A/N: Thank you all for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting! Updates will slow down as we're heading for the weekend, but I do have more chapters in the works. Meanwhile, please enjoy!

Rick took the long way home. He felt he needed to process the events of the day before going home to Minmei. This wasn't a typical argument between himself and Lisa. In fact, it wasn't an argument at all. She just stood there and let him vent out all that was coursing through him. Her wounded look and uncharacteristically sad voice immediately halted his raging storm. It didn't calm him, though. In truth, he was feeling extremely unsettled. There was such a finality in how Lisa wished him a Merry Christmas that it frightened him. As Lisa walked away, there was a feeling of emptiness he couldn't shake. "Nah, she's just gonna freeze me out for a couple of days like last time," Rick thought, trying his hardest to convince himself that was true. Their whole history was a series of clashes and truces, so why should this be any different?

Rick turned a corner towards home and thought of Minmei. It was strange to have someone at home waiting for him. Even stranger that it was Minmei of all people. They had drifted so far apart in the last two years that the only times Rick could ever hope to see her was on stage and screen. It was like a dream come true to be spending Christmas with her in his home.

Rick turned the key in the lock and entered his darkened house. The wonderful aroma of food that greeted him was incongruous to the dark. He stepped through and snapped the light on to reveal a fully set table and Minmei getting up from where she sat in the corner. Her eyes glimmered with unshed tears.

He favored her with an easy smile. "Hey, I told you I'd be back," he said as if he spent the day at the office and not risking his life.

Minmei ran off to "fix her face" while Rick stepped up to the table. Minmei had outdone herself by preparing a full Christmas dinner. The cake was cutely lopsided and Rick smiled in spite of the nagging emptiness he felt.

Minmei stepped behind him and slipped her arms around him in a warm hug. "My sweet Rick," she murmured, nestling her head into his back. "Would you ever consider quitting the defense force? I don't want to lose you again."

Rick smiled. It felt so good to be wanted. Even more so from the person he wanted in his life for so long. But why is he still feeling incomplete? Rick firmly pushed the disturbing feeling away with a mental shake and set about to enjoy the dinner and company before him.

It certainly was a pleasant time. He and Minmei talked amicably with the ease of old friends. However, both their hearts weren't fully into it. They each were resolutely ignoring their own feelings of inadequacy. Like drowning people, they grasped on to each other to desperately save themselves from an overwhelming feeling of loss and despair.

"Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Rick," Minmei said, her eyes luminous in the candlelight.

"May we have many more just like it," Rick responded, fighting for his feelings to match the happy words.

Rick surrendered all thought and lost himself in the kiss that followed. However, before giving over to that feeling of bliss, his mind's eye flashed a fleeting image of flowing light brown hair and emerald eyes.

Later that night Minmei stared up at the ceiling. Rick's warm body was sleeping peacefully beside her. How she had dreamed of this moment and yet ... Minmei closed her eyes and sighed. She finally let go of the resistance blocking away her true feelings. Being with Rick like this was wonderful, and she did truly love him. But without her music she felt terribly incomplete. If she was really honest with herself, she couldn't give up singing. "But I am with Rick at last! Surely this void left from not singing will eventually disappear. If we just create a life for ourselves perhaps we will both feel fulfilled." Minmei opened her eyes to look at Rick. He was on his back with his head turned away, breathing evenly. All evening Minmei sensed he was trying to block out a helplessness she also felt. She wondered what could have happened in Rick's life to cause such underlying melancholy.

"How lonely we both are, despite reuniting!" Minmei mused. They had each changed so much from when they first met on the SDF-1 launch day. "Could it only be almost three years?" Minmei wondered incredulously. It felt like three lifetimes. They were forced to grow up so fast. Rick through warfare. Minmei through the cutthroat entertainment industry. "I would give anything to get some of that innocence back!" Minmei longed.

But there is no stemming the tide of time. Minmei knew that all too well. She resolved to use this chance with Rick to make up for all the time they had lost. "Hopefully he will open up to me, and I can help him overcome this loneliness," Minmei thought, reaching over to stroke Rick's cheek tenderly.

Rick sighed in his sleep and rolled over, wrapping an arm around Minmei and drawing her close. Minmei froze when she heard him murmur something softly, lovingly and all too distinctly.

"Lisa..."