DISCLAIMER: I do not own Vandread or any of the Gundam series, but I do own my OCs and their mechs.

MEMORIES

"Just what the hell were those two doing?!" Hibiki asked himself as he saw both Taiho and Meia being carried off to the emergency room. He then slams his fist into a nearby wall," dammit, what happened to you after that damn woman's dread got beat, Taiho?" he then started to remember the situation that happened during the attack on the Nirvana, which is still happening now.

FLASHBACK

Everyone was already out and trying to shoot down the new type of enemy, but they were just too fast catch up to. Fortunately, Taiho and Barnette combined their machines to make, what Taiho called, Gundam Epyon. With the speed and power of the Gundam, the enemy was getting a good run for its money. The only problem was that when one was cut down, two others took its place, thus making an endless cycle of enemies trying to destroy them.

"Dammit, we just keep cutting down these Harvesters, but they just keep coming," Barnette said through her gritted teeth.

"Calm down, we can't beat them with a hot head, so cool it," Taiho commanded as he was appointed second in command to Meia just the other day.

Calming herself down, so listens to him. For a long time now, she has grown to accept the man who she was piloting with. That and she felt glad that Meia found someone she could at least trust someone to a degree," sorry, sub-leader, won't happen again," she said with a calm tone.

"Good, now let's get ba…" he attention is then distracted as he sees Meia trying to maneuver around the speedy Harvesters,' no, in the series, she got seriously injured,' with a determined look on his face, he directs the Gundam in her direction and blasts off,' I won't let that happen again, not now.'

"Ahh, dammit, I need to take down at least one of them," Meia said as she tried to take down one she was chasing. She then locked her sights on it,' gotcha,' but then it suddenly pulled up and went right behind her," What?!"

Neither her nor Taiho had enough time as the Harvester blasted a few rounds off at her and got a clean shot on her and exploded. Taiho, upon seeing this is stunned, so much so that he didn't realize he disengaged Gundam Epyon and went back to his own custom Gundam.

"What??" Barnette asked herself, she then opened communications with the Gundam pilot," sub-leader, what's wrong? We need to combine back and take down the enemy, quickly," though she said this, she too was stunned that happened to Meia, but she could tell that Gascogne was already on her way to get her damaged Dread back to safety," sub-leader?" she hadn't received a reply," Taiho? Hey, you in there? TAIHO?!"

The only thing going through his mind right now was Meia Dread being blown up,' no, I couldn't make it,' he then hung his head low with wide eyes,' what if she's actually dead this time? What if she'll be comatose because I didn't make it in time?' he then closed his eyes and gritted his teeth,' that's it; these guys have been getting off light. It's time they know what this Gundam can truly do!!' he then looked up with rage in his eyes," ZERO SYSTEM, ACTIVATE," he commanded to his Gundam. The three sixty degree vision in the cockpit was then blinded by a yellow light.

Seeing this, Taiho blasts off toward the one that shot Meia down. It doing was the same thing it did to her as he chased it down, when Taiho locked onto it, it then did the same maneuver to him. But then abruptly stopped and quickly turned around. Still in the process of doing the loop, Taiho cocks then his beam rifle in hand and waited. Once the enemy saw it was about to be destroyed, it tried to get away, but it was already too late.

"Die," he said in low, growling voice as he pulled the trigger and shot down the enemy. He then saw one going straight for the Nirvana," OH NO YOU DON'T" he yells out as he cocks out the long range beam rifle from his back and shoots. But the one thing he didn't expect to happen was it seeing the attack and dodging it. The beam continued on, straight for the Nirvana.

"No," he whispers to himself as the beam hit the Nirvana dead center and was then destroyed," NOOOO," he called out as he closed his eyes to the explosion.

Once he opens his eyes again, he see the Nirvana is still intact," what??" he asks himself. But he was cut off from thinking anything else as an enemy came up from behind and speared right through his Gundam, thus making it explode.

"AAAAHHHH," he yelled out as he panted from the vast amount of future data he was receiving from the ZERO system," ZERO SYSTEM, DEACTIVATE," he called out as the yellow light disappeared from the three sixty degree vision monitor. He then collapses on the floor, breathing for air from all the mental stress done to his brain. Once he gained enough of his senses, he tries to get back up, only to be hit from several shots.

"AHH," Taiho yelled out as he gritted his teeth together to suck up the pain. He was about to go and get some payback, but he then shot several more times. He started yell out in pain, until one of them simple used its body and hit him hard on the Gundams head. This in turn made him feel the blow and was knocked out, as several more shot were fired at him, a smaller yellow mech dashed forward and took the Gundam by the hand and blasts back to the Nirvana.

"Hang in there Taiho, you better not die on me now," Hibiki said as he hoped his sensei heard him.

END OF FLASHBACK

"DAMMIT," Hibiki yelled out as he punched the wall again.

"Mr. Alien," a feminine voice said in a quiet tone. He then turned his head to see Dita in a worried state," I know we should probably be staying to see if they'll both be alright, but…" she trailed off as she hung her head down.

"Yeah, I know, we need to take those enemies out before we worry about them," he said as he walked past her with his front hair shadowing his eyes. Once the view gets closer, his eyes show great fury within them,' I'll make them pay sensei, that you can guarantee.'

"Right," she replied back as she followed him back to the battlefield. She then stops a bit and looks back at the door of the emergency room of the two leaders,' make it back to us you two, please,' she pleaded in her thoughts as she ran to the Dread hangar and make the enemy pay for what they did to her friends.

Back in the emergency room, Duero and Paiway try their best to stabilize the two pilots conditions. As Meia started to drift off into her own memories, so did Taiho, as he closed his eyes for a bit and watched the flashback of his life before coming to this universe.

TAIHO'S FLASHBACK

"How do you like the necklace," his Japanese mother asked as he eyed the chain with the cross around his neck.

"You're a real chip off the old block, you know that," his Mexican dad said as he ruffled his hair a bit.

"What have I said about coming home dirty," his mother scolded him, she then got a little grin on her face," you won't be able to impress any girls and become a real good dad when you marry them."

'Huh?' Taiho asked himself mentally, as he started to see his father working on the computer and showing him the ropes on how it works. He watched as he saw his mother do a harsh throw on him and started lecture on his fighting posture. He watched as they both tried to get him to cook properly of their traditional foods.

'I see, I guess this is my version of looking back at the past,' he thought to himself as he watched the images go by. But then he saw an image he didn't want to see, an image of an incident the happened before he went to college.

On the outside of the two unconscious pilots, they both let out a tear at the same time. Paiway, who saw this was taken back a bit. Noticing the surprised sounds, Duero looks back to them," this is the first time…I've seen Meia cry and I didn't think that men could cry too," looking on this, the doctor started to wonder what the two were experiencing.

One the bridged, everything was getting way to hectic, as the battle was not going very well with out its leaders," it seems that we've taken Meia leadership for granted. We've neglected to train a proper sub-leader in case she was ever incapacitated."

"If I were to hear that before that man came, I would think that she would still be too stubborn to allow us to make one," Magno said as she got BC's attention," before he came, she avoided human contact as much as humanly necessary. She avoided relying on people," she then hung her head a bit," but then that man came and changed that, but he had to go and use that system when he knew it was dangerous."

As Magno started to explain Meia's previous behavior, Taiho started to have more images of the past.

"Hey, you wanna go out tonight man?" Marcus asked as he came into his house and waved at his mom.

He seemed to think about this a bit, but then grew a little smirk," yeah, sure man, I sure could have some fun now," he then turned to his mom," hey ma, I'm gonna go out. I'll be back later on tonight."

"Okay, but don't come home too late," she replied as she gave him a smile. He nodded and they both went out to the car and left to go to a bar.

They both had some fun drinking at the bar, until a girl came and started to talk to them," hey, how's it going?" she asked in a sexy voice.

Not one to turn the little game down, he grew a playful smile and posture," Oh, it's going good, but I'm not so sure now," he said in an equally playful voice.

"Oh, and why is that?" she asked as she stepped up closer to him.

He then wrapped his arms around the girl and squeezed her butt a bit," cause a cop shouldn't be wearing a thong right now, much less an outfit that isn't exactly standard issue."

The girl then took her blond wig off and shows that she had short black hair. She he dark brown eyes with a cute mole under right eye, her outfit though would make any guy stare at her for hours. (I'll leave it to your imagination on that one)

"Oooh, you're no fun," she said as she gave a cute pout to him, but then got a loving smile on her face," but you always were the observant one weren't you?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hmm, I haven't really noticed," he replied back in a fake thoughtful voice. She giggled a bit at his little attitude. After her little giggle, they both looked at each other for a bit before they both met in a passionate kiss.

"You definitely need to get your own apartment and stay there, you two do that way too often," Marcus said as he interrupted their kiss time, which made Patricia stick a tongue out at him.

"Don't be jealous that you don't have a girl now," she said in a cocky voice," you just need find the right one that's all."

"Yeah, yeah, thank Oprah, I'm feeling much better now," he said in a sarcastic tone.

"Alright you two, settle down," Taiho said as he interrupted THEIR fun," now how about we have a bit of a drink now?" he asks Patricia, as she nodded to him. They all started to talk bit, having fun just talking to each as they are.

This lasted only until a guy came along and wrapped an arm around Patricia," hey baby, how about you ditch these losers and come see a real man in action," this made Taiho scowl hard at him.

"I'm sorry, but I don't date pigs that smell like shit," she said in an angered tone and punched him in the face.

"Why you little bitch," he said as he cocked his hand back to punch her back only to have it stopped by someone.

"I think you should leave us sir," Taiho asked calmly as he held the punch back.

"Get off me you asshole," he then used his other hand to punch Taiho right in the face, but Taiho just leaned his head to the side.

"Bad move," he said in a quiet tone, as he took a position and tossed him over to the other side of the bar. This made the jerks buddies come and try to gang up on our hero.

"You're gonna pay pa…" one of them says, but he was cut off as a hard punch came from the side and hits one of the thugs. Taiho looks to see Marcus cracking his knuckle bit with a satisfied smirk on his face.

"Ya'll think ya can gang up on my homie like that? You all must be out your damn mind," he said in a cocky tone.

"GET EM!!" the leader said, which was the one Taiho tossed. They were all about to attack the two, but a gunshot went off and made the group stop.

"Now freeze right there, I can only let this go so far. I am, after all, a police officer," Patricia said as she pointed her gun at them and pulled out her badge. She then went up to the jerk who tried to harass her," you are under arrest for harassing an officer of the law," she said as she slapped some hand cuffs on him and started to read him his rights.

"Umm, why do you have hand cuffs baby?" Taiho asked as he wondered about it, but only came to one conclusion, which she answered when she spoke to him.

She got a little evil smirk on her face as she turned her head to him," you'll just have to find out after I dump this guy off at the station," she then picked the jerk up and leaned in to her boyfriend's ear to whisper," I'll give you a hint, it involves you wearing them on my bed," she then left, knowing full well that she was leaving a hanging mouthed Taiho in the bar.

"Damn, you really got lucky on this one man, I have to say that I'm a bit jealous," Marcus said as he looked on his buds face.

Once he got his mind deep out of the gutter, he turned to his best bud," well, seeing as how this place is a bit broken, let's get outta here."

"Oh I'm sure you want to freshen up for your BONDING time with your girl after this, or should I say bondage," Marcus said with a smirk.

"SSHHH," Taiho replied, as it felt a bit embarrassing to say something like that out loud where everyone could hear," seriously though, lets just call it a day for tonight, okay?"

"Sure, let's get going," they both then head out to the car to leave. Once Marcus got to his house, he dropped him off by his car. Seeing this was a time for them to part, they both do their dabs goodbye. (The up, down, and straight fist to each other, if I remember. Don't really know since I didn't see that point in knowing what it was called.)

"I'll see ya later man," Marcus nodded and left as soon as Taiho closed his door. Taiho then went to his car and started it. He then drove off to the police station where his girl works at.

Once he gets to the entrance of the station, he is greeted by his dad," dad? What are you doing here?"

"The computer system here was going haywire here, so they called in an expert to check on their systems, which of course is yours truly," he answered in a proud tone. Taiho just shook his head at him, but then caught sight of his girl police car.

Once they got out, he waved at her, which she returned as she dragged the guy from the bar toward the station. But then something unexpected happen, the jerk quickly pulled out the gun that was sticking from her back pocket and aimed it at him.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion as he aimed the pistol at him. But Patricia tried to pull it away from him, only to get shot in the stomach. Taiho, who saw this, ran at him with rage in his eyes. The jerk saw this and aimed the gun right back at him and fired.

Taiho was then pulled down to the ground as his dad drug him to the ground to avoid the shot. But the shot continued on and hit the gas tank opening of a police car; it then exploded and made the jerk get blown back into the wall, and knocking him out.

After the ringing in his head stopped, he looked up to see his dad still on top of him," dad, you can get off now, I need to see how Patricia is doing," he got no answer and no movement from him," dad?" he asked again, as he started to shake him a bit," dad?" he asked again as he started to shake him harder," DAD?!"

He then heard coughing, and saw Patricia crawling over to him. Slowly putting his dad's still form down on the floor, he races over to her," don't move baby," he said as he pick her up a bit from the ground. When he felt a warm liquid in his hand, he pulled it up to his face to see blood.

"Hehehe, don't look like that, I don't want to go with out seeing your smile," she said as she with weak smile, she then started to cough up blood from her mouth.

"Don't talk! You need you're energy, we'll…we'll, get a doctor…some…somehow," he then started to dig in his pocket for his cell phone. When he got it out, he was about to call 911, but her hand stopped him.

"Don't, you know that I won't make it," she then stared into his eye with all the love she could. With all the energy she had in her arms, she reached up to his face and pulled him down to her face. They both start to kiss each other for all the love they had for each other.

Taiho started to cry while he was kissing, he knew that she was right. He knew his dad was already dead. He just couldn't take it and started to cry even more. Once they pulled away from each other, he looked upon her eyes once more," I love you, Patricia."

With the last of her energy, she spoke her final words to him and cupped her hands on his cheek," I love…you…too…Tai…ho," she said as her eye dulled and her hand fell to the ground lifelessly. He knew this what that meant and cried even harder.

He then looked up to the sky and sucked in a big breath," AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH," he screamed with all his feelings put into it as the area was still in an inferno due to the blown up car.

A few months passed after the incident and Christmas came. Taiho was still in depression of losing his dad and girlfriend. He just kept thinking 'if only I had done something sooner', 'if I was just quicker', or 'If I just did something different, none of that would have happened'.

"Taiho, honey," his mom called out as she knocked on his door. She too was depressed about her husband's death, but she was now starting to cope with it. But she was starting get worried if Taiho might just stay in depression," honey, please come out, I've got a present for you," she called out as she held a box in her hand. Seeing that he wasn't going to do anything, she gripped on the door knob," I'm coming in, okay?"

She then went in and wasn't shocked at what she saw. The room was a complete mess as clothes were laying about on almost everything, items were thrown around and broken, and the room was starting to smell a bit.

She also wasn't surprised by his state; he looked like someone had taken his sight away as his eye only stared off into space, only blinking every now and again. His beard had grown all the way out and covered almost his entire bottom face. The clothes he had on were the ones he had on for at least two weeks.

He turned his head a bit to his mom and saw that she had something in her hand, but he didn't care, he was too lost in his thought to care about anything now. He then saw her walk over to the side of his bed and sit next to him. As some long moments passed, he finally had enough of the silence," what is you want mom?" he said in a dry and hoarse tone. It hurt to talk, but it didn't matter to him.

"I came to give your present honey, you do know it's Christmas now, right?" she said with a sad smile.

He felt a little surprise,' has time gone by that quick,' he then hung his head down further,' will time continue to go on like this, me being like this and my mom constantly worrying about me,' he thought sadly. He then started to remember his dad's and Patricia's smiles, which mad him sadder. But then started to think more,' would they want me to go on like this? To continue remembering them in such a manner?" he then looked over to his mom,' no, they wouldn't.'

He then forced a smile on his face," thanks mom," she was a bit taken back by his smile, but she welcomed it, anything was better than him being depressed any longer," so, what did you get me?"

She then handed the box to him and motioned him to open it. Once he opened his, his mouth was hung open," I thought it would be nice for you to have and seeing as how you were, I think you need something that will give you at least some faith," she said as he pulled out a glinting silver chain necklace with a expansive looking cross on it.

He then put on and went up to the mirror," thanks mom," he then turn around and gave her a hug. After awhile he started to cry a bit," I'm going to do my best to carry on dad's work," he then pulled away from her and looked right in her eyes," I'm going to go to college and get a degree in what he was working in."

Seeing the look in his eyes, she gave her own hug to him," I know you will, because you are his son, and I know that Patricia would want you to continue on."

'Mom,' he thought to himself as the images went on with him going to college and going on with his life.

END OF TAIHO'S FLASHBACK

"Eeehh," Taiho then started to stir from being knocked out from his injuries. He then tried to get up, only to have someone push him back down.

"Now calm down, you've just regained consciousness. We don't want you to go and slip back in and get into an even worse condition," he opened his eyes to see Duero look at him.

"Hey, doc," he said in a weak voice," what's my prognosis?" he asked with a weak smirk.

"You're have a severe head trauma, a few cracked ribs, a broken left leg, and last, but not least, have a piece of the Paksis that was in the Gundam lodged into your right bicep," the doctor said in a serious tone. (I'm not that good at describing injuries, so this is the best I could do)

"Greeeaatt," he said in a sarcastic tone, he then remembered something," hey, doc, how's Meia doing?" he then saw the doctor's eye sadden a bit.

"She's worse then you I'm afraid, although, it's not physical injury that is worrying me," he then walked over to the monitor where he could still see," it seem a Paksis fragment lodged it self into a part of her brain and is having some strange affects on her."

Taiho frowned at this,' is she still in her memory trip,' he then looked over to her and saw an image of Patricia for a second. This made him come to a decision.

Duero then heard a crash behind him and saw that Taiho was trying to stand back up," what are you doing?! You need to get back and rest," he said as he went up to him and tried to force him to get back in bed.

"Doc," he then turned his attention to the young man he was trying to treat," please, just take me over to her side," he then looked right into his determined eyes," please," so he just sighed and nodded, as he got a seat and set it by her bedside.

"Meia," he said in quiet tone," don't leave us, we need you," he then started to reach out for her left hand with his right," I need you," he said under his breath. Once he touched her hand, the Paksis that was lodged in his right bicep glowed and her head started to glow a bit too. He wondered what this meant until he blacked out.

"Don't hate you're Ohma, your Ohma is really quiet wonderful," Taiho was wondering where he was hearing this motherly voice, but he also felt he heard these lines before," she just a little unapproachable, but she's such an honest person who can't ignore those in need and she always gets the short end of the stick because of it. Yet these are the reasons I fell in love with your Ohma and that's why you were born. I'm sure you'll understand someday, when someone just as important to you shows up on your life."

He then heard a familiar voice and saw that it was Meia, but not exactly her, but her younger self from her memories," I don't need someone like that. Not if someone else gets hurt because of me," he then felt a sting of sadness when she said that.

"Meia, falling in love with someone is a wonderful thing," he then looked from Meia and saw someone he assumed was her mother," you become strong, because there is someone to care for."

"Wrong! You become weak because of that!" she then sobbed harder and yelled out to her mother," don't you get it yet?! Don't you see whose fault it is that we feel this way?"

The mother seem breathed in and gave a sad sigh while Meia cried her heart out," I'm sorry, I shouldn't have involve her in this."

Meia gasped a bit and looked back to see her mother wasn't there,' I've always regretted those words I said, I wanted to apologize someday. But I can't do that anymore, no matter what I say, she'll never hear it.'

"OF COURSE SHE WILL," Meia then turned her head to him, which made her turn back to her original form.

"Taiho, what are you doing here?" she asked in a quiet tone, but he continued as if he didn't hear her.

"You're mother will hear your apology Meia," he then started to walk up to her. As he did, the scenery started to change into an open grassfeild," even if you don't get an answer from her, she'll hear, if you put enough of this into your apology," he said as he pointed his thumb to where his heart is.

"How would you know? You haven't lost anybody like that important to you," she called out, but not out of anger, but of sadness.

"You'd be surprise," he said, but just as he said that, his memories started to go by in front of both of them. She was surprised to see such a relationship between men and women. But what she got most surprised about was the incident that made him lose both his lover and father," you see, you're not the only one who has felt that kind of loss. Like you, I have always wanted to say or do something different, so that I could make that incident not happen. But ever since my mom got me out my depression, my friends started to help me overcome it. And like me, you too have friends that are willing to help you, I happen to be one of them. I don't want to see you end up like Patricia," he then started to shake a bit," don't make that selfish decision, don't make me relive that pain again."

Seeing that he felt the same she did, she went up to him and embraced him in a hug," I won't, not as long as your with me," she then looked up into his eyes. They just stayed there like that for what seemed to be ages.

"Meia," he said quietly to her, as he leaned in closer to her face and started to close his eyes. She seemed to get the message and started to close in as well. Right when their lips were about to meet, a light came all around them.

Meia then started open her eyes as a glow around her started to fade. Once her eyes were fully open, she saw the crying faces of Parfet and Paiway," you came back," Parfet said.

"Taiho saved you," Paiway said while still crying a twin stream of tears out of her eyes.

She then breathed in a bit with a smile on her face," cut the racket you two," she then used her right hand to feel her face, but then she didn't feel her head piece and started to freak out a bit.

"Meia," she then turned her head to the man holding her hand," it's right here," Taiho said as he lifted her headpiece with his left hand and handed it to her.

"Thank you," she said with a smile on her face. They both looked at each other for a second before realizing that they were holding each others hand and that she was bare around her chest, so they both turned away with blushes on their faces.

After the good news spread around that their leaders were finally okay, everything went back to the way it was after the battle was done and now everyone was trying to get some sleep. Everyone except a few who were doing their needed jobs, or had something on their minds.

Taiho, against the doctor's requests, was now doing some light exercises to get the pain out of his body for a bit. When he worked up a good sweat, he collapsed against a tree in the garden area.

A little bit later, Meia walked around trying to sort out her feelings on what might have happened in her mind and what she was starting to feel around Taiho. When she got to the Garden area, she saw him knocked out on a tree," they all did their best out there," she then saw he captain walking up to her.

"Oh, it's you captain," she said as she greeted her presence.

"It's quite ironic to find someone like you, but he seems to be more in tune with his feeling than you do," she said as she covered Taiho in a blanket," and because of that, him and that boy have won everyone's hearts and right underneath our noses at that. And as I can see, you and him are very much alike, you and this man here. The only thing stopping the two of you is if you two can express your feelings for each other."

"Captain…" she said quietly.

"Meia, isn't it time you found some forgiveness, for yourself that is?" the old lady asked as she smile at her.

Taken back a bit by this, she gazes down upon the man who stood by her bedside when she was injured," I think I already have," she said with a small smile.

A/N: Ch.5, done. Well, I hope I made the scenes good and I hope the memories I have shown of Taiho were a bit enlightening. As for Meia witnessing Taiho's memories, don't worry, it doesn't mean she knows it's another dimension or earth for that matter. Everyone on the ship believes his story about the planet he comes from, which he made up of course. Anything else than that, just post on the reviews, ja ne.

ShadowDragonGX