CAPTIVE

"Look, I have to go now." Lucrezia Noin excused as she went past her Preventer partner, Sally Po. They have just finished an assignment and she wasn't feeling good.

"Uh okay." Sally muttered, "See you later!"

Noin closed the door to her room behind her with a sigh. It was an awfully exhausting day. But not enough to tire her.

"Why can't I focus on something different?" she asked herself silently as she undid her jacket and threw it on an empty chair. "Even at least for a while," she added almost in a whisper.

She plopped down on her bed, her head rested on the soft comfort of her pillow. "Get away from it all, Try something different." She murmured with a thin smile, as if dreaming. It's been six months since the whole war incident happened...All the people in peace now.

She found herself turning to face her table where a picture frame lay beside her nightlamp. "How can I not forget you?" she asked herself as she reached for the photo.

"As much as I want to, I can't." she whispered as she stared at the beautiful masked face looking back at her. The face of the man she loved.

Deep into his ice-blue eyes, she had drowned one too many times. Succumbing to his will. His lies. His everything. The power so great she can't resist falling. And now he's gone. Maybe forever. But not in her heart. There will always be a place for him in her heart. Although things have changed for some time.

"I don't know, Zechs. Maybe you never really cared." She said, her slender fingers brushing against the glass. "Maybe I hoped too much."

Once more, thinking, who would she be if he never came to be a part of her life? How would she live if she didn't knew how to fight? For something. For someone?

"Why do I love you?"

Ever since she entered the academy, she knew one important thing: That she was not meant to take lives. She was there to save. But everything had changed when she met him. She had felt the blood drip from her hands, trying to do what she was ordered to. Trying to make sure he gets away from it.

But he was no coward. She knew that. And neither was he a baby. He'll fight as long as he can. She was only there to support him. No more, no less. And she understood with all her heart and mind what he was trying to do. And why he was so distant.

Even to the last hour...

"Zechs, You promised me..."

Clearly just like yesterday, she could still remember:

"Zechs,"

"You promised you'd come back," she said, trying to stop the sob forming in her throat. She can't be this weak. She swore she wouldn't be weak, that she'd accept her fate. His fate.

"Wufei's right. I can't be as strong."

And she finally let the tears pour down, pressing the photo in her hands, in her chest. Still remembering his parting words to her. His emotionlessly deep words that had always melted into her heart like an imprint.

Lucrezia wiped at her tears, as she lifted the photo and looked at it though with clouded vision. If only she can find a reason to forget. A reason to let go. Something...

"Zechs, you know I always believed in you."

And she had thought of all the possibly rational reasons to, but they were all just a lie. She can't just forget about it. Zechs was a very big part of her life. The only one she felt secured with.

But now she's all alone...

But still, her trust remains. The hope to see him again is still there. Still strong. And she just can't let go. Even if...

"Zechs, let me let go...Why can't I let go?"

She laid on her bed for so long, thinking over the times they were together...The times she missed the most. It was always the same, day after day: work, work, work. No time to sit down and think. No time to have some peace of mind.

Noin had given him one too many hints already. But he had remained the same. No change in him.

"Or were you just hiding it from me?"

Because he was scared? Zechs isn't scared of anything. She could swear to God that.

Noin shook her head and merely laughed. Nope. "Dream on, Lucrezia as much as you want." She mumbled as she brushed her fingers through her short, dark hair.

"You know that can never change the past."

"Oh, why the hell am I like this?" she asked jokingly as she wiped at her tears. "Didn't I believe in you word that you'll come back to me and your sister? I should wait for you." she said softly with a small smile as she planted a warm, heart-felt kiss on the photo.

"I know why you sacrificed your own life and I can go around much on that. I understand."

"I'll wait...Until forever." She whispered.

"Until you come back to me."