DISCLAIMER: I am not the owner of nor wish to appear to be the owner of FAKE and all related merchandise thereof.

WARNINGS: Formal Diana. Calmer J.J. With sprinklings of Lime here and there. The chapter(s) with Lemon will be labeled. This warning applies to the entire story not just this chapter!

" You can't stay here," the man in the wire rimmed glasses looked annoyed, but the young girl knew better. They were walking down a long corridor. It smelled like lemon floor cleaner.

" I'm staying," she gave a bright smile that would have broken anyone else, " I like you!"

The man grunted, " You are only here until there is room enough at Miner's Orphanage."

She giggled, " I know."

" None the less," the man sighed and halted his steps, " you can not stay here. We are going to be in a meeting and you will just be in the way."

The girl pouted and it was cute, " I just want to see what you are doing. I want to know what a Senator does."

The man turned his back to her and walked silently into the meeting hall. The girl bounded a few paces behind. She knew he wouldn't say no.

She was a good girl and she was silent through the long, dry meeting. At the end of it all she was graced with a slight smile from the man and a light touch to the top of her head. It was his thanks to her for her quietness.

She had to run to catch up to him, " You were so cool in there! Everyone really looks up to you!"

He shrugged, " I do my job."

She smiled and whispered, " You do it well..."

He stopped walking and looked down at the petite girl, " Are you hungry, do you want me to take you somewhere to eat?"

The girl froze momentarily. The Senator was never that kind to her, this was actually the most he has ever spoken to her. Normally he is stoned faced and harsh with his words and he rarely looked her in the eye. She had been in the Senate offices for three months and even though this man was never outwardly gentle she was attached to him.

She always felt that if the time ever came he would fight for her.

Diana looked down at Dee then to Ryo then back at Dee. Once she saw the nod of his head and realized that he didn't care if Ryo heard she sighed then spoke, " I am really surprised that Rose didn't confront you...he was..." she bit her lower lip, " furious."

Dee shifted turning around so that his back was to Ryo and he was facing the Commander. He cocked his head waiting for her to continue.

Diana sighed again, louder, then cracking her knuckles proceeded to explain, " You already know about the rebels thirteen years ago and it is common knowledge that a lot of orphans were made in the process of that scuffle. The Miner's Orphanage was a small building and they ran out of room quickly. So a lot of children were left on Earth to fend for themselves and the lucky few were taken in by family members and churches. The ones that wandered the street became reliant on the others around them for support and therefore tended to cling to and hang around government buildings and places that were known to employ the wealthy," Diana paused to lick her lips before continuing, " While Senator Rose was starting his second term a young orphan girl by the name of Carol chose him to be her care taker. Of course he didn't want anything to do with her, but she stayed by his side for months. People got used to her presence. I met her once, before my ship was sent into battle. Anyway, Rose always looked like he couldn't stand her yet as easy as it was for him to dismiss her and get rid of her, he never did. He endured her bubbly speech and personality and at times would be seen taking her to lunch," Diana smiled slightly at this then clearing her throat moved on, " When room opened up in Miner's Rose took her there personally and even had bought her a gift for her room. They said their goodbyes and never spoke again.

" Suddenly what was a contained battle with the rebels turned into a full scale war when they began to bomb small cities and towns. That was when my ship was put into action and we fought along side the 'Stetson' a lot. Never mind that, the point is the rebels split up to carry out, what they thought would be their greatest plan to overthrow the United Earth Federation. Half took Miner's hostage and still another half had a laser cannon and explosives aimed at Federation Headquarters. Even though the rebels were split, they were all together in the Miner's Orphanage. They were demanding special privileges and wanting the moon colonies to be able to deflect and create their own government. Well, the Earth Federation had nothing to do with that. It was a matter which should have been taken up with the Senate, so that was never going to happen," Diana ran her hands through her hair, disturbing her bun and dislodging some of the strands. They fell into her eyes and she ignored them, " They called four ships onto the scene: the 'Commodore', the 'Landau', my ship the 'Reinhold', and the Lieutenant's ship the 'Stetson'. The stand off took over four hours while a negotiator on the 'Landau' tried to reason with the rebels. Meanwhile, members of the 'Commodore', a Security ship, were removing children out the back of the Orphanage. The 'Reinhold' and the 'Stetson' were ordered to put a lock on the Orphanage and blow the place if it came to it..." Diana sighed, " Well, the rebels found out that children were being taken off the property and they got angry. They began a count down and when they got to one they threatened to fire the laser and blow the explosives. We all thought they were bluffing. Then we got a call from HQ stating that the laser was indeed powering up and, even though the explosives had been found and dismantled, the speed and impact from the laser would still demolish the building and kill the hundreds that worked there. The order was given to destroy the Orphanage. The Federation wanted to prove they were not pushovers and that they wouldn't give in. Every gunner on the ships hesitated...except..."

The muscles in Dee's jaw clenched and his voice was a whisper, " Except me."

Diana nodded slowly and upon seeing Ryo's pained expression spoke, " It was an order. A direct order from HQ. We signed the dotted line Maclean. He was doing his job."

There was a silence in the room. A thick uneasy silence that Ryo hated and prayed would pass. Ryo wasn't questioning Dee's choice. He was in the military too, he knew how things went during peacetime and during war. What did strike him as odd was Diana's earlier demeanor. She had smiled and even laughed at the possible expression that could have been on Ryo's face after hearing Dee's story. This, however, was no laughing matter. Ryo supposed it was a nervous reaction due to the fact that her story had been thrust out into the open or she was trying to lighten the mood of Dee's story. Either way, Ryo didn't ask.

Dee leaned back on his hands abruptly and Ryo caught the scent of his fresh, earthy shampoo, " Yeah, well, this is all old news. Everyone knows what happened and that I am the one who did it."

Diana nodded, " I know," she directed her attentions to Ryo, " he was even seen as a hero. Protecting the Headquarters and possibly the surrounding town. Most thanked him and it even aided in gaining his next rank faster."

Ryo's brows furrowed, " Okay...but what does any of this have to with Senator Rose?"

" It took a while before the names were released of the surviving children," Diana stood, stretching, " Rose was frantic. He was afraid for Carol and the hero worship Laytner was receiving only added to his anger. See saw, well, still sees Laytner as a man who killed innocent children, not the savior of the United Earth Federation and he vowed to ruin him. Even after he found out that Carol was safe and that an aunt of hers was taking her in, he couldn't let it go. After moving me, partly because he hated me and partly to take the blame out on someone, he had to wait," she sat again after her stretch, "You have to remember, he was only a second year Senator. Anyway, as the years went by he gained more power in the Senate through honest good work and a little blackmailing. So when Rose requested Laytner's transfer not to long after the papers came down for him to get the rank of Lieutenant, no one, save the Commander of the 'Stetson', really put up a fight. Everyone thought Rose had forgotten or in the very least forgiven..." Diana frowned, " We were wrong."

Dee was sitting with his eyes closed. He was breathing steadily his hands still stretched out behind him. He looked oddly peaceful. In reality he didn't know what to say nor did he want to turn around and face Ryo. So he just sat there, waiting.

Ryo was looking at Dee, his eyes resting on an inch thick mass of hair that had removed itself from the rest and had worked its way upward to form a loose U. Ryo reached over and pulled at the center of the U and watched as it unfurled to lie with the others. Diana was watching the two men and she slowly stood and silently left the Bridge. There was much she needed to do anyway.

Ryo touched Dee's right shoulder gently and Dee turned his head, frowning. His profile could been seen, he had opened his eyes, but they were merely slits, his emeralds looking at the floor.

" Will you speak with me?" Ryo's words were a whisper, " I...understand..."

Dee's lids opened more at that, his brows raising. He let out a sigh before answering, "What do you want to say to me?"

Ryo looked annoyed, " Turn around. I will not talk to your back."

Dee smiled slightly then nodding, he turned his body. He looked Ryo in the eye as he crossed his legs, leaning forward slightly.

Ryo smiled, " Good. Now listen, I don't want to talk about what you did 13 years ago. That is the past and we can't change that. All we can do is look forward to the future."

Dee cocked his head to the left and grinned, " So...you are seeing great things for us then?"

Ryo snorted, " Focus."

" I am," Dee's smile widened, " you are the one who said that we should look forward to a wonderful, intimate future."

Ryo raised a brow, " I think you added a few more words."

Dee shook his head, " You were thinking them. I can tell. You want me."

" W-what!" A blush rose across Ryo's cheeks and Dee thought the added color aided in his beauty, " I was not!"

Dee leaned in and purred, " You dream about me."

Ryo averted his eyes, he could no longer look into that handsome face. He tried to change the subject, " So what are you going to do now that you know the truth? You going to fight to get your position back?"

Dee was smirking now, " Nope, besides, I could never leave you behind."

In a flash Dee had pounced on Ryo and he was kissing him in earnest. Ryo made a sound of protest, but the noise was muffled by Dee's smooth tongue. Ryo felt his body warm and he vaguely thought that they were in the open and anyone on the ship could come in and see them. Then he had the thought that he really didn't care. Ryo groaned, he didn't know what was happening to him. He had never thought about men in a romantic way before. Sure, he was comfortable enough in his masculinity that he could acknowledge when another man was handsome, however, he never would have thought that it meant anything more than that. Not until he met Dee Laytner. Dee was forceful in his advances and wasted no time in claiming what he wanted. Ryo thought he should be angry or horrified, instead, he found himself flattered and hopelessly aroused. He admitted at this moment that Dee stirred something inside him and he liked it. This dance was exciting and dangerous and Ryo craved more. Dee was hot and charismatic and tasted of the sweetest treat. He had an air of confidence and it was clear he knew first hand of guiltless sex and he was proud of his expertise.

The kiss seemed to last an eternity and Ryo wondered briefly what else Dee could do to him. Dee moaned before slowly removing his lips, tracing Ryo's bottom lip with his tongue. Dee nipped the lip then drew it into his mouth and suckled it gently before releasing it and reaching up to hold Ryo's face in his hands.

Dee sounded breathless and seductive and Ryo blushed at his words, " You are beautiful. I want to taste you always," Dee lower his head and pressed there foreheads together, " I don't want to leave you..."

Ryo closed his eyes, his voice was a trembling whisper, " I don't want you to go..."

" Then let us spend as much time together as possible."

" Okay," the answer was swift and Ryo didn't regret it.