Standard disclaimer applies

Delicate balance by The Equalizer

Standard disclaimer applies

"I just feel white reflection ...."

If you were hearing "white reflection" while you were reading the previous chapters, then I had succeeded in my goal.

I dedicate this chapter to the Woodlands Regional Library that officially opened today on 29.4.2001. No more travelling half an hour to the nearest library * yay *. It has many facilities and a readers paradise if you ask me. My only compliant is that I don't own a VCR and couldn't borrow the videotapes to watch at home. Too bad I could only enjoy it for a few months before * sob * I go for National Service to join the army for two and a half years.
* sob * So R&R if you want me to write more before it's too late.

Listen to "white Reflection" while you read this one.

Chapter 3 - moving on

It had been a few months since Relena had been informed of Heero's discharge and she was now absolutely certain that he had been up there at that balcony.

She had thought that Heero was just doing the usual - going away but coming back at the last minute to save her like during the recent Mariemeia incident. He was her "knight in shining gundamium armour."

The Serpent Suits had almost defeated Milliardo, Noin and the rest of the Gundam pilots. Then just like she always knew, Heero had showed up when hope was almost lost and won the day.

When he blasted the shelter shield, she had prepared to sacrifice herself in the name of peace. She should have known that he had been worried about her safety when he asked Dekim about the condition of the shelter shield. He had calculated correctly how much force he needed to destroy the shelter shield.

What she didn't know was that she had owed it to the little girl who had been one of the casualties in Heero's first official mission.

She was present at the White House for another ESUN event but she missed Heero terribly. She looked up to the sky and hoped that Heero had missed her too.

Somewhere in a vast city, Heero had at the same time looked up to the sky and had wondered if she had missed him too. But he shook his head to clear this thought and continued by saying those famous words "Mission complete".

He had fulfilled his promise to protect her and would never see her again.

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Preventers Headquarters

"Welcome to the team, WuFei." Lady Une had offered to shake hands with him. WuFei being himself had crossed his arms and refused to accept it.

"I am only here because I am contributing my part to justice. I will do it even if I have to accept a WOMAN as my superior." He replied gruffly.

WuFei was taking the same stance he had taken when he had first joined the Mariemeia Army.

Sally Po who had been standing behind him had coughed out forcefully. However, WuFei didn't bother and didn't care about what she was hinting at.

Lady Une had kept her face straight and continued. "Well....welcome anyway. Preventer Water -Sally will brief you on your assignments and familiarize you with Preventer operations. And remember that you will answer to me when you make mistakes. Understand?"

"Understood."

WuFei saluted her before he left with Sally.

Lady Une had let out a sigh as the door closed. At least he had the decency to salute her. It would be enough for now. If it weren't due to the fact that she recognized how valuable it would be to have WuFei's skills and abilities , she would have shot him immediately on the spot and fed him to the dogs.

She had also considered the other Gundam pilots 02,03 and 04 -Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton and Quatre Raberba Winner joining their ranks. She knew that pilot 03 - Quatre Raberba Winner already had his hands full running the Winner family business and rebuilding the colonies that he had damaged during the war to make amends for what he did.

That meant she could try to persuade the other two to join the Preventers. However, they had vehemently refused and added that they now had places that they belong to and trusted humanity enough not to start a war again. She was puzzled when they had included in their reply that even if they want to help, they couldn't.

The only one she had left out was Gundam pilot 01 - Heero Yuy but he was nowhere to be found.

Lady Une had been surprised that even with all the resources made available to her, she still couldn't find him. It was as if he had disappeared from existence.

Nicknamed "the Perfect Soldier" and the hero who saved Earth not once but twice.

She had even picked the suitable code name for him - Preventer Hope. It was due to the fact that when they had broadcast him to the colonies and Earth, destroying that chunk of the Libra using Wing Zero's twin buster rifle in the stratosphere. The fireworks that were produced had made him very popular with religious factions and the media who had coined him the term "the Angel of Hope".

She had thought that he would make the most suitable Preventer and his relationship with the Vice Foreign Minister added to that. She had even contemplated making him the next head of the Preventers.

She was getting quite a headache now when Preventers Wind - Zechs and Fire - Noin had simultaneously requested to be stationed at Mars for the Mars Terraforming Project. Noin had been a great help to her all this time and she had wanted her to be her second-in-command. But she knew how Noin had felt about Zechs. She didn't want Noin to be like herself and live with regret.

How she missed His Excellency, Treize Khushrenada. She didn't want him to die but he had decided that it was necessary to bring forward a new era of peace for humanity. She reluctantly watched him approach his death by the very person who had been here moments ago. She didn't resent WuFei for it, as she knew that His Excellency had resolved to die and used WuFei's hand to do it. It only added to her resolve to protect what he had sacrificed himself for and eventually led to the formation of the Preventers.

She had added Mariemeia to her protection by adopting her. Mariemaia had survived the gun wound and is now in a wheelchair awaiting her recovery. She was lucky that she was a minor who couldn't be prosecuted and being held responsible for her actions and that had prevented her for being executed for treason against the ESUN. While the rest of the Mariemeia Army had only been sentenced a few months in jail to serve the demands of justice as they had surrendered willingly. WuFei was considered lucky as he had been given a special Presidential Pardon. He had inadvertently protected the President of the ESUN when he had joined the people in their rally for peace.

Suddenly, the intercom sounded.

"Yes?"

"Miss Mariemeia is here to see you, Miss Une."

"Send her in."

She had almost forgotten that she would be taking Mariemeia to visit His Excellency, Treize Khushrenada's grave today. Dekim Barton had refused such requests before, for fear of exposing his schemes before they unfold. Lady Une was too happy to oblige to her request. In a sense, father and daughter will see each other for the first time today.