*--*
I woke to a stiffness that I was familiar with. I groaned. Taped ribs. They'd felt funny before, after the attack when I found WuFei, but I hadn't thought anything of it. Now, though, was another story. They hurt like hell. I opened my eyes, but I didn't even try sitting up. I moved my head sideways to find out what time it was. It was nighttime. I had been sleeping for half a day?! And I didn't even remember falling asleep.
"WuFei . . .?" I croaked.
He was at my side already, meditating, or something. "Sorry," I whispered, and turned over on my side to keep from bothering him . . . and looking at him.
"No, it's okay," I heard him say.
"No, go ahead. I won't bother you."
"It doesn't matter. I'm done, now. How're you feeling? Did you sleep well?"
I nodded, wary. "Yes, of course. Why?"
He shrugged. "When you passed out," I cringed, "I took you to this pallet. The one I hadn't been sleeping in. It had not been slept in in days."
"So what?" I demanded. "I didn't need the sleep *that* bad, obviously."
"Really? That's funny, because you've been sleeping straight through for about fifty six hours, now."
"What?!" There went the half-day idea.
"Even a perfect soldier needs sleep," he went on as if I had said nothing. "Without it, you are worse than useless."
I blushed. "Well . . . it was worth it," I whispered.
"What? I did not hear you."
"Nothing," I muttered. "It was nothing."
*--*
I knew Kristen had not slept in a while. It was plainly obvious. She had slept, now, for almost two and a half days. "If you are rested well enough, now," I said, gathering the few things I had brought in here off the floor, "I must be going. You might want to, also. Do you have any comrades or. . . friends. . . that you can call?"
She nodded. "My friend Jaime. . . . She's also a Gundam pilot."
I nodded. "Do you have a communicator I can use to contact my comrades?"
"Yes, but. . . . Take me with you!" She blushed. "At least, for now. At the moment, I don't have anywhere else to go."
I hesitated. "Fine. Just don't get in my way."
*--*
I shouldn't have said anything, but I didn't really want to stay here by myself, so I just blurted it out. And besides, I didn't want to be lonely.
As soon as WuFei was done talking, (he wouldn't let me see who), he nodded. "Let's leave. Master knows who you are and he's briefing the others."
I was confused. "Others? What others?"
He didn't answer that, but he told me something I *did* like. "Your friend, Jaime Bates-"
"Wait," I interrupted, "how do you know her last name?"
"Wait for me to finish, and you'll find out," he growled.
"Sorry."
"Jaime is already at the safehouse with the others. Let's go."
*--*
We arrived at Quatre's mansion about an hour and a half later. I had not told Kristen where we were going, just for the sole reason of seeing her reaction. It was amusing, to say the least.
"Oh, my god, what *is* this place? Some kind of palace? Geez!" She walked around, wide-eyed, before coming back to stand with me. "So, where are the 'others'?" she asked, putting unnecessary, if unconscious, emphasis on the last word.
"In here," I said, gesturing towards a door. "After you."
*--*
I woke to a stiffness that I was familiar with. I groaned. Taped ribs. They'd felt funny before, after the attack when I found WuFei, but I hadn't thought anything of it. Now, though, was another story. They hurt like hell. I opened my eyes, but I didn't even try sitting up. I moved my head sideways to find out what time it was. It was nighttime. I had been sleeping for half a day?! And I didn't even remember falling asleep.
"WuFei . . .?" I croaked.
He was at my side already, meditating, or something. "Sorry," I whispered, and turned over on my side to keep from bothering him . . . and looking at him.
"No, it's okay," I heard him say.
"No, go ahead. I won't bother you."
"It doesn't matter. I'm done, now. How're you feeling? Did you sleep well?"
I nodded, wary. "Yes, of course. Why?"
He shrugged. "When you passed out," I cringed, "I took you to this pallet. The one I hadn't been sleeping in. It had not been slept in in days."
"So what?" I demanded. "I didn't need the sleep *that* bad, obviously."
"Really? That's funny, because you've been sleeping straight through for about fifty six hours, now."
"What?!" There went the half-day idea.
"Even a perfect soldier needs sleep," he went on as if I had said nothing. "Without it, you are worse than useless."
I blushed. "Well . . . it was worth it," I whispered.
"What? I did not hear you."
"Nothing," I muttered. "It was nothing."
*--*
I knew Kristen had not slept in a while. It was plainly obvious. She had slept, now, for almost two and a half days. "If you are rested well enough, now," I said, gathering the few things I had brought in here off the floor, "I must be going. You might want to, also. Do you have any comrades or. . . friends. . . that you can call?"
She nodded. "My friend Jaime. . . . She's also a Gundam pilot."
I nodded. "Do you have a communicator I can use to contact my comrades?"
"Yes, but. . . . Take me with you!" She blushed. "At least, for now. At the moment, I don't have anywhere else to go."
I hesitated. "Fine. Just don't get in my way."
*--*
I shouldn't have said anything, but I didn't really want to stay here by myself, so I just blurted it out. And besides, I didn't want to be lonely.
As soon as WuFei was done talking, (he wouldn't let me see who), he nodded. "Let's leave. Master knows who you are and he's briefing the others."
I was confused. "Others? What others?"
He didn't answer that, but he told me something I *did* like. "Your friend, Jaime Bates-"
"Wait," I interrupted, "how do you know her last name?"
"Wait for me to finish, and you'll find out," he growled.
"Sorry."
"Jaime is already at the safehouse with the others. Let's go."
*--*
We arrived at Quatre's mansion about an hour and a half later. I had not told Kristen where we were going, just for the sole reason of seeing her reaction. It was amusing, to say the least.
"Oh, my god, what *is* this place? Some kind of palace? Geez!" She walked around, wide-eyed, before coming back to stand with me. "So, where are the 'others'?" she asked, putting unnecessary, if unconscious, emphasis on the last word.
"In here," I said, gesturing towards a door. "After you."
*--*
