Fang sniffed tentatively at the crack under the door; the intruder�s smell had faded, as had his dark presence. He then proceeded to patrol the remainder of his territory. Until the girls got home, the apartment was his to rule and guard. A sharp click came from the balcony window as the lock slid out of place; Duo poked his head into the dark living room before emerging. He wasn�t halfway into the room before a menacing growl caused him to freeze, �Good doggie.� The whisper took no effect on the large black and white beast, he charged at the potential intruder. The chase sped around the room several times before Fang�s darkly clothed prey darted into the bedroom hallway. It took him two shots to find the place he was looking for, while an angry dog barked at his heels.
When Amber revived, she was laying on the crisp white sheets of a hospital bed; bandages covered her hands and wounded calf. Sleeping in a very uncomfortable looking chair near the bed was Jess. Pilot six observed this with a smile, noting that her redheaded companion would probably awaken with a stiff neck. With nothing better to do, Amber got up to get dressed. Knowing that Jess would not approve of her moving around, she did so quietly. The idea was small at first, just a whispering in the back of her head, but the more she thought about it, the more a vacation sounded like a good thing. They both deserved it after going through the hell that had graciously been nicknamed �the past few weeks�. The thought brought a smile to Amber�s typically serious face; Jess would make it more than it was. To her, vacation meant new cloths, baggage and plane tickets to somewhere far from home.
The freckled girl stirred in her vinyl covered chair, she wouldn�t stay asleep much longer. Amber hurried into the remainder of her cloths as Jess opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was Amber�s absence from the bed. She shot upright, her eyes flicked around the room as if to confirm the fact she was gone. They fell on her near the counter that served as a mini wash-up station for guests. She opened her mouth to ask what she was doing up when Amber cut her off, �We need to take a vacation.� Jess�s expression changed as she considered this, �That would be nice, but that doesn�t mean you should be getting up yet!� The immediate switch of the subject made Amber smile all the more, �I�m fine Jess, I can heal outside of the hospital. It doesn�t hurt enough to need painkillers.� The defiant girl frowned deeply, �But you lost a lot of blood Amber.� �So I�ll eat a cookie on the way out of town. Come on Jess, I know you want this as much as I do.� Jess nodded slowly, �Alright. Remember, I did save your ass Amber, so you owe me.� She cringed, �Ok, what do I have to buy?� Jess grinned widely, �Well, I was thinking the beach would be a wonderful escape, but you don�t have a swimsuit.�
Amber returned from the mall with more than just a swimsuit. She tossed the three bags on the queen-sized bed as she entered her room. They�d have to start searching for another apartment since their most recent one had been found. The room was so familiar and comfortable; it was a shame to leave it. She sighed and began to pull miscellaneous items out of the bag. Toenails clicked on the tile of the hallway, announcing her dog�s arrival. Amber turned to him and smiled, �Hey boy, what have you been up to?� A large piece of black cloth hung from his teeth, he wagged his tail as she took it, �Burglar eh? Well, I bet you taught him.� She opened the beside table to pull out a small bag of dog treats and noticed the absence of a very important piece, �My gun!� Memories flooded her head, of the gun being taken away from her and given to� Her eyes narrowed, �I�m going to get that back first.�
Jess studied the bundle of roses that lay on her bed beside a small box of chocolates. A note was attached around a rose�s stem, scrolled across it in black ink was her code name. She approached it carefully and turned the thin slip of paper over, in the same spindly print as the front it read �I�m sorry for all that has happened, I�ll try to make it up to you Red. These are just for starters.� The small redhead smiled inwardly, he was trying to be sweet and doing a good job of it. The pilot of Deathscythe Hell had very few weaknesses and Jess just seemed to strike them all at once. She allowed the smile to creep onto her face as she put the flowers in a vase and began packing. The box of chocolates gained a spot on her dresser after she determined to save them for later.
Amber knocked softly on her door before entering, �Jess, would it be alright if we delayed departure until tomorrow, I have something to take�� Her eyes fell on the dozen roses atop of the girl�s dresser, �Who are those from?� The tone immediately changed from serious and bland to curious and teasing. Jess shrugged, �Bought them for myself on the way home, I thought that old dresser needed something.� Amber dropped the child act, �Oh, ok. I thought maybe you�d gotten them from a guy, but I forgot you only get involved in a relationship for the guy�s wallet.� The smooth pickpocket smiled sheepishly, �Yeah well� What were you saying about delaying our leave?� Her words snapped Amber back to their original subject, �Oh yes, I have something to take care of before we leave, so we can start bright and early tomorrow.� Jess nodded silently. �Ok, I�ll call some airlines and see if I can find us a flight,� Amber stated as she turned to leave, but something on the desk caught her eye, �You did not buy those roses for yourself, especially if they were accompanied by chocolate!� She strode across the room and picked up the ribbon tied box, �You never buy candy for yourself!� Amber turned to catch Jess�s cheeks tinted the same color as her hair. The freckled girl blushed deeper at her comrade�s glance, �No, I didn�t buy them for myself. Some one gave them to me.� Amber gasped and began again in her taunting tone; �Jess got a boy friend!� Her words melted into a tune as she jumped around her embarrassed friend. Jess covered her bright red face with her hands to block everything out, �I do not Amber, cut it out!� She stopped leaping about the room and gave the Irish girl a smug look, �I�m just joking with you Jess, I don�t really care.� Jess nodded, �Yeah sure� Go call those airlines.�
Stars twinkled softly over the silent figure creeping for the large two-story home. A nearly full moon cast a dark shadow behind her, its only attempt to alert the residence of the sleepy house. Gray-green eyes scanned the upper story of the red brick house, searching for a way in. The young women�s black clothing didn�t so much as rustle as she launched herself at the top ledge of a lower window. Her feet caught purchase on the weathered bricks and she proceeded to climb to the window above it. Smoothly tapered fingers held onto the higher ledge as the rest of her slender body caught up to them. The window was dark, suggesting that the pilot inside was sleeping. Amber remembered the exchange of her gun had finally ended at Wufei when he�d recovered from her needle. She slid a razor under the bottom of the widow and unlocked it. As quietly as possible, the Huntress slipped into the open window and shut it behind her.
Scanning the room, she found it to be decorated in a style from the east. Sheathed swords hung on the wall to her right along with several different types of throwing stars. Lying bare on a table near this wall was an exquisitely decorated blade. The curved metal caught the light of the moon and threw it back, as if unsatisfied that this was to spill over its sharp edge instead of the crimson of a life. Encrusted where the base met the blade were four jewels. A ruby, emerald, sapphire and diamond, each as flawless as the one before it. If she had not been searching for something different, Amber would have considered taking this fine weapon. Its handle appeared to be inlaid with pure gold, but one could not be sure in such poor light. She drew her gaze away from it to search about the rest of the room, amazed at her good choice of dark windows.
An inert form lay on a thin mattress unrolled on the floor, resting beside him was a simple handgun. Amber approached the sleeping form quietly; her sight set on the reward for her troubles. Without a sound, she reached over Wufei�s softly moving side. Amber�s stretching fingers brushed the cold metal of the gun barrel and she leaned a little farther forward to grasp it. No warning came from the sleeping pilot; his hand shot forward and caught hold of Amber�s wrist. She sucked in air for a surprised screech, but a different hand cut it off at her mouth. Both pulled her against him to stifle her movements. Warm breath tickled her ear as the oriental fighter whispered into it, �Calm down, I won�t harm you.� She stopped squirming in the pilot�s arms and eyed him with a look of confusion. He uncovered her mouth carefully, �Don�t scream, you�ll wake the others.� Amber rolled her eyes, �As if I�m not already in enough trouble. You don�t have to fake it.� Her tone was dead, unreadable, �If I�m not the one to wake them, you will.� The solitary dragon slipped away from her and sat up, the shadows of the room made his expression incomprehensible, �You left the window unlocked, I would suggest leaving the same way you came in.� Not needing to be told twice, pilot six dashed to the window. She looked over her shoulder as she put the gun in its holster; confusion still invaded her mind, pushing away rational thoughts. Her thanks came out in a whisper as she made her way outside.
The next morning, the girls set out for a few days in the sun. Their hotel was a quaint little place that faced the Pacific Ocean. The sand of the beaches was pale white and the water a staggeringly clear blue. Jess sighed as she watched the people far below their balcony going about their busy lives. , �So, are we ready to go to the beach or are we going to spend more time putting on sunscreen in the hotel room? No offense, but I�m ready to go out and hit the waves, not to mention that little fair on the main street.� Amber adjusted a wide brimmed sun hat over her hair and slipped on a pair of sunglasses, �Alright, alright. Let�s go.� She whistled sharply and Fang poked his head out from under the bed, �Come on puppy, time to go have some fun.� His tail thumped on the ground loudly as she attached a thick leash to his collar.
After convincing Amber that her modest one piece wasn�t to revealing, Jess stayed on the deserted beach only long enough to get sunburned and build several large sandcastles. After Fang tore them to pieces trying to get at a tiny sand crab, she ventured out to find the small town fair. Amber enjoyed the short period of peace with a good book and a stereo. As she read, footsteps shifted the sand behind her. A shadow fell over her page, but the slender German did not raise her eyes from her suspense novel, �Perfect timing Jess, would you get my back?� She held a travel-sized bottle of sunscreen over her shoulder. A silent hand took it from her grasp. Amber was starting to ask her comrade where Fang had gone when an unfamiliar voice sounded from behind her. The tone was smooth and flawless, �You know, this only has an S.P.F. of ten. It won�t offer you much protection.� Amber twirled and faced the speaker on all fours, muscles tensed for order. Her eyes met the black eyes that had become an all to common site. Chang Wufei met her gaze steadily, the bottle held loosely in his right hand. Pilot six�s eyes darted around, vainly searching for a weapon. He smiled at her reassuringly, �Do we have to enemies all of the time? Or are you just as sick as I am of all this pointless fighting. To be honest, I don�t even understand why we were fighting from the beginning.� She didn�t take his words seriously, but it did make her stop and listen, so Wufei continued, �You can search me, I am unarmed. I�m not looking for a fight with you.� Amber relaxed a little more and took a seat on the sand, still watching him cautiously. The oriental fighter held up the bottle, �Do you still want me to get your back?� She shook her head, �No thanks.� The words seemed to slip past him as he moved around Amber�s side. Cold bit at her back with a sudden sharpness that startled her as Wufei rubbed in some of the protective lotion. She whirled to face him, a forced smile on her face, �Look, I�m ok, really. No offense to you but I don�t trust you enough to expose my back to you even if you don�t want to fight.� He nodded in understanding and placed the bottle on the sand, �Alright. I have a question for you. Do you think that we could arrange some sort of treaty between us? I don�t just mean us, but everyone. I could talk to the other�s about it.� Amber considered this a moment before answering, �Yes, I think that could be arranged.�
