It had been three years since the final battle when Libra had been destroyed and the Earth and colonies had finally decided on peace as one people. The Gundam's and there pilots vanished as far as the people were concerned, except for those who had truly known the pilots in person. They knew that they were out there. Peace negotiations had begun mainly led by Vice Foreign Minister, Miss Relena Darlin.
Heero sighed, it had been two and a half years since he'd last seen Relena, and then it had been only briefly while he left her a teddy bear and birthday card. She'd seen him and said to give it to her in person next time. After he'd left that colony he returned to Peace Guard, a huge ship that made a huge orbit around the Earth and Moon.
This ship was the hideaway for the Wing Zero, Death Site, Sand Rock, Heavy Arms, and Shanglong (Nataku) Gundams. The original wing gundam had been destroyed during the battle, and as for the Epione, Zechs had his own hiding place. After he returned to Peace Guard, he hadn't left since, choosing instead to remain behind to guard the gundams. Even though the ship had it's own defense. First of all it had been built completely of gudanium alloy making it undetectable to radar. Second of all it had the same features of the Death Site Gundam, which allowed it to be invisible. Needless to say though Heero didn't feel ready to face the world as a normal human boy.
For the last two and a half years, the other pilots had begun to make places for themselves in the world outside of being soldiers and gundam pilots. Quatre had taken over his father's business while one of his sisters became one of the head representatives of that colony. Quatre has been living a peaceful life remaining close to the all the pilots, especially Trowa. In an e-mail that he'd received Quatre had mentioned meeting Dorothy (after waxing and dying her eyebrows) again when she had accompanied Ms. Lucrazia Noin on one of her visits. He had told him that the two of them had really seemed to hit it off.
Trowa had rejoined the circus that had provided him with cover while he had been on Earth as well as when he'd had amnesia. He to had mentioned meeting a girl, Micalla. Trowa had been loyal in keeping in touch managing to visit twice every six months. Dragging Quatre with him at least once each six months.
Duo had settled in on his home colony finishing his education and providing a home for himself. Ever since the last battle Duo had been going out with Hilde and the way things were going it might not be to long before they decided to tie the knot and get married. Duo had managed to pop in and visit three times a year, each time telling Heero that he needed to get out and stat building his own life and that the gundams would be fine with Peace Guard protecting them. Each time he also had to listen Duo complaining once again that he should give up pretending to be indifferent. That guy knew him a little better than Heero liked to admit.
Wufei on the other hand visited when he could; after all he was busy starting to rebuild his clan, since it had all but been completely wiped out when L5 blew up. He had written a very long letter complaining about Sally in many numerous ways and then turning around and stating things he liked in her. He told Heero on one of his visits that he was really beginning to enjoy her company, and that she had proved very useful in helping him rebuilding his clan.
Yep all the others had gotten a good start on building lives for themselves. Heero climbed into Zero’s cockpit and typed in a few entries. A screen flared to life with a picture of Relena. Heero sighed to himself, he was lonely and knew he had feelings for the girl but didn’t know what to do about it.
“Hey Heero you in here?!” shouted a familiar voice. “Heeeeeeerrrrrroooo!!”
Heero quickly closed down the window and stepped into the opening of the cockpit to see the cocky American pilot of Death Site.
“Hey Heero whatcha been doing Buddy?” Duo called out smiling. Heero simply smiled. Something that he’d been finding easier and easier to do as of late.
“Duo. How are you?” Heero replied after jumping down from his Gundam.
“I’m fine, so is Hilde. She told me that Relena seemed awfully lonely the last time she visited though. That’s were she is now. While I come visit you; she visits Relena. So whatcha say you and I get of this hunk of gundanium and go party with them. Hmmmm, Heero?”
“I don’t think so Duo.” He answered after taking a moment to puzzle through Duo’s chatter and making sure his face registered no reaction regarding Relena.
“Awww. Come on Heero have a little fun.” Duo whined at him slinging his arm around the japanese pilots shoulders as they left Zero’s hanger.
“Miss Relena, there’s a young woman here to see you.”
“Yes, Who is it?” Relena asked not looking up from her documents.
“She says her name is Hilde.” The young girl who was currently her secretary replied.
“Hilde! Send her in immediately!” Relena answered surprised.
“Still working hard I see Relena. How’ve you been.” Hilde asked as she crossed to embrace the other young woman in a hug.
“Oh Hilde, it’s so good to see you. I’ve been fine. How about you?” Relena replied taking a seat on the small sofa that was in her office.
“Oh I’m fine. Duo’s doing well to. Speaking of which, I wish I could get him to come visit you with me. But he always insists on going to visit Heero. Claims that if he doesn’t keep dropping in on him every once and a while that he’s likely to go crazy living completely by himself. Whatever that’s supposed to mean.” Hilde replied watching Relena’s face for a reaction at the mention of Heero and was pleased with what she saw.
“So all the pilots are still keeping in touch with each other?” Relena asked carefully covering her feelings for Heero.
“Yah. In fact I’ve visited all the others with Duo and each of them has found a girl to. You really do care a lot for Heero don’t you Relena.” Hilde replied the last being more of a statement then a question. Relena just nodded, her eyes on the brim of tears. “Don’t worry, if all I’ve heard from you, Duo and the other pilots is correct; then I think Heero really cares for you, but just doesn’t know how to express his feelings. After all, he was brought up and trained to be the perfect soldier. Love really doesn’t fit into that equation.” Hilde said reassuringly giving Relena a hug.
“Thank you Hilde, for everything.” Relena said after sitting up.
“Hey, no problem. Our guys maybe heroes but they are also men, and men often times tend to be very thick headed. Why don’t you take some vacation time and we can visit Quatre, Dorothy, Trowa, Cathy, Wufei, Sally, Ms. Noin, your brother, and Howard. How about it huh?” Hilde asked looking Relena in the eye.
“Yea, I think I’d like that. After all, I never did get a chance to celebrate my eighteenth birthday. This ought to make up for that.” Relena replied with a smile.
“All right then I’ll go start making plans.” Hilde said as she got up giving Relena another hug before leaving the office to begin arrangements.
Once Hilde had left Relena sank back onto the office and completed what Hilde had told her. ‘ Duo is worried about Heero. But why? Unless Heero is in danger. No not Heero. And would Heero be living completely by himself. It just doesn’t make sense. Oh well, It will be could to see the others anyway. Maybe I can get some clues from them as to what Hilde’s comment meant.’
Duo walked up to his Gundam smiling and briefly remembering all that they had been through.
“Well Death Site. It’s been quite a while and I’ve got a few things to talk over with you about. First of all is that I’m worried about Heero. He spends to much time by himself and if he thinks he can hide his feelings for Relena from me he’s dead wrong. I’m not a gundam pilot for nothing ya know. And from what Hilde’s told me, Relena is suffering just as much as Heero is just because he’s being ridiculously stubborn about staying here at Peace Guard to watch out for you and the other Gundams. I think the strength of his feelings for Relena scares him. You agree don’t ya.” He asked pausing in his chatter to give his gundam a long look before continuing with his chatter.
“Second of all is Hilde. We’ve been a couple for over two years now. And my feelings just keep getting stronger for her. But I’m afraid that I may lose her. Ya know how long Death seems to have followed me around. Always striking when I finally feel those I care about are safe. So whatcha think, Huh Death Site. Do I pop the question?” Duo finishing his line of chatter looked up at the silent face of his Gundam.
“Figured you say something like that.” He mumbled. Just then the cockpit and the message beeper went off. Duo hopped into the cockpit and settled himself before punching the button to open the communication line. A window opened up to reveal Hilde’s smiling face.
“Well Duo, How are you?” She asked smiling.
“I’m fine. Now tell me did you come up with anything we can do to get these two lonely hearts together?” He asked with a smile.
“Weeellll……….”
Relena settled into her seat on the private shuttle as Hilde talked briefly to one of the stewards. ‘Heero where are you I miss you so much.’ She thought at the same time fingering the silver locket that had been a gift from all the girls. Besides the teddy bear Heero had given her it was her most prized possession. For it contained a small picture of Heero, who was actually smiling. Hilde had told her that Duo had managed to catch Heero in that shot without him knowing about it.
Hilde smiled as she noticed Relena fingering the locket and staring out to space. That locket had been the idea of the gundam pilots, excluding Heero, and the girls. They had placed a small tracking device that could be tracked all over the colonies and Earth. They had decided upon putting it in a locket with a picture of Heero to insure that she’d where it all the time. It had worked. She wore or carried the locket with her everywhere.
Suddenly the shuttle filled with a strange purple smoke and a voice came over the speakers.
“Sleep well Ladies, and Ms. Peacecraft know this you will pay for the trouble and suffering you’ve caused the Fang organizations.”
Relena gasped then began holding her breath and reached for a compact in her purse. Heero had given it to her immediately after the battle with Libra, telling her that if she was ever in danger to push on the panel under the powder pad and he would come. Completing this task she barely managed to drop it back into her purse Hilde trying to use the phone before she to passed out.