A/N: Okay, this fic has been rolling around in my head for a really long time now........and even now I don't know if I'm ready to write it. Somehow I think it won't turn out to be nearly as good as the thought of it in my head is. So.........that's up to you guys...the readers, the people who we authors bow down to. The rhyme "Wynken, Blynken and Nod" doesn't belong to me. It's kinda special to me, though. It's my mom's favorite, and I've heard it ever since I was little, and now I am sharing it with you...... through Relena.

Ja ne!

- Vitani

"Iye Fyrestorm"

Flames of a Dwindling Soul

The brassy ring of the doorbell tore through the silence of the house, quickly followed by a high voice yelling excitedly, "They're here!" and the patter of small feet as a small child rushed to the door. He struggled momentarily with the knob, until a soft hand gently helped him turn it in the other direction. The boy flashed a grateful smile up at his mother before proceeding to drag the large oaken door open, and be greeted by being scooped up into a pair of strong arms. He laughed as he looked up into the violet eyes of his captor, and hugged him happily. "Uncle Duo! Wot tooks ya so long?"

The jovial American chuckled and set the boy down. "Hey there, bud! Look at you! A big guy, huh? Better go easy on me, I'm not as strong as you!" The child raised his head proudly. Duo Maxwell, former pilot of the Deathscythe Hell, ran his eyes over him. The boy's unruly brown hair, a shade lighter than that of his father, from whom he inherited it, fell in his azure blue eyes. It was easy to tell just by looking at him what his parentage was, and Duo's eyes saddened slightly.

He turned to smirk at the woman standing in the doorway. ''Lena! Long time no see!"

Relena Peacecraft Yuy smiled back tiredly. "Yes, that's true. Seems like forever since we were together." She looked behind Duo. "Hilde, how are you? How's the baby?"

The navy haired woman walked up, rubbing her swollen belly and smiling ruefully. "She's already trouble and she isn't even born yet! I can tell you right now that she is going to be just like her father." Hilde gazed at her longtime friend, and a twinge of worry twisted her heart. Relena looked tired......exhausted, though not physically, for Hilde knew perfectly well that Relena was strong enough to handle a three year old child. No...she looked, drained. The loving spark in her eyes that had always been so much a part of her had dimmed, showing it's lovely gleam only when she looked at her son. Hilde knew how hard the past two years had been........Relena had been fine at the start, with her strong belief in her husband and determination to raise her son well. But that was two years ago. Two very long years. Hilde found herself wanting desperately to help her friend. "So, I see you've been busy! Todd must be a real handful!" She said quickly, leaning over slowly to ruffle the little boys hair, which extracted a squeak of protest from him.

Relena bent and picked him up lovingly. "Oh, he has plenty of energy, that's for sure. I don't know what I would do without him." She didn't see the worried look that passed between the two. Todd yawned, and Relena tapped his nose gently. "Now, as for you, young man, I told you that you could stay up until Uncle Duo and Aunt Hilde arrived. It's very late. Now off to bed with you!" The little boy tried to protest, but was cut off by another yawn. He lowered his head, resigned, and buried his face in her long sandy brown hair. Relena smiled gently and looked to Duo and Hilde. "I'm just going to put him to bed. Why don't you go sit in the living room? There are cookies on the platter. I'll come down as soon as he's asleep, we have a lot to talk about."

Duo perked up at the mention of cookies, and Hilde gave Relena an understanding nod as the other woman turned and carried Todd up the stairs.

As Relena tucked her son under the forest green covers, she ran a hand momentarily along the fabric, letting her mind drift. "Mama?" Todd's timid voice broke her out of her thoughts. She reached over and combed her fingers through the boy's hair. "What is it, sweetie?"

"Could ya tell me our story? You know, the one about the three kids who sailed the stars?" His pleading eyes shimmered at her, and she smiled. "Of course."

She pulled a small, worn book out of the shelf next to the bed. That book meant a lot to her, as it held yet another memory of her beloved husband in it. He had bought it for his son on the day of Todd's birth, and it was the first story the boy had ever heard. Opening it to the first page, she began to read.

"Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night...

Sailed off in a wooden shoe,

Sailed on a river of crystal light,

Into a sea of dew."

As she spoke, she made motions with her hands, which Todd tried, rather clumsily, to copy.

" 'Where are you going, and what do you wish?'

The old moon asked the three."

Todd giggled as his mother lowered her voice to speak as the moon.

" 'We have come to fish for the herring fish

That live in this beautiful sea;

Nets of silver and gold have we!'

Said Wyken, Blyken, and Nod.

The old moon laughed and sang a song,

As they rocked in the wooden shoe,

And the wind that sped them all night long

Ruffled the waves of dew."

Relena raised her hand to point out the window at the night sky. Small, bright stars twinkled across the dark expanse, and her son turned to look.

"The little stars were the herring fish

That lived in that beautiful sea.

'Now cast your nets wherever you wish,

Never afeared are we!'

So cried the stars to the fishermen three:

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.

All night long their nets they threw

To the stars in the twinkling foam.....

Then down from the skies came the wooden shoe,

Bringing the fishermen home."

She slowly let her hand drift to the sheets, and Todd did the same.

"Twas all so pretty a sail, it seemed

As if it could not be,

And some folks thought 'twas a dream they'd dreamed

Of sailing that beautiful sea,

But I shall name you the fishermen three,

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod."

Relena gently touched above her son's eyes, and stroked his cheek.

"Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes,

And Nod is a little head.

And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies

Is a little-one's trundle bed.

So shut your eyes while mother sings

Of wonderful sights that be,

And you shall see the beautiful things

As you rock in the misty sea,

Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three,

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod."

Todd's eyes drooped, reached his arms up woozily for a hug goodnight. His mother gently wrapped her arms around him, holding her little boy. She planted a kiss on his forehead and tugged the covers up under his chin. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

Relena switched off the lamp next to the bed, and had reached the door before she realized she was still holding the book. Looking down on it wistfully, she found her eyes filling with tears for the countless time. She remembered so well that day.......the day her son was born.

*flashback*

Relena gazed lovingly down at her sleeping baby. She sat on the hospital bed, cradling her newborn son in her arms and leaning back against Heero's chest. He was sitting behind her, arms wrapped tenderly around her waist and his chin resting on her shoulder, looking down at his child. He seemed amazed with the little boy, and tightened his arms around his wife. She turned to him and smiled. "Isn't he wonderful? Our son, our baby."

She held the small bundle out to him. "Hold him, Heero. You're a father."

A father. He dazedly took Todd in his arms, and looked into the sleeping face. "I'm a........a father."

It all seemed too incredible to Heero. He, the assasin, the trained killer, the man who had the blood of many staining his hands, was a father. He now had a son, and a beautiful wife, and it didn't seem real. He expected the world to shatter at any moment and have Relena and his child ripped away from him............but it didn't. He was vaguely aware of her lips touching his cheek softly, and her voice whispering to him. "You are going to be such a wonderful daddy."

He wasn't sure about that, he wasn't sure at all if he could be a father. But he knew that with Relena's guidance and love, he would learn. She would make such a great mother. She was gentle and kind, and his life up until the point where he had met her had been meaningless, simply one mission after another. Relena had shattered that way of living, gently coaxing his hidden humanity out from the darkness and into the world. And he knew that on that day another person had worked their way into his heart.........his son.

He remembered something suddenly and pulled a small, brightly painted book out of his jacket pocket, handing it to his wife. She looked at it and her heart fluttered. It was a storybook, with a picture of three small children riding a shoe in a river of stars. Relena looked up at Heero, and he smiled faintly. "For the baby."

She smiled brightly and entwined her arms around his neck. A couple of years ago he would have never done something like buying a poem for a baby. But he had learned to change and live in the new world that she had introduced him to. The world where he didn't need to be afraid to let his feelings show......where a killer could learn to be a lover......and a father.

Heero lifted her chin with a finger and gazed into her eyes, concerned. She was trembling with exhaustion, but her eyes were bright and loving, and she shook her head slightly. "I'm fine, Heero. I can hardly remember the pain................and it would not matter, anyway. I've never been so happy in my life."

Relena gazed into his eyes. Nothing could have made her happier on that day, to be a mother of Heero's child.

*end flashback*

Relena quickly wiped away her tears and slid the book back into the shelf. How quickly that perfection had come to an end. The day........the day that she had recieved Duo's call. The call that told her that her husband wasn't coming back. That the perfect soldier had fought his final battle. Duo had told her that there had been an explosion, and Heero was never found.

There were no words to describe how she had felt. In front of others she appeared to be handling it well, moving on with her life, and believeing that somehow, someday, he would return. Inside her, however, her soul had shattered. The only thing that kept her alive during that time was her young son, who was only a year old by that time. She remembered running to her room the night she had heard the news, and screaming, just screaming with the enormous amount of grief she held. She had been blinded by tears, and after she had screamed, all the life had left her and she had collapsed in a pitiful heap on the floor, sobbing and hoarsely calling out Heero's name.

From that day forward she lived only to raise her son. Somewhere in her heart she held a hope that Heero would return someday, that he was alive, and that he was trying to get home to them. But she barely recognized it anymore.

Walking downstairs, she met up with Duo and Hilde. As they talked, she noticed how Duo held Hilde in his arms, gently resting a hand upon her belly. Relena remembered Heero doing the same........while she was pregnant, Heero had always held her that way, as if he was trying to protect both her and the unborn baby. It was only one of the small things he did that made her love him even more.

She had also loved the way he looked at her, the way his captivating blue eyes would soften for her.........and only her. He had only ever looked at Relena that way, and his son. It was something so small.........but so wonderful to her.

She could tell the others worried about her. She hated it when they would stop talking when she walked up to them, and knew they must have been talking about her husband. Why did they think she didn't want to talk about Heero? It didn't hurt her, it helped keep him alive in her heart, to talk about him. She had told Todd all about his father.........she wanted her son to know all about the man she had fallen so deeply in love with.

***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Relena lay on the couch, staring at the ceiling. Rain struck the window in sheets, giving her a sense of isolation from the rest of the world. She was confused. She didn't know why her sadness had gotten so strong lately. There was no reason..............but somehow she felt like Heero was near to her...so near, but just out of her reach. It was driving her crazy. Heero was gone...............and no matter how many times she told herself that, her heart wouldn't believe it. "Heero.........where are you?? Are you really dead? I don't think so.................I need you Heero. You've been gone so long....please."

Outside, a figure gazed at the house. "Relena...........I'm................home........"

Relena sat up reluctantly as the doorbell rang. 'Probably Duo or someone checking to make sure I haven't died of depression.' She sighed and walked to the door, raising a hand to shield herself from the rain as the turned the knob.

It was him. For a moment she froze, her heart stopped, all she could do was stare. Windswept bangs fell in cobalt blue eyes, as he gazed back at her. She began to slowly shake her head and walk backwards.........until her foot caught on the leg of the coffee table and she fell. He was immediately by her side. "Relena!"

She gasped and whispered hoarsely, "Heero? Are......are you real?" He didn't respond, simply pulled her to his shuddering chest and wrapped his strong arms around her. Relena let out a cry. He was real. She could feel his heart beating next to her own and his shaky breaths as he buried his head in her hair. She sobbed and flung her arms around him, holding him tightly. The door swung on it's hinges, letting in the wind and the rain which swirled around the reunited lovers in a stormy dance, the gray light surrounding them in a world of their own.

Relena turned her head, tears running down her cheeks, and began to kiss Heero's cheeks, eyelids, nose, lips, anything she could. He held her tight and surrendered to her kisses. He had waited so long to feel her lips upon his skin............all he wanted to do was hold her forever. He ran his fingers through her hair as she calmed and lay her head upon his chest. He took her into his lap and rocked her gently until her tears subsided. "Heero?"

"Hm?"

She raised her hand and traced his cheek with her finger. "What happened? I........I thought you were dead......"

He kissed her forehead. "I was injured in that explosion. Badly. I wasn't found for a long time. When they did find me......I was barely alive. Over time I healed.........but Relena, every day I thought of you and of the day when I would finally be able to come home......"

She nuzzled his neck lovingly. "You're home........Heero............you're home........"

His breath caught. "Yes........I'm home...."

"Mama?" Came a timid voice. Both adults looked to the stairway, where Todd stood watching them. Relena smiled and beckoned him. "Come here, Todd, it's your daddy, your daddy has come home..............."

Todd walked slowly forward. "Daddy?" Heero's eyes softened.

"It's me Todd. I'm finally back here. I can be your daddy."

Todd cried out and ran into his parents' open arms. The three cried and laughed, holding on to each other as if they would vanish. But this time, they wouldn't.

Heero raised his head and let the wind sweep through his hair, his arms wrapped tightly around his wife and son. At last, they could be a family. Their souls would strengthen and the emotional wounds would heal. They could live again.