Do You Still Love Me? Part 9 by Tomorrow

AN: Thank you all who have read and reviewed. You are all so sweet and I hope you enjoy the end. Please tell me what you think of the series on a whole and what you thought about this part.

Disclaimers: I don't own Gundam Wing... is that hard to understand or something?

"No... NOOOOO!!!!" Heero cried as Guile dissipated from existence. Future Relena had finally desisted her rainbow chains, and fell to the ground grabbing her chest... falling from exhaustion. But at this point, Heero paid no heed to that, but only wanted to reach his sleeping maiden. As determined as he was though, he had no idea where she was, and the lands of the underworld can go on for an eternity... literally.

"Relena! Relena! Where are you! Answer me! PLEASE Relena!" he kept calling in desperation, accustoming his senses to even the faintest of sounds. Still, no one answered him as his voice echoed repeatedly through the silence, and in frustration he slammed his fist into the soil, causing it to rupture beneath his hand.

Before he had a chance to do anything more drastic, he felt himself becoming dizzy and extremely tired, his subconscious beckoning him to succumb, but Heero tried to fight it. Even with all his will against this sensation, he lost yet another battle and felt the darkness surround him once more.

When he awoke, he found himself in the chamber where this crusade first began... the crypt below Soraura's former palace. Again he became nauseous as he took in the sight of himself lying on top of Relena in an gesture of protection, and heart sink as he saw the tears still flowing from her covered body. With a little hesitation, for he was still queasy, he managed to get to his feet and began to examine the room once more, wondering why he was brought back here of all places. Then he saw it. There was Relena, HIS Relena, lying on the altar in restless sleep. She lay writhing and shivering in terror, only one word escaping from her pale lips... "Heero." She muttered it many times, each with more suffering hinting the word than the last, and a tear to accompany it. He slowly went to her, a cool wetness staining his face, but he didn't seem to notice right then, for all he could see was the woman he loved lying there, being tortured with a dream... a dream which he could never free her from. With such tender grace he knelt by her side hoping, PRAYING that she should open her eyes to him just once more. Once more that he may see the beautiful twinkle they emitted that made his spine tingle and breath halt. Once more that he may see their magnificence that made him remember why he wanted to live. Once more that he may see the passion that traced them that gave his their own sparkle. But why should he live in a fantasy? She was gone now, and there was nothing he or anyone for that matter, could do to change that. All he could do was kneel there beside her and kiss her on the brow, stroking her sun-kissed tresses in gentle awe.

"Oh Heero... I'm so sorry"

"Lira," Heero mumbled without even turning to see her. "Can't you do something? Guile's gone now, your power's back. Can't you break his curse?"

"No," she murmured softly, barely audible in that silent room.

"Please! Can't you at least enable her to sleep in dreams of joy? Can't you bless her with even a dreamless repose?"

"I'm... I'm sorry Heero, but there is nothing I can do. He was just too powerful. For now she lies in nightmares of gruesome content, and this way forever she shall stay."

"Please! Please tell me there is something I can do to make her open her eyes to me!"

Lira could only shake her head in protest, letting out a sob which was her only mechanism for holding back the tears which she refused to shed in front of him. Relena was gone now... and that was the end.

"We have to go home now Heero. I have to take you back. Don't worry, I will always watch over her here, doing what I can to ease her troubled aura. Come now, take my hand."

No. No he couldn't leave her here... at least not without leaving her a gift to show his true affection for her. But he had nothing. The Sword that contained within its hilt the remnants of their former love had been returned to God, and what else had he to give her? But he did have something to leave with her; something that he had forgotten about long before, but could remain in her bosom forever, reminding anyone who would ever see her distilled form in their dreams of their undying love... that single white rose that blossomed even in the darkest depths of Hell. He gingerly took it from his pocket and held it between his fingers for a time, letting his fragile tears water and relieve the thirst of its withering petals, and put it up to his lips for an innocent kiss. With a tender caress of the silken hues to her lips, he intertwined her fingers around its stem and quickly turned his face away, not wanting her soul to behold his shame anymore.

"Good-bye Relena. I'm not trained to handle the illusions of love, and right now I'm lost. I don't know what to do, I don't know how to show you these feelings I have toward you. I was always taught to act on my emotions... except for love. Dr. J told me that love was a dangerous sentient, and that it would destroy me if I ever experienced it. That's why he decided to take my humanity away from me so long ago. Now I know... he was right. Love is nothing but a distortion of reality that was given to humans that they may know how God felt when we betrayed him in Eden. God gave it to us as nothing more than a punishment, and He's damned me with it! You, you were the only person that ever showed me love, so maybe you're nothing but a curse too! But how... Why do I still feel like I'm dying when I know what I say is true? Why do I still want you here?" he trailed of as he stood up and took Lira's hand, his gaze locked in front of him, yet his eyes showed him nothing.

As they were about to leave, a whisper no louder that a baby's purr could be heard resounding in the cellar.

"Heero? Heero, where are you going? Why can't I come with you?"

His eyes widened and he jerked himself around to see Relena lying there, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and looking at him with confusion. Without so much as a gasp, he leapt to her bedside and held her face in his hands, looking deep into her eyes, his being blinded by their glisten.

"Relena! You're awake?"

"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be? I can't sleep forever you know, I had to wake up sometime."

He could only smile as she said such things and kissed her on the forehead, assuring himself that she was really there and with him. Relena could only gasp as his lips untightened to reveal such a beautiful sight, for never before had she seen him smile a truly, genuine smile before. He was about to speak to her when a Lira's sweet voice interrupted them.

"Look you two!"

When they turned their heads, they saw their future selves standing before them, a peaceful smile covering their faces. No longer did blood stain their garments, for wherever such crimson lakes had been, slivers of diamonds now traced their clothing, and the rips and tears that once decorated them, were not even visible for they too had been sewn back into place. The gashes in their chests had completely healed, and their new skin that had formed to cover the area was even softer and smoother than on the rest of their bodies. Their hair no longer tangled together in a massive nest, but was finely brushed and laid in perfect excellence to compliment their elan-except for Future Heero, his hair was still as unruly as ever. The couple spoke not a word to those which they had once been, but only seemed to praise their courage with their expressions.

"Heero, I'm proud of you," Lira said through a smile.

"But, but how? You said that..."

"I don't exactly know how. The most I can think is that your final gift, that rose, which was rooted through the love in your hearts and the love of the Father, speckled with your tears was filled with enough affection to arise her. She could feel your devotion towards her as the passion in your tears penetrated her lips. But, in reality, I know not what happened. Now let me take you home, that your friends don't worry."

"Wait Lira," Relena called out, "we're going to forget all of this aren't we?"

"Yes my dear, I'm sorry, but I can't ..."

"But I want to remember! I want to know Heero's love for me! I can't bear being left in the dark again!"

"Little one, if I let you keep these memories, you could put your futures in danger. It would not turn out as it is, and could therefore have dire consequences. Please understand." And Lira's voice faded from their ears.

"Who the heck is comin' here at this hour?" Duo said out loud to himself as he went to answer the door. "Whoa! Heero... Relena! Where have you guys been?"

"I don't know," they replied at the same time.

"Yeah, sure you don't," he retorted, a huge smile spreading across his face.

"I'm tired Duo, so would you please tell the others good night for me?"

"Sure Lens, whatever you say," he said as she retreated to her room upstairs. "So Heero! Now that she's gone, you can tell me what REALLY happened."

"I told you Duo, I don't know. We were sleeping, and the next thing we know we're walking home."

"Yeah, uhuh. You were 'sleeping' and then you were walking home. You probably just got too distracted to realize that you left, huh Heero?"

"Just leave me alone. Tell the others we were at dinner or something. Do it for me or you'll be facing the end of a barrel when you wake up tomorrow, and I don't mean an apple barrel."

"Okay man, night. I knew he read my letter." Duo said to himself as he got ready for bed.

"Good night my Master and Mistress. You are finally free to live your lives the way you are meant to. Whatever choices you make, make sure you make them together." The winged woman then disappeared into the stars.

AN: So, what did you think? Was it stupid, different, good? Please tell me what you thought of this, and thank you all for reading and e-mailing. I already have the idea for my next fic, and Axisor, I scratched the idea I told you about at school... I have a better one now *smiles and starts laughing.* Oh, sorry! Until my next series, Bye!!!!!