Hello everyone, here's another update! Sorry about the random updates, but my schedule doesn't allow me to post regularly anymore. As for future updates, they should occur over the weekends. And to some of my readers, enjoy your Labor Day Holiday! Thanks for reading, and comments/critiques are always welcomed.

Chapter Nine

The last few weeks had been a whirlwind. He finally saw a message in his inbox for an assignment out in rural Iowa, but that didn't last long. A mere three days for a small town festival, and straight back to Duo's apartment. The steam from his morning shower coated the mirror, and he wiped away the newly formed liquid from the reflective surface.

He started to shave the stubble that was forming on his jaw line. It was a mundane routine, but after rounding the lower right corner of his jaw, a smudge of red began to drip down. The droplet fell to the white sink basin. The single line of scarlet slowly merged with the clear liquid in the sink, and soon red streaks swirled near the drain. He furrowed his eyes and couldn't recall the last time he had nicked himself while shaving.

"Hn."

Soon enough, he got dressed and headed out the door. By now, summer had its grasp around the city. A heat wave snarled the temperatures in the upper 90's and there was no relief in sight. He passed by a couple of ice cream trucks that rang its tunes and watched the neighborhood kids flock to them in a mad dash.

He spotted a diner and decided to beat the heat temporarily. A wave of cool air met his face as he sought shelter. Inside, a couple of customers were sitting at the counter, looking over the morning newspaper. Their cups of coffee lined with brown stains at the top.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" The waitress had her pen and paper waiting.

"Lemonade."

He watched her disappear in seconds to the back of the diner. With that, he focused on ordering brunch. The waitress came back with the pale yellow drink and walked away to tend to her other customers.

His eyes remained focus on laminated paper, as he felt someone sit across from him.

"I heard you wanted some answers." The stranger watched Heero's reactions.

The imaginary friend looked up from paper and looked at the person across from him. He recalled seeing that face somewhere along his travels. "Do I know you?"

"That all depends."

He took a sip of his lemonade, wondering if this man was real or not. "How did you hear of me?"

"Through rumors and connections."

"Let's get to the point."

"Fine with me." He crossed his arms and placed his aviator sunglasses on the table.

"I was out on assignment back some thirty years ago. My charge was a little girl out in Sandusky, Ohio. I was with her for at least two years to help her through some rocky patches. Her home life wasn't that perfect."

Heero listened attentively to the stranger's story, while swirling pale yellow liquid with the straw at times, hoping to disperse the ice cubes. He motioned to the stranger if he wanted one, but he opted for a glass of ice water.

"You know how it works. You leave them by their eighth birthday. Well, somehow she remembered me. She spotted me in a crowd at an art museum one Sunday afternoon in Chicago. She was 20 years old by then." He took a sip from the cold ice water. "There are some children with an inherited ability to remember their imaginary friends. Their imagination is the key to why they remember us, and if you give them an object it just amplifies the bond between the two of you."

Heero was taken aback at the subtle revelation. He was right in analyzing all the assignments he had been on and the one single confounding factor came back…the teddy bear. "And then what happened to you?"

"I should ask you about yourself now." His eyes peeked in curiosity.

His eyes furrowed again, seeing that he was being met with more questions back at him. "You can probably answer them."

"Probably, but won't."

"What kind of answer is that?"

"You'll understand slowly." He took another sip of water.

"And what object did you give her then?"

"Well there you are," a female voice drifted over towards their table. "I was waiting at the bookstore for a while. I thought this was going to be a simple coffee run."

"My apologies, my dear." He leaned in to kiss the woman.

Heero looked at the pair and noticed a silver chain around the woman's neck. At the end of it, a small silver heart with a diamond set in the center of it. He caught a glimpse of an engraving with the initial L in cursive.

"I'll be right out, I promise."

"You better be," she teased. "Sorry to interrupt." She waved at him and looked at Heero with her violet eyes. "Is this the friend you mentioned?"

"Yes."

"Pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Heero responded back and watched her leave the diner.

"You can guess what object I gave her."

"Yes." He took another sip of his lemonade, "You never finished your answer about my last question."

"Like I said you'll find out eventually." He looked at his watched and noted that his wife waited long enough, "It's rare for this to happen. I have to leave now, but I hope this conversation helps."

"It did." He looked back at the stranger, "is there any way I can contact you?"

"In due time."

Heero watched the tall man with blue eyes leave. At least, he finally got some answers to his list of questions. But what does all of this mean still? He was still receiving assignments periodically, but not as frequent. And with Relena finding his heartbeat and him nicking himself while shaving, maybe he was starting to become human.

…

Relena sat propped up in her bed as she looked over at her nightstand. On the smooth white surface, an almond colored teddy bear with a red ribbon wrapped around its neck sat still. Its chocolate eyes stared right back at her.

Her eyes focused back onto her laptop, as she caught up on her work from the office. Patient or not, she still had work to finish.

"I thought the doctor told you to take it easy," Dave leaned against the doorway with her lunch tray.

"He did and he said nothing too strenuous." She continued to type away, ignoring him for a minute. "This is nothing too strenuous," as her fingers danced across the keypad.

He placed the tomato soup on the nightstand and looked at her teddy bear. "He gave that to you didn't he?"

Relena looked up from her laptop's soft glow, "Yeah, he did. I had that bear since I was eight years old."

"He's been a good friend all this time." He sat at the edge of their bed and his eyes held conflicting views at times.

"Are you feeling alright, Dave?" Relena tried leaning forward, but her boyfriend told her not to.

"I'm fine." He stuffed his hands into his pocket and pursed his lips. "There's something I need to tell you."