After Heero's job that nearly went bad, explanations are requested and given, but a phone call from an unexpected old friend interrupts.

I sat in front of Trowa outside of the restaurant. It was completely empty outside since it wasn't dinner time yet. I let Trowa order for me again, and leaned back, trying to admire the false sunset of the colony.

My mind wandered back to the conversation we'd had a few days ago. My stomach felt uneasy when I remembered our deal to talk about my past.

And Relena. It'd be too much to hope he'd forget.

But in reality, there were more serious issues on my mind and I knew I was just trying to distract myself. I sighed as the waiter gathered our menus up and Trowa looked at me.

"It's a little chilly out, so I thought some sake might warm us up. Do you drink?"

"I have," I admitted. In the colonies, the age you could drink at was decided per colony cluster. Here it was apparently 15, but on some it was as much as 25, or so I'd heard. I hesitated before adding, "I like hard stuff, but sake's good too. I don't drink often though."

Trowa nodded, as if what I'd said made sense. "I prefer wines myself."

A silence followed, but it wasn't our usual comfortable one. We still hadn't talked about what had happened today. I was getting nervous that maybe he'd start talking about Relena instead when Trowa started speaking.

"So. Sylvia," he said, purposefully omitting her last name. "Didn't think we'd be seeing her again. I didn't know you were taking those kinds of jobs Heero."

I looked down. I had been doing work with the circus for the past few days, setting up, cleaning...simple, "honest" stuff, but a job had come up that I felt I couldn't turn down. Cathy had almost lost it when I asked to take the time off, but Trowa had come to my defense, saying I could take as much time as I needed.

I felt like I'd betrayed him.

"I don't normally. The work I usually do is much more tame," I said in a low voice. "Information gathering, reconnaissance, that kind of thing. But when Sylvia asked me…."

"I see. I get it. You still feel like you owe her. But how'd she find you anyway?"

Still looking down, I said reluctantly, "I'm guessing through Relena. Sylvia's a new ESUN diplomat and it's likely they've met before." Damn, I didn't want to bring up Relena...

"So what happened back there? Who were those guys?" Trowa asked instead. I relaxed, not realizing I had been holding my breath.

"I'm not sure," I spoke in almost a whisper now. "Sylvia may be being targeted by people have grudges against her grandfather in the Alliance. It could also be some new group trying to start something, and figured she was an easy target. I don't know yet."

Trowa leaned back and crossed his arms. "Some people may oppose the granddaughter of an Alliance leader entering world politics. Or some people in the colonies might have long memories about the acts her grandfather committed before he became a voice for peace. It could even be both or something else entirely…." Trowa closed his eyes in thought for a second before opening them. "Why didn't you tell Preventer?"

I hesitated. I had wanted to, but… "Sylvia didn't want to. She said she didn't want to 'make something out of nothing.' She'd received some threats since announcing she was going to the colonies but nothing had ever actually happened. She wasn't sure if it was just a prank and the threats were something that had only come up in the last week."

"And Preventer has to go through a lot of red tape just to mobilize. I think I understand. But will she report it now? Things are getting out of hand. Those guys were serious," Trowa said.

I nodded. "I told her she needed to, and that if she wouldn't I would. Sylvia said she would, but I'll keep an eye on the situation." We fell silent as the waiter arrived with our sake and soup. When the waiter left, I asked the question that I had been wondering since I'd first seen Trowa attacking those men.

"Trowa. Why were you there?"

Trowa poured some of his sake into a small cup and spoke as he did so. "It's a simple reason. I just had a bad feeling since seeing your face last night. I knew whatever had come up was sudden and things involving us usually get serious pretty quickly. I wasn't sure if I should follow you, but then I remembered what you said to me once. Act on your emotions. After the show ended, I did some checking up on your laptop. I apologize for that," Trowa said, downing the sake. "As expected, your security is pretty tough to crack, so I'm sorry I was a little late."

I quietly listened to Trowa but while he spoke a number of emotions had gone through me. Surprise, mostly, but some anger too at the fact that he would invade my privacy like that. I wanted to say something, to tell him to stop getting into my business, but I realized I couldn't say anything. Trowa had once again saved my life, plain and simple. I hadn't been able to take care of my job on my own and regardless of whether I wanted it, I had needed Trowa's help to keep both me and Sylvia alive.

I also was impressed that Trowa was able to get through my security. I guess I need to work on my skills. Still, I couldn't stop the words that tumbled out of my mouth, because I felt anger about something else too.

"Why'd you butt in?" I said, trying to keep the heat out of my voice. "I thought you were done with that life. Do you want to make Catherine cry again?"

Trowa's eyes widened. Whatever response he expected out of me, I guessed it wasn't that one. He seemed speechless in fact.

"I...could say the same about you, Heero. Aren't you in therapy?" Trowa asked, with some heat in his own voice now. "Don't you want to get better? You almost got killed!"

"And who would really care Trowa?" I said before I realized what I was asking. I thought I had rid myself of those kinds of thoughts, but apparently not.

Trowa glared so coldly at me behind his bangs that I thought I knew how it felt to be his enemy. "We'd all care Heero. Your friends would, anyone who really knew you would. And she would care. How would I explain that I let you get killed to Relena? What could I say when she was crying over your body because you died on some stupid job?!"

I sat there, stunned. Trowa certainly knew how to hit where it hurt when he wanted to. He had barely raised his voice, but his intensity hit me with all the force of a scream.

I didn't know...I didn't realize…

I sat there, feeling like all the air was gone from my lungs. My mouth moved, trying to say something but no words came out. Trowa had leaned in close when we were arguing, but seeing my expression he sat back in his chair with a sigh, and sweeped his bangs out of his face.

"Sorry," he said, looking pointedly away. I could tell he was still mad.

An awkward silence passed between us, at which point the waiter came back with our food. He seemed to notice the air between us because he didn't say a word as he placed the plates down and backed away. Are we really that scary?

My world was spinning. There wasn't just what I had said, or what Trowa had said, even though it was all true. There was something else too. I had vowed to never to kill again but…

"...Trowa. I let a man die."

During the fight, there hadn't been time to think about it. There was only time to think of survival and protecting Sylvia. But after I had the gunman on the street in a chokehold, I had been forced to throw him aside and knowingly sacrifice him to save myself.

Could I have saved him? Probably, if I had allowed myself to be seriously injured. But that wasn't what my training had taught me. I did things in the most direct, effective way possible. A weapon cannot let himself get hurt if possible, especially not if it's to save another life. Add to that the fact the man was my enemy…

"Heero..." was all that Trowa said. He seemed to be searching for the right words, but I went on speaking.

"I thought maybe...I thought I might have changed. But when it came down to it, I realized I haven't at all. I'm still just a weapon. The only thing I can do right is hurt others."

Trowa looked at me. The coldness and anger in his eyes from earlier had been replaced with something much kinder. "Heero, whatever they told you is a lie. You're not a weapon. You're a human being. And human beings make mistakes. You just did what anyone else would have-"

"No. Not Relena," I said quietly.

Trowa opened his mouth and closed it.

A melody disturbed the tense atmosphere. It was my phone. I felt my eyes widen slightly as I read the name on the screen. Wufei.

My eyes met Trowa's and he nodded slightly. I answered the call.

"Hello?"

"This is Wufei. I need to talk about something important. It's Preventer business. I'm on the same colony you're on right now. Where can we meet?"

Wufei... You're always to the point. I appreciated that about him, but right now it was a little disorienting. He's here, right now? And he wants to meet?

Feeling overwhelmed, I felt my mind push my emotions aside and focus on the situation at hand.

"I'm at a sushi restaurant right now. " I glanced at Trowa and felt a small pang of guilt. "I'm with Trowa right now. Is this urgent?"

Wufei was silent for a moment and I heard another voice speaking to him. It sounded like... Sally? She's here too?

Wufei sighed. "No, it's not that urgent. Just call me when you finish your meal. We'll meet up then."

"Why doesn't he just eat with us now?" Trowa cut in. "It is dinnertime and it's been awhile since I've seen him."

While I was wondering how the hell Trowa could hear Wufei, Wufei himself responded.

"Sure, why not? Send me your location and I'll be there soon."

Wufei and I hung up and I looked up to find Trowa smiling gently at me.

"It'll be interesting to see him again. I'm sure we've all grown since the last time we saw each other."

"Yeah," I said. The last time I had seen Wufei was on less than friendly terms. But now that the call was over, I found myself back to thinking of what Trowa and I had been discussing before. And how even Trowa hadn't had an answer for me.