Evolution

1xR. It had been too long. He couldn't expect her to be the same and she wasn't. But then again neither was he.

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Relena POV

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"We will be arriving shortly Miss. Relena." I nodded vaguely, though I was aware that the driver couldn't see me. Force of habit on my account.

I want today to be over; even though my day has hardly begun, it was already proving to be troublesome. The unforeseen call this morning demanding my presence at Preventer Headquarters definitely put a damper in my plans. Today was supposed to be a day off for me. My once in a blue moon day off was suddenly gone before I could blink. While I am not one who normally complains about such trivial matters, a situation like this begsto differ. Going into Preventer Headquarters meant one thing: seeing people I haven't had contact with in years. With the exception of Zechs and Noin, I had not laid eyes on any of my former…acquaintances in about seven years. War was the only thing that ever brought us together; with no war there was little need to keep up communications amongst us.

Duo Maxwell...Trowa Barton…Wufei Chang…Quatre Raberba Winner…and, of course, Heero Yuy. Yes, I did wonder about them from time to time, but it wasn't enough curiosity for me to seek them out. Especially not Heero Yuy.

I haven't seen him in seven years, not since the incident with Mariamaia and the Barton Foundation. Even then I still clung to him. Not so much as I did when I first laid eyes on him. I remember that day on occasion; when I allow my mind to wander backthat far. Thinking about all that bloodshed, it still made me cringe. But what caused the tremor in my heart was thinking about the person I used to be back then. People grow up – andmature –I guess that is the only explanation I have for how I am today. I grew up. It didn't appear to be that simple, but it really was. In the midst of war I met Heero and fell in love, I suppose. At least that's how it felt then. Heero Yuy, the perfect solider, was just the escape I needed. And I grasped to it with dear life. I remember following him around the world, to ensure his safety, but more so to make sure I still had something to cling on to. I figured it was love, seeing as I had never felt anything quite that powerful before. The ideals that my mind conjured about him were so warped I even figured he loved me back.

I was no naïve back then.

"Miss. Relena, we have arrived." I looked out the window and sure enough there it was: Preventers Headquarters. I could feel the knots in my stomach beginning to form.

Would he be in there?

All the former Gundam Pilots now worked as Preventers; some more then others but that still included Heero Yuy. It's been so long…would he even recognize me anymore? Would I recognize him? We were both adolescents back then; surely we have both physically changed over time. It made me wonder if perhaps those stone cold eyes of his had changed, maybe even dulled, in these times of peace where killing enemy soldiers was no longer a daily routine.

I truly hope I don't get the chance to see him once more.

I don't understand my needed presence here anyway, nor do I understand the need for such protection. Lady Une sent both a private jet and a private car to pick me up along with a dozen bodyguards to add to my own set. This was way too much. The political times we were in now, while still dangerous to an extent, were relatively peaceful. It really is a selfish idea to think I, myself, am behind this peace. But I am a part of it, a tiny part as far as some officials are concerned. Regardless, where the word 'peace' is uttered, my name isusually attached.

While I walked inside the Preventer building, I received salutes and dumbfounded stares. Unfortunately, at this point, I'm used to it.They all don fake smiles, but it is all to be expected for someone like me.Their philosophy goes something along the lines of fake smiles for a fake person. The last couple of years have been lived in an era of peace. Despite that, not everyone shares my beliefs for total pacifism. Obviously so, even with those who do, it does not necessary mean they agree I am the best for this position. It has come to be that I don't know which persona gets more recognition: Peacecraft or Darlian. I use both surnames respective to the situation. Neither one nor the other deserves to be shunned. The political environment is a hasty one and I-I…

Oh…my…

It's him.

The last breath of air locked in my throat as my eyes widen and stare straight at the approaching figure. Heero Yuy. My eyes drink him in. After so many years…wow. In retrospect, he looks almost the same … but not really. The last time I laid eyes on him he was a boy; the person only a few feet away from me was no boy. Heero Yuy was now a man. This development had my curious mind wondering if what his eyes see in me is the same. Have I changed as much as he has? Everything about him seems off place and nothing about him seems to be the way I remember: except for one thing. His eyes. The dark azure eyes are captivating even from the distance. I force my eyes away from roaming his body and instead opt to looking slightly to the ground.

Should I ignore him? Does he even recognize me? Should I just causally walk by and say hello as I continue on my way? Would he even greet me back? Considering his past behavior, I would say that the answer is no, but that never stopped me before, so why should it stop me now? Greeting him is the mature professional thing to do and… I think I'll just ignore him.

"Relena." I look up and my previous plan flies out the nearest window. Here he is. The distance between us closed to the point where one more step would cause me to step on his foot. "I need to speak with you," his voice is as mechanical as I remember it from all those years ago.

If only those words were spoken earlier – about seven years earlier – my heart might have fluttered and my cheeks might have blushed. But now his words made a strange sensation run through my body. It made me feel sick. It is a good thing I normally don't eat breakfast or else this sick feeling might have ended up all over his shoes.

"Heero, it has been a long time…" I let myself trail off half-hoping he will finish the thought: perhaps share the sentiment. He doesn't and I'm not surprised. "I am late for a meeting; whatever it is can wait until later." I don't bother waiting for him to supply a response before heading down the corridor.

Seeing him again hurt. I would be lying terribly if I said it didn't. It hurt much worse than I would have expected, and yet part of me longed to turn back or take a small glance at him again. But I won't, doing so would be quite the foolish mistake. I can't allow myself to be that young girl again. Not for him and not after all these years. Whatever. I can't think about this right now. The tone of Une's voice earlier this morning told me that this was urgent, even if she didn't actually say the words themselves. For her to even have called me means there is more to this meeting then she wants me to believe. Une, and the Preventer Group she was Commander of, never had direct contact or assignments concerning me. Something is definitely off.

"Vice Foreign Minister Darlian." That voice. I know that voice. I turned around to be greeted with the familiar face of yet another Gundam pilot. Trowa Barton. My attempt at a smile got cut off short as he turned around. "Come with me."

Of course.

I walked behind him until he led me to the main second floor conference room. Inside the room there were less than a handful of people sited around a table, all with the same sour look on their faces. I recognized the people immediately: Une, Zechs, Trowa, and Quatre.

Trowa led me to an empty chair and handed me a folder without speaking another word. Looking to the woman in front of me, I smiled out of civility.

"Commander Une. To what do I owe the pleasure of being here?"

She took her moment before speaking, contemplating her words by the looks of it. "A mission." The word was simple enough, but a million questions formed in my head. "There has been an uprising and a rebel alliance has formed." I could tell she was trying to keep things as simple as possible, but it wasn't helping me understand at all.

"Why does this mission have to involve me?"

"Because it is about you." Her abrupt answer startled me, I haven't been expecting that.

"Please explain." I looked around the room, but no one seemed willing to answer. The silence in the room was deafening: not one person looked at me, but rather looked amongst themselves. All of them must have beensilently debating on what explanation to give me. An explanation, I am well aware, does not have to contain the whole truth.

I heard footsteps and before I even got a chance to take a look, the person wandered to the nearest wall and leaned against it. His eyes bore into mine.

Heero…

"The mission objective is to protect you," he spoke in the same in passive nature as he did earlier in the hallway. It made me cringe and want to pull my hair out.

"I don't need-" I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from adding the word your. That wouldn't be very professional. "-protection."

"Don't be absurd!" Zechs scolded, and I could feel my cheeks burn up from embarrassment. I hate it when he does the older brother act; it's condescending. "There is a death threat against you."

That couldn't be all. "That is nothing new." Though, as of late the death threats against me and pacifist leaders have simmered, they are still encountered.

"Don't dismiss this so easily, this one has more power behind it Relena. Do you remember Alexander Liari?"

I vaguely remember the surname; I nodded. "He sounds familiar."

"He is the son of General Liari, the man who staged the original attack against the Sanc Kingdom. You however might know under a different surname, perhaps Delouse." Une paused and recognition flooded through me. Of course I remembered Alexander Delouse: the American boy from Earth and my ex-boyfriend as of a couple of months ago. We ended rather sudden, but it was a mutual separation…kind of. He proposed to me and I refused: we never spoke again after that night. "Alexander is looking for vengeance, Relena. I don't know if the information ever reached you, but a couple of months ago, General Liari took his own life," Une rubbed her temples as if the memory of the events were painful. It is probably just exhaustion from the overwhelming information. My own head felt light as I tried to process everything. His father took his own life – no – this was definitely something I had no previous knowledge about. "He left a letter," Une passed a copy of said letter over to me.

If he left a letter, then that would mean his death was planned. My eyes scanned the letter, taking in each word, each line. It is eerie. These were the last thoughts of a man already dead. Out of the whole page, only one line stood out.

…and my death shall be on the hands of the last Peacecraft…

"While Alexander has not stated his exact motives, we believe them to be for the death of his father. More precisely what constructed his death: the resurrection of your kingdom, but more so the revelation of your existence Relena." I am the last Peacecraft. Not technically, but as far as most people were concerned my brother does not exist. "He has managed to gather quite a lot of rebels, also known as RABs, against you with wish to persuade you over to their side of political views."

"I would never change my beliefs for anyone or anything." I didn't even have to think about it before the words were out of my mouth. It is obvious that is foundation, right? I mean my lapse of judgment over a former boyfriend couldn't be all this mission is about. "It will never happen."

"Exactly." I didn't bother to turn to the monotone voice of Heero. It was bad enough having him in the room, that didn't mean I had to look at him. "When you can't recruit the enemy, you destroy the threat."

He wants to kill me.

It shouldn't surprise me, but it does. Despite the years of peace, deep down I know there are people who wish for my death so that a war could start up yet again. War, like a little girl once said, is an Endless Waltz. The mellow melody playing now isn't enough to satisfy all of the population, they are waiting for the power ballad. This new rebel group or alliance – RAB – is not the first to threaten my life and I am sure they will not be the last.

"I understand." It would be rather air-headed of me not to. "How many people are in this alliance?"

Lady Une flipped her hair over her shoulder and gave me a slight shrug. "Agents from RAB are stationed everywhere and are far too many to track down. That's not even taking into account the double agents they have lined up as well. " That explains all the added security.

"What are you suggesting I should do?"

"Until this matter is resolved you are to stay out of sight to the public." Zechs answered me quickly, the tone of his voice strict, making it sure to get across that there is no room for argument in this decision.

"Some things are easier said than done." I scoff. "I have important matters to attend to and I don't -"

"No matter is of more importance than your life Miss. Relena." It was Quatre who spoke. The words were soft, endearing, he looked more strained about this mission then I did. "You are the face of peace in this era and your death would also mean the death of that." That…stung.

"What's the plan?"

"It is simple." I turned around at the sound of the new voice and was greeted by short wave from the ponytail wearing Gundam pilot. I highly doubted that anything out of Duo Maxwell's mouth would be simple. He wore that mischievous knowing grin on his face: a clear sign of disaster. "The rebels can't pose a death threat against you…" He paused for affect and it worked. "…if you're already dead."

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Author Notes: This is my first attempt at this fandom though I have been a fan for many years. Recently – thanks to Netflix – I have begun watching the anime again and have fallen in love with Heero. Who can blame me, eh? Anyway a lot of the fics on here don't have Relena developed much. I mean yes she was clingy in the series but she was young and I think she would have stopped her clinginess over the years.

A special thank you goes out to PimpMasta Popo: my amazing beta-reader.

I hope you enjoy this. I don't plan for a long one, maybe around 10-12 chapters at the most. Please review. Reviewers get an exclusive sneak peek into the next chapter.