***Duo***

I dug through my luggage until I found my laptop (AN: yes, he can afford a laptop..somehow) and plugged it in. As I suspected, Yuri had two phone lines. Figures. She always did like to talk a lot.

�You have mail.�

�You have mail.� I mimicked the monotone voice. �Shut up. Junk, junk junk...all junk mail. Eh? What�s this? An invitation from Relena-san?�

I scrolled down the e-mail. �Hmm...a party on this colony. Well what do you know, how convenient! And now everyone can meet Yuri..oh god. Me and my big mouth. I gotta talk to Professor G.�

A vid-link popped up. �Ahh!� I screamed. I hate it when those things just *POP* up in front of you.

�Duo.�

�Hey Professor G. I was just going to call you. Listen, I uh opened my big mouth and offered Yuri a place as a pilot. Please talk her out of it; she always listened to you.�

�Duo, this is not the time to let your emotions and thoughts about her get in the way. There is a rumor of a new group of terrorists, and we will need all the help we can get. From the information I have collected so far, this group, called the O of D, was formed a year before the Alliance came to power. The late Heero Yuy knew of this group, but did not think they would be of much threat. Obviously he thought wrong.�

�Shimatta! Professor G, I am not letting Yuri get into any sort of danger! She can�t handle it, I know.�

�Maxwell. I am not saying this again. The other scientists and I have already agreed to let her in. In fact, we are already one-third done with her Gundam. It looks exactly like the miniature she has on her balcony. Yuri will report here for training two days after Vice Foreign Minister Dorlian�s party.�

�Pro��

The vid-link was cut off. Great, so they had already planned for her to be a pilot. Did her parents know? Did her uncle know? Sure, Yuri would be ecstatic now, but she has no idea what it�s like. Even I, Shinigami, am tired of condemning so many souls to hell. How would she take it? I don�t want to know or see.

�Hey Duo kun! Aishiteru! You know that, right? This is going to be so cool. I just told Kyra, and she screamed in my ear. She�s happier than I am! *giggle* So, have you talked to Professor G yet?� Yuri hugged me.

�Hey..Ya, I talked to Professor G. He said that they�ve already built a third of your Gundam. There�s a new faction, and supposedly we�re going to need a lot of help. Yuri, promise me you will be _very_ careful in battle!�

She wore a confused look. �Uh sure Duo. Why would I purposely get myself killed? Oh did they really?? Professor G is the best!�

"Sure. Well, Relena gave me an invitation to her party. Want to come along?"

"Could I? That'd be great!"

***Yuri***

I couldn�t believe I was really going to pilot a Gundam. Ever since I met Professor G and Duo, it had always been my dream. I loved the old days, when I would battle Duo in a �rough-draft� Gundam with the same system as Deathscythe. The gloating part was always the funnest.

�Oh! Duo, you must be starving by now. I�ll go cook you dinner ok?�

�Arigato Yuri. I�ll go take a shower I guess..where�s the bathroom?�

�There�s one in the guestroom, and if you don�t have a towel there should be some in there.�

Duo went to take his shower, and I went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. I dumped a slab of butter into a pan to melt. Then, after chopping the garlic into tiny pieces and adding them to the butter, I got out the shrimp. Got them started, and decided to make a Caesar salad.

�Wow, something smells really good!� Duo walked out with a wet braid, sweat-pants, and no shirt.

My eyes widened. �Ohmigod...� The rest of my sentence refused to come out. Fighting really did do him a lot of good, physically.

He grinned. �Nani?�

I just knew he was trying to make me blush, and of course I did. �N-nothing! Nothing at all. Just...you�re drippingwateroverthecarpet!� The words rushed out quickly and my cheeks turned scarlet.

�Is that all? And here I am thinking you�re admiring my muscles...oh well. Forget it. Is dinner almost ready?�

�OH! Yea, it is. Just a few more minutes. What do you want to drink? The glasses are over there; help yourself to whatever.�

�Whatever? Say..do you have champagne?�

�Duo!! You�re too young to be drinking alchohol! Duo Maxwell, if I find out you�ve been drinking....� I threatened him.

�Eh..me, drinking?� He put on this innocent face. �No, of course not! Ehehehe...umm you know what I�m just gonna take this Pepsi here..�

*sweatdrop* �Duo...� I put my head in my hands. He is so hopeless sometimes.

The shrimp was done and so was the salad. I got out some dishes and forks, and went to set the table. Huh...why do I have four chairs? I never have more than two guests at one time. Something is missing..or maybe someone?

�Yuri chan?� A hand waved in front of my face.

�Huh? Oh I�m sorry, just sit down wherever you want..Stop looking at me with that expression! There�s nothing wrong with me.�

To my surprise, we had a pretty peaceful dinner. Afterwards Duo challenged me to a game of billiards; I lost. He gloated and jumped around. Warily, I watched him come too close for comfort to a glass vase my grandparents had given me.

�Uh Duo would you please stop..bouncing..around? I really like that vase you know. Here, I have a lot of anime if you want to watch. Take your pick.�

He stopped in mid-jump. �Anime? Yay!� Duo went over to the bookcases to browse. �Hmm....Dragon Ball...Fushigi Yuugi...Kyuuketsuki Miyu...Hana Yori Dango...Escaflowne...Weiss Kreuz...Rurouni Kenshin...Blue Sub Six...Ranma...Slayers...Tenchi Muyo..ick, Tenchi...Sailor Moon?! *snicker* Inu Yasha, never heard of that...DNA.. Dang Yuri how much did you spend?! Let�s watch Blue Sub.�

*yawn* �That�s ok. You watch, I�m going to go take my shower and go to bed. I�m exhausted...it�s all your fault. Don�t forget, we have to be at work tomorrow at eight sharp. So don�t stay up too late, ok?�

�Sure Yuri chan. Oyasumi nasai!�

�Good night Duo kun.� I smiled and shuffled off to my bedroom.