Disclaimer: I put off the story for a while because no one's reading, and if you are you're not reviewing. Someone please review to let me know you're reading my story at least.

Gundam Wing Episode 22 Finding Home Base 5:55a.m.

Slowly and steadily Sophia makes her way through the vent. This should be the right spot, I'm sure of it. She carefully opens the vent and looks down pray. Well, it's now or never. Here goes. She carefully slides out of the vent on to the top bunk with a giant gun as he begins to stir. His eyes grow wide when seeing the gun in her hands.

"RISE AND SHINE!!!" She yells as she sprays him with buckets of water drenching him.

"Ah!" Wufei looks at her fury rising in his face as Sophia leaps on to the next top bunk bed waking Duo.

"Hey!!"

"THAT'S IT YOU'RE DEAD!!!" Wufei screams starting to get out of bed waking some of the others in the room. She gives an evil smirk as she leaps to the next bunk waking Quatre.

"Good morning, Quatre; how are you?"

"I'm fine," He says a bit confused until she dodges a pillow thrown by Wufei angrily. "I see you're causing mischief again."

"Just having some fun, Quatre, nothing too serious."

"I've had enough of your little pranks!!" Wufei yells his eye furious with blue as he climbs Quatre's top bunk to get her.

"Uh oh," she leaps away before he could grab her and runs around the room with Wufei chasing close behind.

"Just another morning with those two fighting, nice way to start the day," Duo says getting up as the two run out of the room.

Sophia enters her room. Shimi lies on the bottom bunk staring at the bottom of the top bunk obviously in thought. Man is she still there? Annoyed she goes to the mirror and looks at wet self. Though I was faster he still got me. She starts to change her clothes as Shimi shifts back and forth on the bunk.

"Sophia, where do you think Trowa's gone?"

"I'm not sure. He probably just went off by himself to think for a while." Sophia looks at her partner as she looks across at her from the bed. She curls up into a ball like a cat and her focus changes to the wall. Or at least I hope so. I never thought I'd be wishing for a pilot to return. "UUH! Quit moping Shimi. He's most likely getting you something."

"Do you think he likes me?" she asks her eyes light up like a little child trying ice cream for the first time.

"I don't know. You had to pick one of the not normal ones."

"I don't know about you, but Wufei is not normal."

"Will you leave him alone, geeze, the guy lost his mother and his wife. What would you expect?"

"Trowa's normal. He just doesn't show felling like the others, so there."

"Don't jump down my throat about it. If I knew you were going to be that way I wouldn't have said anything. He's only been gone for three days. I'm sure he hasn't left the colony.

"How do you know that?"

"Because the circus is in the colony and that's where he works."

"REALLY!!!" She jumps up surprising Sophia and dashes out the room.

"OK... at least she stopped moaning." I can't believe she's boy crazy again. After putting on some new clothes she turns and leaves the room. I've been getting bad feelings lately. I'm definitely leaving soon.

"Welcome to planet earth. Hope you enjoy your stay." A large group of people empty the shuttle and disperse going their separate ways. A man in a suit exit's last. He looks around at the others as they either meet up with family or just leave. He reaches in his pocket and puts on shades to cover his hypnotic red eyes. He then takes out a silver ball out of his suit pocket. Now Sophia, where are you?

Let's see... Sophia looks at the weights deciding which one to use. She grabs a twenty pound one, but it she couldn't lift it. She tries with her left hand. It was still hard to lift, but she was able to life it.

Flash

There are two foreign scents in this building and I'm going to figure out who they belong to. If my hunch is correct they should be down here or at least one of them. She carefully removed the cover on the vent and peaked in. She had entered the kitchen. Everything looked normal until something white scurried across the kitchen floor and into the cupboard. She jumped down and then changed back. Slowly she started searching keeping the sent in her nostrils. I smell a rabbit. Ok, little guy, now where are you. She said as she searched through pots and pans. "Gotcha!" Sophia said snatching up the rabbit by the ears and then said calmly, "I thought I smelled a rabbit."

Flash

I can't believe I got distracted.

Flash

A wiz of air behind her catches her attention. She looked around the kitchen, but doesn't see anything. Suddenly an intense pain strikes her shoulder. The claw dug deep in her shoulder ripping muscle tissue to the bone. "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Her scream echoed throughout the building. She fell to the floor flinching in pain. The rabbit girl drops to the floor and runs back in the cupboard. She peeked out.

"Ha, that was too easy... and all this talk about the great Fox. I thought I'd have more of a challenge." He walked up to her and soon realized who it was. "... Damn it, I got the girl instead. I can't take her back like this." Then he noticed the little rabbit girl in the cupboard. He reached over with ease and snatches the girl up. "I can't have any witnesses now can I." Before he could kill her a claw came out his stomach. Sophia retracted her bloodied hand.

"I hate cheap shots." Sophia watched him fall to the floor dead.

Flash

Why didn't I sense him? I would have normally.

Flash

She continued on down the hall and soon ended up leaning on the doors as she continues to lose blood. She finally stopped and sat at the door she was at and tried to look at her lifeless arm.

Flash

She gazes at her blood stained hand. Her right hand suddenly the blood disappears, her hand now clean. She makes a fist with her hand angrily. There has to be a logical explanation, but what?

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME!!!!!!!!? DAMN IT!!!!!!!" Furiously with her hand she knocks over all her weights on the stand. What am I doing? I throwing a tantrum like a little kid. I never used to do that. Why start now? She sinks to the floor and looks at the weights on the floor a moment before deciding to pick them up. Sophia stands up placing the last weight on the stand with the last strength she had. That's my workout for the day. She turns running into Quatre. "Oh, it's you."

"Are you ok, Sophia?" he says with concern in his eyes.

"I'll get over it." It's just going to take a while to get my right hand strong again. Well at least this way I can get both hands equal in strength. She moves away from Quatre still thinking as she exits the weight room. Quatre follows concerned.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"I'm fine, just a little frustrated about my hand that's all," she says to get him off her back, but somehow having him expressing his concern eased much of her frustration.

"Is there something wrong, Trowa?" Catherine asks as Trowa glances behind him. She noticed he seemed to be lost in thought lately and expecting to see someone.

"No, there's nothing wrong," he says then turns to face her. A sudden sound makes him turn sharply. Two glowing yellow show before the lion comes into view walking calmly to Trowa. He kneels down and pets the lion on the head confused. "And who let you out?"

"I did," says a familiar voice rang out that actually made him jump. "She said she knew where you were." Shimi now stands next to the lion staring down at a most uneasy looking Trowa.

"How did-" "Sophia told me where you were. Trowa, you know better then to leave."

"Excuse me, but you aren't allowed backstage," Catherine says upon seeing Trowa's condition.

"Oh... I'm sorry, but Trowa really can't stay because he's not done with his training yet."

"Training? What training?" alarm in her voice as she looks at him.

"I can handle it," he quickly says ignoring Catherine's question. "I'm not needed." He passes her after standing and continues walking backstage followed by the others.

"That may be so, but I can't I can't leave you alone. I'm sure you can't handle or control your changes.

"That is if I have any more."

"Oh, believe me you'll have more and my job is to make sure you don't go on a rampage killing people." They stop at the lion's cage with a pause before she speaks again only her manner was childish as she usually presented herself. "Well, aren't you going to introduce me?" After a moment's hesitation, he finally introduces them, "You left because of me, didn't you... I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"And it's not your fault either, so quit pouting and get over it!" she says sternly. "If I can get over it you sure can." There's a momentary pause.

"What changes are you two talking about?"

"Oh, you're still here... well, it's up to Trowa to tell you or not. It's not my place to tell."

"What are you two doing back here?!" The sudden new voice made everyone jump. "Who let the lion out? You know there are no people allowed backstage!" but upon seeing Shimi he became dead silent. Shimi's eyes light up when she sees him and closes in for a hug clear the two knew each other. "How did you get in here?" His voice cold as he stopped the incoming hug by pushing her head away from him when she got too close. "I want to have my back in one piece." He turns and leaves without another word. Shimi cheerfully follows him with equal silence.

Shimi's right, but I still can't shake off the feeling that I could have done- something. Trowa had no trouble returning the lion to its cage.

"Trowa, what's wrong?" Catherine looks at him suspiciously. "I've never seen you, so uneasy before or for that matter at all."

"I'm not used to being followed," there's another pause.

"If you find her a nuisance why don't you just tell her, Trowa?"

"I don't think of her that way at all," she watches confused a moment as he gets up and leaves.

"Must she follow me everywhere?" he whispers to himself returning to his work as she planted herself next to him. She watches him work in silence. "What do you want?" he finally managed to say.

"Why won't you look at me?"

"Because I'm busy," he says dryly.

"Then why don't you acknowledge me?" There's a long pause before she continued. "Are you ashamed of me?"

"No, nothing like that," he keeps working as he continues changing the subject. "I don't see your little friend with you. I'm sure she's still in charge."

"Yes, but very emotionless now... you see she's lost so many people close to her I'm afraid she's pushing people away. I fear she's fallen in love; and because she's pushing people away, I can't figure out who it is."

"How can you tell?"

"Just something in her eyes that says she's hiding a deep secret from me that's all.

"I'm surprised she's not with you."

"She's already been here already. She said she asked for a ride, but you refused.

But that was Fox... so that little brat was Sophia. Just as he finished his thought as sudden mini explosion behind his right ear startles both him and Shimi. "What was that?" she asked moving closer seeing him wobble some. His instant collapse frightened her. She shakes him; getting no response she shakes him again. "Come on wake up... what's wrong with you?" As she continued the more frighten she got. "Daddy come on... please wake up." Tears begin to swell like a wet washcloth, but they soon turned to relief when he finally opened his eyes looking straight up at her.

"You look more and more like your mother everyday...... but you sure the hell don't act like her."

"Thanks, I needed that."

"I'm here because of Trowa. His friends and him got into some trouble on one of Fox's test missions and now they're all splicers. I feel it's my duty to make sure they can handle it," she sits up.

"In other words the mission had gone wrong, teacher's pet ran away, and you feel guilty." There's a long pause.

"Yeah," she sinks back in her chair.

"So, how long is this attraction to Trowa's going to last?"

"It's not an attraction its real love this time. I know for sure this time."

"Uuh... huh,"

"You're just mad because mom called you irresponsible and foolish... and I'm not going to be like you and change myself because of what the person I loved said. Now, you're just a grumpy old man."

"I was irresponsible and foolish because I acted exactly how you are acting now believe it or not... and that's why-"

"You can read me like a book."

"Exactly ...and I am not a grumpy old man."

"I screwed up, now they're all spicers, daddy, and I feel just awful thought they're all taking it well."

"Guys like that don't let stuff like that keep them down." He turns his chair around to reach on the shelf behind him. Taking a book off the shelf, he opens it. "They aren't exactly splicers since they were given the ability recently." Interested, Shimi moves forward. "They're what you'd call-" turning to another page showed the hollow center that contained chocolates. Taking two each he closes the book and puts it back on the shelf. "You'll be sleeping in my trailer away from Trowa, but close enough to watch him."

"Huh, why can't I sleep in the same trailer as Trowa? He's trustworthy."

"Oh, I trust Trowa; it's you I don't trust, drive the poor boy crazy like I did your mother."

"Why did you stop being a doctor and become a circus manager?"

"I was both actually."

"But how? They're both demanding jobs."

"It's not that hard when this circus was one of our headquarters we used. You don't remember do you... well, you were only three."

This should be enough. Sophia finishes packing her things. She pokes her head out into the hallway. Good, no one's there. Shimi's still gone, so I don't have to worry about her ratting me out. Now, time to escape the facility. She dashes down the hall with her suitcase. Quatre exits the room after getting a glimpse of Sophia as she hurries down the hall. He curiously follows her undetected. He follows her until she finally stops at one of the small private shuttles meant for two passengers. Leaving the door open she dumps her suit case in the seat next to her and then heads for the controls.

"Aren't you supposed to be at home working? What're your men going to think when you're always running off after a girl, Quatre?" she says calmly with a hint of teasing in her voice.

"I guess I have been gone a while, but I want to make sure you're doing well."

"I'm fine." She turns to him a moment then goes back to what she was doing. "It's too dangerous to be around me for long." Her voice comes out soft. Turning to face him, Quatre's face is full of acceptance for what she said. Going to him she starts to push him out the door. "Go home, Quatre."

"Sophia, I can't just let you do this alone... not by yourself. You don't have to."

"Quatre, I don't want anyone else to get involved in this."

"But, it's too late for that." he says calmly.

"Damn you! Will you just go home!!" she pulls her hands free and glares at him angrily. She now starts pushing him out of the door.

"Sophia, I'm not leaving." He says holding his ground.

That's it!!!!!!! This guys getting on my nerves. She angrily plows into him pushing him out. "You shouldn't be here!" Her voice a bit tired. He turns around as she starts to close, but he stops the door.

"Sophia don't ... you know we can help you. Why won't you let us?" he ashes starting to get as upper hand on the door.

"You... you don't understand," the door flies open.

"You can tell me," he touches the side of her face. She takes a few steps back knowing the longer his hand stayed on her face meant she was going to blush. She didn't want that. Her eyes are now sad and distant. Like a flash, she dashes forward strangely pushing Quatre against the wall instead of the door. She clinches her teeth. Her body jerks ahead as her eye grow wide. She falls to her knees. Quatre races to her side. He sees the gash in her back as it glitters with blood. She reaches for her shoulder. With the other hand, she grabs something in midair just before it pierces his neck. It seemed to float in midair.

"... No Jeff, we don't harm our allies," pain fills her voice. Jeff discards his chemophage appearing on the wall as the door closes behind them.

"...I'm... I'm sorry... I thought-"

"Like I said, we don't harm our allies," her voice is harsh, but her voice soon loses its harsh nature. "It's ok; just as you would treat your sister is how I want you to treat your allies."

"Yes, yes ma'am," he stays put on the wall afraid to move.

"Everyone makes mistakes," she says kindly, "No one's going to hurt you. We have enough enemies that will do that for you." Suddenly the ship jerks forward sending Sophia and Quatre fling into the wall. "AAHHHH!!" she lands on her back.

"Sophia, are you ok?" She's still weak from the operation. As he picks her up, his hands get smothered with her blood. He places her down a moment. Quickly taking off his shirt, he immediately applies pressure on her back. It won't stop bleeding.

"Is she going to be ok?" Jeff asks concerned seeing Quatre's shirt almost completely drenched.

"I need something to stop the bleeding," Quatre picks her up and carefully places her in one of the seats.

"Here," Jeff hands Quatre his shirt which worked to stop the bleeding giving the two relief.

"She needs to rest," Quatre straps her in.

"You can take the other seat... I can stand since I'm part gecko; I can stick to the walls. I'll be fine standing during reentry."

"Thank you." Quatre looks down at Sophia once more as he buckles his seatbelt. You don't have to do this alone. What do I have to do to make you see that Sophia?

"Hi Trowa!" he looks up at an overjoyed Shimi. She plows into him giving him a hug. "I've missed you soo much." She picks up a shovel to assist him, but continues to talk. "You know you shouldn't have left before I knew how well you could control your transformations."

"I'm fine, Shimi... I'm just about finished her. How about you go wait somewhere else?"

"Oh... ok," Putting down the shovel a look of disappointment crosses her face sending Trowa a stab of guilt as he watched her leave. He noticed how easily it was to hurt her feelings. I'll talk to her later.

"You like her, don't you?" Catherine asks as he quickly diverted his gaze from Shimi. "Trowa, you're hiding something." She says teasingly noticing he was blushing. He continues to work trying to ignore her, but he couldn't hide the fact that he was blushing. Looking up, he notices Catherine was still watching him. He then caught a glimpse of Shimi watching them talking her eyes curious. He sighs.

"Excuse me, Cathy," he says going in Shimi's direction. She dashes behind the nearest trailer when she saw him advancing towards her. Removing his gloves, he washes his hands. The water mixes with the sand and dirt making mud. A familiar sent fills his nostrils as he turns to face her; Shimi sat staring down at him like a tiger about to pounce.

"You left because of me, didn't you?"

"I couldn't control myself," he says turning away from her. Guilt starts to overwhelm him again, but Shimi brings him out of it.

"Exactly, so why do you keep blaming yourself?" She stands up her eyes blazing with anger. Going to the edge, she trips. On impulse, Trowa dives for her. She looks stunned before she kisses him on the lips. He drops her instantly. "Damn it, Trowa!! Why are you so afraid to show any affection towards me!!" She knocks him to the ground. "Are you afraid of me because I'm stronger then you?! Is that it?" She lunges at him. "Talk to me, Trowa!!! Why won't you talk to me?" he grabs her wrists when she starts to hit him. Wrestling a bit on the ground he pins her in place their clothes plastered with mud. When she couldn't move, the smell of fear fills the air. "Trowa... let go, please."

"The one who's stronger isn't the problem," his voice calm as he talks. He then releases her. She sits up slowly a bit shaken. She surprised him with a punch in the face. Recovering quickly he blocks more of her punches.

"Why?!! Why did you leave?" she screamed furiously when he stopped the assault by hugging her trapping her arms. Her eyes fill with tears as she starts to cry buckets. "Why did you leave me all alone to face that nightmare over and over by myself?" She stops struggling and cries in his arms gripping his muddy shirt. He holds her tighter feeling guiltier then before.

"I won't leave you alone again, I promise." Her whole body goes limp in her arms as he kisses her.

"I'm sorry for hitting you, Trowa," Shimi hands him an ice pack for his eye.

"It's ok, Shimi." He takes the ice pack. But notices she looks uneasy about his answer. "I'm not mad at you, Shimi."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," there's a long pause before she changes the subject.

"Now... how am I going to get you guys to home base to train you guys? Sophia's birthday is coming up and I got to get her something."

"How about a surprise birthday party? You can kill two birds with one stone."

"... That's a good idea, thanks, Trowa."