A/N: Wow 613 views thank you everyone. I'm a little sad since no one reviewed on the last chapterbut atleastI know some of you are reading it. Please just remeber to review i would love to know what you think of the chapter the characters any opinion is fine. Go wild!

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Chapter 9: Midnight Meetings

It had been a day since Qautre had last seen Duo. Although the young man was very injured he was still able to smile as he always did. But Qautre couldn't help feeling bad or sorry for what had happened to his friend. What ever it was the girl was after, Duo had nothing to do with it

The fact that Qautre knew more than any of the other pilots wasn't what bothered him. The fact he couldn't tell them what really was going on with Duo and why his life was almost taken did. If he had told them, he would have wound up in a similar situation as Duo, or worse.

Around noon Qautre had spent three hours with Duo. Reassuring him that Hilde was fine, and going over the events he missed. He was shocked to see Duo wasn't too surprised about the woman being gone before he could see the damage done. He even said he thaught she would look normal by then. That was something Quatre wasn't expecting but everytime he tried to bring it up Duo would change the subject.

Hilde was much better after seening Duo twice more. Although she couldn't come back to her home she was calming down faster than expected. But after hearing about the woman's escape Hilde had become upset and almost paranoid. She had spent a whole mroning ranting about how she knew the girl would come after her. It had taken Qautre over and hour and a half to calm her down and reasure her that she was safest where she was and leaving was out of the question.

The problem washe knew the girl wouldn'tgo and attack anex-gundam pilotwithout any reason or motive. Actually it was almost strange that she had attacked Duo. He'd have to find out for himself what his friend had done to get her attention in that way.

Slowly Quatre walked in to an aboandoned bedroom, not even bothering to turn onthe lights and sat quietlyonthe bed near the center of the room. Sighing heavigly he lookedout the open window.The night air was refereshing to not only his skin but also his mind. He needed to get some fresh air to keep his mind sharp and clear. All that had happened in the past few days was starting to streach him thin.

"When will she ever learn to stay away from the rest of the pilots." He sighed.The woman who had aatacked Duohad a very strange knack for running into all five of them. Qautre was starting to get used to her presence around him but at times she even scared him.

"I just wish you'd stop showing up late at night." He rolled his eys as he flung himself onto the bed and sighed. For over an hour he watched the ceiling trying to figure out why someone would be after Duo and injure him the way they did. Something just wasn't adding up. As time passed his thaughtsd became couldy and slowly over time he began to doze off to sleep.

Waking up Qautre had a strange feeling that something wasn't quite right. Something or someone was bloking the breeze coming in from the open window. What was it though? And why did it feel like there was someone else in the same room?

Opening his eyes slwoly he came face to face with a dark figure leaning over him. He wasn't to sure who it was and they didn't seem to be very happy either.

"AAAAHHHH" Qautre screamed as he flung the figure off himand watched as they deftly flipped in mid air back onto their feet.

"W..Wh.who are you?" Quatre asked as he stumbled backwards in the dark only to be grabbed roughly by his attacker and lightly slammed against a nearby wall..

"Shhhh! Do you want to wake up Rashid?" A monotoned female voice hushed.He knew this voice very well and was almoist relived and angery at the same time. Her voice wasn't right though. Almost strianed and tired.

"Ray?" He asked as she let him go and backed away far enough so he could move away from the wall. Now Qautre could get a good look at hismidnight visitor. From the way she was standing he could tell there was something wrong. Her long black coat was hanging like it usually did but he had a feeling that when she had rammed him into the wall thatd it had the smell of blood. Her hair looked clean but he wasn't to sure about her face, she still kept it in the shadows.

"Who else would climb into this window at night?" She growled. "Besides what's with the whole putting your gaurd down. Didn't I tell you to be on the look out in case anything suspicious happends. They can get you when your sleeping too you know." She spat sarcastically.

Altrhough he couldn't see her face properly he knew she was scowling at him and wasn't too pleased about how she had found him.

"I doubt they could make it past my securtiy." But he realised his mistake after he finished the sentence.

"Reaallllyyy." Ray teased placing both hands on her hips and leaning forward enough that Qautre could easily see most of her face. He thaught so on her face were a few smudges of dirt and knowing her blood."And how did I get in may I ask?"

"Okay okay I get it. Besides they wouldn't go after me anyways There are too many people watching my every move, and right now my death would be bad for either side and you know it."

But that didn't help his case that much either. The girl slapped a hand to her face and sighed heavily as she moved to stand more comfortably. "Guess what!" She said trying to coax him into her game of right and wrong, something she liked to tourture him with often.

"What" Quatre sighed. He should have known she would do this to him.

"The war isn't over and it never will be with you five alive. And with me around it won't get any better. I'm the only thing holding it back right now and trust me I know when I'm losing a battle. The Preventers won't be able to stop what's commnig after them and I'm sure there are already a few spies in their midst as we speak."

Qautre sighed. 'She really sounds more paranoid than Heero does.' He thaught to himslef. The truth was that she knew very well what she was talking about and on every occasion so far she has been right. So to say she was paranoid had no grounds. "Yes I know, but right now you can't walk in there and prove you point. The preventers will be looking for you if they aren't already."

"Hmm..." She really did remind him of Heero even the way she thinks. Suddenly Ray moved towards Qautre and placed her face infront of his. "Do you supose I could get in as a trainee and get to them that way?"

Qautre backed up rather quickly more out of shock from the sudden movement she made towards him.He knew she was dangeruos and on a few occaisions he had bearlymade it out alive during meeting like this one. Of course she had stopped being so threating but any sudden movement like that still sets him on his guard when she's around."Do you have to do that?" Qautre laughed.

"Sorry." Ray said as she moved back a few more steps,but he had a feeling she didn't really understand why.

"Don't worry about it." Qautre smiled back. He had gotten used to her strange antics.Most of the time she did odd things like that to scare him or to make a very valid point. "I don't think you could with that white hair you've got." Qautre smiled.

"I can dye it you know." She stated crossing her arms. At this moment she reminded Quatre a lot of Heero.

"Yes you could but you would still stand out. With your abilities, both Sally and Wufei would arrest you in a heart beat. Besides the spies would know what you look like and prbably also how you behave. Isn't it you who told me most of OZ's new soldiers are afraid of you?"

"True" She sat in a nearby chair with a sigh. "Well I could get away from the preventers easily but, isn't there another way I can get in without being detected?"

Elsewhere in the mansion.

"Heero I'm serious!" Hilde sighed in frustration. She was more worried about what Duo had said rather than her friend's condition.

After seeing Duo another two times she bagan to feel batter and realised he would be back on his feet in no time at all. The only probelm was the attacker and the one wordDuo kept repeating in his sleep.

"I doubt it's related. It could be something left over from the one time he was exposed to it." Heero stated as he looked at Hilde more closely. He really didn't believe that was it but he had to tell her somethnig to get her off his back.

"What's going on then? I know you know!" Hilde demanded clenching her fists in frustration. "Damn it tell me, Duo got introuble because of whatever it is." She nearly screamed. Heero started to back up. He knew Hilde could be trouble now but this was rediculous.

"No that wasn't it." Heero shot her down for the hundredth time. She all rilled up. She needs to calm down. I can't tell her anything when she's in this state. It'll just go in one ear and out the other.' Heero sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Right now you don't need to worry, I'll have this worked out soon."

"But why does he keep repeating Zero in his sleep? It's creeping me out." Hilde growled. Heero was really starting to annoy her. So far he's only run her around in circles and didn't answer a single question.

Noticing her annoyance Heero stood up and sighed. "I really don't know anymore. There have been many rumors about Zero being used by a new OZ faction but so far I haven't seen it in action. I really doubt that's what's going on. I can't tell you more than that because I'm stuck on the outside with this one. I have no clue myself what's really happening and I can't seem to get to the bottom of it.

As for Duo's problem I really can't help you. There is no way he has his hands on Zero. From what I remember he wouldn't even want it, his brain is incompatable and he knows it." Heero finished. He really just wanted to leave now, before Hilde came up with even more questions to badger him with.

"Okay, I'm sorry. " Hilde mummbled, now feeling worse than before. "I guess you can't know everything, and it's bothering you as much as me...maybe even more." She said as Heero got up andturned to leave.

Stopping at the door Heero turned around and sighed. "It's not you fault, just keep going as you have. If the situation gets worse I'll contact you and Duo as soon as I can." With that he left out the door, leaving Hilde alone to think of all that happened.

Walking down the wide hallways of Qautre's mansionHeero thaught about what Hilde had told him. 'Did the woman cause this, or was it something else, maybe the girlfriend? I can't see the attacker being the cause of what's happening to Duo since she's only appeared once in the same place as him. It must be Aliu that's the only person who sees Duo more often than the rest of us that I can place.'

Stopping at a window Heero sighed. "I can't get to the bottom of this, I don't even know where to start. Maybe Hilde is right. Duo could be a good place to start looking for some sort of an answer. He's been acting very odd for weeks.And I bet Ali has a few of the answers." But he knew better than to start just there. Duo would be very difficult to get information out of if he doesn't wan to talk about it. As for Ali if she was what he was thinking she was then she wou;d be worse and deadly if he didn't watch it. 'I could get Wufei to help me with her, or maybe Qautre. She seems to trust Qautre more then thye rest of us.'

Heero looked out

'It could be because we've all started to move away from eachother. I haven't spoken to him in a while aside from the hospital. And even then he wasn't giving me the right information.' Heero shrugged and pulled his hand from the window. 'If I wasn't working on my own rather than the Perventers I wouldn't have found out that OZ was stull operating. Someone in charge is very well skilled to keep me from finding out as long as they have.'

The real problem was warning the others in a way that won't make it to obvious that they know about the activity. If they start working on the problem now there could be irreversable consequences. What he really needed to do was contact the woman who had attacked Duo, she would know exactly what was going on and what to doif Duo was really her target.

As Heero continued to walk down the hallway he heard Quatre's voice.

"I don't know what you can do. Just try not to get into too much trouble."

Who was he talkoing to? Try not to get into too much trouble? There has to be someone in there with him.

Slowly moving close to the door Heero tried to look insde the room to see who the blonde was talking to, unfortunately Qautre was in the way and he couldn't see past him..

'What is he up to?' Heero thaught. The chances of the Winner heir knowing about the OZ activity was very slim, but what was he doing?

Without anyother choice Heero placed his fist to the door and knocked.

Hearing the knock the young woman Qautre was talking to froze. She wasn't going to let herself be seen by anyone and Qautre knew that.

"Quick the closet, you can hide on the top shelf." Qautre pushed Ray towards the closet door.

Not making a sound He watched as she lifted herself up and covered herself completely with her long black coat.

"Yes! Who is it?" Qautre called to the door.

"It's me." A familliar voice answered.

"Come in Heero." Qautre smiled. It had been a few days since he had seen him last. "What can I help you with?"

"Who were you talking to?" Heero asked skeptically.

Inside Quatre really wanted to whither. Lying to Heero was the last thing he wanted to do but he had to protect her. "Oh I was talking to myself, It helps me think at times."

Heero cocked his head to one side and narrowed his eyes.Qautre wasn't going to get far with that excuse and he knew it. No one would normally talk to themselves in a dark room.

"What?" Qautre asked.

"You have your reasons for hiding what your hiding. But if you know something I should, I would expect you to share the information." Heero said as he crossed his arms.

Qautre knew he was in a hrad spot but he wasn't about to hand Ray over to Heero. "Right now I know as much as you about what happened to Duo. Honestly I just think he needs a few days off to clear his head and manage the stress he's under." Again he lied to Heero, and he knew he would pay for that one. "What would you like me to do? Anything in mind you want me to check on?"

"Not yet." Heero sighed. "Hilde's been ranting at me for over an hour about the attack, but I have no clue why it happened.

Did Duo do anything out of the ordinary or upset someone?" Heero came further into the room and walked to the open window. looking out for a moment but then decided to close the window.

"No, He hasn't done anyhting really unusual, just the things we've discussed earlier." Qautre now crossed his arms. Heero was interrogating him and he wasn't going to give in.

"Hmm..." Heero turned and faced Quatre. "Well then I'll keep in touch and inform you on any changes in what I have found."

"Thank you Heero." Qautre smiled. He was dying to send his stoic freind out the door but he didn't want to raise any suspisions.

"Alright, I'm heading home. Make sure Hilde keeps out of trouble. She might try to dig up information on her own and I don't want a repeat of what happened during the war."

"Sure I'll keep that in mind." Quatre moved towards Heero to let him out the bedroom door.

"Alright good night, and get some rest you look like you need it." Heero tried his best to seem friendly but the way it came out sounded more as an order.

laughing Quatre told him he would and quickly shut the door.

Leaning against the door Quatre heaved a great sigh. Heero was really digging for information. he must have been having troubles finding some himself. Qautre doubted Heero actually believed him but he had to do what he did to keep the young woman Heero was after safe.

"Is he gone?" A voice whispered.

"Yes" Qautre said relieved.

"Good!" Ray said as she flipped herslf back down the the floor allowing the long coat to fall back into place. "By the way good excuse."

Quatre laughed. "I know it wasn't that good but if I had spent any more time comming up with a better one he would have been on to me much faster."

"True but from the sounds of it he didn't believe you." She wagged a finger at him just to annoy him that she was right.

"No he didn't. I wasn't worried about it though. He knows that if I have to hide something from him it's probably not worth him finding out."

"Oh right, he's going to completely trust you." She sighed as she moved toward the bed and sat down.

"Well he beleives me more than the others." Qautre answered back placing his hands on his hips

"That's only bacause your so nice." She smiled teasing the blonde. Her features hadn't really chaned since she came in.

Looking at her more closely Quatre realisedshe was in pain and had been trying to hide it from him. "Your hiding something. I may not be able to see your face in the dark but I can still feel what you are feeling."

"What are you talking about?" Ray asked as she turned to look at Quatre only to make him stop in mid stride. From her movement he knew better than to get too close when not invited to do so.

"You've been in a fight haven't you?" He asked skeptically as he watched one of her eyes.

"What do you mean?" She was starting to lose her temper.

"Your left eye is glowing." He pointed towards her eye and then moved closer much more slower than before.

"Really?" She asked as she looked toward the mirror. "Oh so it is. Oh well." She muttered as if it really didn't matter.

"Let me see your wound." Qautre asked softly trying to coax her to show him what happened.

"What wound?" She snapped once she noticed how close he was to her.

"Don't lie to me I can feel the pain." He answered more urgently. "It's hurting you a lot and there's no point in hiding it."

For a moment Ray just galred at him but as time passed she decided it wouldn't help her. "Fine!"

Qautre watched quietly as the young woman infront of him pulled off her coat. He couldn't help but stare. She reminded him soo much of Heero it scared him at times. Once her coat was off he could easily see where the wound was.

Ray was really unhappy with Quatre constantly digging his nose into every single one of her problems. 'You'd think he would have his own life to deal with. But he spends more time trying to figure mine out for me than worrying about his friends.'

"Are you happy, there it is; now can you leave me alone?" She spat in frustration. He was more concerned about her and she hated it.

Qautre just stared at her shoulder. " How many shots did you take?" He asked now with a quivering voice. She hated that too, she just wished he'd stop doting on her like this.

"What do you mean?" She asked now very confused.

"There's another one in your back." He said as he gently moved the back part of the collar down to get abetter look at it.

"Hey!" Ray was now upset. "I don't mind if you look at me but down my shirt!" Okay now he really got on her nerves.

Qautre backed up unsure of what to say. "I'm sorry," He felt very awkward now. He was used to checking all the wounds his friends had gotten during the war that he had forgoten that she would be difficult. Frist because she's very secretive about her injories and second because she's a girl.

"I really didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, it's just that tese wounds need checking. If I don't help you with that one it'll get infected."

"I know that it's just..." Ray was uncomfortable with people helping her with her wounds for many reasons but she knew she could trust him. "Fine I guess your right. I can't really see it. I can reach it but a lot of good it'll do me ifI can't see what I'm doing."

"Good!" He was happy that she now had decided on what to do. Moving towards the door he stopped. "I'll go get the first aid kit." but before he left he remebered one last thing. "Oh and you stay there,I don't want you wandering around here or leaving especially after Heero's interogation. If he knew I was harboring you here I would be as good as dead and so would you. Is that understood?" He had to clarify this with her since she often had a bad habit of running off.

'I can take him" Ray said as a matter of factly.

"Yes i'm sure you can but not in this condition."

"Okay you win but one dayI won't run. I'm tired of it!" She muttered more to herself.

A/N: Well this was getting so long that the editor had troubles loading it lol.

Anyways this chapter is meant to sorrta introduce Ray's character. She get's weirder and weird throughout the story trust me at times she'll make you get mad at her, cry or even laugh about her anticts.

Also I've been trying to make these chapters a bit more descriptive, I'm still learning how to do this properly but I think I've gotten a bit better trough this chapter. I was a very hard chapter to write and it took me forever

I hope you all liked it.

Oh and please review I'd love to know what you think.