Hey all, I decided to try and get this chapter out sooner than the last few. Thanks for the reviews, please encourage me and keep 'em coimin!

All flashbacks are in italics.

About pairings: Do you guys hate the pairings? I had a few reviews asking for new pairings. I did not add my own input, it was strictly by the votes I had in the first chapter. So I'm sorry, but the pairs will remain as they are. Check the 2nd chapter to see them if you've forgotten, they're listed at the beginning. Thank you all for your votes.

Chapter 3

Ami layed on the bed in the room she was sharing upstairs, staring at the ceiling. It was a typical old room in this small community. Beige carpets, wood walls and off-white plaster ceilings with a fan on top. The furniture was all old looking wood pieces, matching the room perfectly. Very homey.

"They dusted it again and again. The girl had no fingerprints."

It had been a week since the mysterious girl had attacked Ami, and she couldn't get the thoughts from her mind. How could someone have no fingerprints? It was insane, it was ridiculous, it was...like a movie she once seen.

She sighed and sat up, staring at her tired reflection in the mirror. It was mid-afternoon. Everyone was downstairs making sandwiches in the kitchen for lunch, she could hear them.

Ever since she had been attacked, the boys next door had never left her house. They came in the morning and left in the evening, swimming, talking, eating...even staying past midnight doing bonfires with them.

They wanted to have another one tonight, Duo had told her, with lots of smores, not just marshmallows.

Her and her friends had talked the incident over, and decided that it was best that their neighbors did not know much about it. If the girlwas working with the negaverse, or even was Robert's sister, then she would not hesitate to say whatever she wanted to the boys. What if she had somehow learned of their identities? But how...

If she was Robert's sister and knew their identities, that meant that Robert had betrayed her two ways before he died. Giving away their secret, and lying to her. And she really wanted to know which of the two it was.

Usagi had told the boys that the girls had no idea why Ami had been attacked, and that the stranger taking Ami's picture was unexpected, because she couldn't have known whoever was in the picture. Usagi had finished by telling them that the police force on the small island was simply not advanced enough to search fingerprints, and had sent the weapon away, in which they would not have the results for several weeks. Hopefully the lie would not catch up to them.

She headed down the stairs and into the kitchen, grabbing a glass from the cupboard and waving to everyone. The kitchen was crowded, to say the least. Usagi, Mamoru, Quatre, and Makoto were making the sandwiches in a line. One set the toast down, the other mayonase, the other meat and cheese, and the last finishing with the lettuce. The plate they were making was piling up. Trowa was sitting in a chair, next to where Makoto stood, watching her hands as she worked quickly and efficiently.

Minako had taken a liking to Heero, and was currently twisting a strand of her hair around her fnger in the feminine way only she could pull off while holding one of his hands in her palm, claiming she could tell his lifeline (something that one, Ami knew was proven to be a myth, and two, that even if it wasn't a myth, Minako did not know how to read his palm).

Rei and Wufei were fighting, not surprisingly, over who was going to wash and who was going to dry the dishes in the sink. They had been fighting all week. Minako had confided in Ami that she believed there was a spark between the two.

"Hey Ami," Duo said, running over with a sandwich in his hand having a bite taken from it, and another new one for her.

"Thank you," she said, accepting the sandwich as the two walked around the table where their friends were now cleaning up the bread and getting ready to eat to sit down. There were huge windows showing off the front lawn in the back of the kitchen by the table, stretching from the ground to the ceiling, and sun streamed in causing a beautiful effect in the small kitchen. As everyone sat or leaned against the table, there was a peace passed through the group, a light feeling in the room that she couldnt begin to explain.

As they sat in the temple, Ami could practically feel how happy her friends were. Usagi leaned in and gave Mamoru a kiss. Ami leaned againstRob with content. He smiled down at her, his arms wrapping around her waist. Minako and Makoto sat chatting about guys, their legs crossed as they leaned back against the couch. Rei stood up and headed for the door at the sound of knocking. She slid the door open and spoke quietly to whom ever was there. That was when the joyous feeling left the room. Rei turned to the group, ignoring the figure of whomever it was in the doorway. Her expression was broken, and her eyes were brimmed with tears. Her hand was clenched at her side in a way Ami had never seen.

She turned back to her sandwich, taking the last bite and standing. Her friends were desperately trying not to bring up old, and useless memories. It was in her best interest to try and do the same.

"Can we actually do something today," whined Duo, crumpling his napkin in his hand and throwing it away.

"I mean, it's fun hanging out here on the back and stuff, but there's got to be more to do on this island than just that," he explained.

"Well," Makoto said, "This IS a small island Duo. It's made for relaxation. If you wanted crazy stuff for tourists, perhaps a more populated area in Japan would have had that."

"True, true," Duo said, plopping down in a seat next to Ami.

"Well I don't know about you guys, but we're going shopping in town forthe smore's we have planned for tonight," she said, vollunteering herself and Heero before asking him. "Maybe it would befun if we all split up for the day,and met back here at night for a bonfire."

"That sounds good," Usagi said instantly, "I want to go to the board walk." She looked up at Mamoru pleadingly, and he smiled. "Alright, Usako."

"I hear there's a small temple a few miles from here. I'd like to go there," Rei said.

"I will accompany you there," Wufei said.

"Well, I for one would like to go on a nice long hike through the woods. Explore. It'll be peaceful," Makoto said.

"That strange woman that attacked Ami ran into the woods. It may not be safe," Trowa pointed out, speaking for the first time that morning. Makoto giggled.

"Well then you'll just have to come with me and protect me," she said.

The rest looked at Ami, Duo, and Quatre.

"I'd just like to relax on the beach," Ami admitted, "perhaps take a walk down the shore. I haven't done that yet."

"I'll stay with Ames," Duo said, ac customed to the nickname her friends used.

"I will stay as well. Perhaps I will read or get a tan. Just relax," Quatre said. Everyone nodded.

"WAIT!" Everyone whipped around to stare at Minako.

"I just remembered something I thought would be fun to do before we left, volleyball," she said brightly.

"FORGET IT!" The answer was simultaneous.

"Why," she asked meekly.

"Because we just played yesterday," Mamoru said, "and it was a disaster."

"Oh yeah," Minako said, remembering the previous days events.

"Please, please, please," Minako was saying, finishing begging Heero. She had already convinced everyone else to play, all except for him. Finally giving in,he agreed.

The teams were: Minako, Heero, Makoto, Usagi, Quatre and Trowa V.S. Ami, Rei, Duo, Wufei, and Mamoru. Minako had claimed that since they had Usagi on their team, that theyshould be allowed to have six players.

Minako stood in front of her friends, ready to spike the ball with her classic moves.Usagi stood next to her, talking to Mamoru.

"You're going down, Mamo-chan!"

"Whatever you say Usako," he responded.

Heero, Makoto, Quatre, and Trowa stood behind them. On the other side,Duo and Rei were in front, while Ami, Wufei, and Mamoru were in the back. Ami had wanted to be far from the net because she had the feeling she wouldn't be able to spike the ball over the net.

Since Ami's team had a shortage of players, they went first. Mamoru served the ball, and Makoto hit it to Trowa, whom passed to Minako, who spiked the ball over the net. The game continued this way, Minako dominating and scoring for her team. Ami managed to serve the ballwhere Quatre stood. He hit it, but not far, and it was coming for Usagi. She grew very tense and ended up diving for the ball last minute, face planting in the sand. The next time, Rei served. She hit it pretty far, and Heero ran back and hit it to send it over the next. Duo hit it back, and it ended up being that it was going between the middle and front line. Minako, Usagi, Makoto, and Quatre all shouted that they had the back, while Heero and Trowa stood by smirking. It ended up in a pile up and they missed the ball, the end result being Usagi crying because she had bruised herself.

Duo backed up next to where Ami stood, an unreadable expression on her face when he did so.

It was then that Ami was most aware that she was in a two piece, more revealing than she cared for, but a gift from Minako.

Duo always looked her over when he approached her on the beach. It always made her uncomfortable, and he knew she never missed him when he did that, because a blush would tint her cheeks, and a satisfied smirk would therefore appear on his face.

The ball had suddenly come soaring their way, and Duo had reacted and hit it very hard, but crooked. Wufei dived for the ball and hit it upwards, Rei spiking it over the net just as Usagi ran forwards to hit it. It hit her hand and jammed her first three fingers, bringing forth more tears.

"Okay okay, no more volleyball," Minako said, "just let me go grab my purse."

Minako and Heero left right away, walking into town. Makoto put on sneakers and she and Trowa left as well, heading down the same road only towards the woods.

Wufei and Rei walked into town to get a taxi to tak ethem to the temple. It was close, but not that close. Usagi and Mamoru walked hand in hand down the road, and when Ami waved goodbye, she did not miss the jelous twinge she felt as they did so.

"So, what you wanna do? Walk? Tan? Swim," Duo asked once everyone was gone. Quatre grabbed a book from his backpack and held it up, heading for the porch and waving. He layed down across the bench on the front porch and opened the book. Ami headed for the back door, having changed into her bathing suit, and on top of it she was wearing a tank top and board shorts.

"So Ames, guess it's just you and me," Duo said, following her. Ami nodded.

"I guess so. What do you want to do?" Duo stared at Ami for a long time after she asked the question, making her blush deeply.

"Well. We could take a walk along the shore and talk," he said after a moment. Ami paused before answering. Take a walk and talk? She had known Duo for about a week and half now, and so far anything but fun seemed to be far from what he wanted to do. She wasn't sure why Duo had decided to stick around HER since she had arrived, but she sincerely hoped that it was only for friendship. Because at the moment, Ami could him nothing more.

"A walk...that would be nice," she said, turning to stare at the shore, with the sun shining on the water as it lapped against the sand, "I haven't done that yet."

"A walk it is then," Duo said, hopping off of the deck and tuning to look at her expectantly. Ami stepped off of the deck mutely, sincerely hoping that a walk was all Duo had in mind...

Quatre turned the page of his book, extremely interested. It was a great book so far, and so far the character was so mixed up after being caught by his lies that a confrontation was coming soon. It was by far the most exciting part of the book.

"Excuse me," A voice said, shaking Quatre from his thoughts and ruining his concentration. He turned to look to the left of him, at the lawn, slightly annoyed.

The most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes on stood on the porch. She had deep violet colored hair, cut to about just past her shoulders. Dark brown, almost black eyes stood out to him immmediately afterwords, with a small but perfect nose and rosy lips. A perfect body, he noticed suppressing a blush, accompanied her lovely face.

"Hello," he said, sitting up instantly from his laying position on the bench and turning to face her, "How can I help you?"

"Sorry," the girl said, twiddling a strand of hair around her finger and giggling in a girlish way.

"I couldn't find anyone else home. I'm visiting my aunt this summer, and the address is 746 Hishima Road. Do you know where it is?"

A smile spread across Quatre's face.

"Have you been over there yet," he asked, pointing in the direction of his cabin.

"No," the girl replied a bit slowly, not understanding what he meant.

"You see," Quatre explained, "this is cabin 744. The cabin next door," he said, pointing a towards the land a few hundred feet where his cabin stood, "is cabin 745. And after that cabin, farther down the street, is cabin 746. Your aunt apparently lives right next door to my friends and I."

"Wow, really? Thanks. Thanks a lot. So this cabin is not your cabin?"

Quatre shook his head.

"No, we are good friends with the neighbors. I'll walk you to your aunt's house if you'd like," he offered.

She smiled. "No thank you, I can manage. My name is Sanyu." She reached over to shake his hand, and Quatre stood to take hers.

"I'm Quatre, it's nice to meet you," he said.

"So, Ami," Duo said, upset that their walk as of yet had been quiet, on Ami's behalf at least. He had told about ten minutes worth of lies about wher ehe lived in America and attended school.

Ami looked up, and he continued.

"I know you're from Tokyo, and that you're like, a genius, and that's it," he said, "tell me more about yourself."

Ami blushed slightly and tunred away to stare at the water.

"What is there to tell, really," she said more than asked.

"Plenty. Let's begin with, what are your hobbies?"

"I like to swim," she said after a moment, "I'm good at that. I spend most of my other time studying," she explained.

"Studying? That can't tkae up ALL of your time, being the genius that you are. How about exra curricular activites? Clubs? Groups? Cults?" He offered the last part jokingly, however even when he laughed Ami felt something odd about his statement, the end in particular.

"Cults? Yes, of course. When I get back, we have the ceremony of meat planned," Ami told him, and he burst out laughing.

However, he still seemed uneasy about something.

"What is it you want toknow Duo," Ami asked once he had quieted down, not looking nearly satisfied with her answer. She had stopped walking and was looking at him

He seemed surprised that she had caught on to hisquestioning.

"Ami...Usagi gave us an explanation about the girl that attacked you. She said the girl was just some nutcase who chose you out of the blue, and that...that the picture she grabbed was just a coincidence. But...her story sounded strange. It was almost too perfect."

Ami stared at him a moment, and he approached her, standing right in front of her, before daringly reaching into her front sweater's pocket, pulling a picture from it. Ami gasped when he did so. How often had he watched her tuck it into her pocket?

"I mean," he stared at the picture, at the young man in it. He had light brown hair and green eyes. The picture seemed to have been taken when he was unaware until the last moment, as if someone had called his name and he had looked up, a quite serious expression on his face.

"The way...the way she screamed about the guy in the picture being her brother, it was too believable," Duo finished, looking back up from the picture. "Who just attacks someone they don't know, no matter how crazy they are?"He was met with an unreadable expression on her face, her gaze shifting between his face to the picture clasped in his hands.

Duo was quick to realize that despite her calm interior, Ami was sensitive. And at the moment, he could tell that she was mad that he had taken he picture.

"Usagi was not lying. We did not know the girl who attacked me, nor did the boy in the picture have a sister," she said, her voice calm but not friendly.

Rather than snatch the picture back, she simply held open her hand and waited. Duo placed the picture in her hand, her reponse being a curt thanks and murmers of finding a frame.

They continued to walk in silence after this, and Duo was quickly regretting asking. But now that he had asked, he decided he may never get a chance to ask again with Ami at least willing to stand by him, willing to listen, willing to be questiond, so...he took a jump.

"Ami, who is he," Duo asked.

Ami did not reply, simply stared straight ahead.

"Ami?"

She turned, finally glaring, and spoke.

"What does it matter? What's with your odd questioning?"

"What- I mean, nothing! I'm just naturally curious. I want us to be close, and that'll only happen if I know more about you," he lied, and somehow Ami did not believe him, therefore her glare only intensified, her hands at her hips and a frown on her lips. He had never seen her so mad.

He though she was very cute angry.

She was suspicious.

He had messed up, been too obvious. He should have spaced the questions out.

Seeing how flustered he became at her accusation, Ami sighed. She had been a bit rude, accusatory, unnaturally suspicious.

"I suppose you may just be curious," Ami told him, returning to a calm look on her face. Duo relaxed, and spoke.

"Ami, I'm not trying to pester you. I just wanna know what's so special that you keep the picture near you. I'm just curious about two things. One: Who is he, and Two: Can I take him?"

Despite everything, Ami laughed. Duo laughed at his own joke as well, hoping he only sounded to Ami that he was generally interested in dating her. He wondered how much harder of a time the others were having trying to get information from the girls.

Once their laughter had quieted down, Ami spoke.

"I guess I should find a frame for this picture. Perhaps one in this beach house for now. I wouldn't want it to get ruined."

"Well you can always take another picture," Duo offered. Ami's smile died fast, and Duo mentally cursed. He was messing up and he didn't even know why.

"Actually, I can't. His name was Robert, and whether or not you could take him, I wouldn't know. You look pretty strong, but he was no push over," she said, her voice low now but still clear.

"His name WAS Robert?" Ami sighed at his question, and turned her face to look at the water.

"Yes. He died last Christmas," Ami told him.

"He died? That was less than 6 months ago! How?"

"What does it matter," was Ami's bitter reply as she turned around, facing home. "We should start heading back, we've walked too far."

Duo stared at her back for a moment. It was growing later into the afternoon, that was true. The wind tossled her hair as she stood stoically, waiting for a reply.

"I- I guess you're right," he said, walking forwards to stand next to her as the two began the long walk home. Duo stared at the water as they walked. Ami was like the waters next to him. one moment came, the next raging.

Nothing else was said.

The two had walked hand in hand down he beach, this place being the only silence outside of Tokyo. The sun had set and the moon cast an eerie glow on the dark water. It was their favorite place.

He planted a soft kiss on her lips, staring at her as if she was the only person in the world at that moment.

She blushed and looked away, and he smiled.

"You're too good to me, Ames. I don't deserve you," Rob said. She looked up suddenly.

"That's un-true, don't say that," she said. He shook his head.

"How can you put so much trust in me? How long have you known me, a few months? How can you care for someone so horrible as I am?"

"Rob?"

"I'm a bad person Ami. I haven't been entirely honest with you."

She looked up at him, her heart caught in her throat, as he began to speak. But none of it mattered.

Usagi giggled slightly as Mamoru planted another kiss on her lips, coaxing her to stand up.

"Usako, we've been making out by this tree all afternoon, we didn't even make it to the board walk. We have to get home," he said, and she took his hand and stood.

"You're right, I hope we're not late meeting everyone back at home," Usagi said, as the two walked hnad in hand down the street. "Aww Mamo-chan, this vacation realy was a great idea. It's been good on us, I think."

Mamoru did not respond at first. Yes, he and Usagi were having fun, they ALL were. But something troubled him. He felt like their past worries were not over. They would re-surface, he knew. They would re-surface because of an attack by a strange woman with no fingerprints.

Rei stretched her aching back. Wufei had been intent on meditating outside on the grass, in the peace of the temple and all the beauty it offered. It really was gorgeous, very old-fashioned. However, she had noted that the shrine she and her grandfather owned was more beautiful.

As it was, Rei was not intent on meditating outside, it was not her style. When she did so, it was to find out information on an enemy. And right now, she had to find out about the strange girl lacking in fingerprints. Rei was very good at picking up past vibes and seeing visions. And during the last couple of days, the awful feelings and memories of last year, the bad-vibes included, were appearing.

And Rei Hino would not let her or her friends be hurt again like last year. She was going to find out what was going on early, and nip it in the bud.

Asking an elderly woman who owned the shrine for some privacy, she sat in front of the fire, beginning to chant. She felt out of place, in her jeans shorts and t-shirt, in this room, since she was usually in her priestess garb, but once she began to sweat from the flames, she had forgotten.

Wufei had meditated about an hour, and had then taken a walk around the temple. It was an atmosphere he had not visited in a long time.

Walking past a sliding door to another part of the temple, he could hear chanting and could feel heat before he opened the door. Sliding it open quietly, he stepped inside, not closing the door behind him yet.

There sat the onna, Rei, chanting in front of the fire as if she did it often.

From where he stood to her left, he could see that her eyes were closed in concentration as she did so.

Her hands were together, her fingers changing constantly, making strange symbols.

The fire seemed to intensify as she did so, and as beads of sweat rolled down her forhead and the fire continued to grow higher at an alarming rate, it stopped. Rei let out a small cry of protest and sighed, bending down, elbows on the floor and her head in her hands in frustration. She had been so close. She thought she was getting somewhere, and then that was it, no more. The fire had helped a bit, however, and she would have to discuss with her friends.

Standing up, she turned to see Wufei by the door, a calm look on his face yet seemingly frozen on the spot.

Remembering that one of the senshi had powers over fire, and how she seemed to be controlling the fire, he opened his mouth to ask a question, but she beat him to it.

"How long have you been standing there," she asked, annoyed.

"Not long. Where did you learn to do that,' he asked, as the two exited the temple and were met a nice breeze, good for Rei especially.

"I'm a priestess. I live in a temple like this one with my grandpa." Her voice was smooth, unlike how it had been in the temple, now that she was outside in the cool air.

"And your parents, are they skilled at this as well?"

"No, I don't even know them," Rei replied as they walk quickly down the road towards home.

Trowa swatted at a bunch of misquitos that relentlessly hovered next to his head.

Makoto smiled from where she stood. The misquitos in this forest were really bad, and at one point Makoto felt like she had been walking through a wall of them. She hugged her arms around herself. It was getting late and starting to get a bit chilly.

Trowa put an arm around her shoulder, causing her to blush.

"Are you cold?" His response was nod.

Good. She seemed to trust him. Now came the questioning he had been waiting on all afternoon.

"So...you're from Tokyo, am I right?"

"Yes I am."

"Any hobbies you enjoy form their," he asked, and she shrugged.

"I love to cook, as you've seen. And I do martial arts," she said, pulling away and getting into a defensive pose, before smiling and settling herself back under his arm.

"Martial arts? Where did you pick that up," he asked.

"Well, my parents died when I was a kid from a plane crash. So I got tough and decided that fighting was the only way to get what I wanted." That was all he needed to hear. Fighting was the only way for what she wanted. Perhaps she was a scout and her mentality was still the same.

"I moved from school to school, and always got kicked out for fighting, until I got to the junior high with the girls. Then I stayed in that part of Tokyo with them for good."

"I'm sorry about your parents," he said, and she nodded.

"Don't be."

Minako latched on to Heero's arm as they strolled through the town. In her hand she carried a shopping bag from the local grocery store. It had in it marshmallows. Heero carried a bag in his free arm as he walked stoically next to her, containing lots of chocolate and graham crackers. Damn Duo and his sweet tooth. Now he was walking through a town with the girl, trying to question her and having her get distracted by one thing after another.

"Oh look, a little souvenire shop," Minako said, beginning to walk towards it and letting his arm go. Heero was tired, and reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"We should get back," he said simply, and she nodded, looking off into the setting sun.

"Maybe you're right. Come on."

The two headed through the town, home.

"Where did you learn to play volleyball so well," Heero asked.

"Well, I really loved it a few years ago. I was on the team and everything. But I stopped playing the last few years."

"Why," he asked, hoping for more of a clue to pursue them as the scouts.

"I just- I couldn't keep up with the practices and games. I missed them or was always late. You know, I was studying more than playing sports."

Heero stared at her a moment and nodded. 'Liar,' he thought, 'you told me a couple of days ago that you rarely study.'

Ami walked in through the back door, Duo at her heels, to see that Makoto and Heero were there already, talking to Quatre in the living room. He was telling them how he met a charming neighbor. Next Usagi and Mamoru arrived.

"Hey everyone," Usagi said brightly.

"Guys, we're home!" they looked up to hear Minako hollering from the doorway, Heero following and the screen door swinging closed loudly behind her. The sound somehow reminded Ami of her childhood. When she lived outside of Tokyo, being very young, perhaps five or six, in a home with a backyard. Playing outside, and running inside around the evening at her mother's shout of bedtime. Shaking herself from her thoughts, she realized Wufei and Rei had arrived.

"I'm hungry," said Duo, "and not just for smore's. I want dinner!"

"I- I guess I can whip up something really fast," Makoto said.

"No," Quatre said, "you girls have been feeding us all week. Let me order pizza for all of us, then later tonight we'll do smore's."

"Thank you Quatre," most in the room chorused.

Quatre ordered the pizza, and a few minutes later it was there. No one over ate so that they could still enjoy the smore's. A grumbling Wufei went outside with Trowa to start the bonfire, while everyone else cleaned up.

They put on sweaters and headed outside with the stuff to sit around the bonfire.

Ami gave everyone a stick for their marshmallows, while Minako broke apart graham crackers and Duo handed out the marshmallows. The chocolate was unwrapped and put on the graham crackers.

They were silent, for some reason this night. Perhaps it was because the night before Minako and Duo had attempted to sing camp songs around the fire, errupting in Wufei trying to strangle Duo. But whatever the reason, no one spoke, they simply watched the flames jump around and took care of their marshmallows, all lost in their own thoughts and problems. It was a short-lived peace. Duo was excited at his perfect marshmallow. He went to place his marshmallow on his crackers and chocolate.

"You guys are so jealous of my amazing smore," he said, about to take a bite. A large log flew past his head, causing him to drop the smore on the floorand cry out. Everyone looked at him questioningly, and turned around to see a hideous creature, good enough to scare any child or adult, standing about twenty feet from them.

"My God, what is that," Quatre asked, standing. The senshi and Mamoru however, remained seated. A youma. Here. Ami stared at the fire for just a moment longer, wracking her brain for what to do.

Usagi looked up at the senshi and gave a nod. The boys were backing away from the youma, looking perplexed. The senshi stood and huddled together, slowly backing near the boys. Unknown to the pilots however, a silent plan had been made.

The fire suddenly went out, as a strong wind blew past them, leaving them in complete darkness. Rei backed away from the others as quietly as possible. They couldn't see her but they could hear her.

Makoto followed suit, and the others stayed put, knowing that if too many of them dissapeared, it would be too suspicious. When they were out of ear shot, Makoto and Rei ran to the side of the house to transform.

The rest stood huddled in a group. It was so dark, even the moon seemed to be too dim on this night as clouds passed over it.

They were all breathing pretty hard, as they heard footsteps incircling them. The youma was obviously having a good time.

"Give me your energy, pathetic humans," an evil voice muttered to the left of where Ami and Wufei stood. Before either of them could look, a hand wrapped around each of their necks, and they were lifted from the ground like a couple of rag dolls. Ami knew what was about to happen and began to kick, but she was only hitting air.

Heero watched in shock as a small light suddenly illuminated the monster in front of them. It had Wufei and Ami in a choke hold, and the two were glowing an ugly purple as their struggles grew more futile.

"What is this," Wufei managed to gasp.

"Holy Shit," Duo said,as Quatre and Trowa stared up at the monster with horror. That was when Usagi, Mamoru, Minako, and even Ami from where she struggled saw in the dim light Heero and Duo pull out something shiny from their pockets, that glinted slightly in the glow from the energy drain. Usagi let out more of a gasp then when she had seen the youma, inching closer to Mamoru.

Heero and Duo held the guns up and fired at the youma's legs so it would drop the two, doing it with expertise, Mamoru noted. However, the youma only looked up.

"You dare use a weak human toy against me? I must admit, it tickled a bit." The clouds were moving away from the moon, providing more light.

"JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!"

The cry caused every head to turn as the guns were lowered. Two sailor scouts stood on the beach, about 30 feet away, in different fighting stances. The one who had just attacked was in an offensive stance, while the other was in a defensive stance. They had gone around to the shore, to get the youma in the back.

The youma dropped Ami and Wufei, however the senshi were a bit late in rescuing them, because both hit the sand roughly, both unconscious.

"DAMN YOU SAILOR SCOUTS!" The youma was furious as it attacked the senshi with what looked like a lightening bolt made entirely of energy. The two leaped away as it hit the sand, scorching it, and Mars attacked.

"MARS FLAME SNIPPER!"

It got the youma in the heart, and it screamed and fell over, standing up weakly.

"I'll get you...I will."

"I don't think so," Mars said, as the two attacked one final time together, the youma dieing with an anguished scream. Right away, the scouts ran off, and seemed to fade into the darkness. Quickly detransforming, the two ran back to join up with their friends, standing behind everyone before slowly edging in. Trowa started up the fire with a burst quickly so that they could see Wufei and Ami.

"What was that," Quatre asked, as the fire started and everyone approached the two.

"That was a youma. It's so strange that one attacked here Usually they attack in Tokyo," Minako said, crouching down next to the two un-moving teens.

"What did the 'youma' do to them," Duo asked, joining the crouched Minako. She nodded at the senshi, and explained to the others. "They're okay. Just unconscious. You see Duo, when youma attack, they are usually sent out by someone to do it. And the Sailor Senshi, I don't know if you've heard of them, fight them off. The youma sometimes have to collect human energy for their masters. Well, that's what I know at least. Tokyo's been under attack the last four years, you see, since we were fourteen. When they drain someone's energy, they're out for a day or two. It happens all the time at school and extra-curricular activities. It's awesome when the Sailor Scouts fight though."

"So their energy was just drained," Heero asked, and she nodded.

"Yup. They're fine, they just need rest. Let's get them inside."

Duo bent down and pciked up Ami's limp form, as Heero slung Wufei over his shoulder.

"Duo, maybe we should get home," Quatre said. "Set Ami down inside and then join us at home. Thankyou ladies, I'm sorry the evening didn't go as planned," Quatre said, receiving a wave from Makoto as she cleaned up the snacks.

Duo headed inside with Usagi walking in front of him. Mamoru waved goodbye as he headed for his motel.

"It's late," she said, once they entered through the back door, "so let's set her up in her bed." Duo followed Usagi up the stairs into the room she shared with Ami, and indicated which bed it was. Duo layed Ami down on top of the covers, pausing as she rolled her head to the side slightly but didn't move otherwise.

He headed home right away to see that Wufei had been placed on the couch. His friends all sat staring at him.

"So," Heero said, "what did you all learn today from the girls."

They all began their tales of what had gone on that day, and sat up for about another hour discussing possiblities.

Ami opened her eyes with a slight groan the next day. Glancing over at her clock, it was 9:30. Sitting up, she stretched, and realized that someone had changed her clothes, into her pajamas. Since she was sharing a room with Usagi, she assumed it was her.

Showering and getting dressed, she headed downstairs. The pilots were over with donuts, she noted, as they all sat around the table.

"Morning Ames," Rei said.

"Good morning," she said, sitting down next to her. Looking around, she realized Wufei was there, but Quatre was not.

"Where's Quatre," Ami asked.

"Off with his new girlfriend," joked Duo, getting a warning glare from Wufei.

"The new neighbor. Quatre said that he'd bring her by to meet us later," Duo explained more calmly.

They finished eating and decided that they'd hang around the beach that day. As Duo was passing by an old picture frame that had a little Ami and a man he assumed was her father, he took a second glance, seeing that Ami had placed the much smaller picture of Rob in the corner of the frame for safe keeping.

"All we do is hang around the beach or the town," Minako complained as she walked past.

"We're on an island for that, you dummy. Anyways, you don't have to swim. Lounge around and get a tan before the summer is over. Relax as planned," Rei said following.

When Minako stepped outside, she saw that Heero already had a seat out on the sand, the back of the chair pushed back to get more sun. She ran towards like a puppy, Rei noted, and put a chair right next to him.

Makoto and Trowa were sitting cross legged on the sand talking. They did that a lot.

Wufei approached Rei from behind and tapped her, making her jump.

"I feel like swimming," he told her dryly, "care to join me?"

Ami walked past the front door, wondering why it was unlocked, and stopped herself from exiting when she realized Usagi and Mamoru were making out on the bench there. She quietly closed the door and walked into the family room, grabbing the novel she had wanted to finish from the couch, and turning to head back outside only to crash when she turned around into the brick wall that was Duo. She took a step back.

"Hey Ames. How are you feeling?"

"Fine," she said, about to walk around him when another thought occured to her. She and her friends had yet to discuss the guns Duo and Heero had pulled the night before. Perhaps she should just ask.

"Er...Duo. Before I passed out last night I saw something that surprised me," she confessed. He frowned, trying to remember what.

"You and Heero, you pulled out guns," she said.

"Oh. Oh that," Duo said, looking a bit shocked that he had been caught and then hiding it.

"Well," Ami said, suspision dripping from her voice, "why would you have a gun?"

"I'm from America Ames," he said, forcing a laugh, "we all carry guns."

Ami stared at him a moment, and he realized he had chosen the wrong answer.

"Well whatever you do there is fine. I'd just like you to explain to me how you and Heero managed to take guns with you on a flight, especially internationally with security as bad as it is."

Duo froze. Damn, Ami was smart.

"Well, we bought them here," he said.

"You bought them here? Really? And were you planning to throw them away before you got back on your plane home," Ami asked, causing Duo to curse himself mentally at his own stupidity. Ami looked mad. She knew he was a dirty liar. She knew.

He had never met a girl that was as smart and beautiful as her. Too bad his mission was to possibly eliminate her.

Seeing how quiet Duo was, Ami frowned and decided to just leave the room, having things to disuss later with her friends. Before she could move past him though, Duo grabbed her arm and turned her to face him, a look on his face that she had yet to see.

"Duo?" Just hearing her say his name in that adorablyconfused tone of voice was enough to make him confirm what he had been waiting to do since the moment he met her. He leaned down and kissed her before she could object, and what was more of a problem was that he had liked it.

Hope you enjoyed, thanks for the reviews, keep 'em coming!