Trowa "Nanashi" Barton was former mercenary, gundam pilot, circus clown. He'd some of the worst humanity had to offer in some cases it was a stretch of the imagination to even call them human. It was a little embarrassing to know that the people at the table intimidated him more than anyone in his former lives did. Well maybe Catherine had the same effect, but she was special. Well he thought miserably, I guess that means Soren is special too. Mental note: have a very in depth and painful talk with Duo and Quatre about interfering in my love life.

He tried not to stare too much at the people that were seated around the table. They were a classic happy, loving family.  Trowa could see that Soren got her golden multi-race skin color from her mother, and her amber colored eyes from her father. Her younger brother and sister were twins and shared much of their mother's darker coloring. Soren's older sister Kendall had the same dimple that kept making Trowa loose his mind. There was such unity in them and he found he wanted to be apart of it. Okay yes right now they were unified against him, but he never lost his desire for a family no matter how many times he'd tell himself he didn't need one.

"So Trowa, what does your family do?" asked Soren's mother Sonia. At first Trowa was worried that he'd voiced his musings about family, but then he saw she was just being polite.

"I have a foster sister that works in a circus as a knife thrower. I don't really remember any other family." He hadn't meant to say the last part. He really didn't want their pity or 'understanding'. Trying to cover over the statement he said "It was while I was in the circus that I decided to become a vet. I started out as a performer but then animal care just gradually became my job as well."

"There are a few circuses that come here throughout the year." Soren added trying to lighten the mood.

"Yes I know. I've actually performed here several times. I was the clown with the half mask."

"That was you?" asked her younger sister. "I've actually seen you! You were very good. Hmm maybe that's why you seem so familiar."

He was familiar? Alarms were going off in his head. There was one other thing that he could make him infamous, but he hoped it wasn't that. He and his friends along with the government had worked nonstop for a year to erase every known trace of their being gundam pilots. He did his best to keep his voice neutral. "Yes it was a popular show."

Now Eric was giving him a peculiar look as if he was trying to place Trowa's face as well. Luckily aid came in the form of Soren's father. "So how did you meet Soren? I don't remember her mentioning you." It wasn't a topic he wanted to get into either, but it was better than one that could run to gundams.

"I've come with a job offer. It's a collaboration between the Preventers and Winner Enterprises and she's been offered a spot." The last was technically true, but he let them come to the conclusions they would. They might even help him in convincing her.  Judging by their expressions they all seemed suitably impressed with the exception of her father. Although maybe he just didn't like the idea of his little girl having a lover. When he thought on it, he realized that her father had been acting strange to him from the moment he'd seen him.

Soren saw right through his tactic and shot him a dirty look. He returned with a cheeky grin that even Duo would have been proud of. He was about to answer her mother's question about the details of the job when Eric burst out. "HOLY SHIT it's you!" loud enough to attract the eyes of several other people in the restaurant they were in.

"Eric where are your manners!" his mother scolded at the same time Eric said "Soren do you have any idea who he is?" Eric was ready to burst with the information he wanted to unload on everyone. Trowa had a pretty good guess as to what it was. He was about to stop the younger man when he was saved again by Soren's father.

"Eric! Keep your voice down this is not the place for such matters." Eric was an adult and not confined by the dictates of his parents any more, but the glare his father leveled at him brooked no argument.

Trowa looked at Soren's father puzzled "You know me?"

"You don't remember me do you? Well it doesn't surprise me you were in pretty rough shape when we met. Hypothermia, oxygen deprivation, physical trauma, it's no wonder."

*****Flashback****

"Peter what are you doing?" asked his frantic colleague Beth. He hadn't known her for very long. They'd only been on the same emergency care rotation for a week. Ever since the war started it had been required for all medical personnel to put in some volunteer time.   

"I'm letting him go." he said calmly as he removed the patient's restraints. They'd just received the request to be on the lookout for the boy in the bed complete with a photo. Dangerous war criminal the post said. He was just a boy. The same age as his children. If it wasn't for this idiotic war they could have been classmates at school.

"Do you have any idea the kind of trouble we'll get in if you let him go?"

"We did not save him just so someone else could kill him." Injecting a stimulant into the boy's arm to counteract the sedative he watched as the boy woke. His deep green eyes were groggy and disoriented, but Peter had to do this now. "Son can you hear me?" bleary green eyes tried to focus on him. He managed to nod. "Son you have got to get out of here. There are officials of just about every faction out looking for you."

He watched the young face Too damn young try and process the words he was hearing. "Do you think you can make it out of here?" again another nod. "Come on then. I can get you as far as the parking lot, but I can't help you past that."

"This is ridiculous." Beth moaned, but she still kept watch and signaled when the coast was clear.

Down in the parkade the youth was none to steady on his feet. Handing him the few loose credits he had in his pocket Peter looked at him directly "Here take this and go home." He turned and went back into the building before he could change his mind.

*****End Flashback*****

"I remember you now." Trowa said quietly. He turned to Eric "But that doesn't explain how you know who I am."

"Will someone please tell me what is going on?" Soren interjected irritably.

Mindful of his father's warning, Eric kept his voice low. "Do you remember during the war when I was busted for 'snooping' around the shuttle port?"

Of course she did. Like every other boy his age they were obsessed with being gundam pilots. It got especially bad when one was publicly revealed to be little more than a boy himself. After that there were thousands of guys that claimed to be a gundam pilots in an effort to get their fifteen minutes of fame. Because her parents worked for the hospital in the emergency they were given photos and descriptions of them in case they showed. Armed with those copies of those photos her brother and his friends spent weeks lurking in various restricted areas in the hopes of meeting one.

Realization dawned quickly. She saw her mother and sisters catch on as well. She focused hard on his features and tried to remember. Yes, she could see it now. The hair was different; the face had filled out and matured, but she recognized his eyes. "You were a gundam pilot." It wasn't really a question.

"Yes." He answered reluctantly.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to know. I left that part of my life behind."

"Why? You helped change the face of the world." Eric said impressed. Trowa didn't respond to the naive comment. The glare he aimed at Eric clearly said that was the stupidest thing in the world to say.

Circus, gundams, and now this new business with the preventers. Her head was spinning. Just who was this man? What had she gotten herself into? What kind of people was she going to be working for? That thought stopped her cold. It was clear to her that on some level she'd already agreed to help.

She vaguely heard her family's renewed questions about the job with the preventers. Knowing who Trowa was had only intensified their curiosity. She looked deep into her lover's green gaze. My lover. Pilot, vet, clown, whatever. In her mind he was her lover first. She supposed she couldn't blame him for wanting to hide a past like his. Accepting the realignment of her life, she gave him a reassuring smile and squeezed  his hand under the table. "Mom, dad? I need to ask a favor of you. I need you to take care of the clinic while I'm gone."