Trowa was just sitting there, reading the one book that she had in the living room of her efficiency apartment. He didn't say anything. His long legs were crossed in front of him as he sat comfortably on Heero's ratty couch. She had all but expected Trowa to find her although she had not expected him to be sitting so casually in her run down apartment.
Their battle of silent wills lasted for a few minutes until Trowa finally spoke. "Tonight was rather unexpected." Heero didn't really know what to say to that. Tonight was the first time that the two of them had seen each other in quite some time and they had not kept in touch. The two had always had some kind of silent connection but silence was going to do neither of them any good with the current situation.
"So what have you been up to?" Trowa's casual attempt at conversation seemed both out of place for him and the situation. It was clear that for perhaps the first time both individuals found silence uncomfortable.
"I've been here."
"I see that."
With two sentences their conversation hit a road block. Both ex Gundam Pilots were relieved, whether they would admit it or not, when Trowa's phone beeped.
"Yes. Yes. Somewhat…."
Heero could not clearly make out what the other person on the line was saying but he could tell that they were loud. Very loud. One person popped into Heero's mind immediately.
"When will you be arriving?... Understood." Trowa immediately hung up his phone and rose to his feet. Book in hand he headed for the door. "You already saw that there have been some random attacks in this area. We suspect it's more serious than just petty gang violence. We have some viable reports of a rebellion brewing?" Heero understood what Trowa was asking of her in his own special kind of way. After a few moments of contemplation she responded with a "hn" and headed to her room, quickly emerging in a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and a jacket. She had to admit her little stick up the ass responses didn't have the same effect as it did with the gruff voice chip.
Trowa was leaning patiently on a wall. "Does anyone else know?"
It was obvious what Trowa was referring to. Heero's silence was enough to tell Trowa what he needed to know. She had already figured that at least one more of her fellow pilots would be coming to the colony and it was clear that the way she currently looked would be a bit of a shock for them all. She had not really crafted a plan of action to tackle the whole 'hey I'm a girl guys' issue. It was never in her plans to survive the war to begin with so her only plan to keep her true identity a secret had not really panned out.
"What do you prefer to be called?"
"Helen." Heero never saw the need to be particularly creative. She had gone by Heera after the war but Ms. Etha often expressed her disdain for the title and started calling her Helen. She never knew why but figured it was as good a name as any so it stuck- at least in the diner.
"Helen." Trowa nodded and they were out the door.