Heero's eyes glanced over the room as the last of the delegates and other guests finally left. Everything was in order, and the speech had gone according to plan. With a satisfied smile to himself he turned to leave but was stopped when he heard the sound of Duo's voice.

"Heero, you're not leaving already are you?"

Without turning around to face Duo, Heero answered him. "My job is done here for the evening." 

"Oh, what a shame. I know of a very important, beautiful woman who was hoping to talk to you this evening." Duo smirked as Heero turned to face him.

"I thought that she went home already."

"When she found out that you were here I couldn't get her to leave." Duo felt slightly on edge when Heero's cold face turned to one of slight anger.

"And just how did she happen to find that out?" Heero already knew the answer to that question, he just wanted to see Duo cringe a little. 

"I may have happened to let it slip out. But that's not the point. Why don't you just go and say hi, I know that you want to." Duo smiled trying to get Heero to lighten up a little and to take his advice.

Heero looked around the room expecting to find Relena not far away but he didn't see her. "Where is she?"

"She's out in the gardens near the fountain."

Heero forcefully grabbed Duo by the jacket "How could you leave her out there alone?" His voice was full of venom and he threw Duo out of the way and quickly headed outside. A slight wave of worry hit him as he ran to where Duo had said Relena was. If anything happened to her he would hold Duo personally responsible. He was supposed to be at Relena's side at all times tonight because of the threat that she had received. And since nothing happened he probably thought that she was safe.

After rounding a row of bushes Heero came to a stop when he seen Relena sitting on the edge of the fountain watching the clouds in the sky. Taking a deep breath in relief that she was safe, Heero slowly approached her. Relena looked over at him and smiled then looked back up at the clouds. As soon as he was standing in front of her she finally spoke up. 

"It looks like it could rain at any minute." 

Heero watched her with slight fascination. She seemed to be happy that the sky would soon erupt in a downpour, possibly drenching her in the process. "All the more reason you should be inside, preferably at home."

Relena motioned for him to sit beside her. Heero sat down and watched her as she messed with the buttons on her suit, and wondered what was going through her mind. Heero glanced back toward the building to see that Duo wasn't far away, but keeping a distance so they could talk in private.

"I know, but I just wanted to thank you for helping out today. It's not your responsibility to look out for my safety, yet you always do." Relena sighed. She loved to be in Heero's company, and was gland that he decided to sit next to her for a while.

"I made you a promise, and I will continue to keep it."

"Why?" Relena looked at him. Her eyes were mixed with an array of emotions. "You made that promise during the war. Why do you still uphold it?"

Heero knew instantly what she was hoping for him to say. But it was something that he couldn't do, not yet.  "I don't know."

They both sat in silence. Heero could tell that her feelings were slightly hurt, but Relena stayed quiet. Her face was blank with no emotion and Heero knew that she was trying her best to not let him know that his answer upset her.

Relena knew that she shouldn't have expect the answer she was looking for from Heero. "Well then, I guess I should be heading home." Relena stood up and turned to face him. "And thank you for sparing me a few minutes of your time to talk to me, I know that you're busy."

Heero was going to say something in response but was distracted when he heard the sound of a gunshot just over his shoulder. Heero quickly jumped up while pulling out his gun and shielding Relena. Glancing to his right he could see Duo running toward them.

"Heero." Relena's voice was quiet with a trace of fight in it. 

Heero looked back at her and knew instantly when he seen the pain in her eyes that it was too late, she had already been shot.  Heero dropped his gun and caught her in his arms just she collapsed, passing out from the pain, and quickly lowered her to the ground gently. He unbuttoned her suit jacket to search for where she was shot. Her shirt was already soaked in blood. Heero quickly ripped Relena's shirt open and cringed at the sight before him.   He couldn't tell where she was bleeding from. He grabbed her neatly folded handkerchief from her pocket, and wiped it across her stomach. That is when he seen where the blood was pooling from.

"Duo, go get an ambulance." Duo nodded and took off back into building.

Heero rolled Relena on her side to took a look at her back. A small whimper came from her lips. The bullet hadn't passed through. He carefully laid her back down and cleaned the blood off of her stomach again and pressed his hands where the bullet wound was. He had to stop the bleeding, it was already starting to pool around her. And he started to fear for her life. 

"Hold on Relena. It's not your time yet" He whispered to her.

He knew that she was bleeding internally. There was no telling what the bullet might have ruptured on its path. Heero closed his eyes. He could feel the tears that wanted to work their way out. He failed her. He promised to always protect her. How could he have let his guard slack off? Now she would die because of his stupidity. She would die before he even got the chance to let her know.

"I'm sorry Relena, I failed you" He felt a hand on his face. He opened his eyes and saw Relena looking at him.

"Heero"

"No, Relena don't talk. Save your energy"

She gathered up the last of her strength and managed to smile. "I have to tell you something before I go. I... I love you Heero"

He stared at her and tried to say it. He tried to tell her what he has kept bottled up in him for years. But somehow he couldn't find the words. It was like his mind had gone blank ,and he had forgotten how to think or speak.

She closed her eyes and pulled her hand away from his face to lay it back on the ground. The smile that was on her face was still present.

"Relena please don't give up. There are many people that need you, and I...I need you" There was no response from her. And that is when he took notice that her chest was no longer rising or falling. He checked her pulse then moved his hands to rest on her shoulders and he gently shook her. "Relena don't do this. Don't leave me. I need to tell you. Relena...!"

A few minutes later he heard footsteps behind him and he turned to face whoever it was. He saw Duo and an emergency team running toward them. "You're too late!î Heero snapped at them. The team walked over and kneeled beside them.

He grabbed the man that was closest to him. "Didn't you hear what I said? You're to fucking late...!"  Heero could see the fear in the Paramedics eyes from the intensity of his voice.

Duo grabbed Heero from behind and pulled him off of the man. "Heero, you have to let them try"

Heero pushed Duo away from him and stood up. "There's nothing they can do. She was bleeding too much. She's gone Duo. I failed her! I failed the people that love her! And I failed myself!î Heero lunged at the medical team. He didn't want them to touch her. He knew that there was nothing that they could do.

Duo grabbed Heero from behind and held him by his arms as the medical team tried their best to save her. After a few short minutes, but what seemed like hours, the men started to pull back from working on her. Heero and Duo watched one of the men shake his head in sorrow. Duo let go of Heero and watched his best friend take a step toward where Relena laid.

Heero stared at her, taking in her beauty one last time. He so badly wanted to reach down and to take her in his arms and to breath the life back into her just to let her know that he wasn't heartless, that he in fact did care. And to tell her everything that he had kept bottled up inside for the five years that he had known her. He didn't know why he continued to run from her every time she reached out for him. Maybe he was just scared of what might happen. But he was aware that she was what he wanted, and now she was gone. And he would never get to look into her aqua eyes again, or to embrace her. He would never get to steal a kiss from her, or to feel the warmth of her flesh against his own. If he wouldn't have been a fool and denied his feelings for her then maybe, just maybe this would have never of happened.

Heero collapsed on his knees beside Relena just as it started to rain. He gently pulled her into his arms and held her tightly against him as he spilled his apologies to her. One of the medical team members was about to protest but Duo placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

Duo gave Heero a few moments then approached him and kneeled beside him. Placing a hand on Heero's shoulder he gave it a squeeze. "Heero you gotta let go now. They have to take her"

A few minutes passed then Heero nodded and allowed the medical team to take her from him. He felt Duo pat him on the shoulder then start to walk away, knowing that Heero would want to be alone. Once he knew that everyone was gone Heero stood up and looked up at the sky, closing his eyes he let the rain continue to soak him. And he made a vow that he would find the person who did this himself and make him pay.