I don’t know what it was about that golden arch that stood against the gray clouds, hovering over the white snow that brought the realization of the mini reunion to mind.

I guess my surprise and giddiness surfaced. "What’s on your mind?" Trowa countered softly. I arched my back and yawned. It is so cramped.

That nothing makes sense. I’m off course. I don’t know my middle name. If my eyes are blue or green blue.

"Why I’m here." I responded off-handily. I shifted and looked Heero over carefully. He looked so tired. Even reality was eating at him in his dreams and what that reality was, I wasn’t sure. Heero Yuy was up to something and even in his sleep he was one hundred and ten percent focused on his task.

Thus, the perfect solider.

I reached up and brushed a few strands of his chocolate mass through my fingers. At that moment I was embedded by his taunt beauty and husky scent. Each line, each curve, all showed wisdom of a man that saw more than most do in an entire life time.

But even the strongest need to be protected from their nightmares. But he wouldn’t tell me his. I could only guess and try to smooth out the knots that he covered so well with that grim look he use to carry.

And hopefully carry in the future. It’s better than an act, I suppose.

And now he is just empty. Empty like the rest of us. Ugly like the rest of us. War embraced by his features, just like us, and pain laced in his eyes.

He was now just like us. Or, in my standards, pretending to be.

"Whatever you do, Relena," Trowa said, catching me off guard. I jerked my hand away from Heero’s hair and slightly blushed. "Don’t doubt yourself. Your jumping in with both feet with Heero at your hands. That’s very trustworthy, and I think...when all is reveal, you will feel very rewarded."

"By what, may one ask." I was curious of what this usual stoic man was saying.

"By grace. Just grace." He smiled wrly. A smile of foretelling. He knew what I didn’t know, thus his words weren’t making any sense to me. But his upturned lips and light eyes -or should I say eye, since the other was covered by gravitated hair- grounded me. Set my feet upon rock. Told me I was okay. To trust, to follow, to hold dear the basic morals I’ve come to terms with.

And somehow grace was to save me through all this? I smiled. Some clowns, you’ll never get them. They throw popcorn, they paint on funny faces, and give you a lesson in the morals of grace.

"Why were you frantic back at the mini-mart? What was wrong?" I asked, hoping to get some type of detail of Heero’s intent.

Trowa shrugged. "I thought Heero had kidnapped you." -The fact that he was serious had my mind double over, trip, and melt into a chocolate goo of fudge in the shape of heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For once, I actually felt twenty-four. Looking over myself in the mirror I smiled, very satisfied. Heero said his mother was a very ‘classy’ women and wanted the best for his son and therefore I should dress and look ‘classy’.

I told him to go make a snow ‘woman’ if he wanted classy. I was wearing jeans and sweater. There was no way miss pretty old me was going to get in a dress and heels in freezing weather. What did he think I was? Pork liver?

Don’t answer that.

"Are you done yet? We really should go. It only takes five minutes to get there."

"Hold on anxious boy." I yelled through the door, adjusting my plain red sweater. If it only took five minutes, why did we need to leave sooner? Oh that man was full of contradictions. I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. What was I kidding. I looked like hell. I opened the door slightly to see Heero leaning on the door frame. "Heero, do I look at least descent?"

He eyed me over carefully and nodded. "Sure." -Typical man answer. Sure. That left too much room to decide what exactly that meant. Sure, you look like crap. Sure, I’ve seen you better looking. Sure, are you kidding?

Oh hell.

"Can you elaborate?"

Heero nodded. "Do you have clothes on?" I nodded. "Are you comfortable?" I nodded. "Then...you look fine."

My face faltered.

I hated men.

I needed Quatre. He always had the best fashion out of them all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To say Heero Yuy was giddy fell too short of the truth. To say Heero Yuy was a nervous wreck was probably closer. He sat with his legs to close together, his shoulders weren’t loose enough and his hand was squeezing mine like the Mississippi.

Good lord.

"Heero, hold up, I’m losing connection with my fingers." I whispered to him when the short housekeeper had left to get us tea. He sighed and let go completely to my short dismay.

"I’m sorry, it’s just, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen her. I’m afraid...she won’t forgive me of my sins." His honesty touched me so. I reached over and took his hand back into mine trying to lend him all the strength I could.

"I understand but remember, it wasn’t your fault. Nothing was." Heero flinched slightly and pulled his thoughts in, and just when I was trying to pull him out. Dang it.

Both our heads snapped up when the distant click of heels could be heard from the hallway. Heero’s breath caught, and I prayed -for my hand’s sake- and tried not to whimper as Heero’s hand tighten more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I knew instantly I didn’t belong there. I shouldn’t have been there. This was something between Heero and his mom. Not I. I didn’t even fit into the picture on that over sized couch taking an occasional sip of the raw tea. I could feel Heero’s nervousness through each rack of silent shudders.

Yet, outside, he looked so calm. Calm that is, until I could see his insides breaking.

She was short. That was for sure. Short and purely Asian with her slanted eyes and soft accent. She had walked in, her heels echoing throughout the room, and with a dry smile. She laid eyes on her son and I could see her world falling into place. Perfection. Completion. This, her son, had given her in her old age.

Her red lipstick and brushed back hair made her look slightly younger, but the soft rattle in her voice denied youth. Her eyes had seen war, that was for sure. I watched thoughtfully as the two approached the relationship they owned title to, yet, had never tasted, smell, or touched it’s surface. It was only a word. Family. To experience it was something entirely different.

Something I haven’t had, something I’ve never really longed for. The first time I missed my family, the Peacecrafts or the Dorlins, I filled the emptiness with a chocolate bar and stack of paper work.

Any regret? Nah, it was a good chocolate bar.

That usually works. Besides, I pop John Lennon in the cd player and sing along to ‘The Yellow Submarine.’ Now really, how could anyone be lonely after that? It was my salvation, and so was he -John Lennon that is-. Christ in the form of a hippie.

"Tsuo, you’ve grown." her voice broke in. I snapped my head up and watched Heero’s lips stretch into a lazy smile that any boy could get away with, with his mother.

Tsuo, that must be his name? "Perhaps. But then again I haven’t seen you since I was five."

"Oh such fate has done to us my son." Heero took her hand into his own and smiled softly.

"But fate has allowed me back to you to make things right." -I repeated his words over once. To make things right. What had he made wrong? Or had fate wronged them both? Oh whatever he was saying wasn’t making sense and I was ready to throw pacifism down the drain just to sock him once. Just once.

After that I tuned out of their conversation. Crestfallen, I sighed. I frankly give up. I do. Whatever Heero was up to must have been just part of my head. Here he was, with his mother, just like he told me he was going to do.

And I just had to play mystery women. But what about his crazy outgoing personality? His ‘new’ groove?

Perhaps he really changed?

Oh please. Take me to the priest someone. Show me redemption now so I may not choke on my oolong tea.

"Is this her?" I felt a nudge in my side and glanced up. Heero’s eyes spoke something that I wasn’t sure. But his look bore into something I couldn’t guard and I felt naked for a mere moment. Slowly I gazed upon his mother and put on the best smile I could manage. I reached out and took her hand from Heero.

"It’s so good to meet you. Heero’s been awaiting this for so long."

"Heero? Oh, is that your code name Tsuo?" Heero blinked once at his mother and nodded. It almost seemed he was nodding to something he wasn’t sure.

"Tsuo..." I repeated slowly, glancing at Heero I saw it didn’t fit him. My smiled broaden. "Such a nice name. You live out here alone?"

She looked down and manage the friendly stance but failed. "I suppose. My maid, Megan, she lives down the road by the tavern. I love these mountains though. Tsuo and I use to go hiking everyday with his father just to see the sunrise. Can you believe that? I have a heart attack just going up the stairs now of days." She laughed at the irony life had thrown her. A laugh that spoke of loneliness and pain.

"You though," she patted my hand. " I keep up with daily. The news, the paper, if the paper-boy can make it through the snow, even daily magazine. And to think here you are in my house drinking out of my cup! Your just precious. Perfect for my boy."

I’m sure my cheeks are warm enough to heat up the room.

"Ma ..." Heero said with a warning voice. She frowned and smacked him on the knee. I was ready to spit out my tea any moment. Oh, Heero hit by an old lady. The shame of it all.

"I don’t get to see my boy and now that I do, I’m going to find him the perfect wife." She paused and soften slightly. "You beat me to it."

Heero wrapped his arm around my waist. I prayed I wouldn’t shout out in glee or tense to much. We had to look natural, right?

"So you approve of us?"

"You have my blessing if your going to marry her that is."

Heero now, was the one blushing. "Uh, mama, we haven’t exactly covered that area of topic yet...."

We haven’t Heero? Er. Tsuo. Oh dear me, oh my.

Heero’s mother looked very understanding. "Oh? Well, I have time to spare. Talk."

Oh, I was in love with her already. She was hilarious. Just hilarious. She could have her own talk show if she wanted.

I felt Heero’s heart race as he pulled me closer. "Can we have time alone to talk about this? We’ll get back to you tomorrow."

Defeat yet determination clouded her eyes. "All right." The contradicting woman stood up and smiled.

"Now, you two go unpack. We’ll have time to talk tomorrow morning. Do you like eggs and ham?"

I didn’t respond but Heero nodded. Before I could blink she was braced into a warm hug with myself.

"It’s so good to see him in good hands. Hopefully for good." She winked and I saw the joy. Just pure joy that Heero and I had brought her in a simple visit.

Heero kissed his mother on the forehead and gave the most honest smile I had ever seen.

"Mama...I’m sorry." She shrugged and kissed him once again on the cheek.

"Sleep. We’ll talk tomorrow morning."

This, I knew, was the missing piece to the puzzle. Where it fit in the picture was beyond me. So instead I shoved my hands in my pocket, blew a strand of hair out of my face, and followed Heero to our one bedded bedroom.

I must have done something very good for God to reward me in such a way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I rolled over, shuffling the blue comforter and buried my face into his chest.

Whoa now. His chest? Backing up, I was greeted with the sight of Heero Yuy. Or Tsuo? I flinched. No, he was still Heero to me. Real name or not. I wonder...if he’s sleeping. I giggled silently. I’ve always wanted to do this. I pulled my hand back, ready for a high dive slap. But before my precious hand could impact, Heero’s hand grabbed mine.

"Do you want something?"

"Are you awake?" I asked innocently. He smirked.

"Ha-ha." I was very aware of the fact his hand didn’t let go, yet, laced his fingers with mine. "What woke you up?" -Did that mean he was awake when I buried my face into his chest?

"Just thinking I suppose."

"Sleep now, Relena. You need your beauty rest."

I frowned. What in hell was that suppose to mean. I need my beauty rest? What, too ugly for you Mr. Yuy! "Next time, Yuy, I will not miss in my slap."

"Of course." I sighed and rolled over once again Yet, he still didn’t let go of my hand.

I smirked. Shall we try again, folks? "Heero, are you awake?"

I heard him groan. "Yes." I smiled.

"Liar." I rolled over once again. My back was starting to hurt. Heero opened one eye and made a face. I laughed and slugged him playfully in the arm. "I want to talk to you. Don’t sleep."

"About?"

"Stuff." I snuggled deeper into my pillow. "Do you think she thinks that we’re a couple?"

He nodded. "She’s to caught up with me being here to really see the missing link between us."

Missing link? "Missing link?"

"Romance?" Romance. Huh. I didn’t even know that he knew that word. The things you learn.

"Oh. ... She’s lovely." Heero nodded. My head bobbed in a quick doze off. His voice though, brought me back.

"She reminds me of you." I glanced up at him and smiled with droppy eyes. He continued. "You know, you remind me of my mother very much. Well, what I knew of her. She had pretty eyes like you. Blue eyes too. Her father was American."

Without caring about the enclosure, I pulled myself closer to him. "Now you have her." I closed my eyes, and felt each lick of sleep up my spine.

Heero placed a hand on my lower back. "I’ve always had her." He whispered in my hair, sending the last gentle push into a hazy fuzz and I drifted off to sleep.

His words didn’t make sense to me, and somehow, he had revealed to me in my dreamy state of mind the resolution. I was just too tired to put it together.

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Author's notes:: Tell me what ya think.