Shelby had regained consciousness and the gundam pilots including Zechs with their respective loves, Rashid, Howard, Une and Sally were all sitting together discussing this new turn of events.

"The average amount of csorilledon in a person who has some psychic ability is around 170 to 200 parts per million. Duo has 324 ppm." Sally explained. "And Quatre's tests show 275ppm. Probably owing to the fact that he's been bonded with Anna a shorter amount of time. For the record Anna and Shelby are 1048 and 1122 respectively."

Soren wondered why she didn't see this coming. After all if one were to use Anna's metaphor that psionics were like an unused muscle that got stronger the more it was exercised, then of course Duo and Quatre would become psionic from bonding mentally. The women were acting like a pair of crutches until the men were strong enough to use their own abilities.

"Did you plan this?" Trowa asked again. Not bothering to conceal his impatience or his lack of trust in the two women. Her lover's hostility worried her. On a mental level she knew he could be violent enough to be a gundam pilot but around her he'd always been sweet. Well, with the exception of a few hot bouts of sex. Truthfully she really knew very little about him and yet she trusted him completely. Go figure.

Of course he wasn't the only suspicious one in the group. It seemed that Duo's transformation bothered a few people. Howard seemed like such a nice old man, but now he was cold and stern looking and made her feel like an errant child.

"No Trowa, we didn't. This came as a surprise to me as well. Although why I didn't think of it before I'll never guess." Responded Anna looking a little worried.

"Bullshit!" more than a few people in the room were startled by the green eyed man's vehemence. "It's just a little too convenient that Duo and Quatre just happen to become psionic right when you need the most support. Things have been strange ever since you appeared. You've been manipulating us from the start."

"Still think I 'found' Soren for you don't you?" Anna said sadly. Trowa's eyes widened a little and Soren felt him stiffen since he was standing right next to her. He turned and flicked her a look of regret before going back to Anna with open hostility. He looked sorry that such a statement might hurt her, but not once did he deny feeling that way.

Soren felt a deep painful stab to her chest. He thought he was manipulated into caring about her? She quickly schooled her features into a blank mask that wouldn't reveal the fact that she felt like she was dying on the inside. She'd always been a 'go with your heart' girl and her heart wanted to go to Trowa. It burned like acid to know his needed to be dragged to her protesting all the way.

"You know Trowa you're right there is something we are keeping from you, but we didn't think you would want to hear it." Shelby said soberly. From their positions next to the women, Duo and Quatre were giving every indication that they were staying completely out of this conversation. Judging by their expressions they didn't want anything to do with whatever was about to be revealed and it made them both uncomfortable.

"What is it?" he growled. He tried to reach out and give Soren his hand but she ignored him. She was still to hurt to want to have any contact with him.

"Haven't you ever wondered why you?" the Shelby asked.

"Why me what?"

"Oh come on!" she burst out as if Trowa were being deliberately dense "Everyone who ever faces hard times loves to ask 'why me' to the powers that be. Don't you?"

"I don't believe in any forces that govern the fates of us all. I believe we make our own fate." He responded his face was perfectly blank. It gave Soren the chills just to look at him.

"Strange you should feel that way because you do." There was a glint of amusement in the redhead's hazel eyes. "You do so more than most people." Trowa answered that with his coldest 'get to the point' glare.

"Alright how about this. What is the probability that five teenage boys could fight a war against three different armies and survive? Better yet, win?"

"The gundams…" Trowa was cut off from what he was about to say.

"Oh 'the gundams' nothing! They are mere tools. Excellent tools, but tools none the less. If anyone else had been piloting them they would have been overwhelmed and destroyed." That statement caught looks from everyone in the room. "Statistically speaking you all should have died shortly after you arrived on earth."

"You already admitted to helping us." He said grudgingly.

"Yes! But why? Why help you? We could have Helped Treize and still had our revenge. Why help you?" there was a pause while no one answered the question. "The reason we helped you was because you summoned us."

Wufei broke in at this point "What do you mean by 'summoned'?"

Anna answered. "We are not the only ones in this room born with some paranormal ability. The five of you have one as well. One that works even better when you team up together." By now everyone including Soren was on edge to find out what was so special about the gundam pilots. "You all have the ability to suspend the laws of probability. To bend the odds to your favor."

That was it? That was the big secret? Soren almost felt a little disappointed until she saw some of the thoughtful looks around the room and the very uncomfortable ones on the gundam pilots.

Shelby was practically glowing like she just won a major victory. "You're starting to see it now aren't you? So many times you should have lost, should have died, but something always happened to let you survive. It wasn't always pretty, but you survived. You Trowa were a mercenary before you hit puberty. You're lucky you even made it to the war."

Anna picked up from there. "The five of you can stretch 'fate' until you get the outcome you were working for, or find what you needed to get it. Observe the people in this room. When you needed extra power, you got us. You needed a figure to rally all the peace minded people, you got Relena. You needed an enemy that the people could hate but admire, you got Zechs and Treize. And last you needed allies to clean up after your messes…" Anna gestured over to Sally, Noin and Howard. "If it had been anyone else, they would have failed. For that matter why do you think we let you be the first people we told about psionics? We could have just gone straight to Une or Relena or anyone else in a position of power. We could have ignored you. Because we stand a better chance with your aid of coming out of this with our hides intact."

"Now to answer your earlier suspicion about whether or not we set you up. We didn't. Fate is like a rubber band you stretch it, and sometimes it snaps back and hits you. The various tragedies in your pasts would be a good example. It would seem that this time Heero and Relena solidifying their relationship sparked a chain reaction that put you all in positions to find your true love and life mates." Anna explained.

"So for those of you who are being incredibly stubborn and stupid let me spell it out plain." Shelby said snidely at Trowa. "You have all been given the opportunity to have the same kind of happiness that Heero and Relena have. Now your fate is still your own so you can reject that potential future. Or you can follow their example and draw it out for a decade or so. Or you can suck it up and quit being such an idiot. It's up to you." It was clear she had no more patience with Trowa and his suspicions and seemed to be taking an unholy amount of pleasure in rubbing his face in his foolishness.

Truth be told, Soren was getting a sick enjoyment out of it as well. Being the lovesick fool that she was she'd end up forgiving him, but she was glad he suffered a little. She felt his gaze on her but wouldn't turn to acknowledge it yet. Instead she watched the other pilots. Heero and Wufei looked polaxed. Like reality had just been dumped on its ass. Relena and Cole were looking… well, smug was the best word. It's not every day a girl is told she is the true love of a handsome war hero who saved the world. Soren was feeling a little daunted herself. She spoke up just to relive her tension. "How is it that the two of you ended up destined for Duo and Quatre?"

Shelby looked a little sheepish "It wasn't intentional, but we think we somehow left a type of bond with them at a moment when they were particularly vulnerable. But that doesn't explain our feelings, so to tell the truth, we're not sure."

Duo finally spoke up "Deathscythe cared about me, that's all I needed." Quatre nodded beside him in agreement. "So if I'm changing into a psi, is that what can do? Alter the future?"

"I don't think so." Anna said thoughtfully. "My own inherent ability was empathy but now that's the lowest of my abilities. We don't have a lot of examples to work from but active psionics always start off with telepathy and then move to a secondary one like telekinesis. The secondary one has a tendency to match the personality of the user. You're just not passive enough for that to be your secondary ability. I'm afraid the only thing you can do is just keep trying things until something works."

Howard, who'd been sitting in the background the whole time finally contributed to the conversation. "What I want to know is how you feel about this Duo. You sure you're okay with this kid? You know you don't have to do this."

"Yeah, actually I do. I can't let Shel go any more than I could tear my own arms off. And if being with her means being psionic, then I'm psionic." Thanks for the concern old man. Duo thought warmly. The thought felt like a hug from one old friend to another. Soren didn't think he meant to broadcast his thoughts to the whole room given the personal undertone so she kept her mind blank to give him the impression she hadn't overheard. She was thankful to see others doing the same.

Sally shot Soren an irritated look. "Well I guess that means more testing. Crap. Here I thought we were almost done."

Everyone started to make plans for testing the two men. Quatre took it in stride, but Duo hated the idea of being poked and prodded and spent the whole time complaining.

Sorry this chapter is so dull. It turned out much longer than I expected so I broke it down into two. the next one should be ready soon.