Disclaimer: all characters belong to Hiromu Arakawa.

The store was empty, as usual in the morning. It was hard starting a business and Jean was learning that, but he didn't really mind about the business. That wasn't what he wanted to do with his life after all -though maybe it was time to start to think about it seriously, since th store would probably mean the majority of his income in the future. He was reading some random magazine he had found to kill time. That's all he did lately, wait and kill time reading random magazines, waiting for anyone to show up in his little store. It was terribly boring, Jean was thinking when someone entered.

"Knock knock" said a feminine voice. Jean closed his magazine, prepared a big smile on his face and said:

"Good morning! How can I help you?" then proceeded to look at his new client. He was surprised to see a very familiar face in the entrance. A young, tall woman carrying a big bag was looking at him nervously. Her eyes were big and dark, like her untied hair, which was curly and abundant. Jean wondered if it still smelled like both wild flowers and gunpowder. Also, she was wearing a very short flowered dress. Jean tried not to stare at her beautiful legs for long -it would have been disrespectful. "Hey" he said, lowering his voice. He suddenly realized he hadn't shaved in days and he was wearing yesterday's shirt.

"Hey" she answered shyly. She took a deep breath, closed the door behind her and walked towards him, though she didn't get too close. She still hadn't looked at him in the eyes. "It's been a long time, huh" she was looking all around the store, holding her bag with both hands.

"Yeah".

"You didn't call".

"You didn't neither".

"I didn't know where you were, or your phone number" she pointed the phone Jean had right beside him "but I was in the same place the whole time". Jean wasn't sure if she sounded angry or hurt, but he felt guilty. After all she was right. He turned his sight, he just couldn't look at Rebecca at the moment.

"Hawkeye said hello from you" Rebecca nodded.

"She told me what had happened in a more familiar way. You know that I hate formalism" their eyes finally met. Jean didn't feel comfortable about it. Rebecca neither. It was awkward and in a way it felt like they were throwing all the bad things to the other's faces. Why didn't you just call, was it so hard? Why did you just leave back then? She seemed to shout. Why didn't you come if you care so much? But you come now. I don't need your pity, he was saying. But then Rebecca's eyes stopped being so rough. She suddenly got very close, fell to her knees and and hugged him. "I thought I had lost you". Jean was very surprised but he hold her close. Her hair still smelled like that, her skin was still soft and inviting. Jean felt he was about to cry and he didn't want to do that, specially in front of Rebecca.

"I know, I know. You'd miss me too much, babe..."

"You fool!" she said, separating from him and cleaning a tear from her face "I couldn't let our story end just like that" of course, she was joking -though Jean wasn't sure about that. She stood up and sighted. "Ah, Jean, what's about to come... I definitely need a cigarette. But I only have a lighter". Jean's blue eyes smiled quietly as she pulled a lighter out from her bag and showed it to Jean. Who carries a lighter but not a cigar? He thought. He grinned and offered her a cigarette from a box he had in his pocket.

"Wanna go outside?" Rebecca nodded. Jean closed the store and they went outside to a little park. It was too early for the kids to be playing so it was almost empty.

Jean observed as she walked. Her moves were firm and decided but also elegant. Until he was on a wheelchair, he used to be just a little taller than her, which he didn't mind, but she actually liked it a lot. He made a joke about how now he couldn't see her cleavage. She laughed out loud but she also knew that Jean made jokes when he didn't want to think about more serious things. She just knew he hadn't accepted it yet, he was just resigned and angry. They finally stopped and Rebecca sat on a bank. There, she lighted the cigarette and she started to smoke. It had been a long time since the last time she had had a cigarette. Actually the last time may had been with Jean as well, but she didn't remember. She didn't have a great memory for those little things. She had been looking all around the place and they seemed to be alone -for the moment.

"This whole thing is crazy, Jean. When did we get involved in politics?" she muttered. Rebecca had learned how to talk barely moving her lips, a thing that was very useful for many things. Jean imitated her instinctively.

"Since we're in the military, honey".

"Still. What we're about to do... It's crazy, Jean, plain crazy. It's a suicide mission" attack Central, take the Fuhrer's wife, etc -it was insane in Rebecca's opinion. Yet she was in the mission.

"Then why are you in?" Jean raised an eyebrow, speaking softly with his harmonious and deep voice. Rebecca smoked in silence while thinking the answer.

"Well, you're on Mustang's team right? I'm more on Hawkeye's team, to be honest. I believe in her. Maybe more than she believes in herself sometimes" she laughed "And also this country needs to change and I'm here to protect the people -the people they want to hurt. That's what I'm fighting for". She was absolutely convinced of that though she had never put it into words. "What about you? What do you believe in?"

"I believe in pretty girls and nice endings" Jean said. Then he moved his face towards her and smoked from her cigarette.

"And what do you consider a nice ending?"

"Depends on the day" he exhaled the smoke as he spoke and started to play with Rebecca's hair. "Today I'd be spending the evening with you and forgetting about this whole nonsense that is life lately". Rebecca laughed. She smoked for the last time and gave the last shot to Jean before dropping the cigarette. Then she stood from the bank and caressed his blond hair before sitting on his lap. He used to love that. She wondered if he still liked it. A big smiled appeared on his face so she guessed the gesture was fine with him. He put his hand on her thigh and she threw her arms around his neck. They kissed, first softly and even shyly, as if they were still asking for permission. But then it became harder, passionate and almost desperate, like two lost lovers who finally had met after years of longing.

Their foreheads were touching and their noses rubbed after that kiss. Rebecca hold his hand. She cried during a whole night when she discovered he was in the hospital, and after that, she had felt the urgent need to shoot whoever had done that and the next day she had gone to practice and she shot every mannequin in the head, feeling angry, sad and incredibly tired.

It was Jean who broke the silence. He stared at her dress and started to draw circles on her knees.

"I haven't-" his voice sounded nervous and disgusted "I haven't tried to- You know, do it since this whole thing" he caressed her arms and kissed her neck. Then he tensed his jaw. First she didn't understand what he was talking about, but then she realized what he was talking about. "I don't know if I'd be able to do it". Rebecca felt sorry. But not because she felt pity for him of because she felt sorry about the fact that Jean wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to have sex after the accident -if you could call that an accident. She felt sorry because she knew he was feeling bad. She knew he felt frustrated because he wouldn't be fighting during the so called Promised Day, because he loved to run and he couldn't do it. She knew he wanted the action, he wanted to feel useful. And of course he was useful, but he didn't seem to accept that just because he wasn't in the eye of the hurricane. And Rebecca knew that he wanted to make love, but she was also certain that there wasn't only one way of making love.

"We'll figure something out" a bright smile appeared on her face. Jean grinned but it was more of a sad expression. "If you want, I mean. But as long as you want, I'll help you" Rebecca kissed him. "But never lose hope" Jean looked away.

"Don't start with that again. No cure. End of the matter"

"Jean..."

"Stop it"

"But-"

"Please" he looked angry, but he was begging. It looked like he had already had that conversation before. "I don't need your pity too, Rebecca".

She rested her head on his shoulder. She didn't even mean it in the way Jean thought, but he was quite sensitive -and she understood, so she decided it was best not to argue. He played with her hair and they kept quiet for minutes. Jean was tense, so Rebecca hold his hand tight until she felt his muscles started to relax.

"You didn't say anything about my new dress".

"I hadn't seen it".

"That's a very stupid response, even for you, Lieutenant" Jean laughed and put his arms around her hips.

"Actually I like it a lot, it suits you very well. It could be a bit distracting on the battlefield, though" Rebecca laughed. Jean had forgotten how much he loved her laughter. "New, huh? So you bought it specially for this occasion, that is, for me?" his fingers started to run through her dress. It almost was like Jean wanted to tickle her.

"Not actually. I just love this dress and today is hot. Would you believe me if I said I stole it from Riza?"

"What? Wait, two points" Jean raised his eyebrows "First, are we thinking about the same Riza Hawkeye? Because I'm pretty sure she would never have something like that in her wardrobe. Second, if you took it from her then it's not new. And third, how do you even change clothes I'm sure you're not the same size"

"First" Rebecca pointed at him "You said two points but finally said three things. Second, yes it's new for me. Third, you'd be surprised by Riza's wardrobe and finally you know nothing about women sizes, sorry honey". Jean was about to say something but he closed his mouth and smiled.

"You're right".

"I know. Now about that nice evening -why don't we start with a good morning?"

Jean checked his watch.

"I'd love it, but there's work to do" he sighted and made a disgusted gesture. Rebecca laughed.

"That's what I mean by a good morning" she whispered on his ear, as she pulled a gun from her bag and gave it to him. "I think there's someone watching us. Just laugh. Like when I said naughty things those winter nights..."

Jean started to laugh as he observed all around him, ready for action. If anyone was suspecting of what they were preparing for the Promised Day... It was going to be an entretaining morning for sure.

"Do you have any idea why they're watching you?" Rebecca bit his neck playfully. Jean loved when she did that but right now he found it too distracting. He knew Rebecca was involved with the whole thing but he hadn't tell her anything about how he was introducing armament from Xing to help their own particular resistance.

"I'll tell you later. I'm sure you can help me with some stuff".

"For sure. Besides I'd prefer working with you and not with Grumman" she laughed "That old creep-" she kissed him.

"What has he done this time?"

"Let's say he likes this dress way too much" Jean made a disgusted face.

"I swear I'll punch him in the face one of these days".

"Don't. I'll do it by myself one day" she leaned and whispered near his ear "It's only one man, dressed in black. He still believes we haven't noticed".

"Well, I wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't for you. I owe you one".

"Good. I'll think about my payment, be ready". Jean laughed.

"I think this will be a very interesting morning, miss Catalina".

I hope you liked this one! As always, I tell you, I'm not a native English speaker and this helps me practicing so if I made any mistake, please tell me so I can correct it for the next time. All reviews are welcome xx