As one of you suggested, I needed to give a little bit of a back story to Rachel and Tobias. I realized that I kinda just threw you into their relationship. This chapter will fill up those holes! In the flashback, they're about high school age. Read, enjoy, review! Thanks!

Several months had gone by since Tobias received his father's gloves from Riza. Rachel sat across from Tobias in the military cafeteria, eating her lunch. "Sir, you really should eat something. All this research you've been doing will have a negative effect on your health." Tobias nodded with a grunt while he looked over a book. Rachel sighed. Focused as always, she thought. She settled her light green eyes on him. "Please, sir," she said. "Eat something. An apple at least." She handed him the fruit.

He briefly looked up and took the apple from her. "Thank you," he muttered, and quickly focused back on the book, leaving the apple untouched on the table.

"I don't understand how you can concentrate with all this noise in here," Rachel said.

"Sound can help me concentrate," he replied without looking up. "Helps me focus on what's really important."

"I see," she said. He's been studying so hard recently. Not like I haven't seen him like this before, Rachel thought. There were other times though when he wasn't studying…

"Give me back my book!" Rachel demanded reaching for the book.

"Why?" the brown haired teen said keeping it higher than her arms could stretch. "If you want it so bad, then get it already," he taunted.

"I would," she retorted jumping to grab the book, "but I'm not as tall as I would like to be!"

A blond haired teen laughed. "What's so important about this thing anyway?" he asked as the brown haired teen tossed it to him. "Is it your diary?"

"No!" Rachel denied running to him and reaching for the book.

"It must have some important value to you if you want it so bad," the blond commented flipping through the pages. "It's just a stupid library book on plants." He scoffed. "No value in this."

The brown haired teen yanked her red hair hard pulling her back. Rachel yelped. "Maybe instead of wanting your book back, you should dye your hair a better color. You wouldn't look so much like a whore."

"Let me go!" she cried hitting at him the best she could, without much success.

"Hey!" a voice yelled out. They all three turned to look. Another teen with black hair was walking towards them. "Let her go!" he ordered.

"Who are you?" the brunette holding Rachel asked. "Her body guard?"

"Actually," he replied, "I have no idea who this girl is."

"Go away then," said the blond. "You have no business here."

"Not without the girl and her book," he said gesturing to her.

The brunette and blond haired boys looked at each other. The brunetteteen let Rachel go, shoving her aside. Rachel watched as they approached the confident ravenhaired male. It was true; she had never seen this boy in her life. Why was he bothering to help her?

Rachel watched as punches were thrown between the three boys. It appeared to her that the black haired one was winning, which was surprising seeing how the odds were two to one. She then realized that he was fighting in a style she had only seen in movies. He kicked the blond in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. The brunette had tried coming at him from behind, but was awarded a swift kick to the crotch. He instantly buckled to his knees.

The black haired teen wiped his bloody nose on his hand. He turned to Rachel. "You alright?" he asked offering her his other hand.

She took it and stood up. "Yes," she replied smoothing her hair. "Thank you," she said.

"No problem," he replied. He looked down at the other two boys. "Get out of here," he ordered. "Don't bother this girl, or anyone else, ever again. I'll come back and kick your asses if you do."

Both boys nodded and ran off. The black haired teen smiled. "Idiots," he said smugly.

"Your nose," Rachel said digging in her skirt pocket for her handkerchief. "Here," she said wiping the blood off his face.

He took the handkerchief from her and held it to his face. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"So," he said picking up her book and giving it to her. "Why were those guys picking on you anyway?"

"They always do," she replied. "Make fun of my hair, my reading habits. I would rather be reading or do homework than do other things high school girls normally do."

He nodded. "Huh." He motioned her to follow him as he turned to walk away. "What's your name?" he asked. "I'm Tobias Mustang," he said before she had the chance to reply

"Rachel," she replied catching up to walk beside him. "Rachel White."

"Nice to meet you," Tobias said. "And for the record, your hair is a very pretty shade of red and does not make you look like a whore. In fact," he said looking her up and down, "it's very befitting of you."

Rachel blushed. "Thank you," she said softly. "You're the first person to say that."

"Am I?" he inquired. "That's surprising. Come on. You look like you're in need of some good company."

After walking for some time and talking about little things, Tobias and Rachel arrivedwhere Tobias lived. He opened the door to the flat. "Mom, I'm home!"

Natasha peeked around the corner from the bedroom. "Hello," she called back. "Tobias what happened?" she asked walking briskly towards her son when she noticed the blood. "You're bleeding!" She spotted Rachel. "And who's this?"

"Mom, this is Rachel. I met her on the way home. Rachel, my mother, Natasha." He quickly explained to his mother what happened with the boys and how he had saved Rachel from teasing her further, making it sound more heroic than it needed to be. While Tobias recounted the incident, Rachel noticed he was almost a foot taller than his mother, who was closer to her own shorter height.

"H-hello," Rachel said awkwardly sticking out her hand to Natasha.

Natasha shook her hand. "Pleasure to meet you," she said with a warm smile.

Rachel noticed Natasha's soft, scarred hands. Quickly she looked in her face thinking that staring at the scars would be rude. Natasha's eyes were a dark brown and ever so slightly pointing upward. Her similarly dark brown hair fell down to her thin waist.

"Dad still at work?" Tobias asked as Rachel and Natasha released hands.

Natasha nodded. "Yes, he'll be home around seven as always."

"Thought he was going to take some time off," he grumbled.

"When he's able to," Natasha snapped. "Oh, I almost forgot. Your letter finally came in the mail, Tobi." She walked to the kitchen table and handed him a yellow envelope.

"Thank you," Tobias said snatching the envelope from her hands and quickly began to open it.

"Please, have a seat," Natasha offered Rachel.

"No, but thank you," Rachel replied. "I really must be going home. I don't live too far from here."

"Tobias can walk you back. That way those other boys won't come after you again." Natasha said thoughtfully.

"Thank you again," Rachel replied. "I'm very grateful."

"Yes!" Tobias yelled doing a fistpump into the air. "I've been accepted!"

"That's great!" said Natasha.

"Accepted to what?" Rachel inquired.

"This next fall, I will be going to a military academy. They've accepted my application!" Tobias explained excitedly.

Rachel shook her head of the memory. She had tried to be with Tobias as much as possible while he was at the military school, although it wasn't hard. He was her best friend and he was willing to see her when he had time. When she finally turned eighteen a few years later, she also applied for the military academy and was accepted.

Rachel sighed and looked at the clock hanging on the far side of the cafeteria. "Colonel, we should get back to work."

Tobias looked up at the clock. "Right you are," he said shutting the book with a slam. He picked up the apple and put it in his pocket. "Let's go." He began to walk towards the exit with Rachel not far behind him.

And that concludes the fourth chapter! Tell me what you think! And again, as always, thanks for reading.