Chapter 9 Kitchen Catastrophe

Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing. Never have, don’t own it now, and never will.

She ducked into the large metallic green painted double doors hoping beyond hope that Trowa would rush outside trying to catch up to her instead of following her here. She received weird glances from the chefs, but ignored all of them as she leaned over the steel counter. A huge mischievous grin passed over her face as her fingers skimmed over the gleaming metal lined up in nice neat rows drying.

Well, well. I guess I did find a good place to hide after all. The door creaked behind her and she whirled expecting to see security officers rush in. Instead green met cloudy blue each one challenging the other to give first. Catherine’s instincts kicked in as her hands groped behind her back.

Trowa barely had time to jump out of the way as a barrage of polished knives headed his way each sharp blade seeking his flesh. Landing behind a long line of ovens with gaps of counter in-between them, he reached above him blindly groping for a weapon. He grabbed the first one he touched and blinked. Breaking off his staring contest with the rubber spatula he reached up again for a more effective weapon in their kitchen battle. Well, at least I can work with a wooden rolling pin… He thought reaching for yet another weapon as knives flew over the oven. Testing the weight and durability of the huge metal cooking sheet and tossing the spatula across the room where it clattered against hanging frying pans drawing her attention.

Taking the opportunity while he still could, he ran out holding the sheet in front of him as a shield. Knives ricocheted off the pan and bumping into various surfaces. He raised his rolling pin threateningly, swooping in for a kill. A mixing bowl blocked his attack making his forearm to vibrate. He lashed out with his right leg, trying to knock her knees out from underneath her. However, she threw all her weight on the metal sheet jabbing it downward onto his leg that was immediately withdrawn as she maneuvered a rolling table between them.

Seeing a flash of silver he flattened himself against the floor as knives whizzed over and embedded into the wall where his head had been seconds ago. By turning his head he was able to get a perfect viewpoint of her legs behind the table. His hand lunged forward, his fingers wrapping around her left ankle as he yanked her under the table. A loud thud made him wince as her forehead slammed against the table on her way down. He pressed the rolling pin against her bare unprotected throat.

"Surrender?" He asked moving the rolling pin up and down on her throat as if it were bread.

"Never." She muttered smacking him on the back of the head with the hand she had managed to wiggle free. He winced as the meat tenderizer (1) whacked his head. Quickly, he threw all of his weight onto her before capturing the arm with his right hand, squeezing until she dropped the wooden mallet. In one last desperate attempt she stretched out knocking a cylinder container of metal rods used for roasting meat and vegetables onto his back. Startled, he loosened his grip and she rolled out from underneath him. Jumping to her feet she grabbed one of the sharp rods extending it in the classic pose of sword fighting. Catherine sent a quick thanks to Dorothy for the friendship, based on a love of blades, that came along with mutual lessons.

The blond had taught her the basics of dueling in return for knife-throwing lessons. Trowa stood in front of her armed with a frying pan and a rubber spatula. She tried to keep from laughing at the ex-Gundam fighter wielding a pan as his weapon. Seeing her choice of weapons he quickly reconsidered the spatula grabbing the next available weapon… a cheesecloth. Cathy lunged as he dodged to the left, but she was too close and too fast. The rod grazed his shoulder, bunching up the fabric, as it impaled itself in the wall, bringing her arm in reach. He balled up the cheesecloth tossing it in her face as he slid out of the shirt. His arm came up grabbing her forearm almost smiling as he yanked her forward leaving the rod sticking out of the pale blue wall. She had discarded of the cheesecloth and was nervously gazing at him.

"I don’t want to fight you Cathy. I just want to talk." He said calmly relaxing his hold as he spoke. She slipped her arm out of his long slender fingers shifting weight as a nervous smile appeared on her face.

"After years of bordering almost on mute, you want to talk?" She asked in disbelief, backing up and placing distance between them her eyes dropping to where her fingers caressed the handle of another rod as she waited his answer. She lifted her eyes startled to see him right in front of her.

"Maybe, I just preferred hearing you talk." He replied softly his normal piercing gaze warm and comforting. Her shoulders sagged as he reverently stroked her cheek.

Hilde continued to glare out the window as she had during the whole flight.

"Babe?" A blurry tanned hand waved in front of her face blocking her view of the colony cluster.

"What?" She spat out irritated he had jolted her from her thoughts of revenge.

"Now, would be an excellent time for some conversation. Like why you ran away?" He replied his own tone bitter and sharp. She turned glaring right into his cobalt blue eyes.

"I didn’t know I was under house arrest." She bitterly replied in turn, regretting her action when an expression of hurt flickered across his face.

"You disappear, without a trace and then you’re angry at me for tracking you down?" He replied just a venomously.

"No, I’m angry at you for tying me to a chair, eating MY meal in MY house while I’m duct taped!!" She shouted back gaining curious stares from the surrounding passengers.

"I said I was sorry." He whined. The look she shot him was dripping of poison.

"Sorry? At least Heero not only apologized but he sent Relena flowers EVEN AFTER SHE SHOOT A HOLE IN HIS FOOT!!!" She yelled almost popping the braided male’s eardrum.

"You didn’t want flowers!" He yelled back, but not anywhere near as loud. She groaned slapping a hand against her forehead. "It’s that time of the month, isn’t it?" He asked a thoroughly confused expression on his face. He regretted it the minute it left his mouth.

"Thanks, a lot for letting me ride up here." Duo said to the two pilots.

"No problem, kiddo. We all make that mistake a few times our lives." The gray-haired pilot replied.

"My wife used to be a real spitfire. I can’t count on a calendar all of the times I was sleeping on the couch or outside on the porch." The co-pilot added.

"What did you do? To get back inside?" Duo asked interested.

"It’s different for each woman. You need to romance them all over again. When, we dated I used to wash her car for her every other week. So, one time I piled her into the car and took her to a car wash. It brought back sweet memories. But what was more important was that I remembered something that was a big thing to her." He shrugged. "It was just the thought that mattered. And don’t ever just buy something hoping it’ll pacify her. You gotta get that emotional connection to the object." He advised. (2)

Relena smiled up at Heero. He’d been ordered to stay off of his foot and he was enjoying a nice short vacation until his foot healed. Not that she’d ease up on him just because she shot him. The flowers were nice, but revenge was so much better. Especially, after he tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and then complained about how heavy she was. She turned catching a reflection of herself in the store window. Nope, I’m not gaining any weight. At least, its not showing if I am. She chewed the bottom of her lip worriedly. What if I am gaining weight? Should, I cut down on the snickers? She asked herself forgetting Heero was there until he reached down surrounding her hand in his warmth.

"You look beautiful." She smiled up at him content. Soon, very soon. Revenge will be mine. (3)

A.N. (1) Meat tenderizer, I’m not sure if that’s the real name for it but it’s a large mallet with triangle shaped forms that stick out of both ends and used to bang meat making it softer and less chewy.

(2) I’m not completely sure if this is true for all women, but it works with me. So don’t try it out on your girlfriend trusting just my word, guys…