I do not own Gundam Wing.  This fan fiction has no commercial value and I am not making any kind of profit or income off of this.

Chapter 19

            Mr. Holden took a deep breath before dialing the number.  His client had finally grudgingly admitted that there was a reason for obtaining special permission from Colonel Une in order to watch the playoff match.  It seemed ridiculous, really, the press making all this fuss over such a small thing, but they were hungry for news on the regal figure, and what better news is there than gossip about a possible romantic interest? He shook his head as he remembered scolding her for not telling him everything sooner, and he still suspected there was much about the young man she was keeping from him.  He was probably a one-night stand she had, or something of that sort.  She did seem awfully lonely….

            But all loose ends needed to be tied up, and therefore he must be spoken with.  They could afford no element of surprise, and so they needed to know what the up-and-coming star would say when confronted with questions about Relena. Besides, there could be something to gain if he admitted a relationship with the princess.  Public opinion could easily be swayed to feel sorry for a young woman that ESUN was conspiring to take from her lover.  Well, and then there was that unknown element….  He sighed and opened the connection.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

Heero stared blankly at the man in front of him and clenched his jaw tighter.  He was losing an internal battle – the question completely caught him by surprise.  His detached voice was heard repeating those heartless words.  “We have no relationship.”

Mr. Holden scowled at him.  “Well, that at least answers my question.”  He’s just as I expected – arrogant and selfish. Yep, it was definitely a one-night stand.  He thought and shook his head grimly.  “But there is one problem.”

“What?”

“She’s in with a doctor right now being given a pregnancy test.  The possibility is slim, but they can’t rule it out without blood work.  If she is pregnant….”

Heero’s eyes closed and all the color drained from his face.  “I will only speak with Relena.  Let me talk to her,” he ordered and opened those dark blue eyes that could burn holes through flesh.

“I don’t know if…”

Heero stood up from his seat abruptly, his eyes flashing and banged his fist on the desk.  “I want to speak with Relena, now!”

            Mr. Holden glared at him.  “I am doing you a favor by talking to you. I will not be ordered around.  Relena is in with the doctor having blood drawn; I’d have to get permission for you to speak with her.  She’s already in enough trouble because a housekeeper leaked the information Relena was watching one of your games on television, I doubt the Preventers will make the same mistake twice,” he said coldly.

            “Then I want to speak with Colonel Une, or her doctor, Sally Po,” Heero said through clenched teeth, wishing he was in the same room with the older man so he could vent some of his frustration on the attorney’s face.

            Mr. Holden was surprised that the angry young man on his video screen knew the name Sally Po, and that she was the one running Relena’s tests.  He decided his earlier assessment of a one-night stand couldn’t be true.  So they do know each other… Aloud, he said, “I’ll see what I can do.  I’ll talk to them and call you back.  Good day.”  The connection was then abruptly terminated.

            Heero sat back in his chair and ran his hands through his always-unmanageable mane.  It fell back into his eyes. 

            Brian watched his friend from across the room.  “It looks like you’ll have to admit it, if she’s pregnant, Heero.  Why would you want to deny it?”

            “Because Relena doesn’t want me to admit it, that’s why,” Heero said flatly, his back still facing his roommate so that he could hide the pain that he knew was visible for the world to see.  He despised himself for denying a relationship with the only woman he could ever love.  He felt weak and helpless, and more than anything – he was confused.  He didn’t know which path to take.  He and the other Gundam pilots had never been ones to wait and see, and that was exactly what they had to do now.  He wanted action; his body ached to be in the cockpit of a mobile suit, targeting a known and obvious enemy.  But mobile suits didn’t exist anymore…and he didn’t have to kill anymore.  He looked up and saw the ghost of a reflection in the desktop monitor.  He was once a soldier, one of the fiercest warriors on Earth and the colonies, and look at him now.  He was a disgrace!  Letting those weak, mindless politicians take the one thing that brought value to his previously miserable existence.   He could feel the echo of the zero system in his mind and remembered the time he saw her die while piloting Epyon to defend the Sanq Kingdom.  There was no clear enemy then, either. He brought his hands up to the side of his head to try and stop the vision.

            “Heero!”  He could hear her calling him.

            “HEERO!” Brian yelled at his friend and shook him.  The glazed blue eyes suddenly focused on his roommate.  “Are you all right?”

Am I all right?  What kind of a question is that…?  They’re going to kill Relena…  Relena!  He blinked and saw the vision of the future that Zero showed him the last time he piloted it flash again in his mind.  He dropped his hands to his side and looked blankly at his friend.  “No.  This isn’t the way.”

            “What?  What are you talking about?  Are you okay? You looked like you were having a seizure or something.  What’s wrong?”

            “Nothing.  I’m fine.  Could you leave for a little while, Brian?  There’s some things I need to take care of.”

            Brian looked at his friend warily.  “Are you sure you’re okay?  You’re as white as a ghost!  I thought you were having a nervous breakdown.”

            “I’m fine.”

            “Okay, I’ll go.  But will you call me if you get to talk to her?  I mean, I don’t want to eavesdrop, but before the call’s over, I’d just like to say hi.”  He said with a sheepish smile. 

            Heero looked up sharply.  “Why?” He questioned gruffly.

            Brian blinked.  “She’s nice.  I like her.”

            Heero scowled at his friend suspiciously.  Brian laughed.  “Man are you jealous!  Wow, can’t let her even talk to another guy, huh?  That’s a little overboard, dontcha think?”

            “Hn.” Heero growled, unamused.

            “Especially considering she could be pregnant with your baby.  Like it isn’t obvious that she’s in love with you.”

Baby… “Fine, you can talk to her. Assuming they let me see her.”

            “I’m sure they will,” Brian said confidently.  Nothing had really changed in her situation, but his roommate wasn’t throwing things or aiming a gun at his head, so that was a good thing.  He felt somewhat relieved and the relief had turned into giddiness.  “Okay, well, if you’re sure you’re all right, I’ll go, now…Dad.” Brian tossed over his shoulder with a mischievous smile. 

            Heero glared at his retreating back.  Dad…baby…  He shook his head to clear it and went to the closet to pull out his old duffel bag, and started to pack.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Colonel Une nodded at Mr. Holden.  “You’ll have to use a very secure line.  We’ll have one set up for you in a few moments,” she said evenly.

            The attorney was surprised for the third time that day, and he hated surprises.  The first one had been the knowledge that his client had an ‘affair’ with a star university soccer player who would probably be a big name in a few months, once the World Soccer Federation draft was over and he had a signed contract.  That was mildly shocking.  Along with that came the news that the blood-sucking reporters were going to dig in the dirt for that kind of story, and in fact, the Colony Star rag magazine had already printed up an article suggesting the two were lovers.  The possible pregnancy was not an unwelcome twist, but it left them in a somewhat awkward situation.

            The second surprise was knowing that the intense young man he had met via video phone about a half hour before didn’t want to admit to a relationship with her, but let it slip that they were more involved than he ever thought possible.  He was still working on how he would know that the Preventer doctor attending Relena was Sally Po.  It meant he had to be familiar with the Preventer organization, but more than that because there were several doctors on the Preventer payroll.  Relena had requested her specifically.  So, that meant he knew the Preventer organization, and that Relena would request her, but how?

            The third surprise and the one that made him most suspicious was that Colonel Une, despite the charges levied against her organization by the prosecution team, seemed completely unruffled and did not deny Mr. Yuy’s request to speak with Relena.  He wanted to start demanding answers, but figured that wouldn’t get him very far with Colonel Une. 

            She eyed him shrewdly.  “You have many questions which we are not at liberty to answer.  There is still an investigation going on, and releasing that kind of information could jeopardize it, and Relena’s situation.”

            “The Gundam pilots?” He asked rhetorically.  He knew she wouldn’t say any more than she already had.  But it was the only piece that fit.

            “You should go check on Relena,” she said in a commanding voice.

            Mr. Holden nodded and turned and left her office.  I wonder if the prosecution is still mainly interested in those pilots.  If Relena does still know where they are, it could be our ace in the hole.  He thought as he strode confidently down the hall to the medical wing.

            They received a call on the videophone in the lab room where Relena was resting comfortably on the small hospital bed. She was staring up at the ceiling, trying to make sense of everything, while inwardly, that voice in her head called out to Heero and begged him to take her away from all this.  She could almost see him in his dorm room on L1, but he looked so pale, and he was hurting – it must have been her imagination.  She wished instead that she could conjure up the feel of his arms around her, comforting her as she rested her head on his chest.  She sighed and then heard Sally call for her.

            “Relena.  We’ve been given a secure line so that you can talk to Heero.  We’re calling him now.  He wants to speak with you.”

            “Heero?” She questioned her long time friend as she lifted herself off the bed with great effort.

            “Yeah, he wants to talk to you.”

            The corner of her mouth lifted ever so slightly. It was the closest thing they had seen to a smile on her face since she had arrived back on earth.  They watched her make her way quickly to the videophone.

            He was there, waiting for her.  Looking the same as he always did with his dark midnight eyes that reminded her of the ocean she found him near on that fateful day.  He was glaring at the screen when she first came into view, but then the look softened as she sat in front of him and greeted him with tenderness in her voice.  “Heero.”

            She was so frail, and he could swear she appeared thinner than the last time he saw her – two weeks and two days ago.  As she sat down in front of the screen, he wanted to just reach out and touch her soft skin and silky hair - to draw her to him and hold her and never let her go.  “Relena…”

            “You wanted to speak with me?” She asked him calmly despite the pounding of her heart.

            “Yes.  I wanted to ask you what you want me to do.  Do you want me to tell those reporters we’re…” he choked on the words, not sure of which ones could accurately describe what they were.

            “Lovers, Heero?” She asked bluntly when his voice trailed off and he made no indication he would continue.

            He dropped his gaze and nodded. “Yeah.”

            She looked at him thoughtfully for a moment and sucked in a deep breath.  “No.  There’s nothing to be gained by it.  It will only hurt your career,” she said firmly.

            He looked up at her.  Her eyes were ablaze with that fire that clearly spoke her determination.  He knew that look, and cursed her for her stubbornness.  “And what if you’re pregnant?” He asked, crossing his arms and glaring at her.

            A sad smile formed on her lips and he could see the quiet pain behind her eyes, behind her words.  Just as quickly, it was gone and she was in control again. “Well, Sally doesn’t think I am, she says it’s probably just stress.  But we did the tests to make sure.  I wasn’t going to tell you unless there was reason to, but I suppose my attorney made the decision for me.”

            “He was right to.  Relena, you didn’t answer the question.  What if you’re pregnant?”

            “Heero, I’m not,” she said firmly.

            “You’re sure?” He asked directly, staring at her, into her.

            Her mask wavered and the pain appeared in her eyes again.  “No.”

            “Then what if you are?”

            “If I am, at least there will be a stay of execution until I have the baby.  They don’t execute expectant mothers,” she said softly and bowed her head to hide her eyes.

            “Relena, look at me.  I won’t let them.  I will protect you, I promise,” he said swearing his oath once again. 

            “I can’t let you do that, Heero.”

            “Let me tell them, Relena.  I don’t care what the consequences are.  If it will help you…”

            “It won’t!” She exclaimed, cutting him off as her voice rose sharply.  “What good could come of it?”

            He shook his head in frustration.  “I don’t know.  I keep thinking that maybe…” he trailed off and looked away from her.  “Maybe then I wouldn’t feel like such a coward all the time.  Maybe I wouldn’t feel like I’m running away.”

            “Heero, you’re not running away. This simply isn’t your fight.  It’s mine, and as much as I wish you were here right now, I have to do this alone.  You can’t help me, I’m sorry.”

            “So what happens when the whole world is speculating on who the father of the baby is?  What am I supposed to do then, Relena?  Watch them drag you through the mud some more?  I just can’t sit here and do nothing!”

            “You can.  You have to.  I can’t let you jeopardize yourself for me, Heero.”

            “Why not, Relena?  It’s the only thing I know.  I want to come get you.  We can both just disappear, and live out quiet lives on one of the more secluded colonies. Let me fight for you.”

            The look of shock at his words quickly fell into sadness.  “Oh, Heero…” She said softly as the tears slid down her cheeks.  He wanted to reach out and wipe them away, but he was still too far from her.  “I love you.” She said and put her left hand up to the monitor.  “But I promised you wouldn’t have to fight anymore.  I won’t break that promise.  Please don’t come after me.”

            He took in the expression on her face, and then noticed the way her delicate hand rested on the cool glass of the monitor, looking as if it wanted to somehow reach through it and touch the person on the other side.  Slowly, he brought his up to match hers and nodded acquiescence to her request – but he wouldn’t promise her not to go through with his plans.  He had already made up his mind, and completed the necessary preparations.  I don’t promise, Relena.  I will never promise.  And even long after her image had faded from his view, he could hear his own words echoing in his mind, spurring him into action after so long.  I will always protect you, no matter who your enemy may be…