She didn't know how it happened. They had been practicing, sparring like they always did. She hadn't meant to ask but somehow she couldn't let him leave without knowing.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" she asked as she crossed to the bench and her things folded neatly there.

From the corner of her eye she could see that he looked surprised and vaguely flattered. "If you wish it."

She hadn't realized how close they were standing and when she looked up she was looking straight into those bottomless eyes of his that always stole her breathe away. "Always."

They were so close. She could feel him with every pore of her body. His eyes were locked on hers and her pulse was thundering through her but she couldn't hear it over the feel of him. She couldn't hear her pulse as his lips brushed so sweetly across hers, soft and firm and achingly beautiful. She felt like the world had just gone away and left her in some fantasy dream.

Abruptly he stepped back and grabbed his towel off the bench as if it were on fire. "I apologize for my weakness. It was a mistake." His voice was bewildered, as if he didn't know what had just happened but it was clear he regretted it.

She bowed her head as her heart shattered one final terrible time. "My fault. I didn't come here to do this." Her voice was scarcely above a whisper.

"No, the fault is mine. I...promised myself to another."

I am a warrior, she reminded herself and so she smiled. "Then I am glad you are happy." And she tried valiantly to really be happy for him as she left the gym.

Then she went back into the office and added the date to the top of the resignation form.

Her bags were packed, the false glasses in the front pouch, the elaborate hair clip beside it. The makeup kit was somewhere in the trash can beside an empty ice cream container because even if Meiran was a warrior, she was also a woman and the traditional comfort food of all women is chocolate ice cream.

Her shuttle tickets were beside his photo on the little desk as she looked at the Preventor uniform hanging in the otherwise empty closet. With ghosting, regretful fingers she lingered over the fabric, smoothing nonexistent wrinkles.

The door buzzer interrupted her thoughts and she went to the door resolutely, grateful for the distraction. Especially since the landlady, who was the only one to bother her, was amusing in her simplistic ways.

But of course it wasn't the Mrs. Morogny. Things never went that easily in Meiran's life. She was starting, finally, to wish they did.

"Mar-"he started, and finished with surprise and disbelief. "-en?"

"Come in WuFei." She said quietly and held open the door for him.

His eyes took in the bags and the tickets on the table but he had already known she would be leaving. "I...came to ask you not to go."

"I won't be in your way WuFei."

"You were only in your own way. I thought I was betraying you. Your memory."

She couldn't help it and she laughed bitterly. "Oh yes. The memory of your cat."

"No! Never! Only a Gundam was worthy of your name, Nataku."

His Gundam? He had named his Gundam after her? It felt like a new bruise on her battered heart. He had cared. She hadn't known.

"Just Meiran. I don't deserve the other."

"Yes. You do." And his tone held no room for argument.

"I was a foolish child with foolish dreams."

"We both were." He took her hand in his. "Don't go."

She wondered how anyone could ever think him cold and hard, emotionless, when his eyes could be so pleading, so earnest. She wondered why she felt her heart hurt again when she saw such a look in his eyes.

"Yes." She said and she couldn't help but smile when she saw him smile.

Author's Note: Just the epilogue to go now. I hope the kiss wasn't a disappointment to any of those ecstatic reviewers out there. Thanks so much for the great response on the last chapter! I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I did. Anyway, review and let me know.