Chapter 11

Lady Une stood hunched over, her hands curled into fists on one of the control panels. Several camera footages appeared on the screen showing shuttles taking off from various locations.

"Colonel! We have confirmation that all five Gundam pilots have cleared the atmosphere from several respective locations!" one of the controllers shouted over his shoulder.

She straightened herself, jabbing her finger pointedly. "Prepare to fire low-orbit satellite missiles! I want those shuttles shot down immediately!"

"Ma'am, problems in the electric power generator!" a soldier yelled from the other side of the room.

Lady Une turned to him, prepared to shout out another order, when a female soldier interrupted her from her right. "We've got a system jam! Communication's down, and the radar's malfunctioning! We can't issue any commands to our missile bays!"

The OZ colonel fought to maintain her composure, and her eyes fixated on the five shuttles that were now out of the range of any of their cameras. "What in the world could be causing all this?"

"Colonel Une, hold on a moment!" the male controller interrupted. He tore his headset from his face. "It appears as if there is another shuttle that took off from Singapore, ma'am! Our shuttle count is now six!"

Eyes wide, Lady Une stalked over to him, and she quickly studied the incoming information. "That's impossible. Surely there isn't a sixth Gundam that has remained undetected. Only five Gundams have been confirmed." She scowled, her eyes darkening. "Or we have a traitor in our midst."

With shaky hands, Lista pulled off her helmet, letting it clatter to the floor at her feet. She clapped her hand over her mouth and slammed her eyes shut against her coming tears, resting back against the pilot seat.

She didn't know if Quatre was alive, didn't know if he made it out of Singapore. And the thought of him sacrificing his life for her in any form made her sick. It took everything in her not to crumble over in sickness the whole way to the colony.

And now she sat in an abandoned factory garage on her home colony, quietly stewing over if Wufei and Duo made it to space safely and if Quatre made it out of the space port at all. She could only hope that her threat was enough to convince him to strive to live rather than be a martyr.

She sniffled and pushed herself to her feet, looking over the control panel to do a full system shutdown. After the engine systems whirred down, she took off her flight suit and hung it and her helmet in the hallway closet. She grabbed her gun, cocking it, and decided to do a perimeter check before leaving her shuttle and her Leo here for safe keeping.

Lista knew she would have to return periodically to make space modifications to her suit and could only hope the factory still had the equipment she would need to make it so. Otherwise, she would be infiltrating OZ and old Alliance bases for anything she'd need.

But as she emerged from the shuttle, looking around the garage for any movement or noise, she knew her first order of business lie with what she'd been dreading quite possibly more than the decision to betray the Alliance and aid the Gundams.

It was time to face her family…and her father.

Lady Une stood before the five Gundam engineers, annoyed and struggling to keep her cool at their insistence that they would never build a war machine for OZ. She knew with the Gundams' return to space, her previous threat to attack the Colonies was null and void. She had to do something about it now.

Just as she prepared to offer a threat, even though she knew deep down it would have no effect for the stubborn old men, a soldier rushed to her side, thrusting his hand up in a salute. "Colonel! Chief Officer Nichol is on the line."

She waved him and off and walked over to a nearby communication station, pressing a button. "What is it, Nichol?"

"Colonel Une, I intercepted the Alliance's transmission. They're gonna team up with a Gundam pilot," Nichol's insistent voice echoed back.

Lady Une bit back a scoff. "Those imbeciles. Wipe out all of them!"

"Yes, ma'am! We'll seize the shuttle!" Nichol replied.

An idea sparking to life in her mind, she smirked and looked to the engineers standing behind her. "Seize? What's the point? We don't need a Gundam pilot without his Gundam. Kill him."

Doctor J stepped forward, raising his mechanical hand. "Wait! Hand me the communication set!"

Lady Une couldn't deny her curiosity. "All right."

She stepped to the side, and Doctor J picked up the keyboard, using his good hand to type in a sequence of characters. Une crossed her arms over her chest, watching with intrigue, as the other four engineers hovered over him.

There was radio feedback on the computer, and Une snapped her head as an unfamiliar, soft-spoken voice cut through.

"This is Quatre. My good friends who have returned to outer space, let's do our very best to protect the Colonies."

Doctor J, thanks to his monocles, was able to hide his pleased reaction. He's using Heero's frequency. He's an outstanding soldier. He has the ability to bring the five Gundam pilots together.

Making an executive decision, he turned to Une, who stood silent and watchful. "Stop them from firing at the shuttle!"

Lady Une smirked, making no effort to hide her pleasure. "Well, well. So you can have pity for your men. Then we have an understanding."

Professor G tucked his hands into his lab coat pockets. "Who'd have thought we'd end up making a Gundam for OZ?"

Lady Une shook her head, her smile curling wide and menacingly. "Not exactly. I want you to make a mobile suit better than the Gundams."

Lista stood in front of a white two-story house with gray trim, the sound of the taxi's revving engine fading off as it drove away. She walked slowly, cautiously, towards the porch, fighting off the storm of emotion slamming into her. She didn't know how long it had been for her, but here she was again.

She was home.

It was a strange way to calm herself, but her thoughts forcibly shifted to the Gundam pilots, wondering if they had all made it space safely. She had yet to hear from any of them, although she expected that if she would hear from any of them, it would be Duo.

Or Quatre, if he was alive.

She swallowed against the knot in her throat, shaking her head of the thought that he hadn't escaped the onslaught at Singapore. She could only hope he was alive and well somewhere in the Colonies. The first thing she planned to do when she saw him was slap him clear across the face, give him a piece of her mind, and then thank the Lord above that he survived.

She could only hope she would have such an opportunity.

She climbed up the three steps to the front porch and stopped, closing her eyes, counting to five in her head, and drawing in a sweet drink of air to calm her nerves. It did no such thing, but she opened her eyes once more and took a step forward, her mind racing, her muscles tense.

The front door suddenly burst open, and an older woman with a thin face, blue eyes, and straight mid-length brown hair emerged, staggering onto the porch with tears beading her eyes.

She opened her mouth before pressing her hands against it, muffling the sound of her staggered gasp. Lista forced a smile onto her face, fighting against her own onslaught of tears. "Hi, Mom."

"My Lord in Heaven," the woman croaked as her hands fell from her mouth. Her cries washed over her, and she threw her arms around Lista's shoulders, dragging her against her chest. "You're here! You're really here! My baby girl is alive!"

Lista closed her eyes and sighed, comforted by the feel of her mother's arms around her tight, protectively. Such was the demeanor of Joelle Di Nevella. Lista wrapped her arms around her mother's back, rubbing her palm comfortingly against it. "It's okay, Mom. I'm okay."

When Lista opened her eyes, she saw movement in the front doorway. She lifted her head, and her heart came to a stop in her chest, her breath catching in her throat.

A broad-shouldered man with a rigid face, dark green eyes, and spiky black hair stood in the open doorway, his expression softened against the hard lines in his forehead.

Joelle pulled away sniffling, turning around over her shoulder. "Lorenzo, our girl's alive. She's here."

Lista forced the smile back to her face as her eyes connected with her father's. "Hi, Dad."

Joelle pulled her clasped hands up to her face, covering her mouth, as Lorenzo Di Nevella moved towards his daughter, looking down upon her for a moment, studying her. Lista did nothing, said nothing, as she felt her father's eyes unblinking on her.

And then strong arms tugged her against the hard expanse of his chest, and a rough, quiet voice whispered in her ear. "My little Elisabetta. My sweet Elisabetta."

Lista unconsciously cringed at the sound of her birth name but returned the hug. She didn't know how long she stood there in her father's arms, her mother's continuing sobs ringing behind her.

But then her father pushed her away, his hands firm over her shoulders, and his eyes were now burning. "What the hell happened? We were told you were dead! Where have you been all this time?! You've made me and your mother sick thinking that we had to have a funeral for you!"

Lista sighed and turned to her mother, who only continued to shake her head and cry in joy. She turned back to her father, paralyzed under his hard gaze. "I was hurt and my mobile suit was damaged," she lied. "I was able to get away from the battlefield before I was killed. I stayed off the grid to heal. I knew you had to think I was dead, so my priority was coming home so you could see for yourselves that I was okay."

"Thank the stars," Joelle said with a heavy sigh, pressing a kiss against Lista's temple. "The past month has been just horrible for your father and me. And I'm glad you decided to come home. This war is the last place for you. You need to stay home and be safe with me and your sisters."

Lista flinched at the mention of her three younger sisters. "How are they? How did they handle the news about me?"

"We never told them," Lorenzo spoke up. He finally dropped his arms to his sides. "We held out hope that the reports were mistaken. Your mother and I wanted to be 100% sure. And it's a good thing we did. They would have had to mourn you for no reason."

Lista's shoulders slumped in a relieved sigh. "I wanted to get back to them. I've missed them so much." She lowered her head to her feet. "Earth has been lonely for me."

Lorenzo opened his mouth to respond, but Joelle pushed herself between them, wrapping her arms around her daughter once more. "Well, you're back home in space where you belong. No more fighting for you, young lady."

Lista caught a glimpse of her father's reaction – it was unreadable – before she pulled away from her mother, giving her a comforting smile. "Mom, I know you hate that I'm a soldier, but I'm a part of this war now. I have to fight."

Joelle shook her head, tears beading in the corner of her eyes once more. "I'm not mourning you again, Lista. No more. You're done fighting."

"Someone has to stop this war, Mom," Lista replied. She placed her hands on her mother's arms, her smile widening. "Who better than someone as stubborn as me? It's okay. Being in a fight with the Gundams didn't kill me. Nothing else can."

Lorenzo's face darkened, and he turned his head, staring off. "Those Gundams need to be destroyed. They're dangerous and ravage everything in their wake."

Lista's smile faltered, and she moved to her father's side. When she placed her hand on his arm, he looked down at her, his face contorted in a scowl. "I'm sorry about Gus, Dad. I wish there was something I could have done to save him. He was a good man."

"The best," Lorenzo added, his voice cracking just slightly and the hard ridges of his face twisting in dammed emotion. He cleared his throat and turned to his wife and daughter. "He wouldn't want any tears shed for him. He'd want justice, and that's exactly what I'm going to get for him." He cupped Lista's face in his broad palm. "And for you. Those Gundams cost me my best friend and nearly killed my daughter. I will do everything I can to see them pay."

Lista tried to hide her flinch and quickly spoke up. "So I'm guessing you joined with OZ willingly after the takeover?"

Lorenzo hesitated, a look of pain, guilt, and something else Lista couldn't place mixed on his face. Joelle stepped forward, shaking her head. "No, we're not talking about this anymore. You almost died in this meaningless war, Lista. No more talk about it or anything else. Not under my roof. You need to come in the house and rest. I can tell you're tired."

Lista suppressed the urge to scoff and tell her she had no idea how tired, how stressed, and how worried she really was, but she only flashed her mother a smile and let her guide her inside the house. Lorenzo followed behind them, shutting the door. "I'll go and get you some water, dear," she said as she eased her daughter to the sofa. "Your sisters should be home from school in a couple of hours. They will be so thrilled to see you again."

"Me, too," Lista agreed. That wasn't a lie. She knew being around her sisters would make her feel more normal, less like a soldier, and hopefully derail the mess of thoughts scattered about her head.

As Joelle walked from the room, Lorenzo took a seat on the recliner, leaning forward on his knees. "I'll contact New Edwards to let them know you're alive," he said. Lista turned to look at him. "I'll let them know you're here and still recuperating from your injuries. I know your mother would rather you stay here for a little while before returning to any of your duties."

Lista folded her arms over her chest and leaned back against the sofa. "Somehow I think she's going to have a lot to say if I tell her I'm staying involved."

Lorenzo hung his head with a sigh. "I'll talk to her. She'll come around. You managed to survive a battle with the Gundams. You're a strong soldier. You can make a difference in this war." His mouth curled into a half smile. "I'm proud of you. And I'm glad you're okay. You deserve a little bit of time off. I can tell you've been through a rough time."

She wanted to tell him he had no idea, but she said nothing, watching as her mother returned from the kitchen with a glass of ice water. She handed it to her and sat down next to her, eyes unblinking as if she expected Lista to disappear at any given moment.

Lista took a sip of the water, sighing against the cool trickle down the back of her throat, and placed the glass on the coffee table. Her mother was practically strangling her as she leaned against her, but she could appreciate her mother's hesitation to back away. Instead, she turned to her mother and smiled. "It's okay, Mom. I'm not going anywhere."

Joelle moved away, a small smile climbing upon her face. "I prayed every day that God would bring you back to me, but with every passing day, it felt more and more real that you had…" She bit down on her lip against the rising sob in her throat. "I hoped every day that you would walk through that door and I would wake up from this nightmare. But you're here. The nightmare is over."

As Joelle leaned over to hug her daughter, Lista patted her mother's arm and avoided her father's gaze.

No, the nightmare had just begun.

Lista was antsy and had to admit she felt awkward in this house. She sat alone in the living room, tapping her foot and twiddling her thumbs, the muffled sound of the television playing in the back of her mind as she thought about the Gundam pilots. She knew which colony Duo was returning to, so perhaps she could at least track him down to start.

Her mother was in the kitchen preparing dinner, and every few minutes Lista caught her stealing a peek inside the living room to ensure she hadn't disappeared. Her father was upstairs reporting to an OZ superior, a bitter taste Lista couldn't swallow, that she was alive and well.

When her mother wasn't around, Lista knew she could attempt to question her father's rank within OZ, if he had maintained his position of colonel from the Alliance. If that be the case, she could use his codes to access OZ's database and compile information on what they knew on the Gundams without being detected.

It was the one good thing about her father deciding to join with OZ after the Alliance takeover.

The front door opened suddenly, slamming against the wall, and the boisterous, giddy voices of her three younger sisters, Gabriela, Alessandra, and Carina, filtered into the room. Lista stood from her spot on the sofa, her chest tightening with sobs at the sight of her sisters.

The youngest, 8-year-old Carina, locked eyes with Lista and screamed, dropped her backpack to the ground, and rushed to her eldest sister's waiting arms. Joelle appeared in the doorway, her hand pressed against her neck, smiling tearfully, as Gabriela and Alessandra rushed over to Lista, the four sisters now locked together in a group hug.

Lorenzo descended the stairs, taking in the sight of his four sobbing daughters as Lista wrapped her arms around her three sisters, telling them she was home and that she missed them.

Joelle moved to the stairs as Lorenzo came to the bottom, and she wrapped her arm through his. "This is what it should be for our girls, Lorenzo," she said, resting her head against the hard expanse of his muscled arm. "No more fighting. Just our girls being together like this."

He said nothing, unable to disagree with the pleasing sight of his daughters as Lista eased them to the sofa, where all four of them sat down, sniffling and coming down from their sobs.

Gabriela, two years younger than Lista, was the first to speak up, wiping the back of her hand against her eyes. "When did you get home? Are you back for good?"

Lista tilted her head, her smile wide and warm. "I got here a couple hours ago. Some things happened on Earth, and I decided to come home for a little while."

Gabriela's face fell. "A little while? So you're not staying?"

Lista sighed, turning to look at her parents – her mother was frowning, her father's expression unreadable as always – before looking to her sisters. "I wish I could, Gabby, but I can't. There's too much work to be done. I can't just stop now, not after everything that's happened."

Gabriela jerked her arms over her chest in a huff. "Let Dad take care of it. You should be here going to school like us."

Lista leaned over, patting her hand on her sister's shoulder. "I attend classes on Earth. I'm not missing out on any education, if that's your concern."

"Um, no," Gabriela said with a scoff. "I want you to be back home with us. We all really miss you." She looked to her two younger sisters. "Isn't that right? We want Lista to be here with us."

Alessandra, 10 years old, only nodded, tucking her chin against her chest as she looked at her feet. Carina was nodding her head quickly, excitedly, and threw her arms around Lista's neck. "I miss you, big sis! I want you to stay here forever! Please don't leave us again!"

Lista felt the guilt stab her in the stomach at the sound of her youngest sister's insistent plea and wrapped her arms around her back. "I'm so sorry, Carina. I would love nothing more than to stay here and play with you all the time." She pulled away enough to kiss her sister on the tip of her nose. "You know I miss you all, too. But I have to take care of some more things first. But I promise I won't take much longer, okay?"

Joelle took a step forward, prepared to give her eldest what-for, but Lorenzo put a firm hand on her shoulder, stopping her with a shake of his head. She frowned and turned back to her daughters. Gabriela stood up and shoved her hand out in front of Lista's face, her pinky finger sticking up. "Pinky swear. We all hate that you've been gone. I want my big sister back."

Lista couldn't help but smile. She nodded and locked her pinky with Gabriela's. "It's a deal. I'll make sure this is all over soon. We have a lot to catch up on. I'll at least be around for a little bit, so you don't have to worry about me rushing off anywhere right away, okay?"

Lista stood up and pressed a kiss atop each of her sisters' head before turning to her parents. Her father had a slight smirk that she could tell he was trying to suppress, while her mother was downright displeased. "Mom, I'll come and help you finish dinner. Then I'll help the girls with their homework." She turned back to her sisters, propping her hands on her hips. "How does that sound?"

Carina cheered excitedly, Alessandra clapped giddily, and Gabriela simply nodded in accord.

"All right, girls," Lorenzo spoke up, moving to the back edge of the sofa. "Get your backpacks into your rooms and get cleaned up for dinner. It'll be ready soon. Then we can all sit down and have a family meal."

"For the first time in too long," Joelle added knowingly, wagging her finger in her husband's face. He only smiled at her as she turned on her heel and moved back into the kitchen while the three younger girls gathered their things and filed noisily up the stairs.

Lista moved to follow her, but Lorenzo cut her off, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Your mother can handle dinner for now. I want to talk to you outside." He said nothing else and walked to the front door. She watched him go and sighed, knowing he wasn't giving her a choice to say no. She folded a lock of hair behind her ear and walked outside, finding him standing on the porch, looking out into the faraway buildings of the city.

She closed the door behind her. "What did you want to talk to me about, Dad?"

He folded his arms behind his back, not turning to face her. "You were there when Gus died, weren't you?"

Lista blanched, the memory flashing hard in her mind. She curled her hands into fists at her sides. "Yes, I was."

She watched him nod, making a confirmatory noise deep in his throat. "I thought so. And obviously you decided to join with OZ after the takeover."

Lista frowned. "It wasn't a decision I wanted to make, but it was the best option I had." It wasn't a lie, at least on the surface.

Lorenzo finally turned to face her, his expression rigid and serious. "The Gundams need to be taken down. The Alliance is no more. It may not be the best alternative, but it's the only one we have. OZ has the resources to see this war come to an end and the Gundams destroyed. The Colonies are filing in line to side with OZ. They don't want these Gundams around any more than anyone else does."

Lista fought the urge to argue. She swallowed hard and propped her fists on her waist. "I have no love for OZ. I'm not exactly eager to go back and work for them in any capacity. I only decided to join with them because I can't be imprisoned. There's too much at stake, and I'm no good to anyone in prison."

Lorenzo nodded once and was silent for a thoughtful moment. "The majority of the Alliance has sided with OZ. There are still some rebels out there, but OZ is making short work of them. They don't have a chance against the likes of OZ. The Alliance didn't have a chance then. I don't know what makes any of them think they do now."

"They have hope," Lista replied with a frown. He stared at her, unblinking, curious, at the bite in her words. "That's what everyone has. This war has to end. And after watching what happened that day at New Edwards, there's nothing I want more. And I'll do whatever I have to do to see it done."

Lorenzo couldn't hide his smirk. He closed the distance between them, placing his hands on her shoulders. "You remind me of me when I was your age and your grandfather was showing me the ropes. And there's no doubt in my mind that you would be making him mighty proud."

Lista smiled at the mention of her grandfather, although she had reason to believe he wouldn't have wanted her to be anywhere near this war. But the family tradition was important to Lorenzo, and she kept her mouth shut, lest she bring about an argument to the contrary.

Lorenzo pulled away from her, his expression pleased, before melting away into one of seriousness. "Being a part of OZ is hardly expected, but it's getting the job done, and that's what matters."

Seeing her window, Lista cleared her throat and tilted her head in curiosity. "Did you retain your Alliance title of colonel when you defected to OZ, or are they making us former Alliance soldiers work our way up the ranks?"

Lorenzo folded his arms over his chest. "Everyone's case has been different. They allowed me to retain my title, but it doesn't hold as much water in OZ as it did in the Alliance. OZ is much bigger than the Alliance was. But it's enough for me. As long as I can do my part to see the Gundams brought to their knees."

Lista said nothing. She heard her mother calling from inside the house to help set the table. She got lost in her thoughts, barely hearing her father beckon her back into the house. She watched him walk inside, troubled that, with his intentions now known, he had just outed himself as her enemy.

When Lista awoke the following day, she felt surprisingly rested. She hadn't slept in her own bed in well over a year. She didn't think she would miss it quite so much. Yawning, she kicked the covers away and got out of bed, stretching as she moved to her door. She could smell that her mother had undoubtedly begun breakfast.

Her stomach growled in response and, rubbing her hand against her abdomen, she moved to the stairs, passing the closed doors of her sisters' bedrooms. With it being the weekend, they were undoubtedly sleeping in.

As Lista moved down the stairs, she found her father sitting on the sofa in his OZ uniform – she felt sickness churn in her stomach at the sight – watching the news. He turned over his shoulder, taking in her disheveled form.

"Good morning," he said before turning back to the television report. "Did you sleep well?"

Lista nodded and sat down next to him. "Better than I have in a long time."

Lorenzo didn't stifle his chuckle. "Military cots only provide so much comfort. I don't miss those days." His amused smile melted away as footage appeared on the screen of space garbage floating about. "You're just in time. This is a pretty momentous message to the Gundam pilots."

Looking at her father in question, she opened her mouth to ask him what he meant, but he heard the female reporter's voice first.

"A Gundam, responsible for the misunderstandings between Earth and the Colonies, and causing destruction, will be destroyed by a colony citizen wishing for peace. Ladies and gentlemen, stand by to witness this!"

Lista snapped her head to the television screen and choked back her nausea.

The space debris floated away enough for her to see that it was Deathscythe, mangled and burned, floating in space, waiting to be fired upon. She felt her heart speed up in her chest, her pulse thumping hard in her ears. She swallowed and pressed her hand against the base of her neck.

"OZ captured a Gundam?" Lista managed to croak out.

She didn't see her father nod in confirmation; she couldn't tear her eyes from the screen. "The Gundam and its pilot," he replied. "And now OZ is going to use this Gundam to make an example out of the rest of them. Personally, I wish it could have been the Gundam that shot down Gus's shuttle. He's the one I'm waiting to see pay the most."

But Lista didn't hear the second half of her father's comment. All she could register was the fact that Duo was in OZ's custody. She hated to think what they would do to him as an example.

"It's starting," Lorenzo spoke up. Lista was snapped from her reverie and watched in horror as a space Taurus took aim with a beam cannon and fired in the midst of the debris, slamming into what was left of Deathscythe.

She bit back a gasp and blanched at the sight of Deathscythe falling apart in defeated shrapnel. She could feel the heat leaving her face, and all she could bear to do was offer a silent apology to Duo and wonder what she could do to help him before OZ took their frustrations out on him next.

Breakfast was a blur. Lista could barely hear her three sisters giggling and talking to her. Her father had left for duty, citing a busy day now that they had a Gundam pilot in their custody. They were angling for another.

Lista left her plate mostly untouched, although she enjoyed her mother's cooking. It was better than what she'd been used to at New Edwards.

"Hey! Lista! I'm talking to you!"

Lista blinked and turned to her left, looking down into the impatient light green eyes of Gabriela. "Oh. I'm sorry, Gabby. I guess I'm still not awake yet. What were you saying?"

Gabriela took her fork and poked at the uneaten, cold sausage links on Lista's plate. "I was asking why you're not eating. You took like two bites of your pancakes. We're all done but you."

Lista blinked at her confusedly for a moment before looking down at her plate, still full of a stack of pancakes, sausage, and fresh fruit. She stole a glance at her mother on the other side of the table, who had a small frown. Her eyes moved over her sisters' and mother's plates and found that they were, indeed, cleaned of their breakfast. "Oh. Yeah, it looks like I'm falling behind."

She picked up her fork and took a large bite of a sausage link, forcing on a smile. Her three sisters smiled in return, watching her heatedly.

"All right, girls," Joelle spoke up, clearing her throat. "If you're finished, take your dishes into the kitchen and put them in the dishwasher. You can spend time with your sister later. You all have some chores to take care of. Why don't you get them all out of the way and then we'll do something fun later?"

The three younger girls answered simultaneously, pleased with their mother's idea, and shuffled into the kitchen with their plates and silverware. Lista watched her mother curiously as she listened to the sound of the china clinking together before the three girls rushed from the kitchen, through the dining room, and made their way upstairs.

And then Joelle's eyes were fixated on her again. She broke their gaze and cut into her pancakes, taking another small bite.

"What's going on with you?" Joelle spoke up after a moment, interlocking her fingers and resting her chin atop her hands. Lista looked up at her mother, puzzled. "You haven't been acting like yourself all morning. And I can see the wheels turning in your head. You're planning something, aren't you?"

Lista swallowed the pancakes and put her fork down with a sigh. "Mom…"

"Don't you 'Mom' me," Joelle interrupted. She shook her head and pushed herself from her chair. "You have the same look in your eyes as your father when he's planning something. You can't hide it from me any more than he can."

Lista said nothing as her mother moved to the china cabinet against the wall. She opened a drawer and pulled out a white binder. She moved Lista's breakfast out of the way and placed it on the table in front of her without saying a word. Lista looked down at it for a moment, unsure of what it was, and opened the front cover.

She was bombarded with pictures of herself as a baby, of her with her sisters as each of them were born, even pictures of her father teaching her how to shoot a gun. She moved the pictures out of the way, eyes widening slightly at funeral information and a brochure of caskets.

She sighed and looked up at her mother; she was crying quietly. "Oh, Mom."

"We were planning a memorial for you," Joelle said, her voice wavering. "The longer that time passed, the more we thought we would have to do it. It was the last thing your father and I wanted to think about. And your sisters didn't know anything about what OZ thought happened to you." She sat down in Gabriela's seat, wiping her eyes. "No parent should ever have to bury a child or plan a memorial like this."

Lista closed the binder and wrapped her arms around her mother's shoulders. "I'm sorry, Mom," she said quietly. "I wish I could have let you both know sooner that I was okay. I didn't want this for you and Dad."

Joelle returned the hug, tugging her into her chest. "I am just thankful that I didn't have to say goodbye to you. I never want to say goodbye to you." She petted her hand against the back of Lista's head, sniffling. She pulled away, her brows furrowed. "So whatever it is that you're planning, I want you to stop. I don't want you fighting in this war anymore, Lista."

Lista felt the pressure in her chest. She couldn't promise her mother she wouldn't rejoin the war effort. The foremost thing on her mind was trying to find a way to free Duo and somehow warn the other pilots that OZ was gunning for them.

Joelle pulled away, smiling, and pulled the pictures of Lista from inside the binder. She picked it up, leaving the pictures in front of Lista, and moved to the kitchen with purpose. Lista stood up from her chair just in time to see her mother throw the binder in the trash.

Joelle walked back into the dining room and placed her hands on Lista's shoulders. "You know what? We should have a girls day out, you, me, and your sisters. We can go shopping, take the girls to the candy store, maybe have a late lunch. What do you think?"

It was difficult – no, impossible – to refuse her mother. As much as she wanted to do research and look into OZ's plans for Duo and the other Gundam pilots, she painted a smile on her face and nodded. "I think that would be fun, Mom."

Joelle clapped her hands once, chuckling. "Wonderful! I'll go and round up the girls. Their chores can wait."

Lista watched her mother shuffle from the room, appreciative of her willingness to spend time together as a family. She missed it herself and could only hope it would be the medicine she needed for her worry and the sickness still swirling in the pit of her stomach.