When Wufei approached Anja's apartment he found the door wide open. After what had happened to Kuronue she had been very quiet. Even Kurama couldn't break her silence. No even Duo could help and he could make Heero talk! The Chinese boy peeked his head around the circular doorway and found the object of his thoughts gyrating on the hard wooden dance floor that served as both Bed room and studio. Her eyes were closed and her mouth dropped sadly.

 The boy crept inside and stood in the archway, watching her delicate movements sharpened to strong and the fade away to wispy and soft. He loved watching her move, whether in a dance or in a fight. She was so fluid and powered. Like a martial artist but also as a dancer, or a fey creature of the spirit realm.

 The music flowing around her was soft. An ancient. . . no, it wasn't old to her. Only to him and his fellow pilots. . . a new, love song. Soft and sweet. In the little time he had known her, Wufei had come to see a pattern in her choice of music. Hard rock was for happy, salsa and Latino was for hot and sensual, Heavy metal and rap was for angry and romantic ballads were for lonely. He saw a tear fall for one of her closed lids and wanted no more than to take her into his arms and hold her. To tell her that everything would be all right. To let her know that he was still here. //How could Shura have abandoned her at such a time as this? I understand honor, but what his father did was not deserving of an honorable reaction.//

 "Anja."

 She jumped, startled from her meditation, "Wufei!"

 He nodded sharply, "What are you doing?"

 "Practicing for class." She smiled but it was a hollow expression.

 "You're hurting still."

 She visibly wilted and Wufei pushed away from the wall and moved to hold her, both
sitting on the open window sill.

 "Tell me."

 Anja sighed and pushed her sweat soaked bangs from her brow, "I'm not ready for this
Fei."

 "For the child?"

 A hand stroked her slightly rounded abdomen, "Yes, but I would be honored to be
carrying Kuronue's child. . ."

 "If he were here to help you."

 She nodded and curled up in the china man's strong embrace, "I know that girls my age
and younger are having babies everyday. Heck, twelve year olds have babies now days, but not
me. I wasn't raised like that. My mom had to raise my siblings and I alone for years until she met
my step dad, and I know she cried herself to sleep more than one night. And that was my mom!
She's so strong and me. . ."

 Wufei stroked her back in soothing circles, "Anja you are strong."

 "But I'm not like my my mom. I tried so hard to be, she was everything I've ever wanted
to be. She loved so much and so many people and even the ones she could barely stand she
helped. She was. . . she was so much! Complete caring wrapped into a body that had been hurting
since she was a child. She was in constant agony and she still took care of us first. Anyone first but
herself. She was so. . . genkai! So pure even as she berated herself for not being enough. How
could I possibly be that for my child? I'm still trying to discover who -I- am, how will I guide a
child to find out who they are?"

 "The best you can."

 "And all alone." She frowned and looked out the window.

 Wufei shook his head and turned her face to him, "No." His eyes caught hers and silently
offered her all he had to give, "You will never be alone while I'm around."

 "Fei." She said it softly, like she couldn't believe he had said that.

 "You thought I was only in this for the sex? Did you think I would kiss you if I didn't
mean it?"

 "I didn't know." She admitted, "You were away from everything that was familiar, I
thought you just needed to be reminded that this was real."

 "So you did it for pity ?All of you?"

 "No!" She glared at him, "I do not give myself away that freely! You just felt right."

 "I have not kissed another woman like I do you. Not since my wife Merian died."

 "Wu-chan, If we are together it's for keeps." Anja warned him.

 "I would have it no other way."

 "And we are equal in our union. I can't be subservient. I can't be what Asian men seem to
want in a match. Do you understand that?"

 He nodded, "I would not expect you to be. You are not the least bit mild. It's what makes
you who you are."

 "So no treating me like a baka onna?"

 The man's sloe eyes crinkled in amusement, "Never." His lips met hers to seal there
bond and promises and Anja wrapped her strong arms around him, holding him fiercely.

 "Fei!"

 "I love you Anja. And the baby in you will be like my own."

 "Promise?"

 "Zutto." He smiled and inhaled her wonderful, heady scent.

 "Maybe I can make my mother proud after all." Her eyes were bright with tears. "You
think she knew how much I love her Fei?"

 "She knew." He kissed her head gently and held he against his strong chest, rocking back
and forth in time to their heart beats. "And you know what?"

 "Hm?" Anja's eyes closed slowly and Wufei's smile turned soft and loving at the sight of
-his- Anja. His family now. "I don't think there will ever be a time when she doesn't watch over
you. That is the power she gives you no matter how far away." He tucked the sleeping girl into
her bed and breathed, "That is the power of love."
 

~owari~