FullMetal*Panic!

A large number of girls had snuggled up in their sleeping gear and fallen asleep.

That wasn’t surprising. The storm had passed, and there was barely two hours until dawn. Everyone was exhausted; but, a number of hardy souls continued playing Truth or dare.

Sousuke had tried to excuse himself on a number of occasions, but no one would hear of it. Kaname kept nodding off, but asked Kyouko to wake her up whenever that happened. When Kyouko fell asleep, she was forced to stay awake on will power alone. There was no way that she was going to leave that big idiot unchaperoned!

The game couldn’t go on much longer. The players were running out of questions, and the Dares had begun repeating themselves. A number of girls huddled together. They needed one more big score. The ‘who’ part was easy. It was the ‘what’ that they needed.

“I know,” Maya said, snapping her fingers. “I can’t believe we didn’t do this earlier.”

“Wh-…” Ryo yawned before she was bale to get her word out. “What?”

“Wait and see,” Maya said, finding that yawn to be contagious. “Trust me. It’s a winner.”

“But…” Mizuki had just woken up again.

“Next round. When it’s my turn again. It will be classic.” Maya smiled.

Kaname frowned. She didn’t like the way that her friends were all huddled together. They were up to something. She was sure of it. Muttering, she looked over at Sousuke again. She bit her lip and rubbed her fingers again, thinking about their kiss. Well, their almost kiss. No, it was a kiss. Ohhh-hh-h… whatever!

The Truths and Dares made the rounds. One question caught Kaname off guard, even though it didn’t sound like much at face value.

“OK, Kaname…” One girl had a half dozen empty coffee cups ringing her. “Out of everybody in the whole world, who has disappointed you the most lately?” She finished off another cup. “Politicians… teachers… parents… friends… whoever…”

“It’s…” Kaname looked over at Sousuke. She hoped that they had made an even closer connection that night than they had before. At the very least, she felt that she had made some progress understanding her own feelings. If she answered truthfully, would she ruin all that. What good was it moving one step forward, if she ended up taking two or three back?

“You may be truthful,” Sousuke said, rubbing his neck. “I expect that the answer is obvious.” He looked unconcerned on the outside; but, no one there was capable of determining how he felt on the inside. “I will hold no grudges.”

“Well…” Kaname frowned. He’d hold no grudges? The big idiot made it sound like this was combat or something. He probably didn’t have a romantic bone in his body. No, he probably didn’t have a romantic cell in his body! Right? Maybe not. She couldn’t keep making assumptions about him, and should go out of her way to expect the worst. What good could possibly come of that? “To be honest, it’s Sousuke.”

“I apologize,” Sousuke said. He had no misconceptions about his job performance. True, Kaname was still alive. Yes, he had managed to rescue her from dangerous situations. But, he had also put her in danger, through his actions. Not only that, he had disrupted her life.

“Hey… it’s not that bad…” Kaname tried to put on a big smile. “Come on, Sousuke… it’s not because you’re a jerk or anything.” She needed something positive to say. What? That would do. “Part of it is that I have such high expectations for you, you know? You need a lot of work, but nothing good comes easy.”

Maya, Ryo, and Mizuki all yawned. They seconded Kaname’s comments, even though they didn’t know Sousuke as well as she did. Some of the other girls chimed in as well.

“I understand,” Sousuke said. “I too see a problem.” He stretched, working a tight shoulder. “I have not had high enough expectations for myself in certain things. I must endeavor to correct that.” He opened his mouth again, and then shut it. By all accounts, he had no business having any expectations about Kaname or the way that she treated him.

Kaname wasn’t able to read his mind. She didn’t have too. Sousuke wasn’t the only one who had things to work on.

Things went smoothly after that, until it came time for Sousuke to choose ‘Truth’ or ‘Dare‘. Despite the fact that the rules had been lax all night, the Asker demanded that he make his decision before he heard the question. Having had his fill of Dares for a while, he chose ‘Truth‘.

“Sousuke, how many condoms do you usually carry on you?” After the girl asked that, her friends started waking up other girls. They wouldn’t want to miss this one. Before Sousuke could answer, the question was repeated a half dozen times.

Kaname froze. Condoms. Why did she ask that? Sousuke wouldn’t carry anything of that sort on him, would he? He better not!

“Two,” Sousuke said. “Sometimes, when I require them, one does not hold enough volume.”

“Wh-… Wh-… Wh-…” Kaname started coughing.

“Oooooo-ooooo-oooo-ooo-oo-o…” The girls were all wide awake now. Some of them were dizzy from sitting up too quickly. Most of them suffered vertigo from just picturing what Sousuke’s comment implied.

“You’ve used them,” one girl asked. “More than once?”

“Affirmative,” Sousuke said calmly. “There have been a number of times that I would have been in big trouble, had I forgot them.” He nodded sagely. “One must prepare for all possibilities.”

“Omigod,” another girl said, blinking rapidly. She had never pictured Sousuke that way before.

“P-… P-…P-…” Kaname felt a chill pass throughout her entire body. Possibility? Did that big idiot view her as one of his possibilities? Had his clueless behavior around her and other girls been nothing more than an act?

“When was the last time that you used one?” That girl was smacked on the head by a number of her friends who thought the question to personal. Most of the girls, however, hung on Sousuke’s words.

“The day at the beach,” Sousuke said. “That time that Kaname left with the young man’s servant, and I went to retrieve her.”

“Mmmmmm-mmmm-mmm-mm-m…” Thew girls all turned to look at Kaname.

“But… But…” Kaname began to get angry. “It wasn’t with me!” She gave Sousuke a look of disgust. If he was making up a story about her, she would get up, slap his face, and tell him never to come back. But, what if he was talking about some other girl? Could he have done something while she was at the mansion on the cliff? She began looking around the room, searching everyone’s face for some clue she didn’t want to find.

“Kaname is correct,” Sousuke said. “None of you would know the woman. She looked to be in great need, so I did what I could.”

“You…” Kaname felt as if the whole room was spinning.

“I also offered it to a young girl, but her mother did not like the look of it.” Sousuke shrugged. To some people, there were more important things than practicality.

“Ohhhhhh-hhhhh-hhhh-hhh-hh-h…” A number of the girls put their hands to their mouths.

Ren blushed, looking uncomfortable for the first time that night.

“You… You…” Kaname tensed up. She bit the inside of her mouth, Tears came to her eyes.

“I was going to offer one to you, Miss Tokiwa.” Sousuke looked over at Kyouko, wondering why her limbs all jerked. “I thought perhaps you and Shinji might wish to partake in it.” He watched as Kaname went to help her friend. It looked as if Kyouko had passed out.

“Whoooooo-ooooo-oooo-ooo-oo-o…” The girls began chatting in animated fashion, sparing a glance for Kyouko now and again.

“A lot of you girls looked hot that day,” Sousuke remarked. “I would gladly have shared it with any one of you.” The room went dead quiet after that.

“You… you… you… big jerk!” Kaname raised her voice, waking the few girls that had still been asleep.

“Why are you angry, Kaname?” Sousuke looked puzzled. “I do not understand why my generosity should upset you?” He looked around the room, hoping that someone would clue him in. Was their some tradition of his homeland that he was unaware of? “I would have offered it to you first, but you had already left.”

“Hmmmmmm-mmmmm-mmmm-mmm-mm-m…” The conversations became louder and louder.

“I think you’re disgusting!” Kaname stood up, feeling as if she was about to fly apart into am million pieces. “It’s one thing to think about all of us in that way. We’re not just something for you to satisfy your stupid desires on.” She walked over and grabbed her halisen, shaking it at Sousuke. “But to brag about that like… like… like…”

Kaname didn’t care if she was overreacting. What a fool she had been. She had finally allowed herself to examine her true feelings. She had started fantasizing about kissing that perverted moron for real.

“Perhaps there is a misunderstanding here.” Sousuke began walking towards the kitchen area. He had remembered something. After returning to Da Danaan from Russia, where the SRT had rescued a red-haired Whispered girl, he had been assigned to this mission along with Kurz and Melissa. She had made an incorrect assumption about some of the contingency items he carried in his kit.

“There certainly was,” Kaname said, helping Kyouko sit up again. “But never again.” She didn’t care what the other girls thought about all this. It was time to toss that jerk out the same window he came in.

“Melissa Mao made the same mistake once,” Sousuke said, working over at the sink. The sound of running water could be heard. “When she asked about the condoms, she assumed that I used them for… uhhh….”

“What are you trying to say,” Ren asked in a quiet reasonable voice.

“In the absence of a canteen or other container, a condom can hold a tremendous amount of water without bursting.” He tied off the filled prophylactic and tossed it to Mizuki. She dropped it like it was a hot potato. “It was a tremendously hot day by the ocean. Many people had exhausted the refreshments that they had brought with them. Since I had taken water from such items in the past, I thought that they might wish to do the same.”

Kaname’s mouth fell open and stayed that way. She should have known better. But, just when she thought she had seen and heard it all with a certain sergeant, he managed to top himself. She felt as if she had the letters J-A-C-K-A-S-S tattooed across her forehead.

No. There was no reason for her to feel stupid. Everyone had thought the same thing that she did. That… that… that… that total idiotic clueless otaku nincompoop!

“A condom,” Kaname said in a barely audible voice. “As a canteen,” she added, walking over near Mizuki. “Why didn’t we all think of that?” She picked up the impromptu water balloon.

“Not everyone here has experience in survival situations,” Sousuke said. “You should not feel unintelligent or embarrassed. Even the brightest person can miss the obvious.”

Kaname walked over to Sousuke. “Survive this!” She slipped the lose knot off of the condom, upended it, and stuck the open end down Sousuke’s trousers. “Big idiot. Don’t scare me like that again…”

“Scare?” Sousuke shook one of his legs, trying to get the water out. “Kaname?” He looked up at her. “Why would you have been scared.”

“What?” Kaname flinched. She had certainly put her foot in her mouth that time. “It’s just that…” All of her friends were staring at her. She was not about to answer truthfully. “Don’t be a total moron. Think about it. A boy in a room full of girls in their pajamas. Punch spiked with alcohol. Everyone acting a bit crazy. You were talking about condoms.”

Kaname slid her one hand down to her wrist, trying not to be obvious. She took her pulse. Her heart was beating at a tremendous rate. That was ridiculous. She needed to calm down.

“Did Sousuke’s condom story have you worried, Kaname?” Maya arched one eyebrow. “You seemed mighty upset.”

“But, we would never think you were jealous or something.” Ryo tried not to grin.

“Never,” Mizuki added, making no effort to suppress her smile.

“Jealous?” Kaname tried to sound as incredulous as she could. “Don’t be silly. Jealous over what?” She looked at Sousuke. “Better yet, jealous over who? A guy whose first thoughts about condom are about using them to carry around water?” She saw Sousuke look down at his feet. She couldn’t lay things on too thick. “In case you forgot, I’m the hostess here. I don’t think we want to sit around hearing anyone bragging about sex.”

“Really?” One girl asked. “Not even after a totally steamy Dare.” She winked at one of her friends.

“That’s right,” the friend said. “We already did the kissing thing. We even had a strip tease. If I had the chance to give Sousuke another Dare, I was going to send him off into another room with someone.” She fluffed her hair. “If you know what I mean.”

“R-… R-… Room…” Kaname’s face went pale, and then began turning read with anger.

“Sure,” Maya said, elbowing Maya. “You wouldn’t have to worry. You did your share. So did Mizuki. It will be someone else’s turn.”

“I wonder who…” Maya tapped at her chin with one fingernail, looking around the room.

“Nice try, guys.” Kaname said, bringing herself under control. “Like any of you would go ahead with something like that. Hmmmpppfff.” She buffed her nails on her pajama blouse. “Sousuke wouldn’t either, would you Sousuke?” She looked over at the young soldier.

“That is incorrect,” Sousuke said, lacing his fingers together and stretching. The cracking of his knuckles could easily be heard in the room. Everyone was silent, staring at him. “I would follow the rules of the game. And, as with any Dare I did tonight, I would try my very hardest. If I did poorly, I would ask the more experienced women present to help me improve.”

This time, there was no whispering. No one giggled or rushed to discuss things with their friends. Kaname tried to swallow but couldn’t.

“It is not a problem,” Sousuke said. He put his hands behind his neck and lay back. “I suppose now would be a good time to say ‘psyche’.” That had the girls reacting. They were too tired to club him senseless with pillows at the moment. They promised to pay him back some other day.

The game picked up a little steam, seeing that more people were awake again. Many of them were dreary eyed, guessing that they might end up sleeping a good part of the day away. When it came time for Maya to pick, she chose Sousuke.

“Have those condoms ready?” Maya asked Sousuke. She smiled and said “Just kidding” after she saw Kaname spit out the soda she was drinking. “I’ll do what a lot of us have done tonight. I’ll let you choose ‘Truth’ or ‘Dare’ after you hear the question.”

“As you wish,” Sousuke said, feeling uneasy despite his earlier claim. There was no way that he would engage in sexual relations as part of a game.

“Who was your first love?” Maya looked on intently. She wanted him to choose ‘Dare,’ but would gladly take an answer in its place, especially if it turned out to be a girl at Jindai High School.

“Uhhh…” Sousuke went stiff. He had to deal with that subject again. How could he name a girl that he loved, if he didn’t even know what love was? “Uhhh…” He did have some suspicion, however. There was someone he appeared to be developing strong feelings for, love or not love. He looked over at Kaname. “Uhhh…”

Kaname felt her heart begin pounding in her chest again. Was that big idiot going to name her? It would be so embarrassing. She would never hear the end of it! But, to be honest, it wouldn’t be so bad. It would definitely be better than his mentioning someone else.

“I will accept the Dare,” Sousuke said. “As long as it’s not of a sexual nature.”

“It’s not,” Maya said. “But who knows… if you do real well, it might lead to that.” She smirked, seeing the expression on Sousuke’s face. “Kaname, I’ll need you to get your Karaoke machine. If Sousuke hadn’t shown up, we would have been singing hours ago.”

Feeling somewhat relieved, and chiding herself for having been worried at all, Kaname went off to fetch her machine. She still had reservations, but of a much different sort. She wasn’t alone. Mizuki was also making a rather sour face. She remembered Sousuke doing karaoke during their faux date.

“So, you’ll sing?” One girl asked, chewing on the end of her hair. “Some guys talk all rough and tough, but chicken out when it’s time to do that.”

“The problem with Sousuke is not getting him to sing.” Mizuki hung her head. “It’s getting him to stop.”

“I will sing,” Sousuke said, accepting the mission. “It has been a common to provide musical entertainment at parties in Japan from long before the Edo era.” He nodded his head. “Dancing and singing was part of a samurai's education. It was expected that every samurai have a dance or a song they could perform.”

“Here,” Kaname said, passing around a small box after setting the karaoke machine down on a table near Sousuke. “You might need some of these.” It was cotton balls.

“I’ll choose the first song,” Maya said, watching as a number of her classmates began looking through the available songs. “Since it’s my Dare.” She grinned. “It will require some choreography on your part, Sousuke. I’ll have to teach you the words and the movements.”

The girls all began chuckling or laughing while Maya went through her instruction. The look on Sousuke’s face had been priceless. His performance should be even better, the stuff of legend.

“OK, Sousuke.” Maya handed Sousuke the microphone. She put on some music as background. “Go for it.”

Sousuke clenched his teeth. He had been through enough already. He had put up with more than enough. This truly affected the honor and dignity of a Specialist. Doing the proper movements, he sang:

“I'm a little teapot, short and stout
Here is my handle here is my spout

When I get all steamed up, hear me shout
Just tip me over and pour me out!

I'm a clever teapot, yes it's true
Here's an example of what I can do
I can change my handle to my spout
Just tip me over and pour me out.”

“Oh my God, he’s so hot” one girl quipped, about to burst with laughter.

“I want him!” Someone else cried out.

“No, he’s mine…” A third girl stood up and pretended to swoon.

Kaname smiled so big that her face hurt. After that, all of the troubles from earlier in the night seemed to vanish into thin air. The night was complete. No, her life was complete. She could die happy now.

After that, the girls put their heads together and came up with the next song for the disgruntled young mercenary to sing. It would present him with an entirely new set of challenges.

“It’s been decided,” Maya said, working with the machine to bring up the lyrics for Sousuke. “Utada Hikaru. ‘First Love’. “She smiled. “Here…” She pushed Sousuke from behind. “Why don’t you stand here while you sing?” She had left him standing in front of Kaname.

“Uhhh…” Sousuke swallowed hard. He met Kaname’s eyes before they both looked away. “Uhhh…”

“That’s not in the lyrics,” Ryo said.

“That’s right,” Mizuki added. “And wait for the music.”

The first verse went past, before Sousuke began to sing. He warbled things as best he could, making the strangling of cats sound like Opera. The girls cringed at first, but soon got into the spirit of things. It was so bad, it was good.

“Tomorrow, at this time
Where will you be?
Who will you be thinking about?

You are always gonna be my love
Even if I fall in love with someone once again
I'll remember to love
You taught me how
You are always gonna be the one
It's still a sad song
Until I can sing a new song…”

Kaname swallowed hard. She knew that Sousuke wasn’t singing the song to her. There was nothing to get all mushy about. But, she couldn’t help but get caught up in the words. She didn’t want to think about sad songs. She didn’t want to think about Sousuke leaving Tokyo.

“You’re breaking my heart!” One girl called out, laughing.

“And you’re breaking my ears,” another said.

“The paused time is
About to start moving
There's many things that I don't want to forget about

Tomorrow, at this time
I will probably be crying
I will probably be thinking about you…”

Sousuke was sweating, just trying to follow the words. He was getting into the spirit of singing, just as he had when he went out on that fake date with Mizuki. His voice grew louder and louder. Soon, he would be in the groove.

As he sang, he began thinking about the lyrics. His mission guarding Kaname was paused-time of a sort. It was as if someone had frozen one of his SRT missions… removed him… and placed him in this city. Before he knew it, someone might pick him back up, but him back where he belonged, and restart time.

There was little chance that he would cry. When had he last done that? But, he realized that he might spend a lengthy period of time thinking about Kaname. There had never been anyone else like her in his life.

“You will always be inside my heart
You will always have your own place
I hope that I have a place in your heart too
Now and forever you are still the one
It's still a sad song
Until I can sing a new song…”

Sousuke went on to finish the song. He looked over at Kaname, and caught her looking at him again. Maybe when he left, she would have a chance to sing her new song. Would his leaving some day make her happy? Could her life ever go back to normal?

The girls all clapped, offering up mock applause. It had been an excruciating experience in some ways, but none of them would have missed it for the world.

“Bravo, Sousuke.” Maya took a bow when the other girls congratulated her on a terrific Dare. “We’ll let you do one more. Your choice.”

“Let me see…” Sousuke rubbed his chin. By the end of that song, his crooning juices had begun flowing again. He tried to think of a passionate song. Yes. There was one he had seen in a war film. It would do nicely, since he somehow remembered the words. “I have it…”

The girls looked at one another. What would he pick? Would it be something romantic? Something sexy? Or might it be something spirited and fun?

“This song is from World War Two,” Sousuke said, clearing his throat. “It was sung by German tank soldiers.” He struck a pose, imagining himself rumbling across some desert plain or hedgerow bordered field in a tank instead of an Arm Slave. “It is called ‘Lied der Panzertruppen’.” He began to sing, trying to make his voice sound deep:

“Ob's stuermt oder schneit, ob die Sonne uns lacht,
Ob heiter der Himmel oder finster die Nacht --
Bestaubt sind die Gesichter,
Doch froh ist unser Sinn, ja unser Sinn:
Es braust unser Panzer im Sturme dahin…”

Needless to say, Kaname’s mood from before vanished. She sighed. There was no sense being angry or disappointed. It was Sousuke Sagara, after all.

The other girls looked at one another and frowned. Despite their dislike of the song, they decided to have some fun. Quickly, they began gathering up certain items of clothing.

Sousuke paid no attention to the girls rummaging through the bags they had brought with them. He paid no mind when a few of them ran off into other rooms. He was in the middle of the song. He had to do his best to make it a stirring rendition.

”Und sind wir dann alle zum Kampfe vereint,
Mit donnerndem Motor heran an den Feind!
Dann lasst den Kameraden
Im Kampf nicht allein, ja nicht allein!
So stosen wir tief in die feindlichen Reih'n...”

Just like at some of the wilder concerts, articles of clothing began to fly through the air. Shirts, pants, and stockings landed everywhere. One bra landed on Sousuke’s head, before sliding off and falling to the floor. A set of frilly lace panties hooked itself over his microphone.

“I want to have his baby!” One girl’s shout had her friends looking at her. Was she just acting? They hoped so!

“Souuuuuus-kaaaaaaaaay…” The crowd began swaying back and forth. A few ran to light the candles again and hold them in their hands.

“Ah well,” Mizuki said, joining in.

“Und laesst uns im Stich dann das treulose Glueck,
Und kehren wir nicht in die Heimat zurueck,
Trifft uns die Todeskugel,
Ruft uns das Schicksal ab, ja Schicksal ab,
So wird uns der Panzer ein ehernes Grab.”

After that, Truth or Dare petered out. The girls all wanted to try their hands at karaoke. No one sounded as bad as Sousuke. No one even came close, even when they purposefully tried to sing poorly. During one song, a number of girls walked over to him with a paper crown they had made, crowning him the ‘K-King’, a term usually reserved for a man who is sophisticated in karaoke singing.

While Ryo was singing ‘Love Angel’ by Hitomi, there was a knock at Kaname’s front door. Kaname got up and went over to see who it was. It was probably going to be one of her neighbors. She hoped that it wasn’t the apartment manager or the police.

Sousuke quickly grabbed his weapons and his supply bag. Hurdling a number of singing girls, he flattened himself against the wall, near the door, out of sight of anyone standing in the hallway. Most of the partygoers looked at him like he was bonkers, shaking their heads.

“Hello?” Kaname said tentatively, looking out through a crack in the door. Then, her expression changed and she swung the door open. “Aki… but I thought you were sick…” It was one of the girls fro the class, a recent transfer student. She had been invited to the party, but had called to say that she was too ill to attend.

“I’m sorry to disturb you at this hour,” Aki said, shuffling her feet and hanging her head. “I… I lied before… I wasn’t really sick…” She bit her lip, looking really upset. “I have a problem… and… I…”

“Do you want to come in?” Kaname asked. She wondered what was bothering the girl. She had always been friendly, and tried her best to be a good student. “Everybody’s still awake.”

“No… I couldn’t…” Aki moved her hands nervously. “It would be too embarrassing. I apologize again. But, you have always tried to make me feel at home in school. There’s no one else I have that I can talk with.”

“Ohhh…” Kaname stepped out into the hallway and let the door close behind her. That gave her and the other girl some privacy. “What can I do to help?”

As soon as the door closed, Aki’s face and posture changed. She smiled a flat smile, reaching into her hand bag. Soon, there was a small pistol in her hand. “You can help me by coming along quietly. I was hoping everyone would be asleep by now; but, by the time they miss you, we’ll be gone.” Keeping her eyes on Kaname, she screwed a long silencer into place.

“But… what…” Kaname froze. She wondered if she should call for Sousuke. “Why are you doing this?”

“I don’t know why you look so shocked,” Aki said. “If someone can place an operative in the school to guard you, why couldn’t a clever organization send one in to collect you?” She frowned. “It’s hard getting you alone after class. That incompetent soldier is always around.” Her eyes brightened. “I knew this would be the perfect opportunity. That boy should be anywhere but at a slumber party for girls.”

“SOUSUKE IS NOT INCOMPETENT. HE WILL RESCUE ME!”

Kaname put her hands on her hips, acting angry, as if she took offense at the other girl’s remarks. That should have carried through the door.

“He is worse than incompetent,” Aki said, sneering. “He never had any clue about me. A good bodyguard would run a background check on anyone who was new around you. Not that he and Mithril would have found anything.” She motioned with the gun. “Let’s go. I have people waiting.”

Kaname began walking with Aki, who was keeping the gun pointed at her under a flap of a long coat. Soon, two middle aged men in trench coats steps out from a stairwell, bulges under their outerwear.

“D-o-w-n-!” That was Sousuke’s voice. Kaname reacted immediately, falling flat to the hallway floor. Shots rang out from both sides of her.

“I will tell you what is incompetent,” Sousuke said, having heard the entire conversation. “Making assumptions. Being too lax. Neglecting to bring sufficient assets.” He kicked Aki’s gun away, before kicking her hard in the head and leaving her unconscious. He moved quickly to do the same to the henchmen, who were barely awake after being hit in the temple area with rubber bullets. “You are safe now, Kaname.”

“Sousuke, you’re hurt…” Kaname touched his arm, bringing her finger away sticky with blood.

“The bullet merely grazed me. She was a good shot.” He looked over at the enemy operative. “I will need to call this in.” He flipped open his small satellite phone, punching in the needed frequency. Seeing the doorway crowded with worried girls, he walked until he found a private spot.

“What happened, Kaname?” Kyouko looked very worried. She was afraid for Kaname’s sake, but didn’t want to stick her head out into the hallway.

“Someone wanted to kidnap me,” Kaname said truthfully. She didn’t add the word ‘again’ or explain why. “They weren’t expecting Sousuke.”

“Who ever expects Sousuke,” Mizuki said, feeling frightened herself. She and the other girls were ushered back into the room by Kaname, who suddenly felt very weak in the legs. That had been very close. This sort of thing was becoming far too commonplace.

“This is Urzu Seven,” Sousuke said, when the dispatcher answered aboard the TDD-1. “Patch me through to Captain Testarossa, Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin, or any member of the SRT.” This would be the most efficacious route. Going through Merida Island Command would slow things down. Someone on the submarine could call them and make a report.

“Sousuke, what is it? Is it urgent?” That was Melissa Mao’s voice. Kurz could be heard clearly in the background. “Kainin will be on the line shortly.”

“There has been another attempt on Kaname,” Sousuke said, before giving Mao the details of the encounter. “I have no idea if there are other men in the building, or waiting in a vehicle. I could use someone from any of the safehouses.”

“We’ll take care of it, Sousuke old buddy.” Kurz had grabbed the handset from Melissa. “But tell me, why are you over at Angel’s place, this early in the morning? Hmmmm. Getting some lovin’?”

“Give me that, you idiot.” Mao was soon back on line. “Why are you there, Sousuke? Did you have some kind of warning ahead of time. If you did, why didn’t you report it?”

“Uhhh…” Sousuke blinked rapidly. “There was no prior problem…” He began to sweat. “Well, not of the type that you infer…” He almost jumped when Kaname came padding up quietly behind him to see how he was doing, a First Aid kit in her hand. “You see… I was at…”

“He was at my slumber party,” Kaname said, wondering who Sousuke was talking to. For once, she hoped that it was Tessa. “He put on quite a show…” That would teach the big stupid head to do some of the things that he had done.

“Uhhh…” Sousuke almost dropped the communicator. This was not good. This was very very bad. Mao and Weber would know where he had been. They would suspect that something interesting had gone on. ‘Relentless’ would not begin to describe their subsequent behavior.

When the frazzled soldier put away his satellite phone, he checked out the bandaging that Kaname had done. “A very professional job. My thanks, Kaname.”

“Thank you, Sousuke.” Kaname fought the urge to throw herself on him. Things had happened so quickly, that the nature of the event was only dawning fully on her at that instant. “You saved me again. This time it wasn’t your fault.” She looked up into his eyes. “I guess it’s good to have you around sometimes, after all.”

“Affirmative,” Sousuke said, feeling a bit edgy. He didn’t know how to interpret the look in Kaname’s eyes.

“I guess you’ll have to be leaving soon huh?” Kaname closed up her First Aid kit. She had pulled Sousuke into the stairwell when neighbors began looking out into the hallway. The sound of sirens could be heard in the distance.

“Yes,” Sousuke said. “That would be wise.” He thought a moment. “Otherwise, to hide me, your friends would probably dress me up as a girl, make-up and all.” He scowled, seeing the calculating look on Kaname’s face. “That is not going to happen. It was bad enough wearing girl’s pajamas.” He checked his watch. "I will make cretain that things are secure, while avoiding the authorities."

”OK,” Kaname said, smiling. “Are we still on for studying together, Monday night?” She ran her hand along Sousuke’s good arm. She needed to give him something to think about.

“Yes,” Sousuke answered.

“Good,” Kaname said. “I’ll bring the Pocky.” She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Uhhh…”