Author's Note: I don't own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing. Kim, this one's for you, hope you
enjoy. Trowa is 16, Makoto is 15 (yep, that means next it's Usagi and Heero).

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"Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit."
-Peter Ustinov

Forgiveness
By Veronica Cereta

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"We have a new student joining us today."

Makoto looked up from the cake she was making. The boy was handsome, with
brown hair brushed casually over one of his dark green eyes. He reminded the girl of a
guy she had once dated.

"You may call me Trowa Barton."

The boy scanned the class, immediately spotting her. She was tall, just as he had
been told. However, no one had mentioned her stunning beauty: how her brown hair
floated off her shoulders, held in a high ponytail, how her deep green eyes sparkled with
life.

"Well, for this class why don't you choose a partner and watch what they do. Oh,
but first grab an apron."

Makoto had to giggle as the boy pulled a pastel pink apron over his head. Tying it
behind his back he looked up, causing her to stop. She felt bad, she didn't even know the
guy; maybe he was easily embarrassed. He slowly came over to her stove.

"Hey, sorry I laughed at you. You just looked so cute." The boy only nodded,
but Makoto thought she detected a hint of blush behind his cheeks. Smiling she showed
him what she was adding to her cake."

"It's my mom's recipe. She used to make this cake for every occasion when I
was little." Trowa noticed that she was successfully fighting back a tear. "Food can
really show how much you care for a person. A cake made with love can show more
than most people know. That's why I want to open a restaurant, so everyone can enjoy
good food."

Trowa nodded. Someone had brought him food once, soup to be exact. He
understood what the Makoto meant.

"So, what made you take this class. I mean a guy in a home ec. class; it's kind of
unusual." Why did she keep putting her foot in her mouth? He was going to hate her for
sure.

"I thought I might meet someone," he answered in a monotone voice. If he had
said it any other way Makoto would have sworn he was flirting, however; as it was, it
simply sounded like a statement of fact.

The two were silent for the remainder of the class. Trowa watched her place
ingredients carefully into the bowl. She was so graceful, and did everything with so
much love.

Makoto spied glances at the boy from time. It looked as if he was watching her.
She smiled and thought about how mysterious and handsome he was. She also stifled her
giggles as she looked down at the apron. The final bell rang and the two removed their
aprons. Makoto walked out into the hall. She was thinking about how much she looked
forward to seeing the new boy tomorrow, when she noticed he has walking beside her.

"Would you like to go someplace private," Trowa asked.

Makoto knew he was into her, but she hadn't expected this. "I have gardening
club."

"I can wait."

"Okay!" Makoto walked into the green house. Through the glass she could see
the boy leaning up against the wall. He was casually resting, head bent down, hand up to
his chin. She smiled and hummed a little tune as she went about her work in the green
house. The time couldn't pass near fast enough. When gardening club was finally over
she ran to the door, but walked out of it slowly, coolly. Of course, the walls being made
of glass, Trowa couldn't help notice this. He smiled in spite of himself.

"Where would you like to go?" she asked the young man.

"Someplace where we can be alone."

"I know just the place," the girl fairly skipped out of the school. She was so full
of life and energy. Trowa was beginning to have second thoughts. Makoto was leading
the way to a wooded area just outside Tokyo. It was a long walk, but that was okay. She
explained that she had nothing else to do that afternoon, and Trowa was single minded.
Along the way they discussed everything.

"What did you do before you came to Tokyo?" Makoto asked.

"I worked in a circus."

"Oh, what were you?"

"A clown."

Makoto had a very difficult time imagining the silent boy as a circus clown. He
must be a good actor. There were so many things she wanted to ask the boy, but he asked
the next question.

"How about you, do you work?"

"No, my parents died a while back. They left me enough money to get by for a
time."

"Oh, I'm sorry." It was the first genuine emotion Makoto had seen from the boy.
He seemed as if he really wanted to help. He was so cute.

"It's okay. It's been a while."

In no time they reached the woods. Makoto sat on the grass expecting the boy to
sit next to her. Lightning flashed in the distance. Makoto frowned; it seemed a storm
was heading their way.

Trowa didn't sit down. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun, which he
pointed methodically at Makoto. In a second she was up and had kicked the weapon out
of the young man's hands. She grabbed the gun.

"What are you trying to pull?!"

"I hoped you would stop me. It seems you have an enemy, Makoto. A man hired
me to kill you."

"Why. . . Why would you?"

"I have killed before. The man offered me a lot of money. Plus he said you were
trying to resurrect OZ."

"OZ?"

"I had a feeling you'd react that way. So you've never heard of the organization
and aren't trying to control the world?"

"Of course not! I'm just a school girl."

"Well, then I beg your forgiveness."

As Makoto was considering all of this a shot was fired. The gun flew from the
young girl's hands. A man stood in the bushes aiming strait at the girl.
"Not another!" Makoto didn't know how many men pointing guns at her she
could take today.

"Hello. I am going to kill you now," the man had a husky voice; even hidden by
bushes and trees, she could see his dark hair and black eyes. He looked to be about her
age.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked a little too calmly.

"Think of how famous I will be. Me, the one man who killed the sailor senshi!"
He knew. How did he know? "Oh, I saw you transform one day and I got the idea. I
decided to go after the strongest of the group first. I knew someone would help me out;
it's such a noble cause. When I found Trowa; I realized I could use his love of freedom
against you." Trowa bent his head.

Makoto thought about transforming, but maybe she could do this another way.
She didn't want Trowa to see her. "Look, it wasn't me. I don't even know what you are
talking about. You mean those five girls who are always in the news? It must have been
someone else. I am just a school girl!"

"That won't work on me." A shot was fired. Makoto went down. It took her a
moment to realize that she wasn't injured. She looked up at the man. He was holding his
bloody shoulder. Then she peered at Trowa; who had retrieved his gun and was aiming it
at the man.

"I don't know about the senshi or whatever, but I do know that Makoto is not a
bad person. From now on I will be protecting her! You will not harm her! I suggest you
leave now; you need to get that shoulder looked at."

By now the storm had reached the woods. Rain pelted the woods and lightning
flashed all about them. As the man limped away Trowa knelt beside the scared girl.
"Can you ever forgive me, Makoto?"

"Forgive you? You saved my life! I owe you big time."

Trowa smiled, leaned down and kissed her. A bolt of lightning split the sky as the
rain soaked girl passionately kissed back.