Chapter 5

Serena stepped out from her bathroom with a towel wrapped tightly around her body as steam followed her into the hall. She walked into her bedroom and turned on her laptop which was setting on her vanity. Sighing, she sat on her bed and stared at her laptop as she thought about her and Heero. Sighing again, she walked over to her dresser and closet, and quickly dressed into black sweat pants and a red spaghetti strap tank-top. "A mission?" She asked herself as she sat at her vanity and opened an e-mail from Trista, and scanned the material, "I prefer going alone." She said to the screen and sighed as she walked back to her dresser and took out a pair of black cargo pants, a long-sleeved black spandex shirt, and took out some guns from the bottom drawer.

Serena knocked on Rei and Mina's door, her carefree personality replaced with the cold-emotionless mask the crystal created for her as she knew the time she spent with Heero was her last. Rei opened the door to see Serena standing there as her violet eyes noticed the attire Serena was wearing, "A mission?" Rei asked.

"Hn."

Rei motioned for Serena to step in as she commented, "Come in."

"Be ready in five and meet in Amy's and Lita's room." Serena commanded as she turned around and walked across the hall and knocked on Lita and Amy's room.

Amy opened the door and stepped aside as Serena walked in and looked at her. Amy gave her a silent nod as she walked into the kitchen and spoke to Lita, "We have five minutes to get ready."

Heero ran a hand through his hair as he sat on his bed and sighed. He picked up his guns and left his apartment. He walked to Quatre's and Trowa's room, knocked on the door and noticed Wufei and Duo were in there as well. "Mission."

The others looked at him, Duo wanted to say something to Heero but stopped as he noticed Heero was already out of the room. "We haven't seen him all weekend, and he shows up in time for a mission?"

Quatre looked at him and shrugged his shoulders as he and the others left the apartment to begin their mission.

Serena walked into the dim warehouse and stopped to turn around to see the other girls were looking at the tall robots. "Move."

Rei gave her nod as she silently wondered what Gundam was hers as she noticed there were ten Gundams all together. She scrunched her eyebrows together as she asked, "Serena, are we the only ones going on this mission?"

Serena gave her a smirk and was about to reply when the Gundam boys walked in and aimed their guns at them. Mina gulped as she saw a barrel of a gun pointed to her and looked up to see Duo lowering his gun as he asked, "You're a Gundam pilot?"

Mina laughed nervously as she looked at the others and noticed they each held mixed-emotions except for Serena and Heero. She looked back to Duo and replied, "Yep."

"I'm glad to see you met the other pilots, Boys," a male voice spoke as the figure to the voice stepped out from the shadows. The figure was an old man with a claw hand, wore pop-bottle glasses, had a big pointy nose and a gray mustache. He wore a white lab coat which reached the floor. To his right stood a woman with olive green hair pulled up into a bun, she had garnet-colored eyes, and also wore a white lab coat which reached to her knees and wore black slacks.

The woman looked to the girls and turned her attention to the boys as she spoke, "You all will be working together at each mission. Tonight, you ten will go on a practice mission to get to know each other. Heero and Serena are the leaders and you will do as they say. Your mission is to go to the paintball arena where we have set up an obstacle course. Once you get to the arena, your mission will make sure everyone gets out alive and retrieve the information at the end. You will decide who does what. You have an hour to get to the arena."

Wufei glared at her as he commented, "I refuse to work with weak onnas."

Rei turned around and glared as she commented, "I'd be quite if I was you, Chang, or I'm going to fry your ass!"

"I'd like to see you try, Onna." Wufei said as he crossed his arms.

Lita stepped next to Rei and grabbed her shoulder as she spoke up, "He's not worth it, Rei."

"Yes he is," she said as she could feel the power of Mars slowly come to life as she continued to glare at Wufei.

Serena pointed her gun at Rei as she spoke up, "We have fifty-five minutes to get to the arena. You and Chang can stay here and argue all night, or you can shut the Hell up and take out your frustrations once we get there."

Heero smirked as he watched Serena handle the situation and watched in amusement as Rei quickly shut her mouth and walked over to Mina and Lita. He saw Serena look at him and he gave her a nod as he looked at his comrades, "Serena and I will go in and retrieve the information. Quatre, you and Amy will work on the strategies that will help us complete the mission quickly. Trowa, you, Lita, Mina, and Duo will all work together in back up and making sure Serena and I can get to the information. Wufei," he looked at the Chinese pilot and then over at Rei, "You and Rei will cooperate and cover Amy and Quatre as they lead Serena and me through the base. Now, move out."

The group all stepped out from their vehicles and stared at the red-bricked building which read, 'Paint and Fire.' Heero and Serena quickly looked at each other and gave each other a nod as Serena turned around to look at her friends, "Get with your groups."

Wufei glared at her and spoke loudly as he kept his steal coal gaze on Serena as he said, "No way in Hell am I taking orders from a weak . . ." his rambling soon faded as he stared at a barrel to a silver gun, which belonged to Serena.

Serena smirked as she asked, "You were saying?"

Heero turned around to stare at the building and smiled as he could use this scene to his advantage. He began to walk towards the building and heard Serena put her gun away. He glanced back to see she was following him, along with the others. Heero opened the door and heard Mina say, 'This is our mission?'

The inside of the building had nothing but ceramic pieces to paint. Duo looked over to Quatre and asked, "Quatre, are you sure this is the address?"

Quatre took out a piece of paper, glanced down to his writing, and glanced back to see nine pair of eyes looking at him. "Yes."

"But, this isn't a paintball arena . . .it's . . . it's crafts!" Duo said, as he looked around to see paint bottles set up nicely and paintbrushes sticking out from jars.

A woman with brown hair pulled into a ponytail and wearing jeans with paint stains and a orange T-shirt came walking to them and handed Lita an envelope, "A woman asked me to give this to you once you arrived."

Lita looked down to the envelope and noticed the Pluto sign on the back as she opened the envelope and took out a card. She began to read: Your real mission is to work in pairs and paint something. You each have to participate in this mission. Once this mission is completed, you will be assigned to a different task. The pairs are as followed: Lita and Trowa, Mina and Duo, Quatre and Amy, Wufei and Rei, and Heero and Serena. Good luck, Trista."

The group of ten all looked at each other, dumbfounded as they replayed the message Trista left. The lady working at the store, chuckled as she saw the girls and guys blink at one another, and shook her head as she walked back to the counter. Mina saw two porcelain racecars and broke the silence, "Duo get the paintbrushes and paints while I go and grab our pieces."

Duo watched Mina walk towards he porcelain pieces and saw two racecars. He smiled and walked over to the paintbrushes and grabbed the color of paints they would be using. "This shouldn't be too bad."

Lita sighed in relief that Mina was the one to break the awkward silence and looked to Trowa as she commanded him, "Pick out our pieces to paint, and I'll get the brushes and some paint to get us started."

Trowa gave her nod and began to walk around the store, his emerald eyes noticed clowns, he picked up two, walked over to a table, and sat down. Lita walked back carrying the paints and the brushes, looked down to the pieces, and smiled as she commented, "Clowns?"

Trowa shrugged his shoulders as he looked up at the others and saw Quatre picking out the pieces while Amy gathered the supplies. Trowa smirked as he looked at Wufei and Rei. They were standing and glaring at each other, while Serena walked around looking for pieces for her and Heero. Rei threw her hands up in the air, turned around, and also began to look for pieces in hopes to get away from the Chinese pilot. Heero looked back to Serena seeing her carrying back two Tahj-Mal palaces, and silently wondered what the palace represented as he left to get the paint supplies.

Rei gently set two crows on the table, glanced up at Wufei, and sighed as she walked over and grabbed the paint supplies. She ignored Wufei as she sat down at the table, and picked up one of the crows. Her heart sunk as she thought back to the shrine and silently spoke to the figurine, "I miss you guys."

Mina, Amy, Serena, and Lita stopped and looked at Rei. Serena broke from her Perfect solider mold and spoke up, "We'll go back Rei, I promise."

The guys looked to Serena as they wondered if they heard her right. A ray of light washed upon them as they silently watched the girls look at each other, with Serena smiling a smile that lit up her cerulean eyes. Mina set the paintbrush down as she looked up at Serena and saw her princess back as she asked, "I wonder how Amara, Michelle, and Hotaru are doing?"

Serena chuckled as she looked to her blonde-headed friend, "Michelle and Hotaru don't concern me. I bet Amara is pulling her hair out because she can't be the mother hen."

The girls laughed, the guys looked on with confusion, and Heero silently wished he could be with Serena more. Lita looked at the girls as she went back to paint her clown as she asked, "Do you think Andrew is wondering where his favorite customers are?"

"I miss the Sailor V game." Mina said as she looked over to Lita and commented, "He probably misses Serena the most."

"Hey!" Serena yelled out as she looked at Mina, "You ordered just as much milkshakes as I did."

"Yeah, but I didn't order everything off the entire menu." Mina said with a smile.

Rei laughed as she looked over to Serena and smiled as she asked, "Do you know what I miss the most?"

"Nani?" Serena asked as she looked at her friend and knew she needed to apologize for aiming her gun at Rei.

Rei laughed as she answered, "When we had slumber parties at the shrine . . . speaking of slumber parties," she looked over to Serena and glared, "you still have my newest manga!"

Serena glared at her as she replied, "You told me I could have it."

"Did not."

"Too!"

"Not."

Amy bowed her head in shame as Rei and Serena continued to bicker and mumbled, "How embarrassing."

Quatre chuckled as he glanced up to see Wufei and Heero looking at the two arguing girls with amusement in their eyes. He looked closely to Heero as his eyes widened as he thought to himself He looks as if he's at peace . . .

Rei and Serena stopped arguing and laughed merrily as they looked at each other and came to a silent agreement. Serena felt a pair of eyes on her, looked up into Heero's eyes, and felt her heart stop. She smiled timidly at him, and quickly glanced down to her palace to avoid his stare.

Heero smirked as he observed the two and came to a conclusion this side of Serena was better. He looked down to the pieces she picked out and watched as Serena carefully picked colors and paint the palace with a longing he couldn't explain.

Duo smiled at Heero and Serena as he looked back to Mina and asked, "Who's Andrew?"

"A guy who worked at the arcade," Mina said, afraid she might give away too much.

"Did you like this guy?"

Mina looked at him and smiled as she leaned towards him as asked, "Jealous?"

"No!"

Mina smirked as she stole a kiss from him and pouted, "That's a shame," she said as she went back to painting her racecar.

Amy smiled as she looked over to her friends and looked up at Quatre as she commented about Andrew, "He treated us like his sisters."

"Oh." Quatre said he looked down to the masks they were working on and mentioned, "Seems like you guys have a lot of good memories back home."

Amy smiled softly as she commented, "Yes."

Two months have passed since the girls showed up in AC 195, and two months since Heero and Serena tied in the challenge, Serena issued.

Serena sat across from Heero in the diner wearing a black jean jacket over a burgundy baby T-shirt, dark destroyed jeans, and brown shoes. Sighing in frustration she yelled, "I don't get this!"

Heero was wearing a black skater shirt with the words Constance on the front, loose jeans, and white Etnie shoes with a black e on the side. He looked down to the history page and asked in amusement, "What don't you get about the Early Explorers?"

Serena sighed in frustration and looked up into his Prussian eyes which were showed his amusement. She shook her head as she looked back to the book and replied, "I just have a hard time with the Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans . . . I always feel as if there's a major part to history the world doesn't know about."

Heero raised an eyebrow as he asked, "Like what?"

Serena sighed and shook her head as she looked at him, "You probably think I've lost it, if I told you."

"Try me."

"Haven't you ever wondered if there was life before the Greeks?"

"At times."

"I don't think they just made up the Gods . . ." she trailed off as she saw Heero look at her with confusion. Changing subjects, she asked, "How is your research coming for our project?"

"I'm finished."

"I will be once I can get the information from our next mission." She closed the history book and gave him a smile before she tucked the book back in her bag and glanced to her watch, "I need to go." She stood up and smiled again as Heero stood up from the table. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Heero gave her a small nod and ran a hand through his messy chocolate hair. "Serena?"

Serena turned around and looked at him with questioning eyes as she answered, "Yes, Heero?"

He shook his head as he mumbled, "Never mind."

Serena fought the urge to show him disappointment as she began to walk out from the diner. She stopped and turned around, walked over to him and leaned up and gave him a kiss on the lips, "We should do this more often," she commented and left Heero standing in his spot and staring at her.

Lita, Trowa, Duo, Mina, Quatre, and Amy all sat in Mina's apartment on the living room floor playing a card game called, 'Phase 10.' Mina looked up to the group and asked, "Do you think something is going on between Heero and Serena?"

"No. Granted she isn't acting like the Perfect Soldier, I don't think Heero would break from everything he's been taught." Duo replied as he set down four cards reading from 1,2,3,4 and another four cards containing eights.

Lita drew a card and placed a five, a six, and a seven on Duo's run, and looked up at him. "They do spend a lot of time together."

"They also have a huge history project due at the end of the semester." Amy countered.

Mina shook her head as she looked at the group and spoke up, "I know Darien and her were close, but I've never seen Serena look at Darien they way she does Heero."

The guys all looked at her as Duo asked, "Who's Darien?"

"Her ex-boyfriend." Mina answered as she looked at him and then at her friends, "Even if Heero is the Perfect Soldier, I've also seen the way he looks at her. Every time she's near him, he's fighting with himself."

"How do you know?" Duo asked looking at Mina, who turned away with sadness in her eyes. "Mina?" He asked with concern.

Mina fought back the tears as she looked at him, "I see him look at her in my math class . . ." she set her cards down as she stood up from the floor and began to walk towards the bathroom and mumbled, "Being the Scout of Love doesn't help."

Duo stared at her with confusion as he looked over to Amy and Lita and asked, "Is she okay?"

Lita and Amy both looked at each other and then looked back to him as Amy answered, "Yes."

Serena stepped into her apartment room and felt her hamburger wanting to come back up, slammed her door shut, and ran to the bathroom. "Great . . ." she mumbled as she sat on the cool tiled floor next the toilet in case she need to vomit.

Rei saw Serena slam her door shut as she stepped of the elevator and raised an eyebrow as she mumbled to herself, "Odd . . ." she looked to her door and could hear the others laughing about something Duo or Mina did. She sighed as she felt loneliness claiming her heart as her thoughts drifted to a Chinese pilot. She walked over to Serena's door and opened it. Calling out, "Serena?"

"Bathroom!"

Rei confused, walked over to the bathroom, quickly knelt next to Serena, and pulled back Serena's hair. "Are you okay?"

"No . . . I can't stop throwing up . . . it's like my body is rejecting the food I eat."

Rei raised an eyebrow as she asked, "How long has this been going on?"

"Since last week. I met Heero at the diner in hopes a hamburger would stay down, and as you can see . . ."

Rei turned her head away and leaned over to the toilet paper to tear off a piece for Serena to wipe her mouth. "The flu has been going around," Rei said trying to figure out the reason for Serena's body rejecting food she loved to eat.

Serena flushed the toilet and sat down to look up at Rei who sat on the edge of the tub, "I don't think it's the flu."

Rei raised an eyebrow as she looked at Serena as she asked with caution, "You can't be pregnant." Rei felt her heart stop as she saw Serena look away with guilt as she asked with concern, "Serena?" She stood up and walked over to Serena and kneeled next to her as she forced Serena to look at her, "Serena?" She asked again to see Serena try to look away. "Are you?"

Serena felt the tears fall as she looked at her friend and embraced her in a hug, "I don't know."

"The only guys you've been around is Darien and He-" Rei's eyes widened as she looked at the crown of golden hair as she asked, "Have you and Heero been seeing each other?"

"Yes . . ." Serena answered as she pushed herself out of Rei's arms and looked at her, "Two months ago, I issued a challenge, and things . . . happened."

Rei chuckled despite the situation as she commented, "Well that answers everyone's questions."

Serena felt the color in her face turn pale as she looked at her raven haired, friend as she shouted out, "No!"

Rei looked at her and smiled as she placed both her hands on Serena's shoulders as she looked into Serena's eyes as she vowed, "I won't say a word, Serena. You know me."

Serena sighed as she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around Rei as she spoke, "I'm scared, Rei."

Rei hugged Serena back as she whispered to her, "You're not a lone. Does Heero know?"

"I don't have the heart to tell him, if I am . . ." Serena said as she was thankful Rei was here with her.