Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing

Relena's shuttle ride was quiet, as she preferred. She'd escaped late in the night, but was still pleasantly surprised when Heero didn't board. Knowing she'd left his questions unanswered gave her a foreboding feeling in her gut, but she desperately wanted to be left alone. If she was going to force herself to see any friends, Quatre would be the one to give the space she needed most.

She disembarked on L4, hailing a cab to take her quietly to the Billionaire's lavish mansion. Arriving unannounced seemed like the best way to avoid Quatre's many sisters doting over her for the duration of her visit.

She quietly knocked at the main door, knowing well that the majority of the family was sound asleep. Auda, one of the Maganac officers, opened the door, smiling brightly as soon as his eyes landed on the work weary blonde. "Princess," he greeted quietly. "Welcome. What a pleasant surprise. I'll send for Master Quatre!"

"Oh, don't wake him."

Auda shook his head. "He's not asleep, yet. He's just in his study, reading. He's always winding down by himself at this hour."

"Well, I don't want to interrupt."

"Nonsense," he said, shooting her down, again. "He'll be so glad to see you."

The hushed tones of conversation died out as he led her up the stairs and down a hall in the west wing to the study. The dim light of a reading lamp was seeping under the door, into the hallway. Auda reached out to open the door, but it opened before he made contact.

"Master Quatre?"

A man with bright baby blue eyes and sunny blond hair greeted his friends with a bright smile. "Auda. Relena! It's so good to see you." Relena gave a small compulsory smile to salute him as he enveloped her in a warm embrace. "How are you?" He asked in her ear, hiding his worried expression under her hair.

Relena had planned on lying to him. She thought she could hide her feelings. But she was wrong. In his arms, she just felt like completely falling apart. And she felt like she was safe enough to. In spite of the tears that were pouring, unbidden from her eyes, she tried to reassure him by nodding.

Unsurprised, but overwhelmed with compassion, Quatre brought his hand up, cupping the back of her head and securing her to the shoulder she'd hidden her face in. He peaked out from her golden locks and nodded at Auda, as the subordinate bowed and left with an understanding of the unwritten code of privacy. Once alone with his old friend, he gently tightened the hold, consoling her and offering support, regardless of what caused the breakdown in the seemingly invincible world leader.

After the sobbing had come full circle and had simmered back down, Quatre carefully led his distraught friend to sofa.

"I'm sorry," she sniffled as they settled into the cushions. "I didn't mean to—I should explain."

"No," he shushed her. "That's not necessary."

"But—"

"Relena, you should never feel obliged to tell me anything."

Relena took a few quick breaths to calm herself as he gently guided her tired head onto his chest. "But—what I'm going through, I—I left Heero."

Quatre hesitated a moment, looking on her with deep concern in his eyes. "Left how?" The man then threw his hands up when he heard his own question. "I didn't mean—I'm sorry."

Relena gave him a sad smile, shaking her head. "I left him at the house. He had questions I wasn't ready—I couldn't answer. I snuck off in the night. He's going to be so angry."

"Well, in that case, he knows you're gone—and probably where you are. I'm much better off not knowing."

Relena sighed, relaxing her body in full, as if in defeat.

"Unless you really need to get it off your chest?" The offer was genuine.

Relena just shook her head slowly. "No. Not yet. It's fine."

Quatre rested his chin on top of her head and just held her there in the silence to support her, until they'd both drifted off, into a restless sleep.

:::

Sally's office was pitch black. A ghost slipped through the shadows, sorting through the files at lightning speed. The medical file for Relena Peacecraft Darlian lay gutted on the desk with no sign of recent medical appointments or abnormalities.

The shadow's frustration began to show in his more volatile movements. Whatever the secret was, it was in here.

Prussian blue eyes fell on the folder on the desk, then the locked drawers. His lip turned up on one side in an ominous grin.

Nimble fingers grabbed two paperclips and made their way through the silver lock of the large right drawer without leaving evidence in their wake. He scanned the clutter inside. Amongst the extra pens, magnets and tags, he found chocolates, pain killers and tampons. All of it was piled sloppily over several empty file folders. His eyes narrowed on the disguise, pulling the stack carefully from their hiding place.

Seven empty folders.

One was unlabeled, full of information on a nameless, faceless patient. His grin deepened, revealing polished teeth.

The buzz of triumph melted away as he sank into the high back leather chair, opening his source. The papers were arranged chronologically, from the woman's most recent annual appointment to the biopsy of an unusual lump found at the appointment to—the results.

"Cancer?" The whisper sounded to the unpracticed ear like an emotionless observation, like noticing a stranger's carburetor needed replacing; but there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes, just the tip of an iceberg of panic within the seemingly untouchable "perfect soldier".

After a moment, he hurried to put the office back in the order he'd found it, wracking his brain for where to go from here. Once his mission was accomplished he stood in the window, looking out into the night. Where was she now?

"L4."

:::

The feeling was nearly an audible thought when it seized Quatre's senses. It was almost midday and he was overcome with the knowledge of what he was now facing. Unable to dwell on anything else, he closed his book softly, removing his reading glasses as he pondered over the coming confrontation. He ended his contemplation with a tired sigh as he set down his trinkets and made his way to the front hall.

As he descended the stairs there was a knock at the door. Rashid, the Maganac leader, answered, stepping back in surprise. "Master Yuy?"

Quatre nodded, sending the larger Arabian man off as he faced down his comrade with a set jaw and steel shoulders. "Heero."

"You were expecting me." It wasn't a question.

Quatre gave no answer.

"Where is she?"

"She needs rest."

"You don't know what she needs," Heero snapped.

Quatre raised his head in confidence. "I know she needs to recuperate."

"She's in danger."

"She's safe here."

"You can't protect her."

"'She' who?" The tense conversation was not helped by the interruption of the twin blondes walking through the hall.

Heero turned his eyes on Quatre's sisters. "You didn't know Relena's here?"

"She wants privacy," Quatre answered for them.

"She's sulking. She needs to come back."

"Heero. She was running away from something. I won't pry to find out what, but what she did offer willingly is that she was also running from you."

Heero sneered slightly.

"The burden she is bearing is too much for her. She needs some peace and quiet to sort things out."

"She needs to return with me to Earth. Immediately."

Quatre shook his head, looking away to signal his intention on ending the argument. "When she came to me, she was like I've never seen her—never felt her." His baby blue eyes met Heero's again. "She's hurt and scared; and she needs rest."

Heero's brow creased.

"Stay away from her," Quatre said with authority. "I mean it."

:::

Relena lifted her head at the sound of light tapping at her door. "Come?"

When the door cracked, Quatre's young twin sisters were standing there, looking like trouble.

Relena gave them a welcoming smile. She'd been hiding out for several days, now, not really wanting to face anyone, but her discover had always been inevitable. "You've found me," she said softly.

The girls beamed at each other, as they sank on opposite corners at the foot of her bed.

Adriana spoke first, with twinkling blue eyes identical to her brother's. "I can't believe you've been hiding out here, all this time. Why didn't you tell us? We could have brought you out!"

"I just need some time to myself, I guess. How did you find me?"

"Brother didn't tell us, if that's what you're asking," Ariel replied in haste.

Relena smirked, waiting for an elaboration.

"Well—" Ariel tried to continue, but her voice trailed off.

"It was 'Handsome and Young'." Adriana finished.

Relena cocked her head at the girl, perplexed.

"'H.Y.'" Ariel explained. "That is to say, your boyfriend's here."

Relena let her eyes look at nothing for a moment as she clarified the puzzle in her mind. "Heero?"

"The one and only," Adriana said.

When Relena met their gaze, again, there was nothing even remotely positive in her expression. "Oh, no," she groaned.

"Hey," Ariel squeaked. "Now that he knows where you are, you can come out of hiding."

"Oh, yes," Adriana agreed. "We can go out, now. Shopping and dancing and having fun!"

Relena sighed, again, with a whimper in her breath. The last few days had been spent in isolation, and she honestly preferred it that way, at the moment. With everything going on, with the disease ravishing her body, she didn't want to face the universe. She certainly didn't think she had the energy to enjoy the endless party of being hosted by Quatre's young, twin sisters.

"Come on. Heero knows where you are. He's looking for you and he's angry about something. You don't really think you can escape him, holed up in your room?" Adriana had a point.

"Come hide in the markets with us. Put yourself in open view. He'll never come out of the shadows long enough to bother you."

Sarcasm aside, they were beginning to persuade Relena of the validity of their plan.

"Come out of your corner, kitty, kitty, and he'll be forced to give you some space."

"So, Lena. What will it be? Us? Or him?"

Relena hated the idea of leaving her room, but still, she couldn't help but grin.