Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

The Price of Love

Chapter One: Vacation Time

Relena Peacecraft exhaled heavily. She looked up at the clock hoping to find a certain time. That certain time was four o'clock. Because four o'clock meant that it was quitting time. The time of the day she looked forward to the most. At that time she could break away from the chains of her office, the mounds upon mounds of paperwork and deadlines and go home to rest.

"Damn," she thought to herself. It was only two-fifteen. The time passed by so slowly in her cell of an office. Though there was plenty of work to do, which she used to love to sit and complete, she was worn thin from the stress of her job. It took so much time and energy that she had no life away from the office. Every night was exactly the same. Go home, remove work clothes, put on jeans and t- shirt, eat dinner (maybe), read novel, and pass out about three pages into it. It took her months to finish a good book. That was the norm for her. For the diplomat that held the peace of the earth and space in her hands, she sure didn't have a life. At least she did not a normal life for someone her age.

She had never felt her age because of her job. When she started as the Vice Foreign Minister, she was fifteen; an unheard of age to start such demanding work. Now she was twenty-four going on seventy, or so she felt anyway. There was no time for dinner with friends, talking casually on the phone, going back to school for more education, or even going to the night clubs like Dorothy did all the time. Hilde use to go out a lot too with Duo, but then they got pregnant.

There was a quiet knock on her door and she jumped out of her chair to answer it. The easiest thing to do would have just been to tell the visitor to come in, but her rear had drifted off to sleep a long time ago and she needed an excuse to wake it up.

"Hello Quatre!" She said hugging the friend who stood in her doorway.

"Relena how are you today?" Quatre asked her.

"Oh, I'm getting by I suppose, just tired all of the time."

"You need to take a vacation." He suggested.

"That would be wonderful, but I don't think I would be able to enjoy it with all of these deadlines floating around in my head." She told him, laughing in self-pity.

Quatre smiled at her.

"I'm sure you would forget about them after a few days."

"Maybe, but you and I both know there is no time for such fantasies at this point in time."

"That's really too bad. I was going to invite you to come out to my villa in the country with me for the next few days."

Her eyebrows rose slightly at the fleeting idea that maybe somehow she could break away from her job even if it was for just a few days.

"I would love to, but, my schedule is so full Quatre…"

"Not anymore." he smiled.

"Excuse me?" her head, which had absent mindedly drifted back down to the mountains of paper work, immediately jerked up. Only this morning her secretary had told her she was booked throughout the entire weekend.

"I cleared your schedule, Relena. The Preventers sat down with Lady Une a few days ago and all agreed that you're exhausting yourself by working too much."

She smiled a little and laughed her polite laugh.

"You know Quatre if I closed my eyes while you said that just now, I would have sworn that you were…." her voice drifted off unintentionally and her eyes, for just a moment, got a distant look in them. The thought of saying his name again after all the years that had gone by was too painful. Quatre's smile faded. He knew exactly who she was thinking of.

"Just say you'll go." he said, sounding concerned. There was the Quatre she knew and loved.

"Fine. It seems my schedule is clear now anyway." she smiled slightly.

"Good. I'll pick you up from your house today at 5 o'clock. Oh, and just to let you know, all the pilots will be there too."

Quatre stood and left before he came to mind again. All of the pilots would be there? Would that include… Heero Yuy? Or hopefully Quatre just meant the pilots who had agreed to join the Preventers…. She could handle that if it were the case. Yes, it was no trouble to sit in a room and enjoy herself around Trowa, Duo and even Wufei some of the time. But what if…? No. She wouldn't think of that. Or at least she could try not to. But it still tugged at the back of her mind. He still haunted her. Her dreams, her thoughts, even her musings were wasted on a particular person who might or might not even still be living.

"Oh God…." She found herself groaning out loud. Her memories were too painful. Quatre would never subject her to that kind of torture. Would he? No of course not. He was a good friend. Or at least she found herself praying that he was a good friend…

She glanced hopefully up at the clock once again. But once again she was disappointed in what she saw. A sigh escaped her coral painted lips and she let her head fall onto her hands.

"Heero…" She whispered and immediately shuttered at the sound of his name which seemed to echo through the otherwise empty room. Relena was silent again. His name coming from her lips again after six years felt foreign and out of place. Six years ago his name was on her lips all of the time, but now things were different. She was different and he probably was different too, that is, if he was still even alive. However, it was not her decision to become different. It was the only conceivable way to forget. How on earth could one person possibly have such an impact on another's heart? It was completely implausible to her.

The air conditioning unit clicked on and sent a light breeze rustling through the thick drapery. Old habits proved hard to break when she found herself looking up at the drapes, almost doubting if the air conditioning had really been the thing to move them. The corners of Relena's mouth twitched and rose slightly as the realization set in and that old familiar twinge rose in her chest. She still, without meaning to, found herself looking for him. Behind the curtains, in the shadows of her room, in the tree outside her windows at night… everywhere darkness was. That was the only place he would ever let himself feel at home. With no effort, she pushed her chair back and walked to the picture window of her office. She leaned on it, looking dreamily out at the buzzing city far far below her. A small tear made its way down her porcelain cheek but she wiped it away quickly with manicured fingers. As much as she tried, fought and cried, she knew deep inside that he was done with her. He would never come back.

"I'll protect you, Relena. I promise."

"Yeah… right." She mumbled, recalling that fateful promise. The scar on her left shoulder where an assassin's bullet tore through had disproved that promise a long time ago. In her opinion it had wounded her more emotionally than physically. She remembered it like it had been just yesterday.

She had been standing outside of the capital building, where she worked, talking to the press that surrounded her only hours after a breakthrough in peace negotiations. Duo, who had been her assigned bodyguard at that time, was watching the perimeter like a hawk. Unfortunately, his Cobalt eyes passed right over the man who looked innocent enough, but in fact held the most deadly intentions toward Relena. Seconds after her bodyguard's eyes went over him, he drew his weapon, previously hidden in a holster under his coat.

"Relena! Get down!" Duo yelled, jumping to take the bullet for her as soon as he heard the gunshot ring out. But he was too late. Her shoulder kicked back violently as the bullet passed through. The Media's video cameras caught everything from her being shot and hitting to ground to the other Preventers gunning down the assassin right there on the steps of the capital building. They played it over and over on the news for the next several days, including whatever they found out about the assassin and if it went deeper than just the one gunman. Apparently it did not.

"Oh God! Relena speak to me!" Duo said as he shook her. He hovered over her looking for a pulse as she started to loose consciousness. In her injured state, she could have sworn it was Heero yelling at her.

"Heero…? I'll be ok, Heero… stop yelling." She managed to say before passing out from the blood loss and shock. This made Duo stiffen in rage. If Heero had been there, Relena would never have been hit in the first place. Duo held her limp body tightly against his chest, sobbing. The shock of what happened and the pain her words to his heart sent him into ultra protective mode. The paramedics had to pry her away from him. When she saw video reports of this later, of them having to tear her near lifeless body from Duo's strong embrace and her blood stains covering virtually every inch of his uniform, she wept uncontrollably.

The bullet had just narrowly missed her heart and caused permanent muscle tissue damage. The wound and proximity to her heart put her in a life-threatening condition. It was over a week before the doctors and Sally told her brother she was out of the woods and would recover… slowly. But she no longer could lift heavy objects or even work out her upper body in anyway without putting herself in agony. Relena never thought Duo would stop apologizing. And even though she had forgiven him, Milliardo, who was still in charge of her security at that point, was quick to reassign him to a different position. Shortly after that, Wufei and Trowa had been promoted to being her personal bodyguards. Ten days into her stay, when she finally woke, was the hardest. The pain of the wound was secondary to her. The hurt of Heero not being there was much worse. Somehow, she convinced herself that he would come, yet, he never did show up to see her or check on her. There were no tokens of affection left for her from him either. She could have died that day and it probably wouldn't have even mattered to him. If it hadn't been for the other pilots' constant reassurance and support… she probably wouldn't have made it. It took a long time for her wound to heal, but even longer for her heart to heal.

When Heero made that promise years before, even if he did fail to keep it, it was the moment Relena made the incurable realization that she, the most influential and well known diplomat in space and earth, was nothing without Heero Yuy. Even if he was just standing behind her in the shadows, his presence was all she needed. He had always admired her strength and told her that he was nothing compared to her, but in reality it was his confidence in her that made her stand tall when times were the hardest. It was him and his life that made her fight to make the world a better and safer place. A place where no wars raged, children could grow up without the pain of losing loved ones and parents could go without the constant fear of losing their children to the violence. And yet… after all the years together and all the promises between them, he still walked away and left her behind. He had left her alone to be shot, kidnapped, endlessly harassed, and worst of all… to live with his memory. If only she hadn't opened her mouth maybe he wouldn't have left all those years ago. Maybe he would have stayed with her.

A voice interrupted her pondering.

"Miss Relena. Shouldn't you be working on something?" The haughty voice asked.

"Yes Dorothy but I can't concentrate right now. I think I'm loosing touch with reality." She sighed and went back to her desk.

Dorothy stood in the doorway holding a mound of paperwork in her hands. Her brow furrowed slightly. What was Relena talking about?

"Please tell me that isn't mine." Relena pled, once back at her desk.

"No. It's not yours so don't worry. I have to finish all this by the end of the day. I'm taking the next few days to stay with Quatre in his country villa." She smiled.

"Oh so you're going too then?" Relena asked.

"Yes. Typically when you date someone they ask you to do things with them, or had you forgotten that Relena?" She asked, laughing.

Relena chuckled faintly.

"You know I wouldn't know about anything having to do with dating, Dorothy."

"Relena you just have to let me fix you up with one of the accountants down the hall. He's an absolute dreamboat! Or even better," she stopped and made sure he wasn't around, "Trowa Barton!"

"What? Trowa? Don't be silly, Dorothy."

"Oh come on Miss Relena. You see the way he looks at you, right?"

"No thank you. Let's be serious. You know I don't have time for dating, especially one of my own bodyguards. I have a full time job here that follows me home every night. There's not even time for a social life let alone a dating life."

"You would date him if he were Heero Yuy." Dorothy commented under her breath.

"Excuse me?" Relena demanded. Dorothy blushed.

"I was saying that your work follows you home at night because you let it. You could be like the rest of us and actually have a life when you leave the office."

"That would be too normal." Relena laughed, seemingly forgetting what the platinum haired woman had said before that. Dorothy smiled too. That was a close one.

"Well I suppose I should finish this before the end of the work day. Good luck finishing yours too Relena. I'd like to see you sometime over the next few days at the villa. In fact, you have to promise me you won't bring any paperwork with you."

"Dorothy-"

"Promise me."

"Fine. I promise not to bring any paperwork with me. Satisfied?"

"Yes. Thank you." She said before smiling and leaving as quietly as she had come.

Trowa Barton. That was so ridiculous. The thought of being with someone else was silly… or that's what she kept telling herself anyway. In her heart she still hoped for Heero to come back to her. And if he didn't, there just wouldn't be anyone in her life. She took a glance at all the work on her desk left and sighed. She could be different than Heero. She could keep her promises. So began again the long boring afternoon of being the Foreign Minister.

Later that evening she stood dumbfounded in the middle of her walk-in closet. What to take? She hadn't been on a real vacation in years. Mixed in with all the business attire was very little casual clothing. After what felt like hours, she finally emerged with quite a few light pieces to wear over the next few days. Bringing out her suitcase, she packed it full of the small amount of sundresses, shorts, t-shirts and Capri pants she owned.

"This should be good enough." Relena said to herself, thinking out loud.

"Almost ready, princess?" Trowa asked her from the doorway. Calling her princess, even though she truly was one, was almost like a nickname for her now. It was rare for Trowa to call her that. The last person to refer to her as such was Duo.

She smiled, tucked her loose hair behind her ear and turned to look at him. His eyes sparkled in the late afternoon sun's rays. Recalling Dorothy's words from earlier she noticed how handsome Trowa really was. But her heart belonged to another… and she couldn't forget that.

"Yes. I think I'm ready, Trowa."

"Alright, I'll take this downstairs for you." He said, coming for her suitcase.

"Trowa…?" Relena began slowly.

"Yes Relena?"

"Will… will Heero be there this week?" She asked, but wasn't sure why all of a sudden it mattered to her. His name still felt foreign on her lips…

He stopped what he was doing. Why did she still have to love that undeserving bum?

"I don't know. Quatre hasn't really shared much with me." Trowa told her. For all he knew Heero might truly be there. But deep down, Trowa found himself wishing Yuy wouldn't show. He really just wanted to spend some time with Relena like he didn't get to do at the mansion under the critical eyes of everyone else, including Wufei.

"Oh… well thank you for taking the luggage down. I'll be down shortly." She said, with a peculiar sadness Trowa hadn't seen since she had been shot. It was that certain sadness that only Heero Yuy's absence could put in her eyes. It tore him apart because he wanted to be the one to take that sorrow away and replace it with happiness. He wanted more than anything to make her laugh and to see her beautiful smile grace everyone's presence once more.

He picked up her suitcase and tote bag and turned to leave.

"Trowa…?" She said, facing the window instead of him.

"Yes Relena?"

"Am I a fool… for still loving him? I told him once, you know. I told him I loved him. Then he left. He just… left. I'm the reason he isn't here now. I really am a fool." She said. Her voice had shrunken to a mere whisper. That was more information about her situation with Heero then she had ever dared to speak to another person. But she felt like she could share that with Trowa. He wouldn't judge her wrongly.

"No you're not a fool. You can't change the feelings in your heart overnight." He told her, reeling from the shock her words gave him. It felt as if Heero Yuy had come back and punched him in the chest.

She turned to him, a heartbreaking smile playing on her beautiful lips it seemed she could cry at any second. He didn't know what possessed him, but suddenly he couldn't control his behavior. Trowa put down the luggage and went to her. In a protective manner, he wrapped his arms around her small frame and held her close. She was stiff to his embrace at first, but then she seemed to melt into him. Trowa continued to hold her and she buried her face in his chest. It had been so long since she was hugged like that.

She didn't know what had driven Trowa to act the way he did, but… she was happy for his protective embrace. For the first time since Heero had left she felt safe. She looked up from her hiding place in his arms to look at his eyes. Relena felt lost in those enchanting green eyes.

"Trowa…?" She whispered.

He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a light cough behind them. They both turned to see Wufei Chang standing in the doorway. His legs were spread a little bit, arms folded tightly against his chest and a disapproving expression on his face. Relena broke the embrace immediately.

"Barton. We should be leaving." He said matter-of-factly.

Relena felt the blush start to show in her hot cheeks. How humiliating… to be caught in any other man's arms that weren't Heero's.

"I'll meet you downstairs, Trowa. Let me make sure I'm not forgetting anything," she said, turning away from the ex-pilots to hide her embarrassment.

He simply nodded and took up her bags once more, heading downstairs. When exiting the room, Trowa and Wufei exchanged blank, unreadable glances. Wufei looked in on her one last time before leaving.

"Hurry up, Miss Peacecraft."

"I'll only be one second." She turned around and smiled but it was such an empty smile that it made him frown.

As he walked down the hall to the staircase he couldn't help but feel sorry for her over the injustice of Yuy's sudden leaving. But Barton had no right infringing on Relena's vulnerable state. It seemed a talk between the two was in order… though neither of them talked very much. This could be more difficult than he thought.

"Barton, what exactly where you doing in there?" The Chinese man asked when he had caught up to his taller partner.

"I felt sorry for her. That's all."

"You shouldn't get close. Her heart still belongs to Yuy, although he doesn't deserve it." He found himself saying. As a pilot, he respected Heero more than anyone besides Treize, but as a person he found very little to enjoy.

"I know, but Heero isn't coming back. That's a fact she's going to have to learn one day and when she does, I want to be the one who sweeps her off her feet like she's always deserved. Like Heero Yuy never did. Even if I can't be number one in her heart, to just be in her heart is all I ask." Trowa said. Neither of them seemed to notice that Relena was in hearing range right behind them, listening to all that was being said in curious wonder.

"Do you think she will give up on Yuy so easily? It has been six years."

"I would wait six more if I knew someday she would be mine." Trowa said, quietly.

She came to a complete stop when she heard this. Trowa wanted a place in her heart after all? How utterly absurd. How could she have been that blind? Was she truly so cut off from the emotions of others because of the love she still had for Heero? The fact that he was speaking to Wufei about it was embarrassing and she waited until they were completely downstairs before following again. She couldn't let on that she had overheard them. Not only would Wufei chastise her for eavesdropping, but Trowa would surely be embarrassed.

"Is Quatre here yet?" She asked, coming to the end of the staircase.

To Trowa she looked like an angel. A very sad angel. He felt himself begin to frown again.

"Yes. Mr. Winner honked his car horn just a moment ago." The butler informed them. Wufei and Trowa picked up the suitcases and followed the young Peacecraft out to the awaiting vehicle.

It was a very sunny and bright afternoon. Winter had come and gone and now the sights, sounds and smells of late spring were all around. Quatre was driving one of his very expensive cars and got out to greet them and help put Relena's bags into the trunk. Dorothy emerged from the front seat to greet her friend. Relena couldn't help but smile when she saw Dorothy. She was dressed in a pale pink satin sundress that came up a little past her knees and had a ribbon around the waist to show off her curves, sunglasses, and a large spring hat. Her high-heels clicked on the marble driveway as she ran to Relena, snatching the Foreign Minister's hands in her own.

"Relena! No paperwork I see." She smiled.

"No. Remember? I promised you I wouldn't bring any." Relena exchanged a rare smile.

"I'm so happy! Come on, I'll open your door." She said. Sure enough she led Relena to the car and opened the backseat.

"Thank you Dorothy. That was kind of you."

"What can I say? Quatre's turning me into a softy."

Trowa and Wufei finished loading the trunk and got into the backseat as well. Wufei sat on her left and Trowa on her right. She felt like the president with all his secret service men. The thought made her giggle a little under her breath. Quatre took his place back at the steering wheel and they took off down the road.

Relena felt very comfortable between her two bodyguards. It wasn't too long a drive to the villa. Dorothy fell asleep mere moments after leaving the Peacecraft estate and Relena was now finding it increasingly difficult to remain conscious. A goodnight's sleep was very hard to come-by. Finally, she let her weighty eyelids rest with the promise to herself that it would only be for a few moments.

"Ok! We're here." Quatre cheerfully announced to everyone. Dorothy took several seconds to stretch out and Relena scolded herself. She had fallen asleep, but worse than that, she had fallen on Trowa's shoulder. When she awoke she noticed how comfortable she was and, looking up, her stare fell on a kind pair of emerald green eyes.

"Oh! Trowa… I'm sorry." She blushed.

"It's quite alright." He told her, turning his gaze out the window.

The car came to a slow halt in the circular driveway of a mansion straight out of a pastoral painting. Relena's breath caught in her throat when she looked at it.

"How do you like it, Miss Relena?" Quatre asked, smiling at Relena's childlike stare.

"Quatre… it's so beautiful."

Trowa and Wufei unloaded Relena's things from the trunk, leaving Quatre and Dorothy's bags behind. Quatre came for their things after hugging Relena. He couldn't help himself. The fact that she had actually come had shocked him beyond words. He was certain she was going to stay and continue to drive her nose into business all weekend. But no, she had surprised him. She really was here.

"Come on Relena, I'll show you where you'll be spending the next few days." Dorothy grinned, taking Relena's hand. Trowa and Wufei followed. Dorothy gave Relena the grand tour of the mansion. The indoor pool, outdoor pool, outdoor recreational area and barbeque pit, gardens, lake, library/study, three sitting rooms, living area, formal dining room, casual dining room, game room, massive kitchen, the master bedroom suite and several other guest rooms before coming to a close with Relena's room. It looked similar to the other guest rooms. Private bath, walk-in closet, built-ins, dresser, vanity, and mirrors, but there was a small difference. This guest room was on the corner of the house, therefore giving it a few additional windows and much more light.

"Quatre said you liked windows, so he thought you should get this corner room. Oh and he also said you liked lilies so that's why there's so many of them." Dorothy laughed. Relena hadn't noticed before but there were freshly cut lilies everywhere seeming to lighten the room even more, if that were possible.

"It's so beautiful." She sat on the chase recliner and stared out the window; she couldn't help but touch her fingers to the glass as she looked out on the landscaping. Dorothy reminded her that dinner would be served at seven and the other company should all be arriving soon so if they wanted to get some rest it should be done now.

"Oh and by the way. Quatre thought it would be best if Trowa slept in here with you on the sofa, Relena. He wants you to be safe. Or if they would rather, Trowa and Wufei could take shifts and whoever's not with you can have the other bedroom set aside for you all. Well I'll be seeing you at dinner. If you're not tired Relena, you're more than welcome to just make yourself at home and look around some more." And with that, the long haired woman was gone from the room. She went all the way to the opposite end of the hall to the master bedroom to take a short nap and get freshened up for the night's events.

"I'll leave it up to you two on how you want to handle sleeping situations. I trust you both. And remember, I DO get the bed. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to freshen up in the bathroom." Relena sighed, moving quietly to the bathroom.

They just stared at each other. This was a common thing between the two least vocal pilots out of the bunch.

"You'll want the night shift I'm guessing?" Wufei said with the slightest bit of sarcasm in his voice.

"Only if you don't want it. I would think you'd want to spend some time with Sally while we're here, no?"

"Sally's not coming that I know of. You can have the night shift; I'll cover her during the day."

Trowa left the room to go to the spare one next door. He spread out on the bed covered in expensive Pima cotton sheets. Now was his chance! Now he finally had the chance to spend some quality time with the woman he had loved for so long. He would have her nights. The time when she was the most thought provoking. Night for Relena meant inspiration and spirituality. She seemed more in tune with her surroundings and her senses more alert. Trowa loved spending the rare evening around her. Now he had several nights in a row alone with her. A rare smile came to his lips.

'Finally…' he thought to himself.

In the bathroom, Relena splashed her face with cool water and observed her reflection in the mirror. When did she get such large black circles under her eyes? And since when was she so pale? Her eyes jerked away from the scary reflection and let her mind wander. She did not exit the bathroom for fear of seeing the wrong person standing in her bedroom. But who was the wrong person? Her heart both wanted and didn't want for it to be Trowa out there. If he was there then that meant spending the long nights with Wufei. He was deeply intellectual but hardly spoke a word to her. The only people he spoke even a little more frequently with were Duo and Sally. But mainly he just yelled at Duo. So really the only person he held a normal (or semi-normal) conversation with was Sally. She guessed that the only reason he talked to Sally like he did was because he had known her since before the war even started and worked closely with her when he first joined the Preventers. The nights, in Wufei's case, would be very quiet and more than likely, dull. But Trowa on the other hand would speak to her. Occasionally, they shared intimate discussions. Especially at night when they both seemed to be a little more open with each other. Plus, in light of new information, things might be a little more interesting. She wanted to know if what he said was true. She needed to know. If it really was true then there was some serious thinking to do on her part.

She took a deep breath and stepped out, sighing in hidden relief when she saw Wufei standing before her. A sudden wash of happiness came over here. Maybe there was room in her heart for someone else after all. And as happy of a thought as that should have been, sadness quickly followed.

"I see you'll be taking the day shift. Well then come on. As lovely as this room is I would really like to spend some more time in the gardens before more company comes. Would that be ok with you?"

"Yes. That would be fine." he told her. Relena would have sworn she saw the slight trace of a smile on his lips. She lead, he followed. Just like all her bodyguards, or, almost all. Trowa was the only one who had ever walked next to her instead of behind, but she wished they all would. It would make her feel more normal somehow.

Outside was so beautiful. The grounds seemed to glow with the colors and sounds of springtime. Everything was new. It had all been reborn. She wished the same transformation could occur in her.

"It's very nice." Wufei said to her. Taken aback at his sentiment and the softness in his voice, all Relena could do was nod slowly in agreement. They finally walked side by side like she had wanted to do before.

"Thank you for coming out here with me." She finally told him.

"I know you heard us." He told her. She sighed. He certainly didn't beat around the bush. Of course he knew. Trowa probably knew she had been following them as well.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

"But you did."

There was a pause.

"How long has he felt that way?"

"Longer than you could imagine. Too long for his own good really. He can't see the truth. He's too blinded by emotion."

"I see… since before Heero left then?"

"Unfortunately."

"Why didn't he ever tell me? Why didn't anyone ever tell me?"

"He knew better and no one else, besides me and Quatre I'm sure, knew of it. You belonged to Heero, or at least your heart did. If Yuy ever found out he would have killed him. Or worse… you would have rejected him." This was more than Wufei had said to her in… well probably ever.

"I see…"

It was true. She would have rejected him. But now… now would she? She wasn't sure. She and Trowa were apparently overdue for a talk. Her thoughts were interrupted by a heaving sigh on Wufei's part and one single sentence from the Chinese man.

"He's here."

Relena had barely turned around to see who Wufei was referring to before being thrown over a strong shoulder.

"Relena!" Duo yelled in excitement, spinning them both around in a circle. Relena laughed harder than she had in years. The flowers swirled into a rainbow of colors. He finally put her back on solid ground and engulfed her in an enormous bear hug. It had been months since the last time she had seen Duo or Hilde.

"It's so good to see you, Duo!" She said, still regaining composure from the spinning.

"It's good to see you too, princess."

"Where's Hilde?" She asked.

"She's in the kitchen with Dorothy. You know she can't get around as good right now. It's hard on her feet."

"Oh Duo I still can't believe you're going to be a father. I'm so happy for you."

Duo finally caught sight of the silent Chinese man behind Relena.

"Wu-man! You're here too! Where's Sally? I hear you two are real close these days." He winking laughed, nudging Wufei's arm.

"I don't know what you're talking about. She's not here anyway."

"I'm not?" Sally wondered aloud, coming down the step stones that led into the gardens. She wore a blue A-line sundress, blue and white polka dotted high heels and a white translucent summer hat. Her cheeks were blushed from the warm weather and her lips painted a light pink. In her hand was a martini and she looked like something out of an old movie where the lighting made everything softer and more striking. Wufei felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight of her. She looked so beautiful. It was rare he ever got to see her in anything but her Preventer uniform.

"It looks and feels like I'm here, Wufei. Wouldn't you say?" She asked, a half smile tugging at her lips. He was not amused at her wit. But at the same time, something about it made his skin tingle. She was difficult and ornery and that made her all the more alluring to him. She was unlike any other woman he knew. Intelligent, quick on her feet, she could take care of herself, and was a Preventer just like him. But he didn't want anyone to know of the feelings he had for her. Especially not her. Not yet anyway.

"Sally! I didn't realize you were coming." Relena hugged her.

"Yes. Your sister-in-law and brother invited me."

"What?" Relena said, confusion gathering in her eyes. Her brother and Noin were coming? She hadn't seen or heard from them in over a year. They had been gone on a mission in space and, under Lady Une's strict orders, were not allowed to contact her.

"Yes. They should be here later tonight."

"My brother and Noin are really coming? I need to go talk to Quatre! He didn't tell me!" She said, her head feeling dizzy all of a sudden. Her brother was coming! Her big brother that she hadn't seen in over a year's time would be there at that very house that very evening! Not to mention the fact that she had just learned that one of her current bodyguards had fallen in love with her years ago and never said anything. She jogged up the step stones with Wufei right behind her. Finally she reached the French doors that lead into the kitchen area where everyone was gathered.

"Quatre! You didn't tell me Milliardo and Lucrezia were coming!" She scolded gently.

"It was a surprise. Did Sally tell?" He asked with a fake look of disappointment masking his face. It soon fell into a regular smile when he saw her face beaming. It was then she noticed the others standing around. Hilde, in all her seven months of pregnancy glory, was smiling wider than Relena thought it was possible to smile. Not to mention the fact that she had seemed to glow since the day she found out she was expecting.

"Hilde you look so good." She said, hugging her friend.

When the last uprising had ended Duo went to live and start his home business with Hilde. She and Relena had only met once or twice before that, but soon became fast friends when Duo decided to join the Preventers and, after Heero's disappearance, took over as her bodyguard until the assassination attempt. Duo and Hilde had been married for four years and were finally expecting to welcome a new addition to their family in a little less than two months. Relena was happy for them… but a little jealous too. They had everything she ever wanted. A loving relationship, a home and now they were starting a family of their own. Why couldn't she have that?

"Relena, are you dieting? You look too thin," Hilde said frowning, looking Relena up and down. She already sounded like a mother.

Everyone burst into laughter. Relena's diet consisted of the smallest breakfast ever, lunch out of a vending machine and a dinner made by her chef which she was, most all the time, too busy with work to eat. She very rarely had time to sit and eat a good meal so she had gotten quite thin over the years.

"No… it's just my lifestyle that keeps me looking like this." She smoothed her hands over her small hourglass figure and everyone laughed even harder. She felt silly for the first time in years and laughed with them.

The sun was setting in the background, casting shades of deep pink and purple through the window onto the members of the group. Sally put her empty glass on the wet bar, stretched her arms over her head and yawned.

"Well folks, not that I'm bored or anything, but it's been a long day, so I'm heading upstairs," she said, backing out of the room.

Wufei's eyes followed her and she caught his stare for only a second, letting an almost unnoticeable hint of a smile come to her lips. He saw it and gave her a slight nod before she turned the corner.

"You must think pretty highly of Miss Po to watch her like that," Relena said quietly to Wufei. He didn't even flinch and pretended not to hear. Hopefully no one else realized what he had done; unfortunately Wufei knew by the stupid smile on Duo's face that he had caught on too. But then again… he always had that stupid look.

Later that night, while waiting for her brother and sister-in-law, after the laughter had died and much of the company had gone to bed for the night, Relena, Duo, Trowa, Quatre and Dorothy engaged in a card game of Rummy. Relena's eyes darted over her hand, wondering what to give up and to complete her turn. She carefully drew the 2 of diamonds and placed in on the discard pile. Duo snatched up the card a little too fast for her liking. He looked over at her and winked.

"Thanks, Relena!" He told her, right before tossing out his discard face down to indicate that he had won the game. She reached over and slapped him playfully on the back of his head. Duo, Quatre and Dorothy erupted with laughter.

"What's so funny?"

Relena's head whipped around and her eyes meet the ice blue eyes of her elder brother. She felt her heart in her throat as she slowly stood, letting her eyes tell the story of how she had missed him so over the past year. Before she was entirely out of her chair, she was swept into his large arms and let her head fall onto his chest, right where his heart was located. Neither of them spoke for what seemed to be several moments, they just held each other like they hadn't seen one another in decades. His hands swept down and cupped her face, bringing it up to look him in the eye.

"Little sister… it's been too long," he said in his cool, deep voice. Relena felt unseen tears stinging her eyes.

"Yes it has. Where have you been? Why couldn't you contact me?" The questions flowed out of her mouth before he realized what she had said. She placed a hand over her mouth in surprise of what she'd said.

He just stared at her before beginning to smile.

"That's a talk for another day, Relena." He smiled at her. She blushed at her stupidity. Of course he wouldn't want to discuss those things tonight, especially in front of everyone.

"Of course, brother. I hope you had a good trip. Where is Lucrezia?"

"I'm afraid Lucrezia has already retired to bed for the evening. It's getting late. I'm going to go as well." He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. She closed her eyes, enjoying her brother's loving attention for just a moment. He broke off their embrace and headed out of the room.

"Goodnight, Milliardo."

"Goodnight, Relena."

And he left. His silence as he left reminded Relena of a ghost floating out of the room. Maybe that's all he was.

"I think we should all get to bed." Duo yawned. He got up from the table and walked over to a window facing out to the gardens. He stood in silence and watched the light of the moon play and break on the serene surface of the lake.

"Goodnight everyone." Relena said, before leaving the room. They all wished her a good evening and Trowa walked beside her up to her bedroom.

"If you will excuse me for a moment," she said before going into the bathroom. Her heart began to race a little. Trowa was out there. What should she say? She desperately wanted to hear him say that he loved her, but at the same time didn't because that would mean… That would mean she might have to let him in. She might have to open herself or her heart. But was she ready? Her hands gathered some of the warm water that was gathering in the sink under the running faucet and splashed her face a few times.

"Get a hold of yourself."

Suddenly she was conscious of her selected bed attire and was nervous. A plain black camisole and a pair of thin white cotton sleep pants sat waiting to be put on. Was the outfit too revealing? Maybe she should pick something else… No. Trowa had seen her plenty of times in that particular sleeping ensemble. She slowly undressed herself and put the new clothes on. It made her feel instantly better to be in such light breathable clothing.

"You can do this," she told herself, reaching out for the doorknob. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door. Trowa was sitting, reading a book, on the couch. His eyes didn't come up to meet her when she exited the bathroom so she went and sat on the sofa next to him. Her eyes didn't search for his; instead she focused on one spot on the wall. She had to say something to him, but how to start…

"What do you want to talk about, Relena?"

"What do you mean?" She asked, now facing to look at him.

"Well, you aren't looking at me. You're focusing on the wall, like you do right before one of your speeches."

He had caught on to her.

"I'm not sure what I was going to say...," she lied.

"You overheard me today, didn't you?"

"So you do know," she sighed, "Did you mean all that you said? About loving me and wanting a spot in my heart?"

He was quiet, his eyes temporarily resting back on the open book in his hands. That wasn't how he wanted her to find out. But now that she knew, he could not deny it to her.

"Yes. I suppose I did. It seems like an odd way for you to find out, though. I wish I had the courage long ago to tell you to your face. I suppose I always planned on telling you, but never did."

Relying solely on instinct and what her heart told her to do at this point, she snuggled closer to him. His body stiffened at the feeling of her touch.

"It's true. I would have rejected you if you had told me this before Heero left… and probably even up until a short while ago. It still seems crazy, even now, to let anyone but him near my heart. But I do like you Trowa and I think I could easily fall in love with you. That is what scares me the most. I'm so accustomed to loving only Heero, and I think I always will, but maybe… maybe I could love you too one day. Maybe I could one day only love my memories of Heero, instead of him as a person. But I need time. I don't even know how much time to tell you. I have to move slowly with this."

"Are you saying you want us to be… together?"

"I think so." She smiled, looking up at him. His body almost instantly relaxed and he let his arm drape over her shoulders to pull her closer to him.

"I'll give you your time. I'd wait forever for you. You're worth it."

She raised her head and placed a delicate kiss on his cheek.

"Goodnight Trowa," she told him, getting up from the couch to go to the bed.

"Goodnight Relena." He smiled and went back to his reading. She wanted to be with him. His heart felt like it could fly right out of his chest.

Very early the next morning, Relena laid wrapped up in the soft comfortable sheets of her bed. The faint purple light of the morning sun were barely peeking in through the window. She let a long sigh escape and her lazy eyelids took long blinks as she enjoyed the serenity of her quiet room. Her bed was so comfortable she never wanted to get up. Maybe she could just spend the whole day lying in bed. But then she would loose a whole day and that didn't even happen if she was ill. Slowly she pulled herself to a sitting position and wiped the sleep from her eyes. Relena pushed away the covers and walked over to the couch to see Trowa sleeping soundly. There he was… her new companion. She did not want to think of him as a boyfriend… that term seemed so juvenile to her. Really, he was her first spoken companion. She and Heero had never vocalized or even acknowledged their relationship. She smiled when he moaned slightly in his sleep and his eye twitched. He was probably dreaming. Her hand swept his long hair from his hidden eye and she took in how handsome he was.

"This could be a good thing, Trowa."

A few hours later, Trowa woke with a jolt. He knew before he looked behind him on the couch Relena wasn't there. A swift turn of his head confirmed what he already knew. Her bed was made, the vacant bathroom could be seen through the open door and she was no where in sight. Where was she?

Outside, seated next to Wufei on a bench near the pond, Relena sat and watched, in childlike amusement, four petite wrens hop about. Her wide smile caught his attention and Wufei began to watch the birds too. Was she expecting them to do anything but gather food and twigs for their nests? She let her head tilt and a little sigh escape her lips. He hadn't seen her quite this relaxed in some time. It was amazing what even a modest vacation will do.

"Aren't they amazing? So small but still so happy…" she commented. He just continued looking at the birds, not quite catching her meaning. He did suppose they looked content in their own little tasks. Approaching footsteps quickly stole his attention away from the birds as he turned to glance at who was coming. Quatre was taking his time coming out to the garden.

"Breakfast is ready." He said, smiling. She didn't know what overcame her, but Relena was on her feet and hugging Quatre tightly before either of them knew it was coming.

"Thank you so much, Quatre. Thank you for this vacation." She broke the hug and looked him in the eye. He was smiling brightly. Relena, Quatre and Wufei all walked up to the house together.

They all laughed and enjoyed their breakfast together. Relena even caught up, a little, with her brother and Lucrezia. They were still quiet about where they had been, but let her know that they would be staying home for a long time.

"Relena… I know you're on your own and you don't really get to stay home very much, but if you ever get a free weekend, you should come and stay with your brother and I. We would love to have you," Lucrezia said, taking dirty dishes to the kitchen. Relena was too choked up to respond.

The whole group of people went into Quatre's large sitting room as soon as breakfast was finished. Trowa sat very close to Relena on the couch and Milliardo noticed she seemed to be leaning into him slightly. This greatly concerned him and his brow furrowed, making Lucrezia look over at him in worry. He silently wondered if his younger sister could be falling for yet another Gundam pilot. First Yuy now Barton… he would have to have a talk with Relena about this matter.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Lucrezia finally asked.

"What? Oh, nothing. Nothing is wrong." His gaze temporarily fell onto his wife. She smiled at him and then went back to her book. His eyes quickly went back to his younger sister.

Relena felt restless sitting cooped with everyone in that sitting room and very little light coming in. She sighed repeatedly and tried to settle down, but couldn't. It didn't make it any easier to have Milliardo staring at her and Trowa like he was.

"If you all will excuse me, I'm going to get some fresh air," she said, smoothing her skirt as she stood up. Trowa stood too and followed her out of the room.

Once outside, they walked side by side like always. But this time Trowa walked even closer to her than usual. His long slender fingers gently touched the top of her hand asking permission. She took his hand and her head rested on his shoulder as they continued down the pathway. Unbeknownst to the couple, they were being watched by a small crowd in the kitchen. They had excused themselves right after Relena and Trowa had left the room.

"So, I see Barton finally made a move. They're so cute together." Dorothy laughed; her arm and hand both entwined with Quatre's.

"Yeah! Who would have guessed it? Well I guess it was really only a matter of time… I mean, did she honestly think that–" Duo's sentence was cut short.

"Think that what, Duo?" Hilde asked, noticing her husband's paled face. She turned to look in the direction her husband's stare was pointing. Everyone else looked too. A knot was growing in Duo's stomach and it was Hilde who said what everyone else was thinking.

"Oh my God… Heero?!"

Authors notes:

Sorry for the weird spacing... I'm not used to the formating anymore. But I am back! Now, some of you might actually remember me as SonicBloom. For those of you who don't, then other authors might recognize the name I used for signing reviews, 'GundamFan'. The break was nice, but this is so much better. Updates to this will come about once a month or so. Please leave lots of reviews for me.