.The Angel's Return. By Angel of Ice Disclaimer- I didn't own Gundam Wing or the song "Hero in any of my last fics, what makes you think I'll own it now? A/N- I saw the music video for Enrique Iglacias's song "Hero" and it gave me the idea to write this fic. This is the sequel to my 6x9 fic "Touched by an Angel". I know I said I wouldn't write any more deathfics, but the song inspired me so here's my second attempt at angst. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "I'd trade all of my tomorrows for a single yesterday" - unknown Zechs ran his fingers over the photo. The glass separating the face and his fingers was excruciating not to break. The photo was imbedded in a simple frame of marble, the same material her tombstone was made of. The picture was of a beautiful raven-haired woman, wearing a simple white blouse and black jeans, with laughing violet eyes. The same woman who was now an angel in Heaven. Had it really been only a year? A year since Noin had drowned, leaving him to mourn in this world? Leaving him utterly alone? To him it felt like he had lived a thousand years without her, each day dragged on and blended into the next. He went back to the Preventers, back to his daily routine but his heart was no longer into any of those things. It was buried in the grave with her. The only thing keeping him sane was the memory of her angelic visit. He missed her more than others, or even he himself could comprehend. He still yearned to hear her voice, to feel her touch and to feel the endless love she had given him, even when the world had forsaken him, she was always there. He closed his eyes and savoured the memory of the time she had appeared to him, as an angel, for it would be the last time he would ever see her again. Destiny was unbelievably cruel. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Zechs locked his apartment door behind him. With pensive steps, he walked down the hallway, out of the building and into the outside world. It was Monday morning and the sidewalks were bustling with people off to work. Zechs jammed his hands in his jacket pocket and walked along the direction to the Preventer Headquarters. His ears rang with the laughter and joy of the crowd. They were so happy, even though it was Monday morning. Zechs felt his heart harden. He hated those people. No, he didn't hate them. He envied them. They could laugh and be happy, they had a reason to. He had no reason. He stopped to watch a young couple exchange a kiss. They were obviously in love and it made Zechs feel so completely alone. Doomed to spend the rest of his life by himself. But then, the only person he wanted to spend his life with was her. But she was gone. Forever.  His height stood out from among the busy crowds as he pushed past them, eyes shielded. Cheerful laughter rang out, free from the horrors of war. Zechs wanted to cover his ears, how could people laugh, when the angel of the universe was now gone? Then a familiar melodic laughter reached his ears, unexpectedly. Zechs stopped in his steps and froze. His heart started to beat wildly, but with a sense of sadness. He knew that laughter anywhere, it had tortured him so many times. But it couldn't be.....she was dead. Convinced it was his imagination, Zechs walked on, his heart more burdened than it was a few moments ago. Then he heard it again. He whirled around and his heart stopped as she stood before him. "Noin" he said in a hoarse, disbelieving voice before he swept her into his arms. "You're back". ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ He held the beautiful young woman in his arms, tightly as if he were afraid she would dissolve between his embrace. He must be hallucinating, it couldn't be....she was dead. I've gone insane. I've truly gone insane this time. But yet here she was, solid as possible. He could feel the heat of her skin, even through their clothing. He knew it was her, his heart sang out in a way it only did when she was near. A tear slipped past his closed eyes unaware and fell unto her neck. She looked at him with those beautiful familiar eyes. Those eyes that looked like they could peer into the depths of your soul. "Zechs" she murmured, "I've returned". ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ He didn't know how he got back to his apartment. He was in a daze, half laughing, half crying. She had to support him up, help him walk. He held onto her with a crushing grip. They reached his apartment and Zechs fumbled with the key, then opened the door. Noin sat him on the couch. Zechs, still holding onto her, regained his composure. "Noin" he whispered, "how?" "I struck a deal with Shinigami" Noin smiled feebly. "Don't joke like that, Noin" Zechs whispered into her hair, holding her to him as tight as he could. He never wanted to let go of her again. By miracle she came to him, it would take a miracle for him to let go of her. "Fine, I'll tell you the truth" Noin said, kissing Zechs gently on his lips, "I was allowed to come back. They say Heaven is perfect but without you, it felt as bad as hell. So I was granted another chance at life, since mine was taken away from me so soon". Zechs nodded, trying to comprehend all this. Tears streamed down his face as he kissed her with every ounce of love he had for her, every bit of longing he had had, since they first met so many years ago. Thank You God, for returning my precious angel to me. Zechs prayed as his lips played with Noin's. His face was still wet with tears of joy he could not describe. He didn't care about his dignity right now, it didn't matter. What he had been dreaming of for a year, the dream that had tortured him for so long, had finally come true. Thank You. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Zechs knocked on the thick mahogany door. His face held a mischievous smile as he held onto Noin's arm. Now that she was back, for real, he would protect her always. Miracles do happen, he thought as the door opened, to reveal a very stunned face of Lady Une. "Noin?" the head of Preventers gasped, then her face was pale, "How?". Zechs looked into the office and saw Sally and Wufei. They turned towards the direction of the doorway. Sally's face paled also and even Wufei looked extremely surprised. "May I come in?" Noin asked, smiling gently. Lady Une nodded numbly. "Sit down", she directed Zechs and Noin, onto a sofa. They all sat in stunned silence. Finally Sally broke that silence, "Noin-" she started, tears of joy running down her face at seeing her best friend, "You've come back". ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Noin sat at her desk in her new Preventers office. She had nothing to do right now as she looked outside the window at the sky. During the past two weeks, she had visited all of her old friends. They had been stunned but happy. It reminded everyone of Zechs' 'resurrection' but the difference was, Noin had actually died. Noin knew she had come back of a miracle. She remembered her stay in Heaven, the golden light, yet a feeling of lead seemed to weigh her down. The other angels took pity on her, so they brought her to God. She had been allowed to go back to Earth, for she had lost her life unfairly and the angels saw how unhappy she and Zechs both were. The blinding light and extraordinary power overwhelmed her as she stood in God's court. And when she returned to earth, she heard angels sing in her mind as she returned to her angel. It all seemed so surreal, unbelievable but it had happened and Noin was just grateful for that. She had learned when she was alive before, to take nothing for granted. It all had been nothing short of a miracle. A soft smile played on her lips as she closed her eyes......she was with Zechs again. It was Heaven enough for her. The brief visit she paid him as an angel a year ago wasn't enough for her heart. She had promised to stay by his side forever, and she would keep that promise.  "One bad thing about coming back to life.......all this paperwork" she mumbled as she took a pen and started working. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Zechs was awakened in the middle of the night by a clash of thunder. "Noin" he murmured, looking to his right. He was still over-protective of her as if she would just disappear one day and leave him alone again. He smiled as the lightning flashed in the sky, casting a glow that highlighted her body for that merest second. She was truly an angel. Zechs ran a gentle finger over her delicate yet strong features. She had saved him countless times before, from the dark ghosts once hovering in his mind. She was his saviour. Once again, he thanked the Heavens for showing mercy and bringing Noin back to him. She stirred, then opened her eyes. Those eyes that never failed to captivate him. "Zechs, you're awake?" she asked sleepily, "it's the middle of the night". Zechs gathered her back into his arms, "I know" he whispered into her ear. Noin smiled contently. "Noin, explain to me once again why you would want to leave Heaven for me?" Zechs asked, his hair tickling her face. Noin sighed, exasperatedly, "Number one Zechs, you're worth it and Number Two, I love you. And Number Three, it's not Heaven if you're not there. Satisfied?". Then Noin smiled at the bewildered man. "Stop feeling you're unworthy of everything. You are". Then she kissed him, to prove her point. "What would I do without you?" Zechs murmured softly. Noin grinned, "Exactly. I couldn't very well leave you to torture yourself on earth, while I'm in Heaven". Zechs nodded, smiling. "Now go back to sleep" she said, "I'm tired".  ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The music played as the guests waltzed about. Noin stood in the front with Zechs. The Preventers had held this ball in her honor. Noin never liked fancy galas but she was touched that they would go through all the work of planning the ball for her. She never realized how much she was loved until she was gone. She turned around and smiled at the man to her right. Especially by Zechs. Zechs noticed Noin's gaze upon him as he smiled at her. He had been especially loving these past few weeks, out of the pure joy she had come back to him.  "Could I have this dance?" he asked her, and held out an arm like the gentleman he was. Noin laughed, "Of course" she said as he waltzed her onto the dance floor, amidst the other laughing couples. Her smiled widened as she saw Heero and Relena dancing in the shadows. Heero, for once, didn't look displeased. "You sister and Heero, huh?" Noin smiled. She was glad Miss Relena had found love. She turned her gaze back unto her own lover. Zechs nodded, "I suppose I'll have to live with that" he said. Noin looked around them again, noticing all their former friends, enemies and allies. They all seem to have found happiness, even Lady Une, who was talking to Marimaia with a smile on her face. "Everything seems so peaceful now" she commented, "everyone's found happiness". Zechs tightened his hold on her, "especially us". Noin tilted her head, then smiled. "Especially us" she echoed. Then Zechs stopped dancing, when they reached a shadowy corner. "Zechs? Why'd you stop?" she asked, confused. Zechs smiled that mysterious smile of his and reached into his pocket. "Lucrezia, " he began, "there's only one thing that would make me happier" he said. He took out a small black velvety box. Noin gasped as Zechs opened it to reveal a simple diamond ring. "Will you marry me?". Noin's face broke into a smile that would dazzle even the most brilliant of angels. "Yes" she whispered, as Zechs slid the ring onto her finger, "I will". Then Zechs tiled her chin up and she melted in his arms, as his lips met hers. They had waited almost all of their lives for this, both of their painful lives. I'm never letting you go they both thought at the same time. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Zechs shielded Noin with his body as they entered the abandoned warehouse. They were on a Preventer mission, to investigate this warehouse which had been abandoned for years but rumour was it was a trading center for guns. Zechs held a gun of his own in his hand, ready to fire as they walked around slowly in the dark warehouse. They investigated upstairs but found nothing. They circled the empty warehouse for hours, but everything was calm and in place, like it should be. "Well, either the rumours aren't true or the criminals have left" Noin remarked, lowering her gun. Zechs sighed, "So we came here for nothing" he said, "what a waste of time". Noin wrapped her arms around her fiancé, "beats paperwork" she said and kissed his neck. Zechs smiled, he knew about Noin's hate for paperwork. He turned around and kissed her slowly. Finally, they broke away and walked downstairs again. They were about to walk out of the door and back into the sunlight when Zechs stopped. The silence was pulsating, it unnerved him. "What is it?" Noin asked. Zechs shrugged as he walked behind her. They were almost out of the door when a gunshot rang out. "Duck!" he shouted to Noin as they hit the floor. Then a torrent of bullets came flying towards them. Zechs looked up and saw a masked man, standing at the top of the stairs, firing. He jumped up and pulled out his own gun and began firing back. After minutes of bullet exchanges, the other man fell dead. Noin quickly got up. "Are you hurt Zechs?" she asked anxiously. Zechs shook his head, "I'm fine. Let's go". They had just walked outside when Noin turned to look back inside, at the dead man's body. Then her eyes widened. Zechs turned to see what she was looking at when he saw it too. Another man stood over the corpse, with a gun. Then everything started happening in slow motion. Noin pushed in front of Zechs as the man's finger pulled the trigger. Then a shot rang out and the bullet flew through the wide doorway and then Noin's body crumpled onto a heap on the floor. Zechs pulled out his gun and shot the man, then rushed to Noin. She was bleeding badly. Zechs pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911. Then he wrapped his arms around her. "Zechs....." she whispered, then fell unconscious, blood pouring out of her wound. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Zechs held onto her bleeding body, tightly, holding on for dear life. Or for her dear life. "No, Noin, don't die again. I could barely make it without you the first time, I won't be able to the second time.....please". His wet tears fell onto her face, one splashed onto her eyelid, which slowly fluttered open. "Lucrezia..." he said, holding her to him and burying his face in her crook of her neck. Noin lifted up a shaky, weak hand and brushed the bangs away from his nail blue eyes. "Zechs.....I'll be waiting in Heaven again" she whispered, her voice straining. "NO!" Zechs cried, "don't leave me. Angel, don't leave me". Noin took a shaky, labored breath. "I love you Zechs" she said. Then her eyes closed and her body went limp. "No.." Zechs whispered, then his voice rose, "NO!". He shook her body gently but deep inside he knew it was no use. She had died once again.   The cruel irony of it all pained him. He felt like his soul was shattered into a million pieces, like glass. It was worse than the first time because he knew it was his fault this time. She had died for him. A slow rumble came from the sky and then, Zechs felt a wet droplet hit his back. He tightened his hold on Noin's body as the heavens opened up and cried beautiful tears, mixing in with his. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ It had been a week. A week of tears, mourning and his heart would never be the same again. Zechs wandered around his apartment aimlessly, steps burdened from the loss of his one true love. Once again. He walked into his bedroom, where he and Noin had slept. He couldn't bear to sleep in the bed anymore, not without imagining her warm body next to his. It drove his mind crazy. He saw the empty box that held her engagement ring. He turned away, painfully when his gaze fell upon another framed photograph. This one was of him and Noin, a few weeks ago. Little did they know what was about to happen in the weeks to come. Zechs was about to leave the room when his gaze caught upon a piece of paper on his nightstand. He was positive it wasn't there before. Zechs picked up the piece of paper from his nightstand and held it between his slender fingers. A tear escaped from the corner of his eye as he recognized her elegant script. I'll love you for all of eternity. It was a sign, from her. She had escaped from his clutch once again and this time, he truly did not want to live anymore. He had failed her, twice. He wanted to roast in the fires of hell.....or be in Heaven with her. I am a fool.......she came back by a miracle.......I failed my second chance. I know I won't get a third. Heaven isn't that forgiving. "Why?" his trembling voice whispered as he gently placed the note back onto his nightstand, "Why?". He sank to his knees onto the floor and cried the precious tears of eternity. Love, lost, guilt blending into the silvery drops that fell onto the carpet and faded away just as she had. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Zechs walked along the beach, carrying a small marble jar. Inside were her ashes. She had been cremated, instead of buried, this time. Strangely, the ring was missing from her finger when her body was burned. Somebody probably stole it, he thought bitterly. He let the waves lap against his ankles, numbing them. It did not matter. He walked until he could walk no more, and turned and looked at the endless depths of the water. In the evening dusk, the water was the colour of her eyes, deep purple mixed with shades of blue and utterly depthless. Once again, Zechs felt his soul tremble at the sight of the magnificent waves, that reminded him so much of her. But then, everything did. He had failed to protect her, as he promised he would. She had slipped through his fingers. She had stayed on earth for such a short time, on an earth she helped bring peace to. Yet now she was gone, the cruel hands of destiny, carrying her away from him. He recalled a Greek myth that reminded him of what had happened. Ophelio and Euripides. Ophelio had a second chance to bring Euripides back from the dead, but failed to. Just like him. Zechs Merquise had failed to save Lucrezia Noin. What was worse was that she died once again for him. Why? he searched the Heavens for an answer, Why her? He sighed a deep painful sigh, it felt like his soul was leaving his body. He was once again the walking corpse he was before she came back. He dipped his fingers into her ashes. Her beautiful body....turned into this. He threw the ashes into the water. Zechs felt the wind blow them away, into the ocean, where they would be forever free. He scattered the rest of the ashes along the shoreline, his tears blending into them. He walked slowly, remembering every moment they had spent together. All the painful yet utterly beautiful memories, that seemed to wash over him, one by one, until he wasn't sure what he was doing anymore. Somehow, he finished and closed the lid to the jar and threw it into the ocean. Then he put a hand in his pocket, his fingers brushing against the note. Zechs closed his eyes, which were filled with bottomless pain. Then he opened them again and looked up at the sky. The stormy midnight blue with its dark clouds. Yet the clouds parted at an are and a faint moonlike glow fell upon him. He felt her presence, he could almost feel her touch. It was like the time a year ago, where she appeared to him as an angel. This time he couldn't see her though, nor hear her, just feel her loving presence. "Noin" he murmured, his voice straining to keep the tears from falling once again, "I'll love you for all of eternity". And with that, Zechs Merquise turned away, his grey trenchcoat billowing in the wind and walked back, fading into the now dark shadows. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Up in heaven, a beautiful angel with raven hair stood at the gates. The light shone around her, catching the shine of the diamond ring on her right hand. "I love you" Noin whispered to the haunted man on earth, before turning around and rejoining the other angels. Once again, she would be waiting. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ A/N- [sniffs]. Now, this will be my very last 6x9 deathfic. I know I said that last time but this really will be! I can only stand so much Z+N death before I go crazy and start bawling. I'm aware that my fic may not be the best out there, but I put a lot of work into it so please review.