I do not own Gundam Wing. This fan fiction has no commercial value and I am not making any kind of profit or income off of this.

Chapter 10

Relena was terrified. They had strapped her down to a hospital bed, and injected her with something. She felt so helpless. What had they given her? Her imagination ran wild with visions of poisons and diseases. She wanted to cry, but hadn’t been able to since she saw them kill… she couldn’t finish the thought. She wouldn’t believe he was dead. That couldn’t have been him, he wouldn’t die like that.

“Well?” General Tavey asked the soldier standing at attention in front of him.

“Nothing. All we’re getting is that she loved that Gundam pilot we executed in front of her. She’s in shock, the sodium pentathol isn’t working.”

“Damn! We’re running out of time. We need to know where those Gundams are!”

“She’s crying right now, sir. She’s incapable of answering any more questions in her state of mind.”

“Fine, take her back to her cell. We’ll try again in a few hours.”

“Yes sir!”

* * * * * * * * * * *

The meeting broke, and everyone got up to leave. Heero started out the door, but Milliardo was not finished. “Where is he, Yuy?”

“Dr. J gave him my identity, or one of them, anyway.”

“If you killed him….”

“I didn’t.”

Milliardo eyed the boy suspiciously. “Noin, I want you to find him. I’ll go tell the Ambassador what’s been going on.”

Quatre spoke up quickly, “Milliardo, I don’t think that’s such a good idea. I mean think about this for a second, logically. There are two possible results to that action. Either the Ambassador believes you, and the alliance crumbles, leading to war. Or, he doesn’t believe you, since Heero’s very thorough, and you are accused of going back on your word. Then, the alliance crumbles, and war breaks out.”

“What do you suggest?” Milliardo was livid.

“Let Noin find him. Then, we can talk to him, and if he is willing to cooperate, we can make the substitution quietly. No one will have to know.”

“And if he doesn’t cooperate?”

“Well, if he doesn’t want to cooperate, then we still have Heero to fall back on,” Quatre visibly cringed at Milliardo’s black look.

“Not acceptable.”

“And war is a better alternative, Milliardo?” Noin yelled at him.

“Quatre is right, here. And if it comes down to it, I don’t have a problem with him marrying her…”

“But I do!” Milliardo roared.

“Yes, YOU do. But what about Relena? She wanted nothing more in the world than his love…”

“That’s the problem. She loved him, and he left her. He is a coward, and I will NOT permit this….”

“A coward? You have the nerve to sit there and call me a coward?” Heero snarled, and turned to face Milliardo. “You, who prostitute your own sister in the name of peace?”

“WHAT?”

“You sold her to a sniveling weakling for the price of an alliance.”

“Is that what your mission was, Yuy? Waltz back into her life, twist her emotions around, and take advantage of her before you left again?”

“I would never,” Heero hissed between clenched teeth, “ever dishonor her in such a way.” Rage pulsed through his body, tightening every muscle.

Fear flashed in Milliardo’s eye briefly before extinguishing.

“I will not permit this,” Milliardo repeated.

Duo watched his face as Heero started to leave. Something within him suddenly broke.

“I am the first person to admit she deserves better than...what…I could give her,” he said quietly. “So I left, believing that she would be better off…” he was fighting for control, trying to keep his voice steady. “Then you…arranged this marriage for her. And as difficult as it was, I could accept it – knowing that she was sacrificing her happiness for the peace she has always fought for.” He took a deep breath, blinking back the tears forming in his eyes. “But then she was in danger. I promised her I would protect her, but showing up here would have only made things…difficult. I was determined not to make this harder on her, so I sent the transmission to Sally and Wu-fei. Then, I went and talked to Jacob.”

“I wanted to see that he could protect her. As it turned out,” his voice filled with contempt, “you should all thank me for getting to him first. He would have sold her to the highest bidder.” He shuddered at the thought.

“You knew how she felt about you?” Noin asked.

“I knew she…cared. I had no idea how much.” Tears finally spilled over, and he turned to the kind voice that had spoken to him. His eyes pleaded with her, and Noin gasped in surprise.

“Two million dollars,” he choked out. “He sold for two million dollars – the woman that I would gladly lay down my life for!” He fell to his knees, crying.

Duo went over to him. “It’s all right, buddy. We’ll get her back.”

Milliardo watched this scene, unmoved. “Life is cheap, Yuy…” He looked down at him, “you’re still a coward.” He said as he walked to the door.

“OMAE O KOROSU!” Heero yelled, grabbing the gun from his side, and pointing it at Milliardo. Duo tackled him, and the shot fired into the ceiling. The two struggled on the ground for the gun.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Relena awoke in the same dismal surroundings. Her head ached, and she wondered how long she had been gone. Hugh brought her some food, and removed the shackles so she could eat. “God, it feels good to get those things off,” she thought to herself, and smiled at Hugh. He smiled back, and thought again of how beautiful she was.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Heero stood up, slowly, with his hands on his head, his eyes never leaving Trowa’s. Trowa motioned with the gun towards the table. Heero walked over to it, and turned around, placing his hands down on its surface. Duo felt for another gun, then looked up at Milliardo with loathing. He clicked the handcuffs onto Heero’s wrists. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. Heero nodded, his face set in a hard expression.

Trowa and Duo led Heero out of the office to be taken to a holding cell.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Noin confronted Milliardo after everyone had left. “Release him right now, Milliardo. You see him as Heero Yuy, but the rest of the world is going to say you imprisoned Jacob.”

“Hn. I’ll just say he was in on the plot to kidnap Relena.”

“And you won’t have any proof. You’re skating on thin ice here, and you know it. How would Relena feel if she knew what you were doing? How would she feel if she had heard how you treated him?”

“Well, she’s not here to ask, now is she?”

“That’s not his fault…”

“Isn’t it?”

“No, it’s not. He tried to protect her…”

“When has he ever failed before?”

“He’s never had so much working against him before.”

“What do you mean?”

“He failed because he didn’t listen to his heart. He is still trying to protect her from himself.”

“I don’t understand.”

Noin sighed, and smiled sadly. “I know. Now, I’ll tell you what’s been going on right under your own nose, if you’ll promise not to get mad at Relena.”

“Mad at…”

“Promise me,” Noin said, interrupting him.

Milliardo sighed, “I promise.”

“Okay, if we start from the beginning, Heero knows Relena cares about him, but doesn’t know she’s in love with him…” Noin continued her narrative jumping forward to the time when Heero arrived masquerading as Jacob. She told him about what Relena revealed the day before, about what she told ‘Jacob’ about why she was marrying him.

Milliardo started to protest, “….”

“No, you have to wait until I finish.” Noin continued relating the details of the kiss and how she had called him ‘Heero’, and then finished with the scene she had overheard from outside Relena’s bedroom earlier that evening. Milliardo’s face flushed with indignation when she told him about how his baby sister had tried seduce her fiancé a night early.

“May I speak now?” he asked quietly.

“No. He could have spent the night with her, and she would probably be here now – about to marry the man that you hate, but she loves with all her heart. She fell for him, not once, but twice. It’s not a schoolgirl crush anymore, and she’s not a child you have to protect.”

“I know.” He said quietly. Milliardo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He felt Noin touch his shoulder, and opened his eyes to look into hers.

“I’m sorry, I can see I’ve upset you…”

“No, I’m just trying to quell this feeling of nausea that comes with the thought of having to go apologize to Heero Yuy.”

He found Heero sitting in a chair in the waiting room, handcuffed and staring out the window. Milliardo dismissed Duo and Trowa before taking a seat across from the prisoner.

Milliardo opened his mouth to say the words, but they wouldn’t come. Heero wouldn’t meet his gaze, he just continued to stare out at the blackness of night. Milliardo tried again, and again words failed him. Finally, in desperation, he stood up, ran a hand through his long blond hair, and said, “I want to hear you say it,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. Heero’s eyes flickered. “Tell me, and when she comes back, I…I… won’t stand in your way…” Milliardo said hoarsely.

Heero blinked slowly then looked up at Milliardo. His contacts gone, the familiar blue eyes blazed with emotion, as he said fervently, “I love her.”

Milliardo had to look away. Silently, he got up, and unlocked the handcuffs. Heero stopped at the doorway and looked at his old enemy.

“I always keep my word,” Milliardo said, turning to face him once again.

Heero nodded, “So do I.” Then he left.