Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing

Deceptions Part 7: The Murder

By Symee-Sama

Relena sat forlornly in her tiny cell, admiring the bruises she had earned. He had tried to kiss her again, and she had kneed Him in the groin. She idly traced one of the bigger ones on her face. She liked the bruises. They were her protection because He refused to touch her when she was hurt. He didn't like her when she was flawed. She knew that it was only a matter of time before He wouldn't care, but she would postpone it for as long as she could.

She sighed quietly. So this is what she had been reduced to. To relying on bruises to keep her safe. She would have laughed if it wasn't so pathetic. She was the leader of a nation, and known all over the Earth Sphere, she knew that if she could get free, someone would give her aid. He kept her in a tiny cell, and the only other person she saw were her guards. Relena buried her face in her hands. No one knew she was here.

"Oh Heero," she whispered to the darkness. "Why?" She would give almost anything to know the answer. Why would Heero do this? She still couldn't figure it out. It had almost become an obsession with her. She had to know why he was doing theses things, why he had sold her to Him. She heard a noise from the hallway, and looked around futilely for a place to hide. You're a fool. She told herself bitterly. You cannot hide from Him. You will never escape from Him.

Relena composed herself, and stood up, not wanting to be seen as lower than him. It was her tiny way of defying Him, and she always felt better when she stood while meeting with Him. Her door was flung open, and He walked in. She stared at Him cooly, and didn't flinch when He came over to her, and ran Hs hand over her face.

"You are healing quickly." He said happily. "You are stronger than I thought." She stiffened slightly when He ran a hand through her hair. "The others took much longer to heal than this. At this rate you should be back to normal in about a week!" He smiled at her. "This calls for a celebration. Go with the guard to the bathroom to clean up. When you return I will have a surprise for you."

She smiled slightly at His stupidity. Did He honestly believe that she would forgive him for what He had done, for what He would do, because of a surprise. She resisted the urge to laugh in His face. Laughing at Him would do nothing more than make Him angry, and she did not want another beating. She fought the urge to laugh again, but this time, she was laughing at herself. How weak she was! Giving in to Him so easily. "I'm weak," she whispered and His head snapped back to look at her, a serious look replacing His cheerful one.

"What did you say, my dear?" He asked in a dangerous tone. Relena trembled slightly under His gaze, and thought of different stories that she could tell Him. Had He actually heard her? "You said you were weak." His eyes narrowed. "What did you mean?"

"I-" Relena wracked her brain for an excuse. "I just meant that I'm not feeling very well." She lied smoothely. "I'm afraid I have a bit of a headache." He looked at her in concern, and she stood silently, writhing slightly under the intensity of His gaze.

"Perhaps a hot bath will make you feel better," He said softly, and led her out of her cell, and down the hall to a small bathroom. He nodded to the female attendant, and told her to run a bath. Then He turned to Relena, and reached out, tracing her cheekbones with His finger. "I will come to see you again when you're fully healed." She shuddered when He touched her, and He mistook her reaction for pleasure. "Be patient, darling." He whispered into her ear. "We will be together soon."

Relena let out a sigh of relief as she watched Him walk away. She turned to the attendant, and saw a frown on her face. Relena opened her mouth to speak, but the attendant cut her off. "I know what you're going to ask me." She looked at Relena with pity in her eyes. "But I cannot help you escape." She watched as Relena's face contorted in despair.

"Why?" She managed to choke out. "I can't stay here. He'll use me until He's bored with me, and then He'll kill me. I have so much I want to do." She grabbed the attendant's hands. "You have to help me! I can't die here!"

"I can't help you miss," the attendant gently freed herself from Relena's grasp. "He'll kill me if I do. I truly am sorry." She pushed Relena towards the now filled bathtub, and sat on a small chair beside it. Relena didn't make a move to undress, and the attendant reached out towards her. "Is something wrong miss?" She asked in a concerned voice.

"I can't take a bath while you're here," Relena replied in a slightly condescending tone. "You'll have to leave."

"I can't," the attendant explained. "My job is to watch you in situations where it wouldn't be proper for the guards to be with you." She flushed slightly at Relena's arched eyebrow. "To make sure that you don't commit suicide or find a weapon of some sort. I'm sorry." She said again.

Relena sighed and stripped quickly, stepping into the bathtub and sitting in the warm water. She took her time washing, she hadn't washed since Heero had kidnapped her, and nearly laughed at the thought of how bad she must smell. She was surprised that He could stand to touch her. She let herself relax for the first time since her capture, and felt the tension in her shoulders flowing away. She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them, she nearly had a heart attack.

Heero was standing in front of her, smirking slightly. "What do you want?" She asked angrily, and stood up to face him, forgetting her current state of dress. His smirk grew as he eyed her body, and she squawked indignantly grabbing a towel to cover herself. Red tinged her cheeks as she wrapped the towel around her body. "What do you want?" She asked again.

He seemed disturbed about something, and she reached out for him, but he flinched away angrily. "It wasn't me." He growled at her, and backed away he hit the wall. "All those things. the murders, your kidnapping. I never wanted to do them!"

Relena closed the distance between them and slapped him. She gave a satisfied smile at the resounding crack her palm made against his face. He lifted his hand to his stinging cheek, and smiled sadly at her. "Something's happening to me. I don't understand." He explained quietly, and then stiffened. "Holes in my memory. bright light.that voice." His eyes flashed with recognition. "Zero's back!"

"Stop making excuses!" Relena yelled at him angrily. "You were the one who put me here! You were the one who sold me to Him. Why should I listen to your lies anymore?" She wanted to hurt him. To make him feel the same pain she had for the last three weeks. Heero remained silent, and she grabbed him by his shirt collar. "I asked you a question!" He didn't answer, and Relena realized that she was shaking him. She released his shirt, and backed away from him. "Why should I listen to your reasoning for the things you've done?"

"I don't have a reason for any of the things I've done." Heero said quietly, and for the first time, Relena realized that he was wearing shackles. "I enjoyed it," He looked at her sadly. "I thrived on the fear." He closed his eyes and lost himself in memory. "I laughed at them when they begged for their lives, laughed when they cried because I had killed their children."

Relena began to hear whispers, and looked at Heero to make sure that she wasn't going crazy. He looked the same as always, but she noticed that his hands were trembling, and his eyes had a lost look in them. "Murderer." They said, and became louder and louder until they filled the room, and Relena covered her ears to block out the hateful sounds.

Heero reached out a tentative hand to her, she stared at him in disbelief before taking it and letting him pull her close to him. "It's an execution." He whispered and hugged her tighter to him. Relena sighed slightly and relaxed into his embrace.

"Heero," she whispered. "What's going on?" She had to know. Why was he back here? "Are you here to save me?" He released her, not answering either of her questions. "Answer me Heero!" He reached up and traced her cheekbones with finger just like He had, but she felt none of the revulsion she had felt earlier. Only contentment. She looked at him, and saw confusion in his eyes. "You haven't answered me yet." She persisted.

Heero reached for her, and pulled her close to him again. Relena closed her eyes, surendering to his embrace once again. He leaned close to her ear, and whispered. "I love-"

"Miss?" Relena opened her eyes, and found herself lying in the bathtub again, the attendant was shaking her gently. "Miss you have to go back to your cell now." Relena looked around bewilderedly, and wanted to cry in frustration. It was a dream! He hadn't been here! She let the attendant dress her, and lead her back to her cell. Still trying to process the fact that it had only been a dream. Am I going crazy? she wondered, and sat down on her bed.

The attendant bowed to her, and left, closing the door behind her. Relena looked around her small cell, and was startled when she saw a package on her bed. What was it? She tried to think of a reason there was a present on her bed. Oh yes, He said that He would leave a surprise. She reached for it tentatively, and ripped off the bow, pulling off the lid in the process.

"Oh God," she managed to say. Had He done this on purpose? How could He have known? Maybe Heero had told Him. . . She didn't want to think of it anymore. She reached into the box, and pulled out a small bear. How could He have known? She threw it against the wall. She already had one, she didn't need another.

* * * * *

"Where is he?" Wufei growled angrily, and looked at his watch. "He's late." He hated people who weren't punctual. He wanted to end this meeting as quickly as possible so he could get back to Sally. He spent every waking hour with her, but it wasn't enough. He felt like he could have done something. Maybe if he had shot Heero, this never would've happened.

"He's only ten minutes late," Quatre reasoned. "And besides, it's not like this happens very often. He's usually on time. He probably just wants to spend a little more time with Catherine."

Wufei relaxed slightly at the wisdom of the blonde's words. He had been selfish. He wasn't the only one who had lost someone in the bombing. Quatre had lost his sister, but he seemed to be holding up all right. "How are you doing?" he asked and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I'm doing better," Quatre said with a sad smile. "I figure that Iria wouldn't want me to be sad about her forever, but -" His eyes hardened, and grew cold. "That won't stop me from missing her. When I find Heero -" He was interrupted by Wufei's cell phone.

Wufei answered it and listened intently for a few minutes before losing his patience. "Just get to the point!" He yelled into the phone, and as he listened again, his face paled. "Are you sure?" He asked, and listened once more, before snapping the phone shut. "Trowa's in trouble." He said to Quatre and sprinted down the hallway.

"What?" Quatre said in a shocked tone as he fell into stride beside Wufei. "What's going to happen to him?"

"It seems that Yuy got another mission." Wufei said quietly. "We just heard that he was spotted around here, sneaking into a room on this floor, and Trowa is the only person that he could possibly be after." His hands clenched. "We're going to get him this time." He promised, and saw Quatre nodding.

"He won't hurt anyone anymore." Quatre said as they reached Catherine's room, and burst through the door. His face fell when he saw all the blood. It was soaking the floor, and his eyes followed the trail of it to a figure with a knife in his back. "No," he whispered. "We're too late."

* * * * *

Trowa looked impassively at Heero, hiding his emotions behind a façade of calm. How had he gotten in here? He wanted to ask, but figured that Heero wouldn't appreciate it. "Don't hurt her." He ordered the other pilot, and felt fear beginning to rise up in him when Heero's smirk grew. "She is not involved with this."

"What does that matter?" Heero asked him. "I still owe her for my new scars." He looked past Trowa, and stared at the trembling girl. He licked his lips unconsciously. "I can't leave her out of this." She flinched slightly at his words, and huddled behind her brother. "It's a pity that she won't understand my reasoning for killing her though."

"You put her in a mental ward," Trowa said quietly. "Isn't that enough?" Heero shook his head slightly, and Trowa lost his temper. "What will be enough then? How many innocents are going to die before you're satisfied?" He grunted as a bullet lodged itself in his arm. "I thought you didn't want to kill anymore, Heero."

Heero's eyes narrowed into slits. "Shut up!" He yelled and lunged at the other pilot. Trowa gasped slightly as Heero's hand tightened around his throat. "Don't say a word." He cautioned. "Or I may have to hurt you." He realized that the other man was not afraid and smirked slightly. "Or her."

"What does that matter?" Trowa snorted. "You're going to kill us anyway. I might as well tell you what I think about you before I die." Trowa bit back a groan when Heero threw him against the wall. "You're a coward." His words became more strained as Heero's hands tightened around his neck. "You're afraid of what will happen to you because the world doesn't need you any more. Why else would you hold on to the life of a soldier?" Black spots began to dance in front of his eyes, and he struggled to breathe. He lashed out at Heero, punching him as hard as he could, but Heero remained unaffected.

"I'll kill you all!" Heero snarled at him. "And when you're all dead, she'll die too." He had an insane looked in his eyes. "I won't just kill her, I'll destroy her! Everything about her! She'll pay for what she's done!"

Trowa began to see black at the edges of his vision, and was saying a silent goodbye to his sister when the pressure on his neck dissapeared. What? He raised a hand to his bruised throat. Why did he let go? He looked up at Heero, and saw a pained look on his face. He felt a strange wetness on his leg and reached down to touch it. Blood?

Heero groaned and collapsed to the floor, a dagger sticking out of his back. "Catherine?" Trowa looked at the huddled figure. "Catherine did you do this?" She was trembling violently, and recoiled from him when he reached for her. "Please talk to me." She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face.

"I kilt him," she said in her childish voice. "You were in trouble, and I wanted to help you. . . I picked up the present you brought me, and I threw it at him." She looked away from him. "I kilt him Trowa. I'm a murderer." She whimpered slightly as he pulled her into his arms. "I'm a murderer." She buried her face in his chest, and he stroked her hair, trying to soothe her.

"No," he whispered to her. "You saved me, you're not a murderer." He pointed to Heero. "He's a bad man, and you saved me." She shook her head violently, and she broke away from his embrace. Trowa reached for her again, but she evaded his grasp.

"I kilt him." She whispered to herself again. "I'm a murderer." And buried her face in her hands. He tried to comfort her, but she would have none of it. She let out a shocked gasp as Quatre and Wufei burst into the room.

"No," Trowa heard Quatre whisper. "We're too late." He wanted to scream in frustration. How were they going to find Relena now? "What happened?" Quatre asked bewilderedly. "Who did it?"

"Catherine saved my life," Trowa said, and sighed. "But at what price? All she'll say now is that she killed him, and that she's a murderer." He looked sadly at his big sister, who was huddled on the bed, whispering to herself.

"You did explain to her that she's not, right?" Quatre asked, and Trowa nodded. "I will do all I can for her. We'll find a way to bring her back."

"No," Trowa shook his head. "You've done more than your share, when you sent her to this hospital. If it wasn't for you, I would still be trying to find the money to put her here. I don't know how I can repay you."

"No repayment is necessary," Quatre grinned. "You're my friend, and what's the point of having money if you don't use it to help out your friends?" His face became serious. "Besides, I want to help her. It hurts me to see her like this, and I know that it breaks your heart. Let me help you."

Trowa nodded gratefully, and was about to say something when Wufei spoke. "I hate to break up your little meeting, but what are we going to do with him?" he asked with a sneer, and pointed at Heero's body. "The bastard finally got what he deserved." He looked up them expectantly. "So what do we do now?"

Author's Note: Was it too rushed? Was there anything that you really liked/disliked? Feel free to tell me. Oh yeah, and FYI in Relena's dream, the dialogue may have seemed familiar. That's because it is. It's taken from what Heero says in the first chapter. There is a reason for this, and it will be explained later on. And if you were wondering about why I always referred to her owner as "Him" with a capital "H", there is also a reason, and it will also be explained later.