[fic] So Close...And Yet So Far (11/11) Final Chapter!!!

[miaka mouse]

::delurking:: well...it's done...it's actually done... (well 'cept for the epilogue but lemme just revel in this a bit longer) the fic that never ends has a final chapter... i really want to thank everyone who's stuck by this story...and encouraged me continue when i reached those moments that i jus hated this fic... before proceeding to read this chapter i recommend that everyone go back and read the rest of it first..since it's been more than 6 months since i posted chap 10 and more than 2 yrs since i posted chap 1...

the fic is archived here somewhere...u'll have to go back kinda far.. here's a link to ffn..i hate their formatting... and excuse my immature writing style in the first couple of chapters... i really wanna go back and re-write those... then again..it's fun to see how my writing has developed over the past 2 yrs...

http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=411325

also one slight warning... major angst ahead... i kno we promised no more of that rose but i've had this ending planned since chap 4... hopefully the epilogue will be able to make up for it... and hopefully it won't take me another 6 months to finish that... ^_~

ok...w/out further ado...

So Close... And Yet So Far

By Miaka Mouse <?__)~

Part Eleven: Showdown

It was Lieutenant Dix's lucky day. At least he thought so. The Preventers had called to interview him for a position. It was a phone call he had been waiting a whole year for. And now he sat, rather uncomfortably, in an office, which looked more like an interrogation room, being interviewed by two of their top agents. It was a promising day indeed.

Most of the questions seemed to be focused on his previous work experience, which was not much, but thanks to Senator Tausend’s recommendations he was confident he had enough credentials.

"So the Senator singled you out to be a member of his Elite Military?" Trowa Barton's level voice stated, rather than asked.

"Well, it wasn't just me. He had a few of us take some Test Sims and he was really impressed by my skills. He told me he'd have me promoted to Captain, once his legislation passed."

"Did he explain why he was trying to form this military unit in the first place?" Dix sensed a slight irritation in Preventer Chang's voice as he posed that question, and the young interviewee sought to compensate for that in his answers.

"Actually, I think it's a really good idea. Since the Preventers act mostly as a police force, they're not as efficient in handling civil wars and situations like that. Just yesterday, the Senator gave a speech telling us about the unrest in South America. There are bombings like the one at the conference happening there all the time. But of course you guys knew that." He flashed them a brief smile, but, seeing none in return, he rambled on. "I'm just thinking... What if the terrorists who bombed the conference came from there? If we had that unit from the beginning this never would've happened, right?"

Wufei and Trowa exchanged quick glances, but as Wufei opened his mouth to reply he was cut off by the buzz of the vid-com.

"Chang," was the curt greeting he gave to the vid-phone. Neither of the other two occupants of the room could hear or see what the person on the other side of the link was saying. However, they did notice the color drain from the Preventer's face and they watched as his knuckles whitened from gripping the edge of the desk so tightly. He bowed his head forward as if in defeat. "I understand," he said in a voice so forced, even Trowa was alarmed. Dix glanced at both of them worriedly, but said nothing. Trowa broke the silence by addressing the lieutenant.

"We'll give you a call in a few days, Lieutenant. Thank you for coming in on such short notice. Did you have anything else you wanted to ask him, Wufei?" He asked his still pale comrade. Wufei shook his head wordlessly and Dix hurriedly left the room.

"She's dead." Trowa looked up at him in disbelief. He wanted to ask 'who?' knowing full well there was only one person whom he could be talking about.

"How?" Trowa forced the word through the lump that was forming in his throat.

"The rest of the structure collapsed," Wufei trailed off.

"She could still be-" Trowa almost pleaded.

"No. You know full well it was a long shot even to think she could have survived the blast," he said in bitter anger. Composing himself, he continued, "We've been ordered to put a tail on that dishonorable coward of a senator. Now that she's finally out of the way, there's no telling what he might do."

"We have to find Heero," Trowa said suddenly.

"Buzz his com-link. I'll meet you out front." And with bitter resolve, Chang Wufei left the room prepared to deliver justice.

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

He was floating in nothingness, completely weightless.

And suddenly Heero fell, as if from a great height, onto the wooden floor beneath him. He awoke with a start, expecting to have injured himself in the fall, but as he looked around he realized he had not actually fallen. The beeping of his mobile-com was most likely the sound that had woken him. He didn't remember actually falling asleep though. His last lucid memory was of...

Relena.

And then the panic set in.

His heart pounded in his chest and he realized his com was still beeping. He fumbled with the hand-held device before finally answering it with a frantic, "Hello??" Trowa's voice on the other end of the link seemed startled at the emotion evident in Heero’s rusty voice.

"Heero? We've been ordered to put a tail on Tausend. We could use your help." Tausend. The name echoed in his brain and filled him with dread. And he remembered her soft, yet determined voice: I have to fix this. "Heero?"

"Meet me in front of his office at the Capitol." His voice sounded strange, as if he hadn't used it in years. "Bring back-up. Hurry."

"Are you ok?"

"No." And with a resounding click, Heero cut off the line.

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

With every step she climbed, her determination mounted. Relena supposed she was fortunate that the Capitol building housed such an impressive staircase. It had not been easy to leave Heero, especially now as it seemed his barriers had fallen. She had never seen him look so peaceful or relaxed, but she had a responsibility to the world, to herself, and, most importantly, to Heero. The promise she had made to herself that night, when she had observed the scars on his body, was not one she took lightly. 'Heero will never fight again,' she reaffirmed her vow. She would die for this cause, for him, if it came down to it; she had never been afraid of death. The only thing that held her back was the image of her brother, his tragic figure clawing at the rubble, thinking she was inside. If only she could give him the reassurance that she was alive and well. But here she was, walking into the lion's den.

The door to Tausend's temporary office was closed, but she could hear his voice rumbling behind it. Taking a deep breath she turned the doorknob and entered the room. His back was toward her as he spoke to the vidphone and he didn't turn until the door clicked closed behind her. She pulled off her hat and her golden hair tumbled around her shoulders. His eyes widened in shock and he stood abruptly, hastily disconnecting the phone despite the protests of the man on the other end of the line.

"You!" He exclaimed, his face pale with disbelief.

"Why, Senator, you look as though you've seen a ghost."

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

The sky was bleeding. Heero regarded the sunset and remembered that the sun had also been setting that day on the beach, when he first met the girl who would be his undoing. The sky was red that day too, but back then he'd dismissed it as a diffraction of light waves in the atmosphere. Today the thin white clouds looked like scratch marks clawed, as if in anger, across the sky. They dripped blood as the wounded sun sank to its death into the horizon. And Heero was afraid of what it portended.

His mind was cluttered with thoughts and memories and, for once, emotions, when all he wanted was to get to Tausend...and to Relena.

Be careful, Heero.

You don't have to worry about me...

...Don't ask me not to worry for you. Because I want to.

No! No... He didn't want to think about this now. He had to get to her before...before...

Heero, I know too much. That's why I have to be killed, right?

Yes.

I didn't want to die without knowing why. But now, I feel different. I somehow understand why you have to keep on fighting. And now, I'm fighting beside you.

Beside me...?

Why did all this have to come to him now? His shields had crumbled and the deluge couldn't be stopped. Where was she? Why had she done this to him?

I will always be here to help you.*

But she wasn't. She had run away from him. How could he let this happen?

I promised I'd protect you. To protect you and the earth sphere... the only way I can is to fight.

No! No! You're planning on dying aren't you?

He should have. He should have died back then on Libra. If he had known living would be like this...

And suddenly he was opening the doors to the Capitol building, running up the stairs. He came face to face with Trowa, who gave him a questioning look, while Wufei stood to the side looking impatient.

"You knew, didn't you?" Wufei accused, with a hint of betrayal in his voice. "They're both inside...talking." Heero felt his chest expand at those words. She was alive.

I promise I'll never leave you.*

He had to look inside, had to see her to know everything would be all right again. He eased the door open a crack.

"I am only one, but still I am one," her voice filtered through the space. "I cannot do everything; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the one thing that I can do." He could see her proud profile, but the Senator was not in the line of sight.

"I'm afraid I'm a little sick of your pretty speeches, Minister." Heero watched her eyes widen slightly and recognized her expression from the many times he had been the receiver of it.

You know too much! Goodbye, Relena!

He has a gun, the thought streaked through his mind as he slammed the door open with his own gun drawn, the older man now in his line of fire. Startled, the senator pulled the trigger. From that moment, everything seemed to be moving in slow motion.

Heero's own gun firing as he heard the senator's shot.

Relena's surprised gasp from the other side of the room.

The senator's gun falling from his hand to the ground as his grip shattered into blood.

Wufei launching a punch at the senator.

When Heero turned, the blood was rushing in his ears and his breath was coming out in erratic gasps. Relena had fallen to her knees and was clutching her abdomen tightly. In his mind, it all seemed like a dream, and he realized it was. It was his nightmare coming true. Just as it had that night, the blood seeped through her fingers and she looked up at him. They were no longer in Tausend's office, but in his dream, at the park. This time Dr. J was nowhere to be found, but still Heero was frozen in place, paralyzed by the sight of Relena's blood.


"Heero," she whispered, tears coming to her eyes. She lifted a bloodied hand toward him, once again mimicking his nightmare.


"No..." he rasped. It couldn't be real. This couldn't be happening. Not now. Maybe if he touched her, she would disappear, like the dream she so resembled. He grabbed her shoulders, and fell to his own knees when he realized he was gripping flesh. "No, you can't!" She fell against him, her blood-covered hand cupping his face.

"I'm sorry," she whispered through her tears.

I promise I'll never leave you.*

"You promised! You lied to me," he gasped out against his own tears. "You can't leave me! You promised. I won't let you."

"I'm so sorry, Heero. I just want you to remember," she rested her head against his shoulder out of weakness, "it's not your fault." Her hand slipped from his face, leaving a thick smear of dark blood down his cheek. "I love you."

His anguished cry broke out to the darkening heavens as her hand dropped limply to the side.

"Relena!"

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

memories are just where you laid them
drag the waters 'till the depths give up their dead
what did you expect to find?
was there something you left behind?
don't you remember anything i said when i said

don't fall away, and leave me to myself
don't fall away and leave love bleeding
in my hands, in my hands again
leave love bleeding
in my hands, in my hands
love lies bleeding
~Fuel (Hemorrhage)

AN: quotes with the asterisk (*) are from chap 10 of this fic... the other ones u all must recognize from the series and blind target... relena's lines in this chapter were taken froma guy named ed everett... i have no idea who he is..but it's a nice quote, ne?

[blackrose]

You're about as funny as Berry-chan. Saying this is over. Ha ha ha ha ha. Rose is not amused.

Where's the LAST CHAPTER, MIAKA???? GAHHHHHHH!

*sobs* If you killed her...

Heero: I'll kill you.

Yeah, what he said.

*hugs*

Love,
Rose

[melrose_stormhaven]

How can you kill her?!?!
Anyway, it's a great fic!

[athena]

you can't kill her! Poor Heero...poor confused heero.Amazing fic, I admit. I love how in character everybody is. But, don't leave us hanging!! My eyes are watering up though, not just from the sad ending so far, but from reading all 11 chapters in a few hours. It's beautiful. and don't worry..the beginning doesn't sound immature at all. I agree though, its fun to see writing evolve. Huryr up and finish it!!