Hi everyone! Sorry it's taken me forever to get this next chapter out, but things have just been crazy around here lately. However, insomnia has struck again and instead of sitting through some documentary on the mating habits of fruit bats at 3 a.m., I decided to write. Not that fruit bats aren't, uh, well, fascinating, but... Ok, salvaged my train of thought from the mangled wreckage of the derailment. Here's the story.

Disclaimer: As if I have to say it - I don't own Gundam Wing. Maybe the fruit bats do...

Heero's Peace Sequel - Part 4: Resurrection

Relena opened her eyes and for a moment forgot where she was. 'Nothing has changed,' she realized, blinking furiously. She was still alone in the crisp, white room. There were no windows and she no longer had a concept of day or night. If not for the watch that she wore telling her the date, she would have never known how much time had passed. Two weeks. Two weeks since that awful day that Quinze' soldiers had held her in that control room, forcing her to watch as Heero was shot down in the middle of his speech. He had asked the representatives of earth and the colonies for their help and support. He had warned them against the immanent battle, the danger they all faced at the loss of the peace. Before her husband could continue, shots rang out and he stood at the podium, with a cloud of crimson seeping through his white shirt. His eyes dulled and he collapsed, caught by a worried looking Duo and an also wounded Quatre. Relena had no idea if Heero had lived or died because she was dragged from the room and thrown into this one, and here she had stayed since.

At first she wept uncontrollably, consumed by pain and anguished at the thought of losing him. She replayed the events daily in her head, losing control at the memory of the expression on his face as he fell into Duo and Quatre's arms. She was also mercilessly haunted by the fact that the last words she had spoken to him in this world had been full of anger and hurt. If he had died, she prayed that he died knowing how much she loved him, regardless of anything else. But after a while, Relena refused to accept the thought of his death. She felt that she would KNOW with all certainty if her Heero were no longer living; she would feel empty and weak, but as the days wore on she felt stronger. She knew that she had to be strong for the tiny life that grew inside her, the life that was a part of him. Relena rested a hand on her rounding tummy. 'Funny,' she thought. 'Now that I know I'm going to have a baby I can't believe I didn't figure it out before the letter from the doctor's office." The suit she had worn barely fit her now, it seemed as though her baby had grown almost over night.

The door to her room suddenly opened and in walked her only reliable visitor aside from the maid who brought her food and cleaned the room. The doctor had been kind to her since she arrived on the base. The older man had made it clear that he was not here out of any loyalty or devotion to the White Fang's ideals. It seemed to Relena that he was nearly as much of a captive as she was. Dr. Stark, as she had learned he was called, had simply had the misfortune of treating Quinze after he survived the Libra explosion, and that had sealed his fate. The white haired doctor walked briskly to her side, his bushy eyebrows furrowed in thought. "How are we today?" he asked, looking distracted. His features softened as he spoke to her.

"A little queasy, as usual," Relena answered, unconsciously patting her tummy again as she gave the doctor a small smile. She was always so grateful for someone to talk to.

"To be expected," he replied. "Feeling any movement yet?"

She shook her head to imply that she hadn't. "No, not yet." Dr. Stark smiled at her, but he looked very anxious today, Relena noticed, as he continued to mill aimlessly around the room. "What is it, Dr. Sta-...?"

"Shhhh," he hissed, moving to her side, going through the motions of listening to her heart and taking her pulse. As he leaned in with his stethoscope, he began to speak, his voice barely audible as he whispered in her ear. "They would kill me for telling you this, but a woman in your condition shouldn't have to worry so." He stood up for an instant, his eyes darting nervously, and then leaned in to her other ear, placing the stethoscope on her back. "Your husband, he's alive."

She started to say something, but the doctor shook his head. He knew that the room was under surveillance. Relena went limp as relief flooded through her, and the doctor helped ease her back down to the pillows as tears of joy careened down her cheeks. Quite suddenly she felt a funny sensation, a tickling feeling in her abdomen. The baby's first movements! She crossed her arms over her midsection, still dizzy with happiness. Looking down, she placed a hand on her stomach. "You knew all along, didn't you little one?"

Heero tried to get out of bed yet again, but found himself being pushed back down, easily overpowered by Duo. "I still can't believe this guy!" Duo said in exasperation, wincing as his mind flashed back to the time that Heero had set his own broken leg while they were on the salvage barge all those years ago. "I know you have more lives than all the cats in the Sank Kingdom, buddy, but you need to rest. You're still not supposed to be up." Heero glared at him, but Duo crossed his arms and glared right back. "We're taking care of things." Heero rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath. "What was that?" Duo asked, a smile playing across his face. "You're gonna what? Ah, buddy, it's been years since you threatened to kill me. I was beginning to think that you just didn't care anymore," he sniffed. Duo's grin grew wider as Heero looked increasingly annoyed. The braided man put his hand over his heart and fluttered his eyelashes. "I'm touched."

With that he left the room, leaving Heero to seethe and nurse his wounds. Duo shook his head. If that bullet had hit two inches higher, his friend wouldn't be here. Even still, the shot had severed a major vein and Heero was still very fortunate to be alive. The snipers hadn't been visible until the last minute, and if Trowa and Wufei wouldn't have seen them, they all could have been killed. Only two of the four assassins had managed one shot apiece before they were subdued. Three of them had died, popping cyanide pills, but the forth had been too cowardly to do it. He had been a great source of information. Duo smiled again as he walked along the halls on his way to find Heero's get-well present: The location of Relena and her captors.

Heero struggled to sit up, breathing hard and trying to ignore the pain shooting through his side. He coughed and sputtered as a result of the effort; trying to remember the last time he'd hurt so much. 'Right after the battle with the Morning Star gundam,' he thought with a groan, shuddering. 'Yeah, definitely.' He had been in and out of consciousness for the past twelve days, going between fitful dreams of the past and nightmarish visions of harm befalling Relena and the baby. He had awakened two days ago, and when the nurse had told him how much time had passed, he would have thrown himself into a rage, if he'd had the strength.

After what seemed to be an eternity (actually about ten minutes), his feet were on the floor and he was testing his legs, trying to stand. Using the bedpost and nightstand to steady himself, Heero began his slow trek across the room, heading towards his desk. A new laptop sat there (since he had destroyed the first one). He flipped up the screen and switched it on, intensifying the look of determination already on his face. He had just started to read the latest Preventer reports when the door to his room began to open again. Figuring that it was Duo, he braced himself for the hard time his friend was going to give him about being up. Instead Quatre's gentle voice greeted him as the blond man walked over to the desk, his arm in a sling from the bullet that he had caught two weeks ago as well. "Heero, you know you shouldn't be up."

"Two weeks, Quatre," was the toneless reply.

Quatre nodded in understanding, glancing at the screen to see what his friend was reading.

"Let me save you some time," he said, pushing his hair away from his face with his good arm. "Relena's being held on one of the new outlying X colonies, just past the L3 cluster. The group has demanded that earth and the colonies sever all ties and treaties, but no one is willing to comply. They've threatened to attack the earth. All the representatives have declared their support for our campaign against the Second White Fang, but we are on our own as far as armaments."

Heero gave a slight nod. "I don't think that will be a problem."

"Trowa's already in L4, trying to assess their firepower so we know what we're up against. Wufei went with him, and they're meeting Zechs and Miss Noin there."

At that, the door opened again and Duo walked in, surprised to find Quatre there. He looked disapprovingly in Heero's direction. Heero ignored the look and, leaning on the desk, once again rose to his feet. "How soon can we leave?"

"You spoiled my surprise, didn't you Quatre?"

"Sorry, Duo," he answered, but quickly turned his attention back to Heero. "Heero, you're in no condition to fight." Obviously that comment didn't sit well, as the injured man started loping toward the door.

"Tell them to get Zero ready," he said flatly, looking in Duo's direction. "I'm on my way, Relena," he whispered.

End Part 4

Ok, if you're starting to get bored with this fic, I ask you to please stick with me here. I have plans! There isn't going to be just some cut and dry battle and Heero saves Relena, there will be a few more twists starting in the next chapter or two, so please keep reading! As always, my thanks to all of you who are following this story, and even more thanks to those who review. Suggestions are ALWAYS welcome (cursed writer's block!). Love to all, Stella.