Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or the characters Heero and Relena. This is just a fan work.

Amour

Chapter 12

By Zapenstap

"What is taking so long?" Wufei demanded.

Duo wondered the same thing, but he only shrugged. Trowa didn't say anything either.

The three of them were waiting at the designated meeting point, a hallway that led to a stairwell that let out into a small parking garage beneath the church. They were all wearing nondescript worker uniforms. They even had papers, courtesy of Trowa, who had hacked into the church's computer system and discovered a legitimate work order that had been placed for repairing fixtures near the altar for the ceremony. The real workers had already come and gone, but they had crafted official looking documents that would fool anyone who didn't know much about the maintenance schedule. They had uniforms for Heero and Relena too, should Heero's ploy happen to actually work…whatever it was he intended to do.

"He must have found her by now," Wufei growled. "We should move. The guests are going to get nervous if this delay lasts much longer."

"Delays are normal for an event as big as this," Trowa said. "They'll wait."

"Did she refuse him, do you think?" Wufei muttered.

"Even if she did, Heero doesn't easily take no for an answer," Duo assured him. "Not if he really believes in what he's doing."

"Can't he just truss her up and throw her over his shoulder?" Wufei asked, arching an eyebrow.

Duo chuckled at the image. Threading his fingers behind his head, he leaned his back against the wall. "You guys need to relax. Think about who we're dealing with. Heero can be forceful when he has a mind, but Relena won't be pushed around. They're probably talking things out. You've gotta leave them a little room for confession." He smiled. "After all, we're in a church."

"Don't be ridiculous," Wufei scowled. "Heero understands the importance of time here."

"Does he?" Duo muttered, glancing sidelong at Trowa, who grunted.

From what Duo knew of Heero, they might be left waiting awhile. Heero's priorities could be quite bizarre. He was unfailingly reliable, but he had demonstrated unpredictability in times before now.

Of course, this was love, not war, but the rules weren't far different. Heero was often ambiguous, especially when undecided, but once decided, he was thorough and methodical and didn't take prisoners.

But Relena…she was as straight-forward as an arrow, but she was also as impulsive as hell. Her political reserve didn't fool Duo; he'd seen her leap in front of gunfire without a thought. In many ways, she was worse than Heero. Heero could seem impulsive at times, usually at the worst moments, but was actually insanely deliberate.

Insanely.

Duo couldn't help but think that Heero had the upper hand here. How long has Heero been "deliberating" on Relena? At least ten years. And it seemed he had finally made up his mind. He was making marrying Relena his mission, and well… Duo didn't think he would give up short of a bullet in the heart. So what was taking so long?

Trowa seemed to be considering this as well. He looked pensive. "I think we should check on them."

Relena was being watched closely. The burliest of the three guards walked at an unhurried pace just behind her left shoulder, his eyes on her, but his hands off. Although Relena was not physically restrained, she knew that if she attempted to make a break for it in any direction, she would find herself face down on the floor with the hand the size of a ham pressed against the back of her neck…or a bullet in her back. Her wedding dress wasn't the easiest or most inconspicuous thing to run in either.

But she wasn't really thinking about escape. Heero had said he would handle this and she trusted him to do just that, more or less, but she was worried about Alex, and Candace Mae, and her baby, which that mouthy redhead leading their party claimed to have in custody, though Relena had yet to see evidence of it.

They made a grim procession, pacing down deserted corridors that led deep into the church. They took so many turns, Relena quickly became lost, but she didn't worry about that either.

A few paces ahead of her, Alex and Candace Mae were being guided by another of the armed men. Alex's wound had been dressed so he could walk, but he looked a little green in the face, and his footsteps were unbalanced. Relena supposed it was a good sign that these people hadn't just decided to kill him. That gave her some hope. Or at least some time. Time was important. Alex must be in pain and she worried what their captors would do if he fainted or proved unable to continue. Relena wanted him clear of danger more than anyone. He had nothing to do with any of this.

Fortunately, Candace Mae walked on Alex's other side, close enough to catch him if he fell. Relena's elderly house manager looked haggard, but though her lips were drained of color, there was a steely look in her eye as she shuffled along. Relena wasn't surprised. Candace Mae was spry for an old woman, in mind as well as body.

Relena didn't look at Heero at all.

But she could feel him there, walking just to her right, under the watch of the third guard.

She wondered what he was thinking.

As she pondered, he spoke quietly, as if he could read her thoughts. "This doesn't change anything," he said. "I'm going to marry you when this is over."

"Heero!" she hissed before she could stop herself.

She wasn't sure what made her more incredulous: that Heero would risk speaking to her in this situation or that he would say… that.

She risked a glance in his direction. His eyes hadn't changed a hair since he had made his confessions in the dressing room. He just looked at her, not saying anything, but that look conveyed volumes. Not wanting to draw attention to either of them, she wrenched her eyes away from his face. She walked as she had been bidden, staring straight forward, but she could feel Heero's eyes on her. She thought she could even feel him smile a little.

Smile! Under gunpoint. That was very Heero.

She didn't know what to do about him. Suppose they did get out of this and Heero insisted again that they marry. What was she to say? She had broken it off with Alex, but she had told Heero she couldn't marry him either and she really meant it. Their history was precious to her, but Heero's ambiguity and noncommittal vows of love had hurt her deeply. There was also her image to consider. It wasn't that she cared what people thought of her, not really, but she did care if it had an effect on the work she was trying to do. Dropping Alex on her wedding day was bad enough. It would be better if the public never knew anything about Heero.

She didn't know what to do about him, though.

She knew she loved him. There was no question of that. His quiet, his strength, his depth—she cherished him greatly and always would. If the world knew the depth of her feelings, though, they wouldn't understand. She and Heero didn't seem like they should belong together. They didn't seem like they should even be in the same room together.

But Relena felt so comfortable with him. Perhaps it was because Heero understood her. It made her crazy how well he understood her.

Too crazy.

What was she supposed to say if he asked to marry her? How could it ever work between them? Heero has told her himself it never could work. He had said so many times that she had lost count. He didn't know anything except the battle. He was just a soldier. He didn't have a place in her world.

Maybe she should have retired her feelings long ago, but she hasn't been able to turn her heart against him. And yet, whenever Relena had moved toward him, he retreated, sometimes literally running away.

She couldn't remember now why in God's name she had thought a physical relationship with Heero would be a good idea. At the time, she had just wanted him near. She was afraid to lose him. She had thought of it as a compromise. She had thought she could control her emotions and accept that their greater realities must be separate, but in the end, she couldn't pretend she didn't want more, even if it seemed impossible.

And seeing that, he had left her.

Sure, there had been a plane crash and terrorists and a baby, but those were all excuses. He left her because she wanted him to stay, and he knew he never would.

So why was he back? He had told her to move on and she had. She had forged a future without him. She met Alex and got what she had wanted from Heero—someone who would commit to and love her. And she had been happy. Well maybe not happy, but it was what she thought she had wanted. Only now Heero was back, saying he was "ready" now.

But wouldn't it be just like Heero to say such things as "I love you" and "marry me" and "you're what I want" and then do the opposite?

Hadn't he broken promises to her before?

It was strange. She was more terrified of Heero leaving her than she was of being shot and killed by terrorists.

So she snuck a second glance at him. He was still watching her.

"You don't believe me," he said. It sounded accusatory, like she had thrown a rock at his face.

"I believe in you," she said in a hushed whisper. "I always have. I just... Do you know how you sound? Why did you wait until I was getting married? "

"It has nothing to do with you getting married," he said, much to her surprise. He glanced at their guards as he spoke, but almost lazily. His eyes returned to her. Did he not even care that they might all be shot? Apparently not as much as he wanted to say what he had risked capture to say. "Your marriage just made my decision imminent."

"I don't understand. Since the first day we met, you have always run away from me."

"You scare me," he said.

She almost laughed in his face. Imagining Heero Yuy scared was like imagining… She couldn't even think of anything so ridiculous.

But laughter died on her tongue. He was serious. She could see in his face that he was serious.

She spoke more contritely, smoothing her face of all traces of amusement. "How do I scare you, Heero?"

She couldn't believe they were talking about this right now. The guards ignored them, either because they didn't fear retaliation or because they had orders not to touch them. Relena knew she should be quiet anyway, but this ill-timed conversation with Heero seemed like the most urgent matter of the moment, perhaps of her life, which made no sense at all.

His eyes were locked on her face. "Being around you makes me happy."

Her heart thumped in her chest.

She thought it was a preamble to whatever he was going to say scared him, but he said nothing more. He just looked at her, as if waiting her response.

"I don't understand," she said at last.

He didn't answer.

"Wait," she said. "Are you saying that happiness scares you?"

"Yes."

"You don't want to be happy?"

"I don't know," he said. "I've never been happy."

That brought her up short.

"Heero…"

She wanted to touch him. It was impossible given the circumstances, so she settled for conveying as much softness as she could in her expression.

He looked deep into her eyes, as if by doing so he could drown in them. "I've wasted a lot of time, Relena. I didn't want things to change. I didn't want to change. I understand my life the way it is now. I don't know if I will understand my life with you. Being with you will change me. It will change everything."

Her heart beat faster. "I don't want to change you," she said. "Heero, if you think I'm not satisfied with who you are, you've got it wrong. I lov—"

"That's not what I'm saying," he said quickly. "I know you love me. You've put up with a lot from me, so I can't deny that that is true."

"Then what…?"

"There is a saying that some men prefer to live in the misery they are used to than chance happiness they don't know. I think I am a man like that."

Relena didn't say anything. Heero strove for perfection, but she didn't know if that was the same as happiness. She didn't even know if it was in the same arena as happiness.

"Being with you will change me," Heero repeated. "You don't have to want or do anything. If I'm with you, I will change. I will change because I will need to be a better man for you. If you think I was intense as your protector, then you don't understand fully what committing to you means to me. I will protect you in a way I haven't before, and our family..." He paused. "But you see, I don't know anything about that. I would have to learn. I am scared that I will fail."

Relena bit her lip. "But you're not scared anymore?" she asked.

"I'm still scared," Heero answered.

Relena didn't know what to say. The lump in her throat kept her from speaking.

"But I'm more frightened of losing you," he added. "The thought of not seeing you, of not being close to you ever again... I underestimated my feelings for you. My fear of failure is nothing beside it. Relena, I will be deathly afraid every day of my life if it means being with you."

Relena wanted to cry. She wasn't sure why. Was it happiness? Sadness? Her whole body was shaking with it, whatever it was. But somehow, she held her emotions in check.

"You are ridiculous." It was all she could think to say.

"I know. I don't know if I'll be any good for you," he continued. "That scares me more than anything. I'll probably make a lot of mistakes. I don't know if I can make you happy. But, Relena, I want to love and protect you with everything I have. If you—"

"Stop," she said, overcome with emotion. "I understand."

He seemed to relax, as if she had poured cool water over his head. The tension she had seen in him really didn't have anything to do with their captors. What was he planning to do about them? Relena could hardly focus.

"You asked 'why now'?" Heero said. "You should know that I've been thinking about it for a long time, but I was comfortable just thinking. I don't know why it happened, but I suddenly realized I had chosen against the one thing I had ever really wanted for myself. That you were about to get married was coincidence. The others seemed surprised."

Relena blinked. She was so surprised she forgot to lower her voice. "The others-?"

The redhead at the front of the group spun on her heel, fiery locks flying in all directions, her eyes burning. "Silence!" she barked.

Heero head turned toward her. His hard blue eyes doused her rage with one look.

Relena held her breath. It was rare to see so much raw feeling in Heero's face. He seemed to view the leader of their captors with annoyance rather than as a threat, which sent butterflies careening in Relena's stomach. If Heero upset this woman's sensibilities, she may kill him without thinking. And if Heero died now…. She couldn't even contemplate the thought.

But she understood him exactly. These people, these ignorant fools with their lack of understanding, were the reason for so much of Heero's suffering—so much of the world's suffering.

Relena certainly understood. It was her life mission to educate people on what war really was so that they might choose against it. But Heero's contempt was more invasive than Relena's appeal to reason. Relena was a politician. Heero was a soldier. When Heero displayed contempt for other soldiers, it meant something … something very profound.

The redhead picked up on Heero's condescension. Relena tensed. She shot Heero a warning glance as the woman pulled herself up straight, settling her shoulders and lifting her chin. "I will not have you hatching plans together," she said.

"I've already agreed to your demands," Heero replied, his tone even but his eyes hard. "Take me where you want to take me. I won't fight you."

The redhead frowned. "I wouldn't have expected you to give up so easily," she said. "Our reports of you gundam pilots indicate that you are… tenacious." She smirked. "I would know. My training was modeled after yours. As the pilot of Gundam 01, you are a great idol of mine, Heero Yuy. You saved the earth. You are a hero. A shame we had to meet under such circumstances."

Alex's expression caught Relena's eye. He looked like he had been socked in the stomach. He stared at Heero slack-jawed, as if trying to comprehend what he had just heard. Candace Mae looked straight ahead. Relena held her breath. Well, that was out of the bag.

She didn't waste time worrying about Alex's reactions. Her first priority had to be to do what she could to diffuse the threat of this situation. Did Heero mean the other gundam pilots when he said 'the others'? She wondered if they were nearby. Perhaps a counterstrike mission was underway and that was why Heero was so composed. She tried to ask this with her eyes, but Heero only shook his head. Relena wasn't sure what that meant.

The redhead seemed disconcerted by Heero's agreeableness. Relena didn't blame her. Heero's attitude would have unnerved her immensely if she were in the other woman's shoes.

But the redhead didn't say anything about it. She merely pivoted on the ball of her foot and led the way down a side corridor.

Heero turned his eyes on Relena. He didn't have to say anything. She could read every thought in his head clearly in his eyes.

Whatever happens, I love you.

The enormity of it overwhelmed her. Relena's heart swelled to the point of pain. Dare she believe? Did he really mean to love her? If so… If he really did…

She couldn't explain why, but she felt suddenly invincible.

They walked in silence.

The hallway ended at a door.

"Is this it?" Relena demanded. This door did not seem to lead anywhere. "Is my baby in that room?"

Heero glanced at her sideways, as if to say 'good question'.

"He is," the redhead replied. There was a smug look on her face as she looked Relena's wedding dress up and down. "Our apologies, Miss Darilan. I know this must be hard for you. It wasn't our intent to ruin your day of bliss."

Relena didn't attempt to hide her annoyance. Bliss wasn't something she expected or needed. She wasn't even sure it was something she wanted. Her desire was for peace, and true peace required wisdom—the kind that came from understanding the wrongs in the world. Bliss? Not likely.

"What is it that you want with Heero?" she asked.

The woman didn't answer.

"They want data," Heero told her, "on the Zero System."

The redhead pursed her lips.

Alex glanced again at Heero. He seemed to be in severe physical pain. He grimaced, one arm wrapped around his side for stability.

"Only a handful of people have personal experience with it," Heero explained. "I'm one of them."

Relena didn't have any personal experience with the Zero System, but she knew it was a military system.

"You're building weapons," she surmised, directing obliquely cool tones toward the redhead. "Why?"

The redhead didn't respond. Instead she opened the door.

The room was dusty, but not empty. Another guard waited within, a gun in hand, standing beside the bassinet where Relena's baby lay sleeping, completely oblivious to the threat on both his life and the lives of his parents. There was also a desk against the wall, upon which lay a laptop computer and a heavy black suitcase. The suitcase was locked. It looked heavy, possibly bullet proof.

Relena supposed there were many old, unused rooms in a building such as this; the church had many sprawling wings and winding corridors. She wondered if anyone would hear a gunshot this far away from the more populated areas in the building. She highly doubted that there was a security system in place for rooms so far away from anything important.

The redhead entered the room first. She said something to the guard in a low voice. The guard moved to sit in front of the laptop. He entered a password to bypass the locked screen and brought up a program. It was unfamiliar to Relena, but she heard Heero grunt beside her.

The redhead turned at the sound. "Problem, Mr. Yuy?"

"You want to run the test here." He didn't sound surprised. Or not surprised. That was the annoying thing about Heero. Though he felt very deeply, it was difficult to assign a clear emotion to his actions and reactions. He was too good at controlling himself.

The redhead waved her gun. The guard vacated the chair. "Just have a seat, Mr. Yuy," she said to him. "Cooperate, and this should not take long."

"And what are you going to do with us after you have the data you need?" Relena demanded.

"If Mr. Yuy behaves and you stay quiet, you might survive," the redhead replied.

"And if not?" Relena asked.

The redhead's face was hard.

Relena didn't really need a response. She understood the situation well enough. She and Alex and Candace Mae and her baby were all hostages. If Heero refused, for anything, they would be picked off one by one, starting with the least important. The question was whether these people would be capable of killing them in cold blood after they had what they wanted, or if they would find other means of ensuring a safe escape. Relena had trouble believing they would let Heero live, or herself for that matter.

Without a word, Heero sat in front of the laptop. His eyes remained fixed on the screen, but the redhead did not lower her gun. Relena did react when she felt cold steel press against her temple from the hand of the guard who had followed closely behind her this whole time. She didn't move or cry out. The threat was expected. Alex and Candace Mae were held at gunpoint as well. The man who had started the program on the laptop knelt to open the suitcase.

Relena watched curiously.

It wasn't really a suitcase. The lid was flung back to reveal black boxes and wires and some removable pieces made of metal and plastic and more wires. The guard removed the largest piece—a circular contraption like a ring with a dome-and placed it on Heero's head like it was a hat. Wires dangled down from it like antennae. Some of these were attached to various places on Heero's skin under his shirt and some were fed back to the suitcase, much like an EKG. Relena surmised that the machine was meant to capture the minute response of Heero's pulse and muscle movements in response to whatever he was supposed to do on the laptop.

"It's been awhile since I've used this system," Heero said, his fingers hovering over the keys, but not typing. "Last time I was in this situation, it didn't go according to plan. Are you sure you know what you are doing?"

"We are aware of the Zero System's flaws as well as its capabilities, yes," the redhead replied. "That is why we are running a simulation rather than letting you anywhere near the real thing. This way, we can control the situation should things get out of hand." She cocked the barrel of her gun. "Do you object?"

Heero's eyes flickered from the gun to the computer screen. "No."

"The simulation will begin with the shortcut command CTRL 01," The redhead informed Heero. "We thought that would be easiest for you to remember." She smirked. "You may begin."

Heero punched in the sequence. The screen flashed green.

There were a few moments of silence before Heero's fingers began to move on the 10-key.

Relena didn't care about the Zero System. Instead, she watched the redhead watching Heero. She seemed fascinated by him, as if he were a figure out of a legend. All the other guards in the room watched the red head. She was clearly the leader of the party, and a respected one at that.

Relena decided to gamble.

"What's the goal of all of this?" she asked. "Why do you want this kind of data?"

The guard standing behind Relena grunted disapproval at her inquiry. Relena heard the click of the barrel rotating in the revolver. She didn't move.

The redhead held up her free hand, the one not holding a gun to the back of Heero's head, her eyes on the guard. "It's okay, Jeremiah. They're only trying to stall."

Jeremiah said nothing.

The redhead smiled at Relena. "Progress," she answered. "It should come as no surprise to you that we do not agree with your ideals, Relena Peacecraft. Our organization does not oppose war. We believe that war is not only inevitable, but essential to progression, and that to denounce it is not only foolhardy, but disgraceful. Soldiers represent the best of what humanity can be. Courage. Honor. Sacrifice. To ridicule and obscure the value of war is a disservice to those who sacrifice their lives to improve the state of mankind. Soldiers should be venerated."

"I see," Relena replied. "You are saying that opposition to war is insulting to those who fight?"

"Correct."

Relena nodded. "To an end, I agree with you."

The redhead blinked. "That is an extremely hypocritical position, Miss Relena. I must believe you are saying so only because you are under duress."

"Not at all," Relena replied. "You speak of courage, honor, and sacrifice as representing the best of what mankind has to offer, I agree. Those who fight should be honored. However, I do not believe that war itself should be venerated. Soldiers fight wars, but war itself is nothing to praise—it is hate and greed, destruction and death. Even when it is fought for freedom or peace, war is suffering."

"No. That is merely the price of war," the redhead snapped. "Some things are worth it. And when you fight for what you believe in, sometimes you have to kill. It may be grisly, but it is reality."

"That may be reality, but the state of war is—and should always be—considered regrettable."

"Because it is violent?" the redhead smirked. "Only the cowardly are afraid of violence."

"I think people choose violence because it is fast, not because it is the best or most honorable solution. Even when it is needed, violence without justice is merely brutality."

This statement seemed to enrage the woman. Her eyes burned. "You would propose communication as an alternative, I suppose, or the reformation of law?" She scoffed. "Politicians and bureaucrats and corporate lobbyists scurrying for favors? What a self serving and useless process!"

"There is always conflict when opposing interests collide, but the efforts made toward a nonviolent solution—even when that effort is wasted-is not worthless," Relena said. "Every step we make toward understanding one another is a victory."

The redhead gritted her teeth.

Relena continued. "I can't help but wonder. Why is it that so many are willing to die with courage but so few willing to live courageously? Why can't we talk about what we want instead of hurting each other—or ourselves—to get what we need?"

"Don't try to equate talking with fighting!" the redhead spat. "You do soldiers a disservice!"

"I apologize," Relena said. "It is not my intention to insult you. I already conceded your point that soldiers should be honored. In war, people are pushed to extraordinarily brave and noble acts. However, people can also be pushed to intensely despicable action, which I regret to say is more often the case."

The redhead's arm shook. "How can you stand her?" she shouted at Heero. "How can you stand to have a liaison with such an impudent, sheltered, and self-righteous windbag?"

Heero answered without taking his eyes off the screen. His fingers flew across the keys, eyes unblinking. "Relena and I agree on some points and disagree on others. One thing we agree on is that war is not like a game. Yet in spite of that, soldiers are maneuvered like chess pieces, to destroy and be destroyed without sentiment."

"Which is wasteful," Relena said, "no matter how it is decorated by, I must confess, politicians like myself. Bravery is heralded while atrocities are ignored, but both exist on the battlefield."

"Yes," the redhead snapped. "That is it exactly! War shows us the best—and worst—of human nature. That is why it is so important!"

"But the extremes of humanity exist in everyday life too."

By her expression, the redhead couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are you saying we don't need war because the sort of courage seen in battle—the kind of courage it takes to complete a mission under gunfire—exists in civilian life?"

"Yes," Relena said.

Heero grunted. "Are you trying to say that killing makes a person courageous?"

"No," the redhead said. "Facing death is courageous."

"But every fool dies," Heero said. "That doesn't mean we are all brave." He flicked his eyes to Relena. "What makes a courageous action worthwhile is what you protect when you take the risk."

Relena's breath stuck in her throat. Heero was looking at her with those eyes again. Courage. Heero was not afraid of death. He never had been. But to promise forever to a woman who made him happy? That frightened him.

The redhead looked completely flabbergasted that Heero would take Relena's side. "Fine!" she said. "Say what you will! But your training has made you into an extraordinary human being, Heero Yuy. You know it is true. What you have experienced on the battlefield will never leave you. You, Heero Yuy, will never be ordinary! Never!"

Heero turned back to the screen. "I merely do what has to be done."

"Yes. That's right." the redhead said. "You do your duty. You follow orders. That is the way of the soldier."

Heero didn't answer her.

She seemed to find his silence a betrayal. "To think that I wanted to be just like you!"

"That's unfortunate," Heero replied. He didn't even look at her. "Since there is no need for people like me."

The redhead's face paled.

Relena remained silent. This woman obviously felt very convicted in what she was doing if she was willing to risk the lives of innocent people, including an old woman and a baby, to accomplish it, and seemed frustrated that Heero in particular didn't praise her for it. She seemed to believe that she was doing right merely by following orders. And now Heero, a man she admired for his military obedience, had just criticized her for that which he himself had been most often praised.

Heero took his hands off the keyboard. He turned to face their captor, hands in his lap, blue eyes bright and piercing.

"You do realize you're alone, right?" Heero said. "The rest of your outfit isn't here. You can do whatever you want."

"I would never betray my commander."

"Even if your commander is an idiot? I'm sure you were told to watch this event on the off chance that I might appear here, given whatever intelligence you have on my association with Relena, which is probably outdated. You're lucky I showed up today."

"We didn't think you'd show," she admitted. "But since you have, it is my duty—and my honor—to procure the necessary data. I would never run. I'm really surprised at you, Heero Yuy. I didn't think you were a deserter. I thought you never questioned orders. During the war, you were… you were perfect!"

"That's a common misconception," Heero replied. "I went my own way quite a lot."

The woman's eyes widened. "That can't be true."

"Is that what you are doing?" Relena asked her. "Just following orders? Because you are supposed to? Do you take no responsibility at all for the outcome of your actions?"

The woman's eyes flickered to her.

"May I ask your name?" Relena asked.

"My name is Anne," she said. "Don't think I don't know what you are doing! I am not brainwashed. I am doing this of my own free will."

"I wasn't implying that you are brainwashed," Relena said.

Anne shook her gun at Heero. "Continue!"

Heero didn't do anything.

"Complete the sequence!" Anne shouted, "Or we start killing hostages, starting with Miss Relena!"

Heero did not budge. "Your mission won't succeed," he said. "It won't work out like you think."

"Of course it will work!" Anne snapped. "We have been very thorough. The blueprints are perfect. The birds are already operational. We just need the sequences."

Birds?

So they were making planes. Some kind of military plane that could be remotely controlled using this system perhaps? Relena saw all kind of potential disaster in that.

"That wasn't what I meant," Heero said. "I mean the larger picture. To think only of the completion of the mission is shortsighted. What happens after? Let's say your plans go flawlessly and you succeed in all you hope to accomplish. Your goal is to use this system to kill people. Leaders in power? People you want revenge on? People you hate?"

"Yes," Anne said. "Some people deserve to die."

"Then what?"

"There will be a revolution," she murmured. "The right people will come to power."

"I'll pretend for your sake that there is such a thing as 'the right people.' Let's assume there's a revolution and these 'right people' come to power. Then what?"

Anne looked baffled. "Well, that's it! The right people will be in power. Things will change."

"What things?"

"Justice," she said. "There will be justice for the people whose families were killed, and whose lives were ruined by the decisions of a bloated, idealistic, and impotent government, a government run by privileged people, politicians and princesses like Miss Relena here, people who tried to change things by law but only managed to dissolve customs and countries under the guise of peace."

Heero didn't bat an eyelash. "Okay, let's assume that your 'right people' –people who aren't privileged?—" He raised a questioning eyebrow.

Anne didn't respond.

"Well, whoever they are, let's say they kill everyone that you think should be killed. Everyone pays whatever you think they owe. Then what?"

"I don't understand what you mean."

There was a moment of silence.

"When does it stop?" Relena interjected. "Surely the friends and relatives of the people you kill will not think that your leaders are the right people at all."

"That's just speculation," Anne said. "My job is to carry out the orders I was given."

"For these 'right people,'" Heero repeated.

"Yes."

"What if they're dead?"

Anne's eyes widened. "Pardon?"

Heero's voice didn't change at all. "What if the 'right people' are dead'?"

"They aren't dead," Anne answered. She licked her lips nervously. The other guards exchanged glances.

Heero closed out of the simulation program.

Anne raised the gun. "What are you doing? It's-!"

"It's over," Heero said. His eyes were steely blue, boring holes in Anne's skull.

"The simulation? You completed it that fast?"

"Yes."

"That's impossible! Our best trained took—"

"It's complete," Heero repeated. "Check it if you want. Your mission is accomplished. You've got the data. You can stop."

Anne looked bewildered.

"Not that it matters."

"What do you mean?"

Heero stared her right in the eye. "There was a strike on your home base this morning. Your leaders have been in Preventor custody for hours, assuming they survived. The data simulation I just completed was received by Lucrezia Noin of the Preventors unit."

Relena felt her insides jump. Was that true?

"That's preposterous!" Anne said. "We checked in not…"

She trailed off, licking her lips, as if just realizing it had been quite some time since she had checked in. Relena felt the guard beside her tense up. The one watching Alex and Candace Mae sent frowning glances in Anne's direction. Then he started eyeing the doors. Was he going to bolt?

Heero slid out of the chair. His eyes never left Anne's face. "See for yourself."

Nobody moved.

Relena felt the breath trapped in her body.

Slowly, Anne approached the computer desk. She glanced at the summary report from Heero's simulation using and spoke in an awed voice. "Your scores are perfect," she mumbled.

"There's no such thing as perfection," Heero said, "especially in battle, and even if there was, there isn't much use for it."

"Which isn't the same," Relena interrupted, "as there not being a use for you."

Heero grunted.

The guard behind Relena, Jeremiah, lowered his gun. With his other hand he put a cell phone to his ear. "I'm calling base," he announced.

Anne didn't say anything. She was still staring at the computer screen.

No one seemed to be answering Jeremiah's phone.

"Try another number," the guard beside Alex said. "Try Donohue."

Anne sank slowly into the chair Heero had just occupied. "I don't understand."

"You did everything right," Heero told her. "Your execution was well timed. You had the right number of people in the right places. You kept to your mission objective in spite of obstacles. You managed to capture me and you got the data. You did everything that was asked of you. It was a perfect mission. You're a good soldier. It just happens to be useless. Because things have changed around you. This is what happens. War is madness."

Anne shook her head.

"Anne," Jeremiah said gruffly. "He is bluffing. They are just trying to scare us out of here."

Anne lifted her head and shook herself. "Right. Of course."

Relena shot a look at Heero. Could they afford to let these people escape? What would that mean for the world? Even if the terrorist leaders had been brought down the way Heero claimed, there were always new threats. Anne was probably thinking the same thing about them. Heero wore a grim expression.

"We should kill them," Jeremiah said. "Anne—"

"Killing us won't achieve anything," Relena said. "It isn't necessary."

Jeremiah ignored her. "We can't leave them alive," he said. "They're the only ones who know our faces."

Heero growled. "If you kill the Vice Foreign Minister on her wedding day, the world will not rest until you are dead. "

"Don't listen to him, Anne," Jeremiah said. "There is a love affair between these two. We can use that. Their deaths can be explained. Testing will confirm it. From what I've been able to gather, the baby is not Alexander Calhoun's."

Relena felt her stomach drop. She shot Heero an accusatory look. He really should not have made all those confessions on the way here! Heero didn't do or say anything. He didn't even have the grace to look chagrined. Unarmed and held under gunpoint, he still seemed largely unconcerned about the scene taking place around him.

"So you're going to kill everyone?" Relena demanded. "Even a baby?"

This seemed to jolt Anne out of her silence. "No," she said. "We won't kill a baby." Jeremiah opened his mouth to object, but she rolled right over him. Strength seemed to come back into her. She rose to her feet. "We'll take the baby with us," she said. "He can't be a witness. He won't remember any of this. And a baby will make a better hostage than any of these others, even the Vice Minister. We might need him to get out of here."

Panic momentarily robbed Relena of reason. "You can't do that!"

Without thinking, she moved toward the bassinet where her infant lay asleep, swaddled in blankets, his tiny face the only part of his body that was exposed to the air. She moved, but was stopped by Jeremiah, whose hand wrapped around her upper arm and pulled her back with such a wrench that pain tore through her arm. She pulled up short with an involuntary cry.

Heero's eyes glittered dangerously, but he didn't move.

Relena watched as Anne crossed the room and picked up the bassinet. She turned to Jeremiah and the other three guards. "We'll take the baby with us." Excitement at a new possibility, a new future, a renewed purpose, lit up her eyes. "We'll raise him as one of us!"

"You won't," Relena said, struggling in the grip of her captor. "I won't allow it!"

"Quiet the Vice Minister," Anne ordered. "Let's do this quickly."

Jeremiah clapped a hand over Relena's mouth. Relena writhed, trying to jerk free, but only succeeded in hurting her own shoulder. She glared at Anne over her captor's thumb.

No way. Not her child.

Anne looked right through her. The light in her eye took on a manic, almost feverish, brightness. "We'll make him one of our leaders, Miss Darilan," she said. "Yours and Heero Yuy's son! Just think of it. We'll train him to be a true soldier. And we'll turn him against you and your pitiful ideals. Someday, when he's ready, we'll send him to fight against people like you. We'll send him with an army at his back and pride in his heart, the pride of a soldier who didn't give up!"

Relena was about to bite the hand of her guard. She had a scathing retort ready—about how she would never, never, not for as long as she lived, allow the world to revert to such a state—but before she could speak, a single gunshot sounded in the hallway outside the door.

Everyone jumped.

"Preventors?" Jeremiah demanded.

"Kill Miss Relena," Anne ordered. "Quickly! It will delay them!"

But Jeremiah didn't move.

Relena wondered if he was having second thoughts now that the task of killing had fallen to him personally. She had seen that before. He might support Relena "being killed" but to kill her himself was another matter.

"Do it!" Anne shouted. "Her death will be reported as a scandal. The headlines will say that she was killed at the hands of a lover on the day of her wedding to another man. It will make a gruesome spectacle the world over. It will be written about as a testament to the hypocrisy you lived. "

Relena wasn't horrified. The scandal part was going to happen anyway. She understood that better than Anne. She didn't care. She had no time to be embarrassed.

Jeremiah still didn't pull the trigger.

Anne's eyes were wild. "Fine! I will do it! Get back against the wall, Miss Relena." Anne hoisted the handle of the baby's bassinet over her shoulder and waved her gun in the opposite hand. "Now!"

Relena understood what she had to do. It was now or never. Everyone was looking at her. Everyone was waiting for her. Everyone was looking at her. And only her.

Calm wrapped around her like a cloak.

"Are you just going to shoot us like dogs?" she demanded.

"Can't you keep your goddamn mouth shut?" Jeremiah shouted.

Light exploded in front of Relena's eyes. It took her a moment to realize that Jeremiah had slammed the handle of the gun against her right temple. The world spun, colors blurring. She found herself blinking at the floor, which was right beneath her cheek. When had she fallen? She didn't remember dropping. Her head throbbed.

But it had worked.

Around her there was a flurry of movement and shouting. Relena's vision cleared slowly. She hadn't seen Heero move, but he was no longer where he had been standing. He was right next to her, eyes blazing. It must have taken only a few seconds for her head to hit the floor, but in that time period Heero now stood over Jeremiah, who was a crumpled mess behind Relena, blood streaming down chin from a broken nose. He appeared to be unconscious. Heero knelt to lift Jeremiah's gun out of his hand, who released it with limp fingers.

Relena eyes darted around the rest of the room. The guard who had been standing with the suitcase also lay face down on the ground. Heero must have taken him down as well, though Relena did not see how that was possible in the five seconds that had passed since she shouted and toppled. Even more amazingly, Candace Mae held a gun in her hand, which she now held against the temple of the third guard, her face as hard as a rock.

Alex had lost his balance. His body was slumped against the wall, his strength seeming to have run out.

Anne was the only remaining captor standing. Her eyes swung between Heero and Candace Mae, both who held guns. She eyed the suitcase as well, containing all the precious data she had fought to retrieve. But it was clear she had no chance. She held the bassinet in front of her, backed through the door, and ran for it.

"Heero!" Relena shouted, pushing herself off the ground. "The baby!"

But Heero was already out the door and after Anne.

Relena struggled the rest of the way to her feet, tripping over the hem of her wedding dress, hand held against her head to quell the dizziness from the blow she had taken to the head.

"Alex," she gasped. "Candace Mae, is he-?"

"He's all right," Candace Mae said. "I think he fell on purpose. Alex?"

Alex's face was gray. He didn't speak, but he nodded.

The last remaining guard rolled his eyes at Candace Mae. "You gonna shoot me, you daft old bat?"

"Don't think I won't," the old woman replied. "I've handled one of these before." She cocked the barrel and took aim with both hands, arms steady and eyes focused through the sights. "Long ago."

The guard subsided into silence.

Relena ran for the door. "Heero!"

"Relena, stay here!" Alex gasped at her. "Are you insane? Let him handle it!"

Relena didn't bother to reply. Her baby was in the hands of a terrorist. And Heero might be killed—Heero who loved her, who risked his life for her, who finally, after ten years of running away, wanted to be with her.

She would be damned before he was shot!

From behind her, she heard Candace Mae bark at Alex. "Sit down."

Relena emerged into a hallway that was empty. She looked around her in a panic. Which way had they—?

A second gunshot sounded off from somewhere down the corridor, just around the corner.

The sound of her baby's cry pierced her ears.

Oh God.

She ran toward the gunfire, following the sound of her baby, her silk white shirts hoisted to her knees.

"Heero!" she shouted again. "Heero!"

She turned the corner and slammed into a pair of hands. "Whoa, princess. Slow down. Heero's fine. Your baby's fine. Everything's fine."

Relena blinked several times.

The man holding her wasn't a terrorist.

"Duo!" she exclaimed, recognizing the former gundam pilot who had been Heero's comrade during the war. Behind him she saw Trowa and Wufei. Wufei was holding Anne, who slumped in his grip, looking stunned and woozy.

And there was Heero, the bassinet in one hand, staring at the baby inside it the way Relena might eye a watermelon on a fruit stand. Her baby had stopped crying. He was staring at Heero with round, dark eyes, seemingly as fascinated by Heero's stare as Heero was by him.

Heero looked up at she approached. His gaze softened. "Are you all—?"

She was kissing him before he finished speaking.

Alex had never been shot before. He had never been close to death. His wound had been cleaned and dressed, and he had been given pain killers for the throbbing, but he could still feel it under the bandages—a hole in his body.

"You okay, buddy?"

The man who addressed him so familiarly was a stranger. All Alex knew was that his name was Duo. He wore his hair in a long braid and regarded him with bright, wide blue eyes. The guy seemed genuinely concerned about him.

They were standing side by side in the wings adjacent to the altar of the church, hidden from the crowd beyond. The sanctuary was filled with attendees and TV crews who had been waiting, patiently, to see a wedding. They were all talking, the combined murmurs like the hum of a great hive. It was plain that no one knew quite what was going on. The ceremony had been hanging in suspension for nearly an hour.

"I don't know," Alex answered.

He really didn't.

The man who called himself Duo just nodded sympathetically.

There were four of them in the wings—himself, Duo, and Heero and Relena. The priest, who was standing on the stage behind the pulpit, was the only person who could see them. He had watched as the four of them emerged into the wings from the stairwell, and opened his mouth to announce their arrival to the crowd, but shut it when Alex shook his head at him. Now he kept glancing at them, looking confused and anxious. Alex had seen his eyes widen at the sight of the tears in Relena's dress and the blood on Alex's shirt. It wouldn't be long before the crowd noticed that something was wrong.

Behind him and Duo, deeper in the shadows, Relena and Heero were still arguing. Alex could hear them clearly, though they spoke in fierce whispers. They were arguing about what to do next. They had been at it nonstop, ever since the two other men—the ones who had been wearing common worker uniforms like Duo-had left to escort Anne, Jeremiah, and the other terrorists out of the building and into custody. From the conversation Alex had pieced together that they—Heero included—were all some kind of black ops, and that at least some of them, perhaps all of them, were former Gundam Pilots.

Candace Mae had left with them, taking the baby with her. Alex had been offered a ride to a local hospital in a helicopter, but had declined it. The excuse he gave was that he would have to be here, in the church, to answer questions from reporters.

The argument began started when Relena refused to leave the church. After the terrorists were secured, everyone had urged her to go, even Alex, telling her to let her people handle the crowds, never mind the wedding, but ever professional, she had explained that she could not just run. She said it was an opportunity to remind the world that peace was precious…and she wanted to tell the world herself that she wasn't getting married.

She had given Alex back his ring, reiterating the apologies she had already made, explaining that it was her fault for betraying her heart, and that she should have been more careful with his. Alex hadn't reacted much. Too much had happened. He just watched as she then turned to Heero, telling him she was sorry too, that she loved him, that his love meant the world to her, but that she didn't know at this time what to make of it, or what is role was supposed to be in her life.

Heero interrupted her. He suggested—in tones that sounded completely devoid of emotion to Alex—that it would save a lot of unnecessary trouble if they just went on with the wedding, except that he would step in to take the vows and be Relena's husband instead of Alex.

Relena nearly had an apoplexy.

Impossible. How would people react? They couldn't just switch the groom! What about the state of her dress and the complete inappropriateness of Heero's clothes? Besides, she argued, her work came before everything. It mattered more than anything. Maybe she had lost sight of that. Maybe she wasn't the type of person who should ever get married—to anyone. And how was Heero supposed to manage his work being married to such a high profile public figure?

Heero didn't bat an eyelash. He replied to Relena with the same answer he had been giving since he first appeared: be that as it may, he was going to marry her, and that was the end of it. It might as well happen now.

Alex was flummoxed. He himself had ignored Relena's dedication to her job during their engagement. Their relationship had been based in its political appropriateness since the beginning, but part of him had also assumed that she would change when she was married. After today, he realized how foolish that was.

Back in that dusty room, when he had thought he was going to die, he had looked to Relena for assurance and found himself staring at a stranger.

He hadn't expected her to be hysterical, but the way she had stared down terrorists was the way normal people reacted to traffic jams. The whole time they were in that room with guns pointed at their heads she had talked, and acted, as if it were just an annoyance, nothing much, all the while passing meaningful looks to Heero. Then, unarmed and wearing a wedding dress, his bride-to-be had torn out of the room into a hallway rife with gunfire. She hadn't seemed even vaguely conscious of the danger. When she returned, safe and unharmed, she had looked…so happy. It wasn't until that moment that Alex realized he didn't understand her. Relena was a person he had never met.

Heero Yuy had entered just behind her, holding a gun in one hand and the bassinet in the other.

"You're a Gundam Pilot?" Alex had asked him. He had just wanted to confirm what he had heard. It explained a few things.

"I was," Heero replied.

"And the baby… You left Relena to protect them both?"

"My thinking was flawed."

"But now you want to marry her?"

"Yeah."

It was odd. Alex felt that he should be furious, but he didn't feel that upset. Perhaps he would be eventually, maybe tomorrow or the next day, after the events of the day sank in, but in that moment he didn't. Somehow, he had felt relieved.

Did I not really want to marry her? he wondered.

No. He did, or had, or else he wouldn't have proposed.

Then what has happened to me? he thought.

That was why he was sticking around. It wasn't that he wanted to talk to the reporters. He was sticking around to see what happened, in hopes that it would answer the question.

The priest was looking increasingly nervous.

Duo just shrugged.

Heero and Relena's argument was growing increasingly heated.

"Heero," Relena was saying in a firm, but seething whisper. "You are being ridiculous! If the truth of you and I comes out, the public may not forgive me for lying to them about you. And I will look like a ninny if I marry you. They won't understand and I need the support of the public to do my job. Don't you see? My work is more important than any happiness I could have with you."

"But you do want to marry me," Heero said.

"I love you. I always will. But marry you right now? I can't. It's impossible."

Relena's expression was all stubbornness, and she had been reiterating the same objection all the way to the sanctuary, but Alex saw the truth of her feelings. She leaned in close to Heero when she talked and she looked him straight in the eye when she spoke. She wasn't the least bit afraid of him. Sometimes she half reached out to touch him, and then smoothed her clothes and fiddled with her hair instead. Her skin glowed.

She looked the very picture of a blushing bride.

Heero seemed to see this too. His eyes were determined. "I don't care if you can't forgive me," he told her. "I know I screwed up. But I also know that you want to be with me. Your work is the easiest part. If you marry me, I will keep you safe, and I will love and support you—and your work—for as long for as I live."

Relena gasped. "Heero, I would be lying if I said I didn't want that—didn't dream of this even—but you must see that it is impossible. What am I supposed to tell everyone?"

"Don't tell them anything."

"I have to—"

"I will tell them."

Relena's eyes popped wide open.

"You?" Relena demanded. "You would speak to the crowd? With all those reporters in attendance? You?"

"If that's what it takes."

Relena shook her head. "I…I just can't believe you would do that, Heero."

"If I explain, it won't look like you are making excuses for me."

"You hate being in the public eye."

"If I marry you, I will be in the public eye." Heero's eyes reflected no fear. "Relena, answer me this. At this point, is the only thing standing between my proposal and your acceptance the opinion of a room full of strangers?"

She glanced aside, away from his face. "They aren't strangers. These are the people I serve. They are my friends and family… Yes. Their opinion matters to me."

"So if I get their approval, you will marry me?"

"Heero, this is crazy. This event is being broadcasted to the whole universe! They are expecting me to marry Alex! If you go in there and tell them you are marrying me instead-"

"Will you say yes?" he interrupted her. He took her hands in his when he said it, gripping them tight and stepping close to her. She looked at him and started to tremble. Her eyes turned to liquid. His were steel.

Relena didn't say she would. She also didn't say she wouldn't. Perhaps she didn't need to; maybe he saw an answer in her eyes. Or maybe Heero didn't care.

He dropped her hands and turned for the stage.

Alex watched as Heero left the security of the wings and approached the altar. As he was wearing the clothes of a worker, he looked like someone who had been sent to deliver a message.

The priest looked relieved to see someone emerge into view. The whole room quieted instantly.

When Heero first spoke, it was just to the priest. He murmured in tones too quiet for the rest of the room to hear. Alex saw the priest's jaw slacken, his relief immediately changing to panic. The man made a retort, and for a few moments, Heero and priest argued with their heads bent, the priest looking increasingly strangled while Heero looked as calm as a man could. The crowd looked on with palpable befuddlement.

At length, the priest nodded jerkily and turned to the podium. He coughed once, smiled weakly at the crowd, and spoke. "This gentleman has informed me that there's been a change of plans. Miss Relena Darilan isn't marrying Alexander Calhoun today."

The crowd responded with derisive murmurs.

"She's marrying this man instead."

Pandemonium.

Cameras flashed. Gesturing the priest aside, Heero took the podium.

"I will explain," Heero announced. He turned to the wings. "Relena?"

Relena passed Alex on his left. Her shoulders were set, her head held high. She moved like a ghost, almost drifting across the floor, staring at Heero with consternation, her eyes a rare, deep shade of blue. Slowly, she stepped into view of the crowd.

The cameras flashed again, flickers of white and silver. Relena's dress had been beautiful, but now it was tattered and stained with blood. Her hair fell loose around her shoulders and back. There was a smudge of dirt on her cheek. She wasn't wearing any shoes.

The crowd reacted with alarm.

Shouts of "what happened?" and "Miss Relena, are you okay?" and "Who is this man?" could be heard reverberating through the crowd.

Relena said nothing. She stood perfectly still, folding her hands. It was Heero who spoke.

"My name is Heero Yuy," Heero said into the microphone.

His voice was a soft tenor, but his tone was so intense it split the noise like cleaver.

The crowd hushed instantly.

Heero continued. "A long time ago, I was the pilot of the mobile suit known as Gundam 01. When I met Relena, I was fifteen. I was a soldier on a mission to destroy the military organization known as OZ. At the time, I didn't know I would fall in love."

It was difficult to describe the reaction of the crowd. The murmurs were hesitant and muted. Alex himself didn't know what he was feeling.

"My history with Relena is complicated," Heero continued. "Relena has told me that I was the reason behind her desire to change the world. You might say she was the reason I felt the world was worth fighting for. It was because of Relena that I came to value my own life as well as the lives of others. The details aren't important. What you need to understand is that Relena is a person who loves this world. She loves humanity more than anyone currently living in our times. She has dedicated her entire life to fostering safety and empathy and cooperation. She is someone I can never measure up to."

He paused, allowing the weight of his words to settle on the crowd.

"Relena's peace was threatened today. There is blood on her wedding dress because someone tried to take her life."

Gasps filled the hall.

"That threat has been averted," Heero continued, his voice cutting through the din. "You might say it existed in the first place because someone like me was near Relena. For a long time, I thought that was true, and for that reason, I thought I should not be too near. I have always protected her, but I kept my distance. That is why she was with Alex Calhoun, who has graciously consented to take questions after the proceedings. However, the baby is actually mine."

This last part was confessed almost off-handedly. It was hard to tell if the reaction from the crowd was more or less explosive than learning that Relena's life had been threatened. Heero didn't seem to notice and Relena had yet to say anything. She stood to Heero's left, her hands still folded, perfectly implacable. But she didn't need to speak. Her lack of refutation was confirmation.

Heero turned to look at her. He looked long and hard. His expression was unmistakable: it was love, certain and unrelenting. He turned back to the crowd. Cameras flashed again.

"Relena and I don't see eye-to-eye on many things," Heero said. "And we never will. Relena believes in a peaceful world—a world where war no longer exists. I believe that fighting will always be necessary."

He paused. The crowd listened in silence.

"I came to the wrong conclusion," Heero continued. "For many years, I believed that the conflict inherent in our contradictory positions meant that a lasting bond between us would not be possible, and worse, that my being around Relena would put her goals, and her life, in jeopardy. I did not think I could measure up to what she needed. That outlook was pessimistic. I have remembered since that this world that we live in is a paradoxical one. Relena and I represent peace and war, two sides of humanity, two halves of a problem, but also a solution. I must fight to protect Relena's ideal of peace, so that she can continue to believe that one day it will not be necessary for me to fight. That is the paradoxical truth."

The crowd seemed spellbound by this statement. It was as if no one breathed. Alex found himself trying to work through Heero's words, trying to understand them.

Heero turned again to look at Relena. This time, he addressed her directly. "I consider it my mission to enter into a new relationship with you—a wholly different relationship from anything we've had before. I will marry you, right now, if you will accept me. I will do this out of love for you, and to protect you, but also to protect your ideals, which are everything to you, and thus everything to me."

No one spoke.

For a wonder, it seemed Relena herself had forgotten how to form words. She stared at Heero, her cheeks flushed a rosy pink. She didn't say anything, but she nodded, looking visibly overwhelmed.

Murmurs filled the hall.

Alex was trying to think through the repercussions. What if someone objected on political or moral grounds? What if it there was a debate? An outcry? A riot?

But before more than a small swell of voices could build, the organ began to play the wedding march.

The familiar chords seemed to inspire immediate and ritualistic observance. Alex was amazed. Respectful quiet settled over the congregation. Whoever the player was, they seemed to believe that a wedding was supposed to happen, and everyone in the church who was bearing witness seemed to concede to the decision. And not just the church, Alex reminded himself. Everywhere, all over the world and beyond, people were watching.

Alex wanted to watch too.

Relena walked toward Heero, and all eyes turned to her. She held no bouquet, and she didn't move with the traditional steps. Her wedding dress was torn, her shoes missing, her hair mussed. Yet she walked with her head high, arms at her sides, as if she were a queen. Heero stepped out from behind the podium and crossed to meet her. Even in workman's clothes instead of a tuxedo he commanded attention. He didn't look nervous the way grooms were sometimes said to be. He looked steady. He looked…certain.

Their eyes met, and locked. The whole room fell deadly silent.

The priest took the podium. Although his expression reflected some remaining bewilderment, resuming the ritual seemed to steady his nerves.

"Dearly beloved…"

The wedding vows were quick and to the point, running though the most basic and traditional text without frills, yet Alex felt he had never heard anything so powerful or so pure. It occurred to him that he had never really thought about the words before, or taken in their full meaning. The way Heero stared at Relena as the priest spoke the words gave him chills.

"Do you, Heero Yuy, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife in marriage, to love, comfort, honor, and keep for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, being faithful only to her so long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"And do you, Relena Darilan, take this man to be your lawfully wedded wife in marriage, to love, comfort, honor, and keep for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, being faithful only to him so long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"Then I pronounce you man and wife."

It was over in a blink. The priest spoke the final words cementing the union, but nobody heard them, because Heero leaned in to kiss Relena and the whole room exploded in a roar of noise. Reporters were dashing right up to the altar, cameras flashing in a blitz of light.

Heero pulled back from Relena, his eyelids lifting slowly, as if just released of a great weight. Relena's eyes shimmered with tears, but her face broke in a wide smile. Heero took her hand.

Alex came to awareness suddenly, as if emerging from a fog. In a moment, those two were going to buried by journalists.

"I'll stay here and answer questions," Alex said to Duo. "Get them out of here."

Duo looked startled. "Are you sure you're okay with that?"

"I'm not sure of anything," he confessed. "I never believed in true love, but I think…maybe I'd like to try it."

Heero and Relena were coming toward them, just steps in front of the reporters who were climbing up to the stage to swarm the altar. Alex reached out and grabbed Heero's sleeve as the man walked past him in the wings. Heero's gaze locked with his and seemed to communicate gratitude and respect and apology all in one look.

Alex met that gaze with one of his own. "Take care of her," he said. Someday, eventually, that was what he would care about. Perhaps there would come a day when he looked at a woman the way Heero looked at Relena, as if she was what made the entire world make sense.

Heero nodded once, and Alex knew it would be done.

With that, he let them go.

Alex walked out onto the stage with both hands in the air. The reporters stopped in their tracks, gaping at him. He knew he must look a sight. His shirt was covered in blood and his chest wrapped in bandages. Television journalists maneuvered their cameras and recorders to capture him. The questions came pouring.

He answered them.

"Heero," Relena gasped.

Her stomach was shaking. So were her hands. Her head was spinning.

All she wanted to do was sit down.

But Heero's fingers were around her wrist, and he kept moving, so she did too. To focus, she stared at a spot on Heero's back between his shoulder blades. Duo was following behind them as a rear guard.

They exited the church by a side door. Fresh air had never felt so good.

An SUV was parked on the curb. Heero dropped her hand long enough to open the side door and fish a set of keys out from under the floor mat. He held the door open for her and gestured for her to get in.

Relena wanted to argue, but she couldn't think of any words. Speech seemed to have evaded her. Gathering the hem of her dress, she slid into the seat, piling layers of skirt up on her lap. Heero shut the door and walked around to the driver's side.

Duo rapped on her window with a knuckle. Relena lowered the glass as Heero climbed in beside her.

"We'll take care of things here," Duo said to them. "You two should get lost for a few days. Let things die down."

Heero merely grunted, as if to say "you don't need to tell me that". Duo stepped back from the curb as Heero started the car. Relena still couldn't think of anything to say. As they pulled away from the church and onto the street, Heero tossed her a cell phone from the side door pocket.

It was a prepaid phone filled with all her of her contacts. It was exactly what she wanted.

Relena made phone calls for nearly an hour while Heero took them onto a highway leading out of the city. There were a lot of people she had to personally speak to. First, Candace Mae, who assured her that both she and her baby were well, that she had everything she needed, and not to think about calling or coming home for at least a few days as "it was a zoo". Relena wasn't sure how she felt about that, but there were other calls to make. Her public relations team exploded with fury at being kept in the dark, but took down all of her notes and directions and assured her they were handling everything. Then there was her family and friends and servants and her office and…

When she started talking to her office aide's assistant about filing paperwork, Heero took the phone from her. Relena was afraid he was going to throw it out the window, but he just put it in his shirt pocket and gave her a meaningful look.

She sat for another next twenty miles in stupefaction. They were out in the country, surrounded by trees and hills and miles of empty road. It wasn't until Heero veered off the road and pulled into the parking lot of an inn, that her mind began working again.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"We need to rest. It's been a long day and it's getting dark."

Her mind absorbed that information and made a leap, though whether it was forward or backward was hard to say. "We're married," she said.

It rolled off her tongue as almost an accusation.

Heero smiled at her.

She didn't know what else to add. She had married Heero. What had she been thinking? What was it about this man that made her so reckless? Yet she felt so comfortable. This was mad—the whole day was madness. But she didn't feel crazy.

Heero let her out of the car. She stood barefoot on the concrete parking lot, wondering if she was going to have to walk into the lobby in a bloodstained wedding gown and order a room, but it turned out that Heero already had a key card.

"You arranged this?" she said as he led her up some wooden stairs to a door that led to a corner room.

"It was arranged," Heero said elusively.

Relena took that to mean that someone else had arranged it—one of the other pilots perhaps. Relena didn't really care who it was. It was far down on her list of questions.

"What if I didn't come with you?" Relena asked him as Heero opened the door. "What if I had refused you?"

Heero didn't answer. He just pushed open the door and stepped back to let Relena enter first.

It was a suite, rustically styled, with a large living area with dark paneled floorboard and a beautiful woven rug, a bedroom with a huge four poster bed, a bathroom with a full Jacuzzi, a fully stocked kitchen, a mini bar, and a balcony overlooking a view of the mountains with seating for two. She walked around, peering at everything.

After making one lap of the arrangements, Relena returned to the entryway. Heero was just closing the door.

All of a sudden, the ground seemed to rush up to meet her. It was with a vague sense of surprise that she realized she was collapsing.

Heero caught her before she hit the floor. He lowered her slowly to the ground.

"Can you breathe?" he asked her as he knelt. His voice was calm, almost annoyingly even. His hands were undoing the buttons of her wedding dress. There were a lot of buttons. She wished he would just rip them off. She was sweating under the silk.

"I'm lightheaded."

Heero pulled the dress away from her body and over her head. Cool air hit Relena's skin. She watched Heero fling the garment away and was happy to be rid of it. It was beautiful, or had been, but it was also stained and heavy and constricting. Beneath it, she wore a white silk camisole and thigh-high tights. She might have felt self-conscious given the circumstances, but she didn't.

Heero didn't seem to notice. He was checking her vitals. He lifted her face and looked into eyes. She tried to smile at his concern. When he seemed satisfied that she was more or less all right physically, he began stroking her hair. His fingers wove through the fine strands, pulling them apart as his hands glided down her neck and shoulders. He kissed the side of her face. She closed her eyes. For no reason at all, she began to weep.

"I'm sorry," she said, pressing her forehead into the palm of her hand. "I don't know why—"

Heero pulled her close. She fell against his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck and shoulders, and let herself cry. She really didn't understand the reason. Of all the things that had happened today, why cry now? But Heero felt…so warm. He was strong and safe and kind, and so much sturdier and tougher than she was. And he was here.

He squeezed her tight, hugging her so that she felt his strength.

"I…I think I'm just overwhelmed," she said. "I can't believe. Did you really marry me?"

"A couple of hours ago," he whispered. "It's new for me too."

She dashed the tears from her eyelashes. "I gave up on you. I can't stand it. I don't know how you can stand me. I'm so weak."

"I love you."

"This is a mess."

"No. It was a mess. Before. But you didn't do anything wrong."

"How is this going to work?" she asked him. "You. Me. A baby? How are you going to do it?"

"Somehow," he said. "I don't know how. I'll learn."

"But what are we going to do?"

"What do you want to do?" he asked her.

The question was unexpected. She just blurted out her real thoughts. "I want to go back to space."

It was something she hadn't voiced. Alex had loved the earth. She had been taking a break from touring the Colonies since before she met him, but that had lasted far too long. First there was all that council business, then Heero, then the pregnancy. But now…

"Then that's what we'll do," Heero said.

"But the baby—"

"We'll bring him with us."

"You'll tour with me?"

"I would have followed you anyway. This will actually be easier."

"What about the Preventors?"

"I'm an independent contractor. I can do what I want."

Relena was quiet. She tried to imagine Heero with her on a tour. She could easily imagine him in the wings, watching out for her with a gun at his hip. It was harder to imagine him in the audience with their child in his arms. But…

Heero didn't seem concerned. "How are you feeling?" he asked her.

In truth, she didn't know. She was confused. Twenty four hours ago she had been prepared to marry another man. That seemed so stupid now. He wasn't a man she loved. Now that Heero was here, it was painfully obvious. Truly, everything all along had been for Heero.

He was touching her chin. "There's a lot to adjust to," he said. "We can take it slow—"

She put a hand behind Heero's head and pulled his face to hers. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she kissed him. He stiffened at first, but then relented and kissed her back. At first it was mild and soothing, but then his hands gripped her hair at the base of her head so hard she almost cried out. He tugged her backward until she surrendered, laying her body out beneath him, her spine against the floor.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the bed in the other room through the open door. It was just feet away. It was too far.

She wondered what she would wear the rest of her time here. A robe maybe. Or nothing.

"We're married," she reiterated, looking Heero in the eye for confirmation. "This isn't a dream. We are a family. And we have a baby. You did think about all of this? You are sure we can do this?"

He nodded. He looked tired, but not unhappy. "Somehow."

"What if I get pregnant again?" she warned him.

Silently, he cradled her head in his hands and pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. "Then we will be four."

THE END

Yeah. It's over. Probably there are some loose ends. Probably I contradicted myself in places. But I finished the story! Yay! Now I can focus on finishing my Naruto story White Rain. And the novel. If I have more to add about the sort of life Heero and Relena would lead after being well and truly together (and raising a baby? Oh my), I'll write it in a one-shot (you can track with Author Alerts). It's possible since Frozen Teardrop (the new Gundam Wing novel) might lead to like…a revival…of 1xR. I can't leave this couple alone. It's my only OTP. :P

Hope you enjoyed this rather lengthy conclusion. Please leave a review. Or ask questions for things unanswered. I can post a follow-up to this with Q&A if there's interest - not to be mistaken for a chapter.