A New Challenge by Lady Ryu

Chapter Three

They talked and Trowa took Catherine home. He didn't return until the morning.

"Hey buddy, what happened at Catherine's house last night?" asked Duo elbowing him playfully in the arm.

"We watched a movie and fell asleep on the couch. She got dressed and cooked me a hell of a breakfast. Which were pancakes, bacon, eggs, fresh fruit, and orange juice. Her father called and she said that he needed her to help him with something then we both left."

"You left out something buddy! What happened before you both left?" "She kissed me."

"Where?" he urged on.

"Duo, that's none of your business. You and I are so much unlike each other. Unlike you, I know how to treat a woman with the utmost respect."

"Well—well I do too." Duo said.

"No you don't. Calling a woman "baby" and other words like that is a sign of disrespect. Call her by her first name. In your case, you would say something like, "Hello Gina, lovely day isn't it? Would you like to join me in going to the park today?" not, "Hey baby. How about going somewhere? I'll show you a cool pad, you'd dig it?""

"Hey! Leave me alone. I'll talk anyway I feel like it. It's a free country, buddy."

"My name is Trowa, not "buddy"." Trowa said sipping his drink.

"Man Trowa, you need to take a chill pill." He paused, "Let's make a deal. I'll teach you how to be American and you teach me how to be proper or whatever the hell you call it."

"Deal. We'll start today."

"What!" Duo exclaimed.

"Duo, my friend, its better to start early than late."

"After I see Gina."

"Fine."

Duo left and went to see Gina.

"Hi Duo," she said cheerfully.

He scratched the back of his head.

"Um, sorry about last night. I just remembered I had to pick up my brother at the airport and thanks for waking me up. And I'm sorry I fell asleep last night. I didn't get much sleep—the—night—be-" She was moving towards him and he took a step back and gulped. She moved even closer."—Fore."

"I'm not like other girls Duo."

"I—I know."

"Kiss me!" Her mouth reached his. His eyes widened. She kissed him. She pulled him inside the apartment. She threw him on the couch. He looked around before pushing her away.

"Sorry Gina, I'm not like what you think." She shook her head.

"No Duo, I know—all about you!"

"How?"

"You didn't pick up your brother at the airport last night. You went to the Victorian base to see your friend Heero."

"How do you know about Heero?"

"I'm Gina Parkinson and I was sent to protect the colonies. We have a lot of things in common Duo."

He didn't say anything and sat down beside her on the couch. "Your gundam is Deathscythe."

"Yeah, how did you know about Deathscythe? Great now I have to kill a really hot babe I could've scored with. Damn." He shrugged and said, "Oh well, there's others out there." He pulled out a gun and aimed it at her.

"Will you let me finish?" she asked.

"You said too much babe?" He moved the barrel closer to her face. "Finish, before I kill you."

She took a breath and proceeded to continue.

"I am the granddaughter of Dr. (whoever created duo's gundam who I need to find out his name). You know the man that created your Deathsycthe. I have a gundam too. Except it's called a Gundama. It's like the female version of a gundam. Mine is named Deathangel." His eyes narrowed.

"I'm not lying. I show you, if I'm still alive." She put a hand on his cheek and stroked it. "You were so sweet." She put her hand on the trigger. "Oh well, nice knowin' ya. Mission accepted." She started to pull the trigger.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked, his hand shaking.

"I'm taking care of the dirty work for you. You can make it look like a suicide."

He put the gun down and held her face in his hands.

"I'm not ready to lose you yet babe." He kissed her. "Well, let's go see Deathangel."

"There are 5 of us. I only know two of them and they are Catherine and Relena Dorlain."

"Relena and Catherine?"

"Do you know them?"

"Sure do. Do you want my friends to come."

"Sure, the more the merrier."

"You don't look Italian."

"Maybe because I'm not."

He shrugged and they left to pick up Trowa and the others.

"Where's Heero?"

"He went to see Relena."

Lady Une was having morning sickness.

"Une, sweetheart, are you feeling okay?"

"Does it look like I'm feeling okay, Trieze?" He wrapped his arms around her and placed his hands on her belly.

"Something you want to tell me?" he asked.

"I'm having a baby an its all your fault!"

"I want us to be blessed with many children." He kissed her. "Did you make an appointment?"

"Yes."

"Good."

Gina picked up Catherine and they went to see Deathangel. Gina explained to all of them what she told Duo. They went to the base and snuck in. she uncovered her gundam. It looked like Deathscythe except it was slightly smaller and looked more feminine. All were in amazement.

"So next time you need help in a fight, you know who to call," said Gina. They all went back to the restaurant where Relena and Heero met them. They all split up and went their separate ways for the time being. Relena and Heero hooked arms and walked along the shore. The crisp waves curled around their feet.

"Are you happy Relena? I mean when I was gone."

"No Heero, I missed you too much. I wondered when you would return to me. Why?"

"Just wondering."

"Oh Heero, don't tell me you're going away again and leaving me behind!" They stopped and he stroked her cheek where a tear had fallen.

"It's one of my missions. It's for the well being of the colonies and I was sent to defend them." He said stoic faced and emotionless.

Tears welled up in her soft blue eyes and he kissed her. The wind sent a gentle breeze which tousled their hair and the sun was setting softly in its beautiful painted landscape. There he held her in his arms and where time stood still and left them in this moment forever.

Gina had taken Duo back to her place where she had planned to bake a cake for Relena's "surprise birthday party" a little earlier than necessary and needed Duo to help.

"Babe, don't you think that it's a little too early to bake this cake after all its only Monday?"

"I guess your right, Duo." She took off her apron. "I have a name you know."

"I-I know. So what do you want to do now?" he asked.

She smiled and raised her eyebrows.

"Come here sweetie!"

"I gotta go!" he said hurriedly. She grabbed him and tried to carry him into her room and he grabbed hold of the doorframe.

"No!" Duo wailed.

Gina's maniacal laughter ensued…

Relena's birthday was only a few days away and she hated the thought that Heero might not attend her party. He led her back to her mansion and she invited him to join her for lunch. He agreed and she took his hand after they ate and begged him not to leave her.

"I told you Relena, I have a mission."

"Is it more important than me—than our love?" He ignored her question. His fingers touched her lips as to silence her. Her voice dissolved when she looked his deep blue eyes. They said no more after this.

Getting back to Duo and Gina, she finally grabbed his braid and he surrendered. She laughed.

"Duo, you are so overactive. I want your opinion on what I should wear to Relena's party." She held out three dresses. A red one, a blue one, and a green one. He left out a sigh and looked at his watch.

"All right babe, you better make it fast. I have an appointment with Deathscythe." He sat on the bed. He opened his mouth to speak. She had her back turned to him.

"Duo, if you're thinking I'm a slut, I'm not. I want to get married first. And if you're going to ask why I kissed you last time, I had a little too much coffee!" He closed his mouth since she had answered his questions.

"Hmmm. He's late." said Trowa looking at his watch.

"He told me that he was going to work on Deathscythe." said Quatre.

"He told me that he was going to help Gina with something." said Wufei. Heero walked up and said,

"If you were Duo, where would you be right now?"

"I guess with Gina," said Trowa," it figures."

"He's on his way here now, I drove past her house and he was walking towards his car." They stood for about five minutes.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late," said Duo giving a big warm welcome to his fellow comrades.

"You're always late!" said Trowa seriously.

"Hey buddy lighten up. I-I was working on Deathscythe." Wufei glared at him,

"Sure you were." Wufei said. Duo stared at Quatre.

"Where were you Duo?" he asked. His eyes looked side to side.

"Uh-Uh--." They all stared at him. A sweat dropped rolled down the side of his face. The pressure was too much for him.

"Alright I was at Gina's house and she dragged me in her bedroom and modeled what she was going to wear to Relena's party and she wanted my opinion and I was going to work on Deathscythe really I was honestly!" he confessed.

"Really?" said Trowa amused by Duo's outburst. Duo wiped the sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand. Trowa was going to say something else until he saw an Orion flying overhead. He pointed it out to the others and they decided to check it out.

Wufei had snuck down to the air force academy and base called the Kingsley Harbor Base. There he decided to destroy the incoming Orions and thought Nataku wanted to have a little fun. Trowa radioed in to Wufei.

"Hold on Wufei, we need to make sure that these are the right people. We don't want to make the same mistake that Heero did!"

"You're right."

Meanwhile, Lady Une (or Khushranada) was struggling with trying to bath her son.

"Hold still you little maggot!" she pleaded. After all he was only a week old and had beautiful crystal blue eyes like his father. His father was a well-rounded person and someday their son would carry that same quality. Trieze saw that his wife was struggling and came to her aid. The baby smiled an ear to ear grin at the sight of his father and his eyes glistened with happiness.

"Take a rest, my love. You had a very long and hard day. You need your rest." He dried off his son and put a diaper on him and kissed the child before placing him in his crib. He then returned to his wife and sat by her on the bed. She stroked his cheek.

"Oh Trieze, I'm such a terrible mother and I think I'm not making you happy enough and I'm not doing a great job of raising our son!"

"You're doing a splendid job." He held her hand.

"I look awful. Trieze look at me! I'm fat and ugly!" He smiled and chuckled. "You are nothing of the sort. I want you to go to the salon and get your hair done then go to the mall and buy a new wardrobe. Don't cook tonight, we'll eat out and—," he paused.

"And what?"

"Get contacts if you don't like those glasses!" She smiled and kissed him. He put his hand on her belly.

"I love you and I'll give you a beautiful baby and a beautiful wife!" She kissed him once more and left to go to the mall.

They found out that the people were members of the Kingsley Harbor Academy and they all received a message to destroy them. Duo climbed aboard Deathscythe and Howard tried to catch him but he was already inside. He signaled Duo with his arms and Duo got out.

"What is it Howard?"

"Duo, there is a small defect in the right arm. The scythe might be a little slow than usual."

"Thanks," he said before taking off. Wufei started his attack and Trowa soon followed suit. They were underestimated about the Orions for they were much faster than their own Gundams. Trowa directed Heavyarms to an incoming barge were he fired his machine gun and took it out with only three Orions escaping Duo had ended their existence with one quick swipe of his scythne. He soon realized that Deathsycthe was beginning to get weaker ever time he used the right arm. A fierce Oz pilot shot at Duo and knocked him and Deathscythe down. He continued delivering blows and Duo thought he had no chance of escaping. He proceeded to hit the self-destruct button when he heard Gina's voice.

"Hey handsome, you're not leaving me now are you?" He smiled and got Deathscythe back up. Nataku and Catherine had came to help them out. They all destroyed the remaining barges and demolished the base.

Meanwhile, Heero had just woken up. He stretched his arms and got up. There was a knock at the door and he answered it. It was Relena. She came in and sat down on the bed.

"Good morning Heero." She said cheerfully. Her golden hair shining in the sunlight and spilling over her shoulders. She was dressed in an "I Love NY" t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. He sat up and rubbed the sleep away from his cold blue eyes. He noticed her there and she smiled. He hadn't remembered that he had spent the night at Relena's house.

"What time is it?" She smiled again.

"Time for you to get up. Takanara made us breakfast and you know how she fusses when you're late." She kissed him on the cheek and he blushed still hiding his true emotions. She left the room and he got dressed and joined the others at breakfast.