A/N:  Yeah….^_^; Remember way back in like chapter. . . 1 or 2. . . I said that it was rated heavy pg-13 to R. . .  yeah last chapter was why. I'm sorry that some of you were upset but I DID put up a little caution note. There's still more mature stuff coming but it's not like that. That should be pretty much over with. Hopefully.

Disclaimer: Keiko=mine. Everyone else=not

Forgotten Love: Part 8

~ ~ ~

    "And police reports have just confirmed another homicide, this time on the border of the B-3 and B-4 quadrants. The reports have also confirmed that it was indeed the serial killer who has struck numerous times in B-4," came the news report the next morning. As the five men and the one woman drank their morning coffee/tea, their talk was subdued by the matter at hand on the television. "The victim has been identified as Mara Suuichi; she was a 23 year old college student who had hopes of becoming a pediatrician. Civilians are advised to take special caution when traveling through these areas at night," the reporter concluded.

    Keiko sighed, switching the channel to a nature program. "I don't know about you guys, but I don't want to hear about that first thing in the morning. It will depress me for the rest of the day."

    "What a bummer that it had to happen again," Trowa mused. "You would think that he would have been caught now."

    "You would think. But sometimes people are just too smart to get caught. Or too lucky," Wufei added.

    Keiko fell silent and gazed out the window. The dawn's light fell in brightly through the pane with the flower sun-catcher and sent little beads of color falling to the floor. The colors danced as a breeze picked up and swayed the catcher. She loved it when the wind picked up from the east and blew in through the house. Normally, it came from the south and only sometimes managed to fly through the many windows that kept her home open and airy.

    "When are you going to go back home?" she asked. "I need to pack my things…… I think I'll leave most of the useless things here, but there's just so much stuff. I'm going to need a bazillion boxes for it all……"

    "We should be leaving in about another week," Quatre answered. "We all need to get back to work soon."

    "Do….all of you work for Quatre?" Keiko wondered as she glanced at each face.

    "Everyone but Duo and me," replied Wufei. "I'm with Sally as a Preventer and Duo has his salvage company. Even Heero works with Quatre, which I find plain odd that he has held the job as long as he has……."

    "Why's that?"

    Trowa smiled and his one eye that wasn't hidden behind his hair twinkled with genuine amusement. "Heero sometimes has his own opinions about jobs and working hours, and he can be very vocal about them. His mouth has gotten him into trouble numerous times."

    "But he told me that you work in the circus Trowa."

    "Worked. Keyword there. I used too, but it got to be really stressful so I couldn't handle it……"

    "What he means is that he scared too many kids with the clown getup," Wufei returned. "Then he ended up getting nicked by a knife that Catherine threw. Well, nicked isn't such a good word for it. I think stabbed it better-" Keiko gasped but Trowa cut interrupted before she could say anything.

    "After a minor surgery, several dozen stitches and a nasty scar later came my retirement," he finished hurriedly. "Heero thought it was cool, but no one has more scars than him…… Ask him to show you the one on his lower back and you'll get a good story," he winked.

    "Speaking of Heero, isn't he up yet?" Keiko asked, looking at the grandfather clock. "It's past nine. He's never slept in later than 8:30 or maybe a quarter 'til nine."

    "Last I was upstairs he was still sound asleep."

    The golden haired girl looked thoughtful. "Well, since he's still asleep maybe I'll slip away for a while and get some things. You guys like sushi or no?"

    "It's fine with me Miss Keiko."

    "That sounds good."

    "I guess I won't die from eating it this once, but you never know……"

    Keiko chuckled at Wufei. "You try so hard to seem mean and strong, like a dragon, but inside I know there's a warm heart 'Fei."

    Wufei's face blushed a soft rosy color and he became very interested in the ground at that moment.

    The young woman stood and grabbed a ring of keys and a denim purse from a hook beside the front door. "I'll be back soon!" she called then headed outside.

* * *

    It was already hot by the time she parked her silver Camry and hustled into the store to escape the heat.

    She grabbed a basket and scanned the aisles with a mental list already prepared. She walked briskly beside the shelves and didn't even break her stride when she mechanically reached out to put something in her basket. She still considered herself to be normal even after her increased fame. Most of the people in the surrounding area were kind enough not to make a scene when they saw her; rather, they just said a kind hello. However, every now and then someone new would see her and make a huge deal over it. The person was usually excited; Keiko couldn't blame them, she still remembered her days of chasing after idols. Nonetheless it was embarrassing and she truly wasn't in the mood to try her luck.

    Go in, Get what I need, Get out she thought.

    "Oh, wow that cake looks yummy! Doesn't it look good Tama?"

    ". . .Yeah. It does. But you're birthday isn't for another couple weeks Sammy."

    Standing in front of the bakery section was a familiar young couple she had seen several times before- they looked no older than Keiko and Heero were when they first met. The brunette clung to the boy's arm, her form rippling with life and happiness. The boys blue-black hair accentuated his finely made features. He looked like he could be painfully serious one moment, then mischievous as a toddler the next.

    The girl sighed. "I know. Too bad though, the cake won't be here by then. Say, where did your mom run off to? Gah! I was supposed to help her pick out the food for tonight, I'll be with her!"

    Tama watched his girlfriend hurry off, trying to find his mother. Then he turned to the baker and Keiko just managed to hear him say that he would like a cake made for his girlfriend that looked exactly like the one they had been speaking about. The baker smiled and gave him the receipt.

    The boy turned and saw Keiko watching silently. He looked rather embarrassed, but Keiko nodded approvingly and smiled. Tama smiled back, and then ran to catch up with Sammy.

    As she reflected on the boy's actions, she remembered her own 15th birthday

- - -

    "Happy Birthday Keiko!" Lelita exclaimed as she handed her daughter a brightly wrapped gift.

    "Thank you mom," she replied, wiping her forehead with her arm.

    "I don't think there's ever been a May day that was hotter than this. How peculiar," her friend Mia(the one mentioned in P.5) observed.

    Keiko's mom nodded. "I have to agree with you. Well, Keiko, c'mon open the gifts that we got for you."

    "Heero said he would be here though," she replied. "I don't want to start without him."

    Lelita gave a soft "Humph" of disapproval but she made no move to push her daughter.

    Her other friend, Chikyuu, who sat beside Mia, chuckled, "Punctuality is important Keiko. Is he always late?"

    "Heero works a lot of the time, I'm lucky that he even has time off to come to something as frivolous as my birthday."

    "Oh Keiko, don't say that," the chestnut haired Mia said. "You're worth it and I think he knows it- or at least he better."

    Keiko smiled but her stomach curled in nervousness. What if he doesn't come? Will it mean that he doesn't care……I hope he comes……Oh Please Heero don't keep us waiting.

    Lelita noted her daughters' pale face and, though she didn't like how Heero never revealed more than was polite about himself, she loved him for the fact that he made Keiko happy. She glanced down the hallway towards the door, then to the clock which read 5:35. He should have been here twenty minutes ago……

    A sharp knock broke the silence. "That's gotta be him!" Keiko squealed, jumping up from the table and running to the door clumsily. She stopped at the last second and composed herself, then opened the door.

    "Hey!" she grinned, letting him inside. "I was beginning to worry."

    Heero smiled a little nervously. "I'm sorry. I couldn't get off any sooner and I had to clean up." He looked over the navy blue dress she wore and nodded. "You look nice"

    "Thank you."Keiko noticed a smear of grease across his cheek and smothered a laugh. "C'mon you, my friends and mom are in the kitchen. And you still have grease on your face so we'll clean that up too."

   

    Chikyuu's mouth dropped as Heero entered the room, all previous negative thoughts vanished. Whoa…….gorgeous eyes. What a lucky girl Keiko is. Mia was having the same thoughts.

* * *

    Heero handed Keiko a present as she sat on his lap. The girl smiled her thanks and was about to tear the wrapping off when her Mom stopped her.

    "One quick picture!" she said. Heero tightened his grip around her torso as she grinned. The camera flashed, snapped, and the photo was taken.

    "I want a copy of that one," the boy behind her said.

    "You'll get one don't worry!" The paper was torn off and out of the box came a pretty emerald sundress. Beneath it was a leather covered novel.

    Heero shifted nervously beneath her. "I don't know how often you wear dresses, but when I saw that, it reminded me of your eyes. But I know you like to read, so I got you the book."

    Keiko held up the book. "The Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe. Thank you so much! He's one of my favorite horror authors along with Stephen King! Oh, I've been searching for this everywhere!" She turned around and gave him a tight hug. "I think I'm definitely going to keep you for a while Heero! I'm never letting you go!"

    Heero smiled, but something in his eyes flickered and caught her attention. Those deep blue eyes, they had been so joy-filled earlier, but now they were filled with sadness, griefe……regret. Her gut plummeted to her toes and her head swam.

    "Heero?" she murmured, so softly no one could hear but him. "What is it?"

    "I have to tell you something……Let's go to thep ark after this," he replied in a near silent voice, eyes moistening with tears.

    Keiko has never been so afraid in her life.

   ~ ~ ~

      Escawing: The part that occurred before the war are for you ^_^

      ACK!!! My numbers got all messed up….okay to clarify some things….In Part 5 (with the whole rose giving ordeal) Keiko say's she is 15, my bad. My hands must have slipped because she's actually 14, TURNING 15. It was kind of confusing since the picture Heero looked at in Part 2 said she was 15….So now that's cleared up.

     Oh, in addition, this story is updated monthly, no more*usually*, and no less. It takes me a while to type it out because I have limited computer use. I'm sorry to all of you who want it updated more frequently, but that's how it goes ^_^; Hopefully, though, with summer here I'll be able to get it up maybe a week earlier.

    Once again, I beg you all for reviews, whether they are positive or negative. I'm desperate for some more. They make me think this story is actually worth all the energy effort I've put into it, so please review!