~*~

Blood splattered on the stage floor…

A spot formed and slowly grew on Relena’s cream blouse…

Everything seemed to be in slow motion as Heero moved to the middle of the stage while Relena numbly touched her chest…

Heero grabbed for his gun…

Her shaking body lost control and she fell on her knees. Slowly, Relena brought her hand in front of her and saw dark red blood against her pale skin… The wound started to register through her shocked mind.

The figure on the third floor turned away…

Heero brought the gun in front with eyes slanted in deadly precision, and pulled the trigger.

Once…

Twice…

Thrice…

The shadow jerked.

Excruciating pain created a haze in her eyes and raw, throbbing needles started to prick her lungs. She couldn’t breath… Her surroundings became distorted…

Relena collapsed.

Heero turned to her the moment she dropped on her back. His wild eyes fell on her body, in the middle of the stage, under the bright circle of light… No one else existed to him at that moment but her. His mind had shut out everything around him.

The shadow tumbled over the railing…

"MEDICS!!!" His anguished cry was ripped from his throat as he ran to her and kneeled by her side… Afraid to touch her, wanting to touch her…

She was breathing too shallowly… She was grimacing in pain…

"Relena… Relena open your eyes… Come on… Don’t…" His breath started coming in faster as he touched her face and he couldn’t seem to focus… couldn’t seem to see her clearly… He felt something create a trail down his cheek but he didn’t care. "Relena… dammit! Open your eyes!"

She opened her eyes. Everything seemed so clear one moment then hazy the next, but she could be quite sure she saw tears fall down from Heero’s eyes… ‘You’re crying… Why?’ She wasn’t sure whether she said it or not… But oh… her whole body had felt so numb just a little while ago and now it’s in so much pain… She moved her heavy hand to reach for his face just to wipe those tears away, even when her body throbbed with pain that could drive a person insane… ‘Heero… Why are you crying?’

He saw hands move over Relena’s body… and it faintly registered that they were there to help. They ripped her blouse open, her beautiful breasts for them to see, and he saw that dark red-black hole just beneath her left breast.

He stopped breathing and cringed. He wanted to cover her, but he knew he shouldn’t… He had seen many people slowly die, had seen wounds that no ordinary person would be able to take… but those wounds didn’t affect him the way her wound was tearing him apart. He couldn’t look anymore and focused on her face instead. She seemed to be struggling with keeping her eyes open…

From the corner of his eyes, he saw her hand reach up to him halfway. He reached for it instinctively and brought it to his face. He kissed it and tasted blood…

She blinked, trying to fight off the darkness that seemed to swallow her vision…

Heero saw the diminishing light in her eyes… It’s dull blue green now… dull eyes that met his watery Prussian ones…

"Relena… Everything will be all right…" His voice didn’t sound like it belonged to him as he stared at her pale face while her opened lips gasped for air like a fish out of water…

Her body was lifted up and Heero followed. He wasn’t going to let go of her… Never. He’s not ready to let her go… He followed without a care about anything else but her… only for her…

Relena could barely see him… She could barely breathe… Somehow… she knew that the bullet had gone through her lung… His lips moved but she couldn’t hear… Is she going to die? If so… No more secrets… Oh but she wants to tell him something… "Heero…" It hurt so much to speak… "I love you…" Then, it was as if the last candle had been blown away by a cold wind and darkness finally enveloped her vision…

Her voice didn’t reach him but his eyes read her lips. No… Not yet… Not right now… "Relena… Relena open your eyes…"

She didn’t…

He saw her breathe shallowly once again… So out of synch… He couldn’t do anything!

"Relena, hang on… Please… Stay with me… "

Her body convulsed and his heart seemed to be ripped apart as he leaned over her face to touch his forehead against hers. "Fight, Relena… Fight like you’ve always done…" His chest rocked with sobs as her hand slackened in his hold.

He shook his head. He won’t accept this… Not her. Anybody but her. "Don’t leave me… Please don’t leave me…" The strangled whisper reached deaf ears.

His feet followed the gurney and he didn’t even notice that he had entered the ambulance, never noticed that they stopped, and that they were already inside the hospital until he felt a firm hand on his shoulder, firm enough to stop his cold, uncoordinated, shocked body. "Please… stay with me…" His words were wrenched from his burning throat as he stared at Relena’s pale face.

"Heero… let Sally take care of her."

Her hand slipped from his as she was carried through steel double door… "Let me go…" He wants to follow her…

"Heero… You know that Sally will take care of her."

He knows that voice… but at that moment… he couldn’t put a face… then he knew. "Une…" He turned to her.

Une nearly stepped back as a blast of emotion tumbled from Heero’s dazed eyes.

"Sally… is… there?" He seemed to be having trouble speaking… He couldn’t move his jaw right… He couldn’t… feel right.

"Heero, didn’t you see her? She told you that she’s going to look after Relena…" Une squeezed Heero’s shoulder, trying to make him feel something…

Heero shook his head. "No… I didn’t…" He turned away from Une… He didn’t see Sally… what he saw were gloved hands, once pristine, now crimson with blood… What he saw was Relena’s face in pain… What he saw was her clothes ripped apart and her skin covered in dark, red blood… He glanced at his hand, the one that held Relena before he let her slip away… It glistened like dark, liquid ruby under the dim hospital lights… Blood…

Her blood…

Something snapped in him and he lost it.

Une could only watch as Heero punched and kicked the wall… as he grabbed a table from aside and toppled it over… as he let his wild frustration loose while she held a stopping hand to the guards in the area.

"Let him be." More metal hit the floor.

"Yes ma’am…"

She lost track of time… for how long Heero’s paroxysm lasted… When he finally gave up, slumped against the wall, and slid down, she moved. He placed his head in his hands and leaned down while his shoulders shuddered… Une could barely believe the sobbing sounds that came from his curled body…

The door behind her opened and a hurried, gasping voice replaced the minute’s silence.

"Mother… I saw…" Mariemaia stopped in her tracks as she saw Une’s stiff body some feet away from Heero’s dismal one.

"I wasn’t able to protect her…" His voice was muffled but the two women heard it…

"Heero, Relena walked into the line of fire… You couldn’t have stopped her even if you tried." Une patiently, reasonably explained… She must get him calmed again… He’s too over the edge…

Heero slammed his head against the wall again and again. He doesn’t deserve her. "I wasn’t able to protect her… I wasn’t…" How could he have let her down? He promised to protect her… promised it to her and more so, to himself. Why did it have to be her? Why couldn’t it have been him?! She made him realize so much… things he couldn’t put to words…

His head was throbbing painfully and he couldn’t seem to focus on one thought. Too much… The gunshot repeated itself in his mind and he felt like screaming as he grabbed his head.

Her face…

Relena’s smile…

A soft, gentle, caressing one…

Baby…

"God… please don’t let her die… please… you shouldn’t…" He had never asked for his help before… but right now, anything... anything for Relena.

More sobs escaped his lips and Une saw how a strong man wept…

Mariemaia stared at Heero in dismay. For the first time, he was showing signs of weakness at a time when strength was needed!

A frown appeared on Une’s face as she watched Mariemaia walk towards Heero then stop right in front of him

"I’m sorry…" Mariemaia whispered to Heero who was looking at her but not really seeing her… Then, she leaned down and slapped him. Slapped him as hard as she could.

The unearthly glaze over Heero’s eyes disappeared as he stared at Mariemaia in surprise.

She slapped him again. "You did your best to protect her! Miss Relena willingly sacrificed her life for the President! Nobody could protect her from herself, Heero! How do you think Ms. Relena will feel when she finds you like this, moping around as if she’s already dead! She isn’t going to die!" Mariemaia’s hands grabbed his shoulders and shook him like a rag doll. "You hear me, Heero Yuy! She’s not going to die!" She isn’t! She owed just as much to Relena as to her mother…

Une’s eyes widened at Mariemaia’s outburst but before she could comment, she heard footsteps stop just behind her.

"Ma’am."

Une turned while Mariemaia abruptly stopped her outburst then along with Heero, fastened eyes on the soldier who just came in. They saw him hand Une a plastic bag.

"These were found on the man’s body… Three bullets went through his head."

Heero felt slight satisfaction from the report as he stood up and walked to check what the man gave Une. Mariemaia followed his lead.

"Twelve is dead and Seven was wounded."

Mariemaia and Heero stood beside Une as she stared at the contents of the bag.

"Where were these found?" Une asked as she studied the symbols on the golden buttons…

"On both sides of the lapels, Ma’am… Almost like-"

"A soldier." Une, Mariemaia and Heero finished together. Une glanced at the man. "Anything else?"

"Yes ma’am… The assassin had been declared dead for nearly three years."

"Dead?" Mariemaia whispered in slight confusion…

Une’s hands fisted. The body of the man Wufei had sent back with their forensics team to check had the exact background- he had been declared dead… What does this mean? "Gather more MO’s on this man. I want you to report to me as soon as you can."

"Yes Ma’am." The soldier saluted then left.

"Another secret war… another secret army…" Mariemaia’s whisper reached Heero’s ears as she stared at the pins… She had seen pictures of charred ones only yesterday… Charred ones from a burnt warehouse… and from a body…

Une faced Heero. He needs to know. "Another set, with these designs, were found on three bodies. Right now, Wufei and the Intelligence Alliance are investigating the site."

"Another army." Heero repeated Mariemaia’s observation, his thoughts finally cleared… He knew exactly what he must to do, now… At least this was something he could understand… something he knew so well…

Une saw his train of thought and quickly shook her head. "No… Heero, don’t do it." She placed a hand on his shoulder but Heero just shrugged it off to face the metal doors that Relena entered a little while ago.

‘Relena…’ He would like to see her face before he leaves but if he will not act now, the trail will grow cold… ‘I’ll be back… I promise…’ He turned and walked past Une and Mariemaia.

"Heero! Where are you going?!" Mariemaia shouted. She could see purpose in his walk, but she couldn’t bring herself to believe that he will just leave like this. Not when Relena was fighting for her life! He can’t leave her alone again! "Stop! Heero, stop!"

"Heero! I command you to stop!" Une demanded at the same time, her tone imposing respect and action.

Heero paused just as he reached the exit. "Une, I do not work for you yet… I’m going to find them and kill them… Every single bastard…"

"No!" Une cried out but Heero already walked out of the double doors. She gave a short, frustrated mental scream then faced her daughter. "Mariemaia, notify 05 to be alert for 01."

"Yes, Mother." Mariemaia snapped into character and hastily ran out of the hall.

Une closed her eyes then slumped against the pristine white hospital wall, suddenly feeling tired and lost. "When will it stop…?" Why are men so stubborn?! She didn’t notice how long it had been but Mariemaia’s ‘Mother!’ made her look up and frown at her daughter’s troubled eyes.

"What is it?" Une frowned, trying to keep her headache to a minimum.

"Mother… we just received a message from Rascal… He needs your help ASAP…"

Une’s face paled and she nearly staggered. Mariemaia quickly went to her side. "Rascal is… alive…? If he needs our help now… that could only mean…"

Mariemaia nodded solemnly. "Quatre Winner is in trouble…"

‘No! Not another innocent life!’ Une straightened as guilt enveloped her. It’s her fault… She must go to Quatre… It’s her fault he became involved… Trying to sort out her thoughts, she started to walk out of the room. "Mariemaia, mobilize the troops in Quadrant 12. Notify Wufei of the change and Sally Po when she’s… finished. Get my jet ready. If Wufei finds out any more information about the bombing yesterday, send it to the HQ at Quad 12. I’ll contact the Intelligence."

Mariemaia nodded as she followed Une to the parking lot.

"Mother…"

Une stopped and turned as she heard the soft voice. "What is it, Mariemaia?"

Mariemaia stepped closer and then hugged her. "Please be careful."

Une kissed her daughter’s red hair then pushed her away to look at her… to memorize her features if anything happens to her… "You know that I will always be." She lovingly smiled at her. "I have you to return to…" Then, with a slight squeeze on Mariemaia’s shoulder, she turned away.

Mariemaia stepped back to watch Une walk to her car then stop.

"Mariemaia, one more thing." Charlie had contacted her before she left her office, panicked just as a brother should be… Zechs, well… he has a mind of his own, wherever he may be. Wufei probably has no idea of what happened as of yet… Trowa… well, she doesn’t know where he is right now. She will take care of Quatre but why hasn’t Duo and Hilde showed up? Why haven’t they called?

"Yes, ma’am?" Her back straightened as she awaited the command.

"I want you to be in charge of informing Duo and Hilde about what happened to Relena. The mere fact that they are still not here… that they haven’t contacted us… it could only mean that they don’t know. With Arche after them…" She left her sentence hanging and knew that her daughter understood. "Look for them." Une stepped inside her car and the red corvette revved to life, speeding out of the driveway in a hurry…

A single tear escaped her control and fell down Mariemaia’s cheek, well aware of the hazards in the Quadrant her mother was going to. Another tear fell down for her friends... Then, she wiped it and straightened her shoulders. There are things to be done. It wasn’t the time to lag.

"Yes… mother…"

{AN: I hope that you all have enjoyed this as much as the first story. Heero is a complex character to write about and it was hard to justify his maturity and, at the same time, old habits to the ten years that he had been gone, but I hope that I was able to. I have always thought of Relena as strong, I just emphasized on her friendship with Duo and Hilde, also Wufei and Quatre. For now, this is it. Who do you think is the next story going to feature? Here is a quick preview, and… er, I’m having a bit of a writer’s block, but I’m really trying my best to get over it- if I don’t post Quatre’s first chapter by this week, gomen:}

"Excuse me." Quatre started as he walked to the woman, briefcase held lightly within his grasp. The woman turned and Quatre stared into familiar brown eyes… She smiled tentatively and Quatre’s frown drew in a little deeper. He could sense that this woman was a friend, but for the life of him, though she looked somewhat familiar, he couldn’t quite put his finger on a name…

"Good morning Quatre. I hope you don’t mind my intrusion."

‘That voice!’ The observation rang in his head. Then, his clear, aquamarine eyes showed complete recognition. "Lady Une? Colonel Une?"

Quatre glanced out of his jet window and saw the red carpet being laid outside. Garlands of flowers hung from a shining metal stairway that was being pushed towards his plane while a squad of soldiers marched in perfect synchronization…‘I’m here Une… I will try to not let you down…’ He breathed in deeply, trying to ease his pounding heart. He was nervous and that terrible feeling of anticipation was making his stomach do the most sickening flips.

"Sir, we have arrived."