Heero waited in the rental car. He stayed in the back seat with Sophia who was fussing. Twins. It was either one or the other. It only made sense, they were human. They needed care. "I can't do this alone." Relena was right to have been prepared with a different kind of help.

He watched as Sophia beat on his fingerless gloves until she tried to put her mouth on it. He moved it away, but he caught Relena's smile in her expression just right. "They need Crystalia, to play with us pilots. For now, the circus is where I have to keep you." He left a finger in hers.

For him, because of the removal of his humanity, he tried to follow his emotions, when he realized what he wanted or needed. That wasn't always easy. Accomplishing missions verses taking care of one's own wants and needs could cause some difficulty in detecting what one needed at the time.

No one out there was really like him. Quatre and Trowa seemed to have a small grasp, but even they couldn't understand. Following what little emotion you could pick up, was important, to keeping what you could of humanity. It wasn't fully removed, it was just harder to detect.

It would be five times harder for Crystalia. Yeah. He needed something else at that moment. To follow another emotion. "I'm going to do the best I can to bring your mother back. People will care for you at the circus. If I can't bring her back right away, I will stop and see you once a month. I need to." He tried to smile for Sophia. Nothing as big and bright as hers. "Your smile will help me get through this."

He placed her back in her carrier, and carried them both toward Quatre's home again. When he went back inside, he laid down the carriers by Trowa. "Take them to the circus with your mother. RTL doesn't want to threaten her, she's a key point of knowledge in what they want." Then, he grabbed his gun and pointed it at Trowa. "If anyone hurts or kills Crystalia, I'll kill them."

Of course, the least likely to understand reacted. Duo. "Whoah. We didn't plan on doing anything, she's the key to finding them. Relax, Heero."

"I won't ever hurt her," Quatre said to Heero, seeming to understand better. "Time will help, right? With the right person."

Trowa was who he was aiming his gun at through. He had his arms up, trying to see. "I see. No jail then, but she would be better off in a facility with care, Heero."

"She would be better off with her family and friends," Heero said to her firmly. "Take her back to Catherine Bloom."

"Heero?" Duo just had to interject. "Crystalia kind of played around with our lives. Hard. Like, real hard. She messed with the women too. Babies. Was part of RTL again? Created the damn thing?"

Heero glanced toward Duo. Nope, he wouldn't get it. He could waste time and explain to him why Crystalia chose the things she did. He would only waste that time for Trowa. "She can't feel her emotions as well. She fought between her humanity and her missions. Trowa, Alec is yours. She would accomplish her mission in that state to not get caught or it would put you and Catherine in more danger. There would be too much to lose."

"There's . . . no telling," Trowa said to Heero. "About Alec. He doesn't have a twin. It's not a sure thing, but the drug usually attributes to twins. He is probably Duo's brother instead of his nephew."

Mmm. Heero heard that loud and clear.

"Oh god." Yeah, and so did Quatre. "I didn't know. I'm so sorry, Trowa. I-"

"He has your eyes," Heero warned him. "Don't take everything on face value. What happened was after what Crystalia did."

"I've tried to watch for her," Trowa answered. "Now, I can't. Now I have to watch over Crystalia, or I'll be killed by you."

"Just? Just, wait, everybody hold on!" Quatre demanded. "Okay. Heero? No one is going to hurt Crystalia. But. Trowa can't just wipe this all away-"

"Then I'll take her." It would be even better, he'd have the keys to finding the women, and he could help her. Both mission and human needs taken care of at once.

"You want to take the woman responsible for giving you twins?" Duo pointed out. "That made you flee with Relena for so long?"

"Yes. Be careful with Sophia and Sora. I'll come and see them every once in awhile," Heero told Trowa. "Is your mom allowed to come too or not?"

"She knows where the troupe would be," Trowa answered. "The circus will take care of them."

Getting an answer, Heero left through the doors back to Crystalia. "She's still in chains and cuffs, Quatre."

"We thought she'd be a danger," Quatre said. "If you are the one responsible though, I'll get some assistance to take them off."

Heero waited next to Crystalia. None of the pilots had left as he waited. "The twins do not get fussy together unless you take too long to address one of them. They need comfort right away. Sophia usually needs more comfort."

He continued to wait until she was freed. He looked back at her. "You are staying with me."

Crystalia didn't seem phased at all. She just barely blinked her eyes like she was tired.

"You've done too much to your son and daughter to visit the circus or them again," Heero stated to her. "Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"You will have to stay behind at times from me. It can be dangerous," he warned her. "You are in a fragile mind-state. When you are left alone, you can only do a specific list of instructions I set forth. No talking to anyone but me. I will have a codeword for you."

Crystalia shook her head again.

Good. "You have a lot of fight in you. Keep fighting, and you'll get a little better. It's a long road," he warned her. "I'm not the best coach in this kind of thing. I had a much better coach. If we get Relena, she'll be able to help more. She has a really good grasp on things."

"Oh. You should marry her," she said. "Then you won't lose your coach as easy."

"She was more than a coach," he said. "She was a friend. She stood up to more than one attempt on her life, by me. I was saving her on intuition before I could process what I wanted. She's attractive and she has a beautiful smile. Sophia has that same smile. It's keeping me going. We should go."

"Can we stop for chips later?" she asked. "I like these um . . ."

Like. She liked something, good sign. "Tell me about the chips you like."

"They crunch. I can't remember the name. They are like jelly for a little while, very moist when you bite into them, but still crunchy. Superior ruined my chips. I killed her."

"That was good. Keeping memories of what you like, helps you. We'll find your chips. Do you like anything else?"

"Popcorn. Plain or buttered," she said as she grabbed one of the carriers instinctively. "Not always to eat. It's one of my favorite smells. They don't have popcorn for a room air cleaner."

"No, they don't." His gut agreed with what she had just done too. Except. I can't risk them on gut instinct. "Leave the carrier." She easily placed it down. No, he needed to work more with her first. "Let's go." Finding the chips and the smell of popcorn would be beneficial in the future.

"Heero!"

Heero turned around when he heard Trowa's voice.

"She is allowed to visit with supervision," he corrected him. "Cathy would want to see her."

Heero nodded. "Do you want to say goodbye to her?"

Trowa looked at his mother. "Goodbye. I will see you later."

Right. Heero watched Crystalia. She jerked her finger slightly at the goodbye.

"I will see you," she answered. She locked eyes to Trowa. "Triton."

Okay. Heero grabbed her hand. It was time to go. Trowa would probably regret not taking her then and there. The pilots would probably play the 'ignore tasks and find the others on their own' game.

This wasn't a waiting game. Getting to them all as fast as possible would ensure the best ending. He didn't want to lose what made Relena, Relena. He didn't even want her to lose her memories of him.

But if she kept her character, he should still be able to point a gun at her, and she'd be okay.

After all, he did it before she even knew him. First thing? Chips.

Crystalia remembered a certain kind of chip, it made her happy. A favorite chip. Before they went to the shuttle to go to Earth, he stopped in a convenience store. He took her to the chip section.

She browsed. He waited. She might need time to sort it out in her head. She walked from the right and left side of the aisle, studying the chips.

"I always find these. They are good. Similar. Can't find the original," she said.

Heero went over to look. It was a baked chip. Jelly chip. He never heard of any chip she had described before. Maybe it was in a chip bag, but not a chip? "Keep searching here. I'll check elsewhere."

Chip bag. Something like a chip. Fried fries, in the form of a chip? Heero felt his phone ring. Trowa.

"It's Trowa. I am going. Are you sure you trust your twins at the circus? I need to be sure before I go."

"Yes." Chips. These baked chips were in a different area.

"How is Crystalia doing?" Trowa asked. "Are you watching her closely?"

"No." There was no reason to. "I'm looking for something like chips."

"Chips?"

"Chips with a jelly like sensation inside. I think it might be something different than a chip."

"Why are you looking for chips, Heero?"

"Crystalia wants them." Popcorn. He found a bag of popcorn. "Does your circus use more buttery popcorn or regular popcorn."

"It's regular popcorn, with a light amount of butter or no butter."

Popcorn with light butter. At least he had something she liked. Still.

"I thought you'd jump straight to Earth. Why are you still here?"

"Why do you care?" Heero said right back to him. "Do you want her back or not?"

"She . . . I can't."

"Then don't ask." Jelly chips? "Did anyone else arrive?"

"Wufei came, and so did Zechs. Wufei already left with his ID's and papers. Zechs wanted to talk to you about Crystalia and your twins."

"Well, I don't want to talk to him. Take care of Sophia and Sora." He hung up and picked up the bag. Not jelly. Manufactured cheese in the middle though, that might be like jelly. The label said it had a crispy crunch.

That might be it. He went back over to her and showed her them. "Was it these?"

Her eyes lit up. It was the first time he saw real, absolute emotion. She snapped it right up. "Superior ruined these. My jelly chips." She looked at the package. "Cheese baked in chips. Huh."

"Here." He gave her the light buttered popcorn. "You can open those up and eat them, or just enjoy the smell. If you are done, we can go."

"Did you take care of your woman and children?" she asked him. "You were watching over the house. I told Superior none of you would be caring to watch anymore. She would have eventually killed me for that."

"I watched for her," he admitted.

She looked at her jelly chips and her popcorn. "I don't need this popcorn. It's never the right smell. I like fresh popcorn."

Fresh. "Okay, fresh." He took the bag and put it back. He searched around and found a bag of kernels. Light butter. He went over to the microwave and ripped it open.

"I don't think that's supposed to be microwaved here," she said to him.

"We need it. I'll pay for it afterward." He didn't care, they didn't have signs that said only certain food. It was the same reasoning he used for taking care of Relena's needs. He grabbed it afterward and took it upfront to pay.

The register person looked a little confused, but they took Heero's money for it.

Heero opened the popcorn bag for her.

"Light popcorn smell." She looked pleased. "You found my chips and got me fresh popcorn. You had me uncuffed and unchained. You are taking care of me. You would take good care of your family."

"I can't until Relena is safe." Sophia and Sora would slow him down and be more in danger. "The circus is safer. Trowa will help watch over them."

Crystalia opened up the chips and popped one into her mouth. She bit into it twice. "No promises."

No promises? "Of what?"

Then, the floodgates opened.

"Revenge of the Lost would have moved already with each of them. Relena isn't a fighter, so they won't move her from the Emergency Stations. They will move at approximately halfway from the enemy. Since we are on the colonies, that means that . . . they will just take the regular middle of 200. Emergency Unit 100. Relena's mind, as far as I know is stable. She was fretting about her mother last I saw her. Probably triggered because RTL was all about mothers and suffering. Nothing else seemed wrong yet."

Going. Heero didn't stop her as she gave him more.

"Since Relena doesn't have any training in fighting, she will be given a simple role of cooking or tending to those who can't care for themselves yet, unless she has been there awhile. Since she would not be fully immersed into RTL, she'll have a chain. The chains aren't thick, you could almost pull them from the wall, it's more of a scare tactic to follow the rules. RTL were using her for strategies at first, a key reason the zero system was flipped to training wheels. The impressions should overall be less against her."

"There are some people who will look like your women, it was an earlier plan that fell through. None of the surgery members looked enough like Relena to confuse her. Some of them matched perfectly with others, but no one caught Relena correctly. If you see someone that looks like her, it's her. You need to return to the St. Gabriel Institute and grab the gundam. Put in the code RTL100 when you get close to the Emergency Unit. There are too few members right now to have anyone on outside duty. Nobody will see you come in. The gundams work just fine, they are all made to the blueprint, just with the zero system added. The zero system does take more room, but that'll be a good thing." Another chip.

Heero didn't breathe a word. He watched as she ate another chip. He didn't make a sound. He didn't ask any questions or disturb her in any way. If she kept getting him information, he might have Relena back that night.

"They won't let Relena out since she is new. You can take her back to the zero system area, get her in a suit, and barely fit her into the Wing Gundam with the zero system removed. You'll have to move slow, but not far. No one likes to look at each other after they enter the zero system, so we still have suits. The suits are darkened so no one sees each other. You'll be able to navigate around undetected to reach her easily. Since she is a helping kind of person, she will probably go to the feeding area to volunteer for supper tonight. It should be two areas down from the zero room."

He watched her eat one more chip.

"This will only work for one pilot. As soon as you secretly get her with the gundams and suits, they will become much keener on bringing them to their side quicker. They still won't want me back, but they will call. It will irritate them, but they won't stalk me for it because the fault was theirs in how they ordered it. They will also demand I can't help again. They didn't give that demand before, an oversight on their part. Rules would state I can't help again from then on. Did they have these in nacho too?"

Everything. She gave him everything. "Thank you. I will check for nacho."

"Thank you for the chips and the fresh popcorn. Thank you for caring for your woman and your babies. Relena will help me best. I was going to help Dorothy, but . . . my chips and fresh popcorn. Relena will help me best. Dorothy would actually prefer I help her."

"Yes, she would. I'll . . . check for nachos." A little overwhelming. He had almost wanted to check out of the world altogether during the last three hours he spoke to her. He couldn't bear to imagine her going through . . . I'm going to get her back now. He watched her check in the section he found the chips in and came over.

"No nacho flavors. Let's go," she said. "We might have her by supper." She ate another chip. "No promises. Just a chance."

Five Hours Later on Earth . . .

Emergency Unit 100

Heero kept Crystalia with a truck she had. There was a chance that Crystalia might be duping him. It was possible, but he didn't see a reason for it. Crystalia was all about reason. That and, if he got shoved into RTL with Relena. Then so be it. He had to take this chance.

He had to trust her with the truck too, and to be there when he came back with the gundam. Once again, he needed Relena out sooner than later. He couldn't risk later.

It had been awhile since he picked up the Wing Gundam. The original blueprint had everything working just the same. He ripped out the zero system from it, leaving barely enough space, but space enough for Relena. Crystalia was right.

There was an automatic landing pad that the gundams of RTL were able to use. Even though they were probably never used much, if at all, they still worked. He snuck in there easily, and moved around in a suit they kept nearby the gundams with ease. So far, everything Crystalia said was true.

That emergency base was semi-filled. And two doors down? He.

He couldn't believe it. She had a weak chain on her leg as predicted, but she still smiled as she was scooping up some food for someone.

"Here you go," Relena stated. "Is that enough or too much?"

"That's plenty, thank you," the young woman said. "Thank you, Barbara."

"Not my name," Relena muttered, trying to be as polite as she always could be. Then? Just like in the past, so many times. She spotted him.

Relena. Her smile. She didn't forget him yet.

One stupid chain. A weak chain at that. He had been prepared and brought cutters that Crystalia suggested. He was ready to run straight for her and cut them, but he had to be smart. There weren't a lot of women. Just wait. Let her pass. Once no one could see him, he dodged toward her. He pulled out the weapon to break the chain. It was weak enough he probably could have ripped it from the wall.

Free.

Relena tried to keep her composure as he whispered. "Relena, are you okay?"

"I think so," she answered. "Have I really not seen my mother in years, Heero?"

Yeah, that really was it. "You see your mom all the time. She's the one that helped you come up with the name Sophia." A degree of relief ran through her, also with confusion. "I'll explain later. We need to get out." He left the weapon on the floor and casually tried to move through.

He took her to the gundam room and got her a suit on.

"How are Sophia and Sora?" she asked.

"Doing fine. I left them with Trowa." He would be collecting them soon.

"These people need help, Heero." He knew it was coming. "A lot more people suffered for-"

"It's the former gundam pilots problem now, not yours. I just need you to help me with Crystalia. She'll need coaching to become a better person again. She's the reason I found you so fast."

"I don't know anything about these. How are we going to do this? Are two going to fit into one?"

"It's going to be a tight fit," he admitted. "I ripped out the zero system giving us enough give. It'll be awkward." He helped her into the positioning it would take. "Do not lean back forward more than that, and grip this. I'll help when I get in my position."

"Heero!" She said sharply as he tried to help. "This is impossible."

"No, just awkward with someone who has no relationship. We got through the shower, we can get through this." He couldn't argue about this, he had to get her out. "It's not safe to leave you here, and we can't go through the front door." he warned her. "We have to leave like this. It's just long enough to leave a short distance from here."

"How?"

"For your freedom. For your memories. For Sophia and Sora. For me. Will you start a relationship with me, Relena?" It was hard to tell through the suit, but it seemed like she was a little stunned.

"A-are you saying that so I get in that position for you?"

"Yes and no." She wasn't jumping fast, her head was still affected too. He should say something else. "Yes, because it will get you on my lap, but no because it's not just that. I can see what the future would be like without you in it, as Relena, Relena. I want to do more than kiss your forehead and touch your hair."

"Heero." He wasn't always good with his words when it came to feelings, but that seemed to reach her.

He pulled himself underneath her, and she sat and clung onto him. He would have to be careful. No one knew he was there, so he should be able to do this slow. Lift off slow because there was no seat belt for her, only her holding onto him on his lap. Carefully. Super careful. He would not fly any farther than he had to, just far enough . . .

That Crystalia would be waiting with the truck.

He got in the truck with Relena. "Go." Crystalia took off. She moved efficiently through the woods, knowing the ways in and out of these emergency places. "I will call Trowa to have him bring them to us." He wouldn't even risk the circus now. "For now, we'll get rest." She still looked at him strangely. "You are fine?"

She seemed to ease up into a smile and leaned against him. "Heero Yuy. Don't ever change."

"That goes double for you." Worth it. Worth the yelling. Worth the blaming. Worth anything the others wanted to throw at him. They probably wouldn't even start that yet. They still wouldn't get it.

He'd keep taking care of Crystalia until they did start to understand. Maybe, when Trowa could finally start to see the truth, he could take his mother. Until then, her best place was with him and Relena.

Someone who understood her, and someone who could see through the mess, and help her.

"Hello?" Crystalia answered the phone. "Yes, you did have to use the backup phone to get to me. Yes, I'm still alive, and I gave one pilot everything I knew. Oh? Oh, well you didn't state I wasn't supposed to give them that much help. Yep, that was very sloppy of you. Good thing Superior's dead, she'd kill you for that sloppy order. Okay. Yes, only locations of places. I can't control what the others already know, but I won't say anymore. Just location. Yes. Okay, then do it right next time. Goodbye."

Relena's soft hair grazed against him as she sat up more to look at Crystalia. Just like he expected, she could see something in her. "Thank you for the help. Last time I saw you, I don't think . . . you were you."

"Illusion from the zero system," she noted. "Surprised you picked it up."

"The truth is in front of me now," Relena said. She looked toward Heero. "We're fine. Everything had to be prepared beforehand for a reason. Revenge of the Lost can't even take care of the people with them that well. It's all falling apart, causing starvation and death." She leaned back against him, clasping her hand in his. "They need help."

"You helped enough," Heero stated. "The other pilots will do whatever is necessary to get their women back. We just have to take care of Crystalia for awhile. We are no longer involved in this."

"Even if you wanted to help, they wouldn't know how to use your intellect in the right way," Crystalia added. "I set out an immediate procedure and killed Superior. They saw enough possibility to take steps to save people better. That will have to do. We should have grabbed food. It's dinner time."

Relena. Home for dinner. "Go around to an empty cheap place. We'll take it to a hotel. I'll stay with Relena, and you can have your own room." Next thing, the children. As promised, he called. "Trowa. Can you bring the children to Earth tomorrow?" Trowa agreed as he gave them an address. He hung up. "Tomorrow, we meet with Trowa to get Sophia and Sora back. Crystalia, you'll stay in the car. Trowa doesn't understand or appreciate you. You make him nervous, and you hurt someone he loved more than he lets on."

"Okay," she answered.

When they reached a hotel, she didn't bother with greetings for good night. Heero opened his hotel room with Relena. "Welcome home."

She turned around and smiled, giving him that smile he would have died to get again. "It's only ever a home with you, Heero." She went over and gave him a great big hug. "It was terrifying. I could feel things happening to me. I'm so glad I'm back with you."

He held her back in the hug. "Don't cry, Relena. Your mind is safe now."

"I really thought I forgot my mother," Relena muttered. "She stops by all the time, especially with the twins. She even helped me find Sophia's name when she was born since we only had the name you chose for Sora." A deep sigh of relief. "Noin was already referring to me as princess. I think Hilde was doing something, she tried to help, but. There was something wrong with them. I can't remember."

"You don't need to. You are safe now," Heero assured her. "Next to Crystalia is one of the safest places to be. They need her to stay happy and alive to finish out their games. They will take awhile."

"There are so many things wrong, Heero."

"Like I said, it'll take awhile." He stroked her hair and gave her kisses on her forehead. "I still want to watch over you in the shower, Relena." He was graced with her smile again. How did it come so naturally to do that? "This hotel room is ours. I bought protection earlier." She looked a little flabbergasted. "If something happens. I don't mind Sophia or Sora. We don't need more. Do you want to dance, without me trying to kill you this time?"

He had no idea which of his phrases triggered her to kiss him on the cheek. "I think a dance would be delightful, Heero."