Arys walked back into the receptionist lobby, trying to regain her slender line of control over her emotions. She caught sight of Heero sitting in a chair by one of the tables. He was reading a newspaper, but every once in a while he would shake the newspaper slightly and glance around the room as if taking in his surroundings. His gaze slid right over her, but she could see the recognition flash in his eyes. The newspaper covered his face again before she could react. And that was the way it should have been. Arys hated their having to live and work apart, but being on separate missions forced them to do so. He had promised to come to her hotel room at midnight so that they could talk about their missions.

As she passed his table, she formed a sign with her fingers flat against her side, giving him the affirmative. She heard another rustle of his newspaper. He had gotten her message. With a smile, Arys hurried to the elevator.

_____________

Heero could not believe his eyes. Remir had told him to test the poisonous gas on a live subject. The white rat occupying the airtight chamber in front of him slowly died. It twitched and writhed in apparent pain. Heero felt a small spike of compassion shoot through him as he scanned the monitor by the chamber. First, the motor system shut down, then the major organs, and lastly, the respiratory system. It was a slow death. One that Heero would not like to experience. He preferred to go quickly and painlessly. Heero sat down at the console, his fingers flying over the keyboard as he filled out his daily report.

An image leaped to his mind without preamble. Arys, lying on an examination table, pale, cold, and still, a plastic mask over her mouth and nose. He walked forward, watched himself flick a switch on the console beside the table. His gaze flicked over to the monitor displaying her vital signs. He watched in mute horror as they leveled to zero. He turned back to look at Arys. Her chest rose once, then stilled permanently. Heero fought back the rage that filled him at the scene he saw before him. Where had it come from? Was it a premonition? He turned away from the table and found himself looking into a mirror across the room. He was looking at himself. He was the one who had killed her.

"No..." Heero whispered. His mind went back to another time, another place. Arys had once asked him to kill her. His response echoed through his mind.

"No..." Heero whispered again. "Arys..."

"Hikaru?" A hand touched his shoulder.

Heero jumped, startled at the touch. He had fallen asleep at the console. He turned his head to see Remir looking down at him. He glanced at the clock. It was almost 11 o' clock. He had an hour until he was to go to Arys.

"Working a little late, aren't you, Hikaru?"

"I wanted to complete..."

"Go home, Hikaru. Get some rest."

Heero stood to his feet, still looking down at the console. The dream still haunted him. He looked at the gas chamber. The white rat lay still. It had long ago writhed out the last dregs of its life. A printout lay on the desk, displaying all the data he had taken.

"You've done a good job, Hikaru." Remir picked up the printout.

"Thanks," Heero said, putting on his leather jacket and picking up his briefcase.

Heero left the laboratory, and Remir stayed where he was, looking at the printout and then back at the animal lying dead in the gas chamber. "A very good job."

_______________

Arys hugged her pillow, wondering when Heero would show up. She missed him during the day although her job helped keep her mind off his absence. He had come to her every night for the past two days then he would leave before the sun rose the next morning. She hated that he had to take such a risk but it was the only way they could catch up on their mission status without meeting in public. Her mind drifted aimlessly and she had almost fallen asleep when she heard Heero's usual signal, three raps, a pause, and then one rap on the window. Arys leaped out of bed and went to the window. Heero stood out on the fire escape, waiting patiently for her to open the window. Arys pulled it open and Heero jumped inside. Arys barely had time to close the window behind him before she felt strong arms circle her from behind.

"I've missed you," He whispered, brushing his lips against her ear.

Arys had to laugh at him. "Heero, I haven't even closed the curtains yet."

"So." Heero reached past her and drew the curtains for her. He turned her around, his eyes glinting in the dimly lit room.

Arys gazed up at him and realized how much she loved his eyes. Others saw only the coldness in his eyes, but Heero revealed so much to her through those dark blue orbs when they were alone. Now, they were flashing with teasing and love. Arys hugged him tightly, resting her head against his chest.

"Do you need the computer?" She asked him.

Heero looked disappointed as he released her from his grasp. "Yes, I do. Colonel Une is expecting a report tonight."

"We can sit in bed while you type it."

Heero's eyes brightened. "And you can tell me what you've been doing."

A few minutes later, Heero sat cross-legged on the bed with a laptop, his back against the headboard. Arys snuggled next to him, her head nestled against his shoulder, watching the screen as he typed. She slid her arms around his waist and sighed in contentment. They had spent many a late night doing just this, but she found that she enjoyed it. And she always looked forward to when Heero was done because he made it a point to read the report out loud to her and then ask her what she thought of it. Then, they would talk. About their day, about their missions, about their life together. Their life together. Arys had never expected that she would find a soul mate in such a person as Heero, but somehow, she had gotten past his "perfect soldier" exterior and found the compassionate, loving soul within.

Heero nudged her with his elbow. "What are you thinking about? You're quiet."

Arys grinned. "You."

Heero stopped typing and looked at her, one eyebrow cocked at her in amusement. "Really?"

Arys nodded against him. Heero shrugged and looked back at the computer screen. "Good."

"Oh, aren't we humble tonight?"

"No."

Heero finished typing, sent the report, and put the computer down on the bed. The lit screen threw Heero's face into pale relief. "Now, I want to hear what you've been doing all day." A shadow of emotion flew across his face, but it was gone before Arys could think of what it had meant.

Arys frowned. "I worked on finding weak places in the colony to put the bomb. But,..."

Heero put his arm around her. "But what?"

Arys shifted, lifting one hand to lay it on his chest. "I think Remir already has a bomb planted. I just don't know exactly where in the air circulation system he's hidden it. I need to do more hacking before I find out the location."

Heero took her hand from his chest and kissed her palm.

Arys responded by moving closer to him and pulling her hand away from his. "What have you been doing all day?" She asked, a smile playing around her lips.

That dark look returned to his face, but it disappeared before Arys could comment on it. Heero picked up a strand of her hair and played with it absently. He loved running his fingers through her hair. It had become a habit for him during their late-night talks. "I tested the gas on a live subject today."

Arys heard the hesitant tone in his voice. "And?"

Heero's grip around her shoulders tightened. "I watched it die."

His voice hardened as he said those words, and Arys wondered why they bothered him so much. "I...I'm sorry you had to see it, Heero."

Heero turned to look at her, and she saw something different in his eyes. What had he really seen? Was there something he wasn't telling her? "I am too, Arys..." For a long moment, Heero stared at her, studying her face.

"Heero?" Arys reached up to caress his cheek. That look in his eyes. She had never seen it there before. Her mind cycled through all the emotions she had ever seen in a person's eyes. With a start, she realized what it was. Fear. Heero was afraid. But of what? "What is it?"

Heero shook his head and the fear left his eyes. Heero glanced down at the bedspread, breaking eye contact with her. "What time is it?"

Arys peeked over his shoulder to look at the clock sitting on the nightstand. "Almost one."

Heero shut down the laptop, leaving the room completely dark. Arys listened as Heero carefully placed the computer on the nightstand. She sensed him turn toward her. Then, she felt him place a hand on her arm.

"Arys, do you love me?"

Arys wondered at the question. Why did he feel the need to ask her such a question? "Of course I love you, Heero. I'm married to you. You're my best friend." Arys felt his hand tighten on her arm. She stumbled over her next few words. "I...feel incomplete without you."

"Now, ask me."

"What?"

"Ask me if I love you."

"Why?" Arys wanted to throw her arms around her husband and make him tell her what was wrong, but she knew that would not work with Heero. She would have to wait until he felt ready to tell her.

"Humor me, Arys. Please." Heero's voice was almost pleading now.

Arys put her hand over his. "Do you love me, Heero?"

Heero was silent for a few moments and Arys felt a momentary panic. Why was he hesitating? Had he stopped loving her? She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard his answer.

"I love you, Arys. More than you will ever know."

He lay down, pulling Arys down next to him. "I need to hold you for a few hours, Arys."

"Why?"

She heard Heero chuckle as he put his arms around her, pulling her closer. "You need it just as much as I do." Arys knew that he was evading her question, but she decided to let it go.

It was Arys' turn to laugh. "I guess I do. You had me scared there for a few seconds, Heero Yuy."

"Never doubt my love, Arys. I'm yours forever."

Arys rested against her husband, content to be near him. She embraced him tightly. "Yours forever," She whispered before falling asleep in Heero's arms.

Heero woke up three hours later, scrabbling for the clock. He groaned when he saw the time. Four o' clock. It was time for him to leave. The sun would be rising soon. Heero irritably laid the clock back down on the nightstand. He would have loved to have stayed in bed until 7:00 with his wife, but it was too risky for him to leave her room during the day. He looked down at Arys. She lay on her side, hands curled under one cheek, a dreamy smile on her face. Heero hated to wake her, but he reached out to give her a gentle shake. It took a while for his touch to register, but Arys' eyes fluttered open sleepily and she glanced at Heero.

"It's time?" She yawned.

"I'm afraid so, love." Heero got out of bed and went to the bathroom to change.

Arys scooted over to Heero's side of the bed, sat up, and swung her legs off the side of the bed, staring blankly at the window. Heero found her still sitting there when he came back out of the bathroom, dressed in his jeans and a white collared shirt that hung open. Heero had to laugh at the look on Arys' face. He had discovered a long time ago that his wife was not a morning person. Arys gave him a mock-glare.

"What are you laughing at, Mr. Yuy?" She asked, stifling another yawn.

Heero sat next to her on the side of the bed. He put his arm around her and she settled her head on his shoulder. Heero brushed his lips against her ear.

"You."

Arys nudged him playfully. In response, Heero put his hands on her shoulders and turned her toward him. Heero kissed her, and Arys slid her arms around his waist. For a few minutes, they remained locked in each other's arms, unwilling to let the other go. Heero pulled away reluctantly.

"Forgive me for laughing at you?" Heero asked, his gaze on her face.

Arys nodded, a smile lighting her face. She raised a hand to fiddle with his collar. With a wife's instinct, she noticed that his shirt was still unbuttoned and began to button it for him. She shook her head, and Heero grinned as her hands expertly fixed his shirt. When she was done, she slapped his chest.

"It's a wonder Remir lets you into the building with the way you dress," Arys scolded him.

Heero ran a finger along her jawline. "Why do you think I come to visit you every night?" His voice was mischievous, but Arys saw the love in his eyes.

"I think you'd better go before I kick you out," Arys teased.

Heero stood to his feet and put on his black trenchcoat that hung over the back of one chair. He went to pick up some papers he had left on the table. "I'll go. I don't think I could handle being kicked by you." Heero dodged the fist aimed at his shoulder. Arys had leaped off the bed to attempt a jab at him. He caught her wrist and pulled open the curtains with his other hand.

"Heero, the..."

She was silenced as Heero kissed her again. Arys clung to him, wishing he could stay.

Get a grip of yourself, Arys. You'll see him again tonight.

"Let them see," Heero said, embracing her. He released her and stepped away. "Until tonight, Arys..." Then, he was gone.

Arys stood at the window, watching her husband's form stride down the street. She placed a palm against the cold glass, waiting for him to turn at the corner and look back. As if on cue, Heero turned back and raised his hand in a farewell gesture. Arys lifted her hand in reply. Then, simultaneously, they turned away from each other. Heero continued his stroll down the street, and Arys pulled the curtains closed. She sighed. The room behind her felt so empty once again.