Disclaimer: Vandread is a property of Gonzo, any introduced characters are mine and shouldn't be used without my permission.

Sorry for the long waiting – I've got hard times in my university. Anyway – here is the second chapter for your pleasure or fury. Hibiki is acting rather OOC here – but it's because his brain was damaged. You never know what would happen in such situation.

"I don't understand what are you talking about? Men and women were living together since the very beginning of human race. It's just natural for them to 'coexist' why would you…"

"What the hell? – Men and women has been fighting for ages. We don't have anything in common!"

"Who've told you all this crap? It's ridiculous!"

"I've lived this way for sixteen years! Don't tell me it is a crap!"

Suddenly Reiko calmed down and looked at Hibiki with concern in her eyes:

"Since when did you remember that you are 16 years old?"

Hibiki was very surprised with such a question, but he tried to answer it honestly. – "It looks like I've remembered it several minutes ago." - He mumbled thoughtfully. – "My memories are slowly coming back. It's very nice!"

"Yes it is. From what our medics told me I can conclude that your injuries should have taken at least a week to recover. You are a tough guy!"

"Thanks, but please can we continue our previous topic?"

"I need to report to commander about your progress."

"Hey you, my recalled pieces of memories don't include a single one about fighting with our enemies. Stop being so stubborn please. And don't change the subject."

"Arguing like that won't do us anything."

"Alright, I'll listen to you without remarks."("I hope." – He said to himself.) – "At least I'll try."

"You've got me. I don't have any excuses now, so we can begin this damn talk. By the way, why are you so interested in this question? I don't see any signs of hatred in our relations while you are a man and I'm a woman. Where is the anticipation?"

"I don't know, I just don't feel it right now. But all that I can remember from my childhood tells me that women are demons that plague the universe. Damn it I am confused that's why I'm asking, baka!"

"Well, this makes sense. If you were raised in such environment… Naturally, men and women are living together. Melano was colonized by people from planet Earth hundred years ago. Our database tells us that on the Earth children were born from the combination of genes of a man and a woman. After some action a child began growing inside mothers womb and he grew for 9 month. Then she gave birth and raised her child with the man that gave her this child. However our environment made this model rather unusable so Melano people are born and raised in special machines. When two people want to become parents they put their chromosome into such machine where two children would be born. Afterwards these two children are raised by their parents. They stay together from their first living moment to the death of one of them. These pairs are very stable, because no other person can understand you better than your own twin brother, no person can have such a deep feeling to you, no other person…"

Not ending a phrase Reiko burst into tears. Hibiki was very surprised and startled. He couldn't understand what to do. – "What happened? Why is she crying? Did he say something wrong? What can he do to help her?" – Was all he could think about.

He wasn't even surprised why was he caring about her tears so seriously. Suddenly, something hidden in a distant corner of his mind advised him to hug her lightly and say something like – "It's all right, everything's already gone, you've got to live it trough." – Talking to himself was rather strange but he decided to follow this advice – he hadn't any better decisions.

Supposedly (though not for Hibiki) this actions really helped. Reiko sobbed a bit more then she relaxed and calmed down. With a sad smile she looked into Hibiki's eyes – "Do you understand now why I didn't want to talk about it with you? I just couldn't resist it."

"I'm really sorry, but I don't understand why were you so sad? What happened?"

"Baka, of course you can't understand!" – Girl became rather angry suddenly and tried to break herself from Hibiki's embrace, but stopped herself. – "Suppose you didn't guessed yet. Have you noticed that everyone are talking and walking with their twins?"

"Well, I didn't leave this room for a single minute, so I couldn't see. But some people came here and they all had their twins. I guess it's so."

"Thanks for your appreciation very much. Have you seen my twin anywhere?"

"Nope."

"That's it. Guess what's happened?"

"An accident?"

"Well not just an accident. He was on the board of first ship that made contact with that bastards. I saw him off when he was going on diplomatic mission. I looked at the mark of his ship going to meet that damned fleet. And I saw this mark blinking once, when he at last had reached his destination. Then were many orders from High officers, our ships began fighting, everyone was yelling and I just stared at the point where I have seen the mark last time. I was a high-ranked officer then, but I was resigned for incompetence. No one blamed me though. Our pair was very popular on our ship, many people heard his last words before the flight – "Don't worry, it's just a routine mission. You don't have anything to worry about. I'll be back soon." I just wasn't prepared for such … situation. I decided to stay with our fleet anyway and became a nurse. I don't know why, perhaps I just continue to hope that someday he would be brought back by our scouts. I know it's stupid, but I just keep dreaming – it helps me to live." – Reiko sighed again and continued – "Now you do understand?"

A very uncomfortable silence fell for a minute, then Hibiki sighed too and began to talk.

"Well madam, I can't fully understand your pain and suffering – I haven't lost anyone precious to me before – or at least I don't remember any such emotions. What I do understand is that I've asked something I shouldn't have asked and now I am terribly sorry for doing it. I didn't want to make you sad, I didn't want to make you cry. And now I really want to kick some asses – just to avenge all harm they've done to you. And nothing can stop me now. This beings are not gonna be forgiven. I'll crush every single bit of them. I'll do everything to wipe those tears from your…"

Hibiki immediately shut up but it was too late. The words have already escaped his mouth. Reiko looked at him with disbelief in her eyes. Suddenly she began to blush, Hibiki joined her in a second. For several minutes they didn't say a word, they just looked at each other and blushed. Then they simultaneously broke silence with "Well…", then they giggled at their clumsiness and started again with "But…" in the same moment. It was too much for both of them – the situation itself was too funny so they started laughing and laughed for several minutes before Reiko regained her breath enough to say something:

"You are great Hibiki, I haven't been so happy for a very long time. You made me remember my best moments of my past. Thank you very much." - She thought for a moment – "You know, I don't regret about telling you of my past. In fact our talk helped me to get over it, and seeing a young warrior seeking for my attention gives me a damn good reason to live on."

"Wait it is a misunderstanding, I don't seek for your attention!" said severely blushing boy.

"Ha-ha, I've got you. "

"No, you didn't. Everything is not like this."

Suddenly Reiko became a bit more serious.

"Calm down young man. Let me ask you a question concerning our topic. Is it true that your whole planet is populated only by men?"

"Yes, of coo-o-rs-s-s."

"Hmm, looks like you understood, that your way of living is not the only natural. Well, it's really good. What do you think, a person living all her life in a world, where love is common between a man and a woman would know something about this kind of relations?"

"Well, it's true, but…"

"Do you confirm that you don't have any experience in this question?"

"Hmm, I get your point."

"Very well, now if I tell you that your behavior shows your interest in me do you believe me?"

Hibiki became very silent and serious. His whole face showed a deep thinking process inside his injured head. After several minutes he sighed and forced out – "Yes, I believe you." - Then he fell into deep thinking again. Reiko was very puzzled about his behavior. She sat silent for a minute before asking him – "What's up, what are you thinking about?"

Hibiki lifted his head and their eyes met. Reiko's eyes showed interest, concern and… maybe care? His eyes showed disbelief, sadness and… fear? Hibiki just understood that she really cares about him and the fact made everything even more complicated for him. Reiko was very surprised – she couldn't understand what was he afraid of, why didn't he want to accept his love, what was the reason of all this? She decided to make the situation clear.

"Hibiki, why are you afraid?"

This simple question turned young boy into a furious demon – "I'm never afraid woman, forget about this word when you are talking with me!" – He calmed down and continued – "Anyway, I owe you a story of my past… so listen attentively. As far as I can remember our society has one main idea: "Women are demons, they are a threat for humanity, if you see a woman you must kill her or be killed by her". It means that the only feelings one can have for a girl is hatred and fury. But when I woke up here first person I had seen were you, and this fact didn't oppose me. Afterwards I begin to develop even some liking to you. It is quite different from what I should have felt, you see. And now you say that my liking even may be seen by other men. I'm not afraid baka, I'm rather ashamed of it. And I don't want to believe it. Try to understand a person, whose ideas are changing completely!"

He paused for a second and continued – "And don't judge me to severe."

Hibiki became silent and thoughtful again lowering his head, so did Reiko. Several minutes past in silence before she asked youngster again. – "I understand that our upbringing is rather different but we both did giant steps in understanding each other. I didn't mean any harm telling all this, in fact it was some sort of compliment, so I'm sorry if it opposed you. Will you forgive me, Hibiki-kun?"

"Why was that -kun added? I don't understand."

At this point both of their heads were already up and they were looking straight into each others eyes.

"Well, when girl calls a boy she have interest in by name she often use –kun after his name, you know. And I do have some interest in you. Though we know each other for a very short time, I feel that

I can trust you. I don't understand why, but you resemble my twin. Maybe it is because you were brought back by our scouts just like I imagined. At first sight you don't have anything in common, but at second you are so alike. And you both like me."

She blushed and continued – "And it looks like my desire for him changes into care for you somehow. I want to thank you very much for all this."

After saying this Reiko draw forward and kissed Hibiki. Young pilot was totally overwhelmed by both her speech and her actions. For several seconds he couldn't understand what to do, but suddenly something hidden in a distant corner of his mind moved his mouth and he kissed her back. They kissed for a minute, then parted. Both were rather embarrassed and blushed fiercely. It was Hibiki's turn to speak now.

"Thank you very much for your understanding Reiko, I really treasure it. If I can do anything for you to thank you for this treasure feel free to ask. " – He stopped for a while, looked at Reiko's beautiful face, found her eyes and said looking straight into them suddenly even for himself. – "And you know, I really like you."

"Hmm, when did you learn to please a woman? You shouldn't have had much experience."

"I don't know either. By the way, how a boy who has "interest" in a girl calls her? Does he add any suffixes?"

"He adds –chan to her name."

"Well, then doumo arigatou gozaimasu (thank you really very much) Reiko-chan." - Hibiki blushed a bit saying this.

"You are welcome. " – answered pleased girl and chuckled. – "You are so cute."

Young pilot looked irritated – "Why would you call a man cute? It doesn't make sence."

"No it makes. And I was wrong about pleasing a woman. The difference in our upbringing is too big. But of course it's not your fault. You are not very experienced in it so I'll let you go this time, but you should learn fast – I'm not going to bear with it forever. And don't be so much against complimenting a person – it's a really good thing to do because it shows to person you like how much you like her." – Reiko thought for a second and added – "You know I like you too, Hibiki-kun."

They were going to kiss once more when battle alarms suddenly turned on.

Author's notes: I hope everyone already recognized second mine character here – Something Hidden In a Distant Corner Of his Mind. In future I'll refer to this person as Shidcom. Basically it's just Hibiki's male instincts that were oppressed for his whole life – and now they are somewhat released, so our hero can hear such advice from time to time.

I'm really sorry but my next chapter will be posted not very soon – studies, studies. However keep intact. If you want to give me some good advice about my story, language and so on don't hesitate to write a review or you can email me (urgin@inbox.ru).