Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, etc.

Shattered Dreams and Silent Tears…

Truths are told as this tale unfolds;

Desire and Passion a dangerous combination,

As true Love battles to over come and withstand,

The Obstacles which are thrown in it's path…

-Tenoko

~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (starts from Trowa's POV)

With the war over, and the rest of us trying to go on with our lives, we all kind of drifted in our own directions. I had quit the circus, finding that I would be more useful as a Preventor. I had immediately been assigned as Relena's bodyguard, since Heero had disappeared right after the Mariemaia incident. My sister Catherine, had also quit the circus, and joined with Preventors, so as to 'keep an eye on her little brother' , as she said. I didn't mind, though. But, it was when I had joined Preventors that all of my trouble began. Of course, then, it didn't seem like trouble…

~*FLASHBACK*~

The snow was falling gently to the ground, creating a sparkling white blanket on the ground. I watched closely as Relena skated gracefully along the frozen water. Her every movement perfect and flawless. It was almost Christmas, and Relena was given a two week vacation to enjoy the holiday, so I was given a partner to add to the protection during the time of cheer, that until now, had always been plagued with war. Quatre was sitting next to me, watching Relena also. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold, her breath coming out in small white clouds, as her eyes danced with the music that came from her heart. She was such a genuine person, so pure, so innocent. She was so caring and forgiving. Forgetting past wrongs, and always ready to give someone a second chance. She had a heart of pure gold, and sometimes I had to wonder if she were even human at all, maybe she was an angel sent by God to save us all from the clutches of war. Maybe she was the Angel of Grace, sent here to give soldiers a second chance, to show us that there could be life without the war, and that no matter how dark the night got, the sun would surely shine in the morning… She's so beautiful.

"Did you say something Trowa?" Quatre asked, breaking into my thoughts; I looked at him, and he smiled at me,

"I'm sorry what did you say?"

"I thought I heard you say something."

"I-no. I didn't say anything." Again, he smiled, then looked back towards the lake,

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" I nodded, "It never ceases to amaze me that a world such as this can come from the world in which was controlled and corrupted by war. It's amazing what she has been able to accomplish. Without her, none of this would be possible, no matter how hard or how long we might have fought, without her…"

"I know what you mean."

"But I just wish she could be happy, and have the one thing her heart desires. I know she's devoted to peace, but she's not entirely happy. She's so busy looking after everyone else, but she has no one to look out, take care of, and love her. And I hate if for her."

But I love her… I shook my head. It was true. I loved Relena, and I had slowly been falling in love with her since I started this job. I hadn't planned on it, or even wanted to do it, but I had. The only person that knew I was in love with her was Catherine, and I had told her knowing that she would never tell. She was my confidant, my best friend, the one person I truly trusted without a doubt…

"Hey Cathy?" I called through the shut door to the bathroom,

"Yeah?"

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah sure. I'm in the shower though." Slowly, I entered the steam filled bathroom, the sound of running water the dominating sound of the small room. Carefully, I moved her towel from the toilet and sat on the lid.

"What's the matter Trowa?"

"You know how I feel about Relena, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I was talking to Quatre, and he was saying how he found it sad that after all Relena had done for the people, how she's taken care of them, and looked after them, that she had no one to love and look after her."

"Uh huh. Go on."

"But… I love her. And it got me thinking: couldn't I be the person to take care of her?"

"Possibly. But what about Heero?" My head snapped up, staring at her obscured form through the textured glass.

"What about him?"

"He loves her too."

"So we think, but we don't know for sure. And besides, that was three years ago, and he hasn't been seen since the war was over, we don't even know if he's still alive. A memory can't love and protect her. But I can, because I'm not something of the past." I stated, as the water cut off.

"Hand me my towel." she asked, sticking a dripping hand out of the shower, I handed it to her, and she continued, "Have you ever thought that maybe she doesn't feel the same for you? Have you ever thought about telling her how you feel? Though Heero may not still be around, he still may hold the key to her heart, and she may believe that he will come back one day. Trowa, she cares a great deal about him, and being a woman, I know that her heart won't be won over so easily, and she won't just give up on him and move on with her life as if he never existed. Turn around." I silently obeyed, staring at a wall, listening as she continued, "Trowa, if it comes out that she does love you, and the two of you end up together, and live happily ever after… I'm happy for you, and for her, God knows she needs a happy ending, but…I don't want you or her to get hurt. Be careful, kind, and patient. Her heart was broken when he left, and she hasn't been able to pick up all of the pieces, and yet everyday, she gets up and hides behind her own smile, so that the people won't have to see the turmoil in her own life. Just go slow and be careful, that's all I'm saying." I stared at the wall in silence, listening to the sound of Catherine moving around, uncertainty creeping over me.

"Do you think I have a chance?"

"I can't tell you that. I would have never thought that she would have fallen for a man like Heero, but again, she saw a side of him, that no one else ever saw, or has ever seen. She knows a side of him, that he keeps hidden from everyone else. But, I think the odds are in your favor. But… don't you think you are still a little young to be thinking about settling down? She's nineteen, and you're barely twenty."

"Well, if she gives me chance, and we date, or possibly get engaged, it would be a few years down the road before actually 'settling down'."

"True. You can turn around." I turned around, and Cathy looked up at me through compassionate violet eyes; standing on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around my neck. I embraced her gently, feeling her petite form through her damp shirt. I pulled back,

"You need to eat more. You're too skinny." she laughed and batted at my arm,

"You always say that."

I stood, leaning against the door frame to Relena's bedroom, waiting for her to emerge, so that we could face another day together.

"Good morning Trowa!" I looked at her, and held my breath. She was, as always, stunning. She was cad merely in white pants and a red turtle neck sweater, her hair held back with a matching white ribbon. She was always so beautiful, no matter what, she was always beautiful to me.

"Good morning Relena. You look nice. What did you have planned for today?"

"Christmas shopping!" she replied, walking down stairs, I followed closely behind her, "I have a long list of people to buy gifts for, and there is so little time with which to buy them anything." When we got to the end of the stairs, I stopped her, and she looked at me, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"What about you, Relena? What do you want for Christmas?" She blinked, staring at me in puzzlement,

"Me? Why… I don't know, I haven't given it a thought, I really haven't had time."

"You should. You should think about yourself more often than you do. Love yourself most, and then others come first."

"What do you want for Christmas Trowa?" she asked quickly, avoiding the subject by changing the subject. She was good at that. Avoiding what might cause her pain, or make her feel selfish, and when it came to thinking about herself, she felt selfish. And then again, I had found that she avoided the subject of the one she had once loved most, at all cost.

"What I want isn't something that can be gotten at Christmas, because it isn't material, it's not tangible."

"What do you mean?" she whispered. I stared into her ocean blue eyes, finding myself lost in the tender and caring gaze. Now was my chance to tell her, now was the time to tell her that I cared, now was the time to tell her how much she meant to me…

"What I want is more something on the inside, rather than out. It's like an issue of the heart, how you can care for someone, and want them to care in return, but those feelings aren't tangible. It's the same way in my case, what I want isn't tangible, just like love isn't substantial. It's an invisible bond, you can't see it, but it's there never the less."

"I don't think I understand…"

"Relena, I've known you for five years, and I've been your body guard for three, and in those three years, I've grown to care about you a great deal. You mean the world to me, to a point, I myself don't completely comprehend my own feelings. But I do know that I can't ignore my feelings any longer, and all I want to know is if you feel the same, or if you could find it within your heart to come to feel the same way in return."

"Trowa, I…-" Ding-dong! The sudden sound caused Relena to jump in surprise. And she quickly, pulled away from me, rushing to the front door. Opening it, I heard her gasp in shock and surprise…

~*To Be Continued*~

AN: Okay, this fic is complicated, it is both HYxRP (which is later on in the fic), and TBxRP. But who she ends up with is revealed later in the fic…