Disclaimer: No I do not own Gunslinger Girl. Raphael and his other aliases yes but the rest of them no.

"Good morning Henrietta."

"Good morning Rico."

"Good morning Claes." They both replied.

"Have you seen Triela? She left the room early today, I guess she had breakfast early too."

They both shrugged. Triela was a bit jumpy yesterday when she got in the room, I wonder what she did?

"Isn't that Triela?" Rico pointed at a distance.

O, there she is, she's walking towards us with Raphael beside her. Are they holding hands?

Chapter 11 Una Coppia

A Couple

O my god those to may have actually confessed their feelings! There's Triela right beside Raphael both are holding each other's hand and… well they're not kissing but what if they have been?

"What?"

That was the 1st thing she said as soon as they were in talking distance. We were all just starring at them when suddenly Henrietta giggled:

"We're sorry Triela it's just that we never expected you to be so close to each other after what happened yesterday."

Raphael was just in disbelief of what is happening. He got Triela a seat.

"If you ask me we did not plan on any of those things to happen. Maybe Triela did but I was all in the spur of the moment."

"Hey all I wanted to get from you is an 'I like you'. If you had made it easier it would have all happened faster." Triela replied.

"That's not how these things work, you can ask Claes that." With that, Raphael winked at me and I blushed. "Anyway I am hungry are you Triela? What do you want?"

"I'll have what you're having Raph."

"Ok, then that's bread and water."

"Hey!"

"Just kidding, I'll think of something." Raphael said as he walked away.

Triela sat on her seat not making a move. We all stared at her as she blushed back.

"What? So I was with Raphael last night, don't go interrogating me."

"What have you two been doing?" I asked her.

"We were on his bed last night. I was on top."

All of us could not believe what we just heard. Henrietta won't stop laughing. It took Triela awhile to realize the mistake in her sentence.

"No we did not do that. We were just hugging. Raphael said that he liked me and that he could not stop thinking about me so I jumped into his arms and we both landed on his bed."

"O, and what did you do this morning?" I asked afterwards.

"He led me to the field, and held on to me while we were under a tree."

We were skeptic over her claim, as nothing seems to make sense. It would seem though that the two never made it to first base. Even though Raphael would appear to be quite a passionate lover.

"So all you did the whole time was cuddle?" asked Rico.

"Cuddle and talk." Defended Triela. "Got a problem with that?" Triela asked sternly.

"Well we expected more but then you 2 are just beginners." I said.

Raphael came back and he got a breakfast tray for Triela.

"Are these the only things they serve here? Cake, tea and beef?" Raphael asked.

"They have yogurt, Raphael." I retorted

"No one eats plain yogurt for breakfast Claes, no one except you."

The atmosphere between all of us cyborgs plus teenager, remained like that until breakfast was over and it was back to work for us. Well for them, I was just called to the lab.

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There's an assignment tomorrow. It was a follow up on the pursuit of the guy named Mr. Bennet. Well it turned out he wasn't a Mr. Bennet so we just went after any gang leader that is known as Mr. B-- ironic huh, we ended up on a manhunt for a Mr. B just like what Raphael said while he was torturing the man.

I ended up with Raphael again like last time in the training session. Triela kept urging that she be grouped with Raphael but the handlers won't let her. So it was still Raphael and Henrietta against Triela and Rico.

"Triela, if they let us group together the score will hit the ceiling. Were just that good together." Raphael reasoned, followed by a wink.

"Fine, but I still won't hesitate to take you down Raph." Triela said.

"Go ahead, just don't shoot me." Raphael said with a snigger.

But the results were the same. No matter how much effort Triela put running into rooms and emptying all her rounds at the targets. She did not catch up with us. Well she nearly did but Raphael suddenly emptied a room by letting loose his AK 74 in one hand and his dessert eagle in the other. Raphael definitely showed regret for holding the AK 74 in one hand as his shoulder started bothering him. He was still glad though since he did claim victory over his girl. We both got out first and after a couple more shots Triela and Rico as well. Raphael held his hand out to shake Triela and Rico's but Triela just embraced Raphael. All of a sudden Raphael tightened his grip around Triela. It seemed that Triela legs gave way, but why?

"Raph… I am hurt…" mumbled Triela.

Raphael held her up and saw blood streaming at Triela's side. Raphael told me to call the handlers. As he cradled Triela in his arms he lifted her blouse to reveal a bullet at her side.

"I tried using my SIG-Sauer on one of the targets but I totally missed and the bullet ricocheted on a wall and somehow got me." Triela whispered.

The van got there and Raphael carried Triela into the van. She wasn't really that badly hurt but she was hit in an area where she was 50% cybernetic 50% flesh so she was probably feeling pain. She was in surgery for 4 hours the whole time Raphael was just pacing the hall.

"I was stupid!" Raphael yelled, "I bet she tried to repeat my stunt with the AK 74 and the Eagle when she made the mistake." He yelled as he punched the wall.

Later on Doctor Bianchi came out and asked Hillshire if he wanted to condition Triela. Jean instantly agreed but Hillshire and Raphael simultaneously screamed:

"NO!"

"I am sorry Jean but we have a unanimous decision no conditioning for Triela then." said Dr. Bianchi as he went back to the surgery room.

"You already have her conditioning at near minimum, if you had given her more she would have not tried to deviate like that in the first place." Scolded Jean.

"Jean I can't, she just made a mistake. She'll learn from it and not do it again. Making her forget about it won't help." Explained Hillshire.

"We don't have that kind of time, Hillshire. The attack is scheduled tomorrow. She's stubborn when all we need now is obedience. She's a dog out of her leash Hillshire!"

Then Raphael rushed for Jean but then Joze and I held him back.

"I don't want to hear anything like that about her! She's human for god sake not an animal you could just whip and leash. Well she's more human than you of course!" Raphael said as Joze and I restrained him.

Before Jean and Raphael could get into a fight. One of the doctors came out:

"She's fine now. She did not get conditioning so she'll probably complain of pain but aside from that she should be ok."

We all entered her room. As soon as Raphael saw her, he rushed to her side and held her hand.

"Triela I am sorry, this is all my fault."

"No Raph, it's mine. I should have known better. You have to teach me how you do that." Triela said as she smiled back at him.

"Triela you're in pain. You don't have to hold it back. It would feel better if you do." Raphael said.

"If you can brave 15 bullets then I can bare this bullet. Besides I have had worst." Triela said with a wince. Raphael stepped back so that the rest of us could see her.

Without anyone noticing, Raphael left the room. Only to be followed out by Hilshire.

"So is it true?"

"What are you talking about?"

"These rumors going around about you and Triela?"

"Well if you disapprove of it, I could break it off with her"

.

"Actually it's unheard of, therefore not brought up here in the agency yet. You see we never had an operative like you're self before so there was never anything that says that the girls couldn't have a relationship with anyone out side the agency."

"Well you're still her Fratello mate; it's up to you."

"Well I see nothing wrong. We both have similar views. We both hate this conditioning process. Who knows maybe you can straighten her out without the conditioning. You know all of these things in the agency are just experimental."

"I see. Should she know? That you know?"

"It would be her best interest that she doesn't; she might grow paranoid of me."

"Very well."

"Don't hurt her Raphael."

"I'd rather die than let that happen."