Chapter Fourteen

Quatre took two steps out of the darkness, his face softened by the white moonshine as he stared at her. His face looked paler than usual, especially with his moon-accented eyes gazing back at her longingly. "Lista. You're here."

"Oh, my God." Lista pressed her palms against the door, her head suddenly feeling like it was about to take off from her shoulders. It seemed as if her eyes and mind were both cruel and playing tricks to see just how much it would take for her to mentally snap in two. She groaned and closed her eyes, tucking her chin against her chest as her knees wobbled beneath her. "Oh, God. Oh, God."

Two hands rested on her shoulders, gently grasping her. Lista snapped her head up, finding those blazing blue-green depths staring back at her from mere inches away, the same eyes that seemed blissfully bottomless.

This was no illusion. She'd memorized the soft skin of his hands, the warmth that radiated off of them and onto her bare skin.

"Are you all right?" he asked in a whisper. She couldn't find her voice, so all she could do was nod. He released her shoulders, grazing his fingers down her arms until he gingerly took her hands in his. "I missed you," he rasped, rubbing his thumbs over the tops of her hands. He couldn't tear his eyes from hers. He didn't want to, afraid she would disappear if he did. "You look…absolutely stunning. Your dress is the same color as your eyes."

Tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes, sobs cracking against her throat as she tried to form a response.

Quatre closed the distance between them, releasing her hands in favor of cupping her face in his palms. He captured a lone tear on his thumb, brushing the droplet off her cheek. "Don't cry," he implored, shaking his head. "I can't bear to see your tears. I've hated knowing what torture I've caused you."

Lista wildly shook her head against his hands. "No," she sobbed. "No. None of this is your fault. And I'm not sad." She cracked a weak smile, sniffling against her tears. "I'm crying because I'm happy. So happy." She fell into his embrace, crying into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms tight around her—a mistake, he knew, for he'd never want to let her go now—and pressed his lips against her temple, quietly shushing her. "I missed you, too. So, so much."

The music from inside the hall poured against the closed door, insistent to be heard. It seemed to break them momentarily from their reverie.

Lista muffled something incoherent against him, pushing her face out of the nook of his shoulder. She sniffled and looked up at him, forcing herself to smile at him. Her fingers dug into his tuxedo jacket and she rested her head back against the door, pressing her bare back against the cool wood. "We won't see each other again after this, will we?"

Quatre flinched, his face wrenching in pain at the very thought. "We most certainly will," he said firmly. "I will see to it."

Lista's smile widened, and she shook her head, slightly relieved at his vow. "No, that's not what I meant. I meant we won't see each other again until after this whole thing with Merrick ends. This is it, and I think our friends knew that. That's why they arranged this. There won't be another chance." Her eyes traveled away from his, knowing there was more to this private meeting.

They provided her with the moment alone that she needed, face to face, to tell him she was carrying his child.

"If that's the case," Quatre's voice broke through her thoughts, causing her to look at him again, "then I will do everything I can to get back to you. Permanently. I will not risk your life like this. If Merrick were to discover this meeting—"

Lista pressed her fingers against his lips – another mistake. Quatre snatched her hand and kneaded his lips against the tender flesh of her fingers, shuddering, wishing this single moment didn't feel so illicit. "He's not going to find out. He didn't find out about you leaving me a message on my phone, did he?"

Quatre pulled her hand away from his mouth in realization. He shook his head numbly. "No, I suppose not." He released her hand and rubbed his thumbs under her eyes, rubbing away the wayward makeup that had smeared with her tears. "I feel incredibly weak, so unworthy of you for everything."

Lista frowned. "Don't feel that way, Quatre," she scolded lightly. "You're not unworthy, and you're not at fault for what's happened. I love you, and nothing Merrick does will change that. Trying to marry you off to his daughter doesn't change anything. And we've managed to keep up that façade. You and I both know that."

"You are far more worthy than I," Quatre rasped, "to be so forgiving and understanding in this." He released a shaky sigh, his hands trembling as they extended forward to grasp her arms. "I have never felt so lucky to have you in my life, sweetheart."

Lista collapsed against him, her sobs taking her over again at his sweet words. He wrapped his arms around her, taking a deep breath against her hair. Her smell was the same, sweet like nectar and enough to make him feel whole again. A soft moan vibrated against her throat. "I need to sit down. I feel a little woozy."

He snapped back worriedly, staring down at her as her fingers dug into his jacket. "Of course, sweetheart. There's a gazebo along the path. We'll sit over there."

Lista pushed herself away from him to follow the paved path, but Quatre's hand clamped over her wrist, causing her to turn around and face him inquisitively. He released her in favor of wrapping his arms under her knees and behind her back, sweeping her quickly off her feet. A gasp escaped her throat as she hurriedly snaked her arms around his neck to gain stability. "Quatre, what are you doing?" she asked weakly.

"I'll not have you walk if you are lightheaded," Quatre said firmly, walking slowly towards the gazebo in the back of the gardens. "It'll be quieter back here, as well."

Lista said nothing. She rested her head against his shoulder, her heart pounding and her stomach fluttering in anxiety. "Thank you."

Quatre said nothing else as he walked them into the flurry of trees, disappearing behind them until he found the gazebo he'd been studying earlier, before he discovered Lista was pleasantly pushed into his presence by Duo. He should have known his friends had been planning this secret meeting, and it was obvious by Lista's reaction that she was just as oblivious to it as he. An unexpected surprise this was, but it was a welcome one.

Lista made a content sound deep in her throat, nuzzling her nose under his chin. Her mouth nipped against his skin, causing a delightful tremble to shimmy down his spine, nearly causing him to lose his strength and drop her about the cool cement. He bit down on his bottom lip and forced himself to concentrate on getting Lista to a seat rather than the frenzy of colorful visuals bombarding his mind.

He took the three steps up into the gazebo as careful as possible and eased Lista down onto the cool wooden bench. White lights were strung over the white wood, making it look as if sparkles were falling around them like shooting stars.

Lista sighed and rested her head against a wooden beam as Quatre sat down next to her, blanketing his hands atop hers. "Is this better?"

"Yes," she answered meekly. She swallowed hard and blinked several times before turning to look at him. Her cheeks heated up in a blush, and she lowered her head, trying to hide the smile taking to her lips. "Thank you."

"Think nothing of it, sweetheart." He smoothed his tongue over his dry lips. "How have you been feeling? Duo's told me you haven't been well."

Lista's pulse skipped a beat. She flashed a wider smile and shook her head. "This is about the extent of it, this dizziness from time to time and nausea. It's passing. I feel better. Stress is taking more of a toll than I thought it would. But I can handle it." She stopped herself, realizing she was a step short of rambling incessantly like a nervous fool.

Quatre tightened his hands over hers. "Forgive me. It is my fault you're like this. I wish I could have come up with a better solution to this predicament."

"Please don't," Lista begged. She leaned into him then, unable to fight against the urge to be close to him, to taste his breath, his lips. "I just want…" She sighed and locked eyes with him for several long seconds before the former pilot of Sandrock finally answered her mind's call and crushed his mouth to hers in a hungry kiss.

Quatre's fingers twisted through her hair as she clung to his shoulders, sliding herself over his lap as the need to touch him, to feel his warmth, overpowered her. It became as necessary as air to feel his fingers moving from her hair to splay across her bare back, taking advantage of the low-cut gown she'd chosen for the night's event. The tips of his fingers grazed under the silky fabric, prompting her to moan into his mouth.

Lista pushed her hands under his jacket and tugged at it, forcing him to release her so she could remove the annoying wool article from his shoulders. The black jacket slid off his arms and pooled at his waist before sliding off the bench to his feet. Her fingers quickly played across the buttons of his white dress shirt, dismissing the black tie at his neck. After undoing three buttons, her hands moved under the silk fabric, swiftly finding the hardened nipples underneath. Her palms cupped over them, rousing a moan from his lips as he broke their kiss.

Her breath shuddered against his lips as she grazed her mouth against his, greedy for more of his tempestuous kisses. She ran her fingers through his bangs, teasing them across his eyes. And then she blanketed her mouth on his, pressing her palms against his smooth, clean-shaven face. She made a contented moan into his mouth when his tongue slid in between her lips, tasting her as if she were an exotic fruit.

Lista pulled away, gasping for air and shuddering as they clutched one another needlessly. She tugged at his head, resting her forehead against his as she gathered her wits.

"Are you all right, love?" Quatre's voice rasped around them as he tucked stray hairs behind her ear, cupping her cheek in his palm.

"Just dizzy again," she groaned. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. I don't wish for you to strain yourself," Quatre whispered. He sighed deeply and nipped his mouth against the tip of her chin. "This is unbearable."

"Unbearable isn't the word for it," Lista chuckled wryly. She fastened the buttons of his shirt, smoothing her hands over the new wrinkles. "That doesn't even begin to describe how this has been."

"I wish there were something more I could do to make this easier for you," Quatre replied.

Lista pulled away and turned over her shoulder, looking through the trees at the hall. Another song was starting, pouring through the leaves and reaching the former silence of their ears. "You could dance with me." She turned to face him again, a smile painting her lips.

Quatre gave her a quizzical blink. "A dance?"

She nodded. "Yes." She closed her eyes. "Just like the last dance we had together. It was like we were the only two people in the world."

"Then I will make it so," Quatre vowed. He noted the tremble in Lista's body as she stood from his lap, her legs like jelly as she settled her full weight upon her feet. Quatre quickly stood and rested his hands on her arms, offering stability. "Are you sure about this? You're still not well."

"Nothing is going to deter me," Lista murmured. She took a step against him, sliding her hand behind his neck. "Dance with me, Quatre, as if it's going to be our last."

Quatre opened his mouth to rebuke, to promise there would be many dances between them to come, but instead nodded to her wish, taking her hand in his while wrapping an arm firmly around her waist. The music fluttered around them then, guiding their steps.

If I caught the world in a bottle

And everything was still beneath the moon

Without your love would it shine for me?

If I was smart as Aristotle

And understood the rings around the moon

What would it all matter if you loved me?

Lista rested her head against Quatre's shoulder, sighing contently and closing her eyes as she let the moment swim over her like a warm ocean wave. She shrugged off the nagging feeling of a questionable future between them, the question of when they would be together again far from her mind in favor of savoring this one tender moment.

This was what it was all about.

Here in your arms where the world is impossibly still

With a million dreams to fulfill

And a matter of moments until the dancing ends

Here in your arms, when everything seems to be clear

Not a solit'ry thing would I fear

Except when this moment

Comes near the dancing's end

Quatre hummed in Lista's ear as he once again memorized the smell of her wind-swept, passion-disheveled hair, memorizing the soft touch of the moonlight draping against her smooth flesh. He surprised himself, believing the limited time they had would prompt sadness in him. But it didn't. He was impossibly happy to hold her again, feel her against him again as if everything was indeed all right with the world around them.

If I caught the world in an hourglass

Saddled up the moon so we could ride

Until the stars grew dim

Until...

One day, you'll meet a stranger

And all the noise is silenced in the room

You'll feel that you're close to some mystery

Lista's fingers clung to his hand, stiffening when she grazed against the cool, smooth surface of his gold wedding band, the one that proved he was wed to another. But she felt no sadness, no anger, knowing that such an article slung about his finger meant nothing, held no sentimental value to him whatsoever. It was a dead symbol. It was then that she knew it was more important to have Quatre's undying love and devotion, even though he was pledged to another. She knew that. She knew he was always hers, and she always his.

In the moonlight, when everything shadows you

You'll feel as if you've known her all your life

The world's oldest lesson in history

Here in your arms, where the world is impossibly still

With a million dreams to fulfill

And a matter of moments until the dancing ends

Quatre felt Lista's chest heave and relax slowly against him in a long sigh. Worried, he drew away somewhat, enough to look down upon her. Her eyes closed, she almost looked asleep. She appeared content.

He had to ask. "Are you all right?"

"The song. It's almost over," she answered in a whisper. "It's almost over."

Quatre offered her no comfort, save for the tightening of his arm around her waist. He closed his eyes and continued to sway to the music with the pretense that it would never end, that Lista would forever remain in his arms, shielded from the chill in the air, from Merrick's less-than-noble intentions. This would be far from the last time that they danced within each other's embrace under the watchful moon.

Here in your arms, everything seems to be clear

Not a solit'ry thing do I fear

Except when this moment comes near the dancing's end

Oh, if I caught the world in an hourglass

Saddled up the moon and we would ride

Until the stars grew dim

Until the time that time stands still

Until...

The music came to a soft conclusion around them, but Quatre's swaying only lessened, did not stop. Lista lifted her head from his chest, peering up at him in curiosity. His eyes were closed, as if he were immersed in some other world, imagining things different for them now. She'd be lying if she hadn't done the same since their separation.

He sighed. "It's over." He stopped, and his eyes fluttered open, lowering his head to meet with her eyes. He was delighted to see her smile despite the fact their single moment of romantic respite was coming to an end. He shook his head. "No, it will never be over for us," he murmured. He swept stray bangs from her face, his palm framing her cheek.

Lista smiled at him—a reassuring expression that seemed to warm the tips of his toes—and nodded in agreement. Her hands crept up his chest, fingering the smooth plastic of his buttons as she fastened his shirt back, correcting its disarray. "Where there is darkness, there is always light," she said matter-of-factly.

"You are my light," Quatre rasped, leaning down to capture her lips in his. Their kiss was tender, soft, much like the very first time their mouths had touched in a curious yet heated fashion.

Lista's fingers curled over the silky fabric of his shirt, clinging to him, drinking him in as if he were an exotic beverage. She pulled away slowly, grazing her lips one last time against his. She offered him another smile and cupped her hands over his cheeks. "I won't ever forget this."

"It's hard to forget anything when you are involved," Quatre replied, snatching one of her hands and kneading his mouth against the middle of her palm. He sighed heavily and closed his eyes. "I suppose this is where we depart again."

"But it's on our terms, not on Merrick's," Lista pointed out firmly, her smile straightening. "He doesn't have as much power as he thinks he does. He can only control us so much. I'm far too stubborn to take anything more from him."

"A trait that often gets you into trouble, but I love it just the same," Quatre chuckled. His eyes snapped through the trees, noticing that Duo had come outside and was standing guard at the door, waiting patiently for them to finish. Quatre's smile faded. "Duo is here to retrieve you. You should go, love. I don't wish for us to be caught together."

Lista nodded in agreement. She pulled her hand from his face and rested them at her sides, resisting the urge to touch him again, to kiss him again. "This will just be our little secret, then," Lista murmured. She stroked the back of her knuckles against his cheek, all the while her mind screaming at her to tell him he was going to be a father. "I won't say goodbye to you."

Quatre shook his head. "And I won't say it to you. It's not goodbye. Just good night." He took her free hand in his and pressed his mouth against it. "I love you, sweetheart. So much."

Lista shook off the tremble in her arms, knowing in seconds, she'd be away from him again. It was now or never to tell him the truth.

But the words didn't come. She offered him a smile, slid her hand from his, and turned away, not looking back. She clutched her hands to her stomach and locked eyes with Duo, who met with her halfway, silently wrapping his arm around her shoulders and quickly leading her back to the closed door to the ballroom.

The braided pilot didn't speak, didn't even turn to meet eyes with his friend as he left him alone under the gazebo. Duo opened the door for Lista, ushering her inside. Trowa stood next to the door, leaning against the wall with his hands crossed. His eyes met with Duo and Lista as soon as they entered the musical bustle of the ballroom.

Duo tugged Lista to a stop, eager. "Well? How did it go?"

Lista hesitated, nodding once and smiling. "My night's complete. That's all."

Duo's brow quirked, clearly unsatisfied. "What? What does that mean? Did you tell Quatre the truth?"

Lista's smile faded. "I'm ready to go home now. I'm a little tired."

Duo paused, studying her, before he sighed and nodded in defeat. "Then we'll go." He turned to the stoic pilot of Heavyarms. "Are you coming with us, Trowa?"

"No, I have some other things to take care of. We still haven't heard from Heero or Wufei, so I'm assuming they are still on the colony. I'd like to see if I can contact them without alerting their presence to the security," Trowa replied. "If there are any problems, I'll inform you."

Duo nodded. "Gotcha. I'll get this one home and to bed. We'll meet up later with you guys to talk about the mission." He looked upon Lista again, who was smiling weakly and staring off. She appeared to be in her own world. "You ready to go, Lissy?"

"Mm-hmm," she answered quietly under her breath. She released a sigh through her lips and closed her eyes, remembering the warmth of Quatre's touch, the sweetness of his kisses, the love and devotion in every word he'd said to her. She was happy, far happier than she thought she'd be in such a predicament.

"You didn't tell him, did you?" Duo's calm voice shattered her thoughts.

She looked at him. They were out of the ballroom now, the music muted by the closed door behind them as he led her down the staircase. Her lips curved into a smile, and she lowered her gaze with a soft shake of her head. "No. I didn't."

Duo shook his head, frowning. "But why, Lissy? That was your chance, and it's probably the only chance you're gonna have for a long time," Duo prodded gently. He opened the door to their vehicle, assisting her as she maneuvered her gown and slid into the back seat. He slid in after her, pulling the door shut and commanding the driver to return them home. He shut the divider window so they could speak in peace. "There's no telling when we'll have another chance to have you meet up with him or even talk to him."

"It's okay, Duo," Lista whispered. Her fingers curled over her gown, her eyes averted from his. "I know that's why you arranged for us to meet. And, you know, I thought for a moment I was going to be able to tell him, but knowing we're still in the midst of this war with Merrick, I…I just couldn't do it."

Her smile faded, and she lifted her head, her eyes glazing over as she stared at him. "It's not something I can throw on him while he's stuck with Melody. He'd feel guilty, and I won't do that to him. He feels guilty over just about everything else that happens in our lives." She heaved a deep sigh. "It's better this way, him not knowing yet. Really. Besides, this will be more of an incentive for me to take care of myself and our baby. I want him to be proud of me."

"Lista, God knows he's already proud of you," Duo replied, resting his hand over hers as they trembled. "You haven't flown off the handle yet, and I think that's damaging enough to Merrick's pride. Hell, I'm proud of you."

"Perhaps." She drew in a deep breath and relaxed against the cool leather of the seat. "It's not easy for me to do, you know."

Duo chuckled and nodded in agreement. "You've sure shown me that you're unpredictable. I thought for sure you'd go on a rampage and insist on blowing him sky-high."

"The thought had crossed my mind a time or two," Lista admitted, leaning her head against her shoulder to peer over at him. "I'd be lying if I said I hadn't been planning it out in my head." She slid closer to him. He answered her close proximity with a comforting arm behind her head, coaxing her into his side. "But that was the old me, the me that wasn't pregnant."

"I guess it goes to show that some people can change." Duo playfully nudged her cheek with his knuckle. "That shows growth, Lissy, that you're not acting on your temper."

She made a content noise of agreement in the cradle of her throat, nuzzling into his side. "Moms don't act like that." She closed her eyes and relaxed against him, not catching his response as she succumbed to her exhaustion, her dream a happy remembrance of the short but sweet time she'd spent with Quatre under the watchful night sky.

A moan escaped Lista's parted lips as she came to, pleasantly blanketed by the warmth of her bed and the sunlight sparkling into her room from the windows. A pliant smile painted her lips as her eyes fluttered, blinking the sleep from them and studying the room around her. The smell of breakfast attacked her senses, sending her stomach into a quiet set of rumbling. She mumbled something to the growing baby in her belly, promising to feed them both soon.

She sat up slowly, noticing her gown draped on the back of a chair, her shoes seemingly tossed next to the garment she'd worn the night before. Her fingers raked through her disheveled hair and found that it was still curled atop her head, albeit rather tangled after sleep. It was then that she remembered she had barely gotten her dress off and into her pajamas before crashing to sleep.

Sliding carefully out of bed, she walked into her bathroom to wash her face and fix her unkempt hair. She splashed water and soap on her face, washing away the remnants of her makeup from the night before. She pulled the pins from her hair one by one, careful not to tangle them more than they already were. Locks of hair fell on her back with each one removed, and after ridding herself of the final pin, she teased her hair with her fingers, easing the tension of having her hair so tightly bound all night.

And then her memory attacked her. The mission. Wufei and Heero. Had they returned safe? Had they returned at all?

Deciding that clothing herself was unimportant, she dashed out of her bedroom and rushed down the stairs, nearly tripping on her own feet as she did so. She could hear talking in the dining room, and she spun around the corner, finding her friends—Wufei and Heero included—chatting over breakfast with a mountain of papers around them.

Duo was the first to stand. "Are you okay, Lissy? You look pale."

She rested a palm on her chest, heaving a sigh of relief. "I'm fine," she answered breathlessly. She quickly turned to Heero and Wufei, who were sitting next to one another at the table. She walked over to them, hovering above their shoulders. "Are you two all right? You're not hurt, are you?"

"Calm down," Heero interrupted firmly. "Everything went fine. We ran into some minor difficulties, but we were able to infiltrate Merrick's database. We were just going over everything we found."

"And did you find anything of use?" Lista asked, pulling out the empty chair next to Wufei.

The Chinese pilot picked up an age-worn book, handing it over to her. "I think you'll want to take a look at this."

Lista was careful as she took it in both of her hands, her fingers sliding over the leather spine. "What is it?" She studied it for a moment and opened to the first page. Her eyes widened, and she snapped her gaze to the two pilots next to her. "This belonged to Quatre's father?"

"His personal journal. Merrick must have taken it sometime after his death," Wufei replied with a solid nod.

"But…But why would he want something like this?" Lista asked, her eyes skimming over the intricately-written words. "I don't see how having this would have use to Merrick."

"We read it over from front to back, and there is one thing in there that caught our eye," Wufei continued. He took the book from her and flipped to close to the back of the book. He handed it back to her. "Read this."

She took it back and her eyes traveled over the words. The further down the page she got, the more her heart sped up in her chest, the quicker a tremble wracked her hands. "Oh, my God. This is…This is impossible." She looked up at Wufei, her nose and brows furrowing. "This is blackmail, is what it is. Surely Merrick wasn't planning on using this information against Quatre. It would just kill him. And it's a low-blow, even for him."

"And Winner doesn't know the truth," Wufei replied. "His father must not have wanted him to know, but Merrick found out and wanted to use it against him somehow. This would have been the only means of evidence he'd have, this secret journal that belonged to Zayeed Winner."

Lista placed the diary on the table and slid her finger along the rough page, stopping at Quatre's name. "I just can't believe this. All this time, and he…" She closed her eyes and shook her head. "He undermined himself constantly over this. Not so much anymore, but if he found out about this now, given my pregnancy…" Her voice trailed off, and she clapped a hand over her mouth. "If he finds out about this now, it's just going to worry him where I'm concerned. That's the last thing I want."

"Did you tell him?" Heero asked abruptly, causing everyone at the table to turn to Lista.

She removed her hand from her mouth, showing off her displeased frown. "No. I didn't tell him, and I especially can't tell him if he knows about this," she said, pointing down to the diary. "This is going to scare the hell out of him. I don't want him to feel like the fate of his mother is going to be my fate, too." She rubbed her palms over her face. "He hated so much that he never knew his mother, but he hated even more that he thought of himself as a tool created by his father. Until now, he still believes that he was merely a scientific creation rather than a biological one." She rested her hands on her stomach and sighed. "I can't believe that he's not a test-tube baby like his sisters. This is too huge. He's going to blame his mother's death on himself."

"If anyone's going to tell him this, you better hope it's not going to be Merrick," Wufei replied. "Coming from anyone other than you at this point is dangerous. Winner is strong in his own way, but this" — he pointed to the diary with a stern finger — "This is going to drive him insane, especially when he finds out you're pregnant yourself. He's going to immediately make the connection between you and his mother."

"I know that," Lista said through clenched teeth, snapping a stare at Wufei. She sighed and closed her eyes. "I know. He has enough to shoulder. I don't want him shouldering this, too." She folded her hands atop the table, hoping to hide the continuing shudder in them. "My family is demanding to know what's going on with us, and to an extent, I've told them. But they still don't know I'm pregnant."

"You haven't told them?" Duo asked, his voice going up an octave in surprise.

"Of course not," Lista said with a shake of her head. "I told you the next person I wanted to know about this was Quatre, and I meant it. He should have been the first one to know, but the situation didn't allow that, now did it?" Her eyes grazed over Zayeed's writing, her eyes settling on a single excerpt that revealed the truth of Quatre's birth:

"Quaterine, the foolish woman, insisted on giving birth to our son, despite my wishes to go against such a dangerous pregnancy. My dear only son, Quatre, will never come to know the truth of his birth in hopes he will never feel the guilt I feel. I wish for him to hold his mother in the highest regard as I do, for her strength and courage, to do something like this for me. It is because of her, Quatre, that you are here. We will honor her together, as father and son."

"Merrick won't have any reason to divulge this information until he discovers you're pregnant," Heero spoke up after several moments of thoughtful silence. Lista exchanged a serious look with him. "And he doesn't have to find out, so long as you stay out of the public eye when it becomes more obvious that you are."

"I know. I thought of that," Lista murmured. "But I didn't think this would last long enough for people to find out that way. I guess at this rate, it's going to be inevitable." She carefully closed the book, trailing a finger over the rough cover. "Wait." She snapped her head back to Wufei and Heero. "What else did you find? Surely more than just Zayeed Winner's diary."

"We did. We discovered he made an update several days ago on a file concerning the construction of his army. Apparently it's seventy percent complete, and he's expecting everything to be finalized in about two months' time. He's making no plans to attack until his army is fully complete," Heero explained. "This means we have approximately two months to prepare and continue construction on our Gundams. I've already alerted Lady Une and Burke. They will be taking their own precautions."

"But the files you found," Lista started. She pointed to the endless array of papers on the table. "We can use them as evidence, can't we? We can stop this before it even starts. A war can be prevented."

Wufei sighed and shook his head. "Burke doesn't think the evidence will be sound enough to convict him of crimes against the Colonies."

"What?" Lista shoved herself out of her chair. "How can this not be proof enough of what he's planning? It's obvious this work is his!"

"We faxed Burke several copies of some files we printed, and he doesn't have enough faith in them. Merrick doesn't once give mention of his identity, which means they're still considered anonymous. Not to mention we could come under fire for procuring them without proper authorization," Wufei continued. "We're going to have to wait for him to attack the Colonies and get evidence that way. War is inevitable. The problem is, the Gundams will be the only line of defense for the Colonies since the current military is under his control and there are no other mobile suits."

Lista She retreated back into her chair and blew air through her nose. "So we're it, then." She paused, swallowing the lump in her throat, eyes connecting with Duo's across the table. "Well, really, you guys are it."

"What?" Duo leaned over the table, pressing his palms flat on the wooden surface. "Not you?"

"I need to step back," Lista replied. "I'm not going to fight, not unless the situation gets that bad. I'm putting my foot down." She rested her hand against her stomach. "This baby comes first. What kind of mother would I be if I stepped into the cockpit of a mobile suit with this little one's life in my hands?" A smile cracked over her mouth. "No, I won't do it. Besides, I have enough faith in all of you to get the job done when the time comes. I'll just do my work from the sidelines."

Duo jerked back against his chair, wiping his brow with the back of his hand and heaving a sigh of relief. "You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that, Lissy. And if that's not growth, I don't know what is."