"Hey, look at that! There's a shuttle coming down the gravity well!" Chanel said, pointing with her free hand at the glowing streak of light headed towards the Bern International Airport.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You seen Raine's flight number yet?" her twin sister Katie said, ogling a few passing guys as they did likewise in return. The two sisters each had a large gift tucked under their left arms. Chanel's gift was red with a blue ribbon and Katie's was blue with a red ribbon. The girls themselves were a study in matching disparity. Both were tall and thin, but not emaciated. They both shared wide cerulean blue eyes that looked like sparkling sapphires in the noonday sun. However Chanel had blond hair with black highlights and was wearing a pale blue skirt and yellow polo shirt, while Katie had black hair with blond highlights and wore a yellow skirt and blue polo shirt. Katie also sported a pair of rimless sunglasses with blue lenses that were currently pushed up onto her head.

"They are coming back on Alkire's jet, remember? They'll be at the private section of the airport. It's this way." Chanel said, forging off through the crowds determinedly. Katie followed her closely.

"Alkire? You mean Robert. I don't know why he uses that ridiculous name. Its so phony it hurts." Katie commented.

"It's because he's afraid of being identified. You should be glad he's not around right now or he'd reprimand you right good for using his real name."

"He makes paranoids look sane. I don't know why Raine hangs out with him." Katie continued grumbling. Well, she actually did know why, Katie reminded herself. It was because Raine believed what Robert... Alkire... was doing was for the good of the world. Katie tried not to think about it too much though. Otherwise she'd be constantly worried about her older sister Raine.

"Oh look, the shuttle is coming to the private terminal too!" Chanel said excitedly. Katie groaned.

"Alkire's gonna freak! He'll be suspicious as all hell for the rest of the day!" Katie predicted. As it turned out, both Alkire's jet and the space shuttle arrived at the same time. Chanel and Katie ran out onto the tarmac to greet their bigger sister and her friends. The shuttle started unloading its passengers only a few yards away. First out of Alkire's jet was Victor Klien, who hated flying. He never got sick, he just hated flying. He was carrying a large wooden case in one hand, which Chanel and Katie both knew from experience contained his saber and demolitions kit. Next came James Ramsgoth, toting a large duffel filled with his disassembled heavy machine gun and twin machine pistols. Chanel looked expectantly at the door of the aircraft. Raine was usually next off the plane. Chanel looked around quickly to see where Katie was. Much to her surprise, her twin was staring at the people getting off the space shuttle.

"Look at that guy's scar! That's so cool! He's so pretty too!" Katie was exclaiming dreamily. She was looking at a guy with two large canvas bags hanging from his fists who was standing at the bottom of the shuttle's stairs. The young man was about their age and was dressed in black slacks and a grey long sleeved shirt. He had brilliant blue eyes and pale white hair that seemed to shine like silver. A massive brownish scar divided his face from just over his left eye to almost to the bottom of his right cheek. The scarred boy scowled back up the shuttle's stairs.

"My... isn't he pretty. Though that scar is very unusual." Raine's intelligent voice said from behind Chanel as she put her hand on her little sister's shoulder. Chanel flushed slightly. She couldn't believe she had missed seeing Raine because she was ogling some guy! She wasn't like Katie in that regard, not at all. No, she was very picky about her guys. In fact, she was so picky she had never gone on a date or even held a guy's hand.

"How was your trip, Raine?" Chanel asked, struggling not to flush with contrition. She didn't get to see her older sister very often because Raine was always "traveling on business".

"The meeting was successful." Raine said with a twinkle in her eye. Chanel felt a rush of relief. Raine wouldn't ever say anything more than that about her trips, but if a trip was successful that meant everyone was all right and unharmed. Behind Raine Alkire jumped to the ground.

"Hey girls! You're looking beautiful as ever!" Alkire said cheerfully. "Wait... who're we looking at?" Katie noticed that others were around just then and pointed. By this time the scarred boy had been joined by several other youths, divided between four boys and three girls. They were all talking excitedly amongst themselves, except for the scarred boy who stood a little apart and just scowled constantly. As Alkire watched, a large and heavily built man with long black hair exited the shuttle. Alkire blinked. "Hey... isn't that Instructor Kisaka?" Alkire asked. Victor and James swung about and Raine studied the man intently.

"It is!" Raine said, sounding very surprised. "But what uniform is he wearing? It's not Earth Forces."

"Orb." Vladimir's melancholy voice echoed down from inside the aircraft. He still hadn't come out, but that was what he was like.

"You know him?" Chanel asked Alkire and Raine.

"Of course I know him. He was an instructor back at... school... a few years ago. He taught me most of what I know." Alkire responded. Chanel and Katie exchanged glances. When Alkire talked about school, he meant Commando training. "HEY KISAKA!" Alkire shouted and waved his arm wildly. Kisaka spun around, obviously startled. He stared at Alkire from a distance of about fifty feet, obviously trying to place him. "It's me... Robert Jones! Remember? You taught a class a couple years back before the war. I was your worst student!"

The look of recognition on Kisaka's face was just priceless, as far as Raine and the others were concerned. Even Vlad managed a chuckle. "Bet he's freaking out now." James whispered.

"Why?" Katie asked.

"Because we ran him almost to his wits end last time we met. He vowed that he would sooner have a heart attack than teach another class with us in it again." Victor explained.

"Well, let's go over and catch up. I wonder what the hell Kisaka is doing in Switzerland?" Alkire said, beginning to head in that direction.

"I'll be with you in a minute." Vlad replied as everyone else followed Alkire over. Chanel and Katie exchanged whispers and blushes as the scarred boy glanced at them.

-------------------------------------

"Who are those people? They seem to know you, Kisaka." Cagalli asked as she watched the group of six approach. It felt so good to be back on Earth again! Fresh air! Open space! Sunlight! She almost did a little dance of joy right then and there. Athrun stood next to her, resting her bag and his on the ground while he recuperated from toting them down the stairs. Kira and Lacus stood nearby, arm in arm, while Dearka and Miriallia leaned against the base of the shuttle stairs and enjoyed the feeling of having personal space again. Sai was talking with them. Ysak of course, stood by himself and glowered at anything and everything. But especially at Athrun and her.

"They're... students of mine. Former students. From back when I taught guerilla warfare classes before the war. What the hell are they doing in Switzerland? I thought this would be one place where no one would recognize us, and now we haven't even left the airport and we've been recognized." Kisaka mumbled irritably.

The approaching strangers came to a stop a few feet away. The four adults marched forward in perfect lockstep after letting their bags carefully down to the ground. They gave four perfect salutes. "Major Robert Jones reporting, Sir!" the man with brown and black speckled hair said. "Captain Victor Klien reporting, Sir!" the thin man with Germanic features and blond hair said. "Captain James Ramsgoth reporting, Sir!" said the third man of the group, who was shaved bald with the tattoo of two rams horns on his shaven pate. "Major Raine Belaruse reporting, Sir!" said the sole woman who had her long brown hair done up in a practical bun. Kisaka just looked at them in disgust.

"I remember saying that I never wanted to see any of you ever again. That was shortly after the scorpion incident, if I remember right." Kisaka said coldly.

"Oh, don't be like that, Instructor. The stuff you taught us helped us a hell of a lot during the war. I just wanted to thank you." Robert said, mimicking a hurt expression. Kisaka just glared at him.

"So what are you doing here anyways, Kisaka? These aren't YOUR kids are they?" Raine said impishly. Cagalli bristled.

"What? No, we aren't his kids!" she shouted. Kisaka gestured for her to be quiet, but she only subsided when Athrun put a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah. I guess not. You're not well behaved enough to be Kisaka's kids." James commented. Athrun believed he could see steam rising from Cagalli's head.

"I'm escorting this group of refugees. I'm helping them get settled here in Switzerland so they can start trying to rebuild their lives." Kisaka replied in a measured voice, sticking with their cover story. It wasn't really that hard for them to go unnoticed. Except for Lacus, none of them were famous enough to have been seen on television outside of their Mobile Suits and Lacus was mainly watched by Coordinators.

"War orphans?" Victor asked, noting the uniformly young ages of the refugees. Kisaka nodded. It was true enough, at least in Athrun's, Cagalli's and Lacus's cases. Also for Dearka, who hadn't been in contact with his parents for more than a year but found nothing odd in that, since that was normal for him. Everyone else still had parents, and would either be dispersed back to their homes in a few weeks or would be staying together.

"Man, I heard about Orb. I couldn't believe that the Atlantic Federation attacked it like that. Seeing you in that Colonel's uniform explains to me why they had such a hard time." Robert said. Kisaka was about to reply when he caught sight of Vladimir slowly making his way towards them.

"What the hell is HE doing here?" Kisaka hissed angrily. Robert looked at Vladimir and then back at Kisaka.

"Vlad's changed, Kisaka. He's not the way he used to be anymore." Robert whispered. Vladimir halted about fifteen feet away.

"Captain Vladimir Valkavich reporting, Sir!" he said, sharply saluting at the same time. Athrun noticed an odd noise when Vlad moved his arm. He glanced around. Every Coordinator there had heard the same and was looking around to see if the others had heard it.

"If you take one step closer Vlad, I'll have to kill you." Kisaka said grimly, his hand on his sidearm. Cagalli looked at him in shock. This wasn't the Kisaka she knew.

"I know that sir. That's why I stopped here." Vlad replied and hesitated. "I'm very sorry, Kisaka."

"Sorry doesn't bring them back, Vlad." Kisaka said flatly. Vlad bowed his head forward so his dusty black hair fell over his eyes.

"I know. Nothing can bring them back. But I am sorry." Vlad said again. Before the tension could rise again, there came another interruption.

"Get away from me!" Ysak yelled. As one, every person there turned to see what was going on. Ysak was inching his way backwards as Katie and Chanel inched closer, trying to get a better look at his face and scar. Ysak brought up his hand to ward them off, but Katie merely caught it and pulled it up so she could study it closely. "Dearka! Help me!" Ysak pleaded. Dearka just shook his head and laughed. The mighty Ysak, being manhandled by two 16 year old girls and crying out for help from his friends. Dearka might have helped him out. Before Ysak had made all those derogatory comments about his relationship with Miriallia that is. Now... well, now Ysak could deal with his own problems.

"He only has the one scar. Ohh." Katie complained, releasing Ysak's hand.

"Maybe he has other's hidden under his shirt." Chanel said determinedly. "Besides, the one on his face is intriguing enough. I wonder how he got it." Ysak glared at both of them, but neither seemed to mind.

"Stop talking about me as if I'm not here!" Ysak shouted, backing up some more. "Why are you so interested in my scar anyway?"

"We think scars are very manly. Yours is the biggest one I've ever seen. You must be really tough to have gotten a scar like that and lived through it." Katie answered.

"Besides, you have such wonderfully pretty eyes and hair. What's your name, beautiful?" Chanel finished the thought. Ysak started turning red and sputtering, though whether from anger or humiliation Dearka couldn't tell.

"Girls, stop bothering the poor guy. I'm sure he'll tell you his name if you give him some space." Raine admonished. Katie and Chanel looked guilty and backed up a few paces.

"Sorry, Raine." they chorused and then looked at Ysak expectantly. He glared at them, and when that didn't work, he glared at Dearka.

"I'm Ysak Joule." he gritted out. The girls looked at each other and smiled.

"Even his name is cool." Chanel breathed.

"I think I like him." Katie replied. Chanel paused a long moment.

"Me too." They looked at each other and shared a giggle. Ysak looked both enraged and slightly frightened. He squared his shoulders and marched over to Dearka and Miriallia, making sure to stand behind them so as to put others between him and his tormentors.

"Who's whipped now?" Dearka mumbled out of the side of his mouth.

"Shut up. My glares weren't working. They have no sense of fear." Ysak muttered.

"Weeelll, I think that's enough catching up for now. We'll see you around, Kisaka." Robert said, about facing. Kisaka glared at him again.

"What are you guys doing in Switzerland?" he asked. Robert chuckled.

"That's easy, sir. We live here." Robert said nonchalantly. "See you around, not-Kisaka's kids! School's just about to start, so you'd better get settled in." with those words he walked off. Slowly the rest of the TEMPEST soldiers and Chanel and Katie followed him, though Chanel and Katie kept looking over their shoulders at Ysak and throwing him cheery waves whenever he looked at them.

"School?" Sai asked, incredulous. Kisaka looked at him as he relaxed in direct proportion to the distance between him and his former students.

"Yes, school. You'd all stick out like sore thumbs if you didn't go to school. You don't necessarily have to do well, but you do have to go and put forth a modicum of effort." Kisaka informed them. Kira and Athrun shrugged. They'd never minded school. In fact they actually enjoyed it. Lacus was interested, since she'd been home schooled her entire life. She wondered what high school would be like. Miriallia and Dearka shared groans of disappointment that bespoke true dread of high school. Sai just nodded and smiled, since he'd not be here long anyway before going back to his parents. Cagalli just looked frustrated while Ysak looked relieved. Of course, that was mainly because those two witches had left, but he didn't mind learning for learning's sake anyway."Who WERE those people, Kisaka?" Cagalli asked suddenly. Kisaka frowned.

"Former students of mine, princess. We didn't get along." he replied shortly.

"I could tell that. But what about the Vladimir guy? That was a little more than didn't get along. You were really going to shoot him, weren't you?" Cagalli pressed. Kisaka turned away.

"It's time to get moving. I have to get back to Orb before nightfall, so lets hurry along." he said, heading towards the terminal parking lot. Cagalli frowned mightily.

"Ooooh! I hate it when adults try and keep things from me!" she declared.

"Ever think it might NOT be any of your business?" Ysak scoffed. Cagalli whirled.

"That's enough out of you, fraidy-cat!" she snarled.

"WHAT? What did you just call me?" Ysak took several steps forward, fists clenched. Athrun jumped between them.

"Whoa, whoa! Everyone calm down. We're all friends here... well, at least we're all not enemies. There's no sense in fighting amongst ourselves. Lets stop now before somebody says something regrettable." Athrun said. It took him until Kisaka showed up with the van to calm Cagalli and Ysak down. As things were, Ysak climbed into the back of the van with the bags and grumbled for the entire trip to the housing complex, with Cagalli shooting him dagger like glances every few minutes.

----------------------------------------

Each housing complex was separated into a girl's side and a guy's side by a long hallway. The particular one that Kisaka had secured for them was two stories tall and vacant. The lower floor of each side was devoted to kitchen, study and relaxation areas, while the upstairs were bedrooms and bathrooms. The girls and guys split up to secure their living quarters. Since there were only three girls, they had no trouble splitting the rooms. Each girl got one bedroom and therefore one bunk bed, all to herself. For guy's it wasn't so easy. Kira and Athrun initially intended to bunk together, until Dearka pointed out the potential embarrassment of having Kira in the room while Athrun entertained Cagalli and the same for Athrun with Kira and Lacus. Ysak had been quick to claim the single room for himself and no one felt like arguing with him in his current mood. The rooms ended up being Athrun and Sai bunking together, and then Kira and Dearka bunking together.

Once everyone was settled in, Dearka picked up his battered leather jacket and walked out into the common room downstairs. "I'm going out to see what the town is like. Anyone coming with me?" he announced. Athrun and Kira immediately joined him, while Sai informed everyone that he was going to sleep. Ysak just glared at all of them and mumbled something about being tired. "He's just waiting for us to leave so he can call mommy." Dearka stage whispered and only barely avoided a thrown pot lid. The three Coordinators hustled out the door, chuckling amongst themselves.

"Why do you provoke him like that?" Kira asked, after they had calmed down.

"Because he makes it easy. He's SOOO sensitive about things." Dearka replied instantly. "Besides, I want him to loosen up and this is my way of doing it. Eventually his anger will collapse in on itself like a black hole and he'll be cheerful. That's my theory anyway." Dearka continued after a bit of thought. "Now, what say you we make this a triple date?"

"Oh, so now you and Mir are dating?" Kira asked slyly. Dearka froze.

"Right. Don't tell her I said that. How about we make it a double date plus two?" Dearka corrected. Kira looked at him in concern.

"You don't have to be so scared of Mir, Dearka. She's a really nice and gentle person. I'm sure she'd go out with you if you asked her." Kira said. Dearka looked back at him and laughed nervously.

"Heh hah... no. You don't understand. I first met her back when everyone thought you and Athrun were dead. I wondered aloud about why she was crying so much and asked her if it was because her stupid Natural boyfriend had just gone and died or something." Dearka paused. "Well, turns out her Natural boyfriend HAD just died. His name was Tolle and he died piloting a Skygrasper, those plane things you guys had then. Man, I wish I could unsay those words more than anything." Dearka said quietly.

"Hey, I'm surprised she can stand to be around me at all." Athrun replied. "I was the one that killed Tolle after all."

"Well, you just better hope she never comes across you chained to a bed then." Dearka said mirthlessly.

"Huh?" Kira asked. Athrun looked confused too.

"That really nice and gentle person tried to stab me to death with a scalpel when I said what I shouldn't have. I was chained to a bed at the time." Dearka explained.

"Hey... we all have our private psychoses. Let's not dwell on that now. I still think you should just ask her." Kira said after a few moments.

"What... you're giving Dearka romantic advice now? You, who didn't even know I was going out with your sister for two whole months while confined to the same ship as us. That's rich." Athrun snorted. Kira blushed.

"Oh, you don't know the WORST of it!" Dearka pounced on the topic, desperate to get out of the uncomfortable spot. "I can't tell you how many times I've seen them get to first base. Hell, I've seen them get all the way to second base once or twice." Dearka said to Kira. "Hot damn they go at it like nothing else!" Kira kept turning darker and darker red, as did Athrun. "I mean... there was this one time, just before we left. The scene: Ysak's room. The characters: Cagalli Yula Attha and Athrun Zala. The action: ...Well, his shirt was off and both had bad cases of roaming hands... urk!" Dearka stopped his narration when Cagalli beaned him from behind with a well thrown hairbrush.

"I thought I heard a loser out here. What are you three doing?" Cagalli said, stepping out into the hall. Athrun felt his throat go dry and his eyes go wide. Cagalli was wearing an orange halter top that stopped well short of her midriff and devilishly short red exercise shorts. She wore pink sandals on her feet and a replica of the necklace she had given Athrun around her throat. Her hair was still slightly wet and disheveled, she obviously hadn't finished combing it.

"Ca... Ca... Cag... Cagalli!" Athrun exclaimed. Kira closed his eyes and shook his head, still dealing with Dearka's story.

"What, you don't like my outfit?" she asked, her voice going dangerous.

"No... No. I LOVE your outfit. I mean... WOW." Athrun said breathlessly. Cagalli smiled at him.

"You're so sweet. Now give me my brush back so I can finish getting ready so you can take me out on the town." Cagalli ordered. Athrun hastened to obey. "Good. No you three boys wait here in the hall. We shouldn't be more than five minutes." Cagalli instructed. With that she disappeared back inside the girl's side of the living complex and closed the door.

"HOT DAMN!" Dearka commented. Athrun couldn't do much more than nod in dazed agreement. Kira looked anxiously at the door.

"I wonder what possessed her to dress like that? She never did so before." Kira asked. Dearka slapped him on the shoulder.

"Dude, she was always in military uniform when you were around. Mainly because you guys were nearly constantly fighting. Now the war's over, at least for a while and we're seeing what she's like the rest of the time. Or rather, we're seeing her like she is when she's madly in love with someone." Dearka explained.

"Are the other girls going to be that way too?" Kira wondered. Dearka seriously considered that.

"I hope so. What about you?" Dearka said. Kira looked thoughtful for a long moment before finally blushing a bit and nodding his head. Athrun smiled. It was so good to see Kira not being weighed down by his guilt and instead acting like Athrun remembered him as before the war.

It actually turned out that the girls exceeded their guys's expectations. When Cagalli came back out she had stuck a large golden flower ornament into her hair and was wearing an open faced pure white leather jacket that reached to her knees. "Aren't these ornaments nice? Lacus loaned them to me from her extensive collection." Cagalli commented, noting Athrun's stare. Lacus was next out the door. Her outfit was almost an exact mirror of Cagalli's, except with pink halter, purple shorts, blue sandals and the white leather coat. Her hair was unadorned and flowing loose.

"Oh no. I feel so exposed. Are you sure this is legal attire?" Lacus exclaimed shyly. Athrun and Dearka snuck glances at Kira, who was staring at Lacus as if she had turned to solid gold or something.

"Legal? Of course it's legal. You're covered, aren't you?" Cagalli responded.

"Yes. But I've never worn anything like this before. It's so... racy." Lacus replied doubtfully. Cagalli rolled her eyes.

"Kira likes it, don't you, Kira?" Cagalli said sweetly, but with her fist visibly clenched. Kira noted that before replying.

"Of course! It's wonderful! You look great!" Kira managed. Lacus beamed and took his hand, making room in the door for Miriallia.

"I'm wonder what the weather is going to be like tonight?" Dearka muttered so that only Kira and Athrun could hear him.

"Why?" Athrun whispered.

"Because if it's cold I can think of at least two lucky guys who are going to be called on to help warm them up." Dearka replied, logic impeccable. Before he could get much further along that train of thought, Miriallia stepped forth. Unlike the other two girls, who were a study in light pastels, Miriallia wore a knee length dark green skirt with a crimson blouse, black dress shoes and an ankle length black leather trenchcoat. A pale blue rose was nestled in her cinnamon colored hair.

"I thought we were wearing matching outfits?" Cagalli protested. Miriallia looked at her with frank amusement.

"No, I never agreed to that. You merely assumed I did because I had three white coats and I loaned two of them to you and Lacus. I'm not comfortable wearing outfits like those. Not yet." Miriallia replied smugly with a glance towards Dearka.

"I knew it. Their outfits are hints to how they view their relationships to us." Dearka groaned. "You two get all the flesh and for me she's wearing more clothes than normal. Does God hate me or something?" he whispered in explanation.

"Stop whispering, Dearka. If you have something to say, I'm sure we'd all like to hear it." Miriallia demanded.

"Ummm..." Dearka hedged.

"It was complimentary... right?" Miriallia prodded.

"He was just saying about how lucky he was that he'd have such an attractive date." Athrun supplied. Dearka coughed and turned red.

"Well, I'm not dating him. Yet. Maybe if tonight goes well, I'll consider it." Miriallia replied. Dearka alternatively folded in on himself in despair and brightened with a ray of hope. Reaching deep within himself for a strength he never knew he had, Dearka smiled and offered his arm to Miriallia.

"Shall we go then?" he asked.

---------------------------------------------

Ysak couldn't get the goddamned phone to work. This living complex didn't have a video telecommunications system like most of the ships he had been on recently, but it did have a hard line phone. However, every time Ysak tried to dial his mother on the PLANTS he got disconnected just as the call rang through. After the seventh try Ysak threw the phone across the room in a fit of pique. "Damn this country to hell!" Ysak proclaimed and sat down on the couch. He lay there for a few minutes before becoming restless. There was nothing to DO here. No books, no computers, no working phones... nothing. He didn't really feel like talking, especially since the only person to talk to was Sai, and while he seemed to be an okay guy, Ysak hardly knew him at all... and Sai was asleep anyway.

"I should have gone with Dearka and the others." Ysak admitted, since it was a safe bet no one could hear him do so. There wasn't even a TV yet. All there was to do was lie on the couch and stare at the ceiling. An activity which grew unendurable after about fifty seconds. Suddenly someone knocked on the door to the boy's suite. Ysak sat up quickly. Who the hell could that be? The girls left with Dearka and the others, for which I am profoundly grateful. Something made Ysak wary and he quickly ran upstairs and retrieved his combat knife from its secret pocket in his bag. After hurrying downstairs again Ysak waited. Nothing happened. Then, just as he was about to sit down again, someone knocked again.

Ysak slid over to the door soundlessly. He tried to peer through the peephole, but couldn't make out anything. Holding his knife ready behind his back he opened the door with a lightning fast twist of his hand and stepped back a pace, glaring at whoever might have been out there. Upon seeing who was actually out there, Ysak nearly dropped his knife.

"Hello Ysak. How are you tonight?" Katie said cheerily as she forged her way into the room. Chanel poured in behind her, shutting the door as she did so.

"Stay away from me." Ysak ordered, showing them his knife as he slowly backed away.

"We didn't catch him in the shower." Katie pouted. Chanel shrugged.

"Sorry. Guess my calculations were off. Least he's here." she replied.

"What's the matter with you two? You talk about me like I'm not here and confess to planning to walk in on me while I'm showering. Are you insane?" Ysak protested, bumping up against the wall and side stepping away from them.

"No. Just lonely." Chanel replied, giving him a sad eyed look.

"You'll have to excuse our manner of speech. The only ones we ever usually get to talk to are ourselves. After a few years of that other people don't seem so real. We don't mean to talk about you as if you're not there; it's just a hard to shake habit." Katie elaborated.

"Sure... whatever. That explains one thing. Now what about planning to walk in on me in the shower?" Ysak demanded.

"We really want to see your scars." Chanel said.

"Besides, you're really pretty, don't you know? I like looking at pretty guys." Katie added.

"It's a compliment." Chanel said, sitting down on the sofa.

"Don't you like compliments from pretty girls?" Katie asked, sitting down on the other side of the couch, leaving a person sized space between them.

"You think we're pretty right?" Chanel asked.

"Please say you do. It's been so long since a guy said I was pretty." Katie said with a hint of depression.

"I... I... What's the matter with you two? I'm holding a knife pointed at you and you act like its nothing!" Ysak cried, getting confused by their alternating comments and questions. The two girls looked at each other and laughed. Ysak caught himself thinking that they had very beautiful laughs. Stop it, Ysak. You WILL NOT fall for Naturals. Ysak warned himself sternly.

"You won't hurt us with that knife." Chanel asserted.

"You don't like hurting girls, I think." Katie added.

"Besides, if you used that knife on us..." Chanel began.

"... Uncle Vladimir would find out and crush your skull." Katie finished calmly.

"He's sitting outside right now, probably getting worried about us." Chanel informed Ysak.

"If we don't give him the all clear soon he'll come in here and tear you limb from limb." Katie said sweetly.

"We aren't stupid. We always take precautions." Chanel leaned back and slitted her eyes.

"Especially when dealing with a Coordinator. Even a cute one." Katie mimicked the pose and added a little giggle. Ysak stared at them in amazed discomfort.

"How did you know I was a Coordinator? Just one of you please, it makes my head spin when you both talk." Ysak asked, lowering his knife slightly. The girls looked at each other and Katie clicked her teeth together.

"Uncle Vladimir told us. He recognized your friend with the green eyes and purplish hair, as well as the girl with pink hair. Uncle Vladimir knows how to spot a Coordinator vs a Natural. He say's it's something he learned during the bad time of his life." Chanel replied. "Of course, you weren't hard to figure out either. There's very little chance of a person your age having such luxurious pale hair." she added after a few seconds.

"Unless you were an albino... but you don't have red eyes and you didn't mind the sun, so that can't be it." Katie threw in and then clapped her hands to her mouth. "Sorry." she mumbled. Ysak looked at the two of them for a few moments before disgustingly slamming the knife down point first into a cutting board. As if cued, Chanel took out a cell phone and pressed a button.

"It's okay, Uncle Vladimir. He's not going to hurt us. Uh huh... see you later." she said softly. She looked at Ysak and smiled. "Uncle Vladimir wanted me to tell you that if you harm even a single hair on our heads, he'll tear your heart out and eat it while you watch."

"Your uncle is a disturbed person." Ysak declared.

"He's just overprotective. He's like this with every guy we meet. It's one of the reasons we haven't ever gone on a real date. Every guy gets scared off after the first meeting or so. You're very brave, Ysak Jule. I like you more and more the more I know about you." Katie replied.

"Why don't you sit with us so we can get to know each other better?" Chanel asked. Ysak was instantly on guard again.

"I'm not sitting between you two. It's just not going to happen." Ysak informed them. Chanel pouted.

"Fine. Maybe this will suit you better." she told him, standing up. Katie slid over to the middle of the couch and Chanel sat down beside her. Chanel swung her legs up and over the armrest of the couch and lay with her head in Katie's lap. "Now you won't be sitting between us. Happy?" she asked. Ysak glowered at them.

"Not really. But arguing with you feels pointless." Ysak rounded the couch and sat down, trying to sit as far away from them as he could. It didn't work. Almost immediately they scooted over so that Chanel's head was suddenly in HIS lap and Katie's arm was intertwined with his.

"FUCK! What do you think you're doing?" Ysak yelled, trying to stand up. It didn't work. In his current position, he lacked the leverage to push the two girls off him, Coordinator enhancements or no Coordinator enhancements.

"You're the one that said we shouldn't sit on either side of you. This was the next alternative down the line." Katie reminded him.

"I thought you were going to go sit in the chair across from me or something." Ysak replied, still trying to escape.

"That wouldn't be very fair." Chanel told him.

"Yeah. Fair and share alike is what we do." Katie continued.

"If one of us gets to sit next to you, the other one has to as well. Otherwise one of us'd get jealous. Jealousy starts fights. We don't want to fight any more. Especially now that the war might actually be over." Chanel explained.

"You don't make any sense. Now get off me!" Ysak said desperately.

"Struggling isn't going to help you. Though it does feel really nice." Chanel said wickedly. Ysak froze as still as a dead man.

"You shouldn't have said anything. You always blab and ruin the fun." Katie admonished.

"I'm sorry."

"What will it take to get you two off me?" Ysak asked, trying to think of a plan. If he could compromise with them, hopefully he wouldn't still be compromised when Dearka got back. If Dearka saw him like this, he'd never hear the end of it.

"We want to see your scars. All of the ones on your upper body anyway." Chanel said instantly.

"The ones on your lower body can wait till another time." Katie added dreamily.

"So you want to see my scars. Then you'll get off me, right?" Ysak asked hopefully, ignoring Katie. So far so good.

"You have to say you think we're both pretty. And you have to mean it." Chanel decided.

"And you have to tell us about yourself. You could have only gotten that facial scar in the war. Tell us about your experiences. I love stories." Katie added.

"And you have to promise on whatever you hold most sacred that you'll give us each a good bye kiss when we leave." Chanel added again. Katie nodded her complete agreement. Ysak started to sweat. He thought about it. Scars, stories, compliments and two kisses. Compared to Dearka howling with laughter and ribbing him about this night for the next three years. It didn't take too long.

"Done deal. I'll show you the scars on my upper body, pay you compliments, tell you a few stories about my life and I swear on my Mother's council seat that I'll kiss you both goodbye. Now get off me." Ysak said.

"No, no, no. We'll get off you when we leave. Until then we stay right where we are, as a guarantee of your cooperation. A boy tried to cheat us like that once. We had to complain to Uncle Vladimir. I hear the boy regained the use of his legs after a few years of reconstruction surgery and physical therapy." Katie replied. Ysak thought about it some more.

"Fine." he said at last. He reached for the top button of his shirt, prepared to go through with the deal. A man's word was sometimes all he had. Even if he knew he would hate every moment of this night.