Disclaimer: I own everything except for GW!

CHAPTER TWENTY

More Complications…

Just then, the biker in front of her removed his helmet. Lizzy almost choked. She knew the guy. His eyes, his hair…. How could she not forget ….

"Hello there Lara. It is so nice to meet you again." The other man was grinning maniacally at her.

"Kenji," she whispered.

-o-o-o-o

Back at the hide-out, the pilots were seated in the living room looking at the TV for any news that will lead them to Oz whereabouts. They just had their dinner which was surprisingly a silent one because Duo was silent the whole time.

"… and now, for local news, an accident happened around 6pm today in Drydale drive. A motorcycle crashed against a car," the footage shows the beat up motorcycle and car. It was followed by a ten-wheeler truck that luckily was able to stop before it completely crashed the car in front of it. "The passengers of the car only suffered minor bruises but the biker is missing since the incident happened. Eyewitnesses said that the biker was thrown off rather violently and landed on top of the truck…." Then it showed a close up of the motorcycle and its plate number.

Quatre gasped and Duo swore violently. The others remained quiet. They know that motorcycle.

Trowa turned the volume higher while Heero quickly activated his laptop immediately to locate Lizzy. All of them have a tracking device inside their body so that they can be located when they are captured.

"… but surprisingly the biker jumped off the truck and headed for the houses. A witness told us that there were three other bikers who were after the first one. They can't say if it was a male or female. The police said that it might just be some gang dispute and looks like the first biker is running away from the rest. As of now, they still have no clue as to where the bikers had fled to. This is Cindy Walker reporting ….."

"Damn it, where is she Heero?" Duo was hovering at Heero mercilessly. Trowa, though he too cared for the safety of Lizzy, is quite surprised by Duo's reaction. Duo is supposed to be angry at Lizzy. It only shows that he cares deeply for the girl as well. Quatre on the other hand was patiently waiting for Heero to tell them the news so that he can rescue the girl a.s.a.p. But it also surprised Trowa that Heero was hell bent on getting the info. He doesn't know if he is just dreaming but he thinks that Heero too was showing some sort of emotion. Heero is always composed but he thinks he saw a crack just now. Wufei it seems, as Trowa observed, is looking also at Heero intently and seemed to arrive at the same conclusion.

"Looks like she was tailed," Wufei said silently.

"Tailed?" Duo repeated. "Damn that girl! Haven't I taught her the basics of blending in? She must be daydreaming again and forgot all I've taught her! That girl, when I get her hands on her I'll strangle her!" He was pulling out his braid and it was obvious he is not furious but is very worried.

"Got her," Heero said and stood up. He took his jacket and said on his way out, "I'll go alone. It seems like a trap so it would be better if I go alone."

Quatre and Duo was about to retort but Heero put on a steely composure. It was a don't-dare-to-question-me look. He will shoot them if he has to. Though not deadly, he can scrape their arm or leg with his shot.

And in a matter of seconds, he was out of the safehouse leaving behind four very worried pilots.

-o-o-o-o

Meanwhile, Lizzy was too dumbfounded to speak. Kenji's gaze swept her from head to toe and instinctively, she shivered.

Lizzy stood her ground when Kenji started to approach her. She noticed how he seemed to have grown bigger and more muscular since the last time she saw him. When he is about two feet from her, she tried to grab his gun and it started a fight between them. She focused her mind and tried to remember all the trainings she received from Wufei and Trowa but knew it was futile considering she is out of practice and Kenji is really strong. When she tried to outrun him he caught her left arm and brutally forced her to the ground. He now have both her arms pinned to the ground and his legs were preventing her lower body to move. She knew then that her chances of escaping were slim.

He was sneering at her when he said, "My, my. Isn't this the exact position were we have left off?"

Then she remembered, before the last confrontation, she was about to be raped by this guy. She scowled at him and said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh really? Trying to feign recognizing me huh? How about I jog your memory a little?" then he forced her mouth open and savagely kissed her. She felt her mouth was bruised. She fought him and tried to grab anything from Kenji, a gun or at least a small knife but nothing. When he left her mouth to grab some air, she managed to give him an upper cut on his jaw. That automatically sent a bruising slap on her face. She felt her face jar by the impact.

"You bitch!" he scowled. Then he ripped her clothes apart. She heard his companion laugh.

"Hey boss," one of them said. "Maybe you can let us have her after you're finished with her," one of them taunted.

She saw Kenji smirked at them and answered, "Maybe." Then he looked down at her and was pleased to see her soft skin against the moonlight. It only aroused him more. "Beautiful as ever." Then he was kissing the hollow of her throat and was touching her breasts rather brutally. She tried hard not to cry out for it will only please Kenji. She then tried to calm down and think logically of way on how to escape. She felt sick as he let him have his way with her but it seems that her technique was actually working. When she felt his hold slacken, she pushed him and tried to outrun him towards the end of the bridge. If she can manage to jump over, she can probably swim for safety.

But as she ran, Kenji pounced on her and she felt her front was badly bruised as she hits the rough ground. Her hands were forced at her back as Kenji held them. Then he was on top of her again. He whispered harshly on her ear, "Don't ever think I will let you go bitch. You belong to me." Then he turned her over. She felt him put something on her stomach and then she let out a cry as she felt it prick her skin.

Just then, a motorcycle was heard over head and landed about six feet away from them. Lizzy prayed hard it was her rescuer and not another motorcycle. And when she saw Kenji stiffen, she let out a small sigh of relief.

But then, she was grabbed upwards by Kenji and was using her as a shield against the stranger. A knife was pointed at the hollow of her neck. She felt its sting and was not totally surprised when she felt blood trickle down her neck.

She looked at the stranger. As the person advance towards them, Kenji and the others stepped backwards. "Don't move any further," Kenji said as he stepped backwards. He stopped when he reached their motorcycle. He looked at the stranger again and said, "Or else my buddies here will shoot you down." It was true, the two others have their guns trained on the stranger.

Then suddenly, Lizzy felt the slit in her neck grew larger as Kenji slit it further. She gasped and fell to the ground as Kenji pushed her hard. As Kenji climbed on his bike, he said, "You can have her. She's done already!" and he laughed maniacally. The two climbed their bike as well but without letting go of their gun pointed at the stranger. Then they sped off.

Lizzy tried to stop the blood from gushing forth of her neck. She knew then that her neck had to be stitched. She tried hard not to faint. It would not help otherwise. Just as suddenly, she was lifted off the ground and was carried to the motorcycle. She felt the wind against her face so she tried to hide her face and was awarded by the warmth of her rescuer's chest.

Her rescuer hasn't lifted off his helmet and she thought of who could it be. When her nose made contact with the guy's chest, she gasped. It was Heero's smell! Could it really be –

"Hold on," she heard Heero's voice that confirmed her guess. Why would Heero do this to her? She already felt sleepy but she knew it was because of the loss of blood. So Heero said urgently, "Don't close your eyes baka!"

She felt herself shiver and knew that the pressure she is giving her neck is not enough to stop the bleeding. Then she felt the wind stopped and she was carried by Heero's arms. She felt safe then and wondered why she should feel so when Heero is most unlikely her friend as far as the gundam pilots are concerned. Wufei and Trowa maybe but definitely not Heero…

-o-o-o-o

Heero entered the hangar. He ignored Quatre's gasp as he removed everything on a table and put Lizzy on top of it. He removed his helmet and quickly instructed Trowa, "You need to stitch her neck."

Everyone took in her figure and quickly everyone knew what needs to be done. Trowa grabbed the medical kit. Duo and Quatre pulled off her remaining clothes. Wufei went to the kitchen to grab some hot water pan while Heero went upstairs to grab some bed sheets to warm her up.

No one was speaking but all of them are wondering as to what could possibly happen to her. She was attacked that was obvious and looking at her clothes and face, she looked like she was raped or about to be raped. They hoped it was the latter. But looking at her lower body, it doesn't seemed to be touched unlike the bruises she received on her upper body.

Lizzy moaned as she felt the first sting of needle poke her sensitive neck. "Hush Lizzy," Trowa whispered just above her face. "It's only a small stitch. Only four." He tried to assure her. But without any painkillers, he knew it was dreadful. And he knew that probably because of blood loss that prevented Lizzy from shouting.

A few minutes later, Trowa was finished. He wiped the blood that splashed along her body. He knew that some of her blood is in Heero's shirt as well. And he was right. Heero's green shirt is thick and wet with Lizzy's blood.

Looking at Lizzy, she was still awake and seemed to be in a state of shock seeing her pupils are a bit dilated.

Quatre and Duo then sponged Lizzy's body with the hot water provided by Wufei. "We need to remove all her clothings," Duo said silently. They knew it meant her underwear. They didn't say anything so Duo first took off her bra. If anyone was surprised to see the small scratches and what looked like teeth nips on both her breast, nobody said a word. Quatre quickly wiped her chest with the warm cloth. They were all professional and nobody squirmed as they peeled off the clothes to Lizzy's body.

"She was not raped," Duo said again as he pulled off her underwear. He can tell just by looking. Quatre washed her legs and then they pulled over some bedsheets on her to stop her chilling. Still nobody said a word. But they all knew that everyone relaxed after hearing Duo's last comment.

"Trowa," Lizzy whispered. Trowa was instantly alert. He looked straight into her eyes and leaned closer to hear what she was saying. "Trowa, he injected something in my belly…. I think it might be a bug."

Trowa's eyes narrowed slightly. He bowed slightly at her and addressed the group, "Lizzy said she might have a bug inserted in her belly. Duo, go grab the detector device."

They knew it was a bad idea if a bug was definitely at her stomach. It will be very painful depending on the depth of the bug inserted inside. Well they will soon find out.

Duo was back in a jiffy and he placed the device over her stomach. Lizzy asked in a quiet voice, "How bad is it?"

They looked at each other. How could Lizzy be certain that a bug was placed inside her?

"Just take it out quickly. I can take it!" she hissed at them.

The depth wasn't that bad but they need to cut her open a little. They don't know if Lizzy can take anymore pain. Quatre sensed this thought, "Lizzy, I don't know if we should take it out. You already experienced tremendous pain."

Lizzy smiled a little. "Damn it Quatre, I don't know what they placed inside me. All I know is that we have to get it out. What if it's a locator device and activated already? I don't care about the pain."

"But Lizzy," Duo interjected. "You already lost so much blood."

"Trowa," Lizzy said. "You can sipped it out you know. I think it's just a small one."

"That's a more painful method," Trowa answered.

"I know. But I think Duo can make it lighter." Lizzy said with a ghost of smile on her ashen face.

"What?" Duo asked puzzled.

"Well Duo if you're so damn concerned about me, why don't you lighten it up… by kissing me …while Trowa takes the damn thing out?" she said in between breaths.

Everyone was silent. Lizzy they knew was trying to be funny but it wasn't. Duo's eyes narrowed at her. Lizzy then quickly added, "I won't bite I promise!" and flashed another smile.

Duo surprisingly looked at Quatre who had a passive face. Quatre looked at him and nodded as if Duo is asking permission to do so.

"Alright then," Trowa said as he moved over to Lizzy's stomach. "Wufei, I need you to hold her arms above her head. Heero, you hold both her legs down. This will be very painful and I'm expecting a lot of movement from her. Quatre, you will help me with the gadget."

Wufei then held her wrists above her head while Heero clamped both hands on her ankle. Wufei and Quatre did what they were told. And as Trowa slit her stomach to get the bug, Duo swooped down and started to kiss Lizzy hard on her mouth. Duo felt every shout and tremor Lizzy was making as Trowa and Quatre took out the bug.

Lizzy felt Duo's tongue moved in her mouth and tried to focus on it instead of the pain. But she shouted into Duo's mouth as she felt the prick of Trowa's gadget as it goes deeper into her stomach to locate the bug.

Trowa was in a way relieved that the bug wasn't in too deep. As soon as he saw the bug, he bent down and started sipping Lizzy's stomach to take in the bug as much as possible along with her blood. He tried to suck as quickly as possible. He expels the blood in a basin nearby. But he wasn't successful in his first try so he had to repeat the process. He can't insert any mechanical item as it might diffuse inside her stomach thereby endangering her life so they had to treat it like venom.

Meanwhile, as Heero, Wufei and Quatre looked on the scene, they can't help but feel differently about the situation. They can't help but feel aroused though they try to keep a cool exterior considering they have a naked girl beneath those sheets and five men holding her. One guy sucking the breath out of her while the other sucks her stomach. Wufei tried to prevent swallowing a lump in his throat and a major nosebleed, Heero tried as much as possible to look indifferent and Quatre prevented his thoughts to wander how it would be like between him, Trowa and Lizzy in bed…

"Okay Duo, you can let her go now," Trowa declared upon seeing the bug in the basin and started to clean Lizzy's stomach.

Duo, it seemed, didn't hear him. He continued to kiss Lizzy with his mouth and tongue.

Wufei then grabbed his braid and said, "Duo you baka, Trowa said to let her go!"

"Ouch, watch it Wu-man!" Duo said. And as soon as he let go of Lizzy, she grabbed for some air.

"You okay Lizzy?" Quatre said and peered into her face. After a few breaths, they saw how Lizzy stopped all of a sudden. They grew worried. Quatre by instinct searched for her pulse and smiled when he found it. "I think she just fainted."

"That was a close call," Duo said.

After Trowa finished bandaging her neck and stomach, he took her up in her room and settled her on her bed. They agreed that they will took turns in guarding her until she gets well.

After knowing she's fully settled, they looked at Heero and had a look asking him what happened.

They were still in Lizzy and Wufei's room. The other 4 pilots didn't want to come out until they know what happened. Heero and Trowa were standing near the door while Quatre and Duo Lizzy's bed while Wufei sat on his bed.

"What happened back there Heero?" Quatre asked.

"All I saw were three bikers but I wasn't able to see their faces since they were all wearing their helmets." Heero started.

"Is it Oz?" Trowa asked.

"I can't tell. But one of them, who looked like the leader, tried to rape her. When he saw me, he slit her throat. All he said was that she was done already. I don't know what it means. I don't even know if this has something to do with Oz or if it's just a brawl. We need to ask her about it." Heero said.

"Are you sure it wasn't from Oz?" Wufei asked.

Heero shrugged his shoulders.

"How would you explain the bug?" Quatre asked.

They looked again at Heero. "I can't tell right now. I'll ask Dr J on this. He is usually a step ahead of us." Then he left.

Quatre sighed after that and looked at Lizzy's sleeping form. The others looked on as well. It was the first time that they had encountered such fatal attack on Lizzy. Usually it was just the guys but seeing her so beaten up like that and near death was painfully new to them.

-o-o-o-o

Lizzy woke up sometime in the night. Then she felt the first sting of her bruises and can't help but moan out a little loudly to which Wufei instantly heard her.

She felt Wufei's staring at her and she looked up at him. The first thing she noticed was that he didn't have his shirt on. "Hi Fei-kun," she smiled sweetly but in a crooked way.

Wufei surprisingly sat on her bed, It was then that she noticed that he was carrying something. Upon looking at it, he said, "Quatre mentioned that I make you drink it as soon as you wake up."

"How nice," she said and smiled at him warmly. She tried to get up but had difficulty doing it. Wufei instantly helped her sat on her bed. She took the medicine. She was expecting Wufei to go back to sleep but apparently he just sat there scrutinizing her. It was the usual pensive Wufei with the scowl.

"What time is it?" she asked suddenly.

"A quarter to 1am."

"Sorry to have waken you Wufei," she said. A moment of silence. "You can go back to bed now you know."

"I'm not feeling sleepy right now."

Lizzy sighed. "Okay, what do you want?" She looked irritated but deep inside she was nervous because she doesn't want to reveal the truth right now. And then she realized. She doesn't want the truth to be revealed…ever!

"What happened onna? You messed up!" Wufei said in his superior voice.

"I don't know Wufei. Look I'm tired. I need to get some rest – "

"- Are you hiding something?" Wufei cut in.

Lizzy tried all her might not to look at his eyes right then. If he saw her eyes, he could see the truth in them. "I'm not hiding anything Wufei. You are right, I messed up okay? I'm too stubborn to admit it really. It won't happen again."

"You are weak onna," he concluded.

"Okay Wufei!" she shouted. She doesn't care if she wakes up everyone but right now, she was angry at herself for being in that kind of situation. She hates lying but right now, she doesn't know how to escape reality. She intends to fight back reality. Unfortunately, she was directing it to Wufei. "Look I don't care about what you actually say Wufei," she looked straight into his eyes as she shouted back. "And I don't care what you do about it. I don't even know what I want anymore!" She tried to dismiss the tears flowing out of her eyes as she continued to shout at him. "You are right, I am weak but it's not because I'm a girl. It's because I'm a human being who is capable of being hurt. And I'm hurting right now because I hate myself okay? I hate myself!" Then she put her hands on her face and cried out.

Wufei doesn't know what to do right then. He hated seeing her like this.

"You don't have to hate yourself onna," Wufei said in a hush tone.

"I don't?" she asked despite the tears. "wufei, you don't have any idea why I hate myself right now. And there's this thought in my head of escaping reality. You know, just get out of here!"

"You want to get out just because you were nearly killed? Onna, you are really weak! If you really want to get out, then get out now!" Wufei also shouted back.

Lizzy sniffed before answering, "No Wufei. It's not that. How I wished he did killed me right then. I hated myself in the past Wufei. I hated the time that I had killed innocent people just because of this stupid war!"

That kind of caught Wufei off guard. "You killed innocent people?"

Lizzy gasped for some air as she tried to answer that. "Yeah Wufei. It was part of the job. And talking to Dr. Reeds today just made me vulnerable all of a sudden."

"What did he make you do?" Wufei was instantly alert.

"Nothing…yet. But I think he will make me do something I'll regret later like before." Lizzy knew he was deceiving Wufei by saying something like that. He might believe that Dr. Reeds will ask her to kill someone innocent but in reality, she dreaded the day that Dr Reeds or any of the other scientist to force her to reveal to them her secrets. And that would be the day, she will die or would she kill them if they knew?

"Like killing someone innocent?"

"Yeah, something like that. I know Wufei, it is injustice. But what do you do in situations like that?"

"We are soldiers Lizzy. We do as we are told."

Lizzy had stopped crying at that time. "So even if it means killing others. Even if it means killing the ones we love?"

"If its for justice, then it should be done."

"Okay, what if it's for justice that the scientists order you to kill me. Will you do that?"

Wufei was irritated by the question. "That's nonsense. The scientists will not order something ridiculous as that!"

That's what you think, she said to herself. "It's a hypothetical question Wufei. What if, they did order you to shoot me down? Or if it wasn't me, how about if it's Duo?"

"Duo I've been trying to kill for the past year."

Lizzy surprisingly laughed at that.

"That wasn't a joke onna," Wufei said. But they knew otherwise.

"Okay, okay," Lizzy said in between laughs. It surprised Wufei on how she can change moods so suddenly. She was hysterical just a moment ago and now she was laughing. But it made him feel warm inside knowing he made her laugh. To which he got annoyed at himself again.

"Look Wufei, you still didn't answer my question. What if it was me?"

"Then I had to kill you," Wufei said in one breath. He knew it was a hypothetical question so he answered yes. Especially if it's for justice. Nataku will never forgive him.

"Well, I guess you would kill me." Lizzy said sadly.

"It was a hypothetical answer, onna," Wufei doesn't know why he said that to make her feel somehow that he had no intentions of actually killing her.

"Well, at least you made me feel better in your brutish way!"

Wufei was about to retort when Lizzy suddenly closed the gap between them and she hugged him tight. It was the first time she ever showed such physical kindness to Wufei. And she was cherishing it for she knew that the day of the revelation is drawing near.

"What the hell are you doing onna?" Wufei said quite frozen in his spot. He felt the warmness wasn't that bad but hated it altogether.

Lizzy let go and suddenly said with her wobbly eyes, "I love you Wufei. You are the first guy who ever made my heart burn like that." She watched pleased with herself as she saw Wufei's eyes goggled at her like she's some monster and then saw his face redden from pink to bright red! "Oh boy Wufei, do I like to tease you!" she said trying hard not to laugh so hard.

"You onna!" he said and stomped back to his bed. "Talking to you is garbage. You and Duo alike!" he shouted back as he tried to wrestle with his bedsheets. It was obvious that her speech affected him in some way.

"Oh come now Wufei, you are no fun."

"Shut up!"

"Funny Wufei, yesterday I was about to be raped and now I'm here trying to seduce you," she laughed but then stopped seeing Wufei was staring at her intently.

"About to be raped…" he left his sentence hanging.

"Yeah Wufei, look it's no big deal actually. Sooner or later I had to experience that."

"What the hell – " Wufei suddenly sat up from his bed. "What are you talking about?"

"Look I don't know why they followed and attacked me in the first place. There were more good looking people in that club and yet they chose me to play with."

As Lizzy explained her story, Wufei had that urge to get out of that place and trash out the club. He so very wanted to kill those assholes who tried to rape her. The other pilots were awake and listening to her story and they have the same thoughts and feeling like Wufei. Lizzy was a girl and they knew they had to protect her somewhat. Even Heero felt it. It felt the same way when the little girl and her puppy died in his past. Innocence lost… Lizzy had every right to hate herself for killing innocent people, Heero knew it better than any of them.

".. and then I was unlucky that the guy actually got hold of me. I was lucky Heero got there in time," she explained as if it was nothing to her which irritated the pilots.

"So that's why they are after you? To rape you?"

Lizzy bowed her head. "Yeah, seems like it," she lied. It wasn't Kenji's true intentions. She was lucky Heero doesn't saw their faces. If he did, he will be able to track them down.

"And you don't give a damn about it?" Wufei asked incredulously.

"Look Wufei, with this kind of life, it is bound to happen sooner or later," she answered calmly.

"What?" Wufei shouted.

"Wufei, I know this kind of life okay? Why do you think I try to mimic your actions? I want to know all there is to martial arts so that I can defend myself."

"Starting tomorrow, you are going to undergo a rigid training on it onna!" Wufei said fiercely.

"Why Fei-kun sweetheart I'm so touched! That's very sweet of you" Lizzy said. Wufei flinched. He doesn't meant it to be like that.

"Onna, we need you on this mission and nothing else," he countered.

Lizzy sighed. "Look Wufei, I've already resigned to the possibility that there are more stronger men than me. This wasn't the first time that I got almost raped. But thankfully, I still have my innocence intact," then she grinned at him.

Wufei and the other pilots were angered by that statement to which Lizzy is not aware.

"Look Wufei, I'm bound to give it sooner or later so I was thinking why don't I give it up for you," Lizzy was trying hard to get him to nosebleed. But she was disappointed to just see him gape at her like that.

"Are you out of your mind?" Wufei shouted.

"No. I find you really sexy Wufei especially without your shirt on like right now," and to add to that effect, she looked all over his body.

"You are trying to seduce me to get me a nosebleed, aren't you?" Wufei said coolly.

Damn, he saw right through me, Lizzy said to herself. But she will not back down. Whatever Wufei gave her made her awake and somehow it makes her emotions run wild. First her depression and now the pleasure seeing Wufe's nosebleed.

"No Wufei. You know how much I wanted you. You are THE most SEXIEST man alive, do you know that?"

Wufei tried to dismiss the endearments she was giving. Unfortunately, the damn onna was very good in lying.

"You're even sexier than Trowa you know?" she said as an effect.

Surprisingly, they all heard Trowa said, "I heard that Lizzy."

Lizzy suddenly laughed. "Sorry Trowa-chan." But it kinda ruined the situation she wanted to get out of Wufei. "Look guys it's not good to eavesdrop! So butt out okay?" she said out loud to the other pilots knowing that they were listening. She laughed a little but totally stopped when Wufei said,

"You are such a slut!"

Lizzy instantly remembered the night he told her that. "Do you really think so?"

Wufei was silent. He meant that as a joke but he too remembered the event he mentioned it. It was too late to take back what he said. He was too proud to take back his words.

Lizzy sighed. "I'm such a bad person. Sorry Fei-kun. I think I need to go to the comfort room now," she said suddenly.

Wufei watched her get out of the room. He cursed himself silently for saying something stupid.

-o-o-o-o

Lizzy slowly approached the comfort room but was surprised when Duo stepped out of his room.

"Don't let Wufei's words get to you Lizzy," he said all of a sudden. "You're not a slut."

"I'm not?" Lizzy asked sadly. "The others doesn't think so." They knew they were referring to Wufei, Heero and possibly Trowa.

"Don't let them get to you okay? We both knew that time that I tried to …" he trailed off.

Then Lizzy realized that Duo must have thought he was referring to the incident when she told Wufei that it wasn't the first time she was raped.

"No Duo! I wasn't referring to you!" she voiced out her thoughts. "We both knew you were a bit drunk and feeling woozy so you did that. I was referring to other times before I join you guys okay?"

Duo's eyes turned to dark purple then lighten again showing that he was strongly affected by what she had just said. "Other guys tried to …"

"It's all in the past now Duo so .." she shrugged her shoulders dismissing it. "And I'm just glad we're talking to each other now."

Duo smiled at that and felt relieved that everything was going to be back to normal. He tried to hug her but was surprised when she stepped back.

"Sorry Duo. I don't think I can let other guys touch me right now. It makes me feel like a slut actually."

Duo became angry. "Forget what that baka said to you okay? You – are – not – a – slut!" he stressed out.

"I don't know Duo. It wasn't the first time he said – " then she stopped suddenly. It was a slip. She doesn't mean to say it like that. Then he saw Duo's angry features, saw him headed to Wufei's room. "Oh boy," she muttered to herself as she followed Duo.

"Duo, it wasn't a big deal really," she explained. But Duo was strong and he was able to bang the door open.

Wufei was already standing up as if anticipating an enemy. His arms were crossed across his chest showing how his muscles tense and ready for any action.

Duo wasn't intimated so he approached him in angry strides. "Wufei you shithead!" he announced. "How dare you speak to her like that?"

"Duo stop it! He doesn't mean to!" Lizzy said with panic in her voice.

"You had no right to speak of her as a slut Chang Wufei!" Duo was very angry. "Whatever happened between me and her is none of your damn business and you had no right whatsoever to make something out of it!" he shouted angrily.

"She is tearing apart the group with her attitudes," Wufei knew he will hurt her with his words but he had too much pride in him to back down now.

"Damn it Duo, stop it okay. It's nothing. Look, I'm not affected by it okay? I can hug you anytime," Lizzy said.

Duo looked at her suddenly, "I could not believe you will not fight back knowing he is wrong!"

Lizzy felt she was in-between two strong mountains who will not bound to anyone. "Look Duo, it was nothing okay. He called me a slut so what? That is how he feels. And me trying to fend off any man's touch right now is what I decided and that is how I feel so there's nothing you can do about it okay?"

"That is wrong Lizzy!" Duo said. "It clearly shows that what this guy said affected you."

"Look Duo it will pass okay?" Lizzy said trying to calm him down. She was in fact thankful that Wufei was not doing anything to provoke Duo as necessary.

"What the hell does that suppose to mean?" Duo yelled.

"Duo when you called me a slut that day, I admit I was hurt but I know you said that just to spite me," she explained.

Duo stepped back suddenly. "W-What? I don't remember calling you that!"

"It was the time you tried to –" she stopped suddenly. She cursed herself. It was a slip.. again! "Well it's all in the past now so –"

Duo suddenly grabbed both her arms and said, "I said that? I don't.. I mean I don't exactly remember all of it but I don't think I would say something like that!"

Lizzy actually felt sorry for Duo. He doesn't remember anything that happened that time. "I'm sorry. I think I shouldn't have said that."

Duo was perplexed. He suddenly let go of her as if he was scalded and slowly backed away from her.

"Look Duo, it was in the past okay?" Lizzy tried to comfort Duo. But Duo suddenly fled out of the room and went downstairs possibly to the hangar.

Lizzy sighed hard and looked back at Wufei who was eyeing her intently. Wufei had the look of I-told-you-so regarding her abilities to break the group apart with her 'flirting'.

She decided to follow Duo out but Quatre was suddenly standing on the doorway and preventing her to get out, "Please Lizzy, this is not doing you any good. You just had your neck stitched. If you're not careful, it might open up."

Lizzy tried to retort but Quatre was so damn good at convincing people so she went back to her bed. Quatre sat on the edge of her bed.

"Don't worry Quatre," Lizzy said looking up at him. "I'm not going away. I'm going to sleep and rest, okay?"

Quatre made a lazy smile. "That's good." And surprisingly, Quatre bent down and placed a small kiss on her lips. Lizzy was shocked and Wufei squashed the anger he felt right then. He knew by the look on Quatre's face that he was going to kiss the onna but still he kept looking.

After that, Quatre went out and Wufei shut his eyes and tried hard to sleep. Lizzy on the other hand, stared at the ceiling without any particular thoughts and after some time, surprisingly went to sleep.

-o-o-o-o

Author's Notes:

Guess what, no cliffhangers! I've recently changed jobs while studying still so my brain is probably not working well. The story to others may not look good, pls review ok? I know, it's so weird… But hey, this is fanfiction.

Thanks to all those who reviewed! Luv you all!

Responses to reviews for Chapter 20.

Niko Nightwind: Thanks as always for supporting me on this! Sorry I wasn't able to write you or to Rin Truthsaver. Looks like I'm finally closing in to the angst portion of the story. 

Miwo: Well, looks like the update is after a year! Hahaha… I really hope to write more. I have the synopsis already and it looks like there are going to be 8 parts to this story, meaning 8 titles. It shows how my mind is fed up with work and study!