Wow! Thank you for lasting all the way to this page. I'm glad you read it all despite how long it was. As a reward, I've included three of the scenes I deleted.
I know I write differently than other authors. I'm not the type who can write one scene at a time and post it because I end up including wandering scenes or weak scenes or going somewhere that wasn't my original intention.
Deleted scene #1
AN: The first scene was a favorite of mine and a hard one to cut. This is how Lisa met her Gundam pilot. The reason I cut the scene was because it didn't fit with my goal of telling the story of S and A. As you can tell by reading it, it really does diverge. (By the way, the chess game here was played by Theodor Lichtenhein (white) and Paul Morphy (black) in 1857).
"Professor A?" asked her current assistant.
"Yes?" said Lisa.
"You look beat. Why don't you head outside to the porch and get some fresh-canned colony air?"
Lisa snickered, "Well, maybe I could use a stretch..."
"Yes, I can continue testing these orphans by myself. I mean, you wrote the bloody thing, giving it is easy."
"If you don't mind, I think I will." Lisa opened the office door and strolled out through the orphanage. The M1 resistance wanted to find the perfect pilot, so here they were, her aptitude test in hand, going from orphanage to orphanage.
There were too many of these places now-too many children growing up without a family because of this pitiful war. She stepped out on to the porch of the large house, a small yard was planted in front and several children played on it. Her heart cried out in sympathy for the handicapped ones. Little kids caught in this or that battle-armless, legless, blind-because of war. In a different time, almost a different life from now, her first goal of visiting this place would've been to give these children back their missing hands, feet, eyes, etc. Now, she was here to find a tool of war. How did she get to this place?
"Would you like to play chess?" asked a serious female voice.
Lisa looked; it came from a little black-no mulatto girl in a wheel chair. The girl had the markings of both an Asian and an African heritage. She had no legs from the knees down, and there was an eye-patch over her right eye. She couldn't be older than eight or nine.
The girl waited patiently for her answer.
"Yes, I believe I would."
Lisa sat down in the chair opposite the girl. White was nearest to her, so she made the first move: pawn to king four.
"What's your name?" the girl asked as she moved her pawn to king four as well.
"They call me Professor A." Lisa moved her knight to king's bishop three.
"Isn't that your name?" The girl moved her knight to queen's bishop three.
"Almost, I have a doctorate and 'A' is one of my initials. What's your name?" Lisa moved her pawn to queen four.
"Emiko. It means child of happiness," the girl said as she took Lisa's pawn with her own.
"You don't like your name," said Lisa. It wasn't a question. She moved her bishop to queen's bishop four.
"My name is a sham. Why are you here?" Emiko moved her knight to bishop three.
"We are going to adopt a child." Lisa moved her pawn to king five.
"No, you're not." Emiko moved her pawn to queen four.
"What makes you say that?" Lisa moved her bishop to queen's knight five.
"People who want to adopt don't come here with code names and tests." Emiko moved her knight to king five.
"You're very astute," commented Lisa as she took a pawn with her knight.
"I cannot run and play. I cannot see depth. What more is there than to be astute?" Emiko spoke in a mocking tone, and moved her bishop to queen two.
"I'm sorry." Lisa took the knight with her knight. Her mind boggled at the idea of such a young child sounding so intelligent and mature. There was something almost preternatural about this girl.
"Why should you be? It is only the fault of war. There's another thing-I cannot fight." Emiko removed Lisa's knight with her pawn.
"Why would you want to fight?" Lisa asked while moving her bishop to queen three.
"I want to fight because I have no legs, and because I have only one eye. I would fight, so no one else would end up as I am," Emiko said simply. She moved her bishop to queen's bishop four.
"That's a good reason," Lisa mussed as she took a knight with her bishop.
"You don't believe me. You've come here for a weapon haven't you?" Emiko moved her queen to rook five.
"A weapon? That's an interesting assumption." Lisa hedged as she moved her queen to king two.
"I never assume." Emiko paused as she removed a bishop with her pawn.
"So you're sure we've come for that reason?" Lisa moved a bishop to king three.
"Yes," Emiko moved a bishop to king's knight five.
"Why?" Lisa moved her queen to bishop four.
"I don't know, but you'll never find a weapon with tests." Emiko took Lisa's bishop with her bishop.
"How then?" Lisa moved her pawn to king's knight three.
"You must look for hunger, motivation, someone with a fire in their soul." Emiko moved her queen to queen one.
"And how do we find such a person?" Lisa took a black bishop with her pawn.
"Look into their eyes." Emiko moved her queen to queen eight "Check"
Lisa said nothing while she moved her king to bishop two and out of check.
Emiko looked deep in to Lisa's eyes as she moved her queen to bishop six "Check."
"You would be the weapon then?" Lisa looked down to move her king to knight one.
"I would've been, if I had legs and two good eyes." Emiko made the move that set up the next move as checkmate: bishop to rook six.
Lisa could only post pone the inevitable by putting Emiko in check by taking the queen's bishop pawn with her Queen. "Check"
"You are stalling. Why? Do you think I could be the weapon anyway?" Emiko casually moved her king to bishop one and out of check.
Lisa tried one more time to put Emiko in check by taking her rook with the Queen "Check...I am stalling because...yes, I think you could."
"Then, I accept." Emiko moved her king to king two and out of check for good.
There was only one thing to do. Lisa knocked over her king.
Deleted Scene #2
AN: I removed this scene for much the same reason as number one. I realized when I was done with this scene, that I was telling the whole story of the M1 fight and that I was making up millions of OC's to do it! It was too much, and too off focus.
Lisa and Emiko walked into the small meeting room. It was already full of the M1 resistance leaders.
"Emiko, if you would?" asked Charlie, the current commander-in-chief.
"Immediately, sir," replied the twelve-year-old girl. The façade that hid the inner mechanics of her right eye slid apart. She walked through the various resistance members. The click, click, click of her canine legs echoed on the floor.
Lisa had made her several versions of legs-canine, primate, webbed flippers, etc. She tended to avoid wearing the human legs whenever she could get away with it. She found them limiting and featureless. The canine legs were her favorite-powerful jumping legs each paw equipped with razor-sharp toes.
Emiko finished her circuit of the room. "Everyone is clean," she reported.
"Very well, if we could all take our seats," said Charlie. "We've received a coded message from the resistance of the Earth Sphere. They report that Operation Meteor is still three to five years out."
There were groans and mumblings around the room.
"We are much closer to being ready for it, and I've asked Professor A here this morning to fill us in on the details of the M1 Gundam Project. Professor?"
Lisa stood and walked to the head of the table. As she spoke, slides appeared projected on the wall behind her. "Thanks Charlie. Six months ago I promised you results. Today, I'm here to tell you that Gundam K-9 Storm is done. Save only a few final tests, the M1 Gundam is ready whenever M1 or the Earth colonies need it." The room erupted into applause.
"As I told you six months ago, our Gundam is a scaled down model. It will come to only 75% of the original Wing Zero design. The efficiency of our model is due largely to the fact that Emiko is capable of thinking and moving in any design. We have been training her since she was eight to be our pilot, her adaptability and control over her own brain's zero interface has allowed us to alter the design to the canine form-a more powerful, stable and efficient form. The smaller design has saved us from running out of the precious metal alloy Gundainum. Also, due to the diminutive size of this colony, the smaller Gundam will have an easier time fighting and moving inside M1.
"As you can see here, the Gundam has the following advantages..." Lisa presented the schematics of the design to the smiling faces of the M1 resistance. There was nothing like giving good news at the beginning of a speech. If only her grant review boards were this easy! But that life was far behind her now. Now she was the leader of a team of engineers for the M1 resistance. She was the former and shaper of a young crippled girl into the ultimate confined space warrior. She tried never to think about the broad implications of her work-keep the focus on the goal: freedom.
When her speech was concluded, the great debate of what to do now began. Lisa and Emiko sat calmly in the middle of the storm of words. It mattered very little to either of them when M1 would be liberated. They would do their jobs.
"Well I say we should move now!"
"Yes!"
"That's a mistake."
"If we move now, we could bring down the earth sphere resistance! If the Alliance learns of the Gundams before Operation Meteor..."
"Let the Earth Colonies deal with their own problems!"
"If we wait until Operation Meteor they'll demand we send them our Gundam! M1 won't be liberated until the earth colonies are first."
"He's right! We should free our colony first long before they need the spare Gundam."
"I agree!"
"It's just too risky, we can't jeopardize the chance of bringing freedom to all the colonies at once."
"We must wait."
"We don't have to let Earth know we've taken over M1! Don't you see?"
"What?"
"What did he say?"
Charlie finally interrupted the debate. "Everyone quiet, I think Caleb has a good idea there, please continue."
Both Lisa and Emiko turned to listen to the man. What could he mean by that? The room grew silent.
"Well, every 197 earth days, M1 enters the shadow phase. Where there's no direct radio connection with earth. We loose line of sight communication, there are three relay satellites we use to bounce our signal around Mars. If we took out those three satellites, we'd have 13 days of shadow time. If we could stage our coup then, the earth wouldn't know about it. Then, when we come out of the shadow, we send them a really convincing movie of M1 blowing up, caught in a tragic battle. Then we lay low, no radio, no signals of any kind until the Earth Sphere has their war. We continue our work in Peace, and we rejoin the Earth Sphere when they're peaceful too."
Caleb sat down to signal the end of his idea.
"Hey that idea's not half bad!"
"I say we do it!"
"Here, here, let's call for a vote."
Charlie raised his hands, "Wait a tick people, there are more questions to be asked. Professor A, can we stage this coup in 13 days?"
"There are nothing but Beta Tauruses and space Leos stationed at M1. We should be able to overcome them in one battle. This location was never meant to be a battle location, the resistance predicted it would fall immediately and just be a storehouse for the spare Gundam. Both the Gundam and Emiko are serious overkill for the Alliance stationed here. Unless something goes seriously wrong, M1 will be liberated in less than a day. Most of that thirteen days will probably be spent making that movie."
"Charlie, Professor A, Caleb, with all due respect, how do you propose to let the Earth Sphere resistance know we're still out here? We have a courier code system with them now-email and radio are out. And if I recall correctly, we don't have six months to wait for a courier."
Caleb nodded, "We don't, there's only two months before the next shadow phase."
"We could wait for the next one," suggested Charlie, the room grumbled. He nodded. "No one is pleased with that idea. I don't blame you, everyday someone we love is shot, imprisoned or beaten. The longer we wait the more orphans will be created. We will have to encode messages into our movie, I want everyone to thing about how to do that. They must be subtle, ever so subtle so as not to risk the overall resistance.
"Professor A, I want your team to begin working on it immediately," Charlie said as he turned to her.
"Yes, Sir."
Charlie began to list out orders. The time for debate was over. A leader now had to move forward on the path of decision. "Operation Shadow will commence in two months. Caleb, you'll lead the team to take out those satellites. We'll leave the Mobile Suits to the Gundam, but I want a full plan established for an assault on the capital. They are going down and they are going fast and quiet!"
The room exploded in yells, cheers and applause.
"Now let's go to it!"
Deleted Scene #3
AN: This was my original ending. I removed it because it wasn't as strong as ending on his death. Also I'd only casually mentioned the fact that Howard and Lisa knew each other, and I'd never shown any of their friendship before.
Lisa stood before a wall at the cemetery of L3. There were no remains of any of the scientists. In wars of this type, bodies are rarely recovered. Each colony built such a wall for its war heroes and victims. Each person had a square with a little ring to hold flowers, but that was all.
Lisa reached up and traced the name with her fingers "Henrik Wilhelm Stein May 22, AC 141- December ??, AC 195. Funny how she couldn't cry now, faced with the proven fact of his death.
"Professor A?"
Lisa turned to see a familiar face in wild shirt. "Howard!"
"I heard you were back in the Sphere. Figured you'd come here sooner or later."
She hugged him, "I'm so glad you tracked me down."
Howard looked at the name on the wall. "Funny, I never did know his name."
"Yes, all those silly code names and secrets."
"So what really is your name?"
Lisa smiled, "Yes, it no longer matters now does it? I've been called Professor A for so long, it's almost apart of me now. I'm Lisa Avilovski-Stein."
"Lisa. That's a nice name."
She smiled, "Lisa was a totally different person. Sometimes I wonder if I can be her again."
Howard pointed to the marker, "How long have you known about..."
"His death? From the moment it happened. I know it doesn't sound logical, but somehow I just knew. I guess that's why I cannot cry anymore." Lisa sighed.
"Some relationships are like that," Howard agreed.
"Why did you track me down, Howard?"
"Well, you and I are the only ones left. Sometimes you just need to talk with someone who's been through the same things you have. Let me tell you I was so jazzed to learn I wasn't the only one still kicking."
"I'm glad you made it through too." Lisa stepped up to the wall and placed the lilies she'd brought through the ring of Henry's marker.
"Has anyone told you how?"
"Not really. I didn't ask anyone other than the boy that piloted Heavyarms. He wasn't very talkative and didn't really know much."
"Trowa? That's not surprising."
"You know how then?"
"Yes, if you want to hear it."
Lisa placed her hand on the marker, "Yes, I need to know I think." She stepped back. "But not here."
"There's a little bistro just down the way. Shall we?"
Lisa nodded, then looked at Howard. "Yes, let's go."
AN: Well? What did you think? Did you like being able to read the deleted scenes? Do you agree with my reasons for removing them?
I know I write differently than other authors. I'm not the type who can write one scene at a time and post it because I end up including wandering scenes or weak scenes or going somewhere that wasn't my original intention.
Deleted scene #1
AN: The first scene was a favorite of mine and a hard one to cut. This is how Lisa met her Gundam pilot. The reason I cut the scene was because it didn't fit with my goal of telling the story of S and A. As you can tell by reading it, it really does diverge. (By the way, the chess game here was played by Theodor Lichtenhein (white) and Paul Morphy (black) in 1857).
"Professor A?" asked her current assistant.
"Yes?" said Lisa.
"You look beat. Why don't you head outside to the porch and get some fresh-canned colony air?"
Lisa snickered, "Well, maybe I could use a stretch..."
"Yes, I can continue testing these orphans by myself. I mean, you wrote the bloody thing, giving it is easy."
"If you don't mind, I think I will." Lisa opened the office door and strolled out through the orphanage. The M1 resistance wanted to find the perfect pilot, so here they were, her aptitude test in hand, going from orphanage to orphanage.
There were too many of these places now-too many children growing up without a family because of this pitiful war. She stepped out on to the porch of the large house, a small yard was planted in front and several children played on it. Her heart cried out in sympathy for the handicapped ones. Little kids caught in this or that battle-armless, legless, blind-because of war. In a different time, almost a different life from now, her first goal of visiting this place would've been to give these children back their missing hands, feet, eyes, etc. Now, she was here to find a tool of war. How did she get to this place?
"Would you like to play chess?" asked a serious female voice.
Lisa looked; it came from a little black-no mulatto girl in a wheel chair. The girl had the markings of both an Asian and an African heritage. She had no legs from the knees down, and there was an eye-patch over her right eye. She couldn't be older than eight or nine.
The girl waited patiently for her answer.
"Yes, I believe I would."
Lisa sat down in the chair opposite the girl. White was nearest to her, so she made the first move: pawn to king four.
"What's your name?" the girl asked as she moved her pawn to king four as well.
"They call me Professor A." Lisa moved her knight to king's bishop three.
"Isn't that your name?" The girl moved her knight to queen's bishop three.
"Almost, I have a doctorate and 'A' is one of my initials. What's your name?" Lisa moved her pawn to queen four.
"Emiko. It means child of happiness," the girl said as she took Lisa's pawn with her own.
"You don't like your name," said Lisa. It wasn't a question. She moved her bishop to queen's bishop four.
"My name is a sham. Why are you here?" Emiko moved her knight to bishop three.
"We are going to adopt a child." Lisa moved her pawn to king five.
"No, you're not." Emiko moved her pawn to queen four.
"What makes you say that?" Lisa moved her bishop to queen's knight five.
"People who want to adopt don't come here with code names and tests." Emiko moved her knight to king five.
"You're very astute," commented Lisa as she took a pawn with her knight.
"I cannot run and play. I cannot see depth. What more is there than to be astute?" Emiko spoke in a mocking tone, and moved her bishop to queen two.
"I'm sorry." Lisa took the knight with her knight. Her mind boggled at the idea of such a young child sounding so intelligent and mature. There was something almost preternatural about this girl.
"Why should you be? It is only the fault of war. There's another thing-I cannot fight." Emiko removed Lisa's knight with her pawn.
"Why would you want to fight?" Lisa asked while moving her bishop to queen three.
"I want to fight because I have no legs, and because I have only one eye. I would fight, so no one else would end up as I am," Emiko said simply. She moved her bishop to queen's bishop four.
"That's a good reason," Lisa mussed as she took a knight with her bishop.
"You don't believe me. You've come here for a weapon haven't you?" Emiko moved her queen to rook five.
"A weapon? That's an interesting assumption." Lisa hedged as she moved her queen to king two.
"I never assume." Emiko paused as she removed a bishop with her pawn.
"So you're sure we've come for that reason?" Lisa moved a bishop to king three.
"Yes," Emiko moved a bishop to king's knight five.
"Why?" Lisa moved her queen to bishop four.
"I don't know, but you'll never find a weapon with tests." Emiko took Lisa's bishop with her bishop.
"How then?" Lisa moved her pawn to king's knight three.
"You must look for hunger, motivation, someone with a fire in their soul." Emiko moved her queen to queen one.
"And how do we find such a person?" Lisa took a black bishop with her pawn.
"Look into their eyes." Emiko moved her queen to queen eight "Check"
Lisa said nothing while she moved her king to bishop two and out of check.
Emiko looked deep in to Lisa's eyes as she moved her queen to bishop six "Check."
"You would be the weapon then?" Lisa looked down to move her king to knight one.
"I would've been, if I had legs and two good eyes." Emiko made the move that set up the next move as checkmate: bishop to rook six.
Lisa could only post pone the inevitable by putting Emiko in check by taking the queen's bishop pawn with her Queen. "Check"
"You are stalling. Why? Do you think I could be the weapon anyway?" Emiko casually moved her king to bishop one and out of check.
Lisa tried one more time to put Emiko in check by taking her rook with the Queen "Check...I am stalling because...yes, I think you could."
"Then, I accept." Emiko moved her king to king two and out of check for good.
There was only one thing to do. Lisa knocked over her king.
Deleted Scene #2
AN: I removed this scene for much the same reason as number one. I realized when I was done with this scene, that I was telling the whole story of the M1 fight and that I was making up millions of OC's to do it! It was too much, and too off focus.
Lisa and Emiko walked into the small meeting room. It was already full of the M1 resistance leaders.
"Emiko, if you would?" asked Charlie, the current commander-in-chief.
"Immediately, sir," replied the twelve-year-old girl. The façade that hid the inner mechanics of her right eye slid apart. She walked through the various resistance members. The click, click, click of her canine legs echoed on the floor.
Lisa had made her several versions of legs-canine, primate, webbed flippers, etc. She tended to avoid wearing the human legs whenever she could get away with it. She found them limiting and featureless. The canine legs were her favorite-powerful jumping legs each paw equipped with razor-sharp toes.
Emiko finished her circuit of the room. "Everyone is clean," she reported.
"Very well, if we could all take our seats," said Charlie. "We've received a coded message from the resistance of the Earth Sphere. They report that Operation Meteor is still three to five years out."
There were groans and mumblings around the room.
"We are much closer to being ready for it, and I've asked Professor A here this morning to fill us in on the details of the M1 Gundam Project. Professor?"
Lisa stood and walked to the head of the table. As she spoke, slides appeared projected on the wall behind her. "Thanks Charlie. Six months ago I promised you results. Today, I'm here to tell you that Gundam K-9 Storm is done. Save only a few final tests, the M1 Gundam is ready whenever M1 or the Earth colonies need it." The room erupted into applause.
"As I told you six months ago, our Gundam is a scaled down model. It will come to only 75% of the original Wing Zero design. The efficiency of our model is due largely to the fact that Emiko is capable of thinking and moving in any design. We have been training her since she was eight to be our pilot, her adaptability and control over her own brain's zero interface has allowed us to alter the design to the canine form-a more powerful, stable and efficient form. The smaller design has saved us from running out of the precious metal alloy Gundainum. Also, due to the diminutive size of this colony, the smaller Gundam will have an easier time fighting and moving inside M1.
"As you can see here, the Gundam has the following advantages..." Lisa presented the schematics of the design to the smiling faces of the M1 resistance. There was nothing like giving good news at the beginning of a speech. If only her grant review boards were this easy! But that life was far behind her now. Now she was the leader of a team of engineers for the M1 resistance. She was the former and shaper of a young crippled girl into the ultimate confined space warrior. She tried never to think about the broad implications of her work-keep the focus on the goal: freedom.
When her speech was concluded, the great debate of what to do now began. Lisa and Emiko sat calmly in the middle of the storm of words. It mattered very little to either of them when M1 would be liberated. They would do their jobs.
"Well I say we should move now!"
"Yes!"
"That's a mistake."
"If we move now, we could bring down the earth sphere resistance! If the Alliance learns of the Gundams before Operation Meteor..."
"Let the Earth Colonies deal with their own problems!"
"If we wait until Operation Meteor they'll demand we send them our Gundam! M1 won't be liberated until the earth colonies are first."
"He's right! We should free our colony first long before they need the spare Gundam."
"I agree!"
"It's just too risky, we can't jeopardize the chance of bringing freedom to all the colonies at once."
"We must wait."
"We don't have to let Earth know we've taken over M1! Don't you see?"
"What?"
"What did he say?"
Charlie finally interrupted the debate. "Everyone quiet, I think Caleb has a good idea there, please continue."
Both Lisa and Emiko turned to listen to the man. What could he mean by that? The room grew silent.
"Well, every 197 earth days, M1 enters the shadow phase. Where there's no direct radio connection with earth. We loose line of sight communication, there are three relay satellites we use to bounce our signal around Mars. If we took out those three satellites, we'd have 13 days of shadow time. If we could stage our coup then, the earth wouldn't know about it. Then, when we come out of the shadow, we send them a really convincing movie of M1 blowing up, caught in a tragic battle. Then we lay low, no radio, no signals of any kind until the Earth Sphere has their war. We continue our work in Peace, and we rejoin the Earth Sphere when they're peaceful too."
Caleb sat down to signal the end of his idea.
"Hey that idea's not half bad!"
"I say we do it!"
"Here, here, let's call for a vote."
Charlie raised his hands, "Wait a tick people, there are more questions to be asked. Professor A, can we stage this coup in 13 days?"
"There are nothing but Beta Tauruses and space Leos stationed at M1. We should be able to overcome them in one battle. This location was never meant to be a battle location, the resistance predicted it would fall immediately and just be a storehouse for the spare Gundam. Both the Gundam and Emiko are serious overkill for the Alliance stationed here. Unless something goes seriously wrong, M1 will be liberated in less than a day. Most of that thirteen days will probably be spent making that movie."
"Charlie, Professor A, Caleb, with all due respect, how do you propose to let the Earth Sphere resistance know we're still out here? We have a courier code system with them now-email and radio are out. And if I recall correctly, we don't have six months to wait for a courier."
Caleb nodded, "We don't, there's only two months before the next shadow phase."
"We could wait for the next one," suggested Charlie, the room grumbled. He nodded. "No one is pleased with that idea. I don't blame you, everyday someone we love is shot, imprisoned or beaten. The longer we wait the more orphans will be created. We will have to encode messages into our movie, I want everyone to thing about how to do that. They must be subtle, ever so subtle so as not to risk the overall resistance.
"Professor A, I want your team to begin working on it immediately," Charlie said as he turned to her.
"Yes, Sir."
Charlie began to list out orders. The time for debate was over. A leader now had to move forward on the path of decision. "Operation Shadow will commence in two months. Caleb, you'll lead the team to take out those satellites. We'll leave the Mobile Suits to the Gundam, but I want a full plan established for an assault on the capital. They are going down and they are going fast and quiet!"
The room exploded in yells, cheers and applause.
"Now let's go to it!"
Deleted Scene #3
AN: This was my original ending. I removed it because it wasn't as strong as ending on his death. Also I'd only casually mentioned the fact that Howard and Lisa knew each other, and I'd never shown any of their friendship before.
Lisa stood before a wall at the cemetery of L3. There were no remains of any of the scientists. In wars of this type, bodies are rarely recovered. Each colony built such a wall for its war heroes and victims. Each person had a square with a little ring to hold flowers, but that was all.
Lisa reached up and traced the name with her fingers "Henrik Wilhelm Stein May 22, AC 141- December ??, AC 195. Funny how she couldn't cry now, faced with the proven fact of his death.
"Professor A?"
Lisa turned to see a familiar face in wild shirt. "Howard!"
"I heard you were back in the Sphere. Figured you'd come here sooner or later."
She hugged him, "I'm so glad you tracked me down."
Howard looked at the name on the wall. "Funny, I never did know his name."
"Yes, all those silly code names and secrets."
"So what really is your name?"
Lisa smiled, "Yes, it no longer matters now does it? I've been called Professor A for so long, it's almost apart of me now. I'm Lisa Avilovski-Stein."
"Lisa. That's a nice name."
She smiled, "Lisa was a totally different person. Sometimes I wonder if I can be her again."
Howard pointed to the marker, "How long have you known about..."
"His death? From the moment it happened. I know it doesn't sound logical, but somehow I just knew. I guess that's why I cannot cry anymore." Lisa sighed.
"Some relationships are like that," Howard agreed.
"Why did you track me down, Howard?"
"Well, you and I are the only ones left. Sometimes you just need to talk with someone who's been through the same things you have. Let me tell you I was so jazzed to learn I wasn't the only one still kicking."
"I'm glad you made it through too." Lisa stepped up to the wall and placed the lilies she'd brought through the ring of Henry's marker.
"Has anyone told you how?"
"Not really. I didn't ask anyone other than the boy that piloted Heavyarms. He wasn't very talkative and didn't really know much."
"Trowa? That's not surprising."
"You know how then?"
"Yes, if you want to hear it."
Lisa placed her hand on the marker, "Yes, I need to know I think." She stepped back. "But not here."
"There's a little bistro just down the way. Shall we?"
Lisa nodded, then looked at Howard. "Yes, let's go."
AN: Well? What did you think? Did you like being able to read the deleted scenes? Do you agree with my reasons for removing them?