A/N: In this chapter we see the first interaction between Ryan and Roxy. The Archangel will arrive at Artemis unless I decide to make this chapter a short one and end it with the interaction. Here is the awaited meeting of Ryan and Roxanne. Hope you enjoy it.
Chapter Six:
A One Sided Reunion
Ryan's quarters:
Ryan stepped out of the shower and dried off. There was a gentle knock on his door. He wrapped the towel around his waist and walked to the door. He pressed the comm button and his face appeared on the screen. "Who is it," he asked? Roxy looked at the screen and turned bright red. "Eep. Its R..R..Roxy…y..y..you…w..w..wan..wanted…t..t..to…s… s…see…m…me…," She embarrassingly said. Ryan nodded and said, "Give me a minute to get dressed. The nineteen year old nodded. Ryan walked away and got dressed in his uniform. He opened the door and ushered her in. "Sorry about coming to the door like that," he said. Roxanne nodded and said, "Its okay. I just didn't expect you to be dressed like that." Ryan offered her a seat and he sat on his bed.
Roxy sat down and looked around the room and saw several pictures on the various tables. She recognized the older gentleman in several of the pictures. "So he was your father?" Ryan looked at the pictures and said, "Yeah, I miss him every day, but it serves as a reminder as to why I fight." She nodded and said, "So why do you fight?" Black looked at her and then the pictures and he smiled. He took a breath and responded, "I fight to protect those I love and care about, I fight for my friends, and I fight to end this war. I don't fight because I have to, I fight because I want to protect." She stared at him and smiled. "That is a good reason to fight," she said. He smiled and said, "Thank you." Roxy looked down at her hands and asked, "Why did you want to talk to me, me of all people?" Ryan laughed and said, "Because you need answers to why would the Earth Alliance want to kill me. They tried to kill me because they did not want it to be discovered that their top ace was a coordinator and they thought that if they made my training ten times harder than everybody else's I would quit, but I wasn't going to let them beat me." She took this in and said, "But why would you being a coordinator matter to them?" "My kind is the enemy to them. They didn't want me to be able to be a traitor. As if I would go to ZAFT. My home was in the Atlantic Federation. I was born on Earth not in some space colony," he said. Roxanne looked at him and nodded.
Black turned away from her and stared at a picture of a brunette woman and picked it up. She turned red and said, "Is that your girlfriend?" Ryan laughed and said, "No, I don't have a girlfriend or anyone waiting for me at home. My mom was killed in the Bloody Valentine Tragedy. She was at Junius Seven visiting my grandma and grandpa. My entire family was there except for Dad and me. Dad was at Carpentaria and I was at the academy. They were all peaceful people who wanted nothing more than to live their lives normally. They were all taken from me in an instant." He placed the picture down and picked up a picture with a large group of people in it. He said, "This was my family at the reunion the year before I entered the academy." He handed it to her. She took it and looked at it sadly. "I am sorry for your loss." He shook his head, "Thanks but I am not one who likes pity." She frowned and put the picture down. She stood and shakily said, "I wasn't pitying you." She walked out and shut the door quickly. Ryan looked up and watched as she left, visibly upset. He sighed and shook his head. He stood up and walked out of his quarters.
Roxanne took off down the hall went to her quarters and shut the door. She changed into her workout clothes and left. She went to the empty room and put her ear buds in. She stretched and started dancing.
Ryan went to her quarters and knocked. Miriallia answered and said, "Ryan she is not here and I don't think I should tell you where she went. You upset her pretty bad." Ryan sighed and said, "That is why I am here. I wanted to apologize to her. I mistook something she said for pity and I don't like pity." Miriallia shook her head. "I shouldn't…You didn't hear this from me. She is in the empty observatory. That is where she goes when she gets upset." Ryan nodded. "Thanks Miriallia." He left and started towards the observatory.
A few minutes later at the observatory:
Roxanne continued dancing and twirling slowly. Ryan walked in quietly and sat down for a few minutes watching her. Roxanne kept dancing oblivious to her new guest. Black watched her intently studying her moves with a smile on his face. The more he watched her the more he wanted to join her, but he did not want to scare her. So he sat there patiently watching her. Roxy continued dancing and twirling around with a smile on her face.
A few minutes later Ryan got up and walked out of the room. Roxanne stopped and noticed the door closing. She rushed out of the room, just as Ryan went around the corner. She hurriedly went after him and caught him by the arm. "Why were you watching me Ryan? Did you want something?" He looked into her green eyes and nodded. "Yeah I wanted to apologize for acting like an ass earlier. I have gotten so much pity over the death of my entire family that I assumed you were pitying me too. I am sorry." She shook her head and said, "I am sorry for not being more understanding of the fact, that many people probably say that and how much it hurts to have lost your family. I don't know what I would do if I lost my whole family." Her hand slid down his arm to his hand and she grabbed it without realizing it. Black looked at her and said, "Don't worry I won't let any harm come to your family. Nobody should have to deal with the pain of losing everyone they know and love." Roxy smiled and said, "I appreciate it, but you need to focus on protecting this ship not one silly girls family." Ryan nodded and said, "This ship is my first priority and always has been. That is what I was hired to do and it was no accident that your name wound up on the crew list either." He winked and said, "I will talk to you later." He took his hand back and walked off. Roxanne stood there completely shocked by what he had just said.
A/N: What did Ryan mean by it being no accident her name wound up on the crew list? Why was he being so nice to her? What will the future hold for the two young adults? Tune in and please review.