This one takes place a few days after the last one . . . around October 17, but it ends mid-November.In other words, by the time this one ends Relena has finished her fifth month and has begun her sixth.

Disclaimer:Why does fate have to be so cruel?*sob*

* Only half of what you know is true . . . *

Sleek, silent, she slid down the cable with ease and grace, her black clad body blending with the night shadows, pale hair tied back and covered with a cap of black silk.

* This is what I know . . . *

Her descent was brought to an abrupt halt, her feet planting themselves against the window ledge which would open to grant access to her target.Using the traction to her advantage, she pushed away from the wall, leg muscles coiling only to straighten as she made her body into a battering ram, glass breaking, splintering around her as she flew feet first into the window.

* You are one who is responsible . . . *

The occupant of the room woke with a start at the sound of shattering glass, the noise compounded by the thumping of something heavy falling upon the floor even as the rustling of cloth and the loud clicking of a gun met his old ears.

* One who was once trusted . . . One who was once called 'friend'.*

Silver eyes, twin flames alight in the darkness, shed their vengeful light upon him, filling his body with dread and fear.This night he would pay for his sins, the collector come in the form of the one he had committed his most heinous crime against.Dorothy Catalonia.

* Only half of what you see is real . . . *

She watched the old man sit up, shoulders hunched and trembling as tears glowed upon his wizened cheeks only to glitter as they became entangled in the gray mustache adorning his matured face, but she would not have her heart thawed by pity.He was at least partially responsible for the disappearance of her baby, and he would give her the answers she sought.

* What do I see? *

The chromatic gleam of a pistol was aimed as the hollow barrel of the gun winked at him malevolently, the jagged remains of the window refracting the moonlight as it pooled into the bedroom turned prison.

She stepped forward, the outline of her body against the white walls revealing the tense muscle and defensive stance while one slender arm, that which did not currently hold the gun, came up also, the point of a wicked looking foil scratching through his night clothes to tear at his skin.

* Only half of what you hear . . . *

Dorothy momentarily placed the gun back into its holster, freeing her hand to tear the silk covering from her head, errant strands of pale hair coiling at her cheeks and tickling her nose as she pursed her lips and glared at the old man who's room she had just broken into.Her mind was a whirlwind of thought and near-panic, and it did not escape her notice that no one had come in to check in on the room's original occupant.At least one person had to have heard the ruckus caused by her less than subtle entrance.

And yet, no alarms were sounded, no screams were voiced, no help was sent.It was just the two of them, and though that was what she had wanted, Dorothy could not help but wonder who was the actual victim here.

* Half . . . just half . . . but WHAT half? *

"I'm sure you know why I'm here so I won't bore you with pleasantries that are not genuine.Where is my son?"She stepped forward again, the tip of her sword biting deeply into his chest, just above his heart.

He bowed his head, the silver strands of his hair covering his head in messy spikes and twists, "I do not know Miss Dorothy. She never told me."

Her eyes narrowed, the moonlight masking the silver of the iris, creating the illusion of glowing sockets, "Why should I believe that?"

"Because it is true.She . . . The Mistress threatened my family.I must do as she says, but she only used my knowledge of the Winner Mansion, your home.She never allowed me to know where they were taking the child.You must believe me Mrs. Winner.I never meant any harm to your son or Miss Relena."

The gun was lowered but the foil was not, "I believe you, but you are still working for her.Tell me what I wish to know, and I guarantee Preventer protection for you and your family."

* Relena is pregnant. *

"She . . . She is Queen Peacecraft's sister."

Silver-gray eyes widened, "But I found a marriage license --"

"They were married before she tried to murder her sister Anya, the younger of the Scripnikov princesses . . . the woman who would become Relena's mother.After that, the Mistress was banished from both her father's home and her husband's, and the marriage was annulled.In time, King Peacecraft fell in love with Princess Anya, they were married, and in due time, had a son."

"Mr. Milliardo . . ."

He nodded, "Indeed.However, the Mistress returned soon after newly married to another.One who believed in pacifism just as her first husband."

* Noin can never become pregnant. *

Dorothy watched the play of emotion over the old servant's brow with interest in his story, "Mr. Darlian . . . Mr. Darlian was her second husband, not her first so that means . . . Mrs. Darlian --"

"Evelyn Scripnikov is Joan Darlian.She was the one to strike down Miss Relena's parents and essentially caused the fall of the Cinq Kingdom with the help of the Alliance."

The woman's expression became pinched with confusion, "That doesn't explain her motives."

"That is something only she has the answers to."

"Very well, but why does she want to kill Relena?Why not Milliardo if she wants to claim her right to the throne so badly?"The foil was lowered, her silver gaze intent upon the man sitting upon the bed.

* ERIS wants Relena dead. *

"Whatever gave you the idea that she wanted the Cinq throne?"He looked genuinely surprised.

* Evelyn is ERIS. *

Dorothy gave him a questioning look, "Why else would she be after the heir?"

* Mrs. Darlian is Evelyn. *

"She's neither after the throne nor the heir to the throne.She wants the entire Peacecraft line extinguished as revenge, and more importantly, she wants Miss Relena dead because she is the only living person who was witness to her crimes."

* Mrs. Darlian . . . *

An icy arrow of abject horror stabbed through her chest, "Relena saw . . ."

"Everything.She saw her parents die by her aunt's hand."The old man shook his head sadly before muttering, "If these walls could talk."

*. . . only half . . *

Mind already preoccupied with untangling the web of lies and sins committed in the past, Dorothy returned the gun to its holster at her side while she tucked the foil into her belt, "Thank you for the information Pagan.I'm sorry about your window.I'll call Miss Une to get some guards here."

"Miss Dorothy . . ."

But she was already gone, swallowed by the night, and he raised a shaky hand to his forehead, rubbing the wrinkled skin there, "I wish you luck.All of you."

~ Winner jet, same time ~

"I don't understand why she's not answering," Quatre stared at the blank vidphone screen with apprehension, his stomach tying itself into knots of foreboding.

Sally, reclining in her seat next to him, patted his back comfortingly, "I'm sure she's fine.Have you ever known Dorothy to be incapable of taking care of herself?"

He gave a short rueful laugh though the pressure in his chest worsened instead of lessening, "No.I suppose not."

There were a few moments of silence before Sally smiled, her eyes becoming distant, "She's absolutely blooming, isn't she?"

"She?" Quatre asked absently, confused.

"Relena.Pregnancy definitely agrees with her."

The blond Arabian nodded before smiling also, worry for his wife tucked away in a far corner of his mind, "Yes, but I'm concerned about her nightmares . . . perhaps we were wrong to keep everything we've found from her . . . "

Sally shook her head, her eyes bespeaking regret and something more, "No.She's stressed enough as it is without the added burden of knowing her father may have been seeing another woman behind her mother's back.It also wouldn't help to know that said other woman is the one who wants her dead.You're right though, I'm concerned about the nightmares as well, and she's been spotting.She didn't want the boys to know, but she told me while I was examining her."

"I was wondering why you ordered nearly total bed rest for her."

"Mmmm . . . which leads me to another problem,"Sally cocked one eyebrow towards him as if to say she knew he knew what she was talking about.

Quatre decided to ignore that look, "What would that be?"

"Trowa's in love with her."

"Yes, he is."

"And?"

"And what?"

"And what are we going to do about it?"

Honest sapphire darkened with genuine confusion, "Nothing.I don't think it's a problem."

Sally looked moderately shocked, "What?Of course it's a problem!Relena's in love with Heero!"

"Yes.I know, and Heero obviously loves Relena.Trowa knows this as well, and he has decided not to act on his feelings.He's content to be near Relena while she needs him, and that is all.Stop worrying so much Sally."

"Hmph.Mark my words.Something's going to happen."She crossed her arms and settled more deeply in her seat, lips smashed together and brows drawn, tiny creases marring the skin just between her eyes.

Quatre smiled, "If and when it does, I'm sure we'll hear about it."

Suddenly the vidphone came to life, Hilde's tense face filling the small screen, "Quatre!Quatre!Are you there?"

Heart in his throat, he answered hoarsely, knowing something was wrong as he took in her greasy, unkempt hair, shadowed eyes, and waxen skin.

"Thank God.Listen carefully, I've been trying to get ahold of you for the past ten hours, but ERIS has been interfering with the transmission.You need to get over here ASAP, no rest stops, no going home for a clothes change or anything.Go straight to the Cinq Kingdom to the old palace ruins, understood?"

He nodded while Sally, who was leaning over his shoulder, did the same.

"When you get there, go inside and turn left.You'll come to a large, half-burned oak door.Open it, go inside the ballroom, and cross to the other side of the room where you'll find a trap door fixed to the wall . . . actually its a vent.Call me on a secure channel when you get there, and I'll meet you on the other side.We have major problems over here."

"What's wrong?" He asked anxiously, his heart literally stopping as he awaited her answer.

Hilde's eyes drooped with sadness, "I'll tell you when you get here --"

"No Hilde.I want to know now."He said forcefully, the feeling of foreboding he had experienced before becoming stronger as he became nauseous with the strength of it.

The raven-haired woman sighed, "Lucrezia's in the hospital, Zechs is going crazy, Devon has been kidnapped, and Dorothy went after him.We really need you guys here.I'll give you details as soon as you arrive.Till then . . . "

The transmission was cut-off leaving Quatre and Sally to digest what had just been told to them, but the only words Quatre could process were those concerning his son and wife . . . Devon kidnapped?Dorothy gone?To where?Why?What was going on?

"Does it ever stop?"Sally wailed despairingly as Quatre's eyes turned cold.

No answer was forthcoming.

~ Heero's cell at ERIS headquarters, a month later ~

* Inhale . . . exhale . . . wheeze . . cough . . . Inhale . . *

Tired Prussian blue eyes stared at the tiny chest as it rose and fell haphazardly with the mechanics of labored breath, a sheen of sweat permanently staining the grimy skin of the child he held in his arms.

Devon was not doing well, and Heero was at a loss of what to do.

Time, immeasurable here in this permanent darkness, passed slowly, the heat straining the mind and exhausting the body as meals came and went and bodily wastes were purged in one of the four corners of the small prison.Heero had saved as much water as possible for the boy, knowing that he could survive for months without much food or drink due to his extensive dehumanizing training, but it wasn't enough.

Devon's skin had taken on a dull red tint beneath the dirt and sweat as his epidermis was slowly cooked by the convection oven that was his temporary holding cell.His belly had begun to swell with malnutrition, lips chapped and split from chronic dehydration, and recently he had developed the most horrid case of diarrhea Heero had ever seen, the child unable to control the urges of his body, even in sleep, the excrement issuing from the small body as water from a fountain.His body was purging all liquid while taking nothing in.Quatre's son was hovering on the brink of death.

Rocking back and forth, Heero tried to comfort the child in his arms as he sluggishly struggled within his uncle's hold, restless in his sleep.Heero had noticed Devon rarely ever asked for his mother anymore, but the boy rarely spoke at all anymore.It was as if the child had already given up.

He needed to get out of here.He needed to get Devon a bath, food, water, and medical attention.He needed to see Relena.

Leaning back against the scorching metal wall, head situated between the empty manacles which had once held his wrists in faux captivity, he allowed his mind to travel the well-worn path of wonderment it had become so fond of over the past month (at least to his best calculations).

* . . . Miss Peacecraft . . . . father of her child . . . *

Relena might be pregnant, but he wasn't so sure he could trust the word of the woman who held him, wasn't sure what to make of it if it was true.

If she was pregnant then did that automatically mark him as the father?There had been no hint as to how far along Relena was if she indeed carry a child, and if he wasn't, then who was the father?Was it possible that he wasn't her child's father?

As always, he felt a painful, tight sensation wrapping around his heart as he thought of another man touching her, kissing her, . . . loving her, fathering her child even as her words of love echoed in his ears, reminding him of her admission, her request that he come back to her.Surely that had to mean something.Had they made a baby during that one night of unguarded passion?

And if they had . . . what then?Would she expect him to marry her should he survive this?How was he supposed to feel?Happy?Excited?What?

Eyes clouded with uncharacteristic confusion, Heero abandoned that train of thought while his hand absently smoothed Devon's blond hair from his cherubic face, his brain returning to cold, hard facts, returning to thoughts that made sense.

Relena was pregnant.That was all he knew, and until he knew more, he would make no decisions or assumptions.Relena did not deserve his distrust.Trowa would take care of her as promised.Trowa would take care of them both . . . if there was a child to take care of.

And as he spread what little water he had upon the toddler's lips, Heero wondered why the thought of Relena in Trowa's care did little to assuage his worry for the first time since this drama had begun.

~ Green Burrough, same time ~

Relena hummed as she added a dash of salt to the brown, bubbling concoction she was currently laboring over.

It was amazing how domestic this little excursion had made her, allowing old habits and desires to be displayed and acted on, her memories coming back little by little of her true mother's joy of cooking and cleaning no matter how rare it was that she was allowed to do so.She could even remember her mother's smell now along with the taste of her special stew, something she would make religiously on special occasions.

And Relena enjoyed those memories, for they reminded her of her own enjoyment in cooking and cleaning and being . . . self-efficient, something she had missed in her years as first a pampered rich girl, then as a politician with little time to even think let alone clean her own room or cook her own meals.

Of course, along with the good memories came the bad as well as a few not-so-pleasant realizations, but she didn't want to think about that right now.For now, she was just Relena, future mother, preparing dinner for her housemates, the best friends and guardians a girl in her condition could ever ask for.

A smile lit up her face as she tasted her stew.Perfect.Now all she needed was a second opinion.

"Duo!"She yelled, knowing Trowa and Wufei were not in the vicinity of the household, gone off to town for information and supplies once more while Duo had been elected to keep watch over her.

No answer met her ears.

A curious expression etched upon her face, Relena waddled into the living room where she giggled at the sight she found there.Duo lay on the couch, one arm flung across his eyes, fast asleep.

Tip-toeing as best she could, the blonde woman gingerly lowered herself to sit upon the coffee table before gently moving his arm to run her fingers through his bangs.He snorted in response before shifting position so that his face was buried in the cushions, his back towards her.

Tenderness welled within her chest as she gazed upon her friend, tears gathering in her eyes as yet another mood swing took hold of her sensibilities.Backing out of the room and into the kitchen, she tried to suppress the sobs burning her throat.Of course, she lost the battle, her hands resting upon a nearby countertop as she sought emotional stability once more.

She felt dizzy and sad, excited and worried.Her heart constricted painfully in her chest, and she had to remind herself to breathe."It's ok," she muttered through her tears, "It's ok.Calm down, Relena."

When she finally did calm down, she quickly took her stew from the fire and covered the big pot, letting it sit, knowing the boys wouldn't be much longer, and she wondered what she could do to keep herself occupied till then.

Glancing at the laundry room, she noticed Duo's garments had not been added to the weekly pile, and even though he had strictly forbidden her from his room (he had cited that she would not WANT to go in his room since it was a gargantuan mess of epic proportions), she really needed something to keep herself busy.What better way to spend the extra time than cleaning up a huge mess?

And so it was that Relena, desperately wanting something to do since she was not allowed outdoors without an escort, made her way upstairs to Duo's bedroom where she found . . . a gargantuan mess of epic proportions.

She stood there in the doorway, mouth agape in disgusted wonder, her eyes barely registering exactly what they were taking in.It.Was.A.Disaster.Area.Relena briefly wondered why Duo's room was not listed as a toxic waste dump since it certainly looked and smelled that way.

Pinching her nose and ignoring the roiling nausea upsetting her stomach, she braved entrance, crouching to gather dirty jeans and shirts as she made her way to the unmade bed, which was littered with empty potato chip bags and trays half covered with mold and other unpleasant things.

There was an especially large, offending pile near the head of the bed, and Relena made a beeline for the mini-mountain of clothing when a muffled moan issued from under the pile making Relena jump back in apprehension.The hill of articles shifted, threatening to tumble down and make an even larger mess.That's when her eyes caught the glint of metal wrapped around the wooden bedpost.

Mind working furiously, Relena studied the metal circle and deduced that it was one end of a pair of handcuffs.Why would Duo have something handcuffed to his bed?She did not want to know the answer, but she was about to find out.

Relena began to dig through the pile, separating whites from coloreds and reds from everything as she did so, finally unearthing the huddled form buried beneath the clothes, a delicate wrist limply resting within the second cuff.

It was a girl.

Relena stared silently before turning on her heel and screaming, "DUO MAXWELL!!!!!!"