AN: Yes it has been awhile and I apologize. I've been very busy with school. But now is summer vacation and I can write! Ok I removed the first chapter of this I wrote because it was way too short…and c'mon ya needed a twist .

Chapter 9

It was a bright morning birds were on Sousuke's balcony chirping. He had fallen asleep on the couch. He opened his eyes slowly and stretched as he looked around. Mao had returned to the base a week before so he was alone. Sousuke sat up and looked around his bare apartment anyone would think it was odd that the only thing that was in the apartment were basic items that anyone would need to survive. There was nothing more and nothing less. He stood up and looked out the window across the way he could see Kaname through her window. She was cleaning the glass on her windows

.
"What has gotten into her?" Sousuke mumbled to himself.
"She's never awake this early…" He stared at her and sighed opening the door to see how the temperature was. Kaname paused with the cleaning rag on the window and waved to him with her free hand. Sousuke nodded to her and waved as well stepping out for a brief few seconds. It was quite hot outside the kind of hot you wouldn't expect it to be until mid day. Sousuke stepped back inside and yawned going to his kitchen and making some breakfast. Just as he sat down to eat his doorbell rang. He sighed looking at the food and then to the door. He got up and being as cautious as he always was opened the door slowly. Kaname stood on the other side she was smiling as she placed a kiss on Sousuke's cheek and walked in. Sousuke watched her and shut the door.

"Good Morning Kaname…" He said as he walked back to the kitchen.
"School is over…we should do something fun…like…" She paused. Sousuke ate the eggs he had prepared as he listened to her.
"Like go to the beach!" Kaname said with a smile she was in a very good mood now that all the stress from the school year was off of her mind. Sousuke put his fork down and blinked. He remembered what happened last time they were at the beach. Kaname got taken by that stupid guy and he had pissed her off …that incident involving a watermelon. Sousuke sighed and nodded. Kaname looked at him and walked over to the table. She messed up his hair a little and sat down near him. He took a deep breath and then nodded.
"Yes. The beach sounds…uh…good." He said just so he didn't take her out of the good mood. But thoughts of being alone with Kaname at the beach were now filling his mind and slowly changing the thoughts he had from the last time they were there. Sousuke finished eating and yawned as he looked at her.

Kaname had moved to the couch sitting and waiting for him.
"…Next week ok?" She asked as she stared at her pocket calendar. Sousuke paused for a second thinking maybe the sooner the better since he might get called for a mission at anytime.
"Uh Kaname?" He said as he put his plate in the sink and walked out to the couch.
"Can we possibly leave tomorrow?" He sat down next to her. Kaname blinked.
"Well…I'm going to have to get some stuff today then. I figured I would give you a little more time to pull yourself together since…I remember what happened last time we went to the beach…uh…yeah I'm sorry about that whole…bat thing…and what ever else I hit you with…" She laughed nervously and looked to the floor. Sousuke nodded a little he hadn't been expecting her to apologize and he realized now since that time he had improved with certain areas of common sense that he was lacking.
"Yes. I think I'm ok to leave tomorrow. Because…well I might end up in a really odd place next weekend or week for that matter." He looked at his cell phone and sighed. Kaname looked at him.
"Are you leaving?" She asked with a concerned look. She hated it when he left for missions and most of all when he was gone for extended amounts of time.
Sousuke shook his head and crossed his arms staring straight ahead.
"Don't know…but as you know sometimes they call me at really inconvenient times. So I figured the sooner…the better." He looked at her.
Kaname blinked and nodded.
"Sure well…I better start packing then…" She stood up and messed up his hair as she walked by.
"See ya later." She left the apartment. Sousuke let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and stared at the door for a few minutes. He had never seen Kaname this happy and it was starting to make him a little nervous. What is with her? He thought still staring at the door zoning out quite a bit he was startled when his doorbell rang.
He walked over to the door and opened it slightly to see Kazuma standing outside.

Kazuma held up the newest issue of the Japanese AS Fan and was smiling maniacally.
"It's finally here!" He shoved it into Sousuke's hands and laughed. Sousuke blinked and nodded a little.
"Yes I saw it in the store yesterday. I was going to get it but I didn't have any spare money…" He skimmed through the magazine and stopped at a few pages that caught his eye.

"I read it all last night, I'll let you borrow it for awhile…I have to go develop some film I'll see you around Sousuke" Kazuma said as he waved and started down the hall.

Sousuke shut his apartment door and put the magazine down on his table he went to his bed room and picked up a duffel pack he had laying on the floor. He began to fill it with things he would need for about two weeks which would be the amount of time they were staying at the beach. He didn't pack anything that wasn't needed and he didn't pack anything less than what was needed. When he finished he put the bag down near his door and looked around one last time. He had heard that Kurz was somewhere just outside of town as he picked up his cell phone and dialed his number.
"What?" Kurz picked up the phone.
"…Kurz I need a car here by…uh…" Sousuke looked at the clock. "0700 hours" Tomorrow morning." Sousuke said as he looked out his balcony door.
"Not a problem Urzu 7" Kurz replied and hung up. It was now early after noon and the it was even hotter outside than it had been earlier. He decided to go wander around downtown for awhile but just as he reached his door his phone rang. He turned back to the table he had left his phone on and picked it up.
"Sagara here…" He said heading out the door again.

"Sergeant we need you here in three hours pick up will be at the train station in twenty minutes." Sousuke froze in his steps he was half way out the door this time. He knew it would take him exactly twenty minutes to get to the train station and he wouldn't be able to spare anytime to go talk to Kaname. He picked up his packed bag for the beach and sighed walking out the door. As he walked down the side walk he got odd looks from others. They found it quite strange that he was wearing a long sleeve military jacket in 88 degree weather. Sousuke wasn't fazed by them as he continued on his way to the train station. Upon arrival he was lead to a car and driven about 20 miles away to the heliport.
Sousuke felt like tearing his heart of his chest and tearing it in half as he got out of the car. This is exactly what he was trying to prevent from happening but it ended up getting in the way anyway. Sousuke was flown back to the sub and immediately went to Kalanin's office to receive his mission briefings.

"Sergeant, Welcome back. You are being sent to Lebanon to destroy a terrorist group as well as find two missing persons that they have taken captive. You will leave first thing tomorrow morning so get a good nights rest. The captain would like to see you."
Sousuke nodded and saluted taking the file Kalanin had handed to him and proceeding out the door to the main control room. He opened the door quietly and stepped in.
There stood Captain Testarossa twirling her silver hair around her index finger.
"Mr. Sagara!" She said her eyes seeming to catch more reflection.
Sousuke stood at attention as she took notice of him. She smiled and nearly ran over to him.

"How are you?" She asked brightly.
To tell you the truth I would like to strangle you for making me come back here at such an inconvenient time…Sousuke thought clenching his hand in a fist.
"I'm fine Ma'am" Sousuke said in his normal tone. Tessa smiled and handed him a soda she had gotten from the machine before.
"I'm not going to drink it…so you can have it." She said knowing it was his favorite soda from the vending machine.

Sousuke nodded. Great can you give me my beach vacation with Chidori back too?
Upon being dismissed Sousuke walked to his cabin by this point very angered he kicked open the door.
"OW!" THUD
Sousuke blinked looking behind the door. Mao was there.
"My…apologies Ma'am…" He said shutting the door and helping her back to her feet.
"I told them not to bring you back but they wouldn't listen to me…" She said as she brushed off her jacket. Sousuke nodded as he sat down at his desk and wrote a note quickly.

"May I ask a favor of you?" Sousuke said interrupting her as she had been rambling on about the reasons why she couldn't get the superiors from bringing him back to the sub.
Mao stopped and nodded.
"Sure what is it?" She asked leaning against the door.
Sousuke got up and handed the paper to her.
"Mail this to Chidori's apartment…That is all." He said as he capped the pen and put it back in his desk drawer. Mao nodded and put it in her pocket.
"I will do that now Sergeant…you need rest…its going to be a long day tomorrow." She said as she walked over and gave him a pat on the back and then left.
Sousuke sighed leaning back in his chair looking at the clock in the cabin it read 8:23 PM. Sousuke sighed.
"What a waste of a day…spent half of it flying…away from where I want to be…" He crawled under his bed wishing he had brought the AS monthly magazine with him it would have given him something to do while he waited until he was tired enough to sleep.

The beach…alone with Kaname….. Sousuke thought. ".it was a nice thought while it lasted…" He mumbled as he stared at the bottom of his cot.
Kaname got out of the shower and made sure she had everything ready to go. Flopping over on her bed she smiled. The beach alone with Sousuke Sagara…it's going to be great…She thought as she sighed happily and fell asleep.