Reunion: Part One

Relena sighed as she removed the pins from her hair. She was bone tired and barely had enough energy to change into her nightclothes but somehow she managed it. As the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation, she was used to these kinds of days, when nothing seems to go right and the light at the end of the tunnel just keeps on getting dimmer and dimmer. But she knew that tomorrow was a brand new day and perhaps, if she was lucky, it would be a good day.

She sighed again and walked across the room, her long blonde hair trailing down her back. It was longer than ever, other matters circulating in her brain preventing her from even thinking about aesthetic things. She turned down the covers of her soft bed, her eyes nearly closed. Her wake-up call was eight the next morning and she needed all the rest she could get for it was nearly midnight.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She gave no outward signs of awareness, but her hand slid underneath one of the pillows on the bed, closing around the handle of a gun. Her instincts told her that the intruder was standing in a dark corner next to her mirror. Whirling around, she pointed the barrel of the gun in that direction. She was a good shot and she wasn't going to miss.

But she didn't count on the intruder moving so fast. Before she knew it, she was on the bed, her gun halfway across the room. A hand clamped over her mouth and a large male body pined her limbs down to prevent her from doing any damage.

"Relena..."

She froze. That voice. She hadn't heard it in nearly ten years...but she would know it in her sleep. Unbidden, her clear blue eyes filled with tears. Seeing that she wasn't going to fight anymore, he got up, pulling her to her feet. Relena threw her arms around his neck.

"Heero..."

Heero put his arms around her hesitantly. He didn't know what compelled him to see her, but he just felt the need to. But now that he was there, he didn't know what to do. The sight of her had taken his breath away and it would have satisfied him to just see her, but he hadn't counted on her shooting at him.

"Heero," she said again, pulling away so she could look at him. He had definitely grown since the last time she'd seen him, standing a head taller than she. His hair was shorter, no longer falling into his face. He'd filled out nicely, his broad shoulders solid under her hands. He was dressed simply, in a navy blue cable knit sweater and jeans, but she thought she'd never seen a more handsome man in her entire life.

Heero studied her with the same care, his steel gray eyes narrowed. She had grown more beautiful since the time they'd seen each other last, not that he hadn't seen her since. Minister Relena Peacecraft was on the news almost every night and he hardly ever missed it. Whether walking down the streets or sitting in some dive, Heero always found himself in front of a television, staring at Relena's angelic face.

"You've come back," she murmured.

He stepped away, crossing his arms over his chest. "No, I haven't."

She sat down on the edge of her bed. "Oh. Then what are you doing here? Are you in trouble?" She frowned and stood again, coming close to him. "Are you hurt, Heero?"

Before she could see for herself, Heero shook his head. "No, I'm fine, Relena."

She turned away. "Then, why are you here? You're not going to kill me, are you?"

"No."

Silence.

Relena turned, half-afraid that he wouldn't be there anymore when the silence stretched on for too long, but Heero was still there, not having moved at all. Calming herself, she sat back down on the bed.

"Have a seat, Heero," she said, gesturing to an armchair behind him. "Please don't think you have to leave. I haven't seen you in so long. I want to know where you've been and what you've been doing."

Heero glanced at the chair then at her. He looked as if he'd like nothing more than to go, but he sat.

"I've been--around," he answered.

"I tried to look for you," she confessed. "For nearly two years, I searched for you using my influence, but Duo was right when he told me you didn't want to be found."

"How are the others?"

"Duo and Hilde were married four years ago but she's just gotten pregnant now. She'd due any day," Relena said, her lips curling into a small smile. "You should go see them, Heero. Quatre is running his father's business. Trowa is still with the circus, but he's running it with Catherine now. Wu-Fei is with Sally Po, still in Preventer. My brother and Lucrezia are back here now, married with two little boys."

"How nice."

"What about you? You haven't..." she swallowed. "No children or a wife?"

"No. And I see that you don't have any family either."

"I'm too busy."

"So am I."

"Yes. Being Robin Hood is a twenty-four hour job."

He looked startled. "Robin Hood?"

Her eyes gleamed mischieviously. "Who else would run into a burning building and save three little children and then walk away as if nothing happened? Who else would get into a mining mobile suit and stop a gas leak without even blinking an eye? I know it was you, Heero."

He shrugged and stood. Relena stood as well and before she knew what she was doing, she clamped a hand on his wrist.

"Don't go, yet," she said, wincing at the desperate tone in her voice.

"I thought you'd let go of me a long time ago, Relena," he said, not looking at her.

So did I.

"I could never forget you."

"You should have."

"I don't want to."

Heero glanced down at the hand she had on him. Relena let go, but didn't step back. She pinned him with earnest eyes.

"Did you ever care for me all those years ago, Heero?" she asked quietly. "You saved my life so many times, but you always kept your distance. I thought that you'd just keep on coming back to me until you realized what you wanted, but then you didn't come back..."

"I'm back now."

They stared at each other.

"Yes," Relena whispered. "You are back. But for how long?"

She stared into his handsome face, a face that still haunted her dreams despite her efforts to banish it. She'd tried to fall in love with others, but couldn't. Even after so long, all it took was a glimpse and she was his.

And she wondered if he knew that.

"For long enough," he answered.

"Long enough for what?"

A look of uncertainty crossed his face but was gone so quickly that Relena wondered if she was seeing things. Then, his head lowered to hers. The first touch of his lips was gentle, but Relena decided then and there that she would take what she could get. She wrapped her arms around him, kissing him with a fervor that could only come from a decade of pent-up emotion. Heero responded in kind, his arms tight around her waist. They inched towards the bed.

Heero was a coldly ruthless, precise warrior. His fighting skills were unmatched and it is seldom that any emotion comes out of him. But to Relena's shock, he was anything but a cold lover. His hands and lips were like fire against her skin, but she could feel him tremble against her. She ran her hands through his hair, surprised that it was soft and silky. She buried her face in his shoulder when he entered her and gasped from the pain.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice husky.

"I'm fine," she replied as a tear slipped from the corner of her eye and down her cheek.

"I didn't know, Relena...I would never have guessed. You're so beautiful that no man can resist you..."

"You could, Heero."

He brushed away the tear with his thumb. "No---I can't..."

He moved slowly at first, to allow her to get used to the feeling. The pain disappeared in moments as passion engulfed them both.

Relena's eyes flew open and she reached out next to her. Fear filled her heart as she expected to find an empty space, but then her hand came in contact to a warm body. She turned to look at Heero to find that he was looking at her. She smiled. He didn't, but his eyes softened.

"I have to go," he said.

She nodded sadly and turned away so he wouldn't see her cry. "I know. I'm just glad that you didn't leave without saying good-bye."

She felt his movement and expected him to get up, but he pulled her to him. His lips brushed the top of her head.

"I'll be back," he murmured.

He held her for a while and Relena vowed to remember this moment forever. Fate was funny sometimes and despite his words, she knew that there was still a possibility that she may never see him again--whether it was his choice or not. He got up and she watched him get dressed. When he finished, he turned back to her.

"Good-bye," he said simply.

"I love you, Heero."

He nodded and then he was gone.

Relena sat at her desk, her eyes staring into a computer screen, but she wasn't paying any attention to it. Nearly a month and a half had passed since Heero had left and every night, she expected to find him in the same corner waiting for her--she prayed for it. But she'd seen neither hide nor hair of him. Her mood plumeted at a steady rate with each passing day and everyone knew it, though they didn't know why.

She sighed gustily and shut the computer off. She was not going to get any work done tonight. Wrapping her dressing gown tightly around her, she stood and almost immediately had to sit back down when a wave of dizziness hit her. Taking slow and deep breaths, she willed the room to stop spinning. It was then did her comline ring. Still calming herself, Relena turned on her computer again and was delighted to see Duo on the screen. His features were still boyish and his hair was still long and braided, but there was a maturity in his eyes. His grin faded when he saw how pale she was.

"Hey, Relena. Are you alright?"

"I've been better. How are you, Duo?"

His grin brightened and Relena was sure it was equal only to the sun. "Fantastic. I just wanted to tell you that Hilde had our baby girl!"

Relena laughed, her dizziness forgotten. "Congratulations! So do I have a namesake?" she asked mischieviously.

Duo chuckled. "Not yet. Her name's Ellen Raquel Maxwell. Hilde insisted on it."

"It's a beautiful name. And I'm sure Little Ellie is even more beautiful. I'll be by soon to see her."

"You better. You're going to be a godmother."

Relena smiled. "I'm honored."

He peered at her. "Are you sure you're alright? You look a little off."

"Just what I wanted to hear after a hard day's work," she remarked wryly. "I'm fine." She hesitated. "Heero visited me."

Duo's eyes widened. "Are you screwing with me?"

Relena had to choke back a shriek of hysterical laughter. What an interesting choice of words, she mused.

"No," she replied aloud.

"How is he?"

"The same. He didn't say much."

"Then he is the same," Duo said with a knowing smile. He regarded Relena thoughtfully. "Did something happen?"

Relena blinked. Sometimes she just didn't realize how observant Duo was. "What do you mean?"

"Is that why you're looking--sickly? Did something happen between the two of you?"

"No," she lied, her voice flat. "I can't imagine why you would think so. We're different people now."

He smiled. "Not as much as you think. Take care, Relena."

"You, too. Give my regards to Hilde."

"I will. Good-bye."

Relena stood wearily and headed for her room. She forced herself not to look into the corner, but she felt nothing so she knew he wasn't there again. Disappointment made tears sting her eyes.

"I just hope he's not dead," she said bitterly.