--- Part 6 ---

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Noin asked, exchanging concerned looks with Hilde.

With a great deal of effort, the young Vice Foreign Minister swung her legs off the edge of the hospital bed, taking care not to pull on the tubing of her I.V. With a sigh, she brushed her hair off her shoulder. She stared out the window for a moment, appearing lost in thought.

“I have to do this,” she said, glancing at the other two women. “It’s the right thing to do for the people.”

Noin nodded. “I guess we had better get you ready then. The announcement is scheduled to be in a few hours.”

Relena nodded and placed her bare feet on the cool linoleum. Her hospital gown was typically paper-thin and tied closed with strings along her back, letting the cold air of the room brush against her heated skin. Shivering slightly, she moved to stand up, but the world suddenly shifted.

“Whoa, there,” Hilde cried, grabbing Relena before the politician hit the floor.

Relena shifted her weight to lean against the bed instead of Hilde, keeping her eyes closed as she fought the dizziness. “I’m fine. Just moved a little too fast.”

Hilde glanced at Noin, the younger woman’s expression clearly stating that she believed that Relena wasn’t fine. Noin felt the same way. However, she knew that Relena would make this announcement, no matter what it took from her.

“Just relax,” Noin soothed, as she and Hilde lifted Relena back on the bed. “Just leave things to us.”

Opening her eyes, Relena smiled. “Just don’t tell Wufei or Milliardo about this.”

* * * * *

“I can’t believe she’s doing this,” Duo muttered, leaning against the wall with a huff. “I mean, she’s here to focus on getting better. She’s not suppose to be worrying about the fate of peace. That’s that Ben guy’s job.”

Heero continued to stare at the screen on his computer. Glancing at his companion, Duo sighed. He would never understand the Perfect Soldier.

“Can’t you at least pretend to be concerned about her, Heero?”

Heero’s eyes never wavered from the screen. “No.”

“Why are you here, then?” Duo demanded, now standing beside Heero. “Why are you wasting your time protecting her?”

Heero froze, giving the questions some thought. Finally, he answered, “I don’t want to fight again.”

“You selfish bastard,” Duo swore, his fists clenching. “She’s more than just an icon, you know.”

“Maybe to you.”

Duo shook his head in disgust. “Man, Heero, you are some piece of work.”

Heero listened to 02 pilot’s footsteps fade down the hallway, his mind filling with conflicting thoughts and emotions. ‘Damn you, Duo,’ he thought, slamming his computer closed and raising to his feet. Ignoring his rational side, he let his emotions lead him.

* * * * *

Sally blinked her eyes several times as the aroma of coffee pulled her from sleep. Stretching until her joints popped, she sat up. Alex was seated across from her, reading as she sipped from a mug.

“Morning, Sleepy Head,” Alex greeted, still reading. “Sleep well?”

Sally rolled her shoulders, the jacket slipping off. “What time is it?”

“A little after nine. The announcement isn’t scheduled for a few hours, yet.”

Sally picked up the jacket, immediately noticing the familiar Preventers colors and the lingering masculine scent. With a knowing smile, Alex looked up. “By the way, did Wufei find you last night?”

Seeing Alex’s sly smile, Sally grinned in spite of herself. However, the smile faded as her eyes fell on the numerous textbooks surrounding them. “Have you found anything?”

“No,” Alex replied softly. The room filled with a brief silence, until Alex cleared her throat. “But I think your partner has.”

Sally flipped through Wufei’s notes, mentally correcting the surprisingly few errors in them. Grabbing a textbook, Sally began turning through it furiously. Alex smiled as she watched Sally’s antics.

“Just to save you some time,” Alex said, “it’s plausible and I think it’s worth a try.”

Shaking her head, Sally let the book close. “So, do we inplement before or after Relena’s speech?”

Alex drummed her fingers against her mug. “I’ve been wondering that myself. Relena wants to appear as normal as possible for the announcement. However, I’m not completely sure how her body will react. There are quite a few possible side effects.”

“So, can we do anything for her before the announcement?” Sally asked.

“Not much,” Alex admitted. “I’ll probably load her up on some more antipyretics a couple of hours before her announcement. That way she will hopefully be fever-free for the speech. I still have a couple of cultures and blood tests pending in the lab, but I think are best bet will be Wufei’s idea.”

As Sally leaned back in her chair, she murmured, “I just hope it works.”


Part VI “Are you sure you want to do this?” Noin asked, exchanging concerned looks with Hilde. With a great deal of effort, the young Vice Foreign Minister swung her legs off the edge of the hospital bed, taking care not to pull on the tubing of her I.V. With a sigh, she brushed her hair off her shoulder. She stared out the window for a moment, appearing lost in thought. “I have to do this,” she said, glancing at the other two women. “It’s the right thing to do for the people.” Noin nodded. “I guess we had better get you ready then. The announcement is scheduled to be in a few hours.” Relena nodded and placed her bare feet on the cool linoleum. Her hospital gown was typically paper-thin and tied closed with strings along her back, letting the cold air of the room brush against her heated skin. Shivering slightly, she moved to stand up, but the world suddenly shifted. “Whoa, there,” Hilde cried, grabbing Relena before the politician hit the floor. Relena shifted her weight to lean against the bed instead of Hilde, keeping her eyes closed as she fought the dizziness. “I’m fine. Just moved a little too fast.” Hilde glanced at Noin, the younger woman’s expression clearly stating that she believed that Relena wasn’t fine. Noin felt the same way. However, she knew that Relena would make this announcement, no matter what it took from her. “Just relax,” Noin soothed, as she and Hilde lifted Relena back on the bed. “Just leave things to us.” Opening her eyes, Relena smiled. “Just don’t tell Wufei or Milliardo about this.” * * * * * “I can’t believe she’s doing this,” Duo muttered, leaning against the wall with a huff. “I mean, she’s here to focus on getting better. She’s not suppose to be worrying about the fate of peace. That’s that Ben guy’s job.” Heero continued to stare at the screen on his computer. Glancing at his companion, Duo sighed. He would never understand the Perfect Soldier. “Can’t you at least pretend to be concerned about her, Heero?” Heero’s eyes never wavered from the screen. “No.” “Why are you here, then?” Duo demanded, now standing beside Heero. “Why are you wasting your time protecting her?” Heero froze, giving the questions some thought. Finally, he answered, “I don’t want to fight again.” “You selfish bastard,” Duo swore, his fists clenching. “She’s more than just an icon, you know.” “Maybe to you.” Duo shook his head in disgust. “Man, Heero, you are some piece of work.” Heero listened to 02 pilot’s footsteps fade down the hallway, his mind filling with conflicting thoughts and emotions. ‘Damn you, Duo,’ he thought, slamming his computer closed and raising to his feet. Ignoring his rational side, he let his emotions lead him. * * * * * Sally blinked her eyes several times as the aroma of coffee pulled her from sleep. Stretching until her joints popped, she sat up. Alex was seated across from her, reading as she sipped from a mug. “Morning, Sleepy Head,” Alex greeted, still reading. “Sleep well?” Sally rolled her shoulders, the jacket slipping off. “What time is it?” “A little after nine. The announcement isn’t scheduled for a few hours, yet.” Sally picked up the jacket, immediately noticing the familiar Preventers colors and the lingering masculine scent. With a knowing smile, Alex looked up. “By the way, did Wufei find you last night?” Seeing Alex’s sly smile, Sally grinned in spite of herself. However, the smile faded as her eyes fell on the numerous textbooks surrounding them. “Have you found anything?” “No,” Alex replied softly. The room filled with a brief silence, until Alex cleared her throat. “But I think your partner has.” Sally flipped through Wufei’s notes, mentally correcting the surprisingly few errors in them. Grabbing a textbook, Sally began turning through it furiously. Alex smiled as she watched Sally’s antics. “Just to save you some time,” Alex said, “it’s plausible and I think it’s worth a try.” Shaking her head, Sally let the book close. “So, do we inplement before or after Relena’s speech?” Alex drummed her fingers against her mug. “I’ve been wondering that myself. Relena wants to appear as normal as possible for the announcement. However, I’m not completely sure how her body will react. There are quite a few possible side effects.” “So, can we do anything for her before the announcement?” Sally asked. “Not much,” Alex admitted. “I’ll probably load her up on some more antipyretics a couple of hours before her announcement. That way she will hopefully be fever-free for the speech. I still have a couple of cultures and blood tests pending in the lab, but I think are best bet will be Wufei’s idea.” As Sally leaned back in her chair, she murmured, “I just hope it works.”


Part VII You Shouldn't Have to Say Goodbye