Connections Chapter Five Diviana ~~~ [Chapter Flashback: The base was destroyed, Relena was taken to the hospital, and the pilots, including Kami, go to a small house nearby on L1.] ***

Duo sighed and got up from his position in front of the couch, walked to the kitchen, and raided the almost-empty fridge. It had been almost a week since the infiltration of the regrouping OZ base, and Kami was still on the couch. She never moved from under the thick blanket except for two things. If Trowa asked her to, in his silent way, she would curl up into a ball. If Duo annoyed her too much, her arm would reach out and throw things at him, but that was all.

Quatre had made himself the honorary housekeeper again, and would go into cleaning fits, only stopping when he thought there was absolutely no speck of dust to be found. Then he would curl up on one end of the couch, Kami's socked feet in his lap, and read thick books about who-knew-what. Trowa had been leaving the house for several days, going early in the morning and returning late at night, never saying where he had been or what he had been doing.

Wufei was in an uncharacteristicly foul mood. True, he was almost always angry at everything, but he seemed sulky and depressed more than he did upset or irked. He often spent time away from the house as well, though he just sat in the hammock in the backyard, unlike Trowa, who actually left town.

Heero was beginning to recover, slowly, but still recovering. He couldn't sit straight like he was trained to, and had to slouch or lean backwards if he was going to sit. Most times, he just lay there in his bed, staring at the ceiling, but he liked walking around the room slowly as well. The only bad thing with that was he lost his breath too quickly, no matter how slow he went. Heero had never been exactly social, but he seemed even more distant than he usually did.

And Duo, he was just bored. Very bored.

Quatre had caught him the other day with two pairs of chopsticks, making them talk with each other. The practical jokes had stopped, but then he tried cooking dinner, which ended in a disaster. Completely bored out of mind, the braided boy had made a family of sock people out of Wufei's slipper socks, Quatre's dress socks, a pair of Heero's socks, and his own black ones. Duo had taken the buttons off his jacket and used small pins to stick them to the socks for eyes. A permanent black marker and a red dry- erase marker had made the nose and mouth, and a box with cardboard pieces taped to the inside of it served as a house for the sock family. Various odds and ends, string and bottlecaps, made up hair, clothing, furniture, and accessories for the sock people.

Misses Sox was British, spoke proper English, and wondered about Wufei's demeanour aloud. Mister Sox was supposedly Japanese and would often speak nonsense. He tended to stalk Quatre around the house, occasionally yelling out, "The Americans are coming! The Americans are coming!" and then diving underneath the vacuum, which in turn resulted in another miniture diaster. Suzie Q and BillyBobJoe resembled the Adams Family children, Wednesday and Pugsley. They would go around 'chasing' Duo with large knives and scissors, screaming obscenties. They often commited suicide, but mysteriously resurrected themselves again a few hours later. Grandma and Grandpa Sox like boring each other to death with stories of 'the olden days' - literally. The attic of the Sox house sheltered Nurse Chasity, who would keep an eye on the old Soxes. And then there was Juuseichi. A cocky 'android', Juuseichi killed the Sox family at least a dozen times before Quatre threw him -it- out the window.

Duo sighed. "Quatre..." he whined. The blond turned from his position at the stove.

"What is it now, Duo?"

"He's bored," Wufei said mocklingly in the same tone Duo used that same moment when he replied, "I'm bored." Duo glared at him and Wufei glared back. Quatre sighed and went back to cooking lunch.

The refrigerator door opened and they all turned, expecting Trowa to be standing there. Instead, it was Kami who was peering inside the fridge. She held up a carton of orange juice, opened it and looked inside. Grimancing, she drank a gulp out of the paper carton and then put it back. She went to look for something else when she caught sight of the others. Kami closed the door, sighing.

The three pilots stared at her. Her hair was in a messy sidebraid and her face was pale, with a few red marks on her cheeks from the folds in the blanket, which was wrapped around her loosely. Kami's hands were shaking a little and couldn't get a good grip on the blanket, which fell off her shoulders and revealed how thin she had gotten in the past week. The pilots were amazed to see how skinny she had become.

"So," she said, her voice quiet and thick, "What'cha makin'?" She cleared her throat softly, and went to stand next to Duo. Kami poked him in the shoulder. "That one hurt you know," she said.

Duo mumbled an apology while Quatre explained what he was trying to make. Wufei raised his eyebrows when Trowa suddenly appeared in the kitchen as well and walked up behind her. He nonchalantly wrapped his arms around her shoulders and she leaned back, closing her eyes.

"Are you still tired?" the clown asked.

"A little." she admitted.

"But--" Duo was about to point out the fact that she had done nothing but sleep when he recieved three glares from his fellow pilots. "Okay okay." he sighed dejectedly. "I guess I'll just go on outside and try to find Juuseichi." Duo glared at Quatre, who raised an eyebrow. Duo went off with Misses Sox, who had apparantly been having an affair with the robotic sock person, and the last thing they heard from him until lunch was, "It's about bloody time, you ol' chap! Now then, off we go to find that dear old Mister Juuseichi."

"Who..." Kami asked.

"It might be better not to ask," Trowa replied. She nodded, sighing, and leaned further back against him. Wufei stood up all of a sudden, muttering something under his breath and he too went off somewhere not to be seen until lunch. *** Kami knocked on the door. "Niichan?" Her only answer was a muffled mumble. "Niichan, can I come in?" Again, she didn't get much of a reply. Sighing loudly, she asked, "Look, are you at least somewhat decent right now?"

"Hai (Yes)," came Heero's voice, muffled by the closed door.

Kami rolled her eyes, turned the knob, and walked in, leaving the door open. Quatre heard her make a noise that sounded part gasp, part giggle, part snort as he walked past.

"Niichan... a sheet does not count as clothing!" She had a hand to her face, trying vainly to cover her growing smile. Quatre took a deep breath, blushing, and walked away quickly, trying not to look in as he passed the room. Heero was laying in his bed on his side, facing away from the door. "Niichan... daijoubou desu ka (Are you alright)?" Kami asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and placing a hand gently on his bare shoulder.

"Rippa na... naze desu ka (I'm fine... why)?" Kami leaned over to look at him in the face.

"Because." She gently pushed his shoulder so he was laying on his back. "Niichan..." Her green eyes looked him over concerned. A hand made its way up to his face and she stroked his cheek gently. Heero crunched up his nose.

"Hidari boku (My side)..." Kami ran her fingers gently over the bandaged wound, and the brown haired boy winced again.

"Should I rebandage it for you, Niichan?" His eyes were closed, but he seemed fine except for the small blot of blood that had seeped through the white gauze. Heero nodded. "Okay, hang on a minute." Kami went out and returned with Trowa and another first aid kit.

"Are you sure Quatre's hemophobic? " Kami asked the tall brunette.

"Yes."

"Oh, well..." she said, almost sadly, and sat on the edge of Heero's bed again. "Niichan." Heero opened his eyes at the sound of his name. "Oh, good. I thought you went back to sleep."

"Iie (No)." he said. Kami nodded. By pushing the sheet away, she found that he was wearing a pair of black jeans and that the bandage was wrinkled a little more than she had thought.

"Are these mine?" Kami asked, surprised, looking at the jeans. She stuck her hand into one of the pockets and pulled it out. A blue ink stain covered the white pocket material. "They are! You've been wearing my pants for how long now?"

Smirking, Heero answered. "Since we first got to the safehouse." Kami stared at him, speechless.

"And I just now noticed that..." She banged her head on the headboard of his bed a couple times. "I'm getting too old for this... too sloppy..." Heero's smirk grew.

Trowa had just watched the two for the last few minutes, but spoke up suddenly. "You fit in her jeans?"

Kami looked at him while Heero shrugged nonchalantly, a slight smile on his face. The girl sighed. "Just because I'm suppose to be a perfect soldier, doesn't mean I have to have the perfect body. And besides, he's pretty skinny." She poked Heero in the stomach. "Not as thin as you or Duo, but skinnier than Wufei."

"No one could be as thin as Duo," Heero said.

"I don't know, Trowa looks like he could be pretty close." Kami answered, trying not to look at the tall boy standing at the foot of the bed, so she busied herself with removing the gauze and tape on Heero's side.

Trowa seemed to smirk. Then, "What do you mean a perfect soldier?" he asked, the small smile leaving his once again emotionless face.

"Huh?" Kami asked, washing the gash gently with warm water.

"You said you were suppose to be a perfect soldier." Trowa repeated. Heero hissed through his teeth as Kami's hand jerked.

"I did?"

"Yes."

"Norou..." she said under her breath. "I don't know, I'm probably just rambling again... I do that sometimes, like when I'm bored, or nervous even."

"Like now?" Kami paused. Heero watched her as she fumbled with the bandages.

"I don't know what you mean," she said simply and then continued to rebandage Heero's side. "Are you going to help me or what?" she added. Trowa raised an eyebrow, but kept quiet and stepped forward to give her and Heero a hand. *** "So, Misses Sox, how is Seventeen doing?" Kami asked, passing the bowl of salad to Wufei.

Duo looked up from his plate and looked almost lost.

"You did find him, didn't you?"

Duo's eyes lit up and he grabbed the sock off the floor and stuck his hand into it. "Oh, yes. Mister Juuseichi is doing quite well, don't you think so, Mister Maxwell?" he said in a pathetic British accent. With his normal voice, he replied, facing the sock. "Oh yes. We had a nice time out there too. Except for when it started raining..." Kami laughed as he wrung out his braid again.

"Ah, yes. It was simply splendid! Until, of course, the rain, but it was still very lovely." answered the sock.

"So where's Juuseichi right now, Du-- I mean, Misses Sox?" Quatre asked with a smile.

"Oh, dear, I'm afraid he isn't feeling very well, Mister Winner. It does take alot out of you being thrown out of a window." replied the sock. Duo nodded in agreement, stuffing his face quickly.

Quatre and Kami chuckled and continued talking with the sock, seeing how fast Duo could eat between the answers. Wufei was wearing his I-don't-know- these-people-I-am-much-more-dignified-than-that face and Trowa was simply trying to keep up with the playful banter. Heero was looking at them as if they were nuts. Which they probably were.

"No, no, no." Kami said. "It's 'If mists of the new moon rain in the old, then mists of the old moon rain in the new.'"

"I think I have to agree with her, Misses Sox." Quatre replied.

The sock said nothing for a moment while Duo was thinking of what to say. Then, "What's an old moon?"

"I, I don't know." Kami admitted. "It's not scientifically backed up that there is one."

"I think it's just a saying, Duo." Quatre said.

Trowa sighed and spoke up for the first time. "'If mists in the new moon rain in the old, then mists in the old moon rain in the new.' I believe it is another expression for 'What comes around goes around', theoritically, of course. And the phrase is actually backed up in several ways. Scientifically, astronomically, and in theory."

They all stared at him. "Well, I suppose..." Kami mumbled, thinking hard.

"No, I, I think you're right, Trowa." said Quatre.

"Did he actually say more than a sentence?" Duo asked, amazed. "Whoa..."

"See, you were wrong, woman," Wufei said, not really caring.

"Hn..."

"Oh, stop." Kami said, poking Heero in the ribs, being careful not to hit his wound. He glared at her, and she glared back at him. Heero glared some more, and Kami picked a water chestnut off his plate and ate it. "Mmlah!" She stuck her tongue out at him. Heero continued glaring. *** "Dinner's ready!" Quatre called. A thunderous sound echoed throughout the house as five pairs of feet ran up the stairs.

"I'm starved!" Duo exclaimed, falling heavily onto his chair.

"You just ate an entire bag of potato chips, Duo." Kami said, sliding into the chair next to him.

"Juuseichi helped!" Duo retaliated.

"Don na ni (Whatever)..." Kami mumbled. "What is this?" she asked, looking at the oddly shaped food.

"Pizza!" Duo cried happily, taking several pieces. "I didn't know you knew how to make this, Quatre!"

"I don't." the blond admitted. "I ordered out."

"What's on here?" Kami asked, picking the toppings off of the entire slice before taking a bite.

"Well, pepperoni and sausage, some spices like dill or basil or something," Quatre explained.

"And cheese!" Duo said. "Lots and lots of melted cheese!"

Heero straightened, winced, and slouched back in his chair. "Cheese?"

"Cheese?" Kami repeated in a whisper.

Duo nodded, picking a large string of the orange dairy product off the slice of pizza and eating it. "Cheese! What? You no like?" He didn't get an answer because the girl had run out of the room.

They all winced as a thud followed by a retching sound echoed through the hallway. Heero went to get up, but Trowa shook his head. "I'll get her." The Latin boy stood and exited the room. The four others listened while still eating. "Are you alright?" came Trowa's muffled voice.

"I..." Kami paused and then there was the sound of shuffling feet and Kami threw up again. "I'll be okay... thanks anyway..." The two walked back slowly to the dining table and sat down. Kami's face was pale and her hands shook a little as she covered her face with them.

"Daijoubou desu ka (Are you alright)?" Heero asked quietly. Kami nodded, and moved around so her forehead was resting on the edge of the table. She mumbled something under her breath in Japanese and Heero tried not to laugh. "Sonomama sono desu (That's how it is)..." he replied.

"Iie, honto ni? Kigakari ja nai desu (No, really? I don't care)..." Kami said. She looked up and watched everyone eat for a few minutes before getting up and going over to the couch which she sprawled herself across and fell asleep.

"What's wrong?" Quatre asked.

"Hn." Heero replied. Wufei glared.

"Who cares about the woman anyway? Certainly not I." Duo smirked and made a tossing motion towards him. Wufei jumped up, thinking the cat was going to fly at him again. Duo laughed. Trowa just sat there, thinking, unconciously picking the toppings off the cheese before taking a bite. Heero finished eating and went to stand up.

"Done already?" Duo asked. "You had, what, two slices? Come on, Heero, man, you're gonna get as thin as Kami..." he trailed off as the other pilots glared at him. "Oops... hehe..."

Heero had straightened as best as he could and stared at the braided boy. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing!" Duo answered quickly. "I was just talking like I usually do, without any real reason or knowledge of what I'm talking about--"

"What do you mean?" Heero asked again, louder, more commanding. No one said anything. Even Wufei didn't have a remark to give. Heero glared, got up and crossed into the living room. The four pilots at the table could hear them but couldn't see what was happening. "Sameru (Get up)."

"Huh?"

"Ima sameru (Get up now)."

"Naze (Why)? Itai, oi (Ow, hey)! Yamero (Stop)!" Heero had grabbed Kami's arm and yanked her up. Heero asked her something roughly in Japanese as she hung halfway off the couch by her elbow. "Oriru (Get off)! Inasu (Let go)! Yamero, (Stop) Niichan, onegai (please)..."

Heero repeated what he had said and Kami mumbled a reply. "Nani (What)?!" Kami said something else that the pilots at the table couldn't make out. "Baka (Fool)!" Heero shouted.

"Ashikarazu (I'm sorry)... Demo (But)..." Kami replied.

"Ya da! Shikaruni ja nai (No! No buts)."

"Niichan... onegai (please)..." Heero sighed.

"Sameru (Get up)." he said softly, letting go of her arm. Kami get up slowly, clearly afraid. "Eeto (Let me see)."

"Nani (What)?"

"Eeto, dore (Let me see)." Kami straightened, seeing how serious he was. She lifted her shirt a little and showed him how thin she had become.

"Imoto (Little sister)..."

"Sumisen (I'm sorry)..."

Heero sighed. "Iie (No), there's nothing to be sorry about..."

"Nani (What)?"

"Ayamachi watakushi... ayamaru boku (It's my fault... I apologize)..." Kami looked at him, biting her lower lip. She said something under her breath before reaching out and grasping Heero's neck. Kami held him tightly and he smiled sadly, slipping his arms around her tiny waist.

"Daijoubou desu (It's alright)..." he whispered, rocking back and forth gently, careful not to lean too far and reopen his wound. He didn't know why he had gotten so mad. Perhaps because no one had ever done anything like that because of him. The only thing people did because of him was die. But he wasn't going to let that happen again. "Heiki (You're alright)..." A lone tear ran down his face as he spoke. *** "Ya-mm-o!" Kami grabbed a napkin and spit into it. Heero looked at it with a raised eyebrow as Quatre's face turned green. "Stop it!" Kami said forcefully to Heero, who simply stuffed the spoon back into her mouth. She glared at him.

"Eat it." he replied, meeting the glare with one of his own. Kami gave a loud sighing noise, picked up the spoon and filled it with the mashed potatoes Duo had managed to make without destroying anything. She held it up and flicked it at Heero. Duo laughed as Heero wiped the food off his face with the back of his hand.

"Omae o korosu (I will kill you)..."

"You'll have to catch me first!" Kami jumped up and ran off, Heero following her, both yelling and screaming bloody murder.

"Um..." Trowa looked down at Quatre, who was trying not to notice the two running around his chair. "I should really be going now..." He carefully stood up, took his plate to the sink and locked himself in the bedroom he and Duo were still sharing. Heero and Wufei still shared the other room, but Kami had snuck into the Japanese boy's bed late that night and Trowa had figured out how to get the spare mattress out from underneath the blond's bed, so he had slept there.

Kami seemed more like herself since Heero had begun walking around the house. She was no longer sulky and had less sleep than anyone there, but she still managed to make an excuse to sit on Trowa's lap occasionally. Like right then, Kami jumped up onto the lanky boy's legs, curling up. "He's base! He's base!" she yelled as Heero tried to pick her up and toss her off.

"Not even homebase is safe in a war," Heero replied simply, grabbing her arms.

Kami laughed through her shouts of mock horror. Trowa just sat there and tried not to get in the way, which was hard because Kami was on his lap. He moved the slightest bit to keep from falling off the chair, and Heero glared at him. "Sorry," he said quickly, and dumped the girl off his lap to stand up. She ended up falling into Heero, who backed up unconsciously into Wufei, whom Kami slid onto. Duo tried to see over the table but ended up tripping over the legs of his chair and rolling into Trowa, who was trying to walk away.

The noise level had caused Quatre to come back out and watch in awe at the tangled mess on the floor. "Oh, Allah..." the blond whispered.

"Get off my braid!" Duo yelled as Wufei rolled onto it, trying to get off of Heero's stomach.

"Don't kick!" Kami yelled at him.

"Injustice!" Wufei cried as he somehow ended up underneath Duo. Trowa managed to untangle himself and was getting up when Heero sat up. He cocked his head, and got up. Kami stopped pushing Duo away and listened as well.

Wufei pushed Duo off of him, grabbed his sword off the coffee table and ran down the staircase two steps at a time. He threw open the door to find a man in a military uniform standing there. "What do you want?" the Chinese boy asked, cautiously.

Everyone in the dining room became silent to hear the man's reply. "I was sent to check on you, Mister Namuri."

Namuri? Wufei thought. That must be the person who owns the house... His shoulders straightened. "I'm alright, officer. Everything's fine. You may go now, your duty has been fulfilled."

"No, sir," said the soldier. "Not quite. I must speak to your wife, if she's home." Wufei glared, then sighed.

"Aka (Baby)!" he called, mentally praying he wasn't going to be teased by Duo later on for it.

"Nande, Fei-kun (What is it)?" Kami called, in a surprised voice, walking to the top of the staircase. "Officer! I didn't expect to see you so soon." she said quickly, seeing the man at the door. She walked over to stand next to Wufei.

"Ma'am," the soldier tipped his hat, "I was sent to check in on--"

"I know what you're here for," Kami replied, her tone almost annoyed. "We're perfectly fine."

"Well, then, I suppose I should go now, sir, ma'am." The uniformed man tipped his hat again, and turned to leave when Kami grabbed his sleeve. "Ma'am?!"

"Who are your partners?" she asked roughly.

"Ma'am?!"

"Who are your partners? In the truck." she repeated, tightening her grip on his wrist. Wufei's brow furrowed, and he realized there were two other officers in the truck that was in the driveway.

"Oh... uh... there's Hirosho and Danoki. Why?"

"Who's the blond?"

"Danoki. Why?" he repeated.

"What about you?" Kami asked.

"Name's Fushiro. Why?" he replied.

"I was just wondering. Is that alright, officer?" Kami asked, her face emotionless, but her body rigid.

"Yes, of course, Misses Namuri. I should be going now," the soldier said.

"Of course." She let go of his wrist and watched him walk down the stone pathway, get into the truck and drive away. "They weren't suppose to come for another week," she mumbled, watching the truck drive away. When the truck disappeared down the road, she slammed the door closed and turned to Wufei, who was standing there confused.

"What is it, woman?" She glared at him, and then smacked him on the back of his head, forcing his head forward. Wufei's forehead hit the door, and he swore under his breath. "The hell was that for, woman?" he asked, rubbing his head.

"Don't you ever call me aka. Ever. I am not your baby."

"The--"

"I don't care what he said. I know he called you Namuri, I have ears, fool. But that doesn't give you the right to call me that." She turned around and stormed up the stairs, her footsteps echoing loudly through the room. She slammed the door to the bedroom he, her, and Heero shared, and they all winced visibly.

Wufei sighed and went back into the dining room where he met the dangerous end of Heero's gun. "What did you do?" the Japanese boy asked.

"Nothing, Yuy." the younger pilot growled, pushing his way past him. The safety of Heero's gun clicked off and he felt the cool metal on the nape of his neck.

"What did you do?" Heero repeated.

"Nothing! Why would she be crying over something so unimportant anyway, Yuy? Perhaps because she is weak?" Wufei growled.

"My sister is not weak, Chang. She's stronger than you think." Heero's gun cocked behind him. "Now, what did you do?" he snarled.

"I called her aka. Is that alright with you, Yuy? The soldier thought we were someone else. I couldn't let--"

"You did what?" Heero asked, his voice softer, but seemingly more demanding.

"I called her aka, Yuy. Are you deaf?" Wufei turned around, but the Japanese pilot was already down the hall, banging on the door.

"Kami, Kami, open up, it's me."

"No."

Heero punched the door. "Let me in!"

"No! Leave me alone!" The sound of shattering glass filled the air.

"Goddammit, Kami, open up!" Heero yelled. He hit the door so hard it creaked. "Let me in now!"

"No! Go away!"

"Kami..." He lowered his voice to a softer tone. "Open the door... please?"

"No! Go away! Just leave me alone!" Kami yelled back. "Why can't you ever just leave me alone?" she asked quietly, almost in a whispered voice.

"Kami..."

"No! Not Kami! Don't call me that!" she yelled, another crash sounding as she threw something against the door. "Don't call me that..." Heero backed up a few steps and prepared to shoot the lock off the doorknob when the phone rang.

"I'll get it!" Duo sang cheerfully, hoping to lighten everyone's moods. "Hey, Sally! Whazzup?!" He paused in mid-raspberry and straightened. "You sure... Well, yeah... uh, Heero's injured abit, and Trowa, but-- ... no, no, it's..." He sighed.

"Yeah, okay. I understand. Sure, no prob." He paused as Sally asked something else. Duo smirked. "Well, Wufei's got a headache, but me and Quatre and Kami--" he paused, "Me and Quatre are fine. I dunno 'bout Kami. She's real upset 'bout somethin'."

A huge crash rang out, and everyone turned. Heero had kicked the door down, standing half way in the room, and was saying something in Japanese while holding his side. Duo shook his head and continued talking to Sally, then gave the phone to Wufei, who now had an ice pack wrapped around his head.

"She wants to talk to ya, Fei-kun." he grinned.

Wufei glared. "What is it, woman?" Duo laughed as the Chinese boy's face went from annoyed to deer-caught-in-the-headlight. His narrowed eyes went wide and his shoulders slumped forward. He held the phone a few inches away from his ear, wincing, as Sally's voice carried through and they all heard her yelling. The woman's voice quieted and Wufei put the phone back to his ear. "Yes... yes, I'm fine, woman... I just hit my head..." Wufei's black eyes narrowed again, and he glared at Duo, who just smirked nonchalantly.

Another crash sounded from the one bedroom followed by yelling. Trowa sighed and went over to stand in the doorway to see what was wrong. "Korose sono bakayaro! Korose kare o (I killed that bastard! I killed him)!" Kami yelled.

"Shh, yume-chan, ima damare... yoroshii... (Little dream, quiet now, it's alright) I believe you..." Heero said, taking a step towards her.

"Go away!" Kami yelled. "It's your fault, too, you know!"

"What's my fault, Kami?" Heero asked quietly, moving to sit on the bed. Kami shrunk back into a corner, shivering and sobbing.

"Dammit, Heero! Don't play with me! You know perfectly well what happened! You were there throughout the whole thing!"

"Kami..." He paused. She had called him Heero... she had never called him that before... it was always Niichan... "Kami... Wufei doesn't understand... he didn't know..."

"Don't!" she yelled.

"What? Don't do what, Kami?" He got off the bed and walked towards her, reaching out.

"Make excuses! Of course he doesn't understand, you don't understand!" She backed up further into the corner. "How could you? How could anybody?"

"How can you say that, Kami, you said so yourself that I was there the whole time..."

"You see but you don't observe..." Kami mumbled, hugging herself as she slid down the wall to end up seated with her knees under her chin. "You don't understand what happens though it happens to you... you may hear, but you never listen... because only your eyes and ears are open when your mind and heart must be..."

Pausing, Heero opened his mouth, then closed it. He had heard that before somewhere... You may hear but you do not listen... "Doctor Jay said that..." he whispered.

"I can't forget, Niichan... no matter how hard I try..."

Heero looked at her tear stained face. "Kami..." he said softly.

"He's always there... behind every corner," she continued, her voice in a quiet yet expressive tone. "Waiting, watching, poised to pounce, ready to kill... ready to come back and, and..." she trailed off, but Heero knew who and what she meant.

He moved towards her, slowly, but she didn't seem to react so he approached her, picked her up and gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "As long as I am here, you will always be safe. Always..." he whispered in her ear as he swayed side to side gently. "Is he dead, Kami? Did you kill him?"

"I, I don't know... I think I did... but, I was too busy with you... and the Peacecraft girl... he, he might still be alive..." Kami answered, her arms moving up to wrap around the Japanese boy's neck.

"If he is, I will protect you..." Heero said, "I promise... he's gone now, though, Kami... it's alright..."

"Is he really?" she asked.

Heero sighed, seeing Trowa standing there out of the corner of his eye. The clown had been there through most of the arguement, yet had not said a word. Instead, he had busied himself with cleaning up the broken glass and wood on the floor, not knowing at all what this was about. "I don't know," Heero admitted, "But I don't care... just as long as you are safe... that's all that matters now..." *** "Yes... yes... woman! I am fed up with--" Wufei fumed silently as Sally yelled through the phone again. It was obvious she was not in a good mood and apparantly, the news Duo had given her was not making her day any better.

Eventually, Sally hung up, leaving a very distraught Wufei sitting there with his ice pack. Trowa came out of the bedroom, a cardboard box full of broken glass and pieces of wood in his arms. He placed the box next to the garbage can in the kitchen and went back into the bedroom. Quatre followed him, seeing as the yelling had stopped, he probably wouldn't get hurt.

Heero was sitting on the floor, covered in a blanket, with Kami folded neatly in his lap. The boy's arms were wrapped around her loosely, and he was rocking back and forth gently. The girl seemed to be asleep, with tears still on her pale cheeks.

"She's exhausted." Trowa observed. It wasn't a question; it was a statement. Heero nodded, looking down at the girl in his arms pensively. "Put her on the bed," Trowa reached over to help him, but Heero got up on his own and carried the girl to the bed they had been sharing.

He sat on the edge of the bed as he laid her down. Pulling up the blanket, he asked, "Did she tell you anything?"

"No, not much," Trowa replied. Quatre licked his lips and shifted his weight to the other leg, obviously uncomfortable with the conversation. "I know only what has happened just now."

"And what is that?" Heero asked, looking at Kami's face, his own a mixture of concern, anger, and protectiveness.

"She is afraid." Trowa answered. He stood ram-rod straight, with his shoulders back and head held high. "Frightened, wary, confused. She doesn't know what to do, doesn't know if there's anything to do. She's scared, Heero, scared so much it's wearing her down." For once, his face wasn't completely void of emotion. His emerald green eyes were narrow in concern, and they glistened with the tears he would not shed. "Heero..."

"What has she said, Trowa? Tell me." The Japanese pilot looked up at him, his voice telling him that he, too, was afraid, afraid of what he might say.

Quatre left the room quietly, closing the broken door behind him as Trowa answered. "It's dark and cold all the time. There are quiet voices, murmuring, but loud noises, the sounds of bombs going off. Her wrist burns, the mark... There are always at least two people there, nearby. You, I think, and," He paused, his brows furrowing a little. "Drewmaud... whomever he may be..."

Heero closed his eyes, nodding. Always the two of us, he thought. Always ending up in the middle of our fights... He sighed and opened his eyes again. "Trowa... I, I think you should know what happened..." He looked at the floor.

Trowa gave a sad smile and nodded, sitting down on Wufei's bed. "I am listening." They sat there still an hour later. The only thing that had changed was Trowa's outlook upon the relationship between Kami and Heero. "Heero, I,"

"No, don't... it, it might be better if neither of us said anymore about this today..." Heero stared at the blanket next to him, his face emotionless but with a hint of sorrow.

Trowa nodded, understanding. "As you wish..." He stood up to leave but paused, noticing something. "Heero..." He sighed and reached out, taking the Japanese boy's hand in his. "You should clean this..." he said, rubbing the knuckles gently. They were scraped raw and bloody from pounding on the door. Trowa looked at the other hand. It was the same.

"Stand up," Trowa said softly. Heero stood without a word. The tall boy sighed audibly when he saw the dark stain on his shirt. He lifted the shirt hem and found Heero's side covered in blood from his wound which he had reinjured when kicking down the door. "Heero..."

His nose twitched and knees buckled when Trowa ran a hand over the bandage. "It doesn't hurt," he lied.

"Still... Let me get the first aid kit. I'll be right back." The Latin boy turned swiftly and left for a moment, leaving the door slightly ajar. "Wufei," he said while passing by the Chinese boy. "I need to use your bed, is that alright?"

Wufei didn't answer except to give a slight snore from his position in the recliner. Duo was on the couch, also sleeping. Quatre came out from the kitchen, his hands covered in flour. "What is it, Trowa?" he asked.

"Nothing, go back to your cooking, Quatre, I'll be fine." Trowa replied and went back into the bedroom, closing the door behind him firmly. The blond shrugged and walked back into the kitchen.

Heero was once again sitting on the edge of his bed, running his fingers through Kami's hair, toying with the bangs that were cut like his. He straightened when Trowa came in and winced as the movement pulled at the stitches in his side.

"Which would you prefer me to do first?" the lanky brunette asked. Heero shrugged, still watching Kami sleep. Trowa sighed and placed the first aid kit on the edge of Wufei's bed. Heero heaved suddenly and held out his hand. Trowa took it, led him to Wufei's bed and sat him down. He wiped the bloody knuckles with a warm, damp cloth and bandaged them before moving onto the other hand. Both were completely silent while Trowa was bandaging Heero's hands. They were lost in their own thoughts. "Lay down," Trowa said suddenly.

"Huh?"

"Lay down." he repeated. Heero looked up and realized his hands were covered in white gauze.

"Oh..." He shook his head to clear it and leaned back against the pillow as Trowa undid the buttons on his shirt. "What is it?" he asked when he heard Trowa sigh.

"Nothing..." Heero looked at him knowingly.

"You wouldn't sigh for nothing. What's wrong?" He tried to prop himself up on his elbows but fell back as a searing pain shot straight up his spine. "Ohh..." He groaned as the pit of his stomach began flipping upside down.

"That." Trowa replied. "I think the anthesia wore off from this morning..." He searched through the first aid kit but found nothing that seemed to be what he wanted. Heero raised an eyebrow when the clown swore under his breath. Trowa got up and walked out, not saying anything about being back or what he was doing, so Heero laid there on Wufei's bed and tried not to think of anything.

A thud followed by a slam sounded. Heero lifted his head to see Quatre peeking through the door that Trowa had left open a little. "Heero? Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Another lie. The blond sqeezed himself through the opening, as if not wanting to move the door even a little to make a larger space, and came to sit next to the Japanese boy. Quatre had a wrinkle in the middle of his forehead. It usually appeared when he was worried or concerned about something or another. Quatre sighed.

"How bad is it?" he asked. Heero looked at him, confused. The blond bit his lower lip. "Does it hurt much?" Heero shook his head, though the expression on his face said otherwise.

"Where's Trowa?"

"He ran out, said he'd be back in ten minutes."

"I don't need it." Heero said, knowing what Trowa went out for. "I'm fine."

"Don't be silly, Heero, of course you're not okay!" Quatre's eyes had narrowed and looked sunk in for some reason. His hands were clutched together tightly, turning white. Heero put his hand ontop of the blond's and they relaxed a little. "What's this?" Quatre asked, referring to the gauze on his hands.

"I scraped my knuckles on the door." Heero replied.

"Oh... Is she, is Miss Kami alright?"

"See for yourself." Heero nodded towards the other bed.

"You, you mean, you don't mind...?"

"Nothing's stopping you, Quatre," The Arab went over and lifted the blanket abit. He smiled.

"She's sleeping."

"Yes, I know that." There was a few moments of silence, then Quatre replaced the blanket and sat again next to Heero, who's eyes were closed. Quatre reached out and touched his arm. Heero's brow twitched, but that was all. Thinking he was asleep, Quatre sighed and began talking to himself.

"Oh, Allah... I hope we're going back soon... I don't think I can stand much more of this... and neither can you, Heero, just look at yourself! I'll bet you've lost weight since we arrived here on L1, not two weeks ago... And all this blood... you're going to pass out one of these days, from all the blood you've lost." Quatre sighed, voice wavering.

"Heero..." The blond sighed again. "I, I should go now... I'll leave the door open a little for you, okay?" He didn't get an answer, but he didn't expect one. Quatre pulled the ends of Heero's shirt together, but left it unbuttoned, and pulled the sheet up to cover him, grimancing at the blood- stained bandages. "I'll be in the kitchen, if you need anything, Heero..." He trailed off but smiled. Quatre got up and left, leaving the door ajar just like he said would.

After a moment, Heero opened his eyes and sighed, looking around. The room looked different from Wufei's bed, he noticed. He sighed and tried to get up, but then decided the movement wasn't worth the agonizing pain and laid back down. Wufei won't mind, he thought. But he wasn't really worried about Wufei right then. Instead his mind was on what Quatre had said. It was true, all of it. And he was willing to bet that he wasn't the worst off of the six of them.

It didn't feel right, being taken care of like he was. He had gone through more painful, more fatal injuries before without any help. Besides, he was suppose to be the Perfect Soldier, the perfect person... He couldn't be hurt, killed, he wasn't suppose to have feelings, emotions. He was suppose to follow orders to complete missions, not follow foolish ideals to play the role of a brother... Heero sighed. He had failed as the Perfect Soldier, hadn't he? He couldn't be the immoral immortal being Doctor Jay had wanted him to be, and now look at him.

And again, Trowa had resorted to taking care of him as if he were a child.

Heero tried to turn over on his side, but gave up when a flame seared up through his body. He laid there for a few more minutes, thinking and listening to Quatre's Arabian music as it drifted in from the kitchen. Finally, he turned his head, pressing his cheek to the pillow, and silently cried. *** "Heero?" The Japanese pilot looked up; he had fallen asleep. Trowa walked in, closing the door behind him. "I got it." He sat down on the edge of Wufei's bed.

"I don't need it," Heero replied. Trowa raised his eyebrow. "It's not going to work. My body is immune to most--"

"It worked before."

"I was in bad shape then."

"You still are." The Latin boy said firmly, pulling off the sheet that Quatre had tucked so gently. He busied himself with taking the bandages off carefully. Neither of them spoke for several minutes as Trowa did that, bundling the used and blood-stained bandages in a heap and tossing them into a small trash can beside the bed. But as soon as he pulled out a syringe from the first aid kit, they were at it again.

"I don't need it." Heero said in a determined tone.

"Stop being so damn stubborn! Even you can show a little weakness once in a while, you know." Trowa said, demandingly. "Stop trying to be such a hero."

"I am not." he growled back.

"Heero... Either you quiet down, or I'll have Duo come in and hold you down."

The Japanese pilot pursed his lips, folded his arms over his chest, and glared sulkily. He knew he was acting childish, but it for some reason didn't really matter right then. "Fine."

"Fine." Heero looked at him as he prepared the needle. Usually, Trowa wouldn't have answered, and with his voice in such a low, demanding tone, it made Heero wonder what was wrong. Something was wrong, he knew; it showed in the clown's green eyes. And as much as Trowa would hate to admit it, Heero could read the Latin boy's face like a book right then.

"Trowa..." he said softly.

"Quiet." Heero gave a 'hmpf' sound and laid back against the pillow, the sedatives beginning to make him drowsy. Trowa didn't wait for the tranquilizers to start, and instead began once again to wash the wound. A few moments before the restitching, Heero somehow let himself be taken in by the overcoming darkness, almost glad that sleep was near.

Heero woke up flinching, only dimly aware that Trowa was hovering over him. He guessed that the clown's fingers had brushed against the gash in his side while putting away the excess bandages. Heero opened his eyes groggily, wondering about it. It wasn't like Trowa to be so clumsy, but the older boy didn't seem to notice.

"You're up already?" Trowa asked, realizing that Heero was staring at him.

"I told you..." he replied, the answer coming breathy and almost whispered. Heero cleared his throat.

"Hold still, then," Trowa gave the bandage around his waist one last tug and clipped it. Heero hissed through his teeth. "There." Trowa packed everything back into the white and red box, and went to get up.

"Trowa?" Heero asked, still not fully awake, as he held his arms up, catching the clown before he fell forward ontop of him. He clutched Trowa's upper arms, calling his name, as the first aid kit clattered to the ground. "Trowa? Trowa?" There came no answer except for heavy, ragged and uneven breathing. "Trowa!" The clown lifted his head a little, and emerald green eyes met Prussian blue.

"I, I'm alright, Heero... just, lost my breath," He swallowed, but then closed his eyes and his body went limp. Heero struggled to keep from dropping him, but his postion was an akward one and he was still not thinking clearly. Some of Trowa's weight was taken off his arms, then, however, allowing the Japanese boy to shift around into a better position.

"Trowa?" came Kami's voice from behind the clown.

"Hmm..."

Heero started to get up, but Kami stopped him. "No, no, I have him. You just go back to sleep, Niichan, you need it." Heero sighed, but stayed at the edge of the bed as Kami managed to lay the clown on the carpeted floor and knelt down next to him.

"How long have you been up?" Heero demanded, his voice still rough.

"Long enough," she answered, leaning over Trowa. "There's a glass of water on the night stand, you might want to drink it," After a few minutes, Kami gave a low sigh. "Oh, Trowa..." She got up, opened the door, and shouted for Quatre, "I need a bowl of warm water and a washrag," before returning to the brunette on the floor.

Heero looked over and blinked. Kami had stripped off Trowa's turtleneck, uncovering the multiple bruises, burns, and cuts - some scars, some not - on his chest. Most of the bruising was already fading, but some were still a deep purple.

"He didn't say..." Kami started, looking back.

"Did you think he would?" Heero asked, shifting his weight on the bed again. "He's a soldier, soldiers aren't suppose to show weakness." There was a moment of silence until Quatre came in.

"I didn't know you were awake yet, Miss Kami..." he began. The blond paused in the doorway, staring at the scene in front of him. "Tro-Trowa?" he asked shakily.

Kami calmly took the bowl and rag from him as he stood there, dipped the cloth in the water, and wrung it out. She folded it and placed it on the Latin boy's forehead. "It's alright, Quatre, go back to whatever you were doing." Kami said as she grasped the clown's wrist, checking his pulse. The Arab swallowed, looking at Trowa, and nodded. He left without a word, closing the door firmly behind him.

Another period of akward silence followed, until Kami began mumbling under her breath. "Nande desu ka (What is it)?" Heero asked.

"This is all from the base... except for a couple scars... He never said anything about these before..." Kami replied quietly, her voice barely above a whisper, waving at all the wounds. Heero slid off the bed to the floor and knelt carefully. "His ribs..." The Japanese pilot reached out and felt Trowa's broken bones. "He had said he lost breath, Niichan..." Kami whispered, "I think I know why." *** "Sally?"

"Kami, I didn't expect to hear from you. Wufei said--"

"Nevermind what he said, Sally, please," Kami interuppted. The friendly smile on the Preventer's face disappeared.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"It's Trowa." Kami replied solemnly.

"Trowa? The only one who's managed to keep out of trouble so far?"

Kami didn't laugh, nor even smile. "Yeah well, now he's in deep. We all are now, Sally. I, I need your help."

Sally nodded, solemn. "What do you need?" *** "I'm afraid to move him. Niichan and I barely manged to get him up on the bed. We have to leave soon, though, Sally, we've been here far too long as it is."

"Do you want me to send over some people?"

"No, it'll cause too much comotion. We need to get back to Earth without everyone knowing. According to all records, we are all home, not on L1." Sally nodded, understanding. "Sally, I don't know what to do. Niichan's still not in shape to do anything but sulk around the house, and with Trowa like this..."

"Kami... it's alright, we'll think of something. Give me ten minutes to talk to the Directour, you remember Une, don't you?" The Japanese girl nodded.

"Okay. What should I do until then?" Sally sighed, concern etched into usually cheerful her face.

"I'm not sure," *** "Quatre," The blond turned his head to look over his shoulder. Kami came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Daijoubu desu ka (Are you alright)? You look upset."

"Yeah, I'm fine, Miss Kami..." He turned back to the counter.

"Don't."

"What?"

"You don't have to call me miss, Quatre. Tomadachi (Friends)?"

The blond smiled. "Tomadachi (Friends)." he replied.

"Quatre,"

"Yes?" She still had her arms around his shoulders, and he felt her hand over his heart.

"What's this?" He looked at her through the corner of his eyes.

"Watakushi uchuu no kokoro (My heart of the universe)." he said quietly.

"That's why..."

"That's why what?"

"Quatre... you and Trowa are friends, ne (right)?"

He nodded. "Close friends."

"Quatre..." He turned around to look at her, her arms falling back to her sides.

"Kami... tell me. Whatever it is, look at me and tell me."

She sighed. "Trowa broke his ribs." He stared at her. He didn't think she's put it so blantly.

"What?"

Kami sighed again, softer. "He broke his ribs at the base, Quatre, they turn in when they break, he said he had lost his breath..." Quatre stepped back, grasping the corner of the counter for both support and comfort.

"Is he okay?"

"I don't know, that's why I called Sally."

"Sally."

"Yes. Quatre, we have to move, we've been here for too long." He nodded. "Quatre,"

"Kami... do you have it?"

"What?"

"Do you have it, the space heart,"

"No, Quatre." *** "Pack your stuff, you forget anything and you'll never see it again." Kami announced.

"But..."

"Demo ja nai (No buts)." she said firmly. "Get packed." She threw a duffel bag at Quatre. "We leave at oh-four-hundred hours."

"In the morning?! Are you nuts?" Duo asked. Kami glared at him.

"Yes, in the morning. No, I am not nuts, and if you ever ask me that again, your's are going to get kicked. Got it?" Duo nodded dejectedly and ran off into the bedroom to gather the few things he had managed to bring, including his sock family.

Kami turned to Wufei. "You're sleeping out here unless you want the matress under Quatre's bed."

"And share a room with Maxwell? You have got to be kidding." Wufei snorted. She continued staring at him, almost coldly. "Why can I not sleep in the bed I was unofficially assigned to before?"

"Niichan's sleeping there."

"What about his?"

"Trowa."

Wufei sighed. "Fine. But don't expect me to be happy about it. And I am not sleeping in one of those chairs again." he stated.

"Awww..." Duo replied, walking in with his bag in hand. "Does Fei-kun have a kink in his neck?" he asked in a singsong voice. Wufei glared.

"For the millionth time, Maxwell, my name is not Fei-kun."

"Whatever you say, Wu-man."

"Duo." Kami said before two could start a physical fight. "Go." She pointed back down the hall to his bedroom. "Now, please."

"But--"

"I said go." Her voice was even, a little commanding, and very different from her usual tone. Duo sighed and trudged back down the hallway. Then Kami sighed. "I didn't mean for it to sound..."

"You did what you had to do," Quatre advised, following after the braided boy.

"It's just, today's been so messed up..."

"I understand, and I'm sure Duo will too." Quatre replied, disappearing into the room. Kami sighed yet again. Lately, everyone had been sighing, and that wasn't exactly a good thing.

"C'mere, Wufei," she said finally. The Chinese boy looked at her suspiciously, but walked over to stand in front of her. "Your neck hurts?"

"No, it does not, woman. Now leave me be--" he paused in his miniture rant as Kami put her hand on his shoulder.

"Turn your head this way," she instructed, moving behind him. Wufei glared, but did as she told him to. Her hands moved across his shoulders and neck, finding all the knots and rubbing them out, releasing the tension in his muscles. "When I ask you something, Wufei, I expect the truth. Please don't lie to me." she said. "I frankly don't care if you try to do anything else, but, please, Wufei, don't you ever lie to me."

Wufei wisely decided not to say anything until she had sat down on the couch. He moved to sit next to her. "About before..."

"It was a mistake." she replied quickly. "Just like the thing with Quatre was a mistake." The Chinese boy seemed to soften.

"It's not a mistake until you refuse to correct it. An error, I mean." Kami nodded thoughtfully. "But, you do realize, you haven't given us an explanation for any of that."

"Did you want one?" Kami asked quietly.

"I would certainly appreciate it." he replied.

She wrung out her hands, twisting the wrists this way and that. "Has Niichan said anything?"

"About what?"

"Anything."

"Not that I can recall."

Kami sighed. "Alright..."

"Injustice..." Wufei growled an hour later.

"Yeah well." Kami wrung her wrists over and over again.

"Is that why you hit me? Because of the nickname?"

"Yeah..." She looked up, smiling slightly. "I didn't really hurt you, did I?"

"Of course not, woman." Wufei looked as if she had just asked the stupidest question ever. "A mere woman could never hurt me!"

"Of course," she replied, smiling. "Of course." Wufei raised an eyebrow. Kami threw her head back and laughed. It wasn't like her usual laughter, instead it was brighter, cheerier. Wufei managed a small smile. Kami's shoulders shook as she calmed down. "Oh..." She blew out air. "That felt good." She smiled. "You need to lighten up, you know?" she asked, poking him in the shoulder.

"Whatever." he replied, but the tiny smile was still there.

"Not whatever," she said, leaning closer to get up right in front of his face and nodded. "Nod and say, 'Yes, Kami, I will lighten up,'" Wufei raised an eyebrow and Kami laughed again. "Okay, then. Don't. See if I care." Wufei looked satisfied. Kami smiled and tickled him.

"Hey!" He fell back, Kami on top of him, still tickling his side.

"Laugh!" she shouted, dodging his hands as he tried to push her off.

"No! Woman...!" He broke out into laughter as she brushed the bottom part of his jaw with the pad of her finger. He laughed so hard they fell off the couch. Kami giggled.

"See? That wasn't so hard."

"Woman... you truly are evil." he replied, catching his breath.

"Thank you," she replied brightly. She rolled over, trying to get out from under the coffee table and ended up ontop of Wufei again. Her hair brushed across her face and hung in front of his. As she reached up to push it back, he caught sight of her necklace which had been hidden under her shirt and held it gently, looking at the charm.

"This is..." He fingered the tiny dragon etching and the symbols under it.

Kami stood up quickly, the necklace pulling out of his grip. "I know." she said simply. She helped him up.

"Neo-Chinese? Or Earth Chinese...?"

"I'm not sure." Wufei looked at her. She explained quietly. "They died before I could remember..."

"Was it your father or mother?"

"My mother." Wufei nodded. Kami fiddled with the necklace, then tucked it back under her shirt.

"Does Heero..."

"No." She shook her head. "Not even Doctor Jay knew..."

"What? That you're part Chinese? Why would it matter?" Wufei asked.

Kami shrugged, not looking at him. "I always thought, that, you know..." The boy nodded silently, understanding. The old L5 had been famous for its bands of terrorists since most of its inhabitants disliked the government. And since L5 was Chinese territory, it was no wonder that people of the ethnicity would be persecuted.

"So..." Kami said, trying to change the subject.

"So..."

"Did Fei-kun really have a kink in his neck?" Wufei glared. *** "Kami..." Heero called, an utter urgency in his voice everyone at the table caught.

"What is it?" Kami asked, standing up. Quatre leaned back in his chair and twisted around to look at the Japanese boy. He was hanging out the door.

"Kami..." he repeated, the last syllabel of her name strained in a way that made her quicken her pace across the room. When she got there, he had already gone back inside, the door more closed than open. She pushed the door open and gasped.

"Get a bowl and some water, and a washrag, Niichan, hurry." Heero went out into the kitchen as Kami knelt on the bed besides Trowa. She whispered his name, trying to get his attention. The Latin boy continued leaning over the edge of the bed, coughing up blood into the wastebasket. "Trowa, Trowa," she called, pulling on his shoulders, noticing how his long fingers clutched at the edge of the bed.

Heero came in and set the things down. Kami ripped the washcloth in two, dunked both pieces into the water hurriedly, and wrung them both out. Setting them on her knee, she pulled Trowa up, forcing him to lay on his side instead of his stomach. One rag went on the back of his neck, the other she held to his forehead.

"Niichan, call Sally, tell her to get her people over here as soon as possible. Go, hurry!" Heero rushed out of the room, bumping into Quatre, Duo and Wufei who were coming in. "Duo," Kami said, seeing them stand there, "bring me the first aid kit and some more rags."

The American left without a word. Wufei guided Quatre back to the couch before going back into the room. He held Trowa's sweaty bare shoulders still as he continued heaving. As soon as the bloodflow stopped, Kami flipped Trowa over on his back gently. He was awake, his eyes open but unfocused. "Oh, Trowa," she sighed, wiping the blood from his lips. The tall pilot closed his eyes.

Heero came back in. "Twenty minutes is the best they can do right now," he said. Kami nodded absent-mindedly. Duo popped his head in, his face without a smile, and handed her the first aid kit before leaving again to comfort Quatre. "Kami..." Heero said in a hesitant voice, looking at the door.

Kami nodded again, thinking, then shifted her weight so she was kneeling on the bed, hovering over Trowa. Gently, she pressed where his ribs should have been. Trowa's eyes opened again, the green orbs laced with pain. Kami shook her head, mumbled an apology, and moved her hands under him, feeling his ribs through his back. Cursing softly, she sat back on her heels. "Trowa..."

"Sorry," he croaked.

"Nevermind that," she replied, then looked up. Kami blinked.

"He went to flag down the Preventers," Wufei explained.

"Okay, then, you help me." Nodding, he stepped up, ready to give a hand. "Get me a clear glass."

"Why..."

"Just do it," she said forcefully, turning her head to glare at him. His eyes narrowed and he left. Using the first aid kit Duo had brought in, she rebandaged the burns and other wounds on Trowa's arms and chest. Wufei came back in with a small glass cup. Kami took it, offering the Chinese boy a quick, tiny smile. Wufei didn't react. "Hold still, okay?" Kami asked Trowa, who nodded.

"What,"

Kami pressed the glass to his stomach, looking closely through it as Trowa hissed through his teeth. "I don't understand...." she mumbled. Kami moved the glass up aways, and looked through it again. Her shoulders fell as she sighed and handed Wufei the glass back.

"What do I--"

"Whatever, I don't care, but I need you to get Niichan." Wufei blinked again, shrugging, and left the room. Kami turned back to Trowa, who was watching her intently.

"I really blew it, didn't I?" he asked, his voice breathy and light.

Kami set her lips in a firm line. "When were you planning on telling me?" she asked, wagging her finger at him. "This could have been prevented before, if you had just told me. But n~o, you had to go and be the all- mighty hero who can't get hurt, you had to be--" She stopped as he brushed his hand ontop of hers. She looked at him, eyes narrow in concern. Kami sighed heartfully. "Don't you ever, ever, do this again, okay? I swear on the Goddess herself, I'll kill you if you die on me."

"Okay." Trowa replied, forcing the tips of his lips to curl up in a very tiny smile. Kami's face changed and she went from angry and concerned to emotional and tearful.

"Gods, Trowa... why didn't you tell me?" she murmured, swallowing hard. She picked his hand up in hers and rubbed her thumb gently across his knuckles. "Why couldn't--"

"Kami..." Heero walked in, limping slightly. He paused at the scene they made. Gently, Kami set Trowa's hand down and got up off the bed. She and Heero whispered harshly, Heero's lips set in a firm line, and Kami shaking her head.

"I can't do it, didn't you hear me the first time?"

"You can, Kami, you have to."

"I know I have to! That's not what I'm saying! I'm saying I can't do it."

"But you can--"

"No! I can't!" she growled. "I can't because I never learned, Niichan..." Heero blinked, then sighed. He shrugged.

"Then I don't know what else to do."

"Welcome to the club," Kami replied sarcastically.

"Don't yell at me, Kami. I'm not the one who left early."

"Well it's not like I had a choice!" She stormed out of the room, slamming the door as hard as she could. The wall mirror in the corner of the room rocked and fell to the floor but no one moved to right it.

"Gods," Heero stalked out after her, fists clutched tightly, leaving Trowa and Wufei alone in the room with an uncomfortable silence.

"Wufei..."

"Hush," the Chinese boy said sharply, "Save your breath for when you need it." The words seemed curt, brusque, but his tone held none of that. Neither did his face. "This is so messed up..." Wufei mumbled, falling into tailor position on the floor. "It wasn't suppose to work out this way..."

Trowa nodded, giving a tiny sigh of frustration. He closed his eyes, concentrating on his breathing. If he hyperventilated now, would that extra oxygen in his blood carry over to when he needed it most? How much longer until the Preventers came?

Wufei seemed to be wondering the same thing and crossed the room to look out the blinds. He shook his head and turned to lean against the window. He glanced at the clock. "They should be here any minute now..." Wufei looked out the window again, sighing.

Kami came in, shutting the door softly behind her. "Sorry," she said quietly. She straightened the sheets as best as she could on both beds, put the mirror back up on the wall, and otherwise tried to fix up the room so it looked somewhat like it had when they first arrived. Wufei went to help her when he heard a screeching sound outside the window.

"They're here," Wufei stated, glancing out the venetian blinds. Kami nodded and slipped her arm under Trowa's shoulders. She hauled him up gently as the Chinese boy pushed his legs off the bed. Kami supported Trowa on one side and Wufei the other and they were about to move towards the door when the door suddenly opened.

Three men in Preventers uniforms rushed in, two carrying a stretcher, the third a red and white case. Kami left the room to find Heero, Duo, and Quatre as Wufei helped the Preventers with Trowa.

Outside, Heero threw his bag in the back of the black van they had parked in the driveway and climbed into the driver's seat as Quatre snuck in to sit in a back row with Duo. Wufei followed the braided boy, and closed the door behind him. Heero peeled out of the driveway and waited behind the van the Preventers had come in.

The three officers carried Trowa out and into the back of the van, followed by Kami and a female officer with a clipboard. Kami gave Heero a sad smile before she climbed into the van with Trowa. Heero nodded and the female officer slammed the doors shut, ran up to the front and jumped into the passengar seat. *** [Chapter Five Finished] [Chapter Six Teaser - Kami sat up, pushing Heero to the ground. It was all he could do just to put up his arm fast enough to block hers from hitting his head.] *** A/N: -Special thanks to Melanie. Yes, I know it's different than what we planned on, but you helped me so much with this chapter. Thanks also to Tsuki. Why, I forgot... -_- But don't worry, I'll remember... maybe...

A/N: This should be coming out sometime around Tsuki's birthday... 'should' being the keyword here. Anyway, happy sweet sixteen, Tsuki!! ***