He sighed and licked his lips nervously. "I can give you five minutes." He punched in the code for the lock on the door and Relena heard the loud click of metal being unlocked. "But that's it."

"Thank you."

The heavy metal door opened, scratching the floor, making a deafening squeal. She swallowed the lump in her throat and walked in.

He sat on the metal bed that was provided for him. There was a thin mattress on it, but she knew it couldn't be comfortable. She stood in the doorway, flinching a bit when the door shut behind her.

He didn't look up. He stared at a spot on the wall across from him. He didn't look like he noticed or cared that someone had entered the room.

"Heero," she called his name, hoping he would look up at her. He didn't.

Suddenly feeling self-conscious, she walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I have to talk to you." She said, her voice giving away how nervous she was. Breaking down, she dropped to her knees and threw her arms around him.

His hands were bound in front of him, but Relena could feel that he wouldn't lift them to hold her even if they were free. She pulled away, looking into his eyes. They were lifeless and oddly familiar. As she stared at him trying to pull away some sort of emotion, she realized where she recognized this look on his face. It was the same look he gave her when he told her he would kill her all those years ago.

She pulled away and stood up.

"I'm aware of your choice. If that's what you came to inform me, then you can leave."

She blinked back the tears that had sprung up. He sat on the metal bed and looked at her, unfazed. He seemed to look right past her.

"Of all of the people who judge me for this," she said, finding it hard to speak. "I didn't think you would be one of them."

"You didn't?" There was an edge to his voice. Emotion was creeping into his words and it made Relena more uncomfortable than when he was stoic. "You didn't think I would have an opinion about the choice you're making?"

"It's for you."

"For me?" His voice raised and he stood, bringing himself up to his full height, which at the moment looked menacing. Relena took a step back. His brow furrowed and fire returned to his eyes. "When have I ever asked anything from you?" It came out almost as a hiss.

Feeling like a chastised child, Relena kept her mouth shut. The tears were threatening to spill, but she didn't let them. She blinked them back and kept his gaze.

"Everything I've ever done was to keep you safe." He said letting out a breath and finally looking away. "And now you're going to throw it away."

Relena went rigid. "When did I ask that of you?" The tears fell down her cheeks, but she wiped them away and stood straighter. "I've never asked you to protect me. You took that task on yourself. Just like I'm doing now. I saw you were in trouble and I stepped in to help."

Heero barely let her finish her sentence before he jumped in. "This is help?" He took a step towards her, almost towering over her. "You think marrying him saves my life? Relena, you are incredibly naive. They will hunt me until they day I die. What you're doing is meaningless."

"They'll kill you in here," Relena insisted.

"They'll kill me out there!" He shouted, trying to motion outside of the walls before remembering he was bound at the wrist.

"No." She shook her head, sounding braver with every word. "You're smarter than they are."

"Dammit, Relena, they have the entire police force and you!"

She recoiled as if she'd been hit. She took a breath and looked away. "You… you really think I'd betray you? That I'll tell Guy everything I know about you?"

Guilt started to eat away at Heero's anger. "No."

She licked her lips, finding they were dry. She looked around the room trying to gather her words. "Why don't we talk about the real reason you're upset?"

"And what would that be?"

He stared at her, eyes still burning holes into her. Unafraid of the glare she was receiving, she walked with purpose over to where he stood and kissed him. She lingered there, wishing he wasn't handcuffed. She longed to feel his arms around her again. His anger dissipated quickly as he kissed her with fervor. He pressed himself closer to her, returning the kiss, trying to overwhelm the gnawing fact that he couldn't hold her. He kissed her, trying to convey every hope and fear and regret. His emotions threatened to drown him and he was holding onto her for dear life.

She finally broke the kiss and sat on the thin mattress. He sat next to her, watching her movements closely. She slipped her hand into his shackled ones. He gripped it tightly and they sat in silence.

"Don't." he said quietly.

"It will keep you alive." She whispered.

"It will kill you." He countered.

She smiled and gave him a soft kiss. "It won't."

"It will kill me to see you with him."

Relena didn't have an answer for that. She couldn't lie to him and even if she did, he was too smart to believe it. She opened her mouth, but no words came out; she'd run out of things to say.

The metal door opened swiftly, revealing Will Scarlett. "Ma'am, if you don't want to be caught, you have to leave now."

V-v-v-v-v-v-v-V

Duo walked back to the Sherwood, purposely taking the long route. There was only so much time he could sit in that place, waiting for something to happen.

He felt useless.

He spent his waking hours thinking of ways to get Heero out of jail. Nothing was coming to him. He'd need an army to get through that jail. Getting Quatre out was a fluke enough; Gisborne wasn't stupid enough for it to happen again.

He kicked a rock and watched it ricochet down the street. He was stalling and he knew it. When he got back, Quatre and Trowa would be patiently waiting for him, wanting to come up with a new plan. The truth was that he had nothing. For one time in his life, his tactical brain had shut down and left him with absolutely nothing. He was left to commiserate in the loss of his friend. It was a grief he hadn't allowed himself to feel in years.

He turned the corner to the building and he saw a familiar face sitting on the curb. She got up as she saw him near and smiled at him. Seeing her bright smile made his lip tug upwards a little bit.

"Fancy seeing you here." Hilde said with a smile that she hoped didn't show how tired she was.

Duo smiled back, looking about as chipper as she felt. "Yeah, fancy that." He sat down next to her on the curb.

"You just can't get rid of me, can you?" she asked, trying to bring back some of their familiar banter.

"Nope. I keep tryin. But you just keep coming back." Duo said, some humor finding its way back into his voice. The shared a smile before a strained silence fell over their conversation.

"Hil, what are you doing here?" It was the inevitable question that she knew he'd eventually ask. She just didn't want to answer it.

The words caught in her throat and she didn't speak for a long time. They sat in silence as she searched for the words she wanted to say. Finally, the sadness was too much for her to bear. Her throat was closing up with emotion, but she managed to speak. "Relena is going to marry Gisborne tomorrow."

Duo didn't say a word, but his heart sank.

"Out in the middle of the public square. It's like they're daring her to defy them. Either that or they want to do some sort of public humiliation." Hilde spoke quickly as if she was letting her thoughts materialize and tumble of out her mouth. "I tried to talk her out of it. But she's convinced it will help Heero."

"How will it help Heero?" the question came out more biting than he meant it, and he knew he'd directed his acidic response at the wrong person.

Hilde didn't flinch. "She made a deal. She marries Gisborne and he sets Heero free."

"Just like that?" he sounded a bit hopeful.

"Yeah, just like that." Hilde repeated his statement, but without the optimism that had laced Duo's question. It didn't go unnoticed, and Duo slumped lower down on the curb beside her.

"What's the catch?"

"She loses her freedom. She quits her job. She becomes a shadow, subservient to Gisborne and Prince."

"Just like that." Duo repeated, this time it was bereft of optimism.

"They do an exchange. One prisoner for another. Relena becomes a prisoner in her home."

They sat in silence again. Duo wished he had something to say to her. She seemed so wounded by this information. He put a comforting hand on her back and left it there as he felt her pulse racing.

"I can't do this anymore, Duo. I just can't." her voice was breaking.

"Can't do what?"

"I can't work for Gisborne anymore. I can't give in like Relena did."

"She's doing what she thinks is right." Duo's voice was quiet, but the statement came through like a reprimand.

"Do you think it's right?" Hilde asked, unfazed by his tone.

Duo sat silently for a moment, mulling over how to answer the question. "There are no more options available to her, Hilde."

"You didn't answer my question."

"No, I don't think it's right." He said, sounding defeated. He rubbed his eyes, suddenly looking much older than he was. Hilde watched him sigh and for a moment, she saw all of the stress and strain the wars had taken on him. The young man beside her had been through more war and death than she cared to imagine. She looked down at the concrete, the old feeling of helplessness washing over her. It was something she hadn't felt since the war. Memories of L2 came flooding back to her: sitting across from Duo in the tiny apartment they shared, watching him rub his eyes and talk about the struggle for the Colonies.

He looked much older now. His hair was shorter, but his eyes were wearier. Sitting on the curb, he looked like he'd aged about twenty years.

"Hilde, you have to stay far away from me." He said sounding pained.

She looked at him, unwilling to believe the truth of the statement. "No."

"You don't have to stay in the police. In fact, go far away from here. Leave this city and get away from Gisborne. But more importantly, you have to get far away from me."

"No." Hilde said more forcibly, tears coming to her eyes against her will.

"Hil, if something happens to you,"

"Nothing will happen to me, Duo."

"It will if you keep coming around here." Duo looked her straight in the eyes, his violet ones filled with pain. "I can't let what happened to Relena happen to you."

Her eyes finally filled with recognition and tears. "Hil, I love you too much for you to be in this situation. You have to get out of here before Gisborne realizes you've been giving us information."

"He'll never know." Her voice was cracking with the weight of the lie she just told.

"He'll find out eventually. And he'll use you to bring me down, just like he's using Relena. I won't let that happen, Hilde."

Hilde nodded slowly, tears falling down her cheeks. He wiped them away.

V-v-v-v-v-v-v-V

Duo walked up the stairs after sending Hilde on her way. He was greeted by a low hum of chatter in the normally quiet building.

Unconsciously, he moved closer the wall on the staircase, ascending as quietly as possible. He fingered the gun he kept in his waistband,

He shoved the door open and held his gun out, ready to fire. He expected to see his friends under arrest - or worse. What greeted him made his jaw and his gun drop.

Quatre smiled upon Duo's entrance. And at least thirty heads turned to see what was going on. The room was filled with men, different ages and races. They all had the same look of determination and pain on them, as if they'd been kicked around one too many times. Their eyes got bigger as Duo dropped the gun lower, almost losing his grip on it. He looked over at Quatre, finding him in the crowd.

"Duo," Quatre's smile widened as the chatter died and turned into a reverent silence. "Wufei brought a few friends over."

Wufei stepped into view. "I quit the Preventers today." He said simply, with something that Duo could only interpret as a self-satisfied smirk. "And on the way out, I ran into a few people who inquired how to help Heero Yuy and his gang."

Duo looked around, finding Trowa standing next to Quatre and allowing himself a small smile.

"I hope you don't mind, but I directed them over here. I thought we could use some help."

"We?" Duo repeated, raising an eyebrow at Wufei.

Wufei shrugged, the smirk still on his face. "We were comrades once. I thought we might be once more."

"There's more of us." One of the men spoke up.

"A lot more." Another chimed in.

"And we wanna help!" Yet another piped up.

He didn't speak for a minute, searching Quatre, Trowa and Wufei's faces. Duo surprised smile finally broke into a grin. "Boy, do I have a job for you guys."

V-v-v-v-v-v-v-V

Sunlight lit the room, on what should have been the happiest day of her life. She stood in front of the mirror, an odd sense of déjà vu coming over her. This would be the second time she donned a white dress, marched down an aisle and made a decision that she didn't want to make.

Except this time there would be no saving her. There would be no Heero to show up, there would be no escape. Becoming Queen of the World had helped the citizens of the Cinq Kingdom, and the world. This, however, was just helping Heero.

Her head dropped. She looked beautiful. Her hair was wrapped in an elegant bun, her make-up made her bright blue eyes pop, and her dress was an ivory masterpiece of lacework and beading, but inside she was breaking. The shell of Relena Darlian stood inside of her bridal suite, staring in the mirror, wondering what she'd become.

"I seem to keep finding you in this position, Miss Relena."

Relena barely registered that someone was talking to her. But something about that haughty statement was familiar. She turned around.

"Dorothy?"

"Who else?" the blonde asked with a flip of her hair. She walked into the room and closed the door.

"What position do you always find me in, Dorothy?" Relena asked, meeting the other woman halfway and embracing her.

Dorothy was the first to pull away with a knowing smirk on her face. Dorothy did enjoy being privy to information, and at the moment felt like she knew Relena better than anyone in the world. She savored the moment of being in that rare company. "You seem to always be making choices to benefit others." Dorothy made her way to the window. "You should learn to be a bit more selfish."

"People would die if I were more selfish."

Dorothy turned and cocked an eyebrow. "I was only aware of one life at stake, Miss Relena."

Relena was silent, but she held Dorothy's gaze. Dorothy nodded, without completely understanding. "I see. Not ready to admit it yet."

"Admit what, Dorothy?" Relena had gotten very skilled at feigning innocence since her entrance into politics.

"You're in love with him." She said matter-of-factly. Dorothy stepped to the window, lazily looking out of it.

Relena watched her, trying to find the words to say. It wasn't a matter of that being the truth or not, Relena hated it when Dorothy was right. And she usually was. Relena opened her mouth to give some sort of formal retort, but none came. The sardonic blonde had beaten her with logic again.

"I was in love once." Dorothy spoke up, catching Relena by surprise. She watched Dorothy cautiously, not sure if this was some sort of game she was playing. Relena caught a sudden glimpse of pain on Dorothy's face and she was taken aback at how genuine she looked. Dorothy caught the look and turned to face her. "It's true, you know."

"What happened?"

"He was killed." Dorothy looked at her, the edge gone from her voice. "In the end, soldiers are killed, Relena. That's the prince they pay. It's the glorious death they always asked for."

"But Heero doesn't have to die."

"Heero is a warrior. He will fight until his last breath. You cannot protect him from his nature."

"Well, Dorothy, you can make the argument that everyone will die."

Dorothy could tell she was getting defensive, but continued. "Of course. But Heero will die a warrior's death. Marry Gisborne if you feel like you have to, but he and Yuy will continue to do battle. It's the way of things. Perhaps you've slowed it, perhaps you've delayed it, but you haven't stopped it."

"I believe I have."

"By getting him out of jail?" Dorothy said, disbelief creeping into her voice. "Relena, you've only prolonged the inevitable. Heero was born a warrior and he will die as one. You haven't save his life, just delayed his death."

V-v-v-v-v-v-v-V

The public square outside the Capitol building had never looked more beautiful. There were decorations everywhere, satin sashes of ivory and white, bouquets of roses and lilies and flower petals strewn about the street. There were thousands of people in attendance, and somehow there was room for them all. Relena mused that all of New Port must have come out for her wedding.

Her wedding.

She felt sick again. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The car that was driving her to her wedding would be stopping soon. They were nearly there.

As the car rolled to a stop, she got a better look at the crowd. She saw a few dignitaries she recognized. She saw a few members of the Senate and others she worked with. She caught the glimpse of platinum blonde hair and she felt her breath catch in her throat. For a split second, she hoped it was Milliardo. But as Dorothy turned around to get a look at the car she was in, her heart deflated.

Every police officer she'd ever met or seen looked to be on duty. The others in the crowd looked like citizens, wearing the best clothes they could afford, patiently waiting to see her. Outside her door was a long white carpet, leading through a sea of people to a raised stage.

Relena opened her door and a hush fell over the crowd. She stepped on the concrete and her shoes made a click that reverberated in her ears. Her heart was pounding and she thought this time she might really be sick. She pulled her veil down over her face, hoping that no one would look her directly in the eyes. If they did, they would see the truth. The stretch of carpet looked melodramatically long. She followed it with her eyes, finding a platform at the end. She could make out Gisborne easily enough. He was standing next to a priest, fidgeting with his tux, looking nervous and ill prepared. However, to his right was something she did not expect to see.

There stood Heero, with his hands bound behind his back, and a police officer with the muzzle of a rifle pointed at his back. He was in plain clothes, black pants and a collared white shirt. The lump returned to her throat. This couldn't be happening.

The music started drifting through the loudspeakers set up along the pathway and the sizable crowd all turned and looked her Relena.

She didn't notice them. She could only see Heero.

Relena started her slow march to the altar, every step getting heavier. Each step brought her closer to her prison. She held Heero's gaze as she walked. For a moment, she pretended that she was walking towards him, and not Gisborne.

She blinked back that dream; it was dead now. She continued down the aisle. Marquis Wayridge had generously offered to accompany as she walked to her fate, but she had declined. This was something she had to do by herself. She walked her final steps, heavy with dread, and stood next to Gisborne.

"What's this?" she asked, looking over at Heero.

"In case you change your mind." Gisborne's voice was flat and dead. She tried to search his face, finding it to be devoid of emotion.

Heero watched her stand next to Gisborne, his blood boiling. He briefly considered making a run for it, but quickly dismissed it. He would be shot down before he got off the stage. His focus shifted from Gisborne to Relena, the shackle on his hands suddenly more uncomfortable. She looked stunning. With the light falling on her, she was glowing. But it was the sadness in her eyes he couldn't overlook. She pulled her gaze away from him and looked back at her husband-to-be. Husband. The word tasted like acid on his tongue. A familiar pang struck him and couldn't look at her anymore.

She offered her hand to Gisborne.

He took and held it tightly. Her looks over the prisoner didn't go unnoticed. Every turn of her head made Gisborne grind his teeth together. He cast a sidelong glance at Prince, who sat in the front row. The older man was sitting watching the ceremony in front with unadulterated glee in his eyes. Gisborne had never seen the old man so happy. Something about that fact made Gisborne grind his teeth harder.

Gisborne turned his attention to the priest as he heard his name mentioned. He was never very religious, and his sappy rhetoric was staring to get on his last nerve. "Hurry it up." He growled.

The priest jumped at Guy's statement. He nervously flipped through a few pages on his oversized Bible. "Uh… yes… I just have to find it." He said, tripping over his words. His finger fell across the pages in jagged lines, trying to find the next portion of the ceremony.

"Oh, he-here we go." The priest's voice cracked under the pressure and he had to take a breath.

"Get on with it." Gisborne ordered, his voice low.

"Do you, Guy Gisborne take Relena Darlian to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness-"

"I do."

The grip on her hand was tighter.

"Do you, Relena Darlian take Guy Gisborne to be your-"

A loud hiss came through the speakers and the priest was distracted. He trailed off, looking out into the crowd trying to find the source of the sound. "To be your," he started again, seemingly distracted. The sound got louder, sounding more and more like microphone feedback. Relena looked over her shoulder, squinting into the sun.

Gisborne dropped her hand and turned around to find the source of the noise. The crowd seemed to have the same idea. The masses of people were looking around, trying to catch a glimpse of the origin of the noise.

The speakers popped and then thumped, making the distinct sound of someone hitting a microphone. "Is this thing on?" a playful question blared out of the speakers. Relena squinted harder at them, hoping to get a clue to who was speaking.

"Excuse me, Ladies and Gentles, but we interrupt your regularly scheduled program to bring you the truth."

The mischievous voice booming through the speakers was familiar. She looked over at Heero. He was looking out into the crowd with a perfect mixture of annoyance and amusement.

She recognized the look, and suddenly the voice as well. Duo.

She held back a smile as she looked out into the crowd to see the source of the commotion.

The shadow of four men appeared at the end of the carpet. Their faces were blocked out by the sun, making them seem like mysterious shadows. She put a delicate hand up to her face, to block the light, making a concerned effort not to look too excited at their arrival. She felt Prince's eyes directly on her.

"And what truth is that?" Gisborne asked loudly, barely needing a microphone for his voice to reach the other men.

Duo walked a few steps closer, his face coming into view. She could tell he was smirking. Relena looked back at Heero, hoping to discern something from his expression. He wasn't watching her or Duo, but the sea of blue that was rising up from the aisles and starting to surround Duo, Quatre, Trowa and Wufei.

It didn't go unnoticed by them either. They stood straighter as they continued to walk down the carpeted aisle.

"The truth about you and Prince. About this whole damn system." Duo said, dropping the microphone, letting out an incredibly loud boom throughout the speakers. They took this moment to sprint towards the stage.

But Gisborne was a step ahead of them. "Guards!" He was screaming now, seeing the police officers he stationed lunge towards the men. A few missed, but a couple grabbed onto Duo and Quatre.

Duo struggled as an officer grabbed his arms as another aimed a punch. His senses reacted quickly, feeling the rush of wind near his ear. He ducked in time, hearing the satisfying sound of the other man being punched. The grip loosened and Duo sprang free.

Quatre ducked a few times as a clumsy officer swung at him. He bumped into another officer as he backed away. As he felt the wall of flesh behind him, his blood rushed to his head. He crouched quickly as the man grabbed for him. He laid a well-timed blow to the back of the man's neck and he fell to the ground in a lump. Quatre nodded quickly in amusement and tried to get closer to the stage.

Trowa and Wufei were already ahead of him. The crowd of people had turned into a bumbling mess of chickens with their heads cut off. Not wanting to get in the way, they either ducked below their seats, or perhaps less helpfully, tried to get out of the public square.

Trowa waded through the people, a few steps behind Wufei, dodging police officers as he went. He saw most of them had been congregated near the stage. "Wufei," he called, hoping the other man could hear him. Wufei rewarded him with a glance his way. "They've got guns." He said simply, the slightest hint of trepidation in his eyes.

"I know." Wufei acknowledged, fingering the service revolver in his waistband.

Trowa felt a hand on his shoulder and he instantly turned, finding not an enemy, but Quatre.

"We promised not to kill again," he reminded him in a tone he knew only Trowa could hear.

"We're running out of options." Trowa replied, eyes flickering around his surroundings, finding two officers charging towards them.

Quatre saw them too, sidestepping, and throwing one of the officers off his momentum. He forced him to the ground, and the impact knocked the man unconscious.

Trowa handled his officer with a swift kick to the stomach. The man fell to the ground, gasping for air, unable to stand.

"There's more of them than there are of us," Trowa said, letting his statement hang in the air for a moment.

"We have to get to Heero." Quatre said his gaze flickered to his friend, now guarded by at least ten men on the stage.

Gisborne snarled, watching the blonde pilot force an officer to the ground. "Surround the prisoner. That's what they're here for." He snapped to the men around him. They ran up the stairs on the platform with their rifles in hand. They formed a loose circle around Heero.

Gisborne grabbed Relena's wrist tightly. "Come on." He barked, yanking her in the opposite direction of Heero.

"No!" she cried, wrestling her wrist away from Gisborne. He looked at her, fire in his eyes. She didn't back down, hers sparkling with newfound strength.

"I said come on." His voice was dangerous, but she stood her ground.

"I will not be ordered around." She said using the tone of voice she reserved for insolent politicians.

"It's not a request." He said, matching her fervor. He reached for her wrist again.

He was caught halfway through his action with Relena's palm hitting his face. Hard.

Gisborne stood there for a moment, dazed. Dazed that she had dared to strike him. Dazed that she had actually hit him. He looked back up at her with an anger she had never seen before. Before she could contemplate his next move, he had struck her across the face.

The pain came a moment after the surprise. Tears welled in her eyes as the pain in her cheek intensified, feeling like hot daggers on her skin.

Heero bucked against his guard, trying to lunge toward her. He was kept in place by the great effort of three officers. "Relena!" he called.

She lifted her face to look at Gisborne, the tears dissolving into anger. Her eyes flickered to his left shoulder. Gisborne saw the look and turned his head to see what she was looking at. As soon as he did, a fist caught him in his action, sending him to the ground.

"I've been wanting to do that for a while." Wufei said, barely out a breath, but clearly showing perspiration from his journey to the stage. He looked at Relena, his gaze narrowing when he saw the red mark forming on her cheek. "Are you alright?" he asked.

She nodded, embracing him quickly. Wufei looked over her shoulder, watching as Duo, Quatre and Trowa raced up to join them.

"Outnumbered again, eh?" Duo said, with a hint of mirth in his eyes.

"Seems to be the way of things." Quatre said, smiling a bit at Duo.

"Please tell me you a plan." Relena said, brushing the veil out of her face, glancing up at the restrained Heero.

Duo smirked. He put his fingers in his mouth letting out a high-pitched whistle. The crowd hum lowered and the police officers guarding Heero looked in their direction. Their interest wasn't held for long. A low hum was steadily getting louder and louder. They looked out into the horizon, their guns falling out of their hands, trying to place where that noise was coming from.

They suddenly appeared on the carpeted aisle. At least one hundred men, rushing towards the stage.

Relena's eyes widened, but Quatre placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, they're with us."

They rushed toward the stage, meeting a wall of police officers. They fought valiantly, swinging their homemade weapons. The officers were backing away, the vigor of the new army clearly outweighing their duty.

"Stay behind me, Princess." Duo said, ushering her into position and adopting a protective stance. He glanced over at Wufei. They shared an unspoken agreement as Wufei charged up towards Heero. With most of the guards fighting the new militia, a few officers only surrounded him. .

Prince got up from under his chair, searching around for a weapon. He spotted the gleaming gun near Gisborne's unconscious body. He moved slowly through the commotion, seeing the pilots were at least twenty yards away from him. He weaved through the people on his hands and knees until he was close, so close, all he had to do was reach out a little more…

The gun was kicked away by a yellow high-heeled shoe.

It made a ricochet sound across the concrete and Quatre couldn't help but look around for the source of it. The gun hit the heel of his shoe. He picked it up gingerly; glancing towards the direction it came.

"Winner." His name was shouted with authority. He looked up and saw Dorothy Catalonia. She smiled, nodding in his direction. He followed her gaze, seeing Prince ducking around people, using them as shields as he made his way towards them.

"Consider us even." She called to him.

Quatre smiled before he looked back at Prince, who had made it several yards closer. The warmth left his face and he pointed the gun at the now visible Prince.

He clicked the safety, finding it was already off. Prince looked up at the sound and found the revolver pointed at him. "You'll stay where you are." Quatre ordered.

"You don't have the guts to shoot me!" Prince shouted, spitting as he spoke. He looked like a mad man, his suit rumpled, face sweaty and hair out of place.

Quatre felt the cool indifference he had experience while sitting in the cockpit of Wing Zero. He wanted to pull the trigger. The sweat on his hand made the trigger too slippery, it was too easy for it to slip. Maybe he could just let it slip. The man was evil, he deserved death. His thoughts were interrupted as he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Trowa's hand. The thoughts came rushing in as he felt the steadying hand on his shoulder. "I don't have to shoot you. You don't deserve to die." Quatre said, his better judgment returning to him. He felt Trowa give his shoulder a squeeze.

"You've done the right thing." Trowa whispered, his words soothing the restlessness that Quatre felt as he held the revolver.

Prince saw Quatre's glance towards Trowa as a moment of opportunity. But Quatre's reflexes were more than impressive. "Stay where you are." He demanded, striking fear into Prince.

A few yards away, Wufei was getting closer to the stage. He pushed officers out of his way easily. He reached Heero after sending a few guards to the floor. Heero made eye contact with him and Wufei gave him a short nod. One of Heero's guards swung at Wufei. He dodged it, throwing a punch that man's way. Heero dropped to his knees, kicking out the four officers around him to the ground. Wufei took the keys from the one nearest Heero, who had seemingly fallen on the ground and knocked himself out. Wufei unlocked Heero's handcuffs and threw them on the ground.

"Nice of you to join in the fight." Wufei commented.

"I could say the same to you." Heero said, rubbing his wrists where the cuffs had been, giving Wufei a rare look of gratitude.

Wufei gave him a short nod. "Well, we couldn't just leave you up here to die."

Heero gave Wufei a respectful pat on the back and looked out through the chaos to find one person. His search stopped as he found her standing behind Duo, watching the situation around her worriedly.

As if he'd spoken to her, she looked his way. A smile spread across her face as she saw him next to Wufei. She took a step towards him, and then another, and another until she was trying to push through the crowd to get to him.

He was making a similar journey, jumping off of the stage into the sea of people. He pushed through, moving her direction.

A shot rang out through the confusion, quieting the crowd. Heero looked towards the direction of the sound, finding Guy Gisborne standing on the stage, looking dazed and half-mad.

"Stop right there, Yuy."

The crowd was silent and the fighting ceased. Heero turned to face Gisborne, deadly determination etched in his face.

"You are under arrest for treason." His voice was shaking with anger, a large red welt appearing on his face. His eyes made quick jerky movements, surveying the situation around him. "Back away from Relena Darlian."

"I'm not moving." Heero said, the traces of empathy gone from his voice. He eyed the Police Chief, watching not his eyes, but the movement of the gun in his hand. It shook violently, the aim shifting around. "You'll have to kill me."

"With pleasure." His aim steadied a little, but the fanatical gleam in his eye only sparkled brighter.

Moving through Gisborne's blind spot, Wufei hit his arm, knocking the gun out of his hand. It slipped off of the stage onto the ground. The two wrestled on the stage for control. Gisborne placed his hands on Wufei's neck, squeezing as hard as possible. Wufei gasped for air, and hit Gisborne in the inner part of his elbow, easing his grip. He threw a hard punch at Gisborne's face and connected. Gisborne fell to the ground, but quickly tried to get up. The crowd moved again, the police trying to get closer to their leader and the militia determined not to let them get there.

The gun went off again. A smoking bullet hole fell close to Gisborne and Wufei on the stage. Heero looked over to find John Prince, looking harried and wild. "I have authority!" he screamed, waving the gun wildly in the air. "I have complete authority! You will bow before me!" He screamed, the gun finally finding a target when Prince spotted Relena. Heero followed his line of sight, and horror filled him. He cried out her name. She didn't hear him, she was too far away.

"Drop the gun." The voice was low and menacing, and oddly familiar. The crowd quieted. Relena looked up and saw her brother, Milliardo Peacecraft, walking down the partially cleared aisle, his own gun pointed directly at Prince. He stood tall in the middle of the fray, looking calm. He wore his Preventer uniform, cleaned and pressed khaki. He looked impossibly heroic.

"Milliardo!" Relena said breathlessly, running to him. There was a clear enough path to him. She reached him quickly throwing her arms around him. He put an arm around her, planting a soft kiss on her forehead. But like a good predator, his eyes never left his prey.

"John Prince, you are officially relieved of your duties as Vice President of the Earth Sphere United Nations."

"You don't have that kind of authority, Peacecraft!" Prince spat, sounding half mad.

Another man joined Milliardo on the aisle. His golden hair shone in the sunlight. "No. But I do, John."

Heero's eyes widened and he dropped to his knee. Duo followed suit. The crowd looked over seeing who had just appeared. As recognition came to each person, they bowed their heads in respect for their President, Leo Richards. He stood in classic dress pants and a white shirt. He looked rugged and handsome, his face showing the slightest hint of strain and facial hair. He was nearly as tall as Milliardo, standing about an inch under him.

He stood like a statue on the aisle, daring Prince to say something. "John, you are hereby removed from office."

Prince howled in anger, the loaded gun waving wilding in his hand. "You can't do this, Richards. You left! The power is mine!"

"You are mistaken." Richards bellowed, his voice commanding respect.

A cadre of police officers flowed behind Richards. These officers were dressed differently, instead of deep blue, they were dressed in khaki uniforms. They formed rows past Richards, heading towards to Prince. "Take him to jail." He ordered.

Prince waved the gun wildly at the oncoming storm, squeezing the trigger. The gun went off. Heero caught Relena's gaze and felt like the wind was knocked out of him.

An excruciatingly long moment passed before Guy Gisborne howled in pain on stage. The bullet had found his leg.

Richard's officers stripped the now harmless gun out of Prince's hands as the older man fell to the ground in a defeated mess. They rounded up a stretcher for Gisborne, and carted the two of them off. But not before they handcuffed them together.

Gisborne's officers were led out of the public square, guns at their backs.

Duo stood next to Quatre and Trowa, watching the procession of officers from the square, hoping he wouldn't find Hilde among them. He hoped she had listened to him and wasn't in the group that was being taken to jail.

"Duo!"

He shook his head, both mentally and physically tired. He was just hearing voices now.

"Duo!" It was louder. He turned around in time for Hilde to throw her arms around him. He returned the hug with force.

"I thought I told you to get out of here." He said, his voice breaking a bit, but he held her just as tightly.

"You did. I didn't listen."

He pulled away from her with the most genuine smile she'd seen in a long time. "Thank God," he whispered, pulling her closely again.

The sun started to set, casting orange light over the scene as Relena turned to Richards and gave him a courteous bow. "President Richards, I'm so glad to see you." She said, giving him a smile as she met his gaze.

"Your brother said you needed my help and that it was urgent." Richards gave a small smile to Milliardo. "And your brother rarely exaggerates."

"Thank you, sir."

"No, thank you. You tried your best to save our democracy. I'm only glad I could get here in time."

She nodded in appreciation, but found her mind was suddenly elsewhere. She turned away, looking into the retreating crowd for one person. Heero.

She found him near the stage, searching for her. They locked eyes as she started towards him. As she neared him, she picked up her pace, until she didn't realize she was running. She threw her arms around him as she met him. She felt his strong arms wrap themselves around her as he pulled her closer to him.

"You're okay." She said, almost not believing it.

He embraced her tightly. "You're okay." She repeated, holding on to him. She never wanted to let go.

"I love you." He whispered into her ear.

She pulled away to look at him, staring at him for a moment. "I love you." She whispered.

He couldn't wait a moment longer, and kissed her passionately. He didn't care about the crowd around him, or the fact that her brother was undoubtedly watching. He only cared that she was finally safe, and finally in his arms.

And perhaps… just perhaps… that he wasn't an outlaw anymore.

V-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-V

I love the people who have taken this story to the bitter end with me. I promise one day I'll write you an epilogue that you deserve.

But, to quote the Doctor, … "Everybody lives, Rose! Just this once, everybody lives!"