Final Mission Status 8/? By Mizaya and Zapenstap

[zapenstap]

Final Mission Status

By Mizaya and Zapenstap

Chapter 8


Relena waited in her brother?s office, fidgeting with her hands in her lap and trying to quell the butterflies gallivanting in her stomach. She had come straight here after her disturbing conversation with Dorothy on the phone, frustration, weakness and desperation having brewed up a storm of emotions that propelled her out of her office and across town before she thought about things too deeply. On the way, she had managed to compose herself, but even though Relena and Zechs had not grown up together, learning nuances from a childhood in each other?s company, the fact that the usually collected and reserved Vice Foreign Minister had called him out of Une?s office for an immediate and private counsel must certainly tell him that something was wrong.

?Relena,? Zechs said gruffly as he entered his office, giving her the once over with ice blue, impassive eyes. ?I would like to say it is good to see you, but under the circumstances it might be unwise for you to have come here. If Cole is having you tracked, he will be suspicious.? He circled the desk and took his own seat before meeting her eyes.

They stared at one another, siblings that were almost strangers, yet with a familial regard and mutual protectiveness beneath the surface that had somehow persisted despite the distinct separation in their lives. In spite of the formality of this meeting, it had to be enough. He was her only hope; the last resort.

?I can?t meet my brother for lunch?? Relena asked, trying to sound surprised, but most likely only managing to sound stressed. When his gaze did not soften, she folded her hands in her lap and lifted her chin regally. ?I am not a complete fool, Milliardo. I figured you would have some apprehension about my coming here, so I made sure to remind my secretary that my dear brother and I had been planning on lunch for today. If anyone checks for me at the office?anyone?the reason for my trip here will appear to have been documented weeks ago.?

Zechs? eyes remained inexpressive as she pulled a large paper bag from beneath her chair and began setting up a take-out lunch of a deli sandwiches, apples and some orange juice for two on the desk. ?Anyway,? she said, casting her eyes down on the wood under her red apple and sandwich, ?It is imperative that we meet. I need to talk to you.? She paused, and knew he knew what it was about by the sudden intensity of his stare. She took a deep breath. ?I need to talk to you about the mission. I know you must know about what has happened recently and I need to ask you to do something for me.? Face flushing, she swallowed and forced herself to look up, twisting her hands helplessly in her lap. Her more intimate relations with Heere were not easy to talk about, or even to talk around, with Milliardo.

Zechs?s muscles tensed as he raked her with his eyes, assessing, she was sure, her stability and well-being. She knew he was thinking of the recent events to which she had alluded without having to name them, and she could tell what he thought of them by the way his jaw locked as he brooded.

Lowering her eyes, Relena spread a napkin on her lap and began to pick uselessly at her turkey sandwich while Zechs ignored his own. She didn?t say anything. She didn?t need to. Her silence communicated what she wanted her brother to know. At length, he cleared his throat and spoke.

?I don?t like the mission any more than you do. Less, I?m sure,? he added with a meaningful growl. ?Relena,? Zechs continued in a tone that was defensive and forceful, ?it was against my wishes for?what happened?to happen at all, but??

Steeling herself, Relena met his icy eyes with her own and cut him off. ?I found out about the order, Milliardo. Or rather, I found out that it was an order.?

Zechs? face blanched slightly. For a moment there was silence between them, a deathly quiet that pervaded every cranny of space in the room until the pressure against Relena?s lungs made her doubt she was still breathing. When Zechs finally spoke, his voice had dropped to a deep and menacing rumble that might have frightened her if she had been the target of his anger. ?There wasn?t anything else that could be done. Cole was suspicious. If it wasn?t absolutely necessary I would remove Yuy from your presence bodily, Relena. Today. With my bare hands if I had to.?

Relena didn?t say anything. When Relena had told Dorothy not to do anything, she meant it, but making sure the agreement was kept... Relena pushed the memory of Dorothy?s words out of her mind. She could do this. Even if it was her brother, she could do what needed to be done.

?Are you okay about it?? Zechs asked her inadequately, but in a quiet, anxious tone, concerned for the little sister he had spent so many years protecting from afar. How it must hurt him to be in this situation! Relena sensed that he hated everything about the mission. He and Heero had always clashed?somewhat because they were too much alike and competitive in all the same areas. Zechs had never wanted Heero too close to his sister, and yet here he was: forced into approving what he must privately condemn, in a situation that left him no clear target to blame.

And now Relena was forced into the position of having to take advantage of their mutual vulnerability. She avoided Zechs? eyes, forcing herself to remember details of her night with Heero and the betrayal she felt upon learning the truth to give her the courage to continue.

?Milliardo,? she said in her firmest, negotiating tone, the tone she used when she was being her most formal, the tone that was obviously a contrivance to anyone who knew her personally. ?You know you can?t remove Heero from my presence at this time and I will not ask it of you. I recognize the importance of the job I have been asked to do.?

?I?m glad you see the severity of the situation. I hope you understand that I would never have allowed Yuy to touch you if there was any way to avoid...?

Relena cut him off hastily. ?I know, and I understand, but now that necessity has passed. So I have to ask you?? she bit her lip, steeling herself, perspiring slightly, ?for my emotional well-being, I have to ask you to order Heero not to have sex with me again.? She managed to keep her voice firm and clear on those last few, uncomfortable words, but her body was shaking when she finished. ?Please.?

A minute of silence stretched between them.

?Relena,? Zechs said in all-too-quiet tones, ?assure me you are not hurting from this as much as it is sounding. I want to oblige your wishes and respect your privacy, but this is a complicated matter. It isn?t a game. I can?t just??

She lifted her chin so he could see the shimmer of tears forming in her eyes, and locked her expression to reflect the desperate grip with which she managed to hold on to the storm . Her heart beat violently against her ribs. ?No, you?re right, Milliardo, it isn?t,? she said with frosty clarity. ?It?s my life. And you can to just! You?ve already gone behind my back and made personal decisions for me. This time I would like to make one for myself. I did what you wanted. Cole saw it. Everyone knows about it. The order has served its purpose and my so-called marriage has been consummated. All parties are satisfied. Now let me take back some control over what happens in my home and to my very body, even if it is staged for a camera. You don?t know what it feels like to not even be consulted about personal decisions made for you. You know how I feel about Heero?everyone seems to?but I don?t know how he feels about me and I can?t sleep at night wondering what is going to happen between us from day to day or what our intimacy means. I won?t have it! Not when things are this personal, not with the stakes this high. I never know what Heero is going to be ordered to do one day to the next or what I am supposed to believe and it is too much for me to bear. Please, order Heero not to have sex with me again. Don?t give him excuses or explanations. Don?t even tell him it was my wish! Just order him not to?.? She looked away, biting her lip to hold back tears.

Zechs? stony silence was hard to read, but his face had paled under her deluge and it seemed an effort for him to loosen his locked jaw. ?All right. I understand; you needn?t get hysterical. Please don?t cry. I need to discuss it with Une for approval, but if Cole truly is satisfied by what he has seen so far then you can be sure I will order Heero myself for what you have asked. Now please,? he added more gently, ?go home. I?ll take care of everything. It?s best if you?re not seen anywhere near this facility, scheduled luncheons or not. Remember that we are trying to keep you safe.?

?Thank you, Milliardo,? she said quietly, and throwing the remainder of her lunch together, she got up hastily from her chair and hurried from the room, closing the door behind her.

She paused for a moment in the hall, leaning her head against the heavy door and allowed herself to smile slightly into the darkness between her face and the wood.

Mission accomplished.

She knew her brother wouldn?t tell Heero that she had requested the order or even that she had personally been to see him; Zechs wasn?t one to admit to other people making his decisions often and seemed to prefer that Heero knew as little about her as possible. That was one comforting thought among all the other frightening ones:

For example, how it galled her to have taken Dorothy?s advice!

It didn?t help much knowing that if she hadn?t done it, she wouldn?t have been able to stop Dorothy from taking matters into her own hands and coming here herself. At Relena?s hesitation, the blonde had sworn on her father?s grave that she would march into Milliardo?s office and demand or manipulate what Relena had just pleaded for if Relena was ?unwilling to listen to simple logic.? Relena had listened in disturbed silence while Dorothy had lamented over the atrocity of the Preventors trampling on Relena?s privacy and toying with her heart, and it made Relena?s skin crawl wondering what the girl?s true concerns and motives were. Despite her best intentions to give even Dorothy the benefit of the doubt, imagination only stretched so far. She didn?t like agreeing to do anything Dorothy suggested.

At first, Relena had begged her to be reasonable. What would it accomplish, ordering Heero not to sleep with her? It would give her some semblance of control and peace of mind, perhaps, as was the reason she had given to her brother, but it wouldn?t get her any closer to what she really wanted and it would lose her the comfort of Heero?s arms?whatever that was worth. She had even objected to Dorothy that Heero?s behaving coldly toward her would endanger the mission, and that was not at all what she wanted.

Dorothy hadn?t given her arguments much credit. She had only laughed, a sweet sound like a bird trilling:

?I didn?t say he should be ordered to be cold,? she had said all-too practically, ?but you have to wrest a confession of Heero Yuy?s feelings for you one way or another while this opportunity lasts or I can guarantee that you will never know. He will surely disappear the moment his obligations to you are at an end; that?s just the kind of person he is. Waiting or begging will bring you nothing. You must become an active player, Miss Relena, and change the situation to your advantage and control, because you are clearly at a disadvantage the way things are now.?

There had come a pause while Relena chewed on this information. In her heart, she knew that Dorothy was right. Even if Heero did really love her, she doubted he would ever tell her so on his own accord. She didn?t understand why, but she knew that Dorothy was right: that was just the kind of person Heero was. He had left the status of their relationship to silence so many times that there was no reason to believe this would be any different, especially considering all the evasions he had made just in the last few days. If she truly wanted to know, she must raise the stakes.

And then came the revelation that socked Relena straight in the gut:

?Tell me, Miss Relena, what is the one thing that the great soldier, Heero Yuy, disregards orders for??

Relena had frowned. It had not occurred to her that Heero disregarded orders ever, for any reason, but with a little thought she had managed to tally up a number of instances where Heero had seemed to have acted on his own, sometimes counter to the mission he was given, and the pattern dawned on her at the exact moment Dororthy purred out at answer. Indeed, it was the thing she had always loved most about Heero, and the implications both frightened and excited her.

?Heero always follows his emotions, Miss Relena. It?s both his strength and his weakness. But unfortunately, up to this point it has been unclear if his orders have coincided with his heart?s desire or not. So far one has served doubly to fulfill the other and thus have been indistinguishable, but what if they were opposite??

Dorothy?s voice had dripped with ruthlessness.

?Think about it. Suppose Heero were ordered not to sleep with you? If he doesn?t care for you, this will not bother him and you will likely sense it. And if he does care for you?? Well, here is what I think: If Heero?s heart is truly yours and you make it difficult for him to deny his desire?encouragement which will not be difficult given your forced proximity?he will stop fighting it. He is not a fool. It will meet his objectives to ignore anything anyone orders him to do that goes counter to both his instincts as well as his emotions. After all, loving you won?t endanger the mission, only the seeming-wish of your dear brother.?

It was against Relena?s instincts to be so manipulative, but she was desperate, so here they were.

Of course, there were many loopholes. Une or her brother might decide that her request was endangering the mission if Heero and Relena?s lack of continuing intimacy failed to convince Cole that they were newlyweds, especially when Heero was supposedly in danger of losing Relena to Cole. And, of course, Dorothy?s prediction could fail: Heero could choose not to break orders even if he did love Relena. And there was also the opposite possibility. Heero had always protected Relena in the past, and this wasn?t any different. Heero could break orders and sleep with Relena based more on his instincts than his feelings if he felt that was best for the mission, and she still would not know anything for sure.

And yet, she felt she would have a better idea. After all, it was one thing to sleep with someone pretending you love them when ordered and quite another to initiate it independently and against the orders of one?s superiors. Heero?s logical instincts would have to be pretty strong to do something like that, whereas his heart would compel him both emotionally and instinctively. So maybe she would know. Besides?

?Which would be better?? Dorothy had asked insidiously. ?Having sex with Heero because he was ordered to do it, or because he found it important enough to break orders for, whatever the reason? Either way, at least it would really be his choice.?

Relena almost never let her emotions get the best of her, but as she had gathered her coat and papers in her office while listening to Dorothy?s proposal, she almost wanted to slap the smugness off Dorothy?s face. And it was because she was right. It would be much better to have Heero break orders, even if it was just to ensure the safety of the mission and not out of love.

And if he didn?t?

She planned to lay her heart at his feet. If there was no response, that would tell her something too.

Biting her lip, Relena pushed herself off of Zechs? door and made her way down the long tiled hallway toward the lobby. When she first learned of this mission a part of her had wanted to enjoy the surrealism of a lie and let everything go smoothly according to a charade, but it had all backfired when she realized how much she wanted to farce to be real, and how much she needed to know if it wasn?t! Now she was taking advice from a woman who had questionable motivations at best, and had gone with manipulative intentions to her brother to ask him to order the man she loved not to have sex with her anymore. She had chosen Zechs because she knew he was vulnerable to her frailty and would do whatever she asked if he thought she was falling apart. At least that part was not entirely untrue. Her week had gone from blissful to humiliating to desperate in a series of stomach-dropping plunges. Whatever lengths she went to for whatever reason, it was because the fragility of her emotions was real; she had never been so vulnerable as her love for Heero Yuy had made her.


*****


All of the cadets and lesser officers saluted Trowa as he passed. The former Gundam pilots were well known and respected Preventers, but Trowa was of particular reputation in the office headquarters. For one thing he was involved in training and approachable, unlike his more solitary companions, Wufei and Heero. And although Duo was friendly with recruits, his joking nature made them think of him as more of a buddy than a commander. Therefore it was Trowa the men came to with questions, or applied to work under.

Each of the Gundam pilots, along with Zechs, Noin, and Sally Po, specialized in his or her own particular area of Preventor Operations. Some of them were in and out of headquarters daily and others were only called in physically for special missions, such as the one they were currently handling. Over the years they had all worked together on missions occasionally, and answered to Lady Une when it came down to the line, but day to day they specialized in different fields. Wufei and Sally, for example, worked together in technological advancements and field operations; separately, Wufei was in charge of logistics and Sally honed her special ops team. The two of them were seen daily at headquarters, and always had their own offices and support teams. Duo, on the other hand, was a part-time Preventor employee, called in often enough to be part of the team, but also away frequently on his own business, usually in the Colonies. His special field was stealth operations and there was no one better when a mission required his kind of expertise. Heero, of course, excelled at everything, but usually handled various aspects of security when officially assigned to a Preventor?s mission profile. He did his work independently if he could manage it, rarely seen at headquarters unless specifically requested, and only sometimes officially on the payroll. Even Quatre was involved, although he wasn?t officially a Preventor due to his business obligations, but he used his connections and his position of power to act as a liaison between the Preventors and the business world in the Colonies. Zechs and Noin had paired up to handle most of the recruit training and were frequently at headquarters if not at the training facilities. Trowa participated in that as well, but where Zechs and Noin headed tactical command, Trowa was in charge of networking and surveillance.

That task, along with his relationship with cadets, made Trowa the perfect man to run a different department, a department that everyone had some inkling existed, but not who oversaw it.

Trowa was in charge of internal affairs. He was quiet and efficient and no one suspected someone so straight-faced and direct to head a department so notoriously connected with deceit and subterfuge. But Trowa was a natural spy really, and had experience enough from the war, as Une knew better than most. So in actuality, despite his reputation for simple upfront honesty, Trowa secretly knew by heart the details of the lives of each cadet who saluted him as he passed through one of the lower level corridors.

It was this kind of information that led him discover the mole in their midst. Although Douglas Richmond wasn?t the first mole in Preventor ranks, he was currently the most dangerous. Luckily, Trowa had a fail-safe policy in dealing with moles: He let them think they were undiscovered and carry on with their business.

And he carried on with his.

One of Trowa?s regular duties was doing office rounds to check on Preventors, especially ones in his department. Richmond was a surveillance tech, and he was due for a routine inspection from Commander Barton.

He only knocked on the door as a courtesy before opening it to reveal a tiny office crowded with video feeds, half dissected electronics, and a slight man with dark hair and a thin face. There was barely room for Trowa to get in the room and close the door behind him.

Richmond immediately switched the image on his screen to the weapons facility he was supposed to be watching, but Trowa saw the telltale decor of Relena?s house before the picture changed. Trowa was surprised, but didn?t let it show on his that he had seen the feed, or anything out of the ordinary.

?Commander Barton,? Douglas said calmly, making his formalities but not standing, as there wasn?t room.

?Private Richmond,? Trowa acknowledged. ?How?s the Libyan base? Are the transfers going as scheduled??

Douglas typed rapidly on his keyboard and brought up different views of the base. ?Yes, Commander. There?s been no irregular activity, and the trucks are being loaded up now for transport. They should arrive in Morocco on time.?

?Good. Good work, Richmond. Leave a report with Commander Une when they arrive.?

Trowa left him and continued on his rounds of the surveillance unit before heading for Une?s office himself. Richmond had been sloppy with his feeds; his knock on the door should have given him plenty of time to change them before Trowa entered. So why hadn?t he? Was he involved with something else that caused him not to hear the knock perhaps? Trowa had spotted a com-link half hidden by one of the monitors that didn?t look to be of Preventor-make. Trowa already had the com-link Richmond used to communicate with Cole tapped. This must be a new one. Richmond may have been having a conversation the moment Trowa entered the room; that would explain why he didn?t hear the knock and was slow to change the feeds. Was it with Cole? Did a new com-link mean Richmond was aware he was being watched? Or just being cautious?

In the two days before the mission, Trowa would have to find out. It might not alter their plans at all, but it might also have devastating consequences.

?You can go right in, Commander Barton,? Margaret told him unnecessarily from her desk outside Une?s large office.

Trowa was apparently the last one to arrive. He walked into Une?s office and stood in the back of the room, observing from the rear the last meeting of the core members of the strike team assembled to nullify the threat of nuclear fallout in North America. He counted eight people: Duo, Sally, Noin, Zechs, Wufei, Une, Heero and himself. The initial phase of the mission would soon be set in motion; the first team was leaving tonight.

Une flicked her eyes at him briefly, scanned everyone who had gathered in the room to be sure everyone was there, and then used her remote to switch on her screen. ?As you can see, Cole?s compound is butted up against Yucca Mountain. If the blueprints Dorothy Catalonia gave us are correct, the nuclear waste containers are approximately five hundred meters from the house, where the Vice Foreign Minister will be meeting him. While his attention is diverted with their negotiations, we?ll secure the waste and disarm any explosives he might have rigged to it.

?We want the talking to go on as long as possible,? she said, eyeing Heero, ?so we aren?t discovered. Po and Maxwell, you will be heading out tonight to begin field reconnaissance. You need to verify that all our current intelligence is correct. In addition, if Cole has the containers guarded, as we think he will, you need to find a quiet way to neutralize the area and circumvent any threat of the alarm being raised during the meeting.?

?No problem!? Duo said zealously.

?And,? Lady Une added, leveling Duo with a schooling gaze, ?if there?s no quiet way to secure the nuclear waste, do it by any means necessary. We predict that anyone allowed inside Cole?s house will be scanned for com-links and weapons, and that those things will be removed. Therefore, no one at the meet will have communication with anyone outside. However, we are quite sure that Cole will have access to the detonator from inside. This means that if something goes wrong with securing the nuclear waste, Cole will be sure to hear about it while the rest of us will be left in the dark. Therefore, if some calamity occurs, the field team needs to make a big enough fuss that everyone knows. It would be potential disaster for something to go wrong outside and have those of us escorting Miss Darilan on the inside to be unaware of it. We want to avoid putting anyone?s life in danger, so use extreme caution and try to do things quietly, but if it can?t be avoided, we want to be sure everyone knows they are in danger so we can take steps to prevent a catastrophe.?

Using a pointer to indicate location on the screen, Une continued as if she had said nothing potentially ominous. ?At the time of the meeting, Barton will be stationed here to keep an eye on both Richmond and the satellite imagery of the property. Noin, you will be here, just east of the property, with your tactical team. If anything goes wrong, Duo will call you in to help. Zechs, you will escort Relena to the meeting along with Chang and Yuy. If Maxwell calls Noin in, get the situation inside under control.

?Cole said he will allow Relena three escorts, and that two of his men will be present, as well. We know he has more men than that?so do we?but where they will be located is unknown. If anything looks suspicious during the meeting, other than the fact a crazed man will be attempting to marry Relena,? she added with a pointed look at Zechs an Heero, both of whom were glowering, ?get her out of there immediately.

?If the containers are secured as planned and nothing goes amiss with the meeting, Heero, you take Relena to the jet. As soon as she is safe, Noin will move her team in. You have all studied the protocol for how the mission should go if everything proceeds smoothly, but if something goes amiss, I trust that by the time we?re done we will have secured nuclear waste, a safe politician, and an apprehended aristocrat! Are there any questions??

There were none. Even Duo seemed confident in everything he was supposed to do. As the meeting began to break up, Heero strode swiftly past the others on his way out, his eyes blazing with an intensity that could only mean he too was more than ready for the tactical aspect of the mission to begin.

After the briefing, when everyone had left the room and the door shut behind them, Trowa walked towards Une?s desk to let her know about his suspicions concerning Richmond. ?Commander Une, I have intelligence to report,? he said.

?What is it, Trowa?? she asked, her manner casual now that they were alone, but her attention still sharp.

?I made my rounds today and spotted an unregistered com-link on Richmond?s desk. I believe he was in the middle of a conversation when I entered the room.?

Une didn?t bother to ask any questions. Trowa knew she trusted him to take care of it. ?Find out what you can. We begin as scheduled in two days. We have reason to believe that Cole is pacified by what he saw the other night on the mission site, but I don?t want any new surprises.?

?I?m going to run through com channels as soon as I get back to my office, and see if I can?t pick up this new one,? he said, remembering with an internal grimace the hours of sleep he had already lost listening on the channel Richmond regularly used with Cole.

Une nodded and dismissed him with a pensive look and a wave of her hand.

Trowa left the room and was heading back down the corridor when he was slowed by a curious scene:

Everyone had gone back to work already and the hallway was empty? except for Zechs and Heero. Those two were standing at the end of the corridor just out of earshot, Zechs talking and Heero staring sightlessly at the wall behind Zechs? head. It was unusual to see them together, and Trowa could only think of one thing they had in common to talk about. At first, Zechs seemed to be rebuking Heero. Heero glowered after something the older man said and made a curt reply that didn?t seem to pacify the look of tightly-controlled anger in Zechs? expression. Zechs continued to talk, seemingly in a more moderate tone of voice, his gestures and body posture indicating that whatever they were discussing was at least partly business. Heero didn?t say anything this time, but his expression was so hard, his face might have been chiseled from rock. After a moment, he nodded, and then nodded again. Zechs lowered his arms to his sides and stopped speaking and as Trowa approached close enough to hear, he heard Heero say in a flat, emotionless voice, ?Is that all?? Zechs? reply was too soft too decipher, but assumingly it was in the affirmative because by the time Trowa was within true hearing distance, both men turned and headed in opposite directions. Heero brushed by him without speaking, and in his wake left a hollow, heart-freezing chill.


*****


The house was warm and quiet. As soon as Relena walked in she began preparing for Heero as if he really were a husband dearly loved. She turned down the bed, cleaned up the kitchen and the study, turned up the heat and cooked some soup for dinner.

She wanted to be done with games. She was still playing because she had to, but she had completely changed her modus operandi. Instead of a flirty nightgown she wore what she had always worn to bed before Heero had ever set foot over the threshold of her door: a simple cotton set of tank top and shorts in pale pink. She was preparing him dinner because she thought he might be hungry, and she had turned up the heat because she didn?t want either of them to be cold.

Her seduction of Heero the night before wasn?t really her. It had seemed to work, and it had its benefits in the element of surprise if it had been done in playfulness, but the anger she felt at the time was contrary to her instincts and they both knew it. He had rattled her and she had wanted to rattle him in return, but now that it was done, it wasn?t want she wanted. Now that was no longer angry, she had a different approach; one that she prayed would work because it was essentially all she really had. She would just be herself, and see if Heero wanted her for her. That?s what she really wanted.

She just wished she didn?t have to keep guessing and interpreting and wondering how he felt. Why couldn?t he just communicate?

?What are you making??

She yelped and jumped. A few drops of vegetable soup fell to the floor from her wooden spoon as she spun around to see Heero standing in the kitchen just behind her.

?Heero! I?I didn?t hear the door open.? Her face flushed with embarrassment, her heart beating rapidly. She must have leapt a foot!

Heero had been in the process of removing his jacket and throwing it over her dinette chair when he walked in, but he stopped to stare at her with something like amusement in his eyes after her reaction to his ghost-like entrance. Relena blushed sheepishly. For a moment, it seemed as if they were a married couple taking pleasure in startling the other, but the longer he regarded her, the more contemplative his eyes became, his assessing stare turning puzzled and questioning. She understood, though she couldn?t say anything; he had been ordered not to sleep with her and perhaps suspected she was behind it. That or he was wondering if he had hurt her in some way to bring about such an order.

?Sorry,? he said after a moment.

Relena bent down to wipe up the soup with a dishrag as she answered. ?Don?t worry about it. Um, I?ve been making us dinner. Does vegetable soup sound good to you?? When she straightened she found Heero inches from her, his coat now hung over the chair and his hand reaching out to take the dishrag from her fingers.

?Yeah.?

Rather than respond, she dipped her spoon back in the simmering liquid and blew on it before offering him a taste. He tasted it without checking the temperature at all, and if it was hot it didn?t seem to faze him.

?How is it?? she asked. For some reason, it mattered to her.

?Mm.?

His short answers were frustrating. She put the spoon back and entwined her hand in Heero?s shirt, pulling herself to his side so she could hold him in a half embrace and rest her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and tried to pretend that things were not complicated. ?How was your day?? she whispered.

The pause was barely noticeable. ?Good. How was yours??

?Not too eventful, thankfully,? she said.

Heero pulled away from her and began ladling her soup into two ceramic bowls. She stood helplessly while he took care of everything, carrying the bowls to the table, turning down the heat on the stove, and retrieving napkins and spoons. She followed him as he went to sit down, sitting across from him and letting him push in her chair before they began to eat dinner. ?I had a chance to catch up on some correspondence and reports,? she said truthfully while Heero added pepper to his soup.

?That?s good.?

Relena tried to keep the conversation going for a little while they ate, but Heero was quiet and eventually she just let him be. She knew he was thinking, likely wondering how to react to her in a way that would seem loving and passionate but would not lead to something he could not finish. Would he have to worry about wanting her? Relena suspected he might, because she wanted him and it was difficult to pretend she did not. He must have been thinking about their night together too, likely had been thinking about it since it occurred; after all, even with everything it had been nice, more than nice, and now?given her behavior yesterday and now the new order?he was left wondering how to proceed. Relena could only hope that Dorothy?s advice would pay off and Heero would simply choose to reveal his feelings now that he wasn?t being pressured to behave in a way that was so contrived. Then she could tell him the new order really didn?t matter to her, that she loved him and wanted to express that love, and things would just...happen, and this time be because of real feelings.

Heero took her bowl to the sink with his and began washing the dishes after they had finished their meal. In silence, Relena watched him scrub and rinse the plates before covering the remaining soup to store in the refrigerator. She felt oddly elated watching him perform household chores in her house; it didn?t seem out of place. He didn?t seem out of place.

?Is everything okay?? he asked when he noticed her staring.

?Yes,? she said quickly, and wondered if he was referring to something other than the spaced-out look she must have had on her face. Could it have hurt Heero to receive an order that must have come because something he had done distressed her? She only wished she could straighten everything out.

Some time later they retired to the study, agreeing without verbal communication that that?s where they would like to spend the evening on a night like this, reading in the cozy warmth of soft leather, dark wood paneling, and reflected firelight. Relena loved this room and she loved the time she spent in it with Heero. She knew she was becoming too accustomed to it even, but somehow it felt as though they had been whiling away their evenings in her study for much longer than five days.

As usual, Heero had chosen to sit in one of the two armchairs with a giant book about warfare on his lap and a cup of coffee in one hand. Smiling, Relena grabbed a thick folder from her desk and?moving uncharacteristically away from her desk?sat down on the floor at his feet, leaning half against the chair and half against his legs. It surprised her when she felt his fingers combing through her hair and gently massaging her scalp and neck.

?What are you reading?? he asked in a soft, interested tone.

Relena set her own cup of coffee down and twisted to smile up at him. ?Oh, it?s quite dull. Are you sure you want to hear about it? They?re minutes from a meeting of delegates between L3 and China to discuss the lumber trade. It seems some of the wealthier inhabitants of the colony have decided exotic woods to be the new trend. Fascinating, isn?t it??

He smiled. ?Hn.?

?I warned you,? she said, and kissed the side of his knee.

When she did, Heero stared at her for what seemed like an hour before leaning down to brush her forehead with a kiss. As he shifted his gaze back to his book, Relena leaned her cheek against Heero?s leg and continued to study the folder.

The rest of the night passed rapidly and before Relena knew it she was standing beside Heero at their double sinks while they prepared for bed. She watched in the mirror out of the corner of her eye as he stripped off his pants and shirt and tossed them into the hamper, leaving him ready for bed in nothing but black boxer shorts. The sight made her inhale deeply as she mentally prepared herself for the task at hand.

Tapping her toothbrush against the sink to rinse it of excess water, she put her bathroom things away and then made her way toward the bed. Relena approached Heero at the bedside and met his eyes before running her palms up over his bare chest and wrapping around his neck, hugging him tightly. His arms went around her waist in response, squeezing her in an almost lung-popping hug.

Kissing her way lovingly up his neck, she whispered into his ear in a tone that could only be taken as honest and hopeful. ?Heero, I love you.?

?I love you, too.?

The words still made her breath catch. Looking up, she softened her eyes and let everything that was in her soul bleed through. Then, taking his head gently in her hands, she pulled his lips down to hers. She kissed him with all the passion she felt burning in her chest, moving her lips softly against his and running her hands through his hair. He responded to the kiss with equal fervor, his lips claiming hers and his hands kneading the material around her waist as he pulled her close. A quiet sigh escaped her when he grasped her more tightly to his body. At contact, she felt how aroused he was, but as soon as she brushed too close to him, Heero stepped back. His expression was still gentle, the softness in his eyes caressing her from afar, but he stood at a safe distance.

?Heero,? she began, ?let?s go to bed.?

If she had been expecting a grand gesture like being swept into his arms and laid out on the bed, she was disappointed. It surprised her how much she wished something like that would happen, but he merely nodded and moved to the other side of the bed before sliding in under the covers. Relena followed suit on her own side, and as her bare legs hit the sheets she began to think how to show Heero that she wanted him without looking like a fool if he declined.

Inhibitions were tamped down fiercely when she skimmed under the satin sheets and collided softly with his body. He was lying on his back with his eyes closed, though he apparently expected her attack because his arms had already wrapped around her waist by the time she sought his lips. His kiss was sweet, but chaste, and the more she tried to arouse his passion by wiggling closer, even going so far as to wrap one leg over his and lifting her chest so she ended up directly on top of his torso, the tighter his arms wrapped around her until she couldn?t move at all.

After he had her safely secured where he seemingly wanted her, Heero at first seemed to respond to her proximity and his own questing thoughts, though perhaps unconsciously. One of his hands traveled down her hip to trace patterns on her bare leg. His lips kissed her neck, moving in little increments from place to place as if not sure where he wanted to go. Relena rocked against the thigh she was straddling and sighed when he forsook her mouth to kiss trails along her collarbone. When she worked her way up to his ear, his eyes closed.

?I love you,? she whispered.

And then it was ending.

Heero?s hands began to shift her gently so that she rolled off him. His lips weren?t leaving increasingly erotic paths on her body but kissed her cheeks and shoulders in an affectionate, but chaste way. When he kissed her on the lips, she knew it was a finalizing. After a moment, he tried to turn her around.

In one last attempt, Relena squirmed out of his arms and inched her way on top of his chest. She kissed his unresponsive lips and discretely sent one hand under the covers with the intention of rubbing her one-time lover through his boxers and check to see if he still wanted her. However, her hope was dashed when he grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away, albeit gently. Instead she found herself being turned so that her back was flush against Heero?s chest, his arms crossing over her from behind and his legs entwining with hers in an embrace that left her with no space outside of his. Normally she would have swooned from so comfortable and loving an arrangement, but in this case was just a means for him to trap her arms and prevent any further movement.

?I?m tired,? he said in her ear, and even more softly into her hair, perhaps beneath detection, ?I?m sorry.?

Relena nodded and closed her eyes, taking what comfort she could in the warmth of Heero?s arms wrapped around her body.


*****


Hot Nevada sunlight poured through the windows of William Cole?s large office, illuminating a neat desk and the imposing man sitting behind it. He idly stroked his mustache with one hand and a picture of Relena Darlian with the other. It was a still shot from his surveillance feeds, showing a peaceful woman asleep in bed, the image somewhat uneven on one edge. That man had been unceremoniously cut out of the black and white photograph; William Cole wasn?t fond of him.

Since finding out about Relena?s marriage to that man, Cole had been researching him, looking for some weakness to exploit or reason to doubt their union. Information was abundant, seeing as the boy had been integral to the end of the war, but it was hollow in merit. Nothing about the man, how he worked, or if he even had any weaknesses could be found. Unfortunately for his own plans, Cole?s intel was only conclusive in the fact that that man was an unmatched soldier and had a pattern of interaction with Relena Darilan in various forms for many years. His intel reported the belief that he was her protector, or had been at one time.

Cole realized his soft administrations to Relena?s two-dimensional face had turned to harsh scratching and he stopped, once again caressing her as he longed to do in life. He wanted to believe that Relena wasn?t actually married and the whole thing was a Preventor ruse, but he was starting to worry. They had an odd relationship, so the cameras and microphones told, often quiet and sometimes distant. But there were moments when even he had to admit the tension was thick and full with feelings of some kind. Relena had kissed and touched the man, slept with him at least once that he saw, and although it was not as passionate a relationship as he might have suspected a new marriage to be, he knew Relena Darilan at least to be a proper, conservative lady. Still, there was something off about the whole thing, or so he fancied, and either way he was prepared to get his Relena any way possible, with force or persuasion. The current husband was, after all, expendable.

Relena?s quarters were all ready for her arrival. In truth he had started working on it even before he had any plans to make her his own. Finest Italian fabrics and the best Arabian rugs paired with European furniture and a closet full of the most expensive designer clothing had all been hand-selected by him and acquired by the loyalist of his personal staff. He thought they suited her tastes and his as well. The bars on her windows and locks on her future doors were a precaution in case anyone tried to steal her from him. He had them made out of gold. If she requested it, he would even have them encrusted with jewels. In his care, Relena Darlian Cole would have anything she could wish for. No longer would she have to work as a politician and put her life in the limelight or the line of fire. She would be the pampered princess she was born to be.

Sounds of footsteps coming closer had Cole hastily stuffing his stash of Relena pictures and memorabilia in a desk drawer, locking it just as one of his men entered the room. Sometimes he thought they eyed her pictures hungrily so he had taken to keeping them hidden. When she was here, he would not allow anyone to gaze on her or speak with her lest the charm of her presence compel them to do unspeakable things! When all was said and done he would fire anyone that had his hackles raised, for the sake of her safety.

?Mr. Cole?? his servant said from the doorway. ?Line two.?

Cole nodded and then glared at them man?s back until he retreated, waiting to pick up the phone until he was positive the man wasn?t lurking to catch a glimpse of his lovely Relena?s pictures or overhear his conversation.

?Cole,? he announced into the phone.

?Hello, Mr. Cole, and how are you doing today??

Ah, of course. He should have expected this call. ?Is it falling into place??

?Oh, yes,? his caller replied, ?Your future wife is doing exactly what we planned. I trust you watched last night?s feed, or I guess I should say this morning?s for you because of the time difference??

?Of course,? he said, ?but I?m still not seeing the benefit of your proposal.?

?Trust me, Cole, she?s a predictable woman. She?ll be yours in two days.?

A devilish grin stiffened his mouth. ?You are an asset beyond words, Miss Catalonia.?



TBC


Mizaya: Woohoo, I?m excited!
Zapenstap: What is going to happen next?
Mizaya: *blink* you are asking me?
Zapenstap: >_< Readers, what do you think is going to happen?
Mizaya: That?s for us to know and them to find out. Mwahaha!
Zapenstap: *evil*
Mizaya: Yes, I know. Me too! Isn?t it great??
Zapenstap: *evil*
Mizaya: Um, are you all right?
Zapenstap: Huh? Oh, absolutely! Anyway, please review and let us know what you thought.
Mizaya: Your reviews so far have been amazing, in both volume and quality!
Zapenstap: *Huggles reviewers*
Mizaya: *Huggles future reviewers*

[Morrighan]

WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

*mumble, grumble*

I can't wait to see more soon!

[matisleonhart]

you can't say you didn't see that one coming.

[Stellar-Soldier]

Hm.. now Im very confused.. makes me rethink on how Heero would think in such situations. Obviously, Heero does his best to protect Relena, but usually from afar, and for free. When you really think about this sort of set up, there would be at least some sort of level of affection from the protector.. however, from what I am seeing, Heero is turning out more to be a slave to orders rather than the 'perfect soldier' that lives his life by 'following his emotions'. Then again.. he wouldnt be the 'perfect soldier' if he were to stray from orders if his instincts and emotions told him otherwise. Secondly, a question comes to mind as to what Dorothy is getting in return for basically destroying the secrecy of the mission? Perhaps she has yet to move away from her warmongering ways.... or is this just another method of trying to bring out Heero's hidden affections (if he has any to talk about) into the open? Ha ha.. anyway, this is a good chapter, keep up the excellent job.

-Stellar Soldier

[Andrea]

Oh. My. God. What a turnaround!! How could this happen!? I knew there was something deeper lying in Dorothy's 'honorable' intentions.

Poor Heero! He's such a victim! And Relena... I need tactics, I need action! I hope to have all my doubts solved by the next chapter, I really want to know how they will deal with Cole. And will they find out about Dorothy's scheming? Or does she have something ELSE hidden under her sleeve?

Great, great chappie, girls!

[takisha16]

AWWWW...... poor Heero and Relena. Damn, so Dorothy really had plans behind the angel face, should've seen it coming.
Man, isn't Cole the creepiest stalker ever?!
once again, great chp girls, one of the best collaborations ever!
anxiosly waiting for the next ch!

[Katisha888]

darn, I kept hoping that my hunch about Dorothy having something to do with Cole would be wrong and I am unhappy that I was right. Irregardless of the phone conversation between them I still have hopes behind my hopes that what Dorothy is doing is not at all bad and that she does not wish to cause Relena harm.

As for Heero, well I've stopped trying to figure that out and leave it to Relena or else I'd lose hair. Maybe some good will come out of this last order of not having sex with each other but all I can say is that before this ends, I hope to see more of whats going on in Heero's mind because all my sympathies at the moment are with Relena. I'd like to give Heero a few gray hairs when it comes to the actual meeting with Cole and that I hope (this is bad I know) that it won't be that easy to get rid of him, let him be a worthier opponent than what other stories give Heero as an opponent.

Lovely, lovely update. I made sure to read this first even before the cases I have to read and I can now chew on my nails more.

[Wingnut]

This almost sounds like Heart of the sword. Dorothy schemes to get Relena with someone else for her own benifit and get Heero for herself in the process all the while seeming to do something for the greater good of mankind.
We definately need more Heero POV parts in this story. Espically in the bedroom.

[GM1]

Never underestimate Dorothy's desire to stir the pot. I could see her performing a monologue. "Oh! What a grand scene it shall be!" I, for one, can't agree more.

Ok. Cole is definetly a psychopathic nimrod. He may as well start calling Relena 'my precious.'

The plot is thickening. I can almost smell the coming climax in the air! You aren't going to drag us through two whole chapters before we get there, are you?!

I enjoyed this chapter. The plot development, suspense factor, and dialogue were excellent, as always. I'm anticipating the next installment (and hopefully, it will be out soon!)

[perfectpeach]

I saw it coming i...i swera i saw it coming...subconciously i knew that would happen...

the way you describe them is so sweet and it is so realistic. all of their charcters are in proprtion