HotD05

[Disclaimer]: I do not own the rights to any of the characters, nor do I claim them. The idea, however, is mine.

AN - I've gotta dedicate this to Chibi-chan, for keeping on me to write this! You know who you are. ^_~ Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Heart of the Dragon

Part 5

"Meilin, how have you been," Wufei asked as he sat on the floor, across the table from her. She poured them both a cup of tea, and smiled weakly at him.

"As good as can be expected," she replied. "I've been worrying about you, especially since I hadn't heard from you when the war started."

"I'm sorry for that," he mumbled. "I didn't want to risk your life by keeping contact with you. If Oz had found out I had a connection with a colony civilian, they would have used you against me; thus endangering my mission."

"Don't you mean your life," she asked.

"No, my mission always came before my life," he replied. "Life isn't worth living, if ruled by the unjust."

"I really hate it when you talk like that, Wufei," Meilin snapped, glaring at him angrily.

"Don't start with me, Meilin, with those weak emotions," he stated.

"Why do you always do that," she demanded. "Do you know what I risked, to be here? You know that both of our clans take great pride in honor, and I disregarded mine when I heard Master O returned here." Her voice trailed, and she looked down at the cup in her hands. "Then you returned unexpectedly ... And this is the treatment I get from you!"

Wufei's eyebrows show up in surprise at the tone of her voice. "Meilin, I ..."

"Just save it, Wufei," Meilin interrupted as she set her mug down and stood up. She began to walk away from Wufei, however she stopped and turned back towards him slightly. "It's at a time like this that makes me wonder whether or not it would have been better not to have seen you at all," she stated quietly.

He narrowed his eyes at her, and crossed his arms. "Sometimes I wonder that, too," he retorted. Meilin bit her lower lip to keep from saying something she knew she'd regret later. Turning her back to him once again, she left him in the room by himself.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Meilin woke with a start, wiping the thin layer of sweat from her brow. She turned on her side to look at the clock, which read five AM. "Wufei, I didn't mean those things I said," Meilin thought inwardly, closing her eyes against her memory.

Fifteen minutes later, she gave a disgusted, exasperated sigh. Throwing the covers off of herself, she got out of bed and pulled off the T-shirt and boxers she wore for pajamas. Picking up a discarded pair of sweat pants and a loose-fitting shirt from the floor, she put them on and quietly slipped out her room and through the house. Closing the front door behind her, she slowly began to stretch for her morning jog.

"Wufei," she thought, stretching her arms high above her head, "today I must get Heero to trust me. How much longer do you have before they kill you?" Her jog around the Dorlian-Peacecraft grounds seemed a lot shorter than previous mornings. As she ran past the main house, she was surprised that Heero was out jogging that morning, as well. It surprised her even more when he joined her, jogging silently beside her. She glanced over at him from the corner of her eye, and he was just staring straight ahead.

"Wufei," he stated suddenly, his breath forming in the crisp, morning air. "Before you left, I wasn't overstepping my boundaries."

"I know," Meilin replied, though she had no clue what he was talking about. "What is he talking about," her mind screamed. She glanced over at him as he began to speak again.

"Relena doesn't know the life of a soldier," Heero continued. "But the five of us being here gives her a strange kind of comfort. She puts too much faith in us."

"A warrior's heart and soul truly belongs in the battlefield," Meilin stated, repeating the words Wufei had once told her, "and she just doesn't understand that." She slowed to a stop, as a realization dawned upon her. "Perhaps ... Perhaps that's why Wu… I ran away from this place."

Heero stopped jogging as well, turning around to face Meilin. "In any case, Wufei, Relena wishes for all of us pilots to remain here for an undisclosed amount of time," he stated. "I know your feelings towards her, and I've talked to her."

"Heero, I ... I'll tolerate the situation for as long as I can," Meilin stated carefully. "But I'm not promising that I'll stay here for as long as she wants."

"I know, and that's all she can really expect from any of us," Heero replied. He turned to continue jogging, however looked back over his shoulder. "Welcome back, Wufei." Meilin didn't bother trying to hide the surprised look on her face. She numbly nodded her head, and he gave a curt nod in return.

As she watched Heero run away, his figure retreating into the distance, a slow smile spread across her face. "I've got your trust, Heero Yuy," she spoke in Chinese. She gave herself a pinch, and once satisfied that she was, in fact, awake, she continued her jog.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Great job, Meilin," Master O commended her over their private link. "With this obstacle overcome, you'll soon be able to enlist the pilot's help."

Meilin sat in the cockpit of Shenlong, after she finished her morning schedule. She had told Master O of her encounter with Heero, however she wasn't as confident as she had been earlier. "Sensei …" she began. She stopped short and shook her head. "What should I do next?"

There was a long silence before he answered. "Continue your charade for the moment," he finally replied. He looked at her through the vid-screen and smiled. "I have a gift for you. Expect it in the mail today."

"Of course, Sensei," she stated. As she reached over to the console to close the link, he cleared his throat and she withdrew her hand. "Sensei?"

"Meilin," he said. "Prepare yourself for an upcoming confrontation. The exercises I have taught you in the past should be sufficient."

"I will train right away," she said grimly. The link was disconnected from Master O's side, and Meilin stared at the static on the screen blankly before finally pressing the button. Shaking her head, she opened the hatch to the cockpit, and lowered herself to the ground with the cable.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Later that afternoon, Quatre was in the hangar, where the Gundams were kept. He sat back in his seat, typing various buttons on the console. "Well old friend, your diagnostics are fine," he said, talking to his Gundam.

"Hey Quatre," Duo called up from the ground, his voice filtering through to the Sandrock pilot. "You in there, buddy?"

"I'm here, Duo," Quatre replied, poking his head out of the Gundam. "I'll be down in a minute." Seconds later, the cable lowered to the ground, and Quatre jumped off. "Did you need me for something?"

"Yeah, I was wondering if you've seen Wufei anywhere," Duo stated. "He has some mail."

"Oh, Wufei? Yes, I've seen him," Quatre replied. "He's practicing his mantras and training exercises, so you'd better not bother him. You know how he gets." Quatre sighed as Duo's eyes glinted with mischief. "Duo ..."

"Don't worry, Quatre," Duo exclaimed. "I won't make Wufei angry ... much." Tucking the package, which had come in the mail, under his arm, Duo ran in the direction where Meilin was.

"I'd better keep an eye on him," Quatre sighed, watching as Duo disappeared around the corner. After closing the door to the hangar, Quatre ran around the corner, nearly running into Duo. "Duo, what ..."

"Quatre, look," Duo interrupted. "Something's bothering him. He only does those exercises when something's on his mind." Duo's brow wrinkled into a frown. "Or when he's preparing himself for a mission," he thought silently. The two watched in silence as Meilin swung the katana in rapid successions. She dropped the blade, and began performing martial arts moves.

"Maybe we really shouldn't bother him, then, Duo," Quatre suggested.

"He looks like he could use a break," Duo stated, already running over towards Meilin. "Hey, Wu-man!" Meilin dropped her stance and slowly turned towards the sound of his voice.

"Did you need something," she asked, slightly out of breath. She grabbed the bottle of water she had, taking a long drink. Lowering the bottle, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and raised an eyebrow in his direction. "Well, Maxwell, what do you want?"

Duo shook his head and flashed a smile. "Hey Wu-man, it looked like you could use a break," he began. "And what better way to spend a break, than reading your mail?" He showed her the package hidden underneath his arm.

"That came for me," she asked, holding her hand out towards the box expectantly. Duo shook his head, holding the box near his ear and shaking it slightly.

"I wonder what it could be," he asked, handing it over to her after she gave him an annoyed look.

"Well, I guess I'll find out," she replied, taking it from him. He held his hand out towards her, and she frowned in confusion. "What?"

"I don't deliver for free, you know," Duo stated. "Pay up, Wu-man. I'm no deliver boy!"

Meilin smirked, beginning to make her way towards the guesthouse. She stopped next to Duo, glancing over at him. "My thanks should be payment enough," she stated. She smiled slightly, and continued walking.

"Hell has finally frozen over," Duo commented to Quatre as the blonde came to stand next to him. "Wufei thanked me for something." Quatre laughed, and the two watched as Meilin disappeared around the side of the building.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

After dinner that evening, Meilin went to her room, locking the door behind her. Opening the closet doors, she pulled the small package she had gotten in the mail down from the top shelf. Box in hand, she plopped down onto the bed, and opened it.

"What's this," she asked, taking a small object from the box. She noticed as a piece of paper fluttered to the ground. Reaching down to pick it up off the floor, she turned it over and saw that it was a note from Master O, in Chinese. "Let's see," she trailed, reading to herself.

Meilin ... Here's something I've been working on. It serves the same purpose of your other voice device, only it's the same as your skin tone. I know how much you like to wear those high collars; now you don't need to worry about it being seen. Good luck.

Meilin smiled and walked over to the mirror. Putting the new device at the base of her throat, she studied her reflection in the mirror. "It really is hidden," she stated quietly. She jumped as a sudden pounding sounded at her door.

"Hey Wu-man," Duo's muffled voice said. "Open up!" Meilin sighed and walked to the door, opening it. She crossed her arms, and leaned against the frame. "I know your I-don't-talk-once-I'm-in-my-room routine ..."

"Just spit it out, Maxwell," she interrupted, smiling inwardly at the shocked look on his face. Up until this point, whenever she went into her room for the night she would take the device off, and wouldn't talk to anyone - mainly Duo since he was the only one that bothered her. "You've got perfect timing, Sensei," she thought, turning her attention back to Duo.

"First you thank me for something, and now you're talking to me," Duo mused. "What is this world coming to?" He shook his head, and snapped his fingers. "The reason I'm here, is because you're needed in the living room."

"Fine," she replied, flipping the light switch off, and following Duo down the hall. When they got to the living room, she saw that the others were there, as well. "What is this, a meeting," she joked.

"It was Duo's idea," Heero stated from where he leaned against the wall. The amused look on Meilin's face disappeared, and she sat on the couch.

"What is it," she asked, directing the question towards Duo.

"You guys look so serious," he exclaimed. "Just relax! We have to wait for one other person." There was a knock on the door, as if on cue. "And there she is!" Duo disappeared from the room, and returned with Relena in tow.

"Is something the matter," she was asking as they entered the room.

"Everything's fine," Duo exclaimed, leading her towards the couch. "Have a seat." As Relena sat down, Duo turned to everyone else.

"What's the point of this if nothing is wrong, Duo," Heero asked.

"I was just getting to that," Duo began. "I've noticed that we don't have very much fun around here. So I've been thinking, and I decided that we're all going to do something together, whether you like it or not."

"What did you have in mind," Quatre asked.

"The answer is in this hat," Duo replied, turning towards Relena. "In here, are all of our names. Reach in and draw one out." Relena looked at him skeptically, however did as he asked.

"It says Wu-man," she replied, reading the paper. "I-I mean Wufei," she quickly corrected herself.

"Okay," Duo exclaimed. "That's all I wanted. I'll tell you what we're doing tomorrow."

"You wasted our time just to have Relena draw a name out of a hat," Meilin demanded incredulously. "Are you going to at least tell us what we're doing?"

"If we agree to whatever that is," Heero added.

Duo pretended to think over something, and then shook his head. "Nope, you can all wait," he stated. "It will be fun, trust me! Everyone just be ready to leave tomorrow afternoon." He laced his hands behind his head, whistling a tune as he left the room.

"What do you think he has planned," Relena asked after a moment's silence.

"I'm almost afraid to wonder," Quatre replied. "With it being Duo's idea, you never know."

To Be Continued . . .

Again, I'm really sorry this took so long to get out. I seem to get blocked on stories very easily as of late. -_-* I should have another part to Whatever It Takes soon, so keep an eye out for that.

As always, please review!