Darkness surrounded him; he was frustrated. Fear eluded him; he was worried. Fury poured from him; he was angry. But perhaps most of all, he felt the helplessness of his situation and the hopelessness of his sisterís.

After six hours, Zechs Merquise still believed with all his soul that his sibling was alive. He still believed that they had a hope of surviving. He still believed that all was not lost. But he also knew that those beliefs were false. So to hide his grief, he showed anger. And this anger was directed at one sole manÖ

Heero YuyÖ

As a soldier, he came to respect this man. As a rival, he became envious of his abilities. And as Relenaís brother, he came to hate him. But now as a soldier, he has come to dishonor him. As a rival, he has become unemotional towards his abilities. And as Relenaís brother, he hated him even more.

* * *

"Mrs. Maxwell, you may see your husband now."

Hilde stood up precariously with the baby in her arms. Her knees knocked together as she walked toward the doctor. Irea Winner smiled warmly at her and put a friendly hand on the young motherís shoulder.

"Are you okay, Mrs. Maxwell?"

"Yea, Iím fine. I guess Iím just nervous about seeing him." She tried to swallow at the lump that was beginning to form in her throat. Tears began to roll down her cheeks swiftly before the wiped them away roughly. "This is stupid. Iím scared of Duo for Heavenís sake!"

"This is quite common, Mrs. Maxwell. Believe me, I see this a lot. You arenít scared of him. You are just worried about seeing him in pain."

Hilde looked at the violet-eyed child in her arms and smiled. "I guess youíre right."

Irea grinned, "Of course Iím right. I am the doctor after allÖ"

* * *

Quatre Winner was just a teenager. He was just a teenager that was running a million-dollar corporation. He was just a teenage million-dollar businessman that was getting ready to step into a menacing war. And he had no weapons.

He had been mulling over those blueprints for a full hour. He needed rest. This day had taken its toll on all of them. Perhaps, it did more so on Relena Peacecraft. After the speech had been made, she had been sedated for precaution.

Ever since that speech had had asked over and over. Why? Why? Why? He did so as if he would give him an answer. To Quatre, all the Gundam Pilots he considered a part of his family and Heero Yuy was no exception. He not only considered Heero a brother but also a teacher.

But should those memories become nothing more than disgust to him? Should the boy he used to know be marred by the sins of the Heero Yuy of today? Should he just be labeled a traitor or did it go deeper than that?

Quatre began to rub his temples. He felt a migraine coming on and he had a sneaking suspicion that much more would be coming in the near future.

"Quatre?"

He turned in his chair to see the Princess standing in the doorway wearing a white silk nightgown underneath a pink fuzzy robe and matching bunny slippers. Her golden hair was a little mussed by the pillow and sleep was still present in her posture.

"Relena, do you feel better?"

He stood up to walk toward her. He stood next to her and brushed the hair away from her face. He then realized that she was shaking. He cupped her cheek lightly and she leaned into his touch.

"Are you okay?"

"I canít believe he would do something like that? He could have killed me or do you think that was what he was hoping for?"

"You know itís okay to cry."

"But QuatreÖ I think Iíve cried all my tearsÖ"

"Hereís the key to Une and Poís cell. They were put together an hour ago. The children are waiting in my shuttle. Take them. I want them as far away from Daddy as possible."

"Wonít he know theyíre missing?"

She grabbed him roughly to her, kissing him with all the pent up passion of five years. They held each other tightly, each not wanting to let go. His hands trembled as he ran them up and down her sides. Tears ran swiftly down Angelís cheeks as she pushed him away.

* * *

"When I dieÖ HallaluehÖ" A wet ragged cough erupted in her making pain shoot throughout her body. Her body jumped as she did so. The strain almost seemed to be too much for her.

"Sally, save your breath. You need to conserve your energy."

"Bye andÖ byeÖ" The last word came as a whisper as footsteps were heard coming down the outside corridor. It stopped outside their door. They could hear the person unlocking the bolt. Tears began to pour from the doctors lifeless eyes. "IíllÖ

flyÖ awayÖ"

* * *

Quatre Winner held a tired smile as he surveyed the people at his table. He looked like an old man. He reminded them of Pagan, Relenaís butler who had died in his sleep the year before. The young manís hands shook violently as he took a sip of water.

Relena Peacecraft, no matter the cuts that laced her hands and arms, still regulated an air of beauty and serenity. However, the attacks had been focused on the Dove of Peace herself, and one could tell by her eyes that her strength was failing her. Her love for Heero Yuy did nothing to help keep her sane. Only her love for the others kept her in check.

Duo Maxwell showed his normal obnoxious grin. To an outsider, it would appear he was his normal cheerful self. Despite this, pain laced his eyes as one hand rythmically rubbed one knee. The other hand clutched despartly at his wifeís hand on his shoulder.

Hilde Schbeiker ñ Maxwell, by her posture, could have been the most powerful one in that room, but her tear filled glances at her little girl and her newly handicapped husband gave her away. The pressure of being the wife of a Gundam pilot, perhaps, being too much for her to handle.

As for Trowa Barton, he was his emotionless self if not for the glint of rage in his eyes as he stared at the manilla folder in front of him. A picture of his former comrade was placed on the front with YUY stamped across it. It appeared that it took all of his control not to tear it to shreds.

Quatre took another sip of water and cleared his throat ready to begin.

"It would appear that the Heero Yuy that we once knew is very different from the one we have met early yesterday morning." He stopped glancing at Relena who met his eyes defiantly. "His birth name was Alexander Heero Yuy, Junior, and he was born as the second child of Elizabeth Meranda Jared, daughter of Emma Brooke Vaughn and Zechariah Allan Jared, and Alexander Heero Yuy, Senior, son of Amelia Diana Christophers and Heero Baron Yuy.

"Zechariah Jared was President of Jared Bio-Mechanics, a leading artificial humaniod and clone research laboratory. His daughter became Vice President of the family company, shortly before her sixteenth birthday. The company was shut down seven years later in the year AC 181, reasons unknown.

"Elizabeth Jared met Alexander Yuy at a political funding dinner in AC 173, when her family was invited. She was fourteen and he was nineteen. They began seeing each other a couple weeks later and announced their engagement on Elizabethís sixteenth birthday in January AC 175. Though the world knew her as Elizabeth Jared, Heero Yuy introduced her as Ebony Jared. Again, reasons unknown.

"In April of AC 175, Heero Yuy was assasignated at a political dinner in honor of Jared Bio-Mechanics. He was shot during his speech and died instantly upon impact of the bullet. Again, reasons unknown."

He stopped, taking a sip of water, gulping hard.

"The couple was married in January AC 176. They were married as Alexander Heero Yuy and Ebony Jared-Yuy. ( Elizabeth having offically changed her name in November of the previous year when Amelia Diana Yuy died of Colon Cancer.) They bore their first son in AC 177, naming him David Heero Yuy.

"Three years later, twins were born. They were identical. The first was Meranda Brooke Yuy and then, Alexander Heero Yuy, Junior. Both children were the image of their father and the late Heero Yuy.

"In AC 185, two years after the birth of their fourth daughter, Suzanne Amelia Yuy, they adopted Alexanderís niece, whose parents had been murdered. They did not find the bodies of her older brother and sister but they were presumed dead a month later. The childís name was changed to Ruby Terra Yuy.

"A year later, Ebony gave birth to a third daughter, Samantha Elizabeth Yuy. It was of that same year that Alexander, Senior and his wife signed a document giving joint custudy of Alexander, Junior to Zechariah and Emma Jared. Reasons unknown.

"In AC 193, the couple adopted Xena Micheal Yuy,16, Billy Ling Yuy,13, and Katryn Feria Yuy,13. In AC 194, they adopted Angel Fei Yuy, 14, and Demona Clover Yuy, 12. (Names have been changed for further reference and ages at the time of upholding.)

"In AC 195, Ebony gave birth to her final child, a son at which named, Christopher Heero Yuy and she gave her parents full custody of Alexander, Junior. Reasons unknown.

"No more information is available."

He stopped, drinking down the rest of his water. He sighed and looked at the blank or confused faces around him.

"The reasons why I told you all this was because there was so much in that overview that intices questions. If we can find the answers to these inquiries, perhaps we can find the answers to our own.

"We all know that whatever Heero Yuy does, he does it for a reason. And maybe this reason is to help us, to help Relena, but we cannot be sure. There is a good chance that he really has changed, that he really is our enemy, but that doesnít mean that we should just quit. After all, it wasnít just Heero Yuy that won the wars, it was all of us.

"As Gundam pilots, we are not just comrades or soldiers with a common cause." He looked at Relena, speaking softly. "A very wise woman once told me, that we are brothers. And just like brothers we influenced one another. Heero told us to follow our emotions and I believe that is what he is doing.

"I admit, when I found out that it was him, I did not take it lightly. I was angry. We all were. Some more than others, Iím sure." (He took a quick look at his best friend.) "But we need to be strong, and we need to fight!"

He turned and took Relenaís hand. "Do you agree with me, Relena Peacecraft?"

She sighed shakily as a tear made its way down her cheek. "Yes, I do."

"How are you supposed to fight back? The Gundams were destroyed years ago."

"I have already taken care of that. I was able to retreive the blueprints and a large store of Gundanium from the Preventers some time ago. I stored it in Arabia at the Maquanac underground base. I have already sent them copies of the prints. They should have already begun construction."

"How many are they building?"

"Four. One for each of the remaining Gundam pilots."

Duo spoke up, a little hestaintly, "Iím sorry, buddy, but I donít think Iíll be of much help. And we donít even know if Changís still alive."

Quatre smiled, "Youíll be plenty of help. I have sent them modification to go inside your cockpit. You may have lost the use of your legs but not the use of your brain. And as for WufeiÖ"

"Who ever said that Maxwell had a brain?"

The group turned. Wufei stood in the doorway looking no worse for wear. Dirt covered him and some of the hair had come out of his ponytail. Holes marred his thin white undershirt and baggy, green army pants. A sleeping, dark skinned baby occupied one of his arms, and he also held the hand of a three year old little boy with piercing green eyes. Two five year olds stood next to him, each resembling him.

"Did yí bring anybody else?"

"Yes, that why they didnít call to tell you I was here. I had Lady Une and Sally with me. They had to rush them to the medical wardÖ. Maxwell, what happened to you?"

"I learned that you donít want to mess with chandeliers."

The group laughed heartily. Each feeling good inside for once. That day had been harsh and rough.

The little five year old girl tugged on Wufeiís pants as she clutched a black longsleeve satin shirt to her chest. Wufei looked down at her with a certain gentleness they had not seen in him before.

"Daddy, Iím hungry."

"Me too," the three year old grumbled as he shyed away from the group at the table. He hid behind the Preventers leg not letting go of his hand.

"Foo," the baby said as she began to wake up. Her big ice blue eyes looked at Wufei as she smiled a toothfilled grin. "Dada! Foo! Foo! Dada! Dada! Foo!"

He looked back up at the group. "Theyíre hungry."

"Oh, yes, of course," Quatre stood up and went over to his friend. "Iíll take them." Wufei handed him the baby and gently persuaded the three year old to go with Quatre. He watched them go with a sweet smile on his lips.

He turned back to the rest of the group, noticing the looks he was getting. "What?"

Duo grinned. " ëFei, you gots some ësplaininí to do!"

* * * * *

Authorís Note: Iím sorry itís a little short but I didnít want to leave you on a cliffhanger like the last two times. However, the questions make up for the cliff hanger. ; )

To Anna Coleman and JDK602: Thank you so much for the nice reviews!