Ebony stretched, limbs tingling with an unfamiliar yet pleasant heaviness. There was a tang in the air, a tang of fresh meat, and for a long moment she wondered if Strongbow had been successful on his hunt. Then her eyes opened, and she realized that there was no hunt and there was no Strongbow and the tang wasn't a fresh kill. It was blood. Sniffing, she came to the conclusion that it was Duo's blood. Eyes widening in distress, she reached out, brushing his cheek with her hand. "Duo? Wake up!"

Duo shifted, mumbling slightly, and burrowed deeper into the pillows. The sheets around him were stained crimson, and she could see more blood welling forth from the wound on his shoulder. Taking the other shoulder in her grip, she shook gently, then with more force. "Duo!"

With a movement too fast even for her hundreds of years of experience to follow, his hand snapped out from under the pillow, and she found herself with a VERY sharp knife point pressed against her throat. Duo's eyes snapped open, and he stared at her blankly. She raised a rather ironic eyebrow, smiling at him. "If you really want me not to die on you, I suggest putting the knife away." There was no fear in her gaze, but instead a quiet amusement.

He blinked once, then again, and suddenly focused on her. "Ebony?" He drew the knife back sharply. "Christ, don't DO that! I could have killed you!"

"You're bleeding," she pointed out. "You need to see the healer."

"Huh?" He glanced down at his shoulder, then groaned. "Shit. I must have opened the bullet wound again last night. Oh, well..." He grinned wolfishly at her. "It was worth it."

He was treated to a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. "I'm glad, but you should still see a healer."

He chuckled, and slipped the knife back under his pillow - where it had apparently come from. "I can take care of it. But don't I at least get a hug, if you're gonna wake me up this early in the morning?"

She smiled. "After you deal with the bleeding. I've seen elves die of blood-loss. I know better than to think it's nothing."

He shrugged, yawned, stretched, and crawled over her to reach the side of the bed. He glanced out the window, which faced east, and groaned. "I can see the sun from here... that means it's before noon. I HATE before noon."

She laughed. "You complain too much. You know that? You ought to be grateful to be here to see the daystar!"

He continued to mutter under his breath, as he rooted through the pile of discarded clothing and.... OTHER things... on his floor. "Friggin' bloody mornings. I HATE morning. I'm a night person, Shinigami does NOT do dawn! Ah, here it is." He pulled out a small white box with a red cross on it, opened the lid, and pulled out a white roll of gauze. Holding one end with his teeth, he began wrapping the other awkwardly around his shoulder.

She approached, nonchalant in her nudity. "Are you certain it shouldn't be looked at?"

He shrugged. "Only grazed me, the bullet didn't even stay in. I've had worse, and lived with no attention at all to it. At least it's clean."

"Just because you've lived with ones that have had no attention doesn't mean you should turn away available healers!" She was scowling now, hands on her hips.

He grinned up at her. "I'm fine, okay? I can tell if a wound is getting infected. I just split this one open last night, and now I need to wrap it until it scabs over again. No biggie."

"I don't want to lose you to something so silly as a refusal to see a healer," she growled, making her way to the bathroom where her leathers still lay.

He snorted, tied off the bandage, and followed her. "I'm fine! Look, BELIEVE me, I know the difference between a wound I can handle, and one I need help with."

"Hmm," she answered, pulling on her pants and lacing them easily.

He leaned in the doorway, arms crossed over his naked chest, blatantly unashamed of his nudity. "What, I STILL don't even get a good-morning hug? Eb, you are a cruel, cruel woman." He sighed dramatically.

She glanced over at him, her eyes softening. "I worry, Duo."

He grinned back at her. "I can take care of myself, Mom." His grin melted into a sweet smile. "But thanks for caring."

She left her tunic where it was, padding over to him with large, dark eyes. "Just . . . be careful, hmm? You have my heart in those hands of yours." Her body nestled against his, the leather of her pants soft and surprisingly sensual.

He sighed softly, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her dark hair, quietly enjoying the sensation of soft leather and warm woman. "I've got real gentle hands, Eb. You'll see. No worries for that heart of yours, I promise."

"Good," she whispered, her arms going around his waist.

He was silent for a long moment - a rarity when Duo was around, as Ebony had already discovered - before he sighed and pulled away. Raking his hand through his hair, he commented. "So, since you've dragged me awake at this ungodly hour, and I've got enough adrenaline running through my system that I'm not gonna be able to get back to sleep, what say we rustle up some breakfast?"

"Only if you dress," she said, looking up at him with a smile. "If I have to wear my leathers, you have to wear something, too."

He snickered. "I was GONNA... Boy, I'd love to see Hee-chan's face if I showed up nude... or Fei's, that'd be a laugh and a half... poor Quatre would probably stutter himself into silence..."

"Duo . . . if I ever expect to get used to your rules, you have to help guide me."

He howled with laughter, the spasms shaking him so hard, he had to sit down to avoid falling. When he finally got himself under control, he looked up at her through watering eyes. "BOY, are YOU ever asking the wrong person for help! I have about as much respect for modesty taboos and things like that as I do for OZ!"

She shook her head, returning to her tunic and yanking it over unruly curls. "Well, when you choose to wear something, feel free to join me in finding breakfast."

He let loose one last giggle, before bouncing to his feet and padding into the room. Rummaging through the pile of clothes on the floor, he pulled out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He sniffed the t-shirt, wrinkled his nose in disgust, and threw it back, before selecting another. Pulling the thin red cotton over his head, he hopped on one foot, attempting to pull the jeans on, and ended up flat on his ass on the ground, looking up with startled purple eyes. "Damn. That usually works."

She laughed, bright trills that seemed more suited to a forest bird. "I'm headed down. Come when you get yourself together."

"OI!" he protested, laughing. "Ya could at least WAIT for me..."

She shut the door quietly behind her, aware that there was something she needed to handle first, if she could just find Quatre. Searching out the garden, hoping to see him there, she shook her head at the groomed plants, wondering whether she'd ever get to go really explore that lovely forest beyond the garden walls.

She found him at his favorite bench, no tea this time, but simply enjoying the morning. He smiled as she came up. "Ohayo, Ebony! Did you... uh... have a good night?" He blushed as he said it, cheeks pinking cutely as his blue eyes laughed at her.

She blushed right back, bright red glowing from her pale skin. But her blush was not nearly so becoming. "Quatre . . . am I causing trouble here? I can't seem to get used to the rules."

He shook his head, smiling brightly. "No, Ebony. We all understand that you need time to adjust. And it's nice to have someone else to talk to."

"Ahh . . ." She trailed off, looking down. "Quatre, about Relena. I'm sorry."

He sighed. "I... I can't say I'm sorry that it happened. She's been... very rude, to say the least, and there really hasn't been much that I could do about it. But... I'm glad to see her get some of her own."

Sinking down on the bench beside him, she frowned. "I can't promise it won't happen again, because it likely will. Especially if she continues to pick on Duo."

"Well... good." His lips quirked. "I'm afraid I'm not very good at being rude to people - I've had politeness trained into me for too long. But I know that she's hurt Duo, whether he shows it or not, and I’ve been wishing I could do SOMEthing..."

She stared at him, then smiled softly. "Aye, she's hurt him. And she deserves to get some of what she's giving out. Which is what I'm good at."

"Just... don't actually HURT her, please? I know it's tempting sometimes... we've had to physically restrain Heero on occasion... but we REALLY do need her for the peace efforts."

"Duo said. I won't. At least, I won't touch her with anything but a sharp tongue. Fair enough?"

"Hai." Impulsively, he reached out and covered her hand with his own. "I'm so glad you've come, Ebony. Duo's been so very lonely... I know you two aren't planning on making this serious, but at least maybe you'll be able to convince him that everyone he cares about won't die on him..." There was a brief sadness in his eyes. "Allah knows, I never managed it..."

She blinked, looking at him in surprise. "How . . . how do you know so much?"

He smiled softly. "My uchuu no kokoro told me. And I just know the way Duo is. I could see the signs between you."

"Signs?"

He chuckled. "The way he would look at you when you weren't looking... all the time he would spend with you."

She looked surprised, then mildly pleased. "I didn't realize. Quatre?"

"Hai?"

"What's a 'space heart'?"

He blinked. "Oh... it's just a term I use. I... I can tell things, sometimes. What my friends are feeling, what's happening to them, if they're in trouble. My father said it was a 'heart for space', and started calling it my 'space heart'."

She blinked, taking this in. "It sounds a bit like Sending, yet . . . not really."

"I... some people call it ESP... extra-sensory perception. But that's just a catch-all word for it, it doesn't really mean anything." He shrugged, seeming embarrassed. "It's just something that I can do."

She nodded. "Actually, it sounds like a mother's intuition for her cub. That seems to . . . fit. You must have a large soul, to care so much."

He smiled. "Ah... it is something like that, I guess. It only works for people that I care about a great deal. As for having a large soul..." he laughed. "I don't know anything about that."

She smiled. "You do. You remind me of Joyleaf." Smiling, she stood again, tucking the crutch under her arm and brushing back a stubborn curl. "I'm off to find food."

"In the dining room - I think there's still some breakfast left. We all ate earlier."

"Ahh. I'm not usually so late a riser."

He blushed, but winked at her. "I think it's understandable."

"It's been too long since I've had to deal with this," she muttered, chuckling to herself.

"At least YOU don't have to deal with Duo's teasing you about it... you should have seen what he put Trowa and I through at first..."

She grinned wolfishly. "What makes you think he's not teasing me? He's just not as practiced as my tribe was."

Quatre giggled. "I don't think I'd ever want to meet them, then, if they're better at teasing than DUO is!"

She grinned. "They only tease those who are willing to tease back. I just dunked them in the stream."

He was startled into a laugh. "Oh! Remind me never to tease you too much!"

She reached out, catching his hand and holding it. "Quatre, tease all you like. I'll just find another way to get back at you." She thought for a moment, then, releasing his hand, said, "Like stealing your shirts."

His eyes widened. "M-my shirts? WHY?"

"Because you're nice looking, and it'd be meaner," she said, winking.

He blushed profusely. "E-Ebony!"

She chuckled. "You're sweet, Quatre. But even if you didn't already have a lovemate, you're not my type."

"Well... you're not exactly mine, either, no offense. You're far too fiery for me... you'd run right over me! Besides..." he grinned. "With twenty-nine older sisters, the LAST thing I need in my life is another woman!"

"So you're happy, and I'm definitely getting there, and that's all there is to it. And if you tease me too much, I'll get a chance to admire that lovely body of yours."

He blushed again... then surprised her by winking. "Well, if you ask nicely..."

"Which I won't." She shrugged. "But just because my heart's with Duo doesn't mean my eyes are blind."

He nodded. "I'll tell you a secret though... if you REALLY want to see us... just invite us all swimming!" Smiling sunnily, he stood. "If you'll excuse me, I'm supposed to meet Trowa to work on the Gundam's computers."

"Of course," she said, looking thoughtful. "And Quatre? Thank you."

"Ah. Thank you. Just... make Duo a little less lonely, and you'll have paid back everything I might ever give to you."

"Aye," she murmured soberly. With a brief nod, she turned, heading back into the house in search of food. After that, I should probably check on Wufei, she thought with a sigh.

The only person in the dining room, not surprisingly, was Duo, who was shoveling food into his face as fast as was humanly possible. He grinned and waved at her, gesturing at the seat next to him. She went to him, chuckling softly. "If you eat a bit slower, you'll actually be able to breathe, you know."

He snickered, and swallowed in order to answer her. "Ya never know when your meal might get interrupted, Eb... eat while ya can, sleep while ya can. That's my motto."

She just shook her head, leaning to him and kissing his cheek softly. "Sounds like you've had a rather rough life."

His grin faded for just a moment, before coming back full force. "Hey, I'm still alive, right? And enjoying your company. What more can a guy ask for than a sweet girl and a kick-ass mech?"

With no answer, she turned her attention to picking at the food, trying to recognize at least one thing. "Tomorrow, I'm going hunting," she finally said softly.

Duo's brow furrowed. "What, like, for animals? You can't do that!"

Glancing up at him, she asked, "Why not?"

"Well... 'cause. It's illegal. And... most of the animals on earth - what's left of them - are all endangered. Ya can't just go off and kill a bunch of them..."

She blinked. "Illegal? What's that?"

Her shoulders slouching, she sighed. "I'll never get used to this place."

"Well... humans hunted the animals so long, and so much, and never gave them a chance to get their populations back up. So, they started dyin' off, not having enough new babies every year. Plus, we were building over their homes, and they didn't have any food... so now what animals are left, are strictly off limits."

Shivering, she nodded. "That sounds like humans, all right."

"Yeah, well, I didn't say it was SMART of them..."

"Because you said you don't lie," she recalled.

"Nope." He puffed his chest out. "I never lie. Not knowingly, anyway."

She chuckled, finishing the last of her food. "I should check on Wufei."

He shrugged, and snorted. "I think he's outside somewhere. Either doing that weird kung fu stuff, or in the hanger with his Nataku, most likely. Good luck."

She shook her head. "Already pushing himself, from the sound of it. Do you ALL ignore your wounds until they slow you down too much, or is it only the two of you so stupid?"

"Uh..." Duo blushed. "Quatre usually takes pretty good care of himself..."

"I see. So he's the only one with sense then, hmm?" Grinning, she stood, hugging him from behind. "I'll see you later, lovemate."

"Mata ne!" He gave her a quick kiss, then returned to stuffing food in his face. "And good luck with Wu-chan! You're gonna need it!"

Shaking her head, she headed off, searching out Wufei. After a time, she gave up, knowing she couldn't handle going back into the hanger, and headed to the water garden, thinking that perhaps if she couldn't bathe there, she could at least enjoy the sound of water bubbling by. And . . . stumbled upon the very person she'd been looking for. "Wufei!"

He jumped, spinning around from where he'd been staring blankly at a small jade statue of a dragon, to stare at her. "Nani?"

She smiled. "I didn't realize you were here. I've been looking for you."

He frowned. "Why?" he asked, his voice abrupt. He turned back to his contemplation of the dragon.

Stung at the curt tone, she plowed on. "I wanted to know how you're feeling. You shouldn't be doing too much today, you know."

He made an odd little noise, which she wasn't quite certain how to interpret. "I'm fine. And I'm not doing anything but standing here, enjoying the garden."

She nodded, sighing. "Just . . . take it easy, okay? It wasn't that long ago that you were really sick."

He gestured impatiently. "I'm fine. The antibiotics kicked in yesterday. The concussion is gone. What more do you want?"

"For you to be well," she snapped, sick of the way he was acting suddenly. "Isn't that enough?"

He blushed, and had the grace to look somewhat ashamed. "I'm fine," he said again, more softly this time. "Medicine here is probably more advanced than what you're used to. By tomorrow, I'll be fit to go out again."

"Tomorrow?" she asked, clearly surprised and worried. Going to stand beside him, she reached out, catching his arm in a gentle grasp. "Surely not so soon."

He jerked away from her, dark eyes wide as he stared at her. "D-don't... don't touch me..."

Her hand closing into a balled fist, she let her arm drop. He could see confusion and pain in her dark eyes. "I'm sorry," she murmurred, turning away to contemplate a pool behind her.

She could FEEL the tension radiating off him in waves. "Just... don't touch me. And stop worrying. I'm not as weak as you would like to believe."

"Fine. Whatever. I'm sorry I bothered you," she snapped bitterly, limping off just as fast as she could.

A human would have missed the hitched breath that escaped him as she stormed away... sounding very nearly like a repressed sob... if she hadn't known better, she would have thought he was trying to keep from crying. The sound caught her, forcing her to acknowledge it. Forcing down her anger - not an easy task for her - she turned back, eyes wide and frightened and still glimmering from unshed tears. "Wufei?"

The eyes that met hers were equally bright, but his face was completely closed. "What do you want NOW, onna?"

They stood staring at each other for a long moment before she got up the courage to ask the question. "How have I hurt you?" she finally whispered, one hand coming up to rake through the tumble of curls dancing in the wind.

For a moment, she thought he WOULD burst into tears. But the fleeting impression was gone quickly, as he glared at her. "You..." his voice was bitter. "Never mind. I thought... but obviously, I was wrong." Stiffly, he bowed to her, the gesture oddly formal. "Gomen."

Blinking in confusion, she shook her head. "What did you think, Wufei? I don't understand."

"Just... forget it." He turned to the dragon once again, one hand reaching out to trace the etched scales with a gentle, almost reverant motion. "It was not important."

"Obviously it was, or you wouldn't be acting this way," she said, moving toward him. "Talk to me, Wufei."

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" The hurt in him surged to the forefront, bathing his features in a wash of hidden pain. He shuddered, then forced control on himself, the emotions once more buried deep within him.

"Because I'm too stubborn," she snapped, reaching out with a touch whose gentleness belied her sudden anger. "Because I think of you as a friend and I've done something to hurt you."

Somehow, she seemed to have managed to say just the wrong thing. He seemed to be barely restraining himself from snarling at her. "Friend? A warrior has no need for such things. Go back to Duo... he is the type who needs 'friends'. I do not."

She flinched as though he'd reached out and slapped her. "Then you're a fool," came her bitter words. "A blind, stubborn fool!"

He gritted his teeth, and stared back at her. "I'd have been better off if I were," he muttered, seemingly more to himself.

"Don't worry, Wufei. I won't bother you again. You've made your wish very clear." Two tears slipped from her eyes, one down either cheek, as she turned away once more.

He choked, looked for a brief moment as if he would reach out to brush away the tears, then lowered his head and stared fixedly at the ground. "Good," he sighed, sounding more like his world were crashing down around him than someone who had just had their wish granted. "You do that. We'll both be better off."

"Yeah," she muttered. "That's what Rayek said, too, when he left the first time." Setting her shoulders stiffly, she began to walk away, her head held high, her eyes blurring with more tears. But somehow, as she walked, she just couldn't shake the feeling that there was more going on than Wufei was willing to admit to...

Finally reaching the house, she headed straight for her room, the tears still coming and faster than before, blinding her. A few minutes had passed, the tears receding into the occasional hiccup, when she heard a tentative knock at the door. So quiet she almost missed it. She blinked, wondering who it was.

Scrubbing at her cheeks, suddenly angry that she'd been noticed, she scowled at the door. "Yes?"

"Ebony?" The soft voice was unmistakeably Trowa's. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," she said, going to the door and opening it, knowing that it was too late to keep Trowa from finding out.

Deep green eyes stared down at her, tracing the tear tracks on her cheeks with no sign of emotion. "Quatre was worried," was all he said.

"It's nothing," she murmured, meeting his eyes squarely. "Just some homesickness."

Again the probing green gaze, seeming to pierce through to her soul. "He wanted to come up to see if you were okay, but he's worried you're going to think he's fussing over you. So I came instead."

She blinked, her anger slowly draining. "Isn't that basically the same thing?"

"No. Because he doesn't know I'm here."

That earned a soft smile. "But it's still the same, because the two of you are extensions of each other."

He blinked, then nodded slowly. "That's why it will make him feel better."

"Thank you," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to worry him. It's just . . . so different here."

He nodded again, but said nothing. He was still hovering in the door way, neither in nor out of the room, as if uncertain of his reception - but no nervousness or uncertainty showed on his face.

She finally sighed. "You're more than welcome to come in farther than that, you know. I don't bite people who don't deserve it."

He glided forward, his movements seeming more like a panther's than a human's. "I wasn't sure you appreciated the intrustion."

"You, I don't mind. Heero, I'd get annoyed with."

Trowa blinked. "Heero... has his own problems."

"Right. And one of them involves me." She shrugged.

"He's protecting his mission. It's nothing personal."

That actually made her smile, though her lips lifted back away from her teeth in a way that was more half-snarl. "Of course not. He's just doing what I expected from all of you." Trowa said nothing, staring at her silently.

She stared back for a long moment before asking, "So why aren't *you* trying to kill me?"

He shrugged. "I have no issues with you." That seemed to startle her, and she sat back on the bed for a long moment, speechless. He tilted his head, regarding her steadily. "Is something wrong?"

"I've just . . . never heard one of you say that before."

"Say what?"

"That you had no issues with us. There are always issues. It's just the way humans and elves interact."

Trowa shrugged again. "I've been told I don't often react like a 'normal human'," was all he said.

"Heero's the only one who has so far. And Relena." Her eyes lit with devilish humor at the second name.

Trowa's visible eye widened slightly, and the barest hint of a smile crossed his lips. "And people say Heero is the least 'human' after me..."

"I'm used to humans trying to kill me," she shrugged.

"Ah. Me too."

"Trowa?" she asked impulsively. "Why do humans like to kill so much?"

He stared at her for a moment, apparently thinking. Then slowly, he shook his head. "I don't know. I don't think anybody does." He paused, then added softly, "Quatre has asked me the same thing."

"Ah. I suppose it's because you seem to be the one who actually thinks the most."

He blinked again. "Me?"

She nodded. "Because you're quiet. And it's not a brooding quiet. I know. I'm a brooder."

"I suppose. Of us all, Wufei is probably the one who thinks about things the most."

"He's a brooder, too," she said firmly.

"Hai. But he cares more about things than I do."

At that, she looked at him closely. "I doubt that. He's just more willing to admit it, is all."

"There is very little that I care about."

"Just because you care about fewer things doesn't mean you care less," she stated.

He looked thoughtful. "Perhaps." There was a slightly misty look in his eyes, and she just KNEW he was thinking about Quatre.

"Your lovemate is proof enough of that," she smiled. He blushed, just slightly, and nodded. "It's good that the two of you are happy," she shrugged. "A lovemating should always be a joy."

"Hai." There was a hint of old pain, quickly gone. "It should be. I just hope I can be what he deserves."

"Don't try," she said. "Be yourself. That's who he loves, and that's what matters. If you try too hard to be something *for* him, you'll only end up making both of yourselves miserable."

"Ah. Hai."

"Trust me on this, Trowa," she said softly. "I know." He sighed, just a little, the edges of his long bangs fluttering in the current. Standing, she went to him, hesitantly placing one hand on his. "He's happy, Trowa. What more is there?"

"As long as he stays that way..."

"Be yourself, and I'm sure he will."

"You should make an appearance downstairs, if you feel up to it... so Quatre knows your all right."

She nodded. "You're right. And . . . thank you, Trowa."

"Ah. you're welcome."

Disappearing into the bathroom, she scrubbed her face clean of the tears, wishing wryly that her nose would return to it's normal coloring, and headed downstairs.

Trowa waited for her, then trailed her silently down the stairs, a solid presence at her back. When they reached the bottom, she looked back at him in question, wondering where the others were. He pointed across the yard to a tall fence she could just barely see. Nodding, she headed toward it, filled with mild trepidation. After a moment, he stopped her and told her he'd show her how to get in.

Ebony trailed him across the yard, past the gardens, to a part of the estate she hadn't been to before. As she approached, she could scent water, but with an odd chemical tang to it - like and yet unlike the hot springs of the Sun Folk. The area was walled off by a solid green fence, broken by one small gate which had been propped open. Wondering about the strange smell and trusting Trowa, she followed him through the gate, eyes calculating how easily she could climb it, even with her damaged ankle. Always best to have an escape route, especially with Heero around.

As she stepped into the enclosed area, she was astonished to see a perfectly rectangular pond, with ladders into the water, shallow steps leading down at the side nearest them, and a strange looking device sticking over the water on the far side. She could just make out Heero swimming determinedly from one side of the water to the other, head down and attention completely focussed on what he was doing. To one side, Quatre was sitting on a chair, rubbing something over his skin. Wufei was just emerging from a tiny little building on one side. All three boys were dressed only in shorts.

"Hello," she hailed them all shyly, not meeting Wufei's eyes at all.

Wufei was blushing, and avoiding her gaze as well. Without a word, he took three steps to the side of the water, and dove in. Quatre looked up and waved. "Hello! You're just in time! Trowa, would you mind getting my back, please?" Trowa nodded and left Ebony's side to sit behind Quatre on the strangely extended seat of the chair, taking the bottle from him and rubbing more of the oil over his back.

"A pond gathering?" she asked Quatre softly.

He smiled. "We call it a 'pool party'. After mentioning it to you earlier this morning, I decided it would be a good idea. We all need to relax a little."

"Ahh," Ebony nodded, smiling. This, she could do. Deciding that the water looked rather inviting, especially after she'd been in her black leathers all day, she proceeded to begin stripping, starting with her boots. It took a minute to situate herself and her crutches within easy reach of the pool.

Quatre blushed. "Uh... Ebony. We, uh... don't swim naked." He chuckled. "Though I'm sure Duo wouldn't mind joining you. But, there are some extra swimsuits in the changerooms."

Frowning, she looked at him in confusion. "Swimsuits? Change rooms?"

Quatre gestured to his own shorts. "Special clothing that doesn't hinder you in the water. That little building over there is the changerooms. One for men, one for women. I, uh..." he blushed further. "Women's suits are a little more complicated than mens... I can help you, if you like. With 29 sisters, I know the ins and outs of women's clothing pretty well."

She blinked, then shrugged. "It can't be any stranger than some of the things the SunFolk wear. I'll figure it out eventually."

He sighed a little in relief, and swatted at Trowa's knee, as the taller pilot was chuckling quietly at his discomfort. "Okay then. You saw the door Wufei came out of? Use the other side."

She nodded, limping over and shutting herself inside. Once indoors, she stared at the small election of suits, finally settling on one that seemed to be made of three scraps of material, two sewn together in just about the position to cover her breasts and one that she could step into. Hoping she had it right, she tied the top, then realized that the suit was rather large on her. Shrugging since she didn't see any smaller, she hobbled back outside.

Trowa had joined the others in the pool now, wearing a thin white shirt as well as the shorts. Quatre still sat on the chair, watching the others in amusement. Seeing her appear, he gestured to the bottle on the table. "Would you like some sunscreen? It keeps you from getting a sunburn from being in the sun too long."

"It prevents sunburn?" she asked, impressed. "Oh, yes, I'd love some, then." Going to the bottle, she squeezed some out, then stared at it, not sure what she was supposed to do with it.

"Just rub it over your skin, until it sinks in, like I did," he said, seeing her confusion. "I'll get your back, if you like."

"Oh. Thanks," she smiled.

"You have to reapply it every half hour or so if you're going to be in the water," he informed her, taking a handful of his own and slathering her back, as she worked on the rest. She wrinkled her nose at the slimy texture, but did as much of her skin as she possibly could, knowing the pain of a sunburn and not willing to face it again needlessly.

Just as they finished, Duo appeared at the gate. He was already dressed in his swim trunks - unlike the solid, one-colour suits the others wore, his were black with neon-green scythes scattered over them. In his arms he carried a large wicker basket, which appeared to have a life of its own, jumping and squirming about in his grip. Laughing, he carried it over to them. "Yo! Ebony!"

"What on Two Moons is in that?" she asked, frowning in amusement.

He grinned in return. "Present for ya. Quatre and I discussed it, and we though it might make you feel a little more at home." He shoved the basket in her direction.

Her frown slowly melted into a surprised and confused smile, and she opened the basket in curiosity. Instantly, her arms were full of wriggling, squirming fur, as a long wet tongue bathed her face thoroughly. The puppy gave an excited bark, its tail wagging madly over her arms.

She stared at it for a long moment, then grinned up at both of them. "A near-wolf?" She pressed her face into the soft fur, breathing in the scent of canine with a wide grin.

"German Shepard puppy," Duo said. "One of the Maguarnacs raises them, and this little guy's just ready to leave his mommy. Thought he might make a good friend for you."

She pressed her face against him again, then gazed into his eyes for a long minute. Finally, she looked back up at them. "He says he'd like his name to be Snapjaw."

Duo raised an eyebrow. "He says?"

She beamed up at him, setting the puppy back down on the ground and watching as it caroused around the pool. "Of course."

Quatre chuckled. "After spending so much time with me, Duo, I'd think you'd have accepted the fact that not all communication is verbal." Duo shrugged. "Sure, whatever. I'm going swimming. Last one in's a rotten egg!" He took off for the far side of the pool. Quatre half raised the bottle of sunscreen, then shook his head and set it down again. "After last time, you'd think he'd have learned to put on sunscreen!"

"I'll take it to him," Ebony offered, anxious to get into the water herself. With a final pat on Snapjaw's head, she limped to the water's edge, slipping herself in. It would be much easier to navigate now, she grinned to herself, knowing that the water would support her bad ankle so that she didn't have to worry about it.

Duo had reached the far side of the pool, and was now standing at the edge of the plank extending over the water. With a little bounce, the springboard tossed him into the air, and he turned smoothly in the air to enter the water with barely a ripple. Ebony stared, startled. Looking back at Quatre, she asked, "What IS that?"

He chuckled. "A diving board. It's got springs to make you bounce higher." Duo's slim form sped across the length of the pool underwater, until he abruptly surfaced near her, tossing his sopping braid back over his shoulder. "Not bad for a kid who grew up in a place with no water, huh?" He grinned at her.

"No, I suppose not," she admitted, still distracted by the diving board. After a moment, she caught herself, shaking her head. "Duo, you need sun . . . sunburn preventer."

He blinked. "Oh. Oh, yeah! Heh... wouldn't want another burn like the one I got last time." He waded past her to the shallow steps, scrambling out of the water and making for the table. At the far side of the pool, Wufei had climbed one of the ladders out, and was making his way to the diving board. Ebony watched Wufei in interest, curious to see the diving board in action again.

Wufei didn't walk to the edge, as Duo had done. Instead, he stood poised at the far side of the board, balancing himself. With a few quick running steps, he reached the near edge and launched himself into the air. His lean body did two full revolutions in the air before he hit the water arms first, leaving hardly more impact than Duo had. His body cut through the water towards her, shedding the momentum. Ebony's mouth dropped open in surprise, and she stayed exactly where she was, stunned. She'd never expected a human to be capable of such acrobatics.

Wufei surfaced a few feet from her, frowning. Duo was cheering. "Yeah, Wu! That was sweet. He's the one who taught me to dive," He confided to Ebony, wading back in to join her.

"Impressive," Ebony agreed softly, watching Wufei.

Wufei blushed and looked away. "It was nothing special," he muttered. "Just practice, that's all."

Ebony finally looked away as well, frowning. "It's still impressive."

Duo was looking back and forth between them, expression puzzled. He started to say something, but was interrupted by an all-too-familiar voice at the gate. "Oh, a pool party! How lovely!"

The voice managed to surprise Ebony just as she was sliding under the water to wet her hair. She gasped, got a mouthful of pool water, and choked, sputtering and spitting out the vile-tasting liquid.

Relena stood framed by the gate, wearing a printed cotton sundress, and holding a wide-brimmed straw hat on her head with one hand. She was smiling widely at Heero who was currently sitting at one edge of the pool. Ebony glanced over at Quatre, raising a questioning eyebrow as she tried to wipe the taste from her mouth with one hand, only succeeding in getting that hand's wetness in on her tongue, too. Snapjaw hurried over to Relena, yapping excidtedly.

Relena glanced down at the dog in some confusion. "What's this?" she asked, bending down to pat the puppy's head.

"It's a puppy," Duo informed her cheerfully.

She frowned at him. "I know THAT. What's it doing HERE?"

"Duo and Quatre introduced us, " Ebony informed her, biting back the annoyed words she wanted to say.

Relena stared at her blankly. "Introduced who?"

"Snapjaw and I." Now the explanation came a little slower, so that the dense girl might understand.

"Oh." Relena's tone indicated that she really didn't understand at all, but wasn't willing to devote any more effort to it. With a final stroke down the puppy's spine, she stood and made her way over to Quatre. "You don't mind if I join you?"

She couldn't resist. "Yeah, you don't mind, right?" Ebony asked Heero pointedly.

Heero just grunted, glaring at both of them, before sliding back into the pool and returning to his laps. Duo snorted quietly beside her. Ebony chuckled softly, moving a little closer to Duo protectively.

Quatre sounded a little helpless as he politely said, "Of course, Relena. Why don't you get changed? I think you left a suit here last time..."

Ebony shrugged, turning back to Duo with a smile. "Did she stay here last night?"

He shrugged as well. "Not to my knowledge, but then..." he grinned at her. "I was a little occupied."

She laughed at that, hugging him briefly before moving toward the deeper end of the pool.

He joined her, and they played like cubs in the water for awhile. Trowa joined them after a bit, and Quatre laughed from where he had ventured into the shallow end. Heero was still doing laps to one side of the pool, and Relena sat on the shallow steps, waist deep. A few times, Ebony caught sight of Wufei and the wistful expression of longing on his face, but he made no attempt to join in the play.

Finally, Ebony tapped Duo's shoulder. "Why isn't Wufei joining in?"

He glanced over his shoulder at the scowling Chinese boy, who was currently treading water near the side of the pool. "Dunno. He's not much for playing, but he usually joins in sooner or later."

She shrugged. "I'll go get him." Wufei saw her approaching, and looked like he badly wanted to swim away, but he held his ground and waited for her to reach him. "Hi," she said softly, feeling awkward and hating it.

"Hi," he acknowledged, sounding just as awkward as she felt. A hint of blush was evident on his cheeks.

"Why are you staying over here?" she finally asked.

"I..." The flush deepened. "You seemed to be doing fine without me," he murmured, glancing away. There was a hint of something in his voice, that said he was speaking of more than just the water play.

She frowned a bit at the wording, then wordlessly reached out, taking his hand and tugging him toward the others gently. He resisted a bit, then gave in, swimming awkwardly behind her with his hand in his. Duo winked and waved at them. "Yo, Wu. 'Bout time you joined in!"

Ebony grinned back at him. "See? We've been waiting for you."

He smiled hesitantly back, then sputtered as a wave generated by Trowa caught him in the face. Muttering imprecations, he joined in the water battle.

Ebony quickledy pulled him onto her side, refusing to let Duo join her. "You're too much fun to soak," she countered, when he asked why.

He chuckled, a wicked gleam in his eyes, and scrambled up one of the ladders. "We'll just see about that," he crowed, running for the diving board. Charging off the end, he yelled, "Cannon ball!"

Ebony yelped, jumping back and ending up pressed back to front against Wufei. She twisted, turning imploring eyes up at him. "Help me get him back!"

Wufei's eyes had gone wide, and his hands had come up to brace her shoulders automatically. "Uh..." he sputtered, wiping some of the water from his face. His expression firmed. "Of course. He must be punished." Eyes gleaming, he ducked under the water, making for where Duo was just surfacing. Duo had just begun to crow his triumph when strong hands yanked on his ankles, pulling back under, sputtering.

Ebony laughed, clapping as she made her way over to where Duo was likely to come up again, prepared to douse him with a heavy splash. Wufei surfaced beside her, chuckling. Duo remained underwater, balled up at the bottom of the pool, for several long moments. Ebony finally frowned at Wufei. "Is he okay?" she asked, worriedly.

Wufei seemed unconcerned. "Just wait. He's trying to bait us into coming down to check on him."

"You've done this before," she observed, watching the balled up figure below them both.

"Every time we swim," Heero's nasal voice came from besider her unexpectedly. She jerked, surprised, but he didn't seem to be acting hostile towards her. He was concentrating on Duo. "I'll get him." The Japanese boy dove under the water, heading for Duo's motionless form.

Ebony looked at Wufei in confusion. "I . . . I don't understand."

Wufei smirked. "Watch. Yuy is always the one who gives in first and goes after him." Sure enough, Heero was halfway to the bottom when Duo's form uncurled abruptly and rocketed upwards, catching Heero mid-torso and flinging them both to the surface. Heero actually left the water, splashing down again some feet away, as Duo laughed and gasped for air. "Gotcha again, Heero!" he proclaimed.

Ebony blinked, then took the opportunity to splash Duo's laughing face as hard as she could. He choked and sputtered, gaping at her in astonishment. Heero surfaced again, shaking hair out of his eyes, and Ebony was surprised to see a hint of a smile on his normally stony face. Ebony laughed, swimming away from Duo again. She was almost to the edge when a fur-covered ball launched itself into the water, too. Snapjaw landed just beside Ebony, and she yelped in surprise.

Duo laughed. "All right! Wufei, Ebony and Snapjaw on one team, Heero, me and Tro on the other! Quatre, you officiate!"

Ebony recovered, grinning at Wufei. "Shall we?"

He smiled back, bowing slightly. "After you."