I'm sorry that it's taken so long for me to post this next chapter. It would have been up yesterday, but my crazy cats had a standoff on my computer desk and I don't know what they hit, but I couldn't get my work back no matter how hard I tried. Anyway, I'll apologize in advance for the cliff-hanger (you all know that's my standard MO anyway). I promise not to take so long to write the next part. So, enjoy!

Disclaimer: Don't... Own... Gundam... Wing...

Heero's Peace Sequel - Part 5: The Rescue, Phase I

"Trowa, is that you?" Lucrezia Noin's eyes were wide with amusement as well as shock as she beheld the gundam pilot's image on the screen. His long, unruly bangs had been sheared away, and the remaining hair had been bleached even lighter than Quatre's. His green eyes were the only aspect of him that seemed familiar - that and who else would be calling right now?

"There was less of a chance that I would be recognized this way," he said lowly. Though he had not been in the public eye very much, he knew that there was a chance that he would be identified as one of the gundam pilots or a member of the Sank/Lowen Council. "This channel is only secure for 35 more seconds. I'm transmitting the White Fang base coordinates to you right now, as well as rendezvous point for you, and for Heero. He will contact you shortly."

Noin checked to make sure the information was coming through. "Got it. We'll see you in one hour." Trowa was about to end the communication when Noin spoke up again. Despite the fact that they were running short on time she had to ask him. "Have you seen Relena?"

He nodded. "They haven't harmed her; she's alright. You can tell Heero and Zechs that, too." At that the screen went blank.

**THE PREVIOUS NIGHT**

The silence in her room was broken by the sound of the door opening. Ever so slowly a small stream of light crept in, interrupting the darkness only slightly as a slim figure made his way stealthily inside and closed the door again behind him. His eyes were trained on the form lying on the bed across the room. He could see that she was awake and probably straining to make out the identity of the "intruder." To be sure that she would not be frightened, he whispered, "I won't hurt you. Just stay where you are." Quietly, with the lightness of foot of an acrobat, he arrived at her bedside. Crouching down so that his face was level with hers, he spoke again in a whisper. "I've rigged the cameras in this room to repeat footage for one hour tomorrow. At 10 o'clock I want you to get back into bed like you're taking a nap and stay there. That footage will rewind and repeat again. We'll come for you at 11."

Relena's eyes betrayed her momentary confusion. 'The voice, the manner - so familiar.' "Trowa?" she asked, hope flooding through her as she recognized him. The man by her bed nodded, but quickly held his hand to her mouth so that she would not speak any further.

"I only have a little time before the cameras start picking up again right now. I will be back in nine
hours, with Heero." He exited the room just as quietly as he had come in. No sooner had the door shut then she heard the click of the surveillance camera as it once again began to monitor the room. It took Relena a moment to realize that she was still holding her breath. Letting out a loud gasp she retreated back to the pillows to rest her dizzy head.

'He's coming for me... no, for us,' she corrected herself, patting her tummy. Even after all the angry words she had spoken to him, he was still on his way to rescue her. "Heero..." A twinge of hurt still resided in her heart due to the deception regarding the mobile suits, but as she had nothing else to do all day but think for the last few weeks, Relena had forced herself to see things from Heero's perspective. She decided she knew him better than that. Heero would never hurt her willingly. And this, wasn't this situation with the White Fang the very thing that he had been preparing for? Relena understood that peace had to be protected. She had experienced that revelation a long while ago, during the Mariemaia incident. Yet at the same time, she hated the fact that the responsibility for defending this peace always seemed to fall on the shoulders of a certain group of five men, most especially her husband. Since the first day she had met Heero, she couldn't bear life without him. He had come back from the dead for her yet again, and she would welcome him with open arms. "I love you," she whispered out loud. So she waited through another seemingly eternal night, staring up at the ceiling remembering the past.

**The Following Morning**

"Is the transport ship secured? I want to be sure that Zero's in there with us in case things take a
turn for the worse." Heero winced again at the pain in his side. Flying through the night had done
nothing to help it, that was for sure.

"Everything's been taken care of. Trowa will meet us just outside the L3 cluster in ten minutes. He's been at the base for the past week working as a technician. By the way, you should see his hair," Lucrezia added with a smirk. "Heero, he said that Relena is fine. She'll be waiting for you." Noin watched as the features of his hard-set face softened at that news. Just then she was struck by the unhealthy shade and pallor of his skin as his image flickered on her monitor. "Heero, are you alright? You really don't look well. We can handle this if-"

Noin was cut of by his brusque reply, as he spoke through clenched teeth. "I'm going in there and I won't come back without her."

'I should've known better,' she thought to herself. It had been all Lucrezia could do to keep Zechs at bay for the last two weeks as well. He had demanded to be the one to go and rescue his sister, but Noin had feared that he would be too easily recognized. Knowing that their presence endangered everyone on the Terraformation Project, they had left at once as not to make the entire planet of Mars a target for the White Fang. Zechs was eager to face Quinze and subdue him once and for all. He had been making adjustments to the mobile suits they carried for the last few hours, so Noin was a bit surprised to hear the sound of footfalls behind her. Zechs had entered the main cabin. He leaned over her shoulder to glare at the man on the monitor.

"Zechs." Heero said, greeting him flatly. The blond man only stared back. Noin watched their little
standoff knowing that Zechs blamed himself for this situation even more than he blamed Heero. Not that he would ever show it.

"How far off are you?" Zechs all but growled.

"You should pick me up on your scanner any second now." No sooner had Heero finished the
sentence then the ship's sensor bleeped to indicate the Wing Zero's approach.

"Trowa's here," Noin chimed in, surveying the shuttle floating alongside her own small ship. From off in the distance she could see the gleaming streak of Zero streaming through space. Noin opened a communication channel to Trowa and Heero, and turned to Zechs. "The Preventers are stationed at intervals surrounding the L3 cluster. They will move in to destroy the base once you're clear."

"Roger that," was the response from both pilots. Trowa opened the shuttle's bay doors as Heero
came into view. He maneuvered Zero inside, bringing the massive suit to a halt just in time. Painfully he made his way down from the cockpit to the front of the ship where he found Trowa busily securing another communication line. "Quatre, this is Trowa. Quatre, are you there?"

"Go ahead, Trowa," was the response.

"Before I left the base this morning, I learned that the enemy is stationed on earth and is planning
to attack the Lowen and Sank Kingdoms. There is reason to believe the leader has left the base. I
have no further information. Be on guard."

"We will, thank you, Trowa. Call us as soon as you have Relena." The screen darkened and Trowa turned around to greet his friend. He also noted Heero's dead-pale appearance, but said nothing about it, knowing Heero too well. Instead he gathered up a plain looking space suit and handed it to him.

"Put this on, you'll attract less attention if you're dressed like the rest of us." Heero only nodded as
he stood face to face with the other pilot.

Picking up the suit that Trowa had handed him, a familiar intense gleam came to his eyes. "Let's go."

Trowa started the engines and they roared in the direction of the base. Heero let out a grunt as he
peeled his suit of to change into the other one. Blood was soaking through the bandages, and he
knew that was not a good sign. The pressure changes his body had undergone from going to space may have damaged the repaired blood vessel, but it was of little consequence now, he told himself. Instead he wondered if Relena would even be happy to see him when he arrived there. Certainly she would be glad to be out of the base, but what about after the fact. Had she forgiven him? Heero shook his head at the insecurities that raced through his mind. He had to focus on the mission.

"Supply barge number 554 requesting permission to dock. Over." Trowa's voice and demeanor was placid as always.

"Enter your code, 554," was the reply from the base. Trowa's fingers flew across the keyboard, and moments later base gave the go ahead to dock. Attendants surrounded the shuttle as Trowa killed the engines.

"We'll unload this cargo ourselves. It's very sensitive freight," he told them.

The trio of attendants shrugged. "Suit yourself," and they turned away. Heero surveyed the docking bay. Only a few men stood around as a handful of shuttles and ships came and went. They had reasoned that an escape during the day would attract less attention then attempting to dock in a quiet deserted bay in the middle of the night while the base was more heavily guarded. Hopefully they could slip out unnoticed. He glanced at a clock on the wall...

'10:55,' Relena noted, peeking at her watch as she positioned her wrist on the pillow. She lay as still as possible, trying not to make any monumental movements that might be noticed an hour later. She closed her eyes again and waited for the security camera to click off. 'Odd that Dr. Stark hadn't been to see me for the last few days,' she thought. She would have liked to see him one last time, and would have liked even more to help him escape as well. Keeping still became more and more of a challenge as her mind raced with worry for Heero and Trowa. Finally, she heard the camera click off and she sat up in bed, staring intently at the door. She was distracted for a moment by more fluttery movements in her abdomen - the baby had been very active all morning. She looked down and smiled at her rounding tummy, but snapped her head right back up again as two men entered the room. Could it be?

One of them stepped forward and removed his helmet in one fluid movement, and fixed his blue eyes on her. "Heero!"

End Part 5

Heero: Aren't you done tormenting me yet, Stella?

Stella: Let me think... Hmmmm... NO!

Heero: You're not still mad about Endless Waltz, are you? We went through that! Remember... "Little Pilot's Room?"

Stella: Right, whatever you say... Maybe I just like torturing you! (evil grin) But I might go easy on you if you do something for me.

Heero: What?

Stella: Teach me the Death Glare!

Wufei: (from the background) Don't do it, Yuy! It's a registered trademark!

Stella: Stay out of this, Chang! *points to her Wufei figurine * Don't make me go through my
parents' attic and find my sister's doll clothes. There's a pink frilly dress with your name on it!

Wufei: Injustice!

Stella: And matching shoes and a purse!

Everyone: (gasp!)

Wufei: Crazy Onna! (faints)

Stella: Oh, come on, Heero! Or do I have to put you in a pink frilly dress, too? (points at Heero
figurine and looks around for Bandai's lawyers)

Quatre: I like pink!

Wufei: (wakes up) You would!

Quatre: What's that supposed to mean?

Heero: Stella, why don't you torture Duo instead?

Duo: Hey!

Stella: Ok, this is getting out of hand as usual. So, back to the story, how will Heero and Trowa get Relena out of the base?

Trowa: Yeah, how are we going to do that?

Stella: And what's going to happen in Lowen? And will Heero make it - he's hurt pretty badly...

Heero: *pouts *

Stella: Thanks for reading, everyone! Please review. The next part will come soon!