Disclaimer: I still don't own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing

Disclaimer: I still don't own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing. The only thing I have is a lot of merchandise so if either company sues me, they lose out on someone who probably pays for their vacations with all the anime stuff I buy from them ^_^.

Dedication: Thanks to Kalika-chan, Spampers, Lady in Red and all of the others who have reviewed my story. I love you guys! Special thanks to A-chan for giving me the idea to write the scene for Heero and Rei's target practice. See! Reviews matter to writers!

A/N: Sorry for the delay, minna, but Duo wouldn't leave me alone until I gave him a bigger part this chapter since he didn't really show up last chapter and Rei and Heero wanted more personal time. Who am I to argue with the stars of my own fic? They might leave and then where will I be? This chapter is longer than my previous ones, so be prepared to hunker down for a while. I hope this makes up for the slight delay.

" " – Spoken

' ' – Thought

####***

Rei laughed happily as the hover jeep sped down the road, whipping her long hair in a crazy dance. The beautiful scenery was lush and green and filled with life. She breathed in the sweet scent of grass and fresh air and her eyes sparkled at the sight of a flock of brightly plumed birds darting in the sky in a graceful air ballet. 'It's like paradise here. Everything seems so untouched and free. Face it, I'm just happy to be truly outside. I really feel as if life has started over for me. I have a wonderful place to stay, I'm well fed and wonderfully clothed, I'm living with a group of people who are doing something right for this world and are mostly really nice to me, not to mention that a couple of them are really handsome and the others are too cute for words. I'm a lucky person. The only things missing in my life are my ojii-san and my friends. I even miss Yuiichiro and his off-key singing. I miss the other girls but there is nothing I can do now. I'll live life for them. I won't spend my life regretting what I should have done. Which reminds me, I have to speak to Heero. I need to find out why I feel so drawn to him. I've been having that dream over and over again and I can't help but think the eyes I see in it are Heero's,' Rei thought dreamily, her violet eyes beginning to glaze at the thought of the enigmatic soldier. 'He's so…perfect. Minako-chan would get those hearts in her eyes at the first sight of him and Mako-chan would compare him to her old sempai. Even Usagi, as wrapped up as she is in Mamoru-kun, would probably drool over him. And what's not to drool about? I want to run my fingers through his hair and see if I can tame that unruliness. No to mention his body. I know he has to work out to keep that body in shape, but I've never seen him work out. (A/N: I wonder why! Tee hee!) His arms look so comforting. I wish I could feel them wrap around me.' Her thoughts were interrupted when the hover jeep came to an abrupt stop, jolting her forward slightly. Rei looked up and around her. Tall buildings that shone in the afternoon sun surrounded them on all sides. Storefronts with brightly flashing lights attempted to lure in prospective customers to buy their wares.

"Gomen nasai, Rei-sama," Abdul apologized profusely, blushing furiously when her violet gaze finally settled on his face. "We're here and I didn't want to run over that lady crossing the street."

"It's okay. I'd rather be jolted a little than have an innocent citizen hurt. Can you tell me where I can go shopping for some clothes and other personal items, Abdul-san," Rei inquired, feeling slightly overwhelmed as she took in the immense size of the city. 'I think this city is larger than Tokyo,' Rei thought, slightly in shock from all the noise and the crowded atmosphere after a pleasant ride in the quiet countryside. She had been so wrapped up in her thoughts of Heero that she hadn't even noticed the scenery changing as they entered into the city.

"There's a map directory in the band Quatre-sama gave you when you first arrived. You just press this little black button and it will tell you where you are and where everything is located. It's voice activated and keyed only to your voice so no one should be able to interfere with it. Currently, we are in the downtown area. The green dot is you and the red dot shows your destination" Abdul instructed, pressing the small button, which caused a small holographic map to appear from the slim black band wrapped around Rei's wrist. "This small green button will connect you to anyone of us Maganacs or Quatre-sama and the other pilots. Just let it know who you want to talk to and it will try to connect with them. You can call me when you are ready to leave, unless you would like for me to accompany you."

"Iie. That's okay. I'm sure there are other things you would rather be doing than accompanying me while I shop in women's stores," Rei chuckled. "I should be done in a couple of hours and then I'll meet you back here. I'll call you then, okay?" Abdul smoothly pulled into an underground parking garage and parked the hover jeep in a nearby space.

"Hai, Rei-sama! Have fun," Abdul responded, smiling. 'She's such a nice girl. Maybe she and Quatre-sama could become a nice couple so he can settle down and have a loving wife and some children' Abdul contemplated. The Maganacs were always trying to ensure Quatre's happiness and were currently on a matchmaking frenzy that was driving their poor master insane. The Arab man whistled a happy tune between parted front teeth and wandered off to a favorite café to have a cup of strong coffee and some pastries while he settled down with a newspaper to wait for Rei.

Rei had no idea of what was going through the Maganac's mind as she walked down the street, following the little green dot on the holo-map that was supposed to lead her to a nearby shopping plaza. Her eyes were busy looking at her surroundings and she smiled to see the hustle and bustle of this large city. Ultra-modern buildings sat side by side with antique little boutiques and a small park was situated right in the middle of the street. The street widened at the beginning of the park and diverged on either side, going around the park before converging together at the end of the park. People walked past Rei, lost in their own thoughts or hurrying to some unknown destination. 'It's like noontime in downtown Tokyo. Everyone's always rushing somewhere,' Rei thought, lost in her observations until her band beeped, signifying her arrival at her destination. She looked in awe at the seven story building. It was constructed of beige stone and decorated with murals of fairy tales. Colorful banners hung from poles extending outwards from enormous windows. The entire ground floor was constructed of thick glass that sparkled brightly in the afternoon sun. She walked into the glass-enclosed building and lost herself in the age-old female tradition of shopping.

Two hours later, a much happier Rei was softly humming as she walked along the tree-lined streets. 'Hmmm, I had forgotten how much fun it is to go shopping and just be totally girly. I've bought half a dozen new dresses, several pairs of pants, 4 new pairs of jeans, couple pairs of shorts, a ton of new shirts and tops, several pairs of shoes, that cute pair of boots, and a bunch of underthings, a new set of pajamas, some makeup and some of my favorite jasmine fragrance. Quatre-kun would totally blush to see some of this stuff. It's nice to be able to have to worry only about whether or not a pair of pants makes your butt look big. It would be nice to get some opinions while shopping though. I fear the boys would only get bored or get bloody noses if they had to help me shop. They wouldn't exactly be the greatest of help in that department. That's what was so great about having the other girls as friends; being able to make fun of each other's clothing choices or really offer great advice on what looked good and what looked goofy. Wow! Look at the time! I've got to get back or Abdul will worry,' thought Rei frantically, not noticing that she had walked quite a ways into a different part of town in her musings.

This part of town was quite unlike the busy metropolitan area she had just been in. The buildings here were showing signs of wear and cracks were evident. Large chunks of certain buildings were gone, exposing the insides of what used to be office buildings and stores. Windows were shattered, some buildings were missing the windows completely and others had spidery fracture marks across them. Rei turned in a complete circle, looking at the destruction around her. Huge impressions dented the streets, sending cracks further into the street and the lining sidewalks. Trees that used to stand proudly were bent and splintered. "What happened here? This can't just be the poor section of town. Let me check my holo-map," Rei murmured as she tapped the small black button on her band. The map flared to life and hummed softly, showing her current location L4 Colony, Stratos City, Old Textile Sector. Currently abandoned and under restriction "I can see why it would be abandoned. The question is how was it made this way." Rei continued to walk, the heavy bags on her arms unnoticed as she continued to survey the damaged sector. A small noise caught her attention and she ran towards it. Several yards in front of her, was a young woman helping a little old woman up. It was evident that the old woman had tripped on one of the myriad chunks of concrete littering the sidewalk. 'Why is she here? If this sector is under restriction and supposedly abandoned, there shouldn't be anyone here except for a nosy fire senshi,' Rei wondered. She briskly walked over to the pair and helped pick up some packages that had scattered on the street.

"Arigatou gozaimasu," the young woman said, gratefully accepting the packages from Rei.

"Doo itashimashite. Are you alright," Rei asked, turning her attention from the young woman to the old woman, who was dusting off her coat.

"Hai. I'm fine. Thank you, young lady. It's nice to see other polite young people besides my granddaughter here," the kindly old woman responded.

"If you don't mind my asking, what are you doing in this part of town? I thought it was under restriction," Rei questioned, her hair billowing slightly as a breeze swept through.

"Ah, yes, the sector is closed, but I used to live near here and I needed to get some of my things. I'm living with my granddaughter," the old woman gestured to the younger woman standing beside her. "And I wanted to make sure that some personal things of mine wouldn't be lost or destroyed while they try to rebuild this part of town."

"They're rebuilding? It doesn't look like it," Rei said dubiously, a small frown appearing between her delicately arched brows.

"Ha ha ha! No, it doesn't, does it? They have to tear down everything first before they can rebuild. It's supposed to happen next week, which is why I wanted to get my things before it happens," the old woman replied.

"What happened here? I'm new to this town," Rei explained, trying to find out as much information as possible.

"The Ravagers attacked. We were quite lucky to have the Gundams save us. Luckily, there were no casualties because of their timely intervention. Of course, the sector was destroyed, but better a couple of buildings than human lives," the old woman responded, her strong spirit evident in her frame and bearing.

"You don't seem to resent the Gundams at all for any of this destruction," Rei questioned, curious to hear what reaction she would get. She knew that in her time as a Senshi, there had been property damage in their battles against youmas and battle had raged in the Diet about whether or not the Senshi were a help or a hazard. She wondered what the people of this time thought of their guardians. She knew as a guardian how hard it was to make sure that the enemy was vanquished without causing further damage, especially to heavily populated areas. The Senshi had always agonized over each injury caused to unsuspecting citizens who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. They had briefly wondered if their presence was only causing more hazards and if they should have left their family and friends in order to keep them from being targeted. Rei especially had pondered this question, since her temple had been the site of many battles and her ojii-san and Yuiichiro had been victims of many a power-crazed, energy stealing youma. They had finally decided to stay when they realized that the attacks would continue regardless of whether or not the Senshi were in residence.

"Personally, no, but I know that some people feel they have to blame someone and the Gundams are a convenient scapegoat. There is no way for the Gundams to defend us without some destruction happening. They are gigantic machines that tower over the city. What are they supposed to do, tiptoe through the city," the old woman snorted. Her granddaughter sighed, obviously having heard this topic of conversation many times before. "They've defended the colonies from domination by Earth and averted a huge war that could have happened at the hands of a young girl being manipulated by a devious mastermind. We can only be thankful for all that they have done for us. Heaven knows that it's a thankless job and the poor pilots have probably seen things no person should have to."

"Grandmother, we have to be getting home soon. I still have to prepare dinner," the young woman reminded.

"Sorry for taking up your time," Rei said, gracefully bowing in respect before turning to leave and head back to find Abdul and the hover jeep. The couple waved and walked away. 'I wonder what people would think if they knew that the pilots were fifteen when the war between the colonies and Earth started. They've had to kill and make judgement calls that no one should ever have to make, especially at that age. The regular person doesn't know that these Ravagers eat their victims for energy. I bet even the most hateful person would be grateful to the Gundams for all that they do,' Rei mused. Rei was still lost in thought as she followed the holo-map back to where she had started and was getting ready to call Abdul. Suddenly, she ran into what felt like a small brick wall and rebounded to fall in an undignified heap on the street, her packages and bags scattering onto the surrounding area. 'What is up with me today? First bumping into Wufei and now this,' Rei thought irritably.

"Hey, beautiful! What are you doing here," a familiar voice asked, as a hand was extended out to assist her up.

Rei looked up into the twinkling lavender eyes of Duo, the "wall" she had walked into and shook her head in amusement. "I'm walking into stuff and practicing landing on my butt so it can become immune to pain. What does it look like I'm doing," Rei asked, smirking slightly. "By the way, I wouldn't go anywhere near Wufei when you get back home because he is so ready to kill you for using his katana to slice cheese. What on Earth possessed you to use his katana? You know that thing is sacred to him. It's kind of like how you treat your braid."

"There is nothing as sacred as my braid," yelped Duo in indignation, clasping said braid in his hands. "And there were no clean knives left and I needed to make my sandwich quickly before I came into town. His katana was the only thing available so I had to make do with what was on hand."

"On hand? You had to go up to his room on the third floor from the kitchen on the first floor, sneak into his room without his knowledge and grab his katana, then go sneaking back into the kitchen and you call that making do with something "on hand"? I think there must have been some other, less complex thing you could have done to make your sandwich, Duo-kun," Rei said, accepting Duo's outstretched hand and pulling herself off the uncomfortable sidewalk, brushing off her backside.

"I was training. I have to keep my stealth abilities in top form, you know," Duo replied airily, waving his hand in the air as if brushing away some pesky little fly. He then bent down and began helping Rei by picking up the scattered items from Rei's shopping bags. His mischievous eyes glinted when he picked up some of the objects.

"Ne, Rei-chan, what are these for? A little something for Hee-man," he asked, holding up a lacy violet bra and a shell pink pair of satin tap pants with a matching camisole top.

"Give me those, baka! And what do you mean by "for Hee-man"? Is he a cross-dresser or something," Rei asked, a blush staining her porcelain cheeks as she snatched the items away from the grinning Duo and hurriedly stuffed them into a random bag.

"That I know of, Hee-man is not a cross-dresser. He's so manly and stoic that I've taken to calling him Hee-man just to prove my point, but he never acknowledges it. It's really boring trying to get a rise out of him because he never reacts, but I won't give up! Don't try to change the subject either. You know what I meant about the frilly stuff being for Heero," he stated, wiggling his eyebrows at Rei.

"I have no idea of what you are talking about, Duo-kun," Rei exclaimed loftily, turning her perfect little nose into the air and retreating behind the haughty façade she used so successfully at her school. Unfortunately, the blush that was still on her face ruined the entire effect.

"Oi, I'm not stupid, you know. I've been watching you guys the last couple of days and I can practically feel the tension between you two. It practically walks up to me and screams in my face to notice. And if you think that I'm the only one noticing, you are so wrong! I know that Quatre has noticed and maybe Trowa has too. I'm not too sure about him and how he deals with romantic entanglements though," Duo said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin and pondering the subject for a minute. He shook his head briskly and continued, "But that's not the topic under discussion either. I've seen you guys shooting each other interested looks when you think the other one isn't watching. You might as well admit it and then do something because Mr. "I'm so perfect, I don't need a woman or anything else" sure isn't going to. You might have to jump him wearing that frilly stuff you bought just to get his attention."

"I am not some trampy seducer, Duo-kun! I do not go around "jumping" men. Furthermore, you are so wrong about this "attraction" between me and Heero. He couldn't be less interested if I was…was…was you" Rei shouted, her aloof mask melting like butter in sunlight.

"Hey! I take exception to that remark! I'm very attractive, I'll have you know. After all, I think it's pretty obvious how good-looking I am. But I'm not interested in him the way you are or the way he is in you. And if you want, you can practice your seduction act on me. I wouldn't mind if you pranced into my room wearing some of this stuff and tried to work your wiles on me," he said, grinning lazily and twirling a pair of blue silk panties around his index finger.

Rei hastily grabbed the last piece of her scattered lingerie from Duo's finger and stuffed that into another bag. 'Well, so much for having nicely folded stuff,' she thought huffily, crossing her arms across her chest and glaring at Duo. 'Is Heero interested in me or is Duo-kun just yanking my chain? What am I thinking? I must be delusional to think that Heero is interested in me that way. He hasn't spoken more than a dozen words since I started living at Quatre's mansion,' Rei thought irritably. She decided to divert Duo's attention to safer avenues of conversation. "I am not practicing anything with you, Duo-kun, especially not that! Don't you have somewhere to be or something to do besides messing with my head like this," Rei asked gruffly.

"Yeah, I gotta meet Meshif and Omar in the town square so we can head back to the mansion with the supplies we came down here for. How about you, Rei-chan," Duo replied, letting the subject drop…for now. He knew how far to push the little spitfire before backing down. Not to mention, he didn't want to make her so mad that he couldn't tease her some more further on down the road. 'Maybe I should work on Heero next. It's about time he gets his perfect little world shaken up a bit. Relena doesn't count. She still gives me the creeps,' Duo thought, smiling inwardly at the thought of Heero's reaction.

"I'm meeting Abdul downtown. I told him this shopping trip would only take a couple of hours, so I better hurry if I don't want to keep him waiting. I'll see you at dinner, okay," Rei asked, her bags once more in her hands and the blush receding from her face.

"Hai, hai. Go on. I have some more stuff to do before I meet up with them," Duo said, waving her off. He watched as she disappeared around the corner before he let the smirk he had been stifling quirk the corner of his mouth. 'I noticed you denied Heero feeling anything for you, but you didn't deny feeling something for Heero. This is going to be very interesting, very interesting indeed.' Duo leisurely walked towards his meeting spot, whistling a merry tune, his head whirling with ideas.

####***

An hour later, a flushed Rei ran into the Winner mansion, her bags thumping heavily against her legs. She had politely refused Abdul's offer to carry in her bags for her since she had purchased everything herself. She flew up the stairs, her feet barely skimming the velvet runner that cascaded down the marble steps. 'I need to see Quatre-kun. He's always so peaceful and calm and I really need to calm myself down. Drat that Duo for putting those thoughts in my head! I haven't been able to think of anything else since he told me that Heero is attracted to me. It's so hard to know when Duo-kun is speaking the truth or just playing with me.'

She ran into her room, which was located on the second floor, and began to unpack her new purchases, smoothing out some of the wrinkles from her earlier mishap. After a half hour and fully satisfied with the status of her new wardrobe, Rei left her room in search of her calm friend. She walked briskly down the hall, her thoughts still roiling in turmoil. She came to Quatre's study and rapped on the thick wooden door. A muffled "Come in" greeted her ears and she turned the large brass knob quickly, pushing the heavy door and darting inside as she heard Duo's laughter ringing up from the foyer. She closed the door hurriedly and then spun around, catching herself in shock as she was met by the icy blue gaze of the subject of her current personal torment. Quatre was seated in a large leather bound chair by the window, opposite Heero, who occupied the other chair in the room.

"Gomen nasai. I didn't know you were already occupied, Quatre-kun. I'll come back later," Rei said calmly while the butterflies in her stomach threatened to erupt from within her. 'Why does he have to be here, of all places? Oh, he looks so good with the soft light playing on his hair. Ah! Snap out of it,' Rei mentally berated herself. She quickly backed up and was about to leave when Quatre's smooth voice interrupted.

"It's okay, Rei-chan. Heero and I were just talking for a little bit. Ara! You must be here for the tour of the Gundams like I promised you earlier. Gomen, but I still haven't finished my work completely and there are some papers that have to be finished tonight. Maybe Heero can show you instead. That won't be a problem, will it? Heero actually knows more about the Gundams than probably anyone else except the scientists," Quatre affably offered. He slanted a look at his companion, waiting to see Heero's reaction. 'The heat in here just jumped about 10 degrees and I can feel waves of uncertainty and attraction pouring from them. If they don't leave here soon, I will be overwhelmed completely.'

"It's okay! We can do it tomorrow or maybe this weekend instead…," Rei began, her heart thumping wildly.

"I'll do it, (A/N: I really wanted to say Mission Accepted but decided not to ~_^)" Heero stated calmly, rising from his chair in one lithe movement. He walked over to Rei and held open the door for her, his eyes piercing hers.

Knowing she couldn't back out of the situation gracefully, Rei nodded her head slightly and proceeded to walk out the door, followed closely by Heero. As the door shut behind them with a soft click, Quatre blew out the breath he had been holding unconsciously. 'Whew! Well maybe this will finally settle things between them. They've been avoiding each other like crazy, but I can feel the curiosity and attraction emanating from them. I wasn't too sure with Heero because he has always been really hard for me to read, but his coming in here and "subtly" asking about Rei-chan felt almost like an interrogation! If I didn't know any better, I would swear he was jealous of my closeness with her.' Quatre shook his head again as he hunkered down to finish his paperwork.

On the other side of the door, two people stared mutely at each other, their tension like a fine wire strung out between them, just waiting to snap. Heero said nothing but turned sharply on his heel and walked down the stairs. Pausing momentarily, he turned his head back toward her and motioned her to follow with a wave of his hand. Rei watched him descend before slowly following, fuming slightly. 'Does he think I'm a dog to follow when he motions to me? Humph! I'll follow but this better be a really good tour of the Gundams. I don't know what I saw in him in the first place,' Rei thought wrathfully, her mouth set in a firm line. She trailed behind him until he reached the ground floor and then made a sharp turn towards the back of the mansion. She quickened her pace slightly, unsure of where he was heading since she had never been to this part of the house before. She stopped as she saw him before a wall decorated with a small lion headed fountain. He twisted the lion-head clockwise and the wall swung inward with a silent whoosh. His enigmatic eyes met hers for a brief moment that jolted her back to her senses and continued down a newly revealed staircase. She again followed and jerked in shock when the wall swung closed behind her. 'This is just creepy, like one of those horror films that Mako-chan used to love to watch really late at night. So what happens next? Does some masked psycho come swinging from the ceiling wielding a huge knife and attack us,' Rei thought to herself, unconsciously inching closer to Heero. Finally, a set of lights lining the walls flared to life and illuminated the room, bathing it in a bluish glow. Anything Rei might have said was lost as she stared up in awe at the huge Gundams that towered over her. The room was enormous, like a warehouse with a ceiling that seemed to go upward to infinity. The walls were constructed of a gunmetal gray steel, seamless and solid. The Gundams were lined up, two on one side and three on the other, like silent sentinels. At the very far end of the room was a seam in the wall that bisected the wall in half. 'That must be where the Gundams deploy from,' Rei thought, her mind trying to assimilate the enormity of what she was seeing for the first time.

Heero walked over to one Gundam and laid his hand on it. He turned back to Rei and simply said, "This is Wing Zero, my Gundam. That one is Deathscythe Hell and it belongs to Duo, Heavyarms Kai, which is Trowa's, Sandrock Custom belongs to Quatre, and Wufei's is Altron." As he named them off, he pointed to the individual Gundams. Hearing no reaction, he turned fully to look at Rei and was struck again by her incredible beauty. She stood in a pool of light, her face glowing with wonder and her eyes round with awe. She looked like some goddess that had somehow ended up on the mortal plane. The light flickered on her violet highlighted hair, reminding him of a moonless midnight sky. Her eyes were round in wonder but they also intimated at secrets that only she knew. They tempted him. Tempted him to see if he could unlock all of her secrets. Somehow, he knew it would take a lifetime to fully uncover them all. Strangely, the thought didn't seem to disturb him as much as he had thought it would.

Rei was fully absorbed in taking in every detail of the Gundams. She had seen them on the newsvids occasionally when they were filmed defending against the Ravagers, but they had seemed like giant toys. Looking at them up close, she could almost sense a warrior spirit residing in each separate Gundam. She studied each one in detail, noting that each one was unique. She saw the gleaming weapons and the solid yet somehow fluid lines of the huge machines. The senshi of War within her couldn't help but admire these works of art. Her gaze wandered until it landed on the Wing Zero Gundam. She studied it from the top to finally rest on the bottom, noting how Heero still stood with his hand braced against the white gleaming metal. They looked connected in a way that seemed almost natural. Her awe of the Gundams abated as her attention began to wander and then settle on Heero. His spiky hair looked like he had run his hands through it several times, ruffling it and causing it to settle boyishly across his brow. His eyes, usually so icy and emotionless were softened and seemed darker than usual. Rei could feel life coming from him in a way she never had before. The line of his toned body was perfect, bringing to Rei's mind pictures of Greek statues she had seen in museums while on school field trips. He seemed much more approachable to her and she wondered why she had never seen this side of him before. Her fingers fairly itched with the urge to touch him, wanting to see if this apparent warming of his was evident in his skin.

Both occupants of the massive room gazed at each other lost in silent wonder as their gazes locked. Heero's gaze plundered her eyes mercilessly, seemingly trying to see into her soul. Rei's gaze was trapped in his and she mentally struggled against the dominance he was exerting over her until she noticed the blazing blue flame in his eyes. 'There it is again; the eyes from my dream.' Her thought was fleeting however, as she felt the warmth grow cold beneath the blue flame. It still made her want to drown in the warm feelings that his eyes evoked in her. They would have continued to stare at each other for much longer except for the sudden flickering of one of the nearby lights. Snapped out of her trance, Rei flushed lightly before turning away from Heero.

"Ummm, how do you get in these things," she asked desperately, proud that her voice didn't betray her sudden nervousness.

The next hour was spent showing her the insides of each Gundam and explaining the various weapons and abilities each possessed. Both Heero and Rei grasped onto the excuse of the tour with both hands and vainly tried to ignore the heavy thundering of their hearts. It was with a sense of relief that they heard Rashid's voice beckon them for dinner.

####***

Dinner was always an entertaining affair and Rei looked forward to being with other people, as she desperately needed to be away from Heero after that last intimate encounter. Her hopes were rudely dashed as they entered the spacious dining room. Everyone sat wherever they liked, the only exception being Quatre who sat at the head of the table at every meal. Duo was seated on Quatre's left-hand side and had clamped on to an unusually frazzled Trowa, who sat next to him. Rei puzzled over this until she noticed a glaring Wufei seated at the end of the other table. 'Duo-kun must be using Trowa-kun as a shield against the justice-spewing dragon. Why doesn't Wufei just sit across from him,' Rei pondered until she noticed a pair of black boot clad feet propped up on the chair in front of him.

"Ah, Rei-chan! So nice of you and Hee-man to make it to dinner. Did you get lost in the dark, close confines of the Gundam bay? Never mind, I'm sure Hee-man kept you safe," Duo said, his voice dropping suggestively.

Heero glared at the wisecracking pilot, his eyes promising a retribution that would make Wufei's threats look like a promise of candy. His nerves were unsettled, an unfamiliar feeling to the always controlled soldier. He slid a glance sideways towards his beautiful companion and noticed a soft flush staining her elegant cheekbones. 'Is she hot or is she reacting to Duo's remarks? Is he saying something stupid that is embarrassing her? I'm going to have to make sure that he is too tired to bother her. Maybe I should schedule a sparring match with him tomorrow,' Heero thought testily, not liking the thought that Duo was causing Rei discomfort. He refused to delve any deeper as to why he felt so upset about her reactions to Duo's comments. He grew cold and thoughtful once more.

"Why do you have your feet propped up on the chair, Duo-kun," Rei asked sweetly, hoping that Duo would feel a little bit uncomfortable about having to reveal his earlier shenanigans. She had no idea that Duo was completely shameless in regard to his pranks or that he always had a way to turn things to his advantage.

"I was saving the seat for you, Rei-chan. I am not letting that sourpuss ruin my dinner. If I want sour, I'll have a glass of lemonade. I would much rather have your stunningly gorgeous face fill my line of vision," Duo said winningly, a flirtatious smirk on his lips. His eyes seemed to glitter with fun and Rei had the sinking feeling that the Devious One had something up his sleeve. She sank down in the now vacated chair and shot a commiserating glance toward Trowa. 'Poor guy, having to deal with Duo-kun and Wufei for several hours all by himself. Even stoicism can only get you so far before a person cracks. I shudder to imagine what that pair has subjected him to, especially since he loves his peace and quiet so,' she thought. Trowa just sighed and seemed resigned to an evening of being caught in the middle of a huge Duo-Wufei battle royale.

Heero shot a suspicious look at his fellow pilot before settling himself next to Rei, the only other empty seat at the table. Usually, when he came down for dinner, he made sure to be seated as far away as possible from her or where he couldn't clearly see her face so as to not be distracted or drawn into useless daydreams. He had an inkling that somehow Duo was involved in the seating arrangements and that Wufei's current tirade was not the main reason for seating him in Heero's favored seat. 'Is he trying to make me uncomfortable because he thinks I'm attracted to her or is he doing this for his own benefit,' he thought irritably, the thought that Duo could be also be attracted to their houseguest was grating on his nerves. He could feel warmth radiating from her as he sat next down to her and he found himself sitting a little closer than he normally would have to any other person. He realized quickly what he had done, but found no way to correct his position without bringing further attention to himself. 'It's only for about an hour and a half. I can live with her being so close for such a short period of time. I am perfectly in control of my emotions. I have to be,' he thought grimly. He studiously ignored everyone, focusing his gaze and attention on the gold and blue design of the china plate set in front of him.

Rei was also having a hard time concentrating on her other dinner companions. She was very aware of Heero's closeness and his absolute maleness seemed to drive her senses, psychic and otherwise, into a frenzy. Her time alone with him in the Gundam room had only increased her attraction to him and she found herself hard pressed to not touch him in some sort of way. 'He seemed so human in there. So very different from the way he is now, completely blocked off from anyone, even his closest comrades. I know I saw something soft in those eyes, something that wasn't just icy disdain. I want, no, I need to see that again. I need to know if what I saw was real or if it was just a trick of the lighting,' Rei decided firmly, her mind settled.

Dinner went by surprisingly smoothly, with only little altercations happening between Wufei and Duo occasionally. The multi-course meal was served efficiently by the dutiful Maganacs, who would present the dish to Quatre for approval before serving the others. Rei found herself on the receiving end of many wide smiles from the Maganacs and quizzically returned them. The Maganacs were always polite and friendly, but never this friendly. She was rather unsettled but gracefully squashed her feeling of nervousness. It was surprisingly easy, but the gourmet dishes aided her a great deal. The first course was a green salad arranged in crystal bowls, followed closely by lobster bisque, the wine, cream and lobster mingling delightfully to tempt the palate. The main course of Coq Au Vin accompanied by parslied new potatoes and haricot verts (French green beans) disappeared quickly and silently into 6 extremely hungry individuals. The finishing touch had been a chocolate torte with raspberries and fresh whipped cream. Rei relaxed into her chair, lulled by the sumptuous meal into briefly forgetting the nearness of her dining companion. She lazily swirled the water in the crystal goblet in her hand, watching the light refract into myriad tiny rainbows. 'Oh, that was so good! I'm going to gain so much weight if I keep eating like this and don't do some major physical activity soon. Usagi would be in absolute heaven here. I think she would have finished everyone else's portion if they didn't eat it fast enough. Mako-chan would have liked it here too. She'd probably be in the kitchen right now, pumping Meshif for his recipes,' Rei thought hazily, her mind clouded and slightly drowsy from the meal.

Quatre watched benevolently from the head of the table. He had been quite nervous to see what had happened with Heero and Rei during the tour, and had been slightly agitated when he had sensed the roiling emotions emitting from them. He had feared he had made things worse with his interference, but he had been unable to help himself when the opportunity had presented itself to him so neatly. Heero had spent the previous two hours with him in his study, subtly interrogating him about Rei. He had used the pretext of wanting to know more about their houseguest for "security reasons", but Quatre had soon deduced that their fearless leader was questioning him for more personal reasons, especially when Heero had turned the line of questioning to what personal matters Rei discussed with Quatre when they had their almost daily tea ritual. He had been slightly surprised when he had realized the reason behind the line of questioning. He had never guessed that Heero's attraction to Rei was so deeply grounded. He knew all of the pilots were attracted to Rei in some way or another and in varying degrees, but that was to be expected. She was a beautiful young woman who happened to be living in close quarters with them and none of the pilots were romantically involved with anyone. He had decided to give a little push to see if the two would act upon their mutual attraction, but was disappointed when they first came to the dining room, as they held themselves politely aloof from each other. His disappointment eased however, when he felt the attraction flare sharply again as they sat next to each other. He studied both of them now and was pleased to sense the feeling of determination from Rei and amused to feel the resolution from Heero. 'This should be very interesting. At least if I help them, the Maganacs will stop thinking about trying to set myself and Rei up,' he thought, his lips turning up slightly at the corners into a cute smile. He knew the Maganacs were fairly itching to get him married and had been waiting for the time when they would decide that Rei would make a good match just because they shared some similar interests and were able to have pleasant conversations. He knew Rei did not like him that way and that even though he was very fond of her, they were not suited for each other as lovers. He broke into the quiet lull gently, drawing attention from all.

"Rei-chan, I spoke with Preventer HQ and they have cleared you for mission readiness. Most likely, you will be called upon the next time a Ravager attack happens. I do wish you would reconsider. I know your abilities would greatly help us and that you are very gifted, but I still do not feel comfortable about you going into battle with these monsters," Quatre spoke quietly, his soft blue eyes worried.

"Quatre-kun, I thank you for your concern, but I really must do this. I have to fight these things that threaten your world. I was born for this," Rei said simply, her violet gaze calm and assured. 'No one understands. I've fought for hundreds of years before, during the Silver Millenium when we were almost immortal and aged so slowly that it was negligible. My life is dedicated to fighting for peace and protecting it. I no longer have a princess to protect, so I will protect this universe in her place," Rei decided, her conviction firming with every breath she took.

"Let her fight. She knows what she's doing and she has obviously thought this through already. It does her or us no good to hold her back, Quatre," Heero said, his first words since sitting down at the dinner table. Rei looked at him in surprise but he didn't turn toward her or acknowledge her at all.

"I agree with Heero. She has every right to fight for her world and her new home. How can she feel this is really her home if she isn't given the right to defend it," Trowa offered, his green eyes serious and deep. He knew what it was like to feel as if nothing belonged to you, even your place in the world. Rei turned grateful eyes to Trowa and smiled back at the small smile he offered her.

"If the onna wants to fight, let her fight. Just as long as she doesn't expect us to protect her during battle, then it shouldn't be a problem. And maybe she can finally do something useful with that flame power of hers besides directing it at us," Wufei snorted. Privately, he admired the violet-haired onna's determination to fight. He had thought it was mainly for show, but was pleasantly surprised to see her dogged determination.

"Arigatou, Wufei...I think," Rei replied, rolling her eyes in amusement. She had learned to take all of Wufei's comments with a grain of salt. 'He's a lot like me in some ways. The same aggressive spirit, the same violent tendencies to protect the important things in life, and the same temper. It's probably why I would never be attracted to or date him in a million years. I would probably kill him as soon as kiss him,' she mentally chuckled.

"Well, I have no problems with Rei-chan fighting beside us either, except the doubt that Rei-chan knows how to handle a firearm. She needs to know how to react to gunfire and how to shoot just in case her powers don't work or she's in a situation where she can't transform," Duo said seriously. He had sobered immediately at the thought of Rei in the thick of things during a battle. He didn't doubt her abilities, especially since his stomach was still sometimes sore from where she had gouged him with her "heels of death" as he called them, but he knew from her expression that regular weaponry was very alien to her. "She needs someone to show her how to shoot a gun so she can get used to the sound and become proficient at targeting. Believe me, beautiful, gunshots are very distracting if you aren't used to hearing them."

"You're right, Duo," Quatre said smoothly, overriding the protest he could see forming on Rei's lips. "In fact, I would say that Rei-chan would be a liability if she didn't go through this training. She shouldn't go out on the battlefield unless someone shows her the ropes. In fact, since the next mission will probably be very soon, it should be done as soon as possible. Tonight would be good,' he finished cunningly. He saw the perfect opportunity to throw Rei and Heero together again and he was perfectly willing and ready to squash down any suggestions of anyone else but Heero teaching her. He hadn't made the Winner Corporation even more successful than it already had been without knowing when to be ruthless and how to get his way effectively. He was surprised when he got the utmost cooperation from his fellow pilots.

"Gomen, but I can't. I'm expecting a vid-call from Catherine since she's actually on a colony that has a telecommunications systems," Trowa informed them. The circus troupe was currently touring through the smaller colony clusters, trying to rally morale since the onslaught of Ravager attacks on the mostly defenseless smaller habitations. Everyone knew how much Trowa was looking forward to being able to talk with his sister and no argument was made. He excused himself from the table and retreated to the library, fully expecting the sparks to fly between Duo and Wufei again and not wanting to get caught up in it again and miss his sister's call.

"I am not teaching a weak onna how to shoot a gun. I have more important things to do with my time," Wufei said loftily.

Duo rolled his eyes and mocked, "Who said she would want you to teach her anyway? I can think of more pleasant things to do than look at your scowling face while you grouch out orders and I'm sure Rei-chan can too. Go tighten your ponytail some more or something will ya? And you're not that great with a gun anyway. Maybe if she had to learn how to use that huge Ginsu knife you call a katana…" Duo's eyes widened comically as he realized that he had just reminded the temperamental Asian of the "indignity" he had suffered earlier that day at Duo's own hands. He quickly leapt from his chair and leapfrogged over a startled Quatre. He quickly threw Rei an apologetic look and yelled, "Sorry, I can't teach you either. I'm kind of occupied right now by an insane Chinese man with a knife fetish." before scampering down a hallway with Wufei hot on his trail, screaming obscenities and threats.

Quatre pushed his seat back and smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid, Heero, that I will have to prevail upon you once again to teach Rei-chan. You're much better at guns than I am since I'm not really that comfortable with them. I would do it, but I don't think she'll get much from me and I really do need to watch after Duo and Wufei. They broke a Ming vase earlier and even Trowa was unable to save it from smashing into pieces," Quatre explained, his face full of regret as he backed away and then proceeded out the room, following his earlier two companions. He rounded the corner and was astounded to see Duo smiling conspiratorially at him, with Wufei nowhere in sight. He was just about to say something when Duo abruptly pulled him into the study. There sat a resigned Trowa, shaking his head and trying to ignore a bound and gagged Wufei, who was still screaming obscenities behind his gag and glaring at Duo. Wufei looked like a bound ham, his arms pulled back behind him and tied to his ankles. He rolled helplessly on the floor and Quatre had to turn away before a smile broke his usually calm demeanor. "What is the meaning of this, Duo," the blonde asked.

"Hey, I had to get out of instructing Rei somehow so Heero would have to do it. You don't think the great Shinigami is so stupid as to remind his enemies of his actions, do you," asked Duo, puffing out his chest.

Wufei snorted inelegantly from his position on the floor before yelping comically as Duo frowned and gently kicked the bound man, sending him rolling, hands over feet like a wheel several times before he listed to one side and fell over. Duo folded his arms over his chest before remarking, "I needed to get Rei and Heero together and I knew Wu-man wouldn't cooperate willingly, so I did what I had to do. You understand, don't you, Quatre?" He smirked lightly as he saw Quatre blush before nodding. "It's all right. Leave all the devious stuff to me. I'll have them hooked up in no time," Duo boasted. One figure sweatdropped profusely as another continued to rail curses and struggle ineffectually against his bonds and the other just dropped his head into his hands, stoically pretending to ignore the entire scene.

Meanwhile, back in the dining room, two other figures were desperately trying to find some way out of the mess they had been thrown into yet again. Finally, Rei straightened her shoulders and looked Heero square in the eye. "We might as well get this done with. The sooner you teach me how to shoot a gun, the sooner we'll finish and I can start fighting again," Rei said forthrightly, her chin jutting out stubbornly.

"Fine. Let's go," Heero replied, getting up and walking in the opposite direction from the hallway where his comrades had disappeared. Silently, he was both relieved and anxious as he realized he would be spending more time with the lovely Senshi in a very small, enclosed space.

Rei stood and followed Heero silently, wondering if she was insane for subjecting herself to more torture. 'What am I doing? I know I want to get to know him better, but am I ready to do this so soon after I just settled my nerves from being so close to him at dinnertime and in the Gundam bay? Well, I might as well bite the bullet, as they say,' Rei thought firmly, squaring her shoulders and vainly trying to ignore the sight of his backside encased in tight faded jeans.

She watched as he led her to another corridor, away from the Gundam bay and away from the rest of the house. He opened an inconspicuous looking door that Rei had believed housed cleaning supplies or other necessary household items. She gaped as she realized it contained a small armory, firearms of all kinds and in mass quantities stacked neatly in crates against the walls, with several of each kind hanging on the wall from small hooks. Other crates stacked further back were labeled explosives, dynamite, grenades, and other incendiary items. Her eyebrows shot further upward toward her hairline when she saw the massive boxes stacked with ammunition in them. Bandoleers hung from another wall and she briefly wondered again what she had gotten herself into. She watched mutely as Heero took several different pieces from the walls and then raided the boxes of ammunition. After several minutes, Heero was apparently satisfied with his choices and walked to the very back of the room. There was a small space between the crates and he slapped his hand on it, triggering a small mechanism that caused a section of the near left wall to rise, revealing another room beyond it. She shook her head at yet another mystery behind the Winner mansion and hurried after Heero. This time, she was calm when the door whooshed back down, closing them off from the rest of the world.

"Here," Heero grunted as he proffered her a small silver pistol. The room was tiny, with enough room to fit maybe four people width wise and two and a half people from behind the counter of each shooting cubicle. The length of the room was much larger, like two bowling alley lanes put together, with a target at the end. Each cubicle was enclosed in sound proof and shatterproof glass and had an individual door to each one. Rei gingerly accepted the proffered pistol and walked to the counter. She looked expectantly at Heero, waiting for instructions.

Heero took up a duplicate gun and stood at the counter, nudging her out of the way slightly with his hip and trying to ignore the flash of heat that traveled from his hip to throughout his body at the brief contact. He brought the gun up, braced his arms and fired. A thin bluish-white laser shot from the small gun and pierced the hanging paper target dead center. Rei shook her head at his effortless actions and took her place behind the counter as Heero moved out of the way. She mimicked his stance and hand positions perfectly and sighted down the barrel of the gun. She pulled the trigger and was rocked off her feet as the momentum sent her careening backwards, slamming into Heero and knocking them both down. Rei landed with a soft oof on top of Heero's muscled body and blushed hotly when she realized she had come within an inch of unmanning him. Heero just stared as he felt her soft body press against his, all thoughts fleeing from his mind. Rei scrambled upright, pulling down her red top, which had slipped up precariously high, self-consciously.

"Gomen. I don't know what I did wrong. I did everything you did," Rei stammered, her face heating with emotion as he got up like a lazy tiger, all feline grace and movement.

"You're not bracing your arms for the recoil and you're pulling the trigger too hard," he said, running his fingers through his dark brown hair. "Try it again."

Rei turned and fired the pistol again, being extra careful to brace her arms slightly and lightly press the trigger. She smiled with satisfaction as she felt the energy leave the gun and travel down the lane and hit the target. She was slightly disappointed when she realized she had only hit the corner of the target, but laughed at herself when she realized she had expected to hit the center immediately. 'Geez, I'm not perfect. What am I thinking, that I'll be shooting dead center when other people train for weeks or months to be able to hit a target in the bullseye. Of course, Heero is a slight distraction. I never knew a guy's muscles could be so hard. Ah, snap out of it! He's going to think I'm a total ditz,' Rei thought frantically, bringing her arms up for another shot. She fired round after round, progressively getting better and better until Heero would deem her knowledge sufficient and trade in her current weapon to another one. This went on until she had gone through several different firearms and her arms were beginning to shake from fatigue.

"That's enough for right now. Shake your arms a little to get the circulation going and I'll be right back with some more guns," Heero said, scooping up the spent guns and walking toward the door. He slapped his palm on another plate and watched impassively as he walked through the now open door.

'What a slavedriver! Now I know how Usagi used to feel when I would make her practice her attacks over and over again. My arms feel like lead and my ears are ringing. I can't be surprised by gunshots now because I've lost my hearing,' Rei thought sarcastically, shaking her head to clear the ringing and massaging her arms. She was proud of her progress though. She might not be able to shoot a fly's eyelashes off at fifty paces or consistently hit the bullseye, but she could hit the target every time now. She also knew how hard to pull the trigger and how much to brace for impact for over half a dozen guns, ranging from the first small laser pistol Heero had given her to the last stun gun she had just finished with. Her thoughts were interrupted as she saw Heero return, holding, to her relief, only one more gun.

"Here. This is the last one. It's a standard 9mm.," Heero stated, offering her the gun butt first.

Rei accepted it and sighed as she performed the standard drill Heero had taught her, checking to see if it was loaded and making sure to cock the firearm before raising her arms once again toward the target. Her arms wavered slightly from fatigue and she pulled the trigger lightly. The bullet whizzed by the target, not even marking it. Blowing at her bangs in frustration, Rei repeated the procedure again, and again, and again, each time failing as miserably as the time before. She was just about to fling the weapon away and call it a night when she felt strong arms come up behind her and cup her hands in his. His chest was at her back and she could feel his warm breath tickling her ear. She turned her head back to see Heero gazing at her with unfathomable eyes. She could feel his quiet strength in every pore of her body and her mind reeled from the sensations. Her breath came out in a small rush as she tried to make sense of a world that had just tilted on its axis.

Heero had watched as Rei struggled with the new gun, his own actually. He had been impressed with her resolve, the fire in her eyes glinting with the determination to succeed and master this new fighting style. He found himself watching her like a hawk, his eyes drinking in her violet tresses and triggering that itch in his fingertips to touch the soft mass. Observing the curve of her hips through the tight black jeans that encased her long, long legs and the red top that exposed her creamy shoulders took up a lot of his attention. He watched how her magnificent eyes would narrow in concentration as she aimed her gun at the target and how her luscious red lips would firm with the effort to absorb the recoil of the gun and found himself more and more intrigued with her. He had been so intently observing her that he knew the exact second that her exhaustion hit and when she wanted to throw the gun away. He had immediately come up behind her and braced her body with his own, his body reacting unconsciously. Now he stood behind her, her hair softly tickling his face, and he didn't know what to do next. 'Duo would be laughing his a$$ off at me right now. I can just hear him. "The Perfect Soldier doesn't know what to do with a girl! Finally, something he doesn't know how to handle!" He'd be right too. I have no idea of how I got into this and less idea of how to get out,' Heero mentally wrestled. All his thoughts seemed to fade into the void however, when she tilted her head back to look at him. Her eyes hypnotized him and seemed to beckon to him, to invite him into their molten depths. He took a shuddering breath and released it slowly. His mind seemed to swim as he recognized the faint fragrance of jasmine wafting from her. 'Jasmine. Why do I recognize that from somewhere? Jasmine is very rare. I don't even know what jasmine smells like, so how do I know that this is jasmine that I smell? Yet, I somehow just know that it's jasmine and that it has a really important significance to me.' She felt so pliant and soft in his arms and his embrace tightened slightly as they lowered both pairs of their arms and the gun was laid down on the counter, neither one of them aware of their actions.

Rei felt her will slipping away as she felt him shudder against her, his nostrils flaring slightly. She could see a struggle in his eyes and she suddenly, desperately, felt the need to soothe him. Before she could move, she felt his arms tighten around her, drawing her even closer to him. She watched as his head slowly dipped towards her and vaguely felt herself tipping her head closer to his and angling her face toward him.

Heero saw the look in her eyes, the soothing peace she was offering so freely. He felt his head shift and lower toward hers. Their breath mingled as they came closer and closer, until he didn't know where her sweetness ended and his began. He felt the briefest whisper of moistness against his lips, and…

WHAM!

"The Ravagers are attacking Cirrus City to the Northeast," a frantic voice ripped them from their reverie. "We've been called to action! That includes you too, Rei-cha…Oops! Shimatta! Gomen, gomen! I wouldn't disturb you but it's an emergency," Duo said hurriedly, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. He was really annoyed to break up what looked like a really promising moment between Heero and Rei, but he had looked everywhere for the pair of them. He had thought the two would have been done with the shooting practice by now, since it had been several hours since dinner.

Rei and Heero broke away from each other, not looking at the other. They hurried after Duo, their blood racing at the thought of going into battle against the Ravagers and keeping the innocent civilians of Cirrus City safe.

####***

A/N: Gomen! (ducks behind desk barricade as threatening figures loom from above) I had to finish the chapter somehow (It's 19 pages long!) and my evil muse seems to like doing stuff like that. Not to mention that I'm not that comfortable with steamy writing and it was going to get a lot steamier if it continued. I already have Rei and Heero giving me the Deathglare. (Shiver!) I hope you at least enjoyed this chapter. Someone please call Rei and Heero off! Onegai?

Next: To battle!