Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Mistaken Words ❯ Unforeseen Flaw ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Mistaken Words

Disclaimer: nope don't own!

Unforeseen Flaw

A figure sat within the shadowed corner, a void of silence hanging about him, which seemed to defy the defining roar of the helicopter's engine. He sat alone, back against the wall assault rifle cradled easily in his strong arms. All those with him knew better than to try and get close, he was not here to socialise, they shouted back and forth to one another, their words lost in the wind and noise. His body was numb with the cold, even with the protective clothing, but he put it out of his mind, as he focused upon other matters. The wind outside was picking up, causing the helicopter to move side to side as much as forward, they would be cutting it close to make it to the drop off point before the storm hit. Breathing in the air he could tell it would be a hard one, might not let up for days once it started.

Drawing his knees closer to his chest, he dropped his head down slightly, glaring out of the corner of one eye, at the only man sitting near to him. Ash leaned easily back against the wall, an identical assault rifle resting as if forgotten by his side, his face was relaxed, and even pleasant, one might say. Ash seemed to sense the glare directed at him, and glanced over, he gave a slight nod of recognition, before returning his attention to the men beneath him. There were about a dozen of them, all dressed in black, carrying weaponry and supplies, certainly not a common sight for peacetime. His own hands tightened about the rifle that he held so close, he did not expect that the weapon would actually come into use, but in situations as this one, you could never be too cautious.

They had been travelling for more than an hour, their destination in a secluded part of this large mountain range. Only a select few knew of it, and he was one of them, which was why he was a part of this mission, he was playing the role of guide. The location had been chosen, not only for its remoteness, but also for the fact that in this specific part of the mountains it was incredibly easy to get lost. He had briefed all the men at the start of it, and Ash appeared to feel comfortable with what was required, so being the senior member, Ash had taken the point position. It was all the same to him, no matter who was leading; this would all turn out the same in the end.

Inhaling a breath of the frigid air, he turned his attention back to where it had been focused before, a small circular window, across the short expanse of the helicopter. He could not see much out of it, save the snow that was beginning to blow in the strong winds, however ever once in a while there would be a brief hint of the mountainous peeks, which where concealed in the night. They would be nearing their destination soon, he could not say where they were from looking but he had a general idea from the time that had passed. Sure enough, within a matter of seconds, the black space beyond the glass window was no longer so empty. His sharp eyes could pick out the darker forms of large evergreens, which rose up around them. Without thought he began to move, relieving the tension that had built within his muscles from the long flight over, he could not afford to be stiff for what he had to do.

Ash, it would appear, had also been paying close attention to the time, as he glanced down at his watch, and shouted to them all, “Three minutes to drop off!!!” After those words, there was a great deal of movement among the men, and the talking all but stopped, as one and all began to focus upon their goals. He appeared as though he were not even paying attention from where he rested silently in his corner, yet he was the most prepared of them all. Adrenaline flowed freely through his veins heightening his awareness and reflexes; he gave his body a few seconds to adjust to the sudden onslaught of the natural chemical, knowing it could be hours before it began to wear off.

Without a word to anyone, or a single sound, not that it could have been heard over the engine if there had been one, he came to his feet and moved towards the door. Those sitting close to it unconsciously moved away, giving him a wide birth. He gripped the handle tightly with both hands, and with a slight grunt hauled it aside, allowing the numbing wind and snow to rush in, stealing everyone's breath away with its sharp fingers. Giving it no thought he glanced out the door to the snow covered ground below, watching the smaller trees race by beneath them, this part of the world was almost completely untouched by man. The wind tore through his hair with icy fingers, but it only drew him further out the door, one hand casually gripping a rope, which would be dropped down for their descent.

He heard someone shout to him, but ignored their words; this was where he would leave them. They had their mission, and he had his own. Shouldering his assault rifle, he waited counting down the seconds in his mind to the point where the helicopter would leave them. Leaning out a little more, he could feel the wind trying to rip him from the very doorway, in the distance he could just make out the clearing that was their intended destination. The harsh blasts of freezing air, were quickly causing his hard face to become raw, though he did not feel it.

Underneath him the clearing was centred, and the helicopter began to hover, waiting for them to unload. The men where all on their feet now waiting to attach there harnesses to the rope and lower themselves to the snowy ground. That was the one piece of equipment that he was lacking, throwing the rope out the door, he let the wind catch it up and tear it around. Without a glance at the men nearing behind, he took a firm grip of the rope with one hand, while the other held his weapon to his shoulder, and leaped from the threshold. He barely heard the shouts of surprise, before he was plummeting towards the earth.

The heat formed between his glove and the rope, soon emanated to his palm but by that time he was almost to the ground. He broke his momentum by landing in a forward shoulder roll, which was made considerably slower due to the deep snow. On his feet in seconds, he quickly scanned the surroundings, instinctively moving to the shadows where he was safest. The storm was clearly picking up, as the snow was falling with much greater conviction now than it had only moments before. It made the distant trees across the clearing appear indistinct, and gave him the feeling that he was even more isolated, even the helicopter did not seem quite so loud. His gloved hand still was giving off a good deal of heat, and he absently dropped to one knee, placing the hand into the snow.

Several minutes past before the first of Ash's troops landed upon the ground, his fall much more controlled than the one who went before them. The man seemed to glance about clearly searching for the daring soldier, but his eyes were not as sharp, and he missed the slightly darker shadow among the hazy trees. The man of the shadows moved off from the clearing, not wanting to stay around and be faced with the questions he knew Ash was already forming in his head. There would be more than enough time for those later. He moved through the deep snow with a practised ease, there was very little in the world that could actually hinder him during a mission. The helicopter had dropped them off about an hour north of their destination, and he intended to reach it before the others, and by a different path than the one he had told Ash about.

He did not fear them finding his tracks and following them, if the dark was not enough to stop them, then the snow certainly would be, at the rate it was falling he could hardly make a mark before it began filling once more. His breath misted before him, tiny puffs of steam that hardly disappeared before the next came. It was difficult with all the adrenaline, but he managed to keep with breathing slow and even, so maximising the oxygen that reached every part of his toned body. Like a hunting animal he slipped though the eternal forest, shifting from one shadow to the next, making not a sound, his ears listened for everything unnatural. Just because they were not expected did not mean something could not easily go wrong.

For a moment as he moved steadily towards his target, he considered the location and it's advantages. Yes it was secluded, which could almost always be a benefit, and next to no one knew about it, which made it all the more safer than any security measure could. However it was far from perfect, he knew about it, that was the first and for most flaw in the location, the second being, that because it had to be so low key, one could not really set up a base or even patrol of guards. Laser wires were even more useless, as animals were constantly passing though. Therefore, the home was basically defenceless, those in side were by no means `sitting ducks' however there was very little they could do once surrounded, as they were soon to be.

The path that he travelled was a short cut, and because of that, he was forced to pass through rougher terrain. Shifting the strap of his assault rifle over his head so the deadly weapon was hanging across his back, he stepped towards a cliff face; hands immediately searching for the necessary holds. This was not the first time that he had journeyed on these very same grounds; in fact he had done so many times before. He had made sure to familiarise himself with the land around knowing that a day like this one would arrive, and he would need to be ready.

Hauling himself up and over the edge, he moved on again quickly, only a short distance now from what he sought. His breathing remained steady and even, not effected by the exertion of the climb. Having been travelling for about twenty minutes, he let his speed pick up, his strides in the snow lengthened as much as they could, he moved from a cautious walk to almost a lope, which carried him easily across the uneven ground. He had not realised until now how much he wanted to reach the end of this journey. His mind had been focused on other matters, however now, as he was steadily drawing closer, he could think of little else.

So much planning and time had gone into this, and he knew exactly where it would all go wrong, he had know from the beginning, and said nothing. Even with the unforeseen flaw, the end result would be the same, the only reason he had not mentioned it to them is because at all times he wanted to be in control of this situation. He had never needed to be in a position of power, in fact he hated it, knowing that he was no leader, but at the same time he was no real follower either, he worked best alone. Yet there were certain matters that he could not ride on the sidelines for, nor could he stay out of them altogether, there just some instances that he needed to be the one making the decisions.

Coming to a slow stop at the edge of a secluded glen, he dropped down to one knee, and peered out through the haze of snow, towards his destination. Surrounded and sheltered by ancient trees was a large beautifully constructed cottage; its arching windows filled with pale lights from within. It seemed like the type of sight one would read about in a fairy tale, yet it was all too real. Sliding his assault rifle back to his shoulder, Heero Yuy took one last look at the home before fading back into the snow-covered night.

***

Flames danced upon the burning logs, sending a myriad of light and shadows against every surface of the beautiful cottage. Sitting before the roaring fire, with a thickly quilted blanket tucked about her Relena could help but sigh with contentment. Whether this was forced vacation or not, she could not deny the absolute serenity of this secret home. Two years ago the pilots had approached her with a new safety measure, that being, this cottage. They had suggested it be built in a remote location, so it could be kept a complete secret, giving her a place to go in case of danger, the fact that no one else other than the pilots knew, meant that she could, in theory go alone. The pilots had built the house themselves, and proved yet again that there was next to nothing they could not do so long as they had some small reference for guidance.

She looked back upon those months, with a fond smile, she had been there with them to offer what assistance she could, and it had turned out to be one of the best times of her life. It had drawn them all closer together, reaffirming the bonds that they had forged during and shortly after the war. There was only one shadow on those memories, as there was with all her recent memories, and that was the fact that the pilots had been led to the idea of this protective cottage, by the assassination attempt. Before that there had been no threats upon her life, and it seemed as if there never would be, she moved about without fear, and that ability drew the people closer to her.

-Now look at me- she thought in disgust, -Hiding away in fear of my life, as though I do not believe in the peace that has lasted for three years- the worst of it was that she was completely in the dark. She had been at the cottage for a week and had not yet her from Quatre or any of the pilots for that matter. The Winner heir had warned that communications would be few and far between, but she would have at least likes something, anything just to give her an idea as to what was being done. Relena hated not knowing what was going on, and unfortunately to remain unknown, she could not have a number of the usual luxuries. There was power, but it came from a completely self-sustaining system that Duo had built.

Relena shook her head, to clear it of such dark thoughts, she was positive that if something were to have happened, one of them would have found a way to inform her of it. Tearing her eyes away from the flames, and their hypnotic dance Relena glanced about to where Anderson and Ryan where. One was almost always in the same room as her, appearing ever alert, no matter how often she reminded them that it was not necessary to be on guard every second. Where the other was she was never quite sure, patrolling something. After three days and no results, she gave up on trying to relax the men, and let them go about their work as they saw fit. She was grateful to the fact that they did not hinder her during the day, and basically left her, to her own devices.

They all sat down to meals together, and she was pleased to find that these two quiet men were actually rather easy to get to know. They seemed to have no trouble speaking with her, and after she told them not to worry about rank, the conversation flowed almost without end. Relena actually found herself glad that they had been told to come, being alone would have driven her crazy. Scanning the room with her cerulean orbs Relena took in the layout of the room, it was large, and basically left open, with a vaulting ceiling. She really liked the appearance of the thick beams lacquered so they glowed with the fires light. The furnishings were comfortable and rustic adding to the atmosphere that she wanted. In the open room it did not take her long to catch sight of Ryan, sitting in a wooden chair by one of the large windows, his eyes seemed to divide their attention between the room, and the storm that was pouring more snow down upon them.

A tiny smile over took her face as she studied the man quietly, he was very sweet, and seemed always to know what to say to a lady. Out of the two he was the easiest to speak with, though Anderson was not stand-offish, he was just a little less social. Relena stood and carefully folded the quilt that had been draped over her; “I was going to make myself some hot chocolate, would you like some Tom?” she inquired while she carefully placed the blanket on the chair. It had not taken her long to learn their full names, Thomas Ryan, and Derrick Anderson.

Tom glanced over to her, his handsome face smiling, “No thank you…”

She cocked her head to one side, it sounded to her as though he did not want to trouble her, “You can't turn down real hot chocolate, are you sure?” her own smile was dazzling.

He laughed slightly; “Can anyone say no to you?”

“Nope, which is why we have the peace,” she winked, and began to walk across the living room towards the spacious kitchen when she heard a crash coming from the basement. Instantly she froze, looking over to Ryan, who was all business now, standing by the window face a mask of seriousness. As silence once more descended she told herself to relax; it was probably just Anderson, though he was not known to be so clumsy. Forcing her lungs to take in air, Relena berated herself for being so jumpy, and began walking again, intent on finding out what happened.

“Relena stop,” Tom warned, hand slowly reaching towards his gun.

“I wouldn't do that if I were you…” a voice cautioned from the short flight of stairs, which led to the bedrooms. Ryan's hand halted half way to its destination and his eyes turned to look in the direction the voice had come.

Relena stopped dead, her blood running cold, that had not been Anderson's voice. Spinning around she took hold of a couch to steady her trembling legs, “Who's there!” she demanded with as much authority as she could muster.

“A simple man, your Majesty,” came the reply but the man did not step forward, “Just a simple man.”

“Show yourself!” Relena commanded. Her mind was racing, along with her emotions, whatever was happening was never supposed to take place, it was not supposed to be possible, though she reminded herself the pilots had taken measure in case it did. However at this moment she found that thought to be of little comfort. Her legs were screaming at her to run while her mind was telling her to remain, she was surprised to see her mind was winning.

“As you wish princess,” his tone was not mocking, as she might have expected it would be. Slowly taking each step at a time, the man entered the room; he was swathed in black battle gear, and held an assault rifle at his hip, aiming it at Ryan. Relena studied the man, finding him to be just as he had said, simple; he had no really defining features, and looked to be in his early to mid thirties. He kept his focus between the two of them, seeming to be completely relaxed.

Drawing in a shuddering breath, Relena made herself speak through the shock that kept threatening to overwhelm her, “Who are you?”

The man's simple face broke into a smile, “Where are my manners?” turning his full attention to Ryan, he directed his next comment at the agent, “Drop your gun on the ground, and put your spare with it.” A second past like a picture frozen in time, as the two stared down at one another, it was in this moment, when the man's full attention was on Ryan, that Relena could tell this man was no novice to the art of battle. With no other options Ryan did as he had been instructed, throwing both weapons to the floor, while glaring daggers at the other man.

With that out of the way, the mysterious man motioned for Ryan to walk nearer to Relena, which Tom did though grudgingly. Now that they were both in easy sight, the smile returned as the man bowed forward slightly, “I am Ash, my Lady, and I am at your service.”

Relena had no idea what to make of this man, he was dangerous, that she could tell with a glance, but he was not what she would have been expecting. No he was more like Duo, and even that did not classify the man properly, as he sounded sincere, where as Duo almost always sounded like he was making a joke. “Ash…” she tested the name, upon her tongue; it sounded as though it were code. Her features hardened becoming very authoritative, “If you are at my service, than place the gun aside.”

“I would if I could princess, but I can't. Forgive me, but the weapon is necessary for my protection,” he breathed face becoming serious.

Noise from behind cause Relena to spin, feeling her heart race, as though it wanted to jump from her chest. Two men came in carrying between them an unconscious Anderson, “What did you do to him?!” she appealed rushing to his side without thought for the weapons that could easily take her life.

“I assure you my Lady, nothing permanent.”

She knelt down at the man's side, pressing two fingers to his neck to reassure herself that this was the case. “Who are you?!” she all but cried over her shoulder, referring to all and not just an individual, “What do you want?!”

Ash placed his gun aside; no longer needing it as the two men who entered had taken over, guarding Ryan. He slowly crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her, “Princess we are the Free Born, what that means will all be made clear to you in time, along with what we want. But let me assure you now it is not war.”

“How can you claim that? With such tactics as these?” she threw back in his face, still kneeling protectively by her fallen guard.

Walking deeper into the room Ash eased himself down, so he was sitting upon the back of the couch, which Relena had been standing beside. “If you're referring to the guns, may I point out my Lady that your men have them two.”

“My men do not draw them upon innocent people,” her voice took on a lofty air.

“And as I said mine was for protection, I truly doubt these excellent men would have allowed me near you without them.”

Relena stood gracefully staring the man straight in the face, “It could not have hurt to try. You say you do not want war? Are you attempting to imply what I am seeing before me is not an immediate threat to my life, and therefore the peace?” she worked very hard to keep her voice calm, knowing that one could only get the best results when they were thinking clearly.

“You are in no immediate danger,” Ash agreed with a nod of his head, “No harm will come to you while you are in my care, that I assure you.”

Looking over to Ryan, she saw the agent was glaring daggers at all the men in the room, Relena could tell that every muscle in his body was tensed, ready for any opportunity that might present itself. She closed her eyes for the briefest of seconds quickly looking over all her options, and there were not that many. Finally she opened her crystal eyes, “I believe you,” she whispered, and saw Ryan shake his head adamantly, but she had already made her decision.

Ash's smile returned, “Good, well with that settled, we could all relax…” he trailed off eyes turning to Ryan, “That is if your guard over there would give his word not to try anything funny.”

Tom's face darkened, and seeing this Relena walked over to his side, “Please Tom, I don't want to see anyone get hurt,” she pleaded resting one small hand upon his strong arm. The older man looked down at her, fear for her life clearly filling his eyes, and for a moment she was sure he would refuse.

“…I give my word…” he said finally never taking his eyes off Relena.

“Excellent!” exclaimed their captor, sounding as though they had all agreed to a picnic, “Then shall we move your friend onto the couch?”

Relena's eyes moved back to Derrick, where he still lay upon the ground, oblivious to everything that was happening around him. She nodded once, and Tom moved forward to lift his friend's head while one of Ash's men took his legs. Pushing away her fear, Relena forced herself to walk over to the couch where Ash waited, as though everything were as it should be. By no means did she want to give them the benefit of thinking her scared, or unsure. Without even looking at Ash Relena grabbed hold of the plaid blanket, which had been draped over the back of the wooden couch. As the two men lay down their burden, Relena gently covered him with the warm blanket, and placed a pillow beneath his head.

An uneasy silence descended over the room and those within it, as Relena knelt beside Derrick's head, resting a hand on his forehead. She wondered where it was they had hit him, and her fingers slowly made their way through his hair searching for any serious damage. His groan of pain told her more than touching did, when she had found the tender area. Glancing up Relena levelled a withering stare at Ash, who stood watching her quietly.

“Please don't do that princess, I was not the one to hit him…” Ash said leaning down on the couch, as though this were his home. It annoyed her no end that he could be so comfortable.

“No,” she replied in an even tone, “But you were the man who brought them.”

A groan brought both their eyes back down again, as Derrick began to shift slowly beneath the blanket. “Ugh…what happened?” he questioned, hazel eyes bury, but they were fast clearing, and thankfully they came to rest on Relena's face and not Ash's.

“Now just relax,” she soothed trying to think of the best way to tell him what happened, without causing him to react badly. There really was no safe way and so she chose to instead seat herself on the edge of the couch, with both hands resting on his chest. “A group calling themselves the Free Born has taken the cottage,” that was all Derrick needed to hear, as he instantly tried to get to his feet. “No Derrick, relax I've given my word we won't fight them.”

The dazed man fell back staring at her in disbelief; “How could you?”

“I don't want to see anyone else get hurt on my account,” she looked straight into his eyes, “Give me your word that you won't start anything.”

He did sit up then, slowly, pulling himself away from her hands; and glancing about the room, to the men present there, and their weapons, Derrick shook his head. “I can't do that Relena.”

“You also can't stand up to these odds, my friend,” Ash put in softly, his tone almost sounding dangerous.

Derrick shot him a glare, “I'll die protecting her,” he vowed angrily.

“That truly is brave of you, but since her life is not in danger, I'd suggest doing as she asks, so we can all rest easy.”

“There's nothing that can be done now,” Relena added, wanting to stop any violence now before matter got out of hand. “Please…”

The agent's glare did not lessen, as he looked once more about the room, his gaze clearly landing heavily upon the assault rifles, which each man had in hand or near him. “If there is no danger, what of the guns?”

“Think of them as an insurance measure…we want as little blood shed as your princess here,” said the plain faced man.

After what seemed an eternity Anderson looked back to Relena, an almost pleading light in his eyes; he was terrified for her safety. But Relena just smiled hoping it would reassure him, though she did not feel in the least bit assured herself. With a growl of protest Derrick finally nodded, “I'll do as the princess says.”

“Thank you,” Relena exclaimed throwing her arms about his neck, and allowing herself to finally breathe a sigh of relief. His arms slowly folded about her, adding a warmth to her body that she had not known she was missing. “Just rest here I'll go make you some tea,” Anderson scanned the room, but did nod his head in acceptance.

With a single glance at Ash Relena stood and boldly made her way to the kitchen, daring any of them to stop her. No one stepped forward, but Ash did follow a step or two behind, motioning for his men to stay where they were. Relena moved about as though, Ash were a guest in her home, she would thinking of it in that way, much easier to deal with than accepting the truth of the situation; though that was always floating right at the back of her thoughts. “You're taking this very well princess,” Ash commented as he sat down on one of the wooden chairs.

She scrutinised him from over one shoulder, as she filled the tea pot with water, “You don't actually believe that you're the first do you?” Relena questioned with one eyebrow arched.

“No of course not,” he laughed, and she noticed then that he was not quite so plain, “I only meant you have as much control and pose as you do on TV.”

“What can I say?” Relena shrugged turning the stove on to heat the water; “It's been drilled into me since I was a child.” Turning around to face the other man Relena leaned back against the counter, “I'll never understand you type of people. After three years of peace why would you want to destroy it?”

Ash shook head slowly, “I never said we were trying to destroy the peace…”

She scoffed in disbelief, “What then are you trying to accomplish?”

“As I said it will be made clear in time,” he said leaning calmly back in his chair.

“Perhaps I want to know now,” she shot back.

“Then you're in for some disappointment,” warned Ash.

Relena was about to retaliate with something, anything, which might gain her some more information about this whole mess. Yet it was at that moment that another man walked in from the basement steps, there was snow upon his shoulders, which contrasted greatly to the black material he was shrouded in. The new comer glanced to her for a brief moment, and even managed a small bow before he crossed the kitchen to when Ash was now standing. Relena studied them as they settled into a quiet conversation, wondering what it was that they were speaking about, but gaining nothing from watching she turned her attention to the kettle, which had come to a boil.

As she quietly rummaged through the cupboards for the necessities that she needed to make Derrick a cup of tea, Relena continued to strain with her hearing. Several words or partial comments came to her ears as their conversation continued; though they made little sense to her. “…Everywhere?” Ash questioned sounding sceptical.

“…No trace…” most of what the new comer said was lost, only helping to raise her curiosity.

“…He's done it before,” apparently a question had been asked of Ash, though it felt to Relena that there had been more to his response than what she was able to catch.

Relena carefully poured the hot water into a nice large mug, and adding the tea bag, began to stir it. “Do you want us to continue…?”

Gazing back through the corner of one eye Relena caught Ash shaking his head, “…he'll show…”

Moments later the man left the same way he had entered, and just as silently. Ash retook his seat, as though nothing had happened, and for the moment Relena was willing to leave it like that. Drawing the tea bag from the darkened water, she put it in the plastic bin for compost, all the while feeling Ash's eyes upon her. It took a lot of effort not to look back, but somehow she managed, while busying herself with cleaning up. Taking hold of the mug Relena crossed the opened tiled floor and walked back into the Den. She was glad to find Derrick where she had left him, Tom had come to stand nearby, but it did not appear that either would relax anytime soon.

She knelt at Anderson's side for a moment, pressing the steaming cup of tea into his hands. He offered her a weak smile, though his eyes were still hard; she returned his smile, they could glare as much as they wanted so long as nothing came of it. Relena rested her hands on his shoulder for a moment as she came to her feet. With no rush or even great interest Relena made her way back into the kitchen where surprisingly Ash still sat waiting. Her mind was busy turning over matters, she had not allowed herself to consider until all matters with her guards where taken care of. She walked back over to the counter without really realising it, and began to absently remove mugs.

“A penny for your thoughts, princess?” Ash inquired gently.

Relena gave a barely perceivable start, as she was brought out of her thoughts, she recovered well though. “You've lost one of your men?” she asked back while looking trough the cupboards for a certain canister, one she knew was empty.

“You always listen in on private conversations?”

Half-turning Relena smiled sweetly, “I was gifted with the ears of a politician, we catch everything. You didn't answer my question though, have you lost one of you men?”

“No not really, he's not one of mine,” his eyes travelled to the stairs as he spoke, as though he would considering further the conversation he had had only a few minutes before. “He comes and goes as he chooses, most likely won't be long before he shows.”

“I see…” trailing off from what she was going to continue with, Relena pulled the hot chocolate canister down from the shelf, and opened it. Empty jar in hand she turned to face Ash, shaking her head ever so slightly, “I was going to make hot chocolate for us, but I'm not sure I have anymore.”

Ash gave a start of surprise at this, clearly taken aback by her consideration, “That really isn't necessary…” he began.

“Oh it's not trouble,” Relena countered good-naturedly, “I wonder if I have any extra in the pantry…” she mused aloud to herself, “Will you excuse me?”

“Of course,” he responded courteously as she had known he would.

Careful to conceal the grin that was threatening to overtake her features, Relena calmly walked into the large pantry that had been built beside the kitchen. It had been designed to hold all the essential for a good for month stay. Shelves took up most of the opened space, lining all walls as well; there were also a number of large freezers and fridge's. Relena by passed all these without a glance, placing the empty container on the nearest shelf as she made her way to the back of the dimly lit room.

It was back here that Duo had placed her escape route, though the pilots felt secure leaving her here on her own, they were not about to take any chances with her life. A well-concealed door was hidden in the furthest corner of the room, awaiting her entrance. With a quick glance over he shoulder, in fear that Ash might think to give her a hand, Relena took hold of the handle, and silently opened the threshold. Beyond the wooden slating, which covered all the other walls was a metal landing leading to a flight of stairs. She stepped in side the doorway, and quickly pulled the metal door closed, locking it solidly from the inside.

The pilots had thought of everything, when designing this place, hanging on a peg was a thick winter coat, with a pair of knee high boots resting beneath. Relena dressed quickly, wanting to be as far away as she could, Duo had assured her that once the door was locked from this side it could not be opened. Still she would be a great deal more comfortable once she had put distance between herself and the `Free Born', and put out word to the pilots that her life was in danger.

Edging her way down the stairs as fast as she could Relena glanced back often, seeming not to be able to help herself. At the end of the stairs was a shadowed corridor, which led her away from the house, a safe distance before opening up to the ground level. Her heart was racing a mile a minute and adrenaline was fast flowing though her veins, making Relena want to run as fast as her legs would carry her. However she forced herself to keep the pace that she had set, racing would not get her to the destination any safer, she needed to continue thinking clearly if she wanted to survive this. Relena had to admit; that she did not really feel threatened while she had been in Ash's company, which was odd. It was as though he might actually have been telling the truth.

Running one hand through her hair several times, Relena looked back over her shoulder one more time to see that there was nothing behind her. She knew that by now they must have known that she had escaped; it was now that Relena knew she must hurry. Already at the end of the tunnel, Relena unlocked the door and forced it open. Even where the door had been concealed, had seen a good deal of snow, and she had to push with all her strength just to get it to move a few inches. It had been Wufei who chose the location for the exit, a rock outcropping sheltered the door, and the other side had been made to match. Redoubling her efforts, as if the men themselves were racing down the corridor after her Relena managed to open the door enough that she could slip though.

Once outside in the winter storm, she did not even consider wasting the time it would take to close the door. Instead she looked around at her surroundings, attempting to gain her bearings in the night with the snow falling like a heavy veil. The back of her mind, somewhat isolated from the fear and anxiety, which was controlling her at that moment, did register at the sheer beauty of the perfect winters night. With a sigh of relief Relena realised where it was that she needed to be and what direction to take, not hesitating for an instant she started off, as quickly as the deep snow would allow.

Knowing that the cottage could at some time be a target, the pilots had not placed the emergence contact equipment inside the buildings four walls. Instead they had hidden it outside in the forest, knowing that Relena would be able to make it out of the house, where she would be far safer. The location that had been chosen, was that of an ancient tree, one who's base was almost completely hollow. She had thought it an excellent place to store the necessary items, somewhere remote, a place few would even consider looking in. Relena had been drilled over and over again on how to find it, in almost ever condition the weather could throw her way, or they could think up. The reality of the matter was however still different, but nothing she could not handle, and within ten minutes she had reached the very tree, that she and Duo had first come upon so many months ago.

A panel of wood covered in moss, and other small plant life that would be found, had been fashioned to cover most of the opening, so what the cavity hid inside would not be quite so obvious, it would also work to protect against weather. Coming to a stop, her breaths short and ragged, Relena dropped to her knees and dug at the snow, trying to find a grip on the wood beneath. A sound in the deep night froze her where she knelt. Ducking slightly as she looked first one way and then the other, Relena breathed a sigh of relief when she found nothing human anywhere around her, at least as far as her eyes could penetrate the storm, and if she could not see them they could not see her. That was the reasoning that she used to force her limbs to once more work.

Relena's glove covered fingers found grips on the edge of the wood and with a grunt she hauled it away from the tree. Sliding into the pitch black darkness Relena pulled the board back over top of the tree, knowing that with how fast the snow was still falling, any trace of her would soon be gone. Crouching in the blackness Relena slowly evened out her breathing, telling herself, over and over again that she had made it; she was safe. In the gloom behind her, Relena sense something's movement, and her heart skipped a beat nearly threatening to stop. As a pair of hands reached out to grab her, Relena screamed.

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The End of a Dream:

-This is the missing man- Relena thought, terror still causing her heart to race; -But how had he known about the tree?- her mind was not working clear enough to even try and decipher the mystery. Breathing in what was supposed to be a calming breath, Relena caught a scent, which did nothing to ease her racing heart. She knew the scent, had smelled it dozens of times before, it was raw untamed, not something that could be recreated by colognes. It was Heero Yuy.

Morganeth Taren'drel