Spooky: Another update.

Asar: And surprisingly quick too.

Spooky: Right! This chapter's for Miekkie! Thanks for reviewing!

A half an hour later Veronica and Heero were in the shuttle bay fixing Darkstar.

"Try it now!" called Veronica from outside Darkstar.

Heero, who was sitting at Darkstar's controls, punched in a command. On the screen a bunch of numbers popped up. He typed in a few commands.

"Yes!" He heard Veronica yell from outside.

Heero heard her slam a panel shut on Darkstar's hull. Then she appeared in the hatch.

"Communications are back online," said Veronica with a smile. She went over to one of Darkstar's panels and opened it.

"You said your mom was given a shot when she was pregnant with you," ventured Heero carefully, "did DC Corp. offer to pay your parents? Is that why they did it?"

"Not exactly," said Veronica sticking her hand into the panel and feeling around. "It was more of a threat. When my mom was pregnant with my older brother, Nick, DC Corp. offered them money for participation in the experiment. But mom and dad refused. DC Corp. didn't like that. They sort of disappeared after that. My parents didn't hear from them again. Then my mom got pregnant with me. They offered her the money again, but she refused. So they threatened her." Veronica's face lit up as she found the switch she was looking for in the panel. She flipped it, pulled her hand out, and slammed the panel shut.

"What was the threat?" asked Heero.

"That if my parents didn't cooperate, they would kill Nick. She didn't want to take the chance." She walked over to Darkstar's controls where Heero was sitting. "Enter this code," she said to him, "586349."

Heero typed in the code. On the screen the blue prints for behind the panel that Veronica had been working popped up. All the workings showed green.

"Good." Veronica punched in another code and the blue prints pulled out to show more of the mobile suit's workings. Some areas were green and some were red.

"We're making progress," said Darkstar. "A few more hours and we'll be ready to fly."

"So your mother agreed to let them inject her?" asked Heero.

"Yes," answered Veronica. "At the time DC Corp. didn't have a clear idea of what the chemical would actually do. They still don't. My friend Mike, his mom got an injection, but when he was born he had no psychic powers. No strange brain waves on the scans. Nothing. The only thing that showed that his mom had been injected was his silver eyes. That all went to hell when he hit puberty. But he didn't use the powers a lot, so DC Corp. never found out."

"Hn. Strange," said Heero pressing a few buttons.

"Right. What's your estimate on how long this will take?" asked Veronica.

"Until one."

"In the morning?"

Heero nodded. "That's if we don't stop for dinner and breaks."

"And if we do?"

"Then it will probably take until three or three-thirty."

At least it won't take all night, thought Veronica as she watched the figures on the screen. Or maybe it will.

Veronica rang the bell to Quatre's room. No answer. Not a, "just a minute", or a "come in". Veronica reached out with her mind, tried to see if he was even in there. She could feel him. It was a feeling of warmth, love, and…safety. But he was totally relaxed which meant he was asleep or almost asleep.

Veronica opened the door and walked in. the lights were dimmed down to low and the vid-screen was on. She looked up at the time above the vid-screen. It was already three-thirty in the morning. So much for spending time with Quatre.

Quatre was sitting at the small table in the middle of the room. His head was on the table, pillowed by his arms. He was asleep.

Veronica walked over and switched off the vid-screen. She turned and looked at Quatre. He was sleeping so peacefully, she wondered if he ever had nightmares. Quatre stirred and lifted his head. He rubbed his eyes, and Veronica's gut tightened at how much he looked like a little kid waking up from his nap.

I'm ruining his life, thought Veronica. I don't deserve someone like him.

"What was that?" asked Quatre.

He was looking at her now. Veronica wondered if he had caught that last thought.

"Nothing," she said. She sat down across from him.

"What time is it?"

"Three-thirty."

Quatre stood up and stretched. "I didn't think it was so late."

"Did I keep you waiting?" asked Veronica.

"No," said Quatre shaking his head. He walked around behind her. He set his hands on her shoulders then kissed her cheek. "Your shoulders are tense. Are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine," answered Veronica. "Just…thinking."

"About what?"

"About…" Veronica trailed off. About what? About how she was thinking of leaving? About how much she loved him? About how she didn't want to hurt him? About working so much? About Bren and DC Corp.? About how miserable she sometimes felt?

A million thoughts poured into her head. Like a string of firecrackers, one after the other exploding.

"What is it?" asked Quatre. He squeezed her shoulders.

"Nothing." She reached up and grabbed his hand. Quatre gently squeezed it.

She was glad he didn't push. She wanted to tell him how she felt. But she held back. She just didn't want to end up with a broken heart again.

"Well, you look tired. I'll walk you back to your room," said Quatre.

"Alright" said Veronica.

A half an hour later Veronica and Heero were in the shuttle bay fixing Darkstar.

"Try it now!" called Veronica from outside Darkstar.

Heero, who was sitting at Darkstar's controls, punched in a command. On the screen a bunch of numbers popped up. He typed in a few commands.

"Yes!" He heard Veronica yell from outside.

Heero heard her slam a panel shut on Darkstar's hull. Then she appeared in the hatch.

"Communications are back online," said Veronica with a smile. She went over to one of Darkstar's panels and opened it.

"You said your mom was given a shot when she was pregnant with you," ventured Heero carefully, "did DC Corp. offer to pay your parents? Is that why they did it?"

"Not exactly," said Veronica sticking her hand into the panel and feeling around. "It was more of a threat. When my mom was pregnant with my older brother, Nick, DC Corp. offered them money for participation in the experiment. But mom and dad refused. DC Corp. didn't like that. They sort of disappeared after that. My parents didn't hear from them again. Then my mom got pregnant with me. They offered her the money again, but she refused. So they threatened her." Veronica's face lit up as she found the switch she was looking for in the panel. She flipped it, pulled her hand out, and slammed the panel shut.

"What was the threat?" asked Heero.

"That if my parents didn't cooperate, they would kill Nick. She didn't want to take the chance." She walked over to Darkstar's controls where Heero was sitting. "Enter this code," she said to him, "586349."

Heero typed in the code. On the screen the blue prints for behind the panel that Veronica had been working popped up. All the workings showed green.

"Good." Veronica punched in another code and the blue prints pulled out to show more of the mobile suit's workings. Some areas were green and some were red.

"We're making progress," said Darkstar. "A few more hours and we'll be ready to fly."

"So your mother agreed to let them inject her?" asked Heero.

"Yes," answered Veronica. "At the time DC Corp. didn't have a clear idea of what the chemical would actually do. They still don't. My friend Mike, his mom got an injection, but when he was born he had no psychic powers. No strange brain waves on the scans. Nothing. The only thing that showed that his mom had been injected was his silver eyes. That all went to hell when he hit puberty. But he didn't use the powers a lot, so DC Corp. never found out."

"Hn. Strange," said Heero pressing a few buttons.

"Right. What's your estimate on how long this will take?" asked Veronica.

"Until one."

"In the morning?"

Heero nodded. "That's if we don't stop for dinner and breaks."

"And if we do?"

"Then it will probably take until three or three-thirty."

At least it won't take all night, thought Veronica as she watched the figures on the screen. Or maybe it will.

Veronica rang the bell to Quatre's room. No answer. Not a, "just a minute", or a "come in". Veronica reached out with her mind, tried to see if he was even in there. She could feel him. It was a feeling of warmth, love, and…safety. But he was totally relaxed which meant he was asleep or almost asleep.

Veronica opened the door and walked in. the lights were dimmed down to low and the vid-screen was on. She looked up at the time above the vid-screen. It was already three-thirty in the morning. So much for spending time with Quatre.

Quatre was sitting at the small table in the middle of the room. His head was on the table, pillowed by his arms. He was asleep.

Veronica walked over and switched off the vid-screen. She turned and looked at Quatre. He was sleeping so peacefully, she wondered if he ever had nightmares. Quatre stirred and lifted his head. He rubbed his eyes, and Veronica's gut tightened at how much he looked like a little kid waking up from his nap.

I'm ruining his life, thought Veronica. I don't deserve someone like him.

"What was that?" asked Quatre.

He was looking at her now. Veronica wondered if he had caught that last thought.

"Nothing," she said. She sat down across from him.

"What time is it?"

"Three-thirty."

Quatre stood up and stretched. "I didn't think it was so late."

"Did I keep you waiting?" asked Veronica.

"No," said Quatre shaking his head. He walked around behind her. He set his hands on her shoulders then kissed her cheek. "Your shoulders are tense. Are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine," answered Veronica. "Just…thinking."

"About what?"

"About…" Veronica trailed off. About what? About how she was thinking of leaving? About how much she loved him? About how she didn't want to hurt him? About working so much? About Bren and DC Corp.? About how miserable she sometimes felt?

A million thoughts poured into her head. Like a string of firecrackers, one after the other exploding.

"What is it?" asked Quatre. He squeezed her shoulders.

"Nothing." She reached up and grabbed his hand. Quatre gently squeezed it.

She was glad he didn't push. She wanted to tell him how she felt. But she held back. She just didn't want to end up with a broken heart again.

"Well, you look tired. I'll walk you back to your room," said Quatre.

"Alright" said Veronica.

Spooky: Well that chapter was a little longer, wasn't it?

Asar: It sure was.

Spooky: Well I should be updating regularly now. So if you review I'll post more!

Asar: R&R.

Spooky: Later!