Disclaimer: Yes!!! Gundam Wing is ALL mine, now I only have to wait for an acknowledgement of that claim from the rest of the world. ....Tick tock tick tock.... Okay, so while we're waiting, how 'bout reading this fic instead?

The doorbell rang insistently and with a start, Hilde jerked awake, shaking the hair out of her face. "I...must have fallen asleep." She thought and then swiveled her head around as she heard a fist pound against the plywood door in obvious frustration.

"Hilde, Hilde! Are you all right? Answer me, Hilde!" Relena's voice yelled frantically, her voice in tandem with the sound of a fist meeting the door. "Wait a moment, I'll call a doctor..."

"That isn't necessary, Relena!" Hilde called, running a shaky hand through her hair...why is my hand trembling? What was I dreaming about? "Wait a moment, let me get to the door, okay?"

"Yes." There was relief in Relena's voice, pricking Hilde's conscious as she got up. I don't want to burden her with my troubles, but it seems thatís all I've been doing ever since I got to Earth. But what can I do? I can hardly support myself, and in a few months...She paused at the door, and smoothing her features into a smile, she tossed it open, hugging the Vice Foreign minister affectionately.

"Hey, Rel. Look, you didn't need to come all the way down to the Central District just to-"

"Oh really?" Relena raised an eyebrow as she studied Hilde's face. Raising a manicured finger, she touched Hilde's cheek lightly, tracing barely visible tear tracks, before asking, "Then why were you crying, Hilde?"

"Crying?" Hilde glanced at the mirror and flushed, a shaky laugh emerging from her throat as she rubbed a hand over her eyes. "Geez, I didn't even notice that. Look, I'm really sorry about dumping this on you, Rel. I don't want to-"

"Hilde." Relena put a firm hand on Hilde's arm, stopping her babbling as she looked at the dark-haired girl with serious blue eyes. "We're friends, aren't we?"

"Yeah..."

"And you would do the same for me, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah, but that isn't the point-"

Relena sighed, sitting neatly down in one of the wicker chairs, folding her fingers as she sat up straight. "Like peace, friendship doesn't always come with a price, Hilde. It grows on its own. I'm not doing this out of some sort of responsibility that I feel I must uphold as a Peacecraft, but because you have been a good friend, even aboard the Libra." Relena smiled slightly. "You didn't have to carry my message to Heero, you know. You could have just left me without ever making contact. In fact, I am sure I quite jeopardized your mission, but you did it any way. In retrospect, Hilde, it seems I owe you."

"Relena, let's not hash the facts." Hilde snagged two cups, bringing a cup of tea to Relena before sitting down herself. "The facts are that I'm here, with a baby on the way and no father to speak of. I mean, I know this is the day in age for the modern woman, but look at me!" Hilde gestured to her still-slim waist and smiled miserably. "In a few weeks, I'll be as bloated as a pig and I won't be able to work at all in a few months. So what am I gonna do then? I don't want to bother you after you already got me a place to stay in the Sanq Kingdom..."

Relena got up quickly and sat by Hilde's side as tears started trickling out of her eyes. Hilde sniffed, wiping her eyes. "Look at me. I never cry. I don't even know what's gotten into me!"

"Maybe...you can stay with us during the duration of your pregnancy..." Relena said softly and Hilde jerked up.

"No. I already said I'm not going to burden you anymore. I have a new job offer at-"

"Hilde!"

"Well what else am I supposed to do? The money from the salvage yard isn't going to last forever and I need a way to support my baby. Now it's not a strenuous job, and it pays fairly well." Hilde smiled half-heartedly, "It's a paper pushing job, really, Rel. No problem!"

Relena hesitated, then forged ahead stubbornly. "Duo wouldn't want you to work in your condition, Hilde."

"Well Duo isn't here!" Hilde tightened her grip on her mug. "I can't always live my life to conform to what he wants, live my life for only him. I have to think of myself too, Rel."

"I...don't understand." Hilde turned away but Relena kept her grip on the yellow cashmere sweater. "You two were so happy together..." but Hilde shook her head, still not looking at Relena.

"We were happy Rel, but it's been building up for some time, Rel. It's just I was the first to explode, I guess. Duo didn't even notice..."

"But-"

"It was always, 'Hey babe, how was your day?' 'It's all good, nothin' much happening here.' 'Duo, I'm goin' out.' 'Yeah, whatever. See you later.' End of conversation,, but I could take it. He was always tired when he came back from work..." Hilde whispered, then sighed as she stared out at the white snow-encrusted world. "I kept waiting for him...three years, Rel, but guess what?" Hilde held out her right hand, bare of any adornments and studied it, before letting it drop on the soft cushions. "Nothing. Three years of my life, it all came out to nothing..."

"Perhaps-"

"It wouldn't have worked Rel. I...I'm just glad I left before things got bad. I wouldn't want to remember that the last thing I said to Duo was that I hated him or something like that. At least we were pretty happy until I left."

The two women sat silently next to one another, staring emptily at the room. "You still love him...don't you?"

"With all my heart, Relena. With all my heart...."

Author's note: A little sad, but what can I say? It's a short chapter, BUT...I ran out of time. *starts running like hell when the readers start pelting her with tomatoes.* Hey!!! It's not like this is the end! It's not!! Aaaahhhh!!!! *gets smacked with a tomato straight in the face* come on guys! At least have the decency to buy fresh produce!! A load of apples (fresh) hit her over the head. Sheesh! I'm sorry I asked!

:P Yeah, so be happy and pwease r&r!