"Daddy!"

Heero stepped back in surprise, as did the other pilots, as he watched a young ebony haired girl rush into Wufei's arms. In all the years he had known the Chinese man, he had never expected that he would be the first to be a father. The protective hold Nataku's pilot held on his daughter impressed Heero, a new side he had never expected to witness now reforming his view of the man. Wufei loved her, it could be clearly seen in the way he embraced her.

"Xiang," he smiled. "What have you been up to today?"

At the question, the young child brimmed with excitement, her mouth moving rapidly to relay the events of her day. Wufei engaged adoringly in listening.

"I helped mom cook dinner today!"

A pang shot through Heero as he heard the girl mention her mom. So Wufei had managed to find a wife as well. Sure he knew the child had to come from somewhere but the idea that her mother was still closely involved somehow eluded him. The natural homelike environment set him adrift as he now realized the once deadly Gundam pilot had truly abandoned his bloodlust persona for more humble suitings.

"Did you?"

"Mmhmm," she chimed. Wufei mindlessly made his way to the kitchen, beckoning Heero and the others to follow suit.

"I'm sure it turned out great then."

"Wufei, you're home."

The pilots were shocked, Duo's jaw slack, Quatre's eyes wide with surprise, Heero with a raised eyebrow and Trowa quiet but musing. This woman was far from what they expected Wufei's mate to look like. She stood soft and inviting in the center of the kitchen wearing a spaghetti strap golden-brown sundress that reached just below her knees, her hands covered with oven mitts.

"And we have company," she commented. "Will you all be staying for dinner?"

The blond haired pilot felt as though he had been sucked into some kind of vortex to another dimension, the prospect that this was the kind of life Wufei now led still not fully setting in as fact.

"We wouldn't want to—"

"It's no intrusion at all," she interrupted. "Good thing I went grocery shopping today!"

She pulled off the thick oven mitts and proceeded to the fridge to grab her ingredients. This was astonishing to find Wufei so comfortable in civilian life. Though he was actively involved in the Preventer's Corps, the others knew that they really hadn't been bothered with too many straining missions. Supposedly that left the Chinese man with ample time to finally regain a family.

They exited the kitchen, Quatre getting forced out by Wufei's wife after his polite attempts to help her. She insisted he relax and not bother himself with easy kitchen duty and with much hesitation he agreed. A young boy, resembling his father in every sense, walked in leisurely bowing politely as he looked for his father who had, surprisingly enough, pulled him in for a hug. Multiple discussions with his wife had changed the way he interacted with his son, her parenting style always enforcing a compassionate standpoint. It had taken a while for Wufei to accept this but after much persuasion, he found it not to be nearly as bad as he had imagined it being. He scoffed. Only she could tolerate him and his fortified inhibitions for as long as she did. He imagined that was probably why he ended up marrying her in the first place.

He turned the others, both children close by him, and introduced them.

"This is Tenzin," he said with a hand on the boy. "And this is Xiang, as you probably figured out."

Duo appeared to be the most ecstatic and ready to jump in as Uncle Duo, his hand already outstretched to both kids. They were twins, their hair from their father and their eyes as bright as their mother's. Quatre, Trowa and Heero watched quietly, their introductions not nearly as entertaining as Duo's, which they had expected. With a desire to discuss their current mission, Wufei interrupted the twins' and Duo's playtime, telling his children to go practice their techniques.

Catching onto Wufei's coined term "techniques", Duo smirked.

"How old are they?" the American asked.

Wufei glance wryly in his direction, expecting that he had something to say about what he had told his children.

"Six," he answered. "You're never too young to learn how to defend yourself."

A sheepish grin spread across the indigo-eyed pilot as he leant lazily back into the couch.

"Of course."

Chopping could be heard, the vigorous collision of the steel blade with the wooden board falling deafly on Wufei's practiced ears. His guests turned their heads in curiosity, watching with amazement as Wufei's wife sliced the vegetables at expert speed. Duo's eyes couldn't move from her hands, the movement she used to cut surprisingly fluid and easy.

"Say Wu-man," Duo mumbled. "Is your wife a fighter too?"

Wufei's sharp charcoal eyes glanced towards his wife in the kitchen and back to Duo.

"No," he replied simply. It was shocking that the Chinese man had no scathing remark to make about Duo's favorite nickname for him. Supposedly becoming a father had aided in taming his temper. Duo scoffed.

"Maxwell," the Chinese man spoke again.

"Yeah?"

"Keep your eyes off my wife."

The chestnut haired male grinned sheepishly, turning his gaze obediently away from her. "Hey, no harm in looking, right?"

Wufei's lips were pressed in a tight frown, Duo taking the hint and dimming down his smirk. "Or not…" he trailed. Some people never changed, he supposed, but he was glad that the Chinese man had finally let loose and allowed himself the chance to love a woman.

"So," the blond man seated neatly on the couch started. "What are your thoughts about the cats?"

The men in the room shifted in their seats, the thought of two talking cats again returning to mind. The story they had to tell was quite elaborate and they were uncertain whether they should believe it or not. In addition to that, Haruka had appeared to know them very well but it was apparent that she was keeping something from them.

"Well," Duo said, leaning casually back. "I'm still waiting to wake up. I mean Wufei is the first to get married to a total babe? And he's got kids? There's no way this could be real!"

Quatre shook his head disapprovingly, Wufei glaring daggers at the American who seemed to be trying to get under his skin. Much to the astonishment of the others, Wufei remained calm, with no intention to get even.

"I think they're more than just a scientist's lab experiment," Wufei said, bringing the room back to the topic at hand.

Scoffing, Duo reluctantly abandoned his attempts to get Wufei to break and nodded.

"They're smart and practiced. They managed to hack the Preventer's mainframe security in a matter of seconds and snuck in as if they had been doing this for ages. Given Haruka is a gifted soldier, I don't think she had the patience to train cats that well."

Quatre bobbed his head at Duo's words, his mind piecing together all the possibilities.

"So," he started. "If they didn't break in for the reason Haruka claims, what exactly were they after?"

All eyes seemed to shift uneasily, the silence eerily lurking amidst their contemplations. Haruka had no serious affiliations with any suspicious people and her record came out stark clean so what was the real relationship she had with these two mysterious felines? And why was she so vehement in protecting them?

Their conversation had inevitably come to an end, Wufei's wife appearing in the living room to announce the completion of dinner. Polite as ever, the pilots stood up and headed to the kitchen table. The food was alluring, colors, aroma and multiple appealing dishes pulling them into a state of hunger that they had never experienced before. All troubles seemed to flock away in the simple presentation of food. With a wry smile, Duo looked to Wufei's wife knowingly. There was no doubt about it, Wufei had fallen in love with her for her food, he was convinced and there was no swaying him.

"Kidnapped?"

Haruka's clear blue eyes panicked, her body shooting up from her seat. Perturbed, she paced in her cell, her hands running through her sandy tresses as she tried to mull over all the past events.

"This can't be a coincidence," she muttered to herself, Luna and Artemis' eyes trained on her.

"What do you mean by that?" Luna asked.

A loud sigh escaped the blonde's lips as she hesitantly stopped pacing.

"Relena Peacecraft was reported missing just this morning. I was reassigned to her case to help find her."

Luna's eyes seemed to be blinking incessantly, the cogs in her head slowly churning. What were the odds that Relena Peacecraft should be kidnapped at the same time as Usagi and Mamoru? A heightened sense of concern engulfed her, the "urging" she had earlier to come to the Preventer's corps now making sense. She wasn't supposed to come here because they had been responsible for her missing prince and princess, she was supposed to help them. Years as companions, Artemis seemed to come to the same conclusion at the same time, his voice carrying across the cell.

"Haruka, we have to help them."

The blonde had expected they would say something like that, a frown pressing regretfully across her smooth skin.

"That's what I'm doing," she refuted in attempts to avoid the actual insinuation they had.

She sat back down in preparation for their sure to come words of disheartenment.

"No," Luna cut in. "The senshi must reunite and help them."

Silently, Haruka's eyes looked between both Luna and Artemis. Reuniting…She had only maintained contact with Michiru throughout the years, their relationship together being the sole reason in that fact. Though they had not actually seen each other for months now, they still remained faithful no matter the distance. Setsuna and Hotaru had settled somewhere in Tokyo and would only send letters periodically and the inners…well she lost contact with all of them even Usagi. However, she didn't feel as estranged by Usagi as she often saw the bubbly young blonde on billboards and in movies, her career as a new actress booming with success. She and Mamoru had become one of Hollywood's most talked about couple, her successful acting career and his prestigious medical practices for some reason sparked large amounts of attention to them. They were both beautiful and their connection to each other was something envied by the world.

Hmm…

"Did the news get word of their disappearance?" Haruka asked.

Luna's small cathead shook in disaffirmation.

"I called Usa's agent and told him they were going on vacation, the public eye has no idea of their kidnapping. Luckily, Mamoru has many friends willing to take over his shifts at the hospital while he's away too."

With a nod, Haruka was relieved that the cats had done at least one thing right. Still feeling disheveled by their words of reuniting she silently contemplated.

"Haruka," Luna said slowly. The small black cat could see that Haruka was withdrawn about the whole situation but the dangers were too great to chance. If they didn't find the senshi and help the Preventer's find Relena who was most likely taken to the same place as Usa and Mamoru, there was no telling what could happen.

"Give me some time," Haruka said, her eyes pleading the cat to listen. "Let me see if I can find them without uprooting the rest of the senshi. This is a part of my life, its inevitable that I would be involved but it doesn't have to be like that for everyone else."

"Haruka," Luna reprimanded. "You all made a pact that if a situation should arise where the senshi were needed, you would all return."

Haruka groaned. "We don't know yet if they're actually needed."

Luna frowned. "Your prince and princess have been kidnapped, that's reason enough to believe the senshi are in deed needed."

Unwilling to give up, Haruka continued.

"Luna," she started. "Everyone has finally gotten a chance to live their own lives. If we can keep from dragging them into another fight, then I'm going to try to make it that way. It's not fair for us to pull them in so soon. We haven't even tried looking on our own yet."

With tightly pursed lips, Luna was unmoving. The situation was very alarming and yet Haruka, an outer who once lived by the motto that duty came before everything and believed the other senshi should adapt that way of thinking, was trying to persuade her not to call upon the others. It was a greatly disappointing sight in deed.

Luna tensed, Artemis soft paw resting gently on her back. His big blue eyes were the same as Haruka, begging her to wait just a bit longer before resorting to an all out reunion. Her own conscience felt terminally conflicted, her senses buzzing with uncertainty. As her mouth lay open, words refused to come out, her mouth again closing. If they didn't work fast enough, the future was in danger of being shattered. Closing her eyes, she remorsefully succumbed to their pleas.

"Two days," she said. "If we don't find Usagi-chan and Mamoru by then, we bring back all the senshi and tell the Preventer's who we really are."

Reprieved, Haruka bowed her mind now determined to find Relena, Usagi and Mamoru in the time allotted. As if the heavens had smiled upon her decision, the cell doors opened, Lucrezia Noin standing resolutely.

"Congratulations, you're free."

In a dry-cleaned button-up blouse accompanied by a deep navy blue pencil skirt, a woman with shocking crimson eyes sat twiddling a newly sharpened pencil between her slender fingers. Half her leafy green tresses were pulled into a tight bun, the rest of her gorgeous strands falling gracefully down her back. A troubled middle-aged woman lay confiding in her on the comfortable sofa the woman had ordered to be custom made from Sweden.

"I just feel empty," the woman said, her brow creased with lines and wrinkles. "I don't know what to do anymore."

The perfectly postured doctor pushed her glasses up her nose, her hands then interlacing in her lap. This was a common case, she found, in many middle-aged retired people. They would come to her complaining of their loneliness and loss of interest in life itself and to them, her response would always be the same.

"Give more," she stated simply.

Perplexed, the woman sat up from where she lay and arched an eyebrow in question. To explain her statement, the green-haired woman embellished on her words.

"Volunteer your time to the needy, open up your horizons and reach out. You only feel alone because you have not taken the time to extend your services."

Still not convinced, the woman turned completely to face her psychiatrist.

"Volunteer?"

The doctor nodded, her lips curving into a meek smile.

"Now Kaio-san, our time is coming to an end. My secretary will give you the number to a volunteer center that has helped many of my patients in the past. They will be more than happy to have you and I assure you your time will be well spent. If you get anxious or feel it is not working out for you, feel free to call me at any time. If necessary I will schedule you for another meeting before your appointment next week."

With a hesitant bob of the head, the patient stood slowly to leave. She had expected to get some kind of medicine but being as her friends only had good words to say about this particular psychiatrist, she resisted the urge to question her methods.

"Thank you Dr. Meioh," the lady said taking Dr. Meioh's hand into a firm shake.

"It was no trouble," she responded. "And please, Kaio-san, try to picture this for what it is. You're going to be volunteering your time to help others feel better about their situations. I think you'll be surprised by the gratification you'll receive on your first day."

Nodding, Kaio-san continued out of the room. The doctor sighed. She had a philosophy, one of which she had acquired over the numberless years she had spent guarding the time gates. She never felt lonely even though she was in deed alone. She never felt forgotten or neglected even though she was often those things as well. She was happy, honored even that of all the people in the world, she was chosen and trusted to protect the gates from everyone and everything. It wasn't until she started thinking about herself that she started to feel empty and lonely. So, she tried to apply that recognized fact to her patients that shared those feelings. By serving others, she had little time to think of herself thus leaving little time to think she was troubled. Therefore, her patients would more than likely experience the same truth.

Her head turned, a lurking presence gaining her attention.

"Taru," she muttered. "Is something wrong?"

From the shadows, a teenage girl emerged clad in a deep violet uniform, her glaive firmly gripped in her hands.

"I think something has shifted in the time gates," she said. "And it doesn't look good."

Setsuna's jaw locked. Her time sensitive conscience was tingling over the past few days, her instincts prodding her to suspect something was happening. Hotaru had volunteered to protect the gates during her summer vacation from school and the fact that she was able to spot a shift when she herself was quite unfamiliar with the patterns was daunting. Certainly, a troubling event was sure to come.

"Jin," she muttered over her phone line.

"Meioh-san," the voice answered.

"Please clear my schedule for the rest of the month, I'm going on vacation."

Stuttering could be heard over the line, Setsuna ignoring it and hanging up. The world was at stake and she knew better than to just ignore it. She walked with Hotaru into the shadows, both figures disappearing in an instant. Pluto and Saturn were prepared to resume their duties.

Hooded figures stood in formation, their superior pacing leisurely before them. Brilliant white garments hemmed with gold lining were flowing translucently, his handsome features complimented by the fine cloth encasing him. His feet slowed as his body approached one particular figure that held to a staff that stood shorter than the standard. He was quiet, very quiet, too quiet. The man in question shivered nervously.

"Where is the rest of your staff?"

The question sent chills down the man's spine, his voice hoarsely replying in an honest admission. Beads of sweat were forming, the finely dressed superior glaring unceasingly at him.

"Why did you even bother to come back?"

The man had no answer, his eyes shifting nervously for some kind of solution. His breathing became rugged, his instincts pressing him to run and run he did. His superior's eyes just followed after him the man's body inexplicably stopping in its place. The once fleeing man turned, unsheathing a knife and vehemently shoving it into his own gut. The cold eyes of the appearing boss darkened, the body then collapsing to the ground. Unperturbed by the event, he turned his lethal gaze upon the rest of the cavalry.

"Out there lies a loose end, I want you to retrieve it. If they find out what it is before you have brought it back, I will have all your lives."

All figures stood straight, their minds now coursing his determination. In the blink of an eye, they all left with a new mission in mind. The white-haired man still standing inside the deep trenches of a cavernous terrain marched out eventually greeted with an underground city marveled by a serene waterfall.

Alarmed sapphires peered cautiously around, her blonde tresses blowing in the wind. Soulless eyes met hers and she froze, standing courageously without any noticeable fear.

"Who are you?" She asked, her voice quivering slightly with uncertainty.

He sighed.

"I am a seeker of justice."

She arched an eyebrow at this, her feet leading her backwards as he came closer.

"Seeker of justice?" She questioned. "How has kidnapping me become a way to justice?"

He stopped, looking directly at her before again speaking.

"You will see," he said. "They will all see."

He continued forward, away from her and she stumbled to keep up with him. The skirts of her gown caught at the bottom her shoe, her balance thrown off by the fact. She felt her body falling to the ground, her breath caught in her chest with anticipation. She closed her eyes and jumped at the feel of sturdy arms around her. Confused, she opened them to see the steely silver orbs of her kidnapper.

"You should be careful, Princess Relena. It would be a shame if anything was to happen to you."

Her cheeks flushed, as she discretely attempted to straighten herself up, his warm embrace now leaving her.

"You know my name," she said not sure where she was headed with this. "I think it would only be fair that I know yours."

He paused before nodding back.

"My name is Elios."

How was that?

Hope it was enjoyable, still moving pretty slow but I don't want to rush the story because it might compromise the quality…maybe

As always, thanks for the reviews!

agoraphobia: Thank you for your review. I'm so glad you think the characters are well structured and that the story makes sense so far. Often times I get too excited with stories and might just plunge in without any real structure which is thankfully not the case for this story =] I gotta say though, I too miss all the GW/SM fics! There used to be so many that were frequently updated and well worth the read I used to have to navigate to page 2 just to see the rest of the updated fics on a daily basis...oh how times have changed...

Lita of Jupiter: aha! I didn't even think of their protectors ;) They really could be sisters...or twins even XD And yeah Haruka did pretty good I think with making up a story =] I also thought Rei as an archaeologist was pretty fitting and helps with the story too! I have fun thinking up occupations that the senshi might have now...hehe hopefully they're plausible though.

Anyways,

Thanks for reading!

And I hope you'll review! ^^

JPandS