"Shut up..." Heero mumbled. Snickering she shoved her face into her hands, praying that she wouldn't have a moment where her ability to control her laughter and desire to laugh crashed. Heero was a ball under his blanket, curled up and shirtless. Admiring him slightly, she allowed herself to chuckle. A most unfortunate move, her chuckling soon gave way to laughter. Meanwhile, Duo's snoring had awakened him. She could hear him rattling off incoherently.

"Son of a---" Duo growled. "SPIDER! On my BODY! Gawd..I'm gonna kill ya, you dirty little--" Perhaps, it wasn't the snoring.

"What?!" Heero shot up alarmed at Duo's nominal threats. Blinking a few times he noticed the girl standing by the foot of his bed, recognition set in and he asked, "Liz, what are you doing in here?"

"I was just...uh..." Liz fumbled for an excuse.

"You bit me!" Duo raged from down the hall, succeeding to distract Heero. Heero jumped from his bed and headed down the hall toward Duo's location. "Yer gonna die you dirty little----"

"Duo?" Heero questioned.

"Heero, buddie, kill it!!" Duo exclaimed pointing up. Above him, poised to attack, stood Quatre's tarantula. The tarantula was undaunted by Duo's shrieks and held its abdomen up in effort to seem larger. Very effective, really.

"QUATRE!" Heero bellowed.

A few moments later a young, blonde boy appeared around the corner of Duo's doorway. His eyes were heavy with sleep as he asked, "Yes?"

"Get your fricken' spider!" Duo demanded hotly. "Before I make him an appointment with my friend, Shoe, over here."

"You will not," a new voice said. Brianna.

"Brianna, doll face, you have got to stop defending the spider," Duo whined. "It is him or me. I mean it sweetie."

"In that case, where is that shoe again?" Brianna laughed, walking over to Duo and hugged him. Liz looked down for a moment, envious not because she liked Duo, but because she had be striving for that sort of relationship as well. Only, for her, it would have been with Heero. Untouchable, Heero.

Heero stood, leaning on one foot slightly. His hair was even more of a wild mess than usual. Somehow, it managed to suit him. Liz dreamed of the individual hiding within those steely eyes. On occasion, Heero had proven himself to be a sensitive and caring individual--but those occasions could be counted on one hand.

"Alright, Titan," Quatre soothed, urging his spider into its container.

"If he gets out one more time, he's gonna get it," Duo warned.

"Whatever," Liz cut in. "You were squealing like an infant this time, you squeal again on the next. This prompted Duo to pick up a pillow and head threateningly towards Liz with it raised high above his head.

Preparing for the assault, Liz braced herself. Surprised when the fluffy thud hit someone else, she opened her eyes. This revealed Heero in front of her smiling dangerously at Duo. Quatre still loomed in the doorway and shot Liz knowing looks and smiles. She had confided in Quatre about her feelings for Heero, and he had always been a willing listener and consort.

"Go to bed Duo," Heero ordered, walking towards the doorway.

"Not after that outburst, buddy ol' pal!" Duo laughed tossing a pillow sharply at Heero's back.

Suddenly Heero turned and caught the pillow. Liz, not wanting to be left out, snatched Duo's pillow and stood beside Heero.

"Prepare to meet thy maker," Duo offered pitifully.

He was outnumbered and out armed. Heero raised an eyebrow at Liz, indicating that she was to follow him. Like raptors, the cornered Duo to a wall.

"So, it has come to this," Duo whimpered. Liz was about to strike Duo when a sudden thud rendered her disoriented. Brianna had successfully hit Liz hard with her pillow.

"Hey!" Liz protested, meanwhile Brianna rattled off with addictive laughter.

This caused Duo to laugh as well.

"Don't laugh at me Duo!" Brianna demanded.

"I can't help it!" he choked.

"I can," Heero laughed triumphantly and brought his pillow roughly down on Duo's head. This left Duo's already ruffled locks even more unruly.

"I think I'm going to bed now. Geeze..." Duo whined hobbling over to his bed with feigned injury. "First I get attacked by a killer spider from hell and then by my friends! What is the world coming to?" Somberly, he tossed his braid over his shoulder.

Liz laughed to herself. Victory, she thought. Liz followed behind Heero back to her room, in the background she heard Brianna speaking to Duo, their voices were low and inaudible above a murmur. The hall then darkened as Duo's light was once again turned off.

Blinded for an instant, she instinctively reached out, finally grasping Heero by the shoulder.

"Want me to lead you to your room?" He asked unaffected by the sudden darkness.

"Well, sure," Liz agreed awkwardly.

Heero blindly reached out for Liz's hand, touching her arm he allowed his hand to slide down its remainder until her reached her hand. Liz shivered under his touch. "Can you see?" She asked.

Heero offered no response; instead he guided himself down the hall using his free hand. Feeling the light switch, "Hm..." was all he said and ignored it.

Liz could have walked down the hall forever holding his hand. She wondered why she let herself think this way.

"Here you are," Heero said plainly, pulling Liz in front of him. She allowed herself to brush against him slightly.

Subconsciously, Heero noticed the way her hair felt and smelled. Some region of his mind tempted him to compliment her, but he ignored it.

"Good night," Liz said affectionately.

"Hmm..." was Heero's only response. He padded down the hall back to his room. A faint smile crossed his face as he wondered why Liz had been in his room earlier.

Liz sighed and sat on her bed. After a few moments she clicked on the light. Squinting from the shock of the new brilliance, she looked away.

"Don't be sad, Elizabeth," Quatre said appearing around the doorway.

"Sad?" Liz questioned, ignoring the fact that Quatre had used her formal first name.

"Don't play games, your eyes could never hide a thing from me."

"Is there a party in here?" Trowa asked, also appearing around the doorway.

"This is the place!" Quatre laughed, sitting on Liz's bed.

"Hey! Can I come too?" A new voice pleaded. Duo.

"Oh, join us," Liz laughed.

Soon everyone was in her room--even Wufei. Wufei's hair was down, and it seemed to take shelter by hanging in his eyes. Trowa sat beside Quatre at the foot f Liz's bed, his green eyes were focused on the topic.

"So, you're in love with Heero?" Duo asked loudly.

So loud that Liz was sure Heero had heard.

She was correct. Creeping out of his bed, he stood silently, at the side of Liz's doorway. Undetected, he stood listening.

"I'll never have a chance with him," Liz concluded.

"Nonsense!" Trowa laughed, "Chances have never limited him."

"He's cold," Wufei announced, in a matter-of-fact manner.

"He's full of feeling," Liz defended. "Just not for me," she sighed. "His eyes tell me he cares about many things."

"Well, they're lying," Wufei chuckled. This caused everyone to laugh.

My eyes? Heero wondered silently. Pushing his hair out of his face for a moment, he had an unobstructed view of Liz's doorway. Yawning, he leaned against the wall.

"I've been feeling that all of this is really very hopeless," Liz sighed.

"It is," Wufei agreed. "Besides, the way you look at him is sickening!"

"You look at Brittany that way, Wufei," Quatre pointed out.

"Well, I...Hmph," Wufei mumbled. "But out of everyone, Heero? Why?" he asked incredulously, at the same time an attractive flush surfaced in his face.

Heero laughed to himself. The topic of Brittany was one that made Wufei contradict himself. It made him question his ideals in the most wonderful way. Still, Brittany had made Wufei lose some of his defenses. She had awakened some secret sense of humor deep within him--making him a smart-ass really.

For that reason, Heero felt that Wufei could only stand in the shadow of the fighter he had once been.

"Because," Liz began, she used a tone Heero had never heard her use, "he is all that I have searched for. He manages to be a most intriguing and complex mystery all on his own. He's kindhearted; he hides it well, yes, but he cannot hide it completely. I know when he looks at me he wants to say something. He wants to tell me everything about himself."

"Why won't he then?" Trowa asked.

"I believe he has forgotten it all. He's become hardened. He must have lost every shred of his humanity in his gundam. Zero is powerful, but it had its price. I think every day a little more of who he really is comes back. Each time I look at him I see something new--something that wasn't there before. It must seem like de'ja vu to him, but I believe he can feel it."

Only when I am around you, Heero thought.

"Do you think you make him aware of those pieces of himself he has forgotten?" Quatre asked, adopting Liz's theory.

"No. I believe the atmosphere here does. All of you do."

"Heero?" Brittany asked softly, startling Heero.

"Shh..." he pleaded. "They don't know I'm here. I'm listening."

"You're spying," Brittany corrected, walking in to Liz's room.

"Glad you could make it!" Duo greeted.

"I'm not staying. I'm just here for my Wufeee..." she laughed, pulling at Wufei's shirt.

"Oooooh...WUFEEE!!" Duo mocked.

"Bye, Wufeee," Quatre called.

Heero had gone to his room by the time Brittany and Wufei walked out of Liz's room laughing and calling eachother sweet names.

"What does she expect from me?" Heero asked himself.

Almost as if he needed something live to talk to, Heero went over to a cage located in the far right corner of his room. Inside, a ferret slept. Curled up like a little ball, the ferret purred loudly. Heero smiled at his companion.

The ferret had been a gift from Quatre from the previous Christmas. Since then, the ferret had become Heero's closest comrade. Heero hid nothing from this ball of fur, he told him everything--even jokes that Duo had told him. Heero couldn't let those that lived around him to see who he was, under it all.

Inside, he wanted nothing more than to be a child--sadly, it was only Heero standing in Heero's way. Liz had been the one to name the ferret; uniquely, she named the ferret Neptune. Heero felt that no other name would suit his little friend and affectionately nicknamed him Nep.

"What does she want from me, Nep?" Heero asked the sluggish fur ball.

The only response was an irritated whimper. Poor Nep only wanted to sleep.

"Nep, help me out bud. Geeze, you're so cute�" Heero cooed. It was unusual for the image he gave off to act in such a manner, but for who he really was, a much more lavish display would have been acceptable.

Laughter from down the hall snapped Heero from his thoughts. He was curious, and due to the recent outburst, he now had reason to investigate. He headed for Liz's room slowly. Gathering his composure, he walked inside her room.

"Well, look who finally decided to join us!" Trowa said, looking at Heero.

"That is it, I am getting Brianna," Duo declared, "I mean, now that everyone is here."

"I'll get Wufei," Quatre offered brightly. He cast a knowing look in Liz's direction and she struggled to hide a sudden flush.

"Uh, I'll get Brittany," Trowa said, catching on slowly. "Well, since I have no where to go...I guess I'm staying here," Liz laughed nervously.

The room was now empty, leaving Heero standing awkwardly at the foot of Liz's bed.

"Well, Umm..." Heero stammered.

"Where is Neptune?" Liz asked suddenly--it was a vain attempt to get things moving.

"I'll get him," Heero offered, heading to his room he retrieved an irritated and tired ferret.

"Oh, my little Nep!" Liz beamed affectionately, taking the ferret from Heero's hands.

She's so cute with him, Heero thought. A smile crept across his face as he watched her play with Neptune's whiskers.

"What?" Liz asked, noticing Heero watching her.

"Liz..." Heero started and then turned to shut and lock her door.

"What are you doing?" Liz asked nervously.

"I want to talk," Heero admitted, and then added, "Uninterrupted."

Liz put Neptune down on her pillow; he curled up and almost immediately went to sleep. "Okay," she allowed, but unease prevailed in her tone.

"I heard what you said about me earlier," Heero began. "I guess I was spying, but it showed me something about you that I hadn't seen before."

"What was that?" Liz asked, ignoring her irritation that Heero had been eavesdropping.

"You're just a silly school girl," Heero said harshly.

"Heero..." Liz said softly, he eyes began burning and she fought tears.

"But silly or not...I..."

"Open up!" Duo demanded. There was a shuffle and then a rattling of the doorknob.

"Leave them ALONE," Quatre ordered. Liz could imagine the smile on his face about now.

"Go on," Liz said placidly to Heero.

"I love you," Heero sputtered and then smiled briefly as if surprised by his own words.

"I don't love you," Liz seemed to admit.

"What do you mean?" Heero asked surprised. "You said before that I..."

"You must have missed the last part of my conversation about you," Liz wondered.

"I left just as Brittany came in your room," Heero confessed.

"Well, allow me to fill you in. Look, sweetheart, you've been so rude to me. All I wanted was just a flicker of hope that you cared for me. You couldn't even give me that! You've ignored my attempts to gain your love--which I apparently have even though you have an odd way of showing it. You ignored me, took me for granted, and worst of all...you let me lose respect for myself. You knew full and well how I felt," Liz sighed. "You knew before you ever found the need to spy."

"Yes, I did," Heero said looking down, his own eyes burned now. "But..."

"Well, go on, defend yourself," Liz demanded.

"I never took you for granted. I never ignored you. If a threat would ever have crossed your path, I would have been there!" Heero said loudly.

Quatre sat smiling outside the door. It is working, he thought.

"Lose respect for yourself? I have long since lost respect for myself! I've watched Duo, and even envied Quatre! Why? Because their voices...their actions...they do not betray them!"

"Your voice and actions do not betray you Heero. That version of yourself that remains untouched by your Gundam's power and the icy hand of death still exists! That version that once shined brilliantly through you is reduced to a flicker and soon will die. Why? Because of your pride. You ignore yourself--the real you--and in doing so, you seem cold and indifferent. Yet, you say you love me?" Liz raged.

"I'll say it again, I love you!" Heero pleaded, his eyes nearly spilling over with new emotion and frustration.

"And I must repeat, I do not love you," Liz looked away. "You've waited too long. You waited, and now your chance is gone."

Trowa's words, 'Chances have never limited him,' ran through Heero's mind fleetingly.

"I guess it is I, who has no chance with you then?" Heero asked.

"Not unless you make one," Liz laughed bitterly. She was shocked at her reaction, she never though that if Heero had confessed his love for her that she would react like this. Yet, only anger loomed within her.

Heero edged sharply around the side of Liz's bed, staring at her, he kissed her. His eyes were open, as were hers--they stood poised for a moment before Liz pushed him away. Heero pulled Liz up with him as she pushed him back. Nearly losing her balance, Heero steadied her.

"See?" He asked. "Even the slightest threat, even one so small as losing your balance, and I am there."

Looking him in the eyes for a moment, Liz felt her anger fade. Looking down she said nothing.

"Please Liz..." Heero pleaded, lifting her head with his finger.

"Please..." Liz whispered. "Promise me something."

"Anything," Heero vowed.

"Stop ignoring yourself. This is who you are. This individual that I see looking back at me right now. I love you. Will you stop ignoring him?"

"I will try...but I will need help. I know the person for the job too..." Heero smiled a winning smile. With that, every trace of anger in Liz was gone. That smile won her over.

That a girl, Quatre laughed to himself and headed back to his room. At this ungodly hour of night, who would have thought Titan could do all of this with one little bite?

"Man, now I'm not tired..." Duo complained.

"Shut up..." Brianna laughed.

Peering out of Liz's room, Heero looked down the hall. "Hey!" He said talking to Duo.

"Yeah, Mr. Luva Luva?"

"Could you keep it down?" Laughter once again echoed through the house. Finally, everyone went to bed...and Titan...crept out of his cage again...