The next morning after Relena woke and took a bath and dressed she walked out to the kitchen to find Duo and Lucrezia sitting in the at the breakfast bar. She walked over and took a seat next to Duo. 

"Hay it's about time you got up Relena." Duo smiled at her. 

Lucrezia got up and pored Relena a cup of coffee. "Would you like something to eat Relena?"

"I fine for now, thanks Lucrezia. Duo thanks for taking me to bed last night. I must have been extremely tired. I didn't even take notice."

"Well, that's what you get for having a hang over." Duo joked with her.

"I didn't drink that much!" she took a drink of her coffee then smiled at him.

Duo started laughing. "Oh by the way, I didn't tuck you in bed, Heero did."

She looked over at him shocked. "What?"

"He came home pretty late last night, and carried you to your room." Duo was grinning.

Relena reached up and touched her forehead and smiled. 'I thought that it was just a dream.'

"Is something bothering you Relena?" Noin asked.

"I'm fine." she was still smiling. "So where is Millardo and Heero?"

"They both left early this morning before either one of you were up." Noin got up to place her plate in the sink. "Zechs will be back around noon to take the two of you around the colony."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Around noon Zechs did show up and he took Relena and Duo around the colony showing them what they been up to the past four years that the project was started. He kept them away from the north tunnel that collapsed. He wanted to keep them away from the cleanup. His last stop with them was to show them the generators. They were getting quite a few stares from some of the workers. Zechs could immediately tell that the room was tense and he quickly came to the reason why.

A young worker that just came to the colony was standing by generator two. He kept looking under the small opening with a worried look on his face. Zechs walked up to him, followed by Duo and Relena, knowing what was going on.

"Carter." The boy jumped and looked at him. "How long has he been under there?"

"For awhile now. He's going over everything that was worked on this morning, looking for mistakes."

A bang followed by metal scrapping the ground could be herd from under the generator followed by a very angry voice. A broken wrench came sliding out from under the generator. "Get me another damn wrench now!" 

Carter looked at Zechs, picked up the broken wrench, and took off to do as he was told. 

Zechs bent down and yelled under the generator. "Those aren't cheap you know. What's that the third one you broke today?"

Relena and Duo watched as someone slid out from under the generator dressed in a very filthy jumpsuit looking up at Zechs. His face was just as dirty as his suit, smeared with grease and dust. The safety goggles were smeared where he had obviously tried to wipe them to see.

"What's your point?" he snapped a Zechs. "I don't see you down here doing this?"

"Heero you have had a lot on you mind. Why don't you take a break."

"Why don't you leave me alone Zechs so I can get back to work"

Duo could feel the friction build between Heero and Zechs and decided that it would be best to break their glaring match. "Hi Heero!" Duo yelled from where he and Relena were standing  

Relena breathed a sigh of relief when Heero's intense glare relaxed at the sound of Duo's voice. She understood that Heero was a little on the edge because of his friend, but Millardo may take it the wrong way.  She tried her best not to suppress a giggle. She never thought that she would see Heero that filthy. And with that grease smeared on his face it made him more attractive.

Heero looked over toward Duo and pulled his goggles off to see. He stared at Relena. She still looked good even in the jumpsuit and hardhat on that she was wearing. 

"Duo, Relena." He looked back over at Zechs. "Taking them around I suppose?"

"Yes. We're going to go and get something to eat. Why don't you get cleaned up and join us."

Heero shook his head. "No I'm almost through with this. After I'm done here I'm going to go and see Chris for awhile."

Carter came back with the new wrench and handed it to Heero. Heero nodded at him as a thank you. 

Zechs watched the boy leave again. "Should we expect you for dinner then?"

"No." Heero slid back under the generator to finish his work without saying goodbye to anyone.

Zechs stood back up and looked at Relena and Duo. "Lets go." Once they got out of the generator room he spoke again. "He's buried himself in work today trying to keep his mind off of Chris. I saw the look on your face Relena. I understood that he edgy right now that's why I didn't kill him."

Relena still threw a worried glance at Zechs. 

Zechs let out a small laugh. "I'm only kidding Relena. We have both gotten over the past."

Relena smiled at him. "Millardo I would like to meet Heero's friend." 

Zechs looked back at her. "You want to meet Chris?" She nodded.

"So would I." said Duo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Relena had no idea that it would have been like this otherwise she wouldn't have bothered the man. The doctor had given them only a few minutes with him. He had bandages and tubes running everywhere. She made her way over to the bed and smiled at the man that was looking at her through cracked eyes. 

Zechs walked toward him. "How are you feeling today Chris."

"Like...shit." he managed to get out. He looked over at Relena.

She walked over to stand next to Zechs. "Hello, I'm Relena Darlian."

He eyes opened a little wider and he managed a small smile "I...can see why... he talks about you." his voice was very broken up, and looked like it caused him pain to speak. She smiled at him. Chris raised an eyebrow as he look past her to the man standing behind her. "You... must be Duo."  Duo nodded at him. "I've...herd quite a bit...about you."

"Oh really nothing too bad I hope." Duo smiled at him.

"No...never bad...just stuff." Chris coughed.

"Well now, I've herd quiet a bit about you too." Duo crossed his arms leaving the smile on is face.

Chris looked at him curiously. "What lies did Yuy say about me now?" Chris joked.

"Oh just the usual things that you pulled on him." Duo made his way over to sit in the chair next to his bed.

The doctor poked his head in the room. "He really needs his rest. One person can stay if you wish."

Zechs nodded at the doctor. "I'll see you later Chris."

Relena smiled at him. "I wish that we had more time. Thank you for being a friend to Heero." She placed a kiss on his cheek and followed Zechs.

Duo stood up to leave. 

"Wait...please stay, we need to talk...about them." Chris eyed the door that Relena just walked out. 

Duo sat back down. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything. Starting from the beginning...when Heero found the two of you." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After finishing up his work. Heero went to the locker room to change. He decided to go home to take a quick shower. He opened the door and headed toward his room. The place was quiet so he knew that no one was home. He grabbed a change of clothes and went to the bathroom. A short time later he left the house to go see Chris. He had decided to spend the evening with him. Hoping that maybe he would get better if he gave him a reason to fight for. 

Once entering Chris's hospital room he was surprised to find him awake. He walked over to the chair by his bed and sat down.

"I see why you love her." Chris gave him the biggest smile that he could with the pain he was in.

"What?" Heero was just a little confused.

"She is...a very beautiful woman. I'm actually surprised...that she could love someone like you." Chris took a deep breath to build enough momentum to say what he had to say next. "I actually what to...to beat the shit out of you for hurting her."

"........" Heero just stared at him stunned.

"And you friend Maxwell. He's not that bad." Chris smirked at the look on Heero's face. Still nothing but silence from Heero. "Ah I see you didn't know that they stopped by. Good...Duo and I talked for quite some time about you." 

"I see. And what little scheme did the two of you conjure up?" Heero crossed his arms.

Chris leaned back further in his bed. "We both decided that you need to...to do what your heart is asking you to do. You are the one who will be hurt in the long run...because of the stupid mistakes that youíre making now."

"Is that so. So the two of you came up with that little conclusion on my life?" Heero was just a little annoyed at the thought that Duo and Chris were discussing his love life. 'Like I have one to even be mad at them about.' he mentally snapped at himself. 

"Don't hide your feelings anymore Heero. It will only continue to give you heartache."

Heero smiled and thought about those words. "The both of you have been good friends to me. I have been hiding my feelings for her simply because I am a coward. I even admitted that once to Duo."

Chris smiled. "I know. Duo told me everything...and with much more detail than you, I might add." Heero gave a small glare at his remark. "Go after what you want."

Heero smiled. "I already know what I want Chris. I just have to let her know before it's to late again."

"The opening of the colony tomorrow...the dance..." 

"I'm going to ask her tonight." Heero smiled at him.

Chris stared at him to make sure that Heero wasn't feeding him a line so he would quit badgering him on the subject. When he felt satisfied that Heero was telling the truth he smiled. "Then go now...ask. Tell me tomorrow how it went."

"Ok." Heero patted him on the shoulder. "Hang on Chris. I know you can pull through this. You'll be better in no time and have everyone here thinking that you were pulling another one of you practical jokes."

Chris managed a weak laugh. "Go get her."

Heero nodded and left the room.

'You better not screw up or I'll haunt you even in death if I don't pull through this.' Chris thought as the door made a quiet click as it closed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Heero got back he could hear everyone in the dining room. He walked over there and leaned against the doorframe crossing his arms.

Noin looked up and smiled when she took notice of him. "Would you like to join us Heero?" Everyone looked over at him.

Heero shook his head. "No thank you."

"How's Chris?" 

"He's fine. The doctors said as long as there are no hidden surprises he should pull through." Heero then looked at Duo. "Is there anything that you didn't manage to tell him?"

Duo had one of the biggest grins on his face that Heero had ever seen. "Nope. We talked a little about everything."

Heero looked over at Relena. "Relena, may I have a word with you later?"

She was a little shocked at his request. "Yes. I'll be there once I'm finished here."

Heero nodded and walked away form them and headed to his room.

Relena tried her best to look like she wasn't rushing to finish her dinner. She could see the perplexed look on her brothersí face and the curious look on Duos' face. She could feel Duo kick her foot lightly under the table. She looked over at him to see that he was gesturing with his eyes, telling her to get up and see what Heero wanted so he could find out as well. After a few more minutes of Duo's badgering she excused herself and walked nervously down the hallway and stood outside Heero's room. Before she even knocked on the door he asked her to come in. She took a deep breath collecting herself, and opened the door to walk in. 

Heero was busy typing on his keyboard. He stopped after a few seconds and turned the computer off to look at her. He got up off of the bed and sat the laptop down on the desk nearby. 

"Relena, there is something that I want to ask you."

She stood in silence watching his every move as he walked over to stand not far from her.

"I want to make sure that it's not my fault about you break up with ...what's his name."

She crossed her arms. "To tell you the truth yes you did, in a way. But I don't blame you."

Heero let out a small sigh of relief that she didn't hear. "Um, I...." He started to get angry with himself for not being able to get the words out that he wanted.

Relena snickered making him look at her. "I never thought that I would see that day that you would be at a lost for words."

Heero gave her a warm smile. "Relena, I would like to know if you would accept me as your escort to the colony's opening dance tomorrow evening."

She was totally stunned. "Heero, you're asking me out on a date?"

He nodded.

She couldn't hide the blush that fell upon her cheeks. "I would love to go with you Heero." They both stood in silence looking at one another. "Well, goodnight Heero. I'm looking forward to tomorrow."

"So am I. Goodnight Relena."

Heero watched her walk down the hallway toward her room. She stopped and looked at him. Giving him a smile before she went into the room closing the door behind her. Heero smiled to himself, proud of what he did without screwing up. He closed his door and laid down on the bed. 'So far, so good. Now all I have to do is stick to my mission and all will fall into place.'